Trump has previously issued warnings to Colombia’s president, Gustavo Petro, accusing him of failing to curb cocaine production and trafficking
US President Donald Trump and his Columbian counterpart Gustavo Petro have had strained relations for some time. (Photos: AP)
President Donald Trump on Sunday suggested that Colombia could be the next focus of American action in the region, just a day after former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro was captured by US forces.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump appeared to endorse the idea of US operations in Colombia when asked directly about the possibility. Responding to a question about potential action by the US military, he said: “Sounds good to me.”
The President also criticised Colombia’s leadership, saying: “Colombia is very sick too, run by a sick man and selling it to the United States. But, he is not going to be doing that very long.”
Trump has previously issued warnings to Colombia’s president, Gustavo Petro, accusing him of failing to curb cocaine production and trafficking. On Wednesday, he suggested Petro could become a target of Washington’s anti-drug campaign.
“I haven’t really thought too much about him. He’s been fairly hostile to the United States,” Trump had said, adding: “He’s going to have himself some big problems if he doesn’t wise up.”
The US president went on to accuse Colombia of producing and exporting cocaine into the United States. “Colombia is producing a lot of drugs. They have cocaine factories. They make cocaine, as you know, and they sell it right into the United States,” he said. “So he better wise up, or he’ll be next. He’ll be next. I hope he’s listening.”
Trump added: “He’s going to be next because we don’t like people when they kill people.”
Relations between Trump and Petro have been strained for some time. Petro is Colombia’s first left-wing president in modern history. Until Trump returned to office in January, Colombia had been one of the largest recipients of US aid in South America.
Colombia continues to face major security challenges, including widespread cocaine production and a six-decade-long internal conflict involving government forces, left-wing rebel groups, right-wing paramilitaries and criminal organisations.
The country is the world’s largest producer of coca, the plant used to make cocaine. United Nations estimates suggest nearly 253,000 hectares are devoted to coca cultivation.
Critics of traditional eradication efforts argue that such policies disproportionately harm rural farmers without providing alternative livelihoods. President Petro’s government has instead prioritised targeting criminal networks involved in processing and trafficking drugs.
Tahir Andrabi said that the leadership of China was in constant touch with the leadership of Pakistan, and “had made certain contacts with the Indian leadership as well in those three-four days from May 6 to 10th and maybe prior to that and after that.”
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi. File | Photo Credit: AP
Pakistan has backed China’s claim that Beijing played a role in defusing tension with India during Operation Sindoor, calling it “diplomacy for peace” that was part of international efforts.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said that the leadership of China was in constant touch with the leadership of Pakistan, and “had made certain contacts with the Indian leadership as well in those three-four days from May 6 to 10th and maybe prior to that and after that.”
“So, I think those contacts, characterised by a very positive diplomatic exchange, contributed in bringing down temperatures and bringing peace and security in the region. So, I’m sure that the Chinese characterisation of mediation is correct,” he said on Thursday while replying to a question about Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s claim that India-Pak tensions were among the list of hotspot issues “mediated” by China in 2025.
India has maintained that the conflict with Pakistan in May last year was resolved through direct talks between the Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both countries’ armies.
India has also been consistently maintaining that there is no place for any third-party intervention in matters relating to India and Pakistan.
Mr. Andrabi described China’s claim of mediation as “diplomacy for peace”.
“It was diplomacy for prosperity, for security, and this has been a hallmark of a number of international efforts that went into resolving that conflict in those three to four fateful days,” he added.
Speaking at a symposium in Beijing on Tuesday, Mr. Wang said tensions between India and Pakistan were among a list of hot issues mediated by China in 2025.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians.
“I felt betrayed by my body,” she told the World Health Organization (WHO) as part of an initiative to eliminate the disease.
Cervical cancer, the fourth most common cancer in women, took Jeanette’s life a year after she was diagnosed. In January each year, Cancer Awareness Month, WHO underscores that the illness is both preventable and curable.
What is cervical cancer?
Cervical cancer is a reproductive cancer that develops in a woman’s cervix and can spread to other parts of the body if not detected or treated early.
In 2022, an estimated 660,000 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer worldwide and about 350,000 women died from the disease, according to WHO.
UNICEF, the UN children’s agency, warns that the illness takes away a woman’s life every two minutes.
Almost all cervical cancer cases are linked to infection with human papillomaviruses (HPV) – an extremely common virus transmitted through sexual contact.
Most sexually active people will have HPV at some point. In most cases, the immune system clears the virus naturally but persistent infection with certain carcinogenic types of HPV can cause abnormal cell growth that may ultimately develop into cancer.
How can it be prevented or treated?
Cervical cancer is both preventable and curable with proper access to screening, vaccination and treatment.
WHO recommends vaccination for HPV for all girls aged 9–14, before they become sexually active and cervical screening from the age of 30 (25 years for women living with HIV).
When diagnosed, it is one of the most successfully treatable forms of cancer, if it is detected early and managed effectively.
Unequal access to prevention and treatment, however, remains a problem, leading to higher rates of incidence and mortality in some regions of the world like sub-Saharan Africa, Central America and Southeast Asia.
The 2000 film Minority Report, set in 2054, imagined potential future technologies like controlling computers by making hand gestures
The last 25 years has seen some mind-bending technological changes.
At the start of the century, most computers connected to the internet with noisy dial-up connections, Netflix was an online DVD rental company, and the vast majority of people hadn’t even heard of a smartphone.
Fast forward two and a half decades, and innovations in AI, robotics and much else besides are emerging at an incredible rate.
So we decided to ask experts what the next 25 years could bring.
Here are their predictions for the technology we’ll be using by 2050 – and how it could reshape our lives.
Merging humans and machines
Science fiction set in the 2050s is full of examples of humans using technological enhancements to feel fitter, happier and more productive.
In the 2000 hit game Deus Ex – set in 2052 – the player can inject themselves with tiny robots called “nanites”.
These microscopic robots manipulate matter on atomic levels, giving superhuman abilities such as enhanced speed and the ability to see in the dark.
It sounds like something from the distant future, but nanotechnology – engineering at a scale of millionths of a millimetre – is already used in lots of everyday real-life tech.
In fact, it is powering the way you are reading these very words right now – every smartphone or computer is run by a central chip made up of billions of tiny transistors – electrical components built on a nanoscale to speed up data processing.
Professor Steven Bramwell at the London Centre for Nanotechnology told the BBC by 2050 we should expect the lines between machines, electronics and biology to be “significantly blurred”.
That means we could see nanotechnology implants by then – but more to “monitor your health or aid communication” rather than to appear invisible, as in Deus Ex.
Medicine could also make common use of machines at a nanometre scale to “deliver drugs to exactly where they need to go”, said Professor Bramwell.
Cybernetics professor Kevin Warwick is equally interested in studying augmentations, going one step further than most.
In 1998 he became the first human to have a microchip implanted into his nervous system, earning him the title “Captain Cyborg”.
Professor Warwick believes by 2050, advancements in cybernetics – the science studying the links between natural and mechanical systems – could lead to trailblazing treatments for diseases.
He predicts the use of “deep brain electronic stimulation” as a partial treatment for some conditions such as schizophrenia, rather than medicine.
He adds it is likely we’ll see more cybernetic enhancements of the kind he has already trialled himself, so that “your brain and body can be in different places”.
And what if we wanted to test out how the latest enhancement, or even new diet worked on our bodies, without any risks of experiencing the side effects?
Professor Roger Highfield, director of the Science Museum Group believes “digital twins” – virtual versions of a physical object, updated using real time data – could become a regular feature in our lives.
He imagines a world where each of us could have “thousands of simplified twins”, using them to explore how “different medications or lifestyle changes affect your unique biology”.
In other words, we could preview our futures before we live them.
The next generation of AI
Many technology firms, including Google and IBM, are currently locked in a multi-billion dollar race to revolutionise how we push fields like AI even further – in the form of quantum computing.
Quantum computers are machines which can do very complex calculations at incredibly fast speeds – for example, simulating molecular interactions to design new drugs faster.
In January 2025, Jensen Huang – boss of the leading chip firm Nvidia – said he believed “very useful” quantum computing would come in 20 years.
AI itself will undoubtedly continue to loom large in our society as we journey towards the half century mark.
Futurist and author Tracey Follows, who helped write a government White Paper on UK education in 2050, believes learning will take place across “virtual and physical realities” using AI teachers which “adjust in real time”.
Rather than textbooks, she predicts children will use “immersive simulations”.
Meanwhile, education will be less standardised, with each child’s individual DNA or biometric data studied to understand how they learn best.
Traffic-free roads and lunar bases
The writer Bill Douglass is well-versed in making compelling forecasts – in 2000 he won a $20,000 (£14,800) global futurist writing contest entitled “The World in 2050”.
While he still agrees one of his original predictions – pilotless planes – will come true by 2050, he believes we will first see more advances in driverless cars, making traffic congestion “largely a thing of the past”.
“Cars will drive so much closer to each other than they can now,” he told the BBC. “And if one has to brake, they all brake.
“On private toll roads for autonomous vehicles, there’s no reason traffic can’t go up to 100 miles an hour or so – you’ll see mortality from traffic accidents plummet.”
Away from Earth, the space race will equally continue at speed, journalist and co-host of the Space Boffins podcast Sue Nelson told the BBC.
She says in 25 years, it is likely there will be a liveable base on the Moon, and some industries could be almost entirely based in space.
For example, she believes we may see pharmaceutical companies making the next generation of medicines in microgravity – meaning on board an orbiting spacecraft.
This is because, she says, crystals grown this way rather than on Earth, are “often larger and better quality”.
Sci-fi meets science
The film Minority Report, based on a novella by science fiction author Philip K Dick, was released in 2002 and set in the year 2054.
Three years before production began, director Steven Spielberg invited fifteen experts, including the founder of virtual reality Jaron Lanier, to a three-day summit to reflect on which technologies could possibly exist in the 2050s.
The discussions shaped many of the innovations featured in the film.
If the events of the Tom Cruise-starring science fiction thriller are to be believed, by the mid-2050s we will all be using gesture recognition (and fancy gloves) to swirl through videos on our transparent monitors, while policemen on jetpacks fight impending crime with the help of vomit-inducing batons.
Like much science fiction in the arts, the film paints a dystopian view of our future years.
It’s a feeling which some experts have begun to echo in our current timeline – with some going even as far as to suggest that artificial intelligence could lead to the extinction of humanity.
Xiangzi explained that Jiaozi watches over his driving and takes care of the luggage he carries.
Representative Image
A tuxedo cat in China has captured the hearts of social media users after videos of him riding along with his truck owner went viral. The cat has been humorously compared to a bus conductor for the way he sits comfortably in the truck, reported South China Morning Post.
The driver, from Hebei province in northern China and nicknamed Xiangzi, calls his eight-month-old cat Jiaozi, which means “dumpling,” his best travel buddy. He shared that Jiaozi has been riding with him since he was just one month old and has grown into a 7.5-kilogram co-pilot.
Xiangzi explained that Jiaozi watches over his driving and takes care of the luggage he carries. He also said that a mat and cat litter box have been placed nearby to create a comfortable space for Jiaozi.
In the video, Jiaozi can be seen sitting near the front window, his paws resting on the handrail, enjoying the view outside, despite the rough road. In some videos, he is also seen holding the handrail and licking catnip nearby.
Before the 30 minute operation, US officials tracked where Nicolás Maduro stayed at different hours, his habits, and even details such as his pets and clothing.
US President Donald Trump said that Nicolás Maduro was captured in a “large scale” US military operation in Carcas(@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social)
As President Donald Trump spent his Friday morning posting on social media about his health and rambling about wind turbines, a “large-scale” US military operation against Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro was already in its final stages.
According to US officials, the operation dubbed as “Absolute Resolve”, had been planned and rehearsed for months. Once launched, it unfolded in under 30 minutes and ended Nicolás Maduro’s rule within hours.
Built replica of Maduro’s residence
In the days leading up to the strike, the US military quietly built up its presence off Venezuela’s coast, while intelligence agencies closely studied Maduro’s daily routine. Officials tracked where he stayed at different hours, his habits, and even details such as his pets and clothing, as reported by Associated Press.
According to Trump, a full-scale replica of Maduro’s residence was built for rehearsal. “They actually built a house which was identical to the one they went into with all the same, all that steel all over the place,” he said.
Trump also added that the US “turned off almost all of the lights” in the Venezuelan city while forces worked to extract Maduro and his wife.
“He was in a fortress,” Trump told Fox News in a telephone interview.
Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, said the preparations were exhaustive. “We think, we develop, we train, we rehearse, we debrief, we rehearse again, and again,” Caine said. “Not to get it right, but to ensure we cannot get it wrong.”
Over 150 aircrafts entered Venezuela
The operation was launched overnight after Trump authorised the mission around 10:46 pm ET, reported CBS News. US forces waited days for suitable weather, holding off until cloud cover cleared enough for aircraft to move safely, according to an Associated Press report.
Dan Caine said helicopters flew low over the water to avoid detection, while US aircraft provided cover from above. More than 150 US aircraft entered Venezuelan airspace after US forces neutralised the country’s air defences, reported Bloomberg.
Meanwhile, Army Delta Force commandos were flown to the military base where Maduro was staying.
Nicolás Maduro’s failed escape bid
The team broke through steel doors and reached Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, before they could enter a secure safe room.
Trump described the moment in an interview to Fox News. “He was trying to get to a safe place,” Trump said. “It was a very thick door, a very heavy door. But he was unable to get to that door. He made it to the door, he was unable to close it.”
Trump said US forces were equipped with “massive blowtorches” in case they needed to cut through reinforced steel.
“The lights of Caracas were largely turned off due to a certain expertise that we have,” Trump said, without giving further details.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described the action as part of a “massive joint military and law enforcement raid.” At least seven explosions were heard in the capital.
After the capture
Maduro and his wife were flown by helicopter to a US warship and taken toward the United States, where the Trump administration plans to put him on trial in New York.
Trump later laid out details of the mission during a news conference at his Florida home. He said a few US personnel were injured but believed no one was killed.
Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said civilians and members of the military had died during the attack. In a televised address, she demanded Maduro’s release and called him the country’s rightful leader. At the same time, she left open the possibility of talks with Washington.
“We are willing to have respectful relations,” Rodríguez said, reported AP.
The US targeted four confirmed sites across Caracas in its targeted middle-of-the-night attack.
BBC Verify identified two military bases, a naval port and an airport after combing through various videos of explosions and smoke plumes.
Generalissimo Francisco de Miranda Air Base aka La Carlota — footage filmed at a distance shows two plumes of smoke and an explosion close to this military airfield in Caracas.
Generalissimo Francisco de Miranda Air Base aka La Carlota. REUTERS
Port La Guaira — Caracas’ main conduit to the Caribbean Sea, located in Miranda state. Footage filmed nearby shows several plumes of smoke rising into the air, and at least one fire burning.
Higuerote Airport — also located in Miranda state, just east of Caracas. Footage filmed from two angles shows fire and repeated flashes on the ground, a possible indication of secondary explosions.
Fuerte Tiuna — The Getty news agency has released images of fire burning in the direction and damage to vehicles at this key military facility in Caracas. NASA satellites also detected heat signatures in the area at around the time that the US strikes took place.
President Trump ordered airstrikes on military sites around Caracas with at least seven explosions and low-flying aircraft, beginning around 2 a.m. local time.
Amid the heightened tensions between the two countries, Trump also announced that Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were captured by US forces an overnight military operation early Saturday.
Jolie was joined by Egyptian officials including North Sinai regional governor Khaled Megawer. Israel has kept the crossing at Rafah closed to humanitarian aid deliveries amid the ongoing ceasefire in Gaza. (AP video/Mohamed Arafat)
A grandmother and her 5-year-old grandson burned to death in Gaza when their tent caught fire while cooking, as thousands of Palestinians endure colder weather in makeshift housing.
The nylon tent in Yarmouk caught fire Thursday night while a meal was being prepared, a neighbor said. A hospital official said that two Palestinian men were killed by Israeli gunfire on Friday in Gaza.
The shaky 12-week-old ceasefire between Israel and the Hamas militant group has largely ended large-scale Israeli bombardment of Gaza. But Palestinians are still being killed by Israeli forces, especially along the so-called Yellow Line that delineates areas under Israeli control.
On Friday, American actor and film producer Angelina Jolie visited the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip.
Wintry weather hits tent cities
Over the past few weeks, cold winter rains have repeatedly lashed the sprawling tent cities, causing flooding, turning Gaza’s dirt roads into mud and causing damaged buildings to collapse.
Aid groups say not enough shelter materials are getting into Gaza during the truce. Figures recently released by Israel’s military suggest it hasn’t met the ceasefire stipulation of allowing 600 trucks of aid into Gaza a day, though Israel disputes that finding.
Israel has said throughout the war that Hamas was siphoning off aid supplies, preventing the population in Gaza from receiving them. Last month, the World Food Program said that there have been “notable improvements” in food security in Gaza since the ceasefire.
Palestinians have long called for mobile homes and caravans to be allowed in to protect them against living in impractical and worn out tents.
Actor visits Rafah crossing
Jolie met with members of the Red Crescent on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing and then visited a hospital in the nearby city of Arish to speak with Palestinian patients on Friday, according to Egyptian officials.
Her visit sought to raise support for the displaced and humanitarian workers in the crises in Gaza as well as in Sudan, Jolie’s team told The Associated Press in a statement.
“What needs to happen is clear: the ceasefire must hold, and access must be sustained, safe and urgently scaled up so that aid, fuel and critical medical supplies can move quickly and consistently, at the volume required,” Jolie said about Gaza.
Reopening the crossing, which would allow Palestinians to leave Gaza — especially the ill and wounded who could get specialized care unavailable in the territory — has been contentious. Israel has said that it will only allow Palestinians to exit Gaza, not enter, until militants in Gaza return all the hostages they took in the attack on Oct. 7, 2023, which triggered the war. The remains of one hostage are still in Gaza.
Israel also says Palestinians wanting to leave Gaza will have to get Israeli and Egyptian security approval. Egypt, meanwhile, says it wants the crossing immediately opened in both directions, so Palestinians in Egypt can enter Gaza. That’s a position rooted in Egypt’s vehement opposition to Palestinian refugees permanently resettling in the country.
For more than two decades until 2022, Jolie worked with the U.N. refugee agency, including as a special envoy.
Gaza’s humanitarian situation
On Friday, the foreign ministers of Arab and Muslim countries, including Egypt, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, expressed concern about Gaza’s humanitarian situation.
The situation has been “compounded by the continued lack of sufficient humanitarian access, acute shortages of essential life-saving supplies, and the slow pace of the entry of essential materials,” according to the joint statement.
The Palestinian death toll from the war is at least 71,271, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between militants and civilians in its count. The Israel-Hamas war began with the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage.
On Friday, two Palestinian men were killed in separate incidents by Israeli gunfire in the Khan Younis area of southern Gaza, a hospital official said. Israel’s military said troops operating in the southern Gaza Strip killed a person who “crossed the Yellow Line and approached the troops, posing an immediate threat to them.”
Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov is the first military officer to head Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s presidential office. The head of the military secret service HUR is one of the country’s most popular civil servants.
Kyrylo Budanov, pictured here in 2024, is the first soldier to become Zelenskyy’s chief-of-staffImage: SOPA Images/ZUMAPRESS/picture alliance
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed Kyrylo Budanov as the new head of the presidential office of Ukraine. Budanov, head of the Ukrainian military intelligence service, now fills one of the posts that became vacant in the wake of a corruption scandal in the upper echelons of power in Kyiv. His predecessor, Andrii Yermak, resigned at the end of November.
Budanov is already the third chief of staff under Zelenskyy. It is considered a powerful post; Yermak accompanied the president to important international meetings, including negotiations on ending Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The first soldier to head the office
This marks the first time a soldier has headed Zelenskyy’s presidential office. As head of the secret service, Budanov is one of the most popular political figures in the country, considered a potential rival to Zelenskyy in the next presidential elections. Only the president himself and the former commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces and current ambassador to the United Kingdom, Valerii Zaluzhnyi score higher in polls.
According to a poll conducted by the Socis Center, a Kyiv-based research institute, in mid-December 2025, Budanov would come in third in the first round of a presidential election with 5.7%. Zelenskyy and Zaluzhnyi would each get just over 20% of votes. The poll also showed that both Zaluzhnyi and Budanov could beat Zelenskyy in a runoff election. Still, neither of them has officially declared presidential ambitions.
The youngest head of the presidential office
At 39, Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov is the youngest chief of staff during Zelenskyy’s term. In 2020, Zelenskyy had already made him the youngest head of the Ukrainian military intelligence service, HUR.
According to media reports, Budanov comes from Kyiv and served as an officer in a special forces unit, with missions in Donbas from 2014 onwards. He is said to have carried out missions in the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, particularly in Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014.
He became better known after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Budanov’s name was also recognized in Europe after the secret service made international headlines with spectacular drone attacks on military airfields and other targets deep inside Russian territory. This was followed by attacks on Russian ships, refineries and oil terminals on the Black Sea. After the HUR sank two warships, Zelenskyy awarded Budanov the Hero of Ukraine medal in February 2024.
Media presence
Budanov has taken part in various combat missions himself. In November 2025, he made headlines when he landed by helicopter with military intelligence units in the Pokrovsk area, in western Donetsk that the Russian army had already declared captured. Parts of Pokrovsk remain under the control of Ukrainian forces.
Budanov has also contributed to his own fame with a degree of self-promotion unusual for an intelligence officer. At the beginning of the Ukrainian counteroffensive in June 2023, a video of Budanov appeared in which he remained silent for half a minute in front of a running camera. “More to follow, plans love silence” was written on the screen.
In a video posted on the Day of the Security Service of Ukraine, he blew out candles on a cake to the sound of explosions. Later, images of a cake in the shape of a map of the Russia, which Budanov received as a birthday present, went viral.
Budanov has also been unusually accessible to media. Of Ukraine’s senior leadership, only Zelenskyy gave more interviews than him.
Public criticism
But Budanov has also been criticized. In the fall of 2022, he predicted that the Ukrainian army would be in Crimea by the summer of 2023, which obviously did not happen. He has since become more cautious with such predictions.
And other operations have not gone so smoothly for him: One of the most famous missions led by Budanov was the recruitment of Russian military pilot Maksim Kuzminov, who flew to Ukraine in a Mil Mi-8 helicopter in August 2023. Kuzminov was killed in Spain six months later, presumably by Russian agents.
And at the end of 2024, reports appeared in Ukrainian media about Budanov’s possible dismissal after several operations led to losses of highly qualified personnel.
DEPOSED Nicolas Maduro has been pictured flanked by FBI agents as he arrived on US soil with his wife after America’s stunning attack on Venezuela.
Footage showed a US federal airplane carrying the Venezuelan dictator and his wife Cilia Flores arriving at the Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York.
Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro is led in custody from a U.S. federal airplane at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, New YorkCredit: Reuters
Maduro was seen being led in custody by dozens of FBI agents before his scheduled court appearance at Manhattan federal court.
He has been hit with narco-terrorism and weapons-related charges – and will now face a trial in New York.
The US military’s elite special mission unit launched a daring raid in the early hours of Saturday morning to capture Maduro and his first lady.
The pair were dragged from their bedroom from inside a fortified military compound after being captured by the US special forces during a large-scale operation in Venezuela.
Their exfiltration was part of a special military operation called Absolute Resolve supported by large-scale air strikes.
The pair were nabbed from inside a fortified military compound while Black Hawk helicopters pounded Caracas.
A blindfolded Maduro was pictured aboard the USS Iwo Jima – a huge aircraft carrier stationed in the Caribbean – as he was shipped off to New York.
The captured leader was seen wearing ear defenders and a thick black blindfold with a bottle of water in his hands. He was bizarrely in a grey Nike tracksuit.
Donald Trump shared the image just minutes before he announced the US would now run Caracas following the exfiltration of the Venezuelan president and his wife during a special military operation.
Trump insisted America had taken out an “outlaw dictator” with its lightning Venezuela strikes.
He told a stunned world the seizure of Nicolas Maduro and his wife was a blow against a “deadly narco-terrorist”.
The US President also declared: “Maduro sent violent criminal gangs to terrorise American communities nationwide.
A regime change in Caracas has been central to his view that Venezuela’s political reset is necessary to curb Russian and Chinese influence and unlock the country’s vast oil potential.
Trump says the US will run Venezuela until a “proper transition” can take place.
“We’re going to run the country until such time that we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition,” he said during a press conference.
It is unclear how Trump plans to oversee Venezuela. US forces have no control over the country itself, and Maduro’s government appears to still be in charge.
By law, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez should take power, but there was no confirmation that this had happened.
On working with her, Trump said: “She’s essentially willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again, very simple.”
However, Rodríguez said that Venezuela will “never be a colony of any nation” before adding that Maduro is Venezuela’s only president.
During a press conference, from his home at Mar-a-Lago, Trump detailed how the US military pulled off the raid as he spoke from his home
Elite US troops, including the Army’s Delta Force, created an exact replica of Maduro’s safe house and practiced how they would enter the strongly fortified residence.
The CIA had a small team on the ground starting in August who were able to provide insight into Maduro’s pattern of life that made grabbing him seamless, according to one source familiar with the matter.
Two other sources said the intelligence agency also had an asset close to Maduro who would monitor his movements and was poised to pinpoint his exact location as the operation unfolded.
Trump said: “Late last night and early today at my direction, the United States Armed Forces conducted an extraordinary military operation in the capital of Venezuela, with overwhelming American military power.
“Air, land and sea was used to launch a spectacular assault and it was an assault like people have not seen since World War Two.
“This was one of the most stunning, effective and powerful displays of American military might and competence in American history.”
He said the special forces managed to plunge Caracas into darkness by shutting off the capital’s power before launching the “dark and deadly” assault.
Despite capturing Maduro, Trump has warned the US is “ready to stage a second and much larger attack if we need to do so”.
“We’re not afraid of putting boots on the ground if we have to,” he said.
Maduro and his wife were indicted on several charges in New York, US Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed.
She said the Venezuelan president faces charges of narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices as well as conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices against the US.
Bondi said: “They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts.”
The pair were flown out of the country and taken to USS Iwo Jima and are now on their way to New York.
Maduro could appear in court as early as Monday.
Trump has spent the past few months waging a “war on drugs” with Venezuela.
DISNEY World has again been hit with tragedy after reports of a sixth death at the ‘Most Magical Place on Earth’ in the span of a few months.
The Orange County Sheriff’s office said it was investigating a death at the Disney Springs area of the resort after a man was found dead in a garage.
Disney Springs water tower at Walt Disney World ResortCredit: SOPA Images/LightRocket via Gett
On the OCSO “Calls for Service” page, it said it responded to an incident at the Disney Springs Orange garage around 9 pm Friday.
Officials said the death is being investigated as a suicide but no other details were available at the time.
Disney Springs is an outdoor shopping, dining and entertainment complex frequented by resort guests as well as local revelers. It’s one of the few areas of the resort that does not require a ticket for admission or payment for parking.
The discovery of a body at Disney World property Friday is only the latest tragic death at the 50-year-old resort since October.
Over the span of a month between mid-October and mid-Februrary, five deaths were reported at the resort. Two of the deaths were confirmed to be suicides.
It began October 14 with the tragic death of Summer Equitz. The 31-year-old, died by suicide after jumping off her hotel balcony.
On October 21, a man in his 60s was pronounced dead after suffering a medical episode at Disney’s Fort Wilderness.
Matthew Cohn, 28, died by suicide on October 23 at the Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort.
A woman in her 40s was pronounced dead on resort property November second and six days later a person found “down” at the Saratoga Springs section of the resort died.
LOST star Evangeline Lily has given fans a heartbreaking health update after suffering a horrific accident last year.
The news comes months after the Marvel actor suffered a horrifying face-first fall into a boulder that sent the bloodied actor to the hospital.
Lost star Evangeline Lilly posted photos in May after a bloody accidentCredit: Instagram
Lilly posted a video on her Instagram account to let fans know she received a “brain damage” diagnosis following the accident and suffered cognitive decline.
“It’s late on January 1. The first day of 2026. I’m entering into this new year, the year of the horse, with some bad news about my concussion,” Lilly told fans in the video.
Lilly said she wanted to address fan concerns after receiving a slew of messages in the months since her fall.
“The results came back from the scan, and almost every area in my brain is functioning at a decreased capacity,” she said after suffering the traumatic brain injury.
She added: “I do have brain damage from the TBI and possibly other factors going on. My job now is to get to the bottom of that with my doctors.”
Lilly rose to fame as one of the lead stars of the groundbreaking TV show Lost. She played the character of Kate Austin in all of the show’s six seasons.
She went on to appear as the elf Tauriel in Peter Jackson’s Hobbit films and Hope Van Dyne and the Wasp in a slate of Marvel Cinematic Universe films beginning with Ant-Man in 2015.
In June 2024, Lilly announced her retirement from acting to focus on family and her humanitarian work.
Nearly a year later, in late May, LIlly shocked fans when she posted gruesome photos of her battered face with a slash of dried blood caked above her lips after being rushed to a hospital in Hawaii.
The star was taking a stroll along a beach in Hawaii at a the time, she said.
“I fainted at the beach. And fell face first into a boulder,” she wrote after the accident.
She went on: “At the hospital, the nurses and doctor went straight into action, more determined to find the cause of my blackout than to stitch up the hole punctured into my face by the rock.
“I smiled wryly at them. ‘You won’t find anything.’ I said with a woozy voice…” she added.
In a post to Substack following her fall, Lilly elaborated on a history of fainting spells since she was a child, attributing them to a low blood sugar diagnosis.
But as she grew older and fainting spells continued, doctors told her it was not from the hypoglycemia she was believed to have.
“For a good chunk of my life, I went with that – hypoglycemia. It added up — my metabolism is through the roof and I metabolize sugars, particularly, with [shocking] efficiency,” she told Us Weekly.
For now, she said, the cause of her blackouts remains a mystery adding: “I have come to believe that this ‘checking out’ is a result of my little soul reaching her limit of what she feels she can cope with in this life, and she ‘leaves the building,’ so to speak.”
Fans and costars flocked to Instagram to share messages of support.
Even legendary actor Michelle Pfeiffer, who played Lilly’s mother in the Ant-Man films, sent a message of support.
“You are a warrior,” she wrote. “Nothing-not even this will defeat you my friend.”
To which Lilly replied with a simple, “Thanks, mama.”
The protests began as an expression of discontent over high prices and economic stagnation, but have since expanded to include political demands.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting in Tehran, Iran on Jan 3, 2026. (Photo: Handout via Reuters/Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/West Asia News Agency)
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday (Jan 3) acknowledged the economic demands of protesters in Iran, where demonstrations have spread to more than two dozen cities, even as he warned there would be no quarter for “rioters”.
The protests began on Sunday as an expression of discontent over high prices and economic stagnation, but have since expanded to include political demands.
“The president and high-ranking officials are working to resolve” the economic difficulties in the sanctions-battered country, Khamenei said in a speech marking a Shiite holiday.
“The shopkeepers have protested against this situation and that is completely fair,” he added.
But Khamenei nonetheless warned that while “authorities must have dialogue with protesters, it is useless to have dialogue with rioters. Those must be put in their place”.
At least eight people have been killed in the protests so far, including members of the security services, according to official figures.
The first deaths were reported on Thursday as demonstrators clashed with authorities.
On Saturday, the Mehr news agency reported that a member of an Iranian paramilitary force was killed during a demonstration in the country’s west.
“Ali Azizi, a member of the Basij, was martyred after being stabbed and shot in the city of Harsin during a gathering of armed rioters,” Mehr said, citing a statement from the Revolutionary Guards, the ideological arm of the military that oversees the volunteer Basij force.
The Tasnim news agency, citing a local official, also reported a man killed on Friday in the holy city of Qom, south of Tehran, when a grenade he was trying to use exploded “in his hands”.
The protests have mostly been concentrated in mid-sized cities in Iran’s west and southwest, where clashes and vandalism have been reported.
At least 25 cities have seen protest gatherings of varying sizes, according to an AFP tally based on local media.
However, local media do not necessarily report on every incident, and state media have downplayed coverage of protests, while videos flooding social media are often impossible to verify.
POLITICAL DEMANDS
The Fars news agency reported gatherings on Friday in several working-class neighbourhoods of Tehran, which is home to around 10 million people.
But on Saturday, a public holiday, the atmosphere in the capital appeared quiet, with streets mostly empty as the skies spat rain and snow, according to AFP journalists.
In Darehshahr, in the country’s west, around 300 people blocked streets, threw molotov cocktails and “brandished Kalashnikovs” on Friday, according to Fars.
The movement kicked off on Sunday when shopkeepers went on strike in Tehran to protest economic conditions, and spread after university students elsewhere in the country took up the cause.
In recent days, the protests have taken on a more overtly political bent.
In Karaj, on the outskirts of the capital, “a few people burned the Iranian flag, shouting ‘Death to the dictator!’ and ‘This isn’t the last battle, Pahlavi is coming back!'” Fars reported, adding that others in the crowd objected to the slogans.
The pro-Western Pahlavi dynasty ruled Iran from 1925 to 1979, when it was toppled by the Islamic revolution.
Since the protests began, authorities have adopted a conciliatory tone when it comes to economic demands, while warning that destabilisation and chaos will not be tolerated.
It comes as South Korean President Lee Jae Myung will make a state visit to China starting on Sunday (Oct 4), where Seoul has said peace on the Korean peninsula would be discussed.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un gestures as he visits a greenhouse farm construction site along the country’s border with China, in North Korea, Jan 2, 2026, in this picture released by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency. (Photo: KCNA via Reuters)
North Korea fired several ballistic missiles from its capital Pyongyang towards the sea off its east coast at around 7.50 am local time on Sunday (Jan 4), South Korea’s military said.
The first launch of North Korea’s ballistic missiles in two months comes as South Korean President Lee Jae Myung will make a state visit to China starting on Sunday, where Seoul has said peace on the Korean peninsula would be discussed.
“Our military has strengthened surveillance and vigilance in preparation for further launches,” the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement, saying it is closely sharing information with the United States and Japan.
The missiles are believed to have already fallen, according to Japan’s Ministry of Defense.
The last time Pyongyang tested its ballistic missile was in November.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for more than double the production capacity of tactical guided weapons on his latest visit to a munitions factory on Saturday, North Korea’s state media reported.
In recent weeks, Kim has made a series of visits to factories that build weapons, as well as to a nuclear-powered submarine, and has overseen missile tests ahead of this year’s Ninth Party Congress of the Workers’ Party to set out major policy goals.
China’s President Xi Jinping will host Lee on a state visit starting on Sunday.
Wi Sung-lac, Lee’s security adviser, said Seoul expects Beijing to play a role in promoting peace on the Korean peninsula, without elaborating on details of the summit agenda.
Lee’s agenda with Xi includes persuading China to facilitate dialogue with North Korea, experts said, at a time when North Korea has dismissed Lee’s outreach.
In their November talks, Lee already asked Xi to make greater efforts to persuade North Korea to return to talks.
Wi added that during Monday’s summit, Lee and Xi are to hold “in-depth talks on substantive ways” to address security and economic issues facing the two countries.
Ahead of his trip, Lee gave an interview to China’s state broadcaster CCTV in which he said that he hoped people would understand that his government cares about the relations between Beijing and Seoul.
Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have joined French aircraft in a joint strike on an underground arms cache in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), the UK Ministry of Defence says.
The facility, identified by intelligence, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was in mountains just north of Palmyra, an ancient site in central Syria.
“Our aircraft used Paveway IV guided bombs to target a number of access tunnels down to the facility… initial indications are that the target was engaged successfully,” the MoD said.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the strike late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned safely, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS – also known as Daesh – imposed jihadist rule over parts of Syria and Iraq until 2019.
“This action shows our UK leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to stamp out any resurgence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East,” UK Defence Secretary John Healey said.
RAF aircraft have carried out patrols over Syria to “prevent any attempted resurgence” of IS following its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
“I want to thank all the members of our armed forces involved in this operation for their professionalism and their courage,” Healey said.
“They were among thousands of British personnel deployed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who threaten our way of life, shows how our armed forces are ready to step up, all year round, keeping Britain secure at home and strong abroad.”
Stella Huang bought her first Jellycat plush toy when she lost her job during the pandemic.
A school friend was a fan of the British-designed toys and told her all about them. But she only fell in love with the brand when she saw a gingerbread house plushie on the Chinese social media app RedNote.
Christmas is not widely celebrated in China and is more of a commercial event than anything more traditional. “The festival doesn’t mean a lot to me… But I always like the sight of gingerbread houses,” she says. It was then that she asked her friend in their hometown Guangzhou to buy it for her.
That was in 2021, just as Jellycat was about to make it big in China and around the world.
“Everyone felt jittery, and no-one knew what would happen,” says Stella, who has developed a habit of petting and squeezing her plushies since Covid. She had to spend a lot of time at her home, in Beijing, which had some of the strictest lockdowns in China, if not the world.
Now 32, Stella has a new job, as a sales manager in the tourism industry, but is still buying Jellycats. Her collection has grown to 120 toys, costing a total of about 36,000 yuan ($5,145; £3,815).
“At my age, there are many things you can’t share with others… and the troubles we face are a lot more complicated than before,” she says with a sigh. “The plushies help me regulate my emotions.”
Originally aimed at children, the squishy toys have become a global hit, especially in China where a disenchanted youth has been turning to them for comfort.
The kidults
Stella’s Gingerbread house plushie is an “Amuseable”, a line of toys with tiny faces modelled on inanimate objects from toilet rolls to boiled eggs. The plushies are the “breakout products” which “appeal to a wide Gen-Z and millennial audience” around the world, says Kasia Davies of global analysis firm Statista.
The popularity of these toys “may have something to do with wanting to feel companiable”, Isabel Galleymore of the University of Birmingham, in the UK, says.
It is difficult to say for sure whether Jellycat started the now-iconic Amuseable line, which was launched in 2018, to tap into the young adult market. But toy manufacturers need to find a new market given the falling birth rate in much of the world, Ms Davies adds.
And as early as in 2015, Jellycat entered the Chinese market.
Having done the “groundwork”, the toy maker was able to capture “the tone of the pandemic” – when people sought comfort amid heightened uncertainty – and built on its success in China, says Kathryn Read, a business consultant with 15 years’ experience in China.
Jellycat’s popularity was further propelled by its pop-up experiences. The in-store events offer a menu of limited-edition “food”. Many fans film themselves being served and post the clips on social media.
Localisation has also been a core strategy for the Jellycat experience. Fans could buy stuffed toy versions of items like fish, chips and mushy peas at a temporary shop at the department store Selfridges in London.
Meanwhile, teapot and teacup plushies were among the items sold at special outlets in Beijing and Shanghai last year.
In 2024, the UK-based firm’s revenue rose by two-thirds to £333m ($459m), according to its most recent Companies House accounts. In the same period, it sold about $117m worth of toys to Chinese consumers on major e-commerce platforms, according to estimates by Beijing-based Moojing Market Intelligence.
The company’s growing popularity mirrors a wider boom in China’s collectable-toy market among young adults seeking emotional comfort and connection.
Overall sales of collectable toys in China are expected to top 110bn yuan this year, according to a 2024 report by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the China Animation Association.
The runaway success of Labubu, the elf-like dolls created by Chinese toy maker Pop Mart, highlights the country’s growing appetite for collectable toys, especially among young people.
This “kidult” trend is not unique to China, as young adults around the world question “outdated understandings of adulthood”, says Prof Erica Kanesaka, a cultural expert at Emory University in the US.
Global toy sales fell in 2024 – albeit by less than 1% – but collectable toy sales rose by almost 5%, to a record high, according to market research company Circana.
Amuseables, especially the aubergine, which Chinese fans call “the boss”, have also spawned memes, with many sharing frustrations about adult life.
“Aubergine boss” is a hashtag on RedNote, where fans draw different expressions on the plushie. In these memes, the aubergine appears in various moods from drinking to fake-smiling.
For example, Wendy Hui from Hong Kong modified her aubergine Amuseable by drawing dark circles around its eyes and putting a pair of glasses on it. She then posted a picture of it on Threads with the caption: “The mental state of workers on Monday.”
“I kept working at home even when I was supposed to be off,” the 30-something marketing professional says. “I just wanted to express how exhausted I was.”
Jellycat has become an unexpected, light-hearted outlet for young Chinese people to air their grievances about a slowing economy, where hard work doesn’t guarantee comparable rewards. Despite heavy censorship, the internet has remained an important, if not the only, space for such conversations.
The brand also often launches limited-edition products and retires designs. The strategy, which many in China call “hunger marketing”, has also helped make Jellycat toys a favourite on social media in the country.
Collecting can feel like a treasure hunt, with fans combing department stores and independent shops for Jellycats when they travel overseas. Some resort to “daigou”, overseas-based shopping agents. And rare Jellycats, a status symbol among some fans, change hands for more than $1,400.
But most are cheap pick-me-ups amid a sluggish economy plagued by a property crisis and high local government debt. China’s youth unemployment rate has eased a little after hitting a record high in August, but official figures show it is still above 17%.
“You have to consider for a long time before buying a luxury bag,” 34-year-old medical sales representative Jessie Chen says. “But you don’t need to do that for a Jellycat.
“Jellycat also sells bags, which cost just a few hundred yuan [tens of US dollars]. They are practical and can hold a lot of things, so you might change the way you think about luxury goods.”
Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia savagely shaded her ex Zach Bryan days after he tied the knot with Samantha Leonard.
The Barstool Media personality, 26, shared a TikTok of herself lip-syncing along to Taylor Swift’s “Mastermind” on Friday, sending her fans into a frenzy in the comments.
In the clip, LaPaglia recorded herself voicing the lyrics, “Checkmate, I couldn’t lose.”
The Barstool Media personality used Taylor Swift’s song “Mastermind” in her Friday TikTok as she seemingly commented on Bryan’s recent nuptials. AFP via Getty Images
“Bri is marked safe 📍 from the worst decision ever,” one follower commented under her clip. Meanwhile, a second person wrote: “You dodged a bullet. YOU definitely won girl!”
“All you’ve done is glown [sic] and blown up and he still tries to reach you, you escaped, checkmate you were never destined to lose,” another agreed.
“They can copy the recipe but the sauce still won’t taste the same,” a different netizen added.
The video comes shortly after LaPaglia’s boss, Dave Portnoy, sounded off on the country singer’s nuptials, making sure to have his former “BFFs” podcast co-host’s back.
“There ain’t no way that ain’t a Brianna robot. Ain’t no way,” the 48-year-old wrote via X on Friday, referencing the bride’s uncanny resemblance to LaPaglia.
Portnoy echoed his previous remarks about Bryan’s now-wife, 28, from an August episode of his “Unnamed Show” podcast.
“How is that even possible?” he asked his listeners at the time while showing side-by-side images of the women as he reacted to the news of Bryan’s new romance.
“I honestly don’t even know what I’m looking at here,” Portnoy admitted, going on to label Bryan “an absolute psychopath.”
Trump had warned that the US would intervene if Iranian authorities used lethal force against peaceful demonstrators amid nationwide protests.
At least seven people died in Iran amid clashes.(AP)
Iran’s parliament speaker on Friday warned that US military bases and forces in the region would be considered “legitimate targets” if the US takes aggressive action, following President Donald Trump’s threat of intervention over the protests in Iran.
The warning came hours after a senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, said that any US interference in Iran’s internal unrest would lead to chaos across the region.
Earlier, Trump issued a strong statement, saying the United States would intervene if Iranian authorities used lethal force against peaceful demonstrators amid ongoing nationwide protests.
At least seven people died in Iran amid clashes between security forces and protesters as protests have rocked Iran since Sunday.
The unrest reflects mounting public anger over worsening economic conditions.
The protests started in Tehran, where shopkeepers gathered to criticise the government’s response to a steep drop in the national currency, weak economic growth and rising prices. Official figures show inflation reached 42.5 per cent in December.
Iranian government’s response to the protests
Iran’s civilian government, led by President Masoud Pezeshkian, has tried to show a willingness to engage with protesters.
“From an Islamic perspective… if we do not resolve the issue of people’s livelihoods, we will end up in Hell,” he said at an event aired on state television.
President Donald Trump said the US is “locked and loaded,” but analysts told DW that more violence wouldn’t help protesters.
Several people have been killed as protests spread across parts of IranImage: AFP
US President Donald Trump and a top Iranian security official traded threats Friday as protests spread across parts of Iran.
Trump warned on Truth Social that “if Iran shots [sic] and violently kills peaceful protesters,” the US would intervene, adding, “We are locked and loaded.”
He made the remarks as human rights groups said several people had been killed by security forces in Iran’s biggest protests since 2022, when the death of 22-year-old Jina Mahsa Amini in police custody triggered nationwide demonstrations.
Ali Larijani, a former parliament speaker and current secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, accused the US and Israel of fueling the demonstrations. He warned that Washington’s intervention would lead to chaos across the region.
“The people of the US should know that Trump began the adventurism. They should take care of their own soldiers,” he wrote on X.
Protests sparked by failing economy
Protests in Iran erupted after a sharp currency collapse last Sunday, with $1 now costing about 1.4 million rials.
Initially led by traders in Tehran, the demonstrations have widened into demands for broad change and have spread nationwide.
Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, director of the Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights, told DW people are “calling for a regime change.”
“I don’t think that authorities have any other option, either they should give up or they should use, the violence, and based on what we have seen in previous protests, unfortunately, they are going to use heavier violence against protesters.”
On Thursday, severe riots in the west left several dead in clashes with security forces.
“The people of Iran properly know the experience of ‘being rescued’ by Americans: from Iraq and Afghanistan to Gaza,” Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said.
He added “any interventionist hand that gets too close to the security of Iran will be cut.”
Reform in Iran must come from within, analyst says
Iran’s economy has struggled for years since the US reimposed sanctions in 2018, after Trump withdrew from an international nuclear agreement during his first term.
In June 2025, the US military joined Israel’s war against Iran and bombed Iranian nuclear sites. Iran responded with a strike on a US military base in Qatar.
Trump’s social media posts offered little clarity on his specific plans..
President Donald Trump speaks during a signing ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
President Donald Trump on Friday ordered the unraveling of a $2.9 million computer chips deal that he concluded threatened U.S. security interests if the current owner, HieFo Corp., remained in control of the technology.
The executive order cast a spotlight on a business deal that drew scant attention when it was announced in May 2024 during President Joe Biden’s administration. The deal involved aerospace and defense specialist Emcore Corp. selling its computer chips and wafer fabrication operations to HieFo for $2.92 million — a price that included the assumption of about $1 million in liabilities.
But Trump is now demanding that HieFo divest that technology within 180 days, citing “credible evidence” that the current owner is a citizen of the People’s Republic of China.
HieFo was founded by Dr. Genzao Zhang and Harry Moore. According to a press release that came out after the deal closed, plans for the technology acquired from Emcore were to be overseen by largely the same team of employees in Alhambra, California.
Zhang, who was a vice president of engineering at Emcore before becoming HieFo’s CEO, pledged to “continue the pursuit of the most innovative and disruptive solutions” with technology designed for purposes that would include artificial intelligence.
Supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan take cover after riot police officers fire tear gas to disperse them during clashes, in Lahore, Pakistan, Wednesday, March 15, 2023. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary, File)
A court in Pakistan’s capital sentenced seven people, including three journalists, two YouTubers and two retired army officers, to life imprisonment on Friday, after convicting them of inciting violence during riots in 2023 and spreading hatred against state institutions.
An anti-terrorism court judge, Tahir Abbas Sipra, announced the verdict in Islamabad after completing trials held in absentia.
None of the accused were present in court. They have been living abroad after leaving the country in recent years to avoid arrest.
Those convicted include former editor Shaheen Sehbai; two other journalists, Sabir Shakir and Moeed Pirzada; YouTubers Wajahat Saeed Khan and Haider Raza Mehdi; and retired army officers Adil Raja and Akbar Hussain.
According to the court order, the charges against the men stemmed from the violent unrest that erupted in May 2023 following the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in a graft case.
At the time, thousands of Khan’s supporters attacked military installations, torched government property, ransacked the residence of a senior army officer and damaged the state-run Radio Pakistan building.
Khan was also indicted in 2024 on charges of inciting violence against military and government targets. He has denied the allegations. He was ousted from power by his political opponents through a no-confidence vote in Parliament in April 2022.
According to the prosecution, the seven men, who are known for publicly supporting Khan, had incited people to violence during the riots on May 9, 2023, when demonstrators targeted military installations, because Khan repeatedly blamed his removal on the United States and Pakistan’s military.
The U.S. government, the Pakistani military and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who replaced Khan after his ouster, have denied the allegations.
Sabir Shakir, who previously hosted a popular television program on ARY TV before leaving Pakistan, told The Associated Press on Friday that he was aware of his conviction in Pakistan. He said that he wasn’t in the country when police accused him of encouraging mob violence.
“The ruling against me and others is nothing but a political victimization,” Shakir said. He said he traveled to Saudi Arabia before the riots for a pilgrimage to Mecca and later went to Britain, where he sought political asylum after concluding that he could face what he described as “fabricated cases,” if he returned to Pakistan.
Shakir said that the court held the trial against him and the others without hearing arguments from his lawyer, and that he was handed two life sentences following the trial conducted in absentia.
Kim Ju Ae has been making increasingly prominent appearances in state media over the past three years.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, his wife Ri Sol Ju and their daughter Kim Ju Ae visit the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun to mark the New Year, in Pyongyang, North Korea, in this picture released by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency on Jan 1, 2026. (Photo: KCNA via REUTERS)
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s daughter, Ju Ae, who is likely being prepared as his successor, accompanied her parents on her first public visit to the Kumsusan mausoleum to pay respects to former leaders, state media photos published on Friday (Jan 2) showed.
Ju Ae has been making increasingly prominent appearances in state media over the past three years, fuelling speculation by analysts and South Korea’s intelligence agency that she may be in line to be the country’s fourth-generation leader.
Cheong Seong-chang, vice president at the Sejong Institute think tank, viewed Ju Ae’s first presence at the Kumsusan palace as her father’s calculated move ahead of the upcoming ruling party Congress at which her succession might be formalised.
Kim was also accompanied by his wife, Ri Sol Ju, and senior officials on the visit on Jan 1, with Ju Ae between her parents in the main hall of the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, state news agency KCNA photographs showed.
Hong Min, an expert on North Korea at the state-run Korea Institute for National Unification, said North Korea had been portraying an image of Kim’s “stable family” by showing the wife and the daughter along with Kim at major events.
Kim Ju Ae, who is believed to have been born in the early 2010s, attended this year’s New Year celebrations, according to state media on Thursday. In September, she travelled to Beijing with her father on her first public overseas outing.
Kim visits Kumsusan to honour his grandfather and state founder, Kim Il Sung, and father Kim Jong Il on key dates and anniversaries in a gesture affirming the dynastic heritage of the nuclear-armed country.
North Korea has never confirmed Ju Ae’s age.
South Korea’s Unification Ministry spokesperson declined to comment on Ju Ae’s appearance. An official told reporters the government’s view is that it is too early to say she is a successor, given her age and that she does not hold an official position.
The month-long campaign by China’s National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) agency will target AI videos that “distort, parody or vulgarise” classic Chinese films, television dramas and animated works.
NRTA’s campaign comes amid recent media reports about the growing popularity of AI-altered spoof clips. (Images: Douyin/nymsql8099, 非酋小辣椒)
China has launched a month-long campaign to crack down on artificial intelligence (AI)-altered videos that “distort, parody or vulgarise” classic Chinese films, television dramas and animated works.
The special campaign, which began on Thursday (Jan 1), was launched by the National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA), a ministry-level agency that oversees many major Chinese television and radio entities, including state broadcaster CCTV.
Spoof clips that “misappropriate and distort Chinese culture” will be taken down, NRTA said in a statement shared on WeChat on Dec 31.
Targets include AI-generated videos based on popular Chinese works like Journey to the West and Romance of the Three Kingdoms – as well as portrayals of “exemplary Chinese heroes and figures”.
Clips containing violent, bizarre or vulgar content, as well as those promoting “wrong values” that “violate public order and good customs”, will also be taken down, NRTA said.
“With the rapid development of generative AI, some online accounts have misused these tools to make subversive changes, bizarre deconstructions and vulgar adaptations of classic Chinese films, television dramas and animations,” NRTA said, also criticising such content as “bizarre” and “vulgar”.
These videos “deviate from the core spirit of the original works”, enable copyright infringement, harm industry development and interfere with children’s cultural understanding and perception of reality, it added.
“The campaign will also clean up various forms of violent or obscene animated content that adapt characters well-known and loved by children,” NRTA said, adding that videos which distort perceptions of Chinese history and culture will also be removed, as it could “impact cultural identity”.
“The aim is to reverse the negative trend of spreading AI-altered videos and create a favourable online environment for the healthy growth of young people,” it said.
AI-altered videos often featuring satirical fake situations remain extremely popular especially among young users on many Chinese social media platforms.
NRTA’s campaign comes amid recent media reports about the growing popularity of AI-altered spoof clips. Classic films like the 1986 television adaptation of Journey to the West and the 1987 adaptation of Dream of the Red Chamber, regularly feature in AI-generative videos.
On the popular short-video platform Douyin, one widely shared clip which has garnered more than 474,000 likes, shows the Buddha from Journey to the West holding a gun and flying a helicopter to the heavenly courts.
As part of its campaign, online platforms, which include social media apps and websites, that host videos will be required to strengthen their content review processes and remove “non-compliant” material.
Offending accounts will be penalised, NRTA said, adding that platforms must take responsibility in dealing with offending accounts.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported in December that the threshold for using generative AI tools to modify video clips is low, with many tutorials circulating on short-video platforms showing users how to create spoof content with minimal technical expertise.
A HECTIC moment showed a parachutist getting caught in the field goal netting and falling into a crowd at a college football game.
The horrifying spectacle took place at the Armed Forces Bowl between Rice and Texas State on Friday.
A parachutist got caught in the field goal net cable just before the Armed Forces Bowl between Rice and Texas StateCredit: StarsCountdown – X
The scene happened just before kickoff in the contest, where five parachutists were due to land on the field.
However, per video and reports, only three safely landed in the stadium, with one landing outside the stadium.
The fifth parachutist was captured on video in a terrifying scene, as he flew straight into the field goal net cable.
The parachute was then tangled and left him suspended at the same height as the top of the goalposts, which is 35 feet, for several seconds.
Suddenly, the parachute came loose, and he plunged to the ground.
Numerous videos showed the man appearing to tumble between the endzone and the portion of the field that separates the stands from the field.
He was then helped by bystanders.
No injuries took place from the incident among those who were standing on the ground, and the parachutist is OK, a spokesperson for the Armed Forces Bowl told USA Today Sports.
Speaking to a cheering crowd of thousands at his inauguration, Mamdani pledged to “govern expansively and audaciously”
On the first freezing winter day of 2026, surrounded by thousands of cheering New Yorkers and progressive Democratic allies, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani pledged to tell a “new story of our city”.
“City Hall will deliver an agenda of safety, affordability, and abundance – where government looks and lives like the people it represents,” he told the crowd in his inaugural address.
It was the same message that propelled the 34-year-old Democratic socialist to an unexpected electoral victory in November. His pitch to lead the most expensive US city included big changes, such as universal childcare, free public buses and city-run grocery stores.
But the mayor is likely to encounter several challenges in trying to deliver on these promises, and he’ll need to keep on board other important political stakeholders – beginning on his first full day in office.
“He’ll put all of his political and other might behind getting these things accomplished,” said Patrick Egan, a professor of politics and public policy at New York University. But, he said, New York City is “a big place, it’s a complicated place, and so, all bets are off about whether these things can happen or not”.
1. Paying for policy promises
Mamdani’s lofty policy platform has centred on cost-of-living issues, including freezing rent hikes for subsidised housing units and providing universal free childcare.
He will be able to accomplish some of his policy goals on his own and without significant expense, government experts said. For instance, if he wants to freeze rents for subsidised housing, he can appoint people aligned with this policy on the city’s rent control board.
But finding the funding to make other goals a reality when the state and city face budget shortfalls will prove complicated, government experts said.
“If he wants to provide free bus service and free child care, these kinds of things cost money,” said Robert Shapiro, a professor of international and public affairs at Columbia University. “The big roadblock for the things he’d like to do are the state of the New York, the financial capacity of the state and the political willingness of the governor.”
Mamdani has said some funding would come from new taxes. He believes taxes on the wealthy could raise as much as $9bn (£6.6bn), with pledges to raise the corporate tax rate from 7.25% to 11.5%.
But Mamdani needs the support of the state government to make tax changes.
The more moderate Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul endorsed him in the race last year as well as some of his affordability goals. But Hochul, who is making her own political calculations as she runs for re-election this year, has already indicated she may not support Mamdani’s broader tax plan.
2. Avoiding White House intervention
For weeks leading up to the New York City mayoral election, President Donald Trump took to social media and news briefings to attack Mamdani, a rising Democratic star, as a “communist” mayor who threatened the future of the largest US city.
Trump threatened to withhold billions of federal dollars to the city if Mamdani was elected.
But the first meeting between the future mayor and the president last November proved much more amicable than expected. The two men frequently smiled at each other and shared praise, with Trump telling Mamdani he was “confident that he can do a very good job”.
Still, the two politicians’ diametrically opposed policy positions could lead to conflict as Mamdani takes over City Hall. Immigration may be a point of tension.
For now, New York has not been a target of Trump’s efforts to send in National Guard troops, as he has done in Democratic-led cities across the US in response to anti-immigration protests.
But the Trump administration did ramp up immigration raids in New York as part of its enforcement efforts in several cities.
Meanwhile, the mayor pledged in his victory speech that New York would “remain a city of immigrants, a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants, and … led by an immigrant”.
3. Getting business leaders on board
Mamdani’s shock victory in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary in June sent Wall Street leaders into a frenzy.
Some business leaders threatened to leave the city, while others spent millions behind the scenes to try to coalesce support around other mayoral candidates.
But as Mamdani maintained his status as the race frontrunner, some of these attitudes began to shift. The now-mayor reached out to his opponents in the business world to hear their concerns.
Mamdani pledged to meet with leaders including JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, who later said he would offer his help if Mamdani was elected.
Mamdani also met with real estate developer Jeffrey Gural, who described him as “personable” and “smart”.
Still, Gural and others in the business community continue to express their concerns that the 34-year-old lacks the experience to lead the nation’s largest city – and that his plans to raise taxes on corporations and wealthy people will drive some of them to leave New York.
Mr Egan said it remains to be seen whether a “spirit of cooperation” will persist between business leaders and Mamdani as he forges ahead with an agenda that is ideologically at odds with some of their goals.
“Any mayor of New York needs cooperation from business leaders, and in particular finance and real estate that play big roles here in New York City,” he said.
4. Addressing public safety
As mayor, Mamdani will face a perennial challenge for New York City leaders, tackling crime and maintaining a sense of safety for New Yorkers.
Like many big cities, New York saw an uptick in crime during the Covid pandemic, though in 2025, the rate of homocides and shootings in the city fell to a near-record low.
This decline in crime gives Mamdani “a bit of wiggle room to think creatively” about public safety in New York, including improving social services and support, Mr Egan said.
Mamdani has promised to create a Department of Community Safety that would invest in mental health programmes and crisis response as well as deploy outreach workers to subway stations across the city.
Outgoing Mayor Eric Adams’ administration also sent outreach workers to subway stations and established other housing and mental health programmes. But some experts and community leaders say those efforts failed to adequately address homelessness and mental health crises.
Democratic strategist Howard Wolfson, a counselor to former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, said he and others will judge Mamdani first and foremost on how the city is policed, and how shoplifting and quality of life crimes are handled.
Tommy Lee Jones and his family issued an emotional statement in the wake of his daughter Victoria’s death at 34.
“We appreciate all of the kind words, thoughts, and prayers,” the family wrote in a statement obtained by Page Six on Friday evening.
“Please respect our privacy during this difficult time. Thank you.” The statement was signed, “The Family of Victoria Kafka Jones.”
News broke Thursday that Victoria had been found unresponsive on the 14th floor of San Francisco’s Fairmont hotel early that morning.
Tommy Lee Jones, pictured above in 2017, and his family issued a statement after daughter Victoria’s death. FilmMagic
The 911 call regarding the New Year’s Day incident, obtained by TMZ, pointed to a possible overdose due to “color change,” which usually refers to cyanosis, a “discoloration of the skin, lips or fingernails caused by a lack of oxygen in the blood,” per the Cleveland Clinic.
Despite bystanders performing CPR on Victoria and paramedics attempting to revive her upon arrival, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
While Victoria’s cause of death remains unclear, the San Francisco Police Department reportedly did not find drug paraphernalia, signs of foul play or anything pointing to a suicide.
A rep for the hotel released a statement to Page Six, reading, “We are deeply saddened by an incident that occurred at the hotel on Jan. 1, 2026. Our heartfelt condolences are with the family and loved ones during this very difficult time.
“The hotel team is actively cooperating and supporting police authorities within the framework of the ongoing investigation.”
Victoria is survived by her parents — Jones and his ex-wife Kimberlea Coughley — as well as brother Austin, 43.
The former couple welcomed Victoria in 1991, five years before ending their 15-year marriage.
Victoria had a brief acting career as a child, working with her dad on “Men in Black II” and “The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada.”
Victoria also appeared in a 2003 “One Tree Hill” episode.
Jones’ youngest child, who occasionally joined him for red carpets, developed a rap sheet in her subsequent years out of the spotlight.
Victoria was arrested at least twice in Napa County, Calif., in the year prior to her passing, starting with charges of obstructing a peace officer, using/being under the influence of a controlled substance and possession of a narcotic controlled substance in April 2025.
THIS is the horrifying moment the deadly “flashover” inferno erupts at a packed bar in Swiss ski resort, where at least 47 people died.
Authorities have confirmed teenagers are among the dead and 115 injured after the horror blaze ripped through a packed tourist bar in Crans-Montana, Valais.
Images from inside the bar moments before the fire, with the foam sound-proofing on fireCredit: BFM/Twitter
Families are now facing an “unbearable” wait for victims to be identified after officials said the process will “take time” – and potentially last several days.
Experts are using dental and DNA records to try identify the deceased, but the severity of the burns is delaying identification, a European official has said.
Officials said they expect victims of foreign nationalities given the resort’s popularity with tourists.
Eight French nationals and six Italians are missing and foreign governments are reportedly calling around frantically to establish if their citizens are among the dead.
The first injured teen to be identified is FC Metz youth footballer player Tahirys Dos Santos.
The 19-year-old was “severely burned”, the football club said, and is now receiving treatment in Germany.
It comes as shocking footage shows people running out the doors of the venue as flames engulf the ceiling of the dancefloor and the bar.
It appears the inside of the basement venue featured extensive wooden décor.
Terrified witnesses believe the deadly fire was sparked by champagne sparklers which set fire to the roof of the packed venue.
Images sent to BFM show a woman with flaming champagne bottles on on the shoulders of another person.
The foam-style soundproofing on the ceiling is alight.
Swiss president Guy Parmelin confirmed many of the victims were youths.
He said: “Many of the victims were young, with many hopes and dreams.
“The fire which took place in a bar is one of the worst tragedies that our country has experienced.
“The Swiss government wants to share their condolences to families and loved ones of the victims, even though no words can represent this brutal loss.”
He stressed that the task of identifying victims is “extremely difficult work and “is something that will last a long time”.
State councillor Stéphane Ganzer added: “You can imagine on New Year’s Eve that the population is quite young.”
At least 22 people aged between 16 and 26 were airlifted to the University Hospital of Lausanne with burns covering more than 20 percent of their body.
Claire Charmet, the director of Lausanne University Hospital, told Swiss newspaper 24 Heures that their patients are “the most serious cases”.
The youngest survivors are as young as 15-years-old and are being treated for third-degree burns, Dr Robert Larribau, head of the Emergency Médical Communication Centre at Geneva University Hospitals, said.
Eerie promo video from the Swiss nightclub has emerged, showing staff parading flaming champagne bottles through packed crowds.
Bottle service waitresses, donning bizarre neon motorcycle helmets, can be seen carrying sparkling candles in glass bottles to tables of revellers, in advertising material released by Le Constellation.
Two young French women said waiters had been carrying bottles with sparklers inside and the bar quickly ignited after one touched the ceiling.
“People were asking me: ‘Am I burned? Is my face burned?’”
One of the French witnesses told BFM TV: “During the evening, a waiter climbed onto another waiter’s shoulders. He was holding a birthday candle, which was very close to the ceiling, and [the ceiling] caught fire.
“In a few dozen seconds, the whole ceiling was on fire. Everything was made of wood.”
Another witness, identified only as Emma, told BFM it was only a matter of “seconds” before the whole ceiling was in flames.
“We ran outside, screaming and crying,” she said.
It is understood the fire sparked a “flashover” blast – triggered by a surge in the temperature of the air – as the flames ripped through the wooden ceiling of the bar.
A local police spokesman confirmed that “dozens of pyrotechnic devices in bottles” lined tables in the basement of the bar.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who has been in regular contact with Swiss authorities throughout the day, said the confirmed death toll stood at 47.
Chief of the Valais Cantonal Police, Frédéric Gisler said many of the 115 injured have been “significantly” wounded with a range of burns.
A doctor in the Swiss air ambulance and rescue service broadcaster RTS said hospitals are “overwhelmed with burn victims”.
The local intensive care unit at Valais hospital is full, police added.
The EU is working with Swiss authorities to assist with medical help, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, while countries such as France, Germany and Belgium are taking patients to ease the load.
Disaster struck after midnight
A fire was first reported at 1.30am local time (12.30am UK time) after locals noticed smoke coming from the venue.
Emergency services quickly arrived at the scene and helped treat dozens of victims fleeing the inferno – with plumes of smoke seen billowing from the building.
Officials said three disaster trucks, 13 helicopters, 42 ambulances and 150 emergency responders were deployed to the scene to battle the flames and rescue victims.
As the fire took hold, revellers ran to the single narrow staircase exit to try and escape the inferno, partygoers said.
They were “thrown down the stairs” by a surge of the crowd – and others frantically smashed through windows to get out of the venue.
Victoria, a survivor, told BFM all the windows were “black and opaque with smoke” and people broke windows to let in air.
“Many of the victims must have suffocated,” she said.
Tim Steffens, a 19-year-old ski ski instructor who witnessed the blaze, described scenes of panic as the fire broke out.
“Everyone was pushing and shoving their way out of the stairwell,” he said.
“It was awful. They were all burned. Their clothes were burned away. It really wasn’t a pretty sight. The screams… not pretty, not pretty.”
One brave eyewitness told the BBC how he instantly sprinted over to the venue as smoke was billowing into the night sky.
He smashed through a window and grabbed hold of as many partygoers as he could to drag them to safety.
Once inside he said he saw people “burning from head to foot, no clothes anymore”. He added: “It was very shocking.”
A teenage witness told Sky that people had run out so panicked they were unaware their faces were severely burned.
“People were asking me: ‘Am I burned? Is my face burned?” he recounted.
“I think the adrenaline must have made them not feel anything because they were completely, fully burned and they didn’t feel anything.”
Attorney General Beatrice Pilloud said a probe is underway to determine if the width of the staircase meets the safety standards.
The two French women estimated there were “around 200 people” at the event to celebrate New Year’s Eve – mostly aged between 15 and 20.
“We were very lucky,” they added, saying there were “about 200 people trying to get out within 30 seconds through some very narrow steps”.
A police spokesperson said the venue was licensed for 300 people inside, and 40 on an outside terrace, where smoking was permitted.
Police do not believe the fire was caused by an attack, but an official cause is yet to be determined.
Local prosecutor Beatrice Pilloud said an investigation had been opened into the blaze at the bar, which Swiss company records showed was owned by a French couple, but she said it was too early to comment on any possible safety failures.
“There are still many circumstances to be clarified… The most likely scenario at present is that a widespread fire caused an explosion,” she told a press conference.
The UK embassy in Bern say they are ready to help any British nationals affected but it still remains unknown if any Brit nationals are involved.
King Charles has written to Swiss President Guy Parmelin expressing his heartbreak for those who lost their lives.
He wrote: “My wife and I were appalled, and greatly saddened, to learn of the devastating fire last night in Crans-Montana, in Switzerland. It is utterly heartbreaking that a night of celebration for young people and families instead turned to such nightmarish tragedy.
“While offering our admiration for the heroic first responders and the selfless emergency services, we wanted, above all, to convey our deepest possible sympathy to all those who have been so dreadfully affected by this horrific disaster.
“Our most heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the loved ones of all those who have so tragically lost their lives and with those who remain in a critical condition in hospital.”
The Italian foreign ministry said 16 Italian nationals are currently missing after the blaze and between 12 and 15 others are in hospital.
An FCDO spokesperson told The Sun: “Our thoughts are with all those injured and killed in the terrible tragedy in Crans-Montana.
“We will continue to monitor the situation, and our consular staff stand ready to support any British nationals who may be affected.”
The area surrounding the bar was closed off with a no-fly zone over Crans-Montana.
Tommy Lee Jones’ daughter, Victoria Jones, was found dead at a California hotel on New Year’s Day.
The 34-year-old was discovered at the Fairmont in San Francisco on Thursday morning, Page Six has confirmed.
A spokesperson for the fire department told us that paramedics responded to a call at the hotel’s address at 2:52 a.m. for reports of a medical emergency.
Tommy Lee Jones’ daughter was found dead at a hotel in San Francisco on New Year’s Day. FilmMagic
“Bystanders were given instructions for CPR according to CAD records,” the spokesperson said.
Victoria was found unresponsive and pronounced dead at the scene, we’re told
The case was turned over to the San Francisco Police Department and Medical Examiner for further investigation.
A cause of death is currently unknown, per TMZ, who was first to report the news.
A rep for Tommy Lee, 79, did not immediately return Page Six’s request for comment.
Victoria, who was born in 1991, was the daughter of the famous actor and his second wife, Kimberlea Cloughley.
When she was younger, Victoria was following in her dad’s footsteps, acting alongside Tommy Lee in “Men in Black II.”
In 2003, she appeared in an episode of the hit teen show “One Tree Hill” and, in 2005, acted in “The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada,” which was directed by her father.
Taylor Swift was spotted hanging out with Stevie Nicks at her pal Este Haim’s wedding on New Year’s Eve.
The “Lover” songstress and the Fleetwood Mac hitmaker were photographed walking into the A-list soiree hosted at the Hotel El Roblar in Ojai, Calif., on Wednesday.
They appeared to be engaged in light conversation as they made their way to their seats.
Taylor Swift was seen with Stevie Nicks at her friend Este Haim’s wedding on New Year’s Eve. BACKGRID
Swift, 36, donned an elegant gold dress for the special occasion.
She styled her blond locks up in a bun.
As for Nicks, 77, she stunned in a black long-sleeve gown and wore her long hair in waves.
Security guards surrounded the duo, with one walking closely to Swift.
The “Love Story” singer and Nicks appeared to have arrived shortly before it started raining.
It’s unclear if Swift’s fiancé, Travis Kelce, was in attendance, but the pop star flew from California to Kansas City, Mo., on Thursday morning.
Haim, meanwhile, was later seen being covered with umbrellas as she made her way to the venue, which was covered by a massive canopy.
As Page Six exclusively revealed, the musician tied the knot to tech entrepreneur Jonathan “Johnny” Levin at the outdoor venue.
Haim looked chic, wearing a voluminous Louis Vuitton wedding dress designed by her pal Nicolas Ghesquière, per Vogue.
Work is under way on a South Atlantic island to preserve a key building in the story of polar explorer Ernest Shackleton.
Shackleton famously reached the whaling station of Stromness on South Georgia in 1916 after spending 18 months stranded on Antarctica with his crew.
The now-dilapidated Stromness Manager’s Villa was used as a base by Shackleton while he orchestrated the rescue of his men.
The Dundee-based South Georgia Heritage Trust have been working to stabilise the structure, with plans to create a digital “twin” of the building for people around the world to see it.
The Dundee-based South Georgia Heritage Trust have been working to stabilise the buildingThe Dundee-based South Georgia Heritage Trust have been working to stabilise the building
A 2022 survey found the building was very close to collapse.
Alison Neil, chief executive of the South Georgia Heritage Trust, said: “The reason for that is rotting timbers.
“This is an old-fashioned version of a flat-pack house.
“They would’ve been brought down from Norway on ships and then assembled on the island.”
The trust raised more than £3m to send a team to South Georgia.
They arrived in October and have been working on stabilising the structure.
Alison said: “It’s in the middle of a whaling station that’s full of asbestos, dangerous debris, and is not accessible to the public.
“Our plan is not to open it up to the public, our plan is to maintain it for the future.”
Shackleton’s extraordinary story of survival has fascinated and inspired people for more than a century.
His most famous mission was his plan to cross Antarctica through the South Pole after travelling on board his ship The Endurance.
In 1915, The Endurance became trapped in ice, and his crew abandoned ship, crossing onto floating ice, which they hoped would drift towards land.
But by April 1916, the ice floes were breaking up, so Shackleton took his crew in lifeboats first to Elephant Island, then led a smaller group to find help for the others.
They crossed about 800 miles (1,300km) of ocean in the open boat before reaching the island of South Georgia.
Leaving three of the men behind with the boat, Shackleton, Frank Worsley and Tom Crean trekked across the island for three days until they reached Stromness whaling station on the far side of the island.
Alison said the men made it to the villa in a dishevelled state.
She said: “No-one recognised them, they must’ve looked terrifying.
“They knocked on the door of the villa and famously the whaling manager opened the door and said, ‘who the hell are you?’
“Shackleton allegedly said: ‘My name is Shackleton’.”
It was the men’s first contact with the outside world for 17 months.
Shackleton, Worsley and Crean were invited in to the villa where they had a hot meal and a bath, before immediately starting the rescue of the rest of their crew with the help of the whalers.
Alison said: “That’s a really important part of The Endurance story and it effectively is the next chapter on from the sinking of the vessel.”
Shackleton’s extraordinary story of survival has fascinated and inspired people for more than a century.
His most famous mission was his plan to cross Antarctica through the South Pole after travelling on board his ship The Endurance.
In 1915, The Endurance became trapped in ice, and his crew abandoned ship, crossing onto floating ice, which they hoped would drift towards land.
But by April 1916, the ice floes were breaking up, so Shackleton took his crew in lifeboats first to Elephant Island, then led a smaller group to find help for the others.
They crossed about 800 miles (1,300km) of ocean in the open boat before reaching the island of South Georgia.
Leaving three of the men behind with the boat, Shackleton, Frank Worsley and Tom Crean trekked across the island for three days until they reached Stromness whaling station on the far side of the island.
Alison said the men made it to the villa in a dishevelled state.
She said: “No-one recognised them, they must’ve looked terrifying.
“They knocked on the door of the villa and famously the whaling manager opened the door and said, ‘who the hell are you?’
“Shackleton allegedly said: ‘My name is Shackleton’.”
It was the men’s first contact with the outside world for 17 months.
Shackleton, Worsley and Crean were invited in to the villa where they had a hot meal and a bath, before immediately starting the rescue of the rest of their crew with the help of the whalers.
Alison said: “That’s a really important part of The Endurance story and it effectively is the next chapter on from the sinking of the vessel.”
Alison said that “heritage shouldn’t be a privilege.”
She said: “You don’t want it to just be something that inspires the people that can afford to come to an island.
“So many people are really fascinated by the story of Shackleton and the Endurance.
“It would be great to be able to tell everyone around the world who is keen on this story, this chapter.
“The most effective way to do that is to let them experience it for themselves through a digital version.”
A screengrab from a video posted by US Southern Command shows a small vessel in the sea with what appears to be debris floating nearby.
The US military says it struck two boats it alleges were carrying drugs on Wednesday, killing five people on board.
US Southern Command did not say where it had carried out the latest strikes but US forces have been targeting vessels they suspect of smuggling narcotics through the Caribbean and eastern Pacific for the past three months.
Wednesday’s strike came a day after the US targeted what it said were “three narco-trafficking vessels travelling as a convoy”, killing at least three people.
The Trump administration has cast its operations as a non-international armed conflict with the alleged traffickers but legal experts say they could be in violation of the laws governing such conflict.
In total, there have been more than 30 strikes on vessels as part of the Trump administration’s “war on drugs” with more than 110 people killed since the US carried out its first attack on a boat in international waters on 2 September.
That first attack has come under particular scrutiny from lawmakers in Washington since it emerged that US forces struck the targeted boat twice.
Two people who had survived the first strike and were clinging to the hull of their boat were killed in the second.
Some lawmakers expressed concern that the “double-tap” strike breached the rules of engagement.
In its post announcing the strike on a convoy of three boats carried out on 30 December, US Southern Command said that there had been a number of survivors, without specifying how many.
It said that “the remaining narco-terrorists abandoned the other two vessels, jumping overboard and distancing themselves before follow-on engagements sank their respective vessels”.
It added that the US Coast Guard had been “immediately notified” to search for the survivors.
Switzerland Crans-Montana Bar Fire: A devastating fire erupted during a New Year’s celebration at La Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, leading to chaos as partygoers attempted to flee the flames.
A banner stating that fireworks are prohibited due to the risk of fire is pictured near the area where a fire broke out at the Le Constellation bar and lounge leaving people dead and injured, during New Year’s celebration, in Crans-Montana, Swiss Alps, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (Alessandro della Valle/Keystone via AP)
Panicked partygoers smashed windows and scrambled through smoke and flames to escape a deadly fire at a New Year’s celebration in a bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland’s luxury ski resort. Swiss authorities fear dozens are dead and more than 100 people were injured.
Witnesses described chaotic scenes, with screaming crowds and parents rushing to the bar, desperate to find their children. One witness told French broadcaster BFMTV that people were breaking windows to flee, some seriously injured, while parents arrived in cars trying to ensure their children were safe. Watching from across the street, he saw around 20 people escape through smoke and flames, calling the scene “like a horror movie.”
‘Ceiling Caught Fire’
Two French women, Emma and Albane, who were inside the basement-level La Constellation bar when the fire broke out shortly after midnight, told BFMTV that panic erupted almost instantly.
“It was absolute panic, everyone was screaming,” they said, describing how the crowd became uncontrollable as the flames spread. “One of the candles was brought too close to the ceiling, which caught fire. Within seconds, the entire ceiling was ablaze. Everything was made of wood,” one of the women added.
They said the party was in the basement when the fire rapidly spread to the upper level of the venue.
‘We had flames just a meter away’
The women said the main exit was far too small for the crowd, forcing some to take desperate measures to escape.
“The exit door was quite small compared to the number of people present. Someone broke a window so people could get out,” one of them told BFMTV.
They said firefighters and police arrived “within minutes,” but the flames were already dangerously close. “We had flames just a meter away; if we hadn’t run, we would surely have been injured,” one added.
The focus on Donald Trump’s hand resurfaced amid discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about a potential peace deal.
US PresidentDonald Trump has responded to renewed speculation about bruising on his hand, saying it was caused by daily aspirin use to thin his blood. Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, Trump downplayed health concerns and asserted that his “health is perfect.”
“Let’s talk about health again for the 25th time,” Trump said in the interview, adding, “My health is perfect.”
While speaking on the bruising on his hand, Trump said it was as a result of aspirin that he takes daily to thin his blood. “They say aspirin is good for thinning out the blood, and I don’t want thick blood pouring through my heart. I want nice, thin blood pouring through my heart. Does that make sense?” Trump said.
Trump’s ‘painted’ hand raised health concerns among the public.
He also shared an instance of when his attorney general, Pam Bondi, hit the back of his hand with her ring while giving him a high-five. The Republican president said he applies makeup or bandages when his hand is “whacked.”
Trump’s hand makes the headlines again
As Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for talks on a possible Russia-Ukraine peace deal, attention once again shifted to Trump’s right hand. Photographs taken ahead of the meeting, where the two leaders were expected to discuss a reported 20-point plan to end the war, appeared to show visible makeup on the US president’s hand. The images quickly went viral on social media, triggering a fresh wave of online speculation and memes. Some users even dubbed it a case of the “wrong concealer.”
This is not the first time Trump’s hand has drawn public scrutiny. In August, images of the president showing a large bruise on his right hand also went viral, reigniting questions about his health. The renewed chatter comes against the backdrop of earlier reports pointing to what aides had described as “persistent bruising” on Trump’s hands.
China’s push to localise its semiconductor supply chain is increasingly playing out inside cars, analysts say. (Illustration: CNA/Clara Ho)
China’s push to localise automotive chips is gaining ground, but mostly in mature control systems rather than high-end computing. Observers say the main hurdles are technical, not geopolitical.
Chips are what make today’s cars smart – managing everything from power, braking, steering and the software behind every screen.
Pop open the hood of China’s latest smart vehicles and a growing share of those chips now comes from domestic suppliers, according to officials and industry observers, as the country’s drive to slot more homegrown semiconductors into cars gains traction.
But analysts say progress remains uneven, with adoption concentrated in core control functions rather than advanced computing platforms that power assisted driving and digital cockpit systems.
And while Beijing contends with a simmering rivalry with Washington and other parts of the West, experts told CNA the hurdles to wider adoption are mostly ecosystem-related, not geopolitical.
The push is unfolding alongside broader efforts to localise China’s semiconductor supply chain, including measures encouraging chipmakers to rely more heavily on domestic equipment.
While chips used for core control systems are relatively mature, advanced processors depend on lengthy certification, deep software integration and stable long-term supply – capabilities that domestic players are still building, analysts said.
Those constraints are most acute in high-end computing and software integration, said David Zhang, secretary general of the International Intelligent Vehicle Engineering Association (IIVEA).
“When automakers adopt local chips, they often have to invest far more time and resources in Research and Development (R&D) integration. This is not something that can be solved quickly, as foreign chips benefit from toolchains refined over many years,” he told CNA.
“HISTORIC LEAP”
The global chip crunch during the COVID-19 pandemic exposed how fragile automotive supply chains could be, and the extent to which Chinese carmakers relied on overseas suppliers.
In the aftermath, Chinese automakers and chip firms have spent recent years working to build a more resilient supply chain and strengthen self-reliance.
Japanese media outlet Nikkei Asia reported in May 2024, citing people familiar with the matter, that China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology had encouraged leading automakers to raise domestic chip sourcing to around 20 per cent to 25 per cent by the end of 2025. The ministry has not publicly confirmed the guidance.
Latest indications of progress this year have come from high-profile product launches by leading domestic EV makers.
XPeng debuted its in-house Turing AI chip in the G7 SUV in June and later rolled it out in the updated P7 sedan, describing it as one of its most powerful on-vehicle computing platforms to date.
In November, GAC Aion, a major Chinese electric vehicle maker whose cars are widely used in ride-hailing fleets, said its premium Hyper GT model had entered production, calling it China’s first intelligent new-energy vehicle using 100 per cent domestically designed chips.
Zou Guangcai, deputy secretary-general of the China Automotive Chip Industry Innovation Strategic Alliance, a state-backed group, said China’s automotive chip industry had made a “historic leap” compared with three years ago.
“More than 1,000 companies across the supply chain are now involved, with over 90 per cent of chip products having entered the R&D, validation, mass production or on-vehicle deployment stage,” he said at a forum on Dec 18.
Some new Chinese vehicle models have crossed 20 per cent domestic sourcing, with a small number going further, Zou said.
China EV100, a local industry think tank, has put chip localisation among Chinese automakers at about 15 per cent overall.
Jia Dongyao, an associate professor at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU), said localisation is advancing in certain chip types, alongside closer coordination across the supply chain.
According to him, progress in automakers’ localisation plans and industry-level coordination has been faster than many external observers might expect, a shift reflected in the ambitious targets now being flagged by some major carmakers.
SAIC Motor and Dongfeng Motor Group have both flagged 2025 as a key milestone, with SAIC targeting around 30 per cent localisation and Dongfeng aiming for 60 per cent, with ambitions to push it to 80 per cent.
Neither company has publicly disclosed whether these targets have been met. CNA contacted both for comment, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
Jia cautioned that there is no standard metric for chip localisation, and estimates vary widely depending on whether they are calculated by unit count, value, or vehicle model.
Lim Chee Kiang, an automotive consultant at Germany-based Marketperformance GmbH, said China’s localisation push is being driven more by industry dynamics than policy mandates.
“Chinese vehicles … are a lot more advanced in smart cockpit and autonomous driving feature content than vehicles from the West. Fundamental to these software-defined vehicles are the chips or ‘brains’ controlling the systems and sub-systems,” he told CNA.
He added that because Chinese EV makers control vehicle design, software and production domestically, they are in a stronger position to push homegrown chips into real-world use – shaping demand and accelerating the growth of local supply chains.
FROM TRACTION TO FRICTION
But analysts warned that several speed bumps lie ahead for wider homegrown chip adoption among Chinese automakers.
Uneven uptake remains a key sticking point, with localisation strongest in core control components while the most technically demanding systems still rely largely on foreign chips.
“Most of the gains are concentrated in power semiconductors … and intelligent control chips,” Brady Wang, associate director at Counterpoint Research, told CNA, adding that progress is largely driven by the rapid expansion of the domestic EV market.
More than 75 per cent of chips in a typical vehicle rely on well-established technologies where China already has strong manufacturing capacity, analysts said.
Pointing to China’s massive 8-inch and 12-inch mature-node capacity – wafer lines widely used in automotive control systems – alongside advantages in materials, demand and cost competitiveness, Lim said he expects “market forces alone will drive localisation”.
In contrast, high-end processors for more complex tasks, such as assisted driving and top-tier cockpit computing, remain largely sourced from global suppliers.
Leading automotive semiconductor suppliers remain concentrated in Europe, the United States and Japan, analysts noted, and production of the most advanced chips still takes place largely overseas using long-established toolchains.
While some Chinese automakers have made inroads in producing more advanced chips, efforts have been expensive.
NIO’s 5 nm Shenji NX9031 driving chip took three years to develop and cost billions of yuan in R&D, with the company saying the investment was equivalent to building hundreds of battery swap stations.
Supply stability is also critical to ensuring that China’s more than 200 licensed vehicle manufacturers can adopt domestic chips with confidence, experts said.
Leading automakers such as SAIC Motor, FAW Group and Great Wall Motor are already working with domestic automotive-grade chipmakers, including Horizon Robotics and Black Sesame Technologies, on intelligent driving and cockpit systems.
Four years after Germany phased out light plastic bags, how has the EU addressed plastic waste — and why do single-use items still pile up in takeaway restaurants, shops and the environment?
Why is there still so much plastic around?Image: Frank Hoermann/SVEN SIMON/picture alliance
Single-use plastic is like the toxic ex that just keeps reappearing. Plastic straws, cutlery and Styrofoam boxes still show up on takeaway counters, coffee shops and restaurants across Europe, despite being blocked and officially dumped by the EU in 2021.
The bloc targeted several items after discovering that 85% of the trash washing up on its shorelines was plastic — almost half of which were disposable items such as straws, takeaway boxes, cutlery and plates.
In order to tackle this growing problem of discarded plastic, which can release harmful chemicals and tiny particles that enter the environment and the human body — potentially raising the risk of serious health issues including cancer and infertility — the EU decided to take action.
The logic was simple. Just ban the sale, production and import of the worst offenders and the problem will vanish.
But the reality is very different. Roughly 70% of takeaway restaurants surveyed in Germany’s capital, Berlin, still offer banned plastic items, according to tests carried out by NGO Environmental Action Germany (DUH) in 2024. A continent-wide report by five NGOs from the same year found the prohibited items are still widely available in most European countries.
More than 400 million metric tons of plastic are produced each year — about 50 kilograms (110 pounds) per person. With production still rising and global regulations largely ineffective, researchers warn the problem will continue to worsen.
Plastic, plastic everywhere
One theory puts the persistence of single-use plastics following the EU’s ban down to leftover stockpiles from the COVID pandemic. Particularly at the height of the 2020 lockdowns, takeaway orders surged when restaurants closed or people avoided eating out.
But experts, like Britta Schautz from Berlin’s consumer watchdog, say the timeline doesn’t quite add up.
“The ban came into effect in 2021,” said Schautz, who has spent a decade helping consumers cut down on plastic.
It’s unlikely most restaurants would be able to store mountains of containers for so long, Schautz told DW, adding that plastic becomes porous over time and has a limit on how long it can safely hold food and beverages.
She said a lack of compliance from retailers and food businesses is the more likely reason.
Many small business owners who have switched to paper or aluminum substitutes record higher expenses. “It’s a disaster,” one restaurant owner told DW. “We can’t get the right paper plates and it’s costly.” Another confirmed the difficulties, adding that handing out plastic straws held sentimental value for him.
But, in theory, the sentimentality could cost him dear, as he could be fined up to €100,000 ($116,000) in Germany for not sticking to the new rules.
Failure to enforce the rules is another problem. When DW contacted authorities in five of Germany’s biggest cities to ask how they monitor compliance and sanction violators, not one could point to an example of any fines. Most said they only act on complaints or, at most, carry out random checks.
Imposing fines consistently and communicating the ban more effectively would be a better deterrent, said Thomas Fischer, who heads the department for circular economy at Environmental Action Germany. He compared the effect to dodging the fare in public transport. If people felt that violations were punished, they wouldn’t do it, he told DW.
Other countries have taken tougher measures. Kenya banned plastic bags in 2017 backed by fines of as much as 4 million Kenyan shillings — roughly $31,000/€26,000 — or up to four years in jail. And unlike Germany, it’s not just an empty threat. Two years after the ban was introduced, authorities had already registered several hundred arrests and prosecutions. Three Kenyan fruit vendors were arrested over using prohibited plastic bags.
Ways around the plastic ban
Online retail is one of the law’s blind spots. Plastic straws and cutlery are widely available on major retail platforms like Temu, eBay and Fruugo.
“It’s really easy to order banned plastics from countries outside the EU,” said Schautz. “And manufacturers there don’t have to adhere to EU legislation when producing such things.”
But even in the EU, manufacturers exploit gaps in the law. Some bypass restrictions by producing disposable cutlery that’s a little thicker and labeling it “reusable.”
“Reusable does not mean reused,” said Nathalie Gontard of the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment, adding that the EU ban has increased consumption in some cases.
“The law can be easily circumvented by just increasing the thickness,” said the plastics researcher. Gontard also recalled companies contacting her during the drafting of EU bans for advice. A while later, “they came back to me and said: ‘Sorry, but we don’t need help anymore. We’ll just increase the thickness.'”
A patchwork of plastic legislation
Around the world, at least 90 countries have introduced some form of plastic ban. But the rules vary widely, targeting different regions and items. Experts say this fragmented system does little to curb waste.
In Germany, only plastic bags between 15–50 micrometers thick are banned. Yet 87% of bags handed out in 2022 fell into this category, highlighting the confusion around the law.
Even in Kenya, where the plastic bag ban is considered relatively successful and observers confirm cleaner streets in large cities such as Nairobi, progress has slowed. Plastics bags are now entering Kenya from neighboring countries without bans.
With ties between the Koreas at rock bottom, South Korea’s Lee Jae Myung is advancing several initiatives aimed to build bridges with the Kim Jong Un regime — including one focusing on the martial art of taekwondo.
President Lee Jae Myung has recently suggested that any South Korean willing to travel to the North should be allowed to do soImage: Kim Hong-Ji/REUTERS
In a clear departure from his predecessor, Yoon Suk Yeol, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has adopted a softer stance on North Korea during his first seven months in office, offering carrots rather than sticks to the regime in Pyongyang.
The change became obvious in recent weeks as Seoul pushed multiple initiatives to reopen communication channels and build trust with North Korea.
“Both Yoon and Lee want the same thing because there has been a stalemate in inter-Korean ties since the North’s last nuclear test, in September 2017,” said Choo Jae-woo, a professor of foreign policy at Kyung Hee University in Seoul.
The Korean Peninsula has been divided since 1948. The subsequent decades have seen periods of tension and relative rapprochement between Seoul and Pyongyang, but the bilateral ties have “broken down” in recent years, Choo said.
Lee gives ground on denuclearization
The conflict over the North’s nuclear arsenal is still the main stumbling block between the countries. Ex-President Yoon was adamant that denuclearization of the North was a pre-condition to any talks on the future of bilateral ties. Pyongyang would not agree to that stipulation. Lee, however, pushed denuclearization down the list of priorities and now sees it as an “eventual goal,” Choo said.
“Lee wants to prioritize immediate stability and peaceful coexistence and believes that any step to achieving that is reasonable and justifiable,” Choo said.
In mid-December, Lee reinstated the North Korea policy office, which had been retasked under Yoon with implementing further sanctions on the North. Now, the office will work to open dialogue on military matters between the two nations and prepare for negotiations that aim to de-escalate tensions and build confidence.
Taekwondo as cultural bridge
Similarly, South Korea’s Unification Ministry is reportedly considering lifting some of the sanctions imposed in 2010 over a North Korean submarine’s torpedoing of the South Korean corvette Cheonan. The incident claimed the lives of 46 South Korean sailors. At the time, Seoul responded by suspending cross-border trade and imposing restrictions on South Koreans travelling to the North.
Lee has now proposed a workaround to the ban on individuals who support North Korea from traveling to the North. In what could be seen as a propaganda coup for Pyongyang, Lee has suggested that any South Korean citizen who wish to travel to the North should be permitted to do so via China.
Last week, Seoul lifted restrictions on North Korean newspapers. The Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the North Korean Workers’ Party, can now be read in the South.
Lee has also created the new position of peace envoy for the peninsula, charged with seeking new diplomatic channels to revive talks with the North, and wants to revive a proposal from 2018 that would see a joint application from North and South for UNESCO to recognize taekwondo as a shared Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Moreover, the South Korean government has asked UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to travel to the North in order to breach the inter-Korean stalemate.
Yoon’s hard-line approach ‘was not a success’
Analysts note a reduction in South Korean military drills in 2025.
Pyongyang has consistently accused Seoul of using the maneuvers, which tend to involve US troops, as preparations for an invasion of North Korea.
South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young has also called for a decrease in military posturing in favor of diplomacy.
The New Year’s Day announcement marks the second mass release in a week amid US pressure on President Nicolas Maduro’s government.
Around 2,400 people were arrested for protesting President Nicolas Maduro’s disputed July reelection [FILE: November 18, 2025]Image: Federico Parra/AFPVenezuela’s government on Thursday announced the release of 88 people jailed for protesting President Nicolas Maduro’s claimed victory in the July 2024 elections.
In a statement published on Instagram, the Ministry of Penitentiary Service said that there had been “88 new releases” of people detained “for crimes committed during violent actions by extremist groups.”
“These actions are part of the comprehensive review process of cases ordered by President Nicolas Maduro,” it added.
The New Year’s Day release comes after Maduro’s government decided to free 99 people on Christmas Day as “a concrete expression of the State’s commitment to peace, dialogue and justice.”
Venezuela’s disputed 2024 re-election of Maduro
In July 2024, mass protests erupted in Venezuela after Maduro was declared to have won a third six-year term.
The country’s opposition claimed victory for the now-exiled former ambassador Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia.
Around 2,400 people were arrested, but nearly 2,000 have since been released.
Venezuelan NGOs estimate that about 900 political prisoners remain in detention in the country, including individuals arrested before the election.
US increasing pressure on Venezuela
Amid the threat of military action from the Trump administration, Maduro has lately been keen to show a more conciliatory side.
In recent months, the United States has ramped up pressure on Caracas, amassing a huge military presence in the Caribbean, carrying out strikes near the Venezuelan coast on suspected drug boats off the coast of Venezuela and seizing tankers transporting Venezuelan oil.
A volunteer security official was reportedly also killed during the clashes. As Iran slips deeper into economic crisis, the unrest, which began Sunday in Tehran, has spread to other cities.
The protests sweeping Iran are the most serious challenge to the Islamic regime since 2022Image: UGC
Several people have been killed in Iran amid growing social unrest, according to reports on Thursday.
With Iran mired in economic crisis, the country has been gripped by protests that began with a merchants’ strike in Tehran and have since spread to other cities.
The semi-official Iranian media agency, Fars, reported Thursday that two people had been killed in clashes between protesters and security forces in the western city of Lordegan.
Three people were killed in Azna, in the neighboring province of Lorestan, Fars reported.
A human rights group, Hengaw, also said there had been deaths in the city. Hengaw said security forces had killed and wounded several protesters after firing on them.
The group also said another protester was shot dead in the central Isfahan province on Wednesday.
Death of security official raises fears of tough crackdown
Meanwhile, the state-run IRNA news agency said a volunteer member of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard’s Basij force was killed on Wednesday night in Kuhdasht, in the west of the country. The death is the first among Iran’s security forces since the unrest began on Sunday.
The Basij volunteer force is loyal to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which operates in parallel to Iran’s armed forces and reports directly to the Ayatollah.
The Student News Network, believed to be close to the Basij, cited a deputy governor of Lorestan province as saying that the Guard member was “martyred at the hands of rioters during protests.”
A further 13 Basij force members and police officers were injured in the clashes, Saeed Pourali said, according to the Student News Network.
Many social media users in Iran, however, have disputed the authorities’ version of events.
The protests are the biggest since the Women, Life, Freedom movement following the death in police custody in 2022 of Iranian-Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini.
Those protests were suppressed by a brutal crackdown that saw hundreds killed and thousands jailed.
There are fears that the death of the 21-year-old volunteer security official could mark the beginning of a new crackdown by Iran’s theocratic regime against the demonstrations, which are the most serious challenge to the Islamic regime since the Women, Life, Freedom movement.
Why are Iranians protesting?
Protests have swept across Iran in recent days. The unrest began with a merchants’ strike in Tehran on December 28 against the severe economic crisis gripping the country, which has seen the value of its currency plummet to an all-time low, while inflation soared to over 40% in December.
The Iranian economy has struggled for years due to Western sanctions over Iran’s nuclear program.
The unrest has grown into broader demands for political change as students and other segments of the population have joined the protests in cities across the country.
In response, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has replaced the central bank chief and has instructed his interior minister to listen to the protesters’ “legitimate demands.”
During an event broadcast on state television, Pezeshkian said, “From an Islamic perspective… if we do not resolve the issue of people’s livelihoods, we will end up in hell.”
But authorities have also warned protesters against exploiting the situation, promising a “firm” response to the unrest.
The U.S. Justice Department revealed it has 5.2 million pages of Epstein files left to review and needs 400 lawyers from four different department offices to help with the process through late January, according to a government document reviewed by Reuters on Tuesday.
This is likely to extend the final release of the documents to much later than expected after a December 19 deadline set by Congress, the document said.
Newly-released documents from disgraced late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, referencing court cases against him, are seen in this handout released by the U.S. Justice Department and printed and arranged for a photograph by Reuters in Washington, D.C., U.S., December 19, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
The White House and the Justice Department did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
The Trump administration ordered the Justice Department to release the files tied to criminal probes of Jeffrey Epstein, the late financier and convicted sex offender, who was friends with U.S. President Donald Trump in the 1990s, in compliance with a transparency law passed by Congress last month.
Collectively, the Criminal Division, the National Security Division, the FBI and the US Attorney’s office in Manhattan are providing 400 attorneys to review the files, the document said, a more precise, and potentially much larger, figure than previous estimates from the department.
The review will occur between January 5-23, the document added.
Department leaders are offering telework options and time off awards as incentives for volunteers, the document said, adding that lawyers who assist will be expected to devote three to five hours a day to review about 1,000 documents a day.
The DOJ said last week it had uncovered more than a million additional documents potentially linked to Epstein.
So far, the disclosures have been heavily redacted, frustrating some Republicans and doing little to quell a scandal that threatens the party ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
The law, approved by Congress with broad bipartisan support, requires all Epstein-related files to be made public, despite Trump’s months-long effort to keep them sealed. Under the statute, all documents were to be released by December 19, with redactions to protect victims.
Finnish police on Wednesday seized a ship sailing from Russia on suspicion of sabotaging an undersea telecoms cable running from Helsinki to Estonia across the Gulf of Finland, an area hit by a string of similar incidents in recent years.
The seized cargo vessel “Fitburg” was en route from the Russian port of St Petersburg to Israel at the time of the incident, Finland’s Border Guard authority told a press conference in Helsinki.
Seized vessel Fitburg rests in harbour in Kirkkonummi, Finland, December 31, 2025. Roni Rekomaa/Lehtikuva/via REUTERS Purchase Licensing Rights
“At the moment we suspect aggravated disruption of telecommunications and also aggravated sabotage and attempted aggravated sabotage,” Helsinki Chief of Police Jari Liukku told reporters.
Concern is growing in Europe at what officials see as an increase in hybrid threats from Russia since it launched its war in Ukraine, which Moscow denies.
Earlier this month, NATO’s top military commander said the alliance must be ready to respond to these type of threats to defend its territory.
Hybrid threats refer to both military and non-military tactics designed to undermine an adversary’s security. They can include cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, sabotage of key infrastructure and use of drones or irregular armed groups.
STATES ON HIGH ALERT IN BALTIC SEA SINCE UKRAINE CONFLICT
The Fitburg’s 14 crew members were from Russia, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, and were all held by Finnish police, investigators said. The ship sailed under the flag of St Vincent and Grenadines.
According to LSEG data, the owner of the vessel is Fitburg Shipping Company Ltd and the manager is Albros Shipping and Trading Ltd. Reuters was not able to reach either of those companies via telephone.
Eight NATO states border the Baltic Sea, which also borders Russia. They have been on high alert after a string of outages of power cables, telecoms links and gas pipelines that run along the relatively shallow seabed since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
NATO has boosted its presence in the Baltic with frigates, aircraft and naval drones in recent years.
“We remain in contact with the Finnish authorities, through exchange of information, via the NATO shipping centre located at our Allied Maritime Command in Northwood, UK,” an official at the military alliance said.
The Fitburg was dragging its anchor in the sea, and was directed to Finnish territorial waters, the police and Finland’s Border Guard said. The cable belongs to Finnish telecoms group Elisa. ‘HOPEFULLY NOT DELIBERATE’ SAYS ESTONIAN PRESIDENT
Estonia’s justice ministry said a second telecoms cable connecting the country to Finland had also suffered an outage on Wednesday. It was not immediately clear if the cable, belonging to Sweden’s Arelion, was running parallel to Elisa’s.
An Arelion spokesperson confirmed that the company had suffered an outage.
“I’m concerned about the reported damage… Hopefully it was not a deliberate act, but the investigation will clarify,” Estonia’s President Alar Karis said on X.
President Donald Trump said on Wednesday his administration was removing the National Guard from Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland but he added in his social media post that federal forces will “come back” if crime rates go up.
Local leaders in those cities and Democrats have said the deployments, which have faced legal setbacks and challenges, were unnecessary. They have accused the Trump administration of federal overreach and of exaggerating isolated episodes of violence to justify sending in troops.
National Guard members walk at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Broadview facility in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., October 9, 2025. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Trump, a Republican, has said troop deployments in Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Memphis and Portland were necessary to fight crime and protect federal property and personnel from protesters.
“We are removing the National Guard from Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland, despite the fact that CRIME has been greatly reduced by having these great Patriots in those cities, and ONLY by that fact,” Trump wrote.
“We will come back, perhaps in a much different and stronger form, when crime begins to soar again – Only a question of time!”
Judges overseeing lawsuits filed by cities challenging the deployments have consistently ruled that the Trump administration overstepped its authority and found that there is no evidence to support claims that troops are necessary to protect federal property from protesters.
Trump’s announcement came shortly before a federal appellate court ruled on Wednesday that his administration had to return hundreds of California National Guard troops to Governor Gavin Newsom’s control.
The U.S. Supreme Court on December 23 blocked Trump’s attempt to deploy National Guard troops in Illinois, a ruling that undercut his legal rationale for sending soldiers to other states.
The court said the president’s authority to take federal control of National Guard troops likely only applies in “exceptional” circumstances.
“At this preliminary stage, the Government has failed to identify a source of authority that would allow the military to execute the laws in Illinois,” the court’s majority held in an unsigned order.
The local leaders who opposed Trump’s deployment of the National Guard said on Wednesday the legal challenges compelled him to end the deployments in those cities.
Iran has been gripped by demonstrations amid the country’s economic crisis, with social discontent fueling open protest against the regime. Media and authorities have pinned the blame on foreign intelligence services.
Anti-government protesters have been marching in downtown in Tehran for several daysImage: Fars News Agency/AP/picture alliance
Thousands of people have protested in Iran in recent days against the dramatic devaluation of the currency, amid an economic crisis that has engulfed the country.
What began as a strike by shopkeepers and bazaar merchants on Sunday has become an outcry of political anger, with some even chanting “Death to the dictator!” The spontaneous protests have already spread from Tehran to other cities, such as Isfahan and Mashhad.
Is the currency crash an inflationary crisis?
One US dollar is currently worth 1.45 million Iranian rials. A year ago, the exchange rate was 820,000 rials, meaning the monthly wages of an average Iranian in full-time work are now only worth slightly more than $100 (€85).
Basic food supplies can easily consume an entire monthly income. In a heavily import-dependent country like Iran, an inflationary shock like this has had immediate, destabilizing social consequences.
Gissou Nia, a human rights lawyer and Iran expert from the Atlantic Council think tank, sees the economic crash as the catalyst for the protests, but not as its core issue. “As with the protests since December 2017, there’s often an economic catalyst,” she told DW. “But if we listen to the slogans, and the extent of the protests, it’s about profound dissatisfaction with the Iranian regime and the desire for that regime to disappear.”
It appears many Iranians no longer see the country’s economic collapse as a crisis that can be rectified, but as a systemic failure of the regime of aged revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Nia underlined the radical nature of the slogans, and their continuity. “We’re hearing things like ‘Zan, Zendegi, Azadi’ — Woman, Life, Freedom, a reference to the protests of 2022. We’re also hearing ‘Death to the dictator.’ The regime has got to go,” she said.
Previous protests made demands on the leadership for reform, but these have now mostly disappeared. The system itself is the target, and the movement is uniting different generations and their politics.
What role does the bazaar have to play?
The fact that these protests began in the bazaar is a historic shift. For decades, the bazaar has been the economic lifeline of the system, and the anchor of its political stability. The market is seen as a political early warning system and a potential multiplier of the protests. A strike by merchants in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar played a crucial role in the Islamic Revolution of 1979, which overthrew the monarchy.
Strikes in the bazaar have hit not just the food supply, but also the conservative backbone of the Islamic Republic. Nia described it as the “lifeblood of Iran’s central markets. The shop owners and others gathered to protest because the current economic situation is no longer tenable.”
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has little political leeway for making concessions to the demonstrators. In a moment of unusual openness, he recently admitted, “If the problems aren’t solved, we cannot govern.” Some argue that this is tantamount to a declaration of political bankruptcy.
The government’s draft budget for 2026 envisages tax rises of 62%, with inflation at 50%, which many on the street see as straightforward robbery. Public reactions suggest Iranians no longer differentiate between “reformers” and “hard-liners” in their political leadership, but instead see the entire political class as devoid of credibility.
How badly is the crisis affecting people?
The economic crisis has broadened into a crisis of Iranian society and infrastructure. Savings have been devalued, and food and medicines are hard to come by and barely affordable. Water and electricity supply cuts have become increasingly common. And it’s not just those on the margins who are affected, but broad swaths of the urban middle classes.
“The reality is that people can’t afford to buy food. There are many things they can’t pay for,” said Nia. The water supply in many cities is now regularly cut off, which could make political mobilization easier. When a person has nothing more to lose, they are more likely to be prepared to risk standing up to state violence.
At least five Americans, including a New Yorker, are being detained in Venezuela following the Trump administration’s latest military and economic pressure campaign against Caracas, according to a new report.
James Luckey-Lange, 28, of Staten Island, is among the recently US citizens imprisoned in Venezuela, with the New Yorker deemed to be wrongfully detained, officials told the New York Times.
Luckey-Lange, whose family reported him missing earlier this month, disappeared soon after entering Venezuela’s border as part of a long trip across Latin America that was inspired by the death of his mother, musician Diane Luckey.
Venezuela began detaining Americans again since the US increased military pressure on Caracas. X / @AGPamBondi
“He has been traveling around, figuring out what to do with his life,” Eva Aridjis Fuentes, a filmmaker who worked with Luckey-Lange on a documentary about his mother, told the Times.
“He has had so much loss.”
It’s unclear if Luckey-Lange entered Venezuela with a visa, with the grieving son writing on his blog earlier this month that he planned to research gold mining near the Guyana-Venezuela border.
He was last heard from on Dec. 8, when he informed his family that he was heading to Caracas to catch a flight home to New York on Dec. 12.
His aunt, Abbie Luckey, said she has not been contacted by US officials regarding her nephew’s disappearance, with the relative pleading for any information on his whereabouts.
Others being detained by Caracas include three Venezuelan-American dual passport holders and another American citizen with no known ties to the country, a US official told the Times.
Two of the five prisoners, including Luckey-Lange, are being wrongfully detained, with the remaining three allegedly facing criminal charges that American officials believe could be legitimate.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has previously used detained Americans, regardless of whether or not they faced legitimate criminal charges, as bargaining chips with the US.
Seventeen American citizens and permanent residents have been freed this year as part of negotiations between the Trump administration and Maduro’s government.
Those talks, however, were suspended following Trump’s decision to apply military and economic pressure against Maduro, with Venezuela beginning to detain Americans again in the fall.
Previous detainees have detailed abusive conditions in Venezuela’s prison system, with many condemning Caracas over the lack of due process and bogus charges pressed against them.
President Trump announced plans Wednesday to pull National Guard troops out of three cities where they were deployed to assist in crime prevention and protect federal agents carrying out immigration enforcement operations.
“We are removing the National Guard from Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland, despite the fact that CRIME has been greatly reduced by having these great Patriots in those cities, and ONLY by that fact,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“Portland, Los Angeles, and Chicago were GONE if it weren’t for the Federal Government stepping in,” the president argued. “We will come back, perhaps in a much different and stronger form, when crime begins to soar again – Only a question of time!
Trump is removing the National Guard from Los Angeles, Chicago, and Portland. AP
“It is hard to believe that these Democrat Mayors and Governors, all of whom are greatly incompetent, would want us to leave, especially considering the great progress that has been made???”
Trump’s announcement follows the Supreme Court rejecting his bid last week to overturn a lower court ruling blocking him from deploying about 300 National Guard troops to Chicago to protect Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
The Trump administration’s justification for the attempted troop deployment to the Windy City used a law that permits the president to take over the National Guard if he isn’t able to execute the law with “regular forces.”
The Supreme Court ruling in the Chicago case presented an obstacle to the administration’s efforts to federalize Guardsman in other states, such as California and Oregon.
Trump had previously ordered 4,000 California National Guard troops to deploy Los Angeles to quell violent riots targeting ICE agents and facilities.
Yemen’s separatists are determined to establish a new state after seizing swathes of territory this month, their spokesman told AFP on Wednesday (Dec 31), but added that secession would only happen when conditions are right.
The group’s staggering advance has sparked fresh upheaval in Yemen after more than a decade of war between the Saudi-led coalition and Iran-backed Houthi rebels who forced the government from the capital Sanaa in 2014.
Despite a wave of air strikes targeting their positions and calls from Saudi Arabia to fall back, the STC says it will hold its ground and reinforce its territory.
“What happened recently has made southerners more determined – psychologically and emotionally – to restore the state,” STC spokesman Anwar Al-Tamimi told AFP during an interview in Abu Dhabi.
“When the appropriate historical, international and regional moment arrives will we be ready to restore our state. Whether it will be in the long term, medium term or immediately, that will depend on the circumstances,” Tamimi added.
Forces of Yemen’s main separatist group, the Southern Transitional Council, arrive in a mountainous area where they are launching a military operation in the southern province of Abyan, Yemen, December 15, 2025. REUTERS/Stringer
Experts say the separatists’ successes have embarrassed Saudi Arabia, a regional heavyweight and the main backer of the internationally recognised Yemeni government.
Riyadh has repeatedly demanded that the STC pull back from recently seized territory, including areas along its southern borders, and has launched air strikes targeting its positions.
The Saudi-led coalition also targeted an alleged UAE arms shipment at an STC-controlled port on Tuesday and called on Abu Dhabi to pull its forces from Yemen within 24 hours, with the Emiratis agreeing to comply.
The US Congress has released the transcript of testimony by former Special Counsel Jack Smith, in which he defended his decision to lead two now-defunct criminal investigations into Donald Trump.
The transcript, released on New Year’s Eve by the House Judiciary Committee, is 255 pages. It features questions from lawmakers, and Smith’s robust defense of the attempts to prosecute Trump for illegally retaining classified documents after leaving office, and his alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election.
Trump pleaded not guilty in both cases, and the prosecutions ended after his re-election.
Since returning to office, Trump has demanded investigations of officials who criminally charged him.
Smith’s testimony to Congress took place on 17 December
The release also features video of Smith’s nearly eight hours of deposition testimony, which took place behind closed doors earlier this month.
“The decision to bring charges against President Trump was mine, but the basis for those charges rests entirely with President Trump and his actions,” Smith tells lawmakers early in his deposition.
He argues that his investigation, which was launched under President Joe Biden, “developed proof beyond a reasonable doubt that President Trump engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 election and to prevent the lawful transfer of power”.
He adds that his team “also developed powerful evidence that showed that President Trump willfully retained highly classified documents after he left office in January of 2021, storing them at his social club, including in a ballroom and a bathroom”.
He adds that Trump “repeatedly tried to obstruct justice to conceal his continued retention of those documents”.
The White House on Wednesday did not immediately respond to the BBC’s message seeking comment.
Trump said after his indictment in the classified documents case that it was a “dark day for the United States of America”. The case was dismissed by a Florida judge in 2024.
The president has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in connection with the storming of the Capitol on 6 January 2021. He claimed in 2024 that there had been “nothing done wrong at all” and it was a “day of love”. Trump pardoned over 1,500 Capitol riot defendants after taking office.
The congressional interview with Smith took place on 17 December.
In 2022, then-US Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Smith as a special counsel to investigate Trump’s attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, which he lost to Joe Biden.
Before Trump returned to office in January, Smith wrote a report that concluded there was enough evidence to charge Trump in both investigations.
Democrats questioning Smith during the deposition focused on Trump seeking retribution, among other topics. The Trump administration fired Smith and his staff.
“I have no doubt that the President wants to seek retribution against me,” Smith said, adding later that the justice department now “wants to seek retribution against anybody who worked on cases against President Trump”.
Representative Jared Moskowitz, a Florida Democrat, asked Smith if he thinks Trump instructed House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan to call him for a deposition, to which Smith answered that he did not know.
“I’m here in good faith,” he said.
Smith also testified about call records his team had requested for certain members of Congress, a move that outraged some Republican senators.
Smith said such requests are standard, and were critical to finding out how the White House communicated with lawmakers before and on 6 January 2021.
He said his team used the records to establish which members of Trump’s inner circle had contacted Republican lawmakers – and which senators the president allegedly tried to reach the day of the Capitol attack.
Smith said the records did not include the content of the calls or texts, but rather “when the call started, when the call stopped … and who the call is from.”
The world welcomes 2026 with celebrations unfolding across time zones, from fireworks in the Pacific and Australia to quieter, tradition-led events in parts of Asia and Europe, alongside large public gatherings and heightened security in major global cities.
As midnight rolled across time zones, India’s celebrations unfolded as part of a global wave welcoming 2026, with countries marking the moment through spectacular fireworks, quiet ceremonies and age-old traditions rooted in local culture.
As the clock struck midnight, fireworks lit up the skies as crowds gathered at major landmarks, ushering in the New Year with optimism and celebration.
In Delhi, iconic locations such as India Gate and Connaught Place saw heavy footfall, with revellers ringing in the year well past midnight. More than 680 police personnel were deployed, particularly in high-density zones like Connaught Place, to manage traffic and ensure public safety. Around 20,000 police personnel were deployed across the national capital as Delhi Police rolled out an intensified enforcement and surveillance plan to maintain law and order and curb New Year’s Eve violations such as drunk driving and motorcycle stunts.
Further south, Bengaluru buzzed with energy as crowds spilled onto Mahatma Gandhi Road and Brigade Road. Fireworks illuminated the night sky as people across Bengaluru welcomed New Year 2026 amid celebrations.
Revellers ushered in the New Year in Kashmir with special programmes at the famous tourist spots across the valley. Tourists and locals made a beeline to the tourist destinations of Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg to ring in 2026. According to officials, tourists from across the country visited these destinations to enjoy the recent snowfall and these destinations witnessed a heavy rush of visitors. The celebrations were also held near the historic Clock Tower at the Lal Chowk City centre.
The Pacific island nation of Kiribati became the first place on Earth to enter 2026, with celebrations beginning on Kiritimati (Christmas Island) due to its position near the International Date Line. Thousands of residents marked the occasion with community gatherings and traditional festivities as the clock struck midnight locally.
NEW ZEALAND WELCOMES 2026 WITH SKY TOWER FIREWORKS
New Zealand’s Auckland welcomed 2026 with a fireworks display launched from the Sky Tower, the country’s tallest structure, becoming the first major city to mark the new year despite wet weather in the city centre.
Countries across the South Pacific are the earliest to ring in the new year, with midnight in Auckland, home to about 1.7 million people, arriving 18 hours before celebrations begin in New York’s Times Square. The five-minute spectacle featured around 3,500 fireworks fired from multiple levels of the 240-metre (787-foot) Sky Tower. However, several smaller community events across New Zealand’s North Island were cancelled on Wednesday due to forecasts of rain and possible thunderstorms.
AUSTRALIA’S NEW YEAR UNDER SHADOW OF MASS SHOOTING
Australia’s east coast welcomed 2026 two hours after New Zealand, with Sydney pressing ahead with its New Year’s Eve celebrations amid heightened security following the country’s deadliest mass shooting in nearly three decades.
The festivities come weeks after two gunmen opened fire at a Hanukkah gathering at Bondi Beach on December 14, killing 15 people and injuring at least 40. The attack has cast a sombre shadow over celebrations in the country’s largest city. Thousands gathered along Sydney’s waterfront on Wednesday evening for the annual fireworks display centred on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, under a heavy police presence.
A minute of silence was observed for the Bondi Beach victims, and tribute imagery including a menorah was projected on the bridge pylons. For the first time at the event, many officers were seen openly carrying rapid-fire rifles.
ASIA EMBRACES TRADITIONS, QUIETER FESTIVITIES
Across East and Southeast Asia, celebrations varied by culture and local conditions. In Japan, many still observed traditional customs such as temple bell ringing to mark the new year. Seoul in South Korea featured countdowns and light displays around Bosingak Pavilion. Singapore also welcomed the fresh year with a grand display of fireworks.
In parts of Indonesia, including Jakarta and Bali, festivities were scaled back to reflect solidarity with communities affected by floods and landslides, with prayers and cultural shows replacing typical fireworks. Bangkok lights up the night sky with fireworks and dazzling displays as it welcomes the New Year. Here is a glimpse of the celebrations in the city often called the Venice of the East.
British boxer Anthony Joshua has been discharged from a Lagos hospital after surviving a serious road accident in Nigeria. The crash occurred December 29, 2025, on the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, when his vehicle hit a stationary truck. Two close associates died at the scene, officials confirmed Thursday. He was traveling with friends and team members at the time of the crash.
Image: X
British boxing star Anthony Joshua has been discharged from a Lagos hospital after surviving a serious road accident in Nigeria that claimed the lives of two of his close associates, officials confirmed Thursday.
The former world heavyweight champion was involved in the crash on December 29, 2025, while travelling with friends and members of his team on the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, a major highway in southwest Nigeria. The vehicle they were in reportedly lost control and collided with a stationary truck, killing two passengers at the scene.
BREAKING: Anthony Joshua is out of hospital.
The boxing star was left with minor injuries after a car crash in Nigeria, which killed two of his close friends.
Authorities from both Lagos and Ogun states said Joshua, who sustained only minor injuries, was discharged late Wednesday after being deemed clinically fit to continue his recovery at home. Though physically spared from serious harm, he was described as “heavy-hearted” as he copes with the loss of his friends.
Anthony Joshua pays his respect
According to the joint statement by officials, Joshua and his mother visited a Lagos funeral home to pay their respects as the bodies of the deceased were prepared for repatriation. The two men who died, identified as Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele, were close to Joshua and integral members of his training circle. Ghami worked as a strength and conditioning coach, while Ayodele was long-time trainer and friend.
Joshua, 36, is a British-Nigerian athlete who has returned frequently to Nigeria in recent years. The crash occurred just days after he defeated YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in Miami on December 19, part of his efforts to re-establish himself at the top of heavyweight boxing. He had been in discussions about a potential 2026 showdown with Tyson Fury.
🚨 Anthony Joshua has been released from the hospital after being deemed clinically fit to continue his recovery from home
“Heavy-hearted and emotional” after the loss of Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele, AJ and his mom visited a Lagos funeral home to pay their final respects to… pic.twitter.com/ERv68XLkhD
According to officials in Kyiv, Ukrainian long-range drones struck an oil depot north of Moscow, as well as an oil refinery and an oil terminal in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region. Follow DW for more.
Ukrainian officials reported that the Tuapse oil refinery was among the Russian oil facilities hit by Ukrainian drones [FILE: March 2020]Image: Igor Onuchin/TASS/imago
North Korea’s Kim praises troops fighting for Russia
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un praised troops fighting on Russia’s side in the war in Ukraine, calling them the “greatest strength and pride” of the country, state media reported on Thursday.
In a New Year’s message, Kim praised his troops fighting abroad as forging an “invincible alliance” with Russia, according to KCNA.
“As the whole country is enveloped in a festive atmosphere of greeting the new year, I all the more miss you, who are fighting bravely on the battlefields in the alien land even at this moment,” he said.
“Be brave. Behind you are Pyongyang and Moscow.”
South Korean and Western intelligence agencies say Pyongyang has sent thousands of troops to support Russia’s war in Ukraine, with South Korea estimating that at least 600 have been killed and thousands wounded.
Analysts say North Korea is receiving financial aid, military technology and energy and food supplies in return.
Kim also hinted at further overseas deployments this year, while attending New Year celebrations in Pyongyang.
Russia shoots down three drones en route to Moscow — mayor
Russian air defense intercepted three drones targeting the Russian capital, Moscow, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said in a serious of Telegram posts.
Sobyanin said that emergency services had rushed to sites where drone fragments had landed.
The posts did not report any casualties or damage.
The German Police Trade Union warned of possible violence against emergency services during New Year’s Eve celebrations. DW has more.
Germany’s most populous state, North Rhine-Westphalia, has boosted its police force to 7,600 officers for New Year’s EveImage: Christoph Hardt/Panama Pictures/IMAGO
Homemade New Year’s fireworks kill two teenagers in western Germany
Two 18-year-old men died after being struck by homemade fireworks on New Year’s Eve in the German city of Bielefeld, police said early Thursday.
The incidents occurred at separate locations in the city in the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Both teenage victims suffered fatal facial injuries after igniting the homemade fireworks themselves, police said.
Authorities said, while investigations are ongoing, there was no initial indication of foul play or third-party involvement in either case.
Traditional Berlin New Year party shifted to Hamburg
After the Berlin state government pulled funding for Germany’s traditional New Year’s Eve extravaganza at the Brandenburg Gate, the iconic ZDF-Silvestershow has been swiftly moved to Hamburg.
Thousands of revelers braved drizzly skies and chilly 4-degree temperatures to pack into the HafenCity, Europe’s largest inner-city urban development project, to welcome 2026.
Musical highlights include songs from the Michael Jackson Musical, UK boyband Blue and Michael Patrick Kelly, among many local artists.
A dazzling fireworks display is set to illuminate the Elbe River at midnight.
For decades, Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate hosted Germany’s biggest New Year’s Eve party — a massive open-air event with live music, countdown and huge fireworks, televised nationally.
Due to budget cuts, the Berlin state government cut public funding, which previously reached up to €1 million ($1.17 million) annually, forcing the show’s relocation to the northern port city.
Berlin will see in the New Year with a more intimate DJ party for 20,000 ticketed guests at the Brandenburg Gate and a smaller fireworks display.
Police pursue dozens of leads in Gelsenkirchen bank robbery
Dozens of potential leads have been passed to police in Germany investigating last weekend’s brazen €30 million ($35.2 million) bank heist in Gelsenkirchen.
A police spokeswoman said Wednesday that witnesses observed several men with large bags in the stairwell of a multi-storey car park on Saturday night.
The police said investigators were examining video footage from an adjacent car park showing masked persons and two vehicles.
Surveillance cameras, meanwhile, captured a black car and a white van that the perpetrators may have used.
Other footage published by German media outlets showed a masked man standing in front of a car park ticket machine.
The break-in, one of the largest in German history, was discovered by emergency services early on Monday morning when a fire alarm was set off.
The robbers apparently broke into a branch of the Sparkasse bank and then used a special drill to cut a large hole in the wall through to the vault.
From there, the thieves broke into almost all of the 3,250 safe deposit boxes, making off with the contents.
Fake videos of political leaders often go viral online. DW’s Fact check department analyzes how content farms use algorithm-driven formats, and what narratives they reinforce.
Politicians have often been the target of disinformation campaignsImage: Kay Nietfeld/dpa/picture alliance
Disinformation campaigns targeting politicians are nothing new, but the widespread availability of AI tools has accelerated the spread of deepfake videos and false claims.
DW Fact check has examined viral videos featuring three world leaders — German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Donald Trump — looking at how the video formats work, how they spread and what narratives they push.
Fake and false videos about political leaders
Claim: This TikTok video, with over 360,000 views, claims the German government has fixed gasoline prices at €3 ($3.50) per liter.
Verdict: Fake
The video combines visuals of Friedrich Merz, stock footage and a banner with the words “Fuel price shock: Fixed at €3 — now it’s serious!” Although the regulation of price fluctuation and CO2 price increases have been discussed in Germany, no official announcement has fixed the prices at €3. The current price is set at €1.64 per liter. Such a drastic increase would have a huge financial impact on many people.
We also analyzed the technical part of the video: The voice-over shows several anomalies, including noticeable glitches. Not only that, AI detection tools such as HIVE indicate a 69.6% likelihood that the content contains AI-generated or deepfake elements.
Claim: A post on X with over 766,000 views claims the UK has issued a 10 p.m. curfew and will shut off television and internet at night.
Verdict: False
The post includes a video of a man repeating the claim, superimposed on photographs with ominous music playing in the background. He references the UK’s digital ID plans, alluding to a smartphone-based identification system for governmental services in the UK, which caused controversy and concerns of government overreach.
The UK government did indeed implement new rules governing how children use social media on July 25, 2025, under the Online Safety Act. These regulations require platforms to conduct robust age checks — using methods like facial scans, photo ID, or credit card verification. However, no curfews were enforced, nor was internet access restricted.
Claim: In this TikTok video with 578,000 views, we see US President Donald Trump and hear a voice-over that sounds like him. The words “Macron warns Zelemskyy [sic] — Trump fires back with harsh message” written on a banner.
Verdict: Fake
The video also features subtitles of the voice-over and constant zooming into images of French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The voice-over sounds like Trump, but its intonation is generic and monotone. The HIVE AI-detection tool estimates that it is 99% likely that the audio is AI-generated.
Content farms pushing many low-quality videos
Marcus Bösch, political scientist and communications expert and a former DW contributor, said there are steps users can take to identify fake videos. “The first thing you should do is take a look at the account that posted the video,” he told DW media partner #Faktenfuchs.
The TikTok account that posted the video of Merz has what looks like an AI-generated profile image, and the profile name includes a string of numbers, typical indicators that it is part of a content farm.
We found multiple other accounts posting similar videos targeting Merz (including here, here, here and here). They all bear the hallmarks of a so-called “content farm.” Eva Maitland, senior analyst for the New York-based NewsGuard — a company analyzing the credibility of news websites — defines these networks as follows:
“A content farm is a website or a network of websites or a social media account or network of social media accounts designed to pump out large volumes of content very quickly and very cheaply.”
Search engine optimization (SEO) plays an important role for such accounts, as keywords will make them appear more often in search engine results and therefore gather more views and clicks. Video topics might change depending on the news cycle and changing public interest.
Repetitive video formats with emotive claims
Maitland noted that as content farms try to publish as much and as fast as possible, they often use content based on templates. Both the account that posted the video of Merz and the account that shared the video of Trump had posted several videos in similar visual styles.
The fake “news item” has become a recurring format, which DW Fact check has written about previously. These videos mimic legitimate reporting and attach themselves to real political debates. The accounts above also show the repeated use of phrases like “breaking news” or “shocking announcement.”
This is a classic strategy in disinformation dissemination. “You take something people have already heard before, or something that contains a grain of truth — because that makes it very believable,” said Bösch.
The videos typically use authentic footage of the politicians but overlay them with AI-generated voice-overs. They include fabricated claims on upcoming policies, such as “Starting in January: Sick? Then stay home, or else you’ll be fined and won’t get paid!”
Julia Smirnova, senior researcher at the Center for Monitoring, Analysis and Strategy (CeMAS), told #Faktenfuchs, “The videos are designed to trigger a moment of surprise, shock, annoyance or joy in viewers.”
Financial or political motives
Maitland urges users to question what the purpose of the content is: “Are they trying to inform me or are they trying to get me to react in a certain way?”
The true motives behind the videos are challenging to determine. Importantly, platforms have a threshold for monetization. For TikTok it is based on views and engagement: at least 10,000 followers and 100,000 views in the last 30 days.
Maitland suggests that “the aspect that the videos are extremely low quality, they’re templated, they’re AI-generated, they’re being produced in high-volume, low-quality, indicates that the campaign may be more motivated to generate income as opposed to genuinely affecting people’s viewpoints.”
Countermeasures
The profile that posted the video on Merz states that “All videos are satire and do not contain any real statements whatsoever.” Accounts protect themselves in this way, as social media platforms like TikTok allow for AI content as freedom of expression.
Whether users believe the content is difficult to determine. Comment sections show mixed reactions: Some users treat the content as a joke, but many take it seriously, while some question the claims.
NewsGuard found that the claim of the UK curfew has spread from TikTok to other platforms like Facebook and X. This poses a challenge to users who try to verify the video’s source, because it’s stripped from the context of the account.
A recent report from the voice AI platform Resemble AI found that there has been a record increase in the number of deepfake cases and sophisticated attacks. As AI tools are becoming more sophisticated, this type of content farm video and posting behavior is likely to grow in the future.
The flight’s final moments have also been haunted by a desperate message sent from on board
A NASCAR legend has shared a chilling theory about what may have gone wrong in the horror jet crash that killed retired driver Greg Biffle and six others.
The doomed flight was rocked by reports of a “large, loud pop” during takeoff before it circled back in the sky.
Greg Biffle, seen with his daughter Emma in 2016, died in a fiery plane crash earlier this monthCredit: Getty
Biffle’s close friend Kenny Wallace said he believes the airplane’s flaps may have been down, which created intense drag after the Cessna Citation lost a motor while taking off.
In a YouTube video, he theorized that pilots applied full-throttle power to the surviving engine but didn’t have enough power to straighten it out as they landed.
Wallace spoke out after Biffle was killed along with his wife, Cristina, and their two children, Emma and Ryder, when the private jet went down on December 18.
Craig Wadsworth, Dennis Dutton, and Dutton’s son Jack were also killed, according to a statement from the families.
Seven people died in total after the Cessna C550 jet, owned by Biffle, crashed at Statesville Regional Airport around 10:15 am.
An investigation to establish the exact cause of the tragedy is underway.
Wallace laid out his thinking on his YouTube channel as he tried to make sense of the final minutes.
“Here’s what I think,” he said.
“I think the plane took off, I think they lost a motor, and then, I guess it started having a lot of drag on it.
“That’s where all the up and down was taking place. They decide to come back. The flaps are down, and they don’t have any horsepower.
“There was so much drag and they had the throttle wide open, they just didn’t make it. I think that’s what happened. They just didn’t make it to the runway.”
Wallace stressed that he was thinking of the family in the wake of the tragedy, and said the loss of life was devastating.
“May the Lord be with everybody, this is a very heartfelt discussion,” he said.
“It was a very tragic loss. Everybody wants to know what happened.
“I think it was a tragic loss of life and that’s what I respectfully think is what happened.”
“It has been a sad, sad couple of weeks here with the Greg Biffle tragedy.”
LOUD POP
Friends and family told The US Sun the jet erupted into a fireball just minutes after takeoff from Statesville on December 18.
Former neighbor Jonathan Donahue said the trouble began almost immediately after the jet left the ground.
“All I know,” he said, “is that there was a large, loud pop, like something broke on the plane at takeoff, and he immediately had to turn around and make an emergency landing.”
Flight data backs up that account, showing the jet climbed sharply before turning back toward the airport.
Its speed and altitude fluctuated as the pilots battled poor visibility in low clouds and drizzle.
Moments later, the jet clipped light poles, smashed into a tree line, and exploded less than a mile from the runway.
No distress call was ever made.
FINAL MESSAGE
The flight’s final moments have also been haunted by a desperate message sent from on board.
Biffle’s mother-in-law, Cathy Grossu, told People she received a text from her daughter moments before the crash that said: “We’re in trouble.”
Grossu added: “She texted me from the plane and she said, ‘We’re in trouble.’ And that was it. ‘So we’re devastated. We’re brokenhearted.’”
Cristina’s mom said the group had been heading to Florida for a “birthday trip” when the crash happened.
“To think that they would be killed on a birthday trip, that was just such a fun time for the family,” she said.
“And to see the horrific way that it ended, it’s just, it is so hard to bear. I cannot believe they’re gone.”
She said she had seen Cristina and Biffle only hours earlier, after they visited her at her home.
“I don’t remember what the last words that I said to my daughter or to Greg or to my precious Ryder,” she said.
“I don’t remember. I know we hugged, but I don’t remember those last words and that’s going to haunt me. But they were happy.”
INVESTIGATION CONTINUES
WCNC chief meteorologist Brad Panovich said after looking at public flight data that the jet took off, then circled back, pointing to a possible mechanical issue.
The Federal Aviation Authority said that the Cessna C550 crashed while attempting to land.
Dutton, a 40-year aviation veteran and recently retired Delta Airlines pilot, died alongside his son Jack, an Auburn University junior who dreamed of becoming a pilot too.
Jack had just earned his FAA Instrument Rating, a milestone he proudly shared online weeks before the crash.
Aviation expert Michael Henderson told The US Sun he believes it was “very likely a single engine problem” on a “very reliable jet.”
“He had power. He was able to climb. He could have made it back,” Henderson said.
Henderson claimed poor visibility would have sealed their fate in the low fog and drizzle.
“He was using visuals rather than instruments. There was low fog and drizzle, and he was having a real hard time seeing the airport,” Henderson said.
The withdrawal of Emirati forces from Yemen following a Saudi airstrike may help defuse a confrontation between the UAE and Saudi Arabia, but the incident has exposed simmering distrust between two Gulf oil powers with long-running differences.
The airstrike by a Saudi-led coalition early on Tuesday on the southern Yemeni port of Mukalla was followed by calls on all UAE forces to leave Yemen, and a statement from Riyadh that its national security was a red line.
The UAE said it was surprised by the strike, shortly before announcing that it was pulling its remaining forces from Yemen for their safety.
The crisis, precipitated by the surprise advance of UAE-backed separatists through southern Yemen in early December, brings to the surface years of divisions between the two Gulf heavyweights on everything from oil quotas to geopolitical influence.
A Gulf source familiar with Saudi thinking told Reuters that the escalation had been triggered by a misperception resulting from talks in Washington in November between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and U.S. President Donald Trump about the war in Sudan.
High-level talks including phone calls between Saudi Arabia and the UAE had taken place since December though they had not yet yielded results on the ground, the source said.
Any further conflagration between Saudi Arabia and the UAE would bode ill for the financially powerful Gulf, which prides itself on being an island of stability in a turbulent Middle East. Disagreements between Saudi Arabia and the UAE could hamper consensus on oil output decisions. The two are preparing for a virtual meeting with other OPEC+ members on Sunday.
“Relations between the two states are never easy, but the friction does appear to be at its most intense for years,” said Neil Quilliam, associate fellow at think tank Chatham House.
DECEMBER ADVANCE
Following their sudden advance in early December, the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces now hold large swathes of land in Yemen, including in the strategically important Hadramout province.
The STC had previously been an important part of the coalition fighting alongside the Saudi-backed, internationally-recognized government against the Iran-aligned Houthi movement, which holds Yemen’s capital Sanaa and the heavily populated northwest.
Their sweep through the south brought the STC within reach of Yemen’s border with Saudi Arabia, in an area to which many prominent Saudis trace their origins, lending it cultural and historical significance for them.
It also put Saudi Arabia and the UAE on opposing sides of a smouldering civil war that erupted in Yemen in 2014.
Both Saudi Arabia and the UAE have publicly said they are in talks with Yemeni groups to try and bring the situation under control, but the coalition has now carried out airstrikes in the province twice in the last few days.
The STC has been rejecting calls by the Saudi coalition for its forces to withdraw from the areas it seized, saying it will continue securing Hadramout and Mahra province to its east.
In a statement on the strike in Mukalla, the UAE said it had tried to de-escalate since the STC’s advance and denied being behind any operations that would undermine Saudi security or target its borders.
A person gestures towards smoke rising in the aftermath of a Saudi-led coalition airstrike, which targeted what it described as foreign military support to UAE-backed southern separatists, in Yemen’s southern port of Mukalla, in this screengrab from a handout video obtained by Reuters on December 30, 2025. Aden al-Mustakillah TV/Handout via REUTERS Purchase Licensing Rights
DIVERGENCE ON SUDAN
“Both countries like to play down friction in the relationship and argue that competition amongst states is a normal state of affairs,” said Quilliam. “But the intensity of the competition has certainly sharpened in the past year and is playing out in multiple theatres.”
One such place is Sudan, a country engulfed in civil war and one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises since April 2023.
The Quad, which groups Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the U.S. and the UAE, has led diplomacy on the conflict, but the war has raged on.
Sudan is a sensitive issue for the UAE. U.N. experts and members of the U.S. Congress have accused the country of sponsoring Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who are fighting the Sudanese army. The UAE denies backing either side.
Trump and the Saudi Crown Prince discussed Sudan at the November meeting in Washington.
The Gulf source said the UAE leadership was angered as they had been “misinformed” that during the November meeting the Saudi Crown Prince had not just asked for further sanctions against the RSF, but also for more direct sanctions against the UAE for its alleged support to the group.
The misperception led to the escalation in Yemen, the source said.
The UAE foreign ministry did not confirm or deny this account and referred Reuters to an earlier statement issued on Friday in which the UAE had welcomed Saudi Arabia’s efforts to support security and stability in Yemen and said it also remained committed to backing stability in the country.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) workers rally on the day of a hearing in a case on the Trump administration’s mass firings of CFPB workers, outside the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 3, 2025. REUTERS/Kent Nishimura Purchase Licensing Rights
When Bianca Jones, a 33-year-old special education teacher in Memphis, Tennessee, decided a couple of years ago that she wanted to buy a house, she started digging into her Experian credit report. She was shocked by what she found.
Her student debt had been double-counted, making it look as though she owed a quarter of a million dollars and putting home ownership out of reach. Jones disputed the items with Experian, one of the major credit reporting agencies, multiple times in writing and over the phone, but got nowhere.
“They kept saying it’s been verified, it’s been verified…They never investigated. They never tried to remove it,” Jones said in an interview.
Eventually, Jones complained to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a federal watchdog created by Congress in 2010 to protect consumers in their financial dealings, helping her lawyers show a judge the lengths she’d gone to mitigate damage to her credit, according to her attorneys, legal papers and a copy of the complaint. That paper trail eventually helped Jones successfully sue Experian to correct her record.
Jones closed on a house purchase in the Memphis suburb of Millington for $300,000 in January.
“If I didn’t have this agency to go to, I don’t think I’d be in the house right now,” said Jones. “It actually changed my life.”
Experian and the CFPB did not respond to a request for comment on Jones’ case.
AGENCY FACING SHUTDOWN
In interviews, consumers who had fallen on hard times or known difficulty, lawyers who work with the poor and credit counselors told Reuters the CFPB had been a lifeline for people facing hardship and they feared that, without it, many consumers would be left unprotected from financial predators.
Conceived by Senator Elizabeth Warren to police the type of lending that fueled the 2008 financial crisis, the CFPB has long been a target of conservatives and industry. Congress created the agency as part of post-crash reforms in 2010 as the sole federal body primarily charged with protecting consumers’ rights in the financial marketplace.
The CFPB now faces extinction under President Donald Trump’s second administration, which says the agency is a political weapon for Democrats and a burden on free enterprise.
Speaking to reporters at the White House in February, Trump said it was “very important to get rid of the agency,” claiming, without spelling out evidence, that Warren had “used that as her little personal agency to go around and destroy people.”
In an interview, Warren dismissed the criticism as a sign the CFPB was doing its job. “This is not about vendettas. This is about enforcing the law as it is written, so that billionaires and billionaire corporations don’t cheat American families. I think that’s a pretty good thing,” she said.
White House Budget Director Russell Vought, a staunch CFPB critic and the agency’s acting head, told “The Charlie Kirk Show” podcast in October he plans to shutter the CFPB. The administration is fighting in court to fire up to 90% of its workers, while planning to move pending investigations and litigation to the Justice Department.
The agency says it is due to run out of money in early 2026 and Vought says he cannot legally seek more until the Federal Reserve returns to what the administration deems “profitability,” a position a federal judge flatly rejected on Tuesday, finding it without legal merit. Congressional Republicans also slashed the CFPB’s maximum allowable funding in July.
Together, the administration, congressional Republicans and industry-backed lawsuits have undone a decade’s worth of CFPB rules on matters ranging from medical debt and student loans to credit card late fees, overdraft charges and mortgage lending.
The agency has also dropped or paused its probes and enforcement actions, and stopped supervising the consumer finance industries, leading to a string of resignations.
The CFPB and the White House did not respond to requests for comment.
Warren said that as a law professor studying bankruptcy she saw that consumer protections were weak and fragmented, and that America needed a single federal agency dedicated to protecting consumers from unfair, deceptive and abusive practices.
“I was stunned by the number of people in financial trouble who had lost a job or got sick but who had also been cheated by one or more of their creditors,” she told Reuters. “For no agency was consumer protection a first priority, it was somewhere between fifth and tenth, which meant there was just no cop on the beat. If the CFPB is not there, people have nowhere to turn when they get cheated.”
CRITICS COMPLAIN OF OVERREACH
Republicans said the agency was redundant, with federal bank watchdogs, like the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and state regulators already looking out for consumers, and that its funding and leadership structure were unconstitutional. Like other banking regulators, the CFPB’s funding is not set annually by Congress and does not come directly from taxpayers. Rather, the agency draws on the Federal Reserve and its director was until recently protected from removal at will by the president.
Republicans accused the CFPB’s first director Richard Cordray, a Democrat, of using those powers to crush small banks and businesses via overzealous enforcement and complex regulations, and of overstepping the agency’s legal authority by trying to regulate companies Congress had exempted from its oversight, such as auto dealerships.
Conservative and industry groups tried several times to curb its powers or extinguish it altogether via the courts. In 2020 the Supreme Court handed the president the power to fire the director, which he has since used. Critics on the political right accused former director Rohit Chopra, a Democrat, of exceeding his authority, flouting the federal rule-making process, and harming consumers with an ill-conceived crackdown on financial firm fees.
Thomas Hoenig, who served as vice chair of the FDIC from 2012 to 2018, said he was skeptical of some of the CFPB’s work under prior administrations, but that it still served an important purpose.
“If you take them out of the picture altogether, you’re going to get more abuse, not less,” he said. “I’m disappointed to see the CFPB just go away.”
“VERY IMPORTANT FOR ME”
For some, though, the agency has been a lifeline. Millions of Americans like Jones who are struggling with credit reporting errors, predatory lenders, debt collectors, fraud, discrimination or other challenges, are now filing complaints every year with the agency, which prompts companies to fix the issues, sometimes by paying the complainants, or explain themselves.
When companies repeatedly break the rules, the CFPB punishes them and tries to make their customers whole. To date, it has returned $21 billion to consumers, according to CFPB data.
Morgan Smith, a 31-year-old single mother and social services worker in Issaquah, Washington, turned to those resources when she realized she had been a victim of identity theft.
After her wallet and ID were stolen from her car, she learned that someone had opened up a string of accounts in her name, she said: a rental car that ended up in a crash, an unpaid storage unit and a hotel room at an amusement park. Reuters was unable to confirm Smith’s account independently.
“I went straight to the CFPB and I was navigated there to their consumer education tab where I was able to find out how to deal with fraud and scams. It gave me all the information I needed to know…my rights,” she said.
“That was very important for me to have this resource.”
Without the CFPB, borrowers would once again rely on a hodgepodge of federal, state and other local agencies which lack the CFPB’s resources, expertise and legal powers, say consumer groups.
“Prior to the CFPB coming around, we’d have to say, ‘write your attorney general, write to the FTC,’ whoever it was, and it became this sort of letter-writing campaign,” said Sam Hohman, who runs the Nebraska nonprofit Credit Advisors Foundation, which helps people get out of debt and offers consumer education services.
Worker miniatures are placed among the flag of China and printed circuit boards with semiconductor chips, in this illustration picture taken July 5, 2023. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Illustration Purchase Licensing Rights
China is requiring chipmakers to use at least 50% domestically made equipment for adding new capacity, three people familiar with the matter said, as Beijing pushes to build a self-sufficient semiconductor supply chain.
The rule is not publicly documented, but chipmakers seeking state approval to build or expand their plants have been told by authorities in recent months that they must prove through procurement tenders that at least half their equipment will be Chinese-made, the people told Reuters.
The mandate is one of the most significant measures Beijing has introduced to wean itself off reliance on foreign technology, a push that gathered pace after the U.S. tightened technology export restrictions in 2023, banning sales of advanced AI chips and semiconductor equipment to China.
While those U.S. export restrictions blocked the sale of some of the most advanced tools, the 50% rule is leading Chinese manufacturers to choose domestic suppliers even in areas where foreign equipment from the U.S., Japan, South Korea and Europe remain available.
Applications failing the threshold are typically rejected, though authorities grant flexibility depending on supply constraints, the people said. The requirements are relaxed for advanced chip production lines, where domestically developed equipment is not yet fully available.
“Authorities prefer if it is much higher than 50%,” one source told Reuters. “Eventually they are aiming for the plants to use 100% domestic equipment.”
China’s industry ministry did not respond to a request for comment. The sources did not wish to be identified as the measure is not public.
‘WHOLE NATION’ APPROACH
China’s President Xi Jinping has been calling for a “whole nation” effort to build a fully self-sufficient domestic semiconductor supply chain that involves thousands of engineers and scientists at companies and research centers nationwide.
The effort is being made across the wide supply-chain spectrum. Reuters reported earlier this month that Chinese scientists are working on a prototype of a machine capable of producing cutting-edge chips, an outcome that Washington has spent years trying to prevent.
“Before, domestic fabs like SMIC would prefer U.S. equipment and would not really give Chinese firms a chance,” a former employee at local equipment maker Naura Technology (002371.SZ), said, referring to the Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (0981.HK).
“But that changed starting with the 2023 U.S export restrictions, when Chinese fabs had no choice but to work with domestic suppliers.”
State-affiliated entities placed a record 421 orders for domestic lithography machines and parts this year worth around 850 million yuan, according to publicly available procurement data, signaling a surge in demand for locally developed technologies.
To support the local chip supply chain, Beijing has also poured hundreds of billions of yuan into its semiconductor sector through the “Big Fund”, which established a third phase in 2024 with 344 billion yuan ($49 billion) in capital.
WINNERS AND LOSERS
The policy is already yielding results, including in areas such as etching, a critical chip manufacturing step that involves removing materials from silicon wafers to carve out intricate transistor patterns, sources said.
China’s largest chip equipment group, Naura, is testing its etching tools on a cutting-edge 7nm (nanometre) production line of SMIC, two sources said. The early-stage milestone, which comes after Naura recently deployed etching tools on 14nm successfully, demonstrates how quickly domestic suppliers are advancing.
“Naura’s etching results have been accelerated by the government requiring fabs to use at least 50% domestic equipment,” one of the people told Reuters, adding that it was forcing the company to rapidly improve.
Advanced etching tools had been predominantly supplied in China by foreign firms such as Lam Research (LRCX.O), and Tokyo Electron (8035.T), but are now being partially replaced by Naura and smaller rival Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment (AMEC) (688012.SS), sources say.
Naura has also proven a key partner for Chinese memory chipmakers, supplying etching tools for advanced chips with more than 300 layers. It developed electrostatic chucks — devices that hold wafers during processing — to replace worn parts in Lam Research equipment that the company could no longer service after the 2023 restrictions, sources said.
Naura, AMEC, YTMC, SMIC, Lam Research, and Tokyo Electron did not respond to requests for comment.
China’s progress is being viewed with concern by global competitors, as foreign suppliers are squeezed out of the China market.
Insiders are concerned by AJ’s mental scars, with a return to the ring unclear without the two pals who were always in his corner
DEVASTATED Anthony Joshua said yesterday “I feel pain all over my body” after the high-speed horror smash which killed two of his pals.
The former world heavyweight boxing champ had a miraculous escape from Monday’s death crash in Nigeria but it claimed the lives of close aides Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz” Ayodele.
Anthony Joshua is pictured in agony as he is pulled from the wreckage of the car crash which killed two of his palsCredit: x
Sources close to the British fighter, 36, who will remain in hospital into the New Year, said he had searing pain in his knees and cried out in agony as he was taken from the wreckage of the Lexus 4×4 but tests revealed no fractures.
The star will remain in hospital while medics keep an eye on him and carry out further tests over the next few days.
Joshua’s promoters Matchroom declined to detail his injuries last night but confirmed: “Anthony is in a stable condition and will remain there for observation.”
The crash came ten days after AJ celebrated knocking out YouTuber Jake Paul in a money-spinning bout in the US.
“Massive parts of the Anthony Joshua machine.
But insiders fear the grief and mental scars from the road tragedy could put potential mega-fights next year in doubt — including a long-awaited showdown with his bitter UK rival Tyson Fury.
Joshua was being comforted in hospital by his mum after miraculously escaping with his life while close aides Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz” Ayodele died.
AJ was said to still be in pain but insiders were more concerned by his mental scars, with a return to the ring unclear without the two pals who were always in his corner as his career skyrocketed.
The pair were killed instantly on Monday morning as the Lexus SUV they were travelling in slammed into a parked lorry on the notoriously dangerous Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Makun.
AJ and the local hired driver – both sitting on the opposite side of the car from Sina and Latz – cheated death by inches.
Tributes poured in yesterday to AJ’s strength and conditioning coach Sina and his personal trainer Latz, both 36.
Boxing pundit Steve Bunce described them as “massive parts of the Anthony Joshua machine”.
He said: “They are with him all the time.
“He calls them his boys.
“They’re more than that.
“They are friends.
“They may have strict jobs, they might be his strength and conditioning coach, his personal trainer, his dietitian, his nutritionist, but they’re close and he loves that close circle.”
Joshua – who raked in a reported £70million from his recent KO of YouTuber Jake Paul — was being lined up to face fellow Brit Tyson Fury next year, but insiders say plans for the £100million mega-bout are now on the back burner.
Fury yesterday paid a heartfelt tribute, saying of Sina and Latz: “This is so sad.
“May God give them a good bed in heaven.”
He then shared a lengthy interview in which Joshua previously spoke about dealing with a personal tragedy.
Fury added later: “I wish AJ a speedy recovery and would like to send my sincere condolences to the families of his friends.”
Round-the-clock care
Eddie Hearn, chairman of AJ’s Matchroom promoters, said: “With the heaviest of hearts.
“Two great men.
“Rest in eternal peace Sina and Latz.
“My thoughts and deepest prayers are with everyone.”
AJ – whose parents are both Nigerian – was being comforted by his mum Yeta Odusanya yesterday after she rushed to her son’s bedside.
He is being given round-the-clock care at Nigeria’s top private medical unit, the £2,000-a-night Duchess International Hospital in Lagos.
Nigeria’s president Bola Ahmed Tinubu said he had spoken to Joshua and the fighter’s mum. He went on: “I wished him well and prayed for him.
“He assured me he is receiving the best care in the hospital.”
The boxer and his pals were on holiday in the west African nation, and were expected to stay a week.
They were on their way to AJ’s family home for New Year celebrations in Sagamu when tragedy struck at 11am on Monday.
A relative last night spoke of the family’s “shock” at hearing the tragic news.
Nigerian authorities confirmed AJ escaped with minor injuries as the Lexus – said to have been speeding – went out of control and sideswiped a stationary truck, carving open its passenger side.
Video footage showed the stricken boxer crying out in agony as he was helped from the wreckage, with witnesses saying he was complaining of searing pain in his leg.
A Mitsubishi 4×4, said to have been carrying AJ’s security team, was undamaged yards away.
Sina — who was in AJ’s corner during the Paul fight in Miami — had worked with him for more than ten years as his full-time sport and exercise rehabilitation coach.
He helped the Watford-born boxer prepare for some of his biggest fights, including his world title-winning bout against Wladimir Klitschko in 2017.
The fitness guru was a qualified sports and exercise rehabilitator who specialised in musculoskeletal injuries and corrective exercise and co-founded the Evolve Gym in London.
“There is no one kinder, no one more generous, no one more compassionate, no one more brotherly.
His uncle, Shahryar Rumi said yesterday he was “an angel living amongst us”.
Speaking outside the family home in North West London, he went on: “There is no one kinder, no one more generous, no one more compassionate, no one more brotherly.
“They were friends, Anthony Joshua and Sina.
“They worked together, but they began as friends. Even on this trip. He didn’t want him to be alone, so he went with him.”
Latz was one of AJ’s oldest friends and knew him long before his superstar career.
He played football for Aylesbury United, Tooting & Mitcham United, Hillingdon Borough, AFC Hayes, Chalfont Wasps and Northwood before joining Team AJ.
A fund-raiser set up to build a mosque in his honour and towards clean water projects in Africa had last night topped £160,000.
The organiser said: “I’m absolutely devastated hearing about the passing of my brother.
‘Highway of Death’
“I’m absolutely shocked that he died and I want to be part of the people who help keep his legacy alive.”
Inquiries into the cause of the fatal crash were last night continuing.
Police Commander Babatunde Akinbiyi of Nigeria’s traffic unit said checks showed the Lexus “experienced a tyre burst due to excessive speed” then “lost control”.
ACTOR Isiah Whitlock Jr – whose starring role in The Wire launched an iconic catchphrase – has died aged 71.
Whitlock Jr was best known for his recurring roles in Law & Order and Veep as well as being a regular in Spike Lee films.
Isiah Whitlock Jr. has tragically diedCredit: Getty
His iconic catchphrase “Sh*******t” was also enshrined into pop-culture after he first delivered the line in 25th Hour.
In an interview in 2008, Whitlock Jr revealed he had picked up the phrase from his uncle Leon.
“I did it there, and I did it in She Hate Me,” he said.
“But then, when I got on to The Wire, I saw a couple of opportunities where I could do it, and I did.
“And they started writing it in.”
Whitlock Jr was born in South Bend, Indiana, and began his acting career after graduating from college, when he joined San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theater.
The star first appeared on screen in 1987 in a guest role on CBS’ Cagney & Lacey.
He continued to appear on TV for the following 35 years, starring in the Law & Order franchise in multiple episodes of Special Victims Unit and Criminal Intent.
Best known for his role as corrupt State Senator R. Clayton “Clay” Davis in The Wire, he appeared in all five seasons of the popular crime drama.
Whitlock Jr later got to play a man obsessed with The Wire in the 2011 comedy Cedar Rapids.
The star was confirmed dead on Tuesday by his long-time manager Brian Liebman.
“Isiah was a brilliant actor and even better person,” Liebman told Deadline.
“He was loved by all who had the pleasure to work with or know him.
“He will be greatly missed.”
A fan favourite on HBO‘s political comedy Veep, he played Secretary of Defence General George Maddox.
Whitlock Jr was a series regular on Showtime’s legal thriller Your Honor, where he portrayed a politician with connections in organised crime.
His final TV role was in the Netflix murder mystery series The Residence, where he depicted the Chief of Police, opposite Uzo Aduba.
The show premiered in March.
The star had a long-standing relationship with Spike Lee, appearing in six of the Oscar-winning filmmaker’s movies: 25th Hour (2002), She Hate Me (2004), Red Hook Summer (2012), Chi-Raq (2015), BlacKkKlansman (2018) and Da 5 Bloods (2020).
Robbers stole €30 million in gold, jewellery, and cash from Sparkasse Gelsenkirchen, breaking into 3,000+ deposit boxes over Christmas.
This picture, provided by the Gelsenkirchen Police on Monday, Dec. 29, 2025 shows a hole in a wall of the savings bank branch in the Buer district in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. (IMAGE: AP PHOTO)
Robbers stole gold, jewellery and cash worth around 30 million euros ($35 million/Rs 314.4 crores) from a German bank in the city of Gelsenkirchen during the extended Christmas break, using a large drill to break into the bank’s underground vault, police and bank officials said on Tuesday.
The thieves, who remain at large, smashed open more than 3,000 safe deposit boxes at a branch of Sparkasse savings bank in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia before fleeing with the loot.
Bank officials told German news agencies that the branch was “broken into over the Christmas holidays” and that “more than 95 percent of the 3,250 customer safe deposit boxes were broken into by unknown perpetrators”.
Police said the robbers drilled their way into the vault room from a parking garage connected to the building.
As news of the robbery spread, hundreds of distressed customers gathered outside the branch on Tuesday, demanding information. The bank remained closed for security reasons.
German businesses were shut on Thursday and Friday last week for Christmas, and investigators believe the gang may have spent several days inside the building, breaking open the deposit boxes during the holiday period.
The robbery came to light after a fire alarm was triggered in the early hours of Monday, prompting emergency services to investigate and discover the hole leading into the vault.
Witnesses reported seeing several men carrying large bags in the stairwell of the parking garage during the night between Saturday and Sunday, police said. Security camera footage later showed a black Audi RS 6 leaving the garage early on Monday morning with masked individuals inside.
‘Professionally executed’
Police said the car’s licence plate had been stolen earlier from the city of Hanover.
A police spokesman told AFP that the break-in was “indeed very professionally executed”, likening it to the heist movie Ocean’s Eleven.
“A great deal of prior knowledge or a great deal of criminal energy must have been involved to plan and carry this out,” the spokesman said.
Police said the safe deposit boxes had an average insurance value of more than 10,000 euros, putting the estimated damage at around 30 million euros. Several victims have told investigators that their losses were far higher than the insured amounts.
The police spokesman said “disgruntled customers” had gathered outside the branch, where staff had received threats, prompting authorities to maintain a security presence.
Work is continuing to fix a power issue in the Channel Tunnel after an outage shut it down and disrupted travel plans for thousands of people.
The Channel Tunnel partially reopened allowing some Eurostar and LeShuttle services – which carries vehicles and passengers through the tunnel between Folkestone and Calais – to resume with delays.
On Tuesday, a problem with the overhead power supply and a broken down LeShuttle train blocked all routes, causing travel chaos for thousands trying to get away for New Year.
Getlink, who run the Channel Tunnel, said it hopes it will return to normal overnight.
But passengers are braced for a second day of possible disruption, with some travellers saying they have spent hours stuck onboard trains overnight as they waited for them to move.
One man told the BBC he had boarded the 19:01 service to Paris, but as of 02:30 GMT he was still stuck on the train at the entrance to the tunnel.
He said staff told him there was a “50% chance we go to Paris, 50% chance we go back to London”.
Earlier on Tuesday, Eurostar suspended services until further notice.
By midday, at least a dozen Eurostar services between the UK, France, Belgium and the Netherlands had been cancelled.
Some Eurostar and LeShuttle services resumed on Tuesday evening after one of the tunnel’s two lines reopened, but delays continued.
Earlier on Tuesday, Eurostar urged its customers “to rebook their journey for another day if possible, with free exchanges available”.
“We also advise customers not to come to our stations if their trains have been already been cancelled.”
By midday on Tuesday, at least a dozen Eurostar services between the UK, France, Belgium and the Netherlands had been cancelled.
The rail operator apologised and said passengers could rearrange their plans free of charge or can cancel their booking and get a refund or an e-voucher.
Passengers told the BBC how they had been left stranded and looking for alternative routes to get to their destination.
Two American tourists spent hundreds of pounds to reach Paris on Wednesday after their Eurostar service was cancelled from London St Pancras International.
Haley Adams, 38, and Hannah Hagar, 35, paid $580 (£430) for flights to the French capital to celebrate Hannah’s 36th birthday there.
The pair had their Eurostar tickets refunded but said they will have to pay for an extra night at a hotel in London and cannot get a refund from the hotel they were going to stay at in Paris tonight.
“There’s been a lot of queuing,” Adams said. “We have been here for five hours.”
Haley Adams and Hannah Hagar spent hundreds on alternative travel plans
A family from Mexico said their trip of a lifetime has been cast into doubt as their Eurostar service was cancelled.
Monserrat Hernandes, her brother John Paul and mother Olga were among dozens of people looking frantically at their phones near the Eurostar departure area at St Pancras.
The family got on the Eurostar just after 08:00 GMT but after their train left for Paris it had to return due to the incident.
“They say nothing is travelling today… there’s no hope for leaving tomorrow,” she said.
They are now searching for a flight or a ferry to make it to Paris.
“It’s like an American movie,” she added. “Hopefully I find the love of my life.”
In France, Ben Clark, from Bedfordshire, said he had been stuck on-board Le Shuttle in Calais with his wife and three daughters for hours.
“The first two-and-a-half hours weren’t too bad but the girls have got restless in the last half an hour so we’ve let them run around the boarding carriage to burn off some energy,” he said.
“Some people are getting angry but there’s nothing that can be done, others are sleeping in their cars. We have used up our snacks and now have no plan B or C.”
National Rail has advised passengers not to come to London St Pancras International if their Eurostar train is cancelled, while the Department for Transport said disruption is “likely for the remainder of the day” while faulty overhead cables are repaired.
A photograph shared with the BBC by a train driver for Eurostar appears to show overhead electrical cables strewn across the tracks.
Currently only one of two main tunnels in the Channel Tunnel is available for trains to run on, Eurostar said.
Eurostar’s services resumed with the 15:04 train from London to Brussels departing after 16:00.
As of 18:00, only a few services to Paris Gare du Nord and Brussels were scheduled to depart London St Pancras International this evening.
The broken down LeShuttle train was also moved out of the Channel Tunnel. The operator said none of its passengers were stranded inside the tunnel after the power failure caused its closure.
LeShuttle has apologised and warned of delays of approximately five hours, telling passengers to “please check in as planned”.
The LeShuttle service “resumed very gradually on one track” shortly before 15:00 local time (14:00 GMT), the EuroTunnel Press Office said.
Protests and strikes in Iran over inflation and currency devaluation have spread from the capital, Tehran, to several other cities on a third day of unrest.
The protests began on Sunday after shopkeepers in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar staged a strike when the Iranian rial hit a record low against the US dollar on the open market.
Since then, videos verified by BBC Persian have shown demonstrations in the cities of Karaj, Hamedan, Qeshm, Malard, Isfahan, Kermanshah, Shiraz and Yazd. Police were also seen using tear gas in an attempt to disperse demonstrators.
The Iranian government said it “recognises the protests” and would listen “with patience, even if it is confronted with harsh voices”.
President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote on X late on Monday that he had instructed the interior minister to hold talks with what he described as “representatives” of the protesters so that measures could be taken “to resolve the problems and act responsibly”.
He also accepted the resignation of Iran’s central bank governor, Mohammadreza Farzin, and named former economy and finance minister Abdolnasser Hemmati to replace him.
University students have also joined the protests, chanting anti-government slogans including “Death to the dictator” – a reference to the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who holds ultimate power in Iran.
Some protesters were also heard chanting slogans in support of the son of the late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was overthrown in the 1979 Islamic Revolution, including “Long live the Shah”.
In response, Reza Pahlavi, who lives in exile in the United States, wrote on X: “I am with you. Victory is ours because our cause is just and because we are united.”
“As long as this regime remains in power, the country’s economic situation will continue to deteriorate,” he added.
The US state department’s Persian-language account on X also expressed support for the protests.
It said the US “praises their courage” and stands with those seeking “dignity and a better future” after years of failed policies and economic mismanagement.
Iran was reportedly high on the agenda of a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida on Monday,
At a joint news conference afterwards, Trump declined to say whether he supported regime change in Iran, but said: “They’ve got a lot of problems: tremendous inflation, their economy is bust, their economy is no good, and I know people aren’t so happy.”
The president also said he might back another round of Israeli air strikes on Iran if the country rebuilt its ballistic missile or nuclear programmes.
During a 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June, the US carried out air strikes on key Iranian uranium enrichment sites. Iran insists its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful.
Foreign dignitaries including Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will attend Zia’s funeral.
The funeral of Bangladesh’s former prime minister Khaleda Zia will be held on Wednesday
The funeral of Bangladesh’s former prime minister Khaleda Zia will be held on Wednesday, and she will be buried with full state honours beside her husband, the late president Ziaur Rahman, the interim government said on Tuesday.
Zia, the longtime chief of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and a three-time prime minister, died earlier in the day in Dhaka after a prolonged illness. She was 80.
Her funeral will be held on Wednesday after Zohr prayers at Parliament’s South Plaza and the adjoining Manik Mia Avenue, Law Advisor Asif Nazrul said.
She will later be laid to rest with full state honours beside the grave of her husband, former president and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman, at Zia Udyan in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in Dhaka, Nazrul told reporters after a special meeting of the interim government’s Advisory Council at the state guest house Jamuna.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir attended the meeting as a special invitee.
Foreign dignitaries including Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will attend Zia’s funeral.
Jaishankar will represent the government and people of India at the funeral, for which he will travel to Dhaka on Wednesday, an official statement said.
Quoting a Pakistan High Commission official in Dhaka, state-run BSS news agency reported, “We have the confirmation that our Deputy Prime Minister will come here (Dhaka) and join the Janaza.” Earlier in a televised address to the nation, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus announced a three-day state mourning and a one-day general holiday.
“At the death of former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia, I declare three days of state mourning and a one-day general holiday tomorrow on the day of her Namaz-e-Janaza (funeral prayers),” he said.
Yunus urged people to maintain discipline and order during the funeral prayers and the observance of mourning across the country.
“I know that all of you are deeply saddened at this time. I hope that you will show patience during this time of mourning and cooperate with all those concerned who are involved in observing the formalities, including her Namaz-e-Janaza,” he said.
During the mourning period, the national flag will be flown at half-mast at all government, semi-government and autonomous institutions, educational institutions and on all government and private buildings across the country, as well as at Bangladesh missions abroad.
China’s role in the May 7-10 Operation Sindoor came under serious scrutiny and criticism, especially the military assistance provided by Beijing to Islamabad.
Wang Yi claimed Beijing mediated “tensions between India and Pakistan”
After US President Donald Trump, China has claimed credit for mediating peace between India and Pakistan during the military conflict earlier this year, despite New Delhi’s pushback, which has repeatedly rejected any third-party mediation. Like Trump, the Chinese Foreign Minister also projected Beijing as a peace negotiator for other global conflicts, including tensions in northern Myanmar, between Cambodia and Thailand, and the Iranian nuclear issue.
“This year, local wars and cross-border conflicts flared up more often than at any time since the end of WWII. Geopolitical turbulence continued to spread… To build peace that lasts, we have taken an objective and just stance and focused on addressing both symptoms and root causes,” Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, speaking at the Symposium on the International Situation and China’s Foreign Relations in Beijing.
Wang Yi then claimed that “tensions between India and Pakistan” were among the list of hotspot issues “mediated” by China this year.
“Following this Chinese approach to settling hotspot issues, we mediated in northern Myanmar, the Iranian nuclear issue, the tensions between Pakistan and India, the issues between Palestine and Israel, and the recent conflict between Cambodia and Thailand,” he claimed.
India’s Stand On Ceasefire
New Delhi has maintained that the military conflict between India and Pakistan, which started on May 7, was resolved through direct talks between the DGMOs (Director General of Military Operations) of the armies of the two countries.
At the May 13 press briefing, the Ministry of External Affairs had said, “Regarding ceasefire and what sort of role other countries played, etc. See, the specific date, time, and wording of the understanding were worked out between the DGMOs of the two countries at their phone call on 10th May 2025, commencing at 15:35 hours.”
India has also been consistently maintaining that there is no place for any third-party intervention in matters relating to India and Pakistan.
China’s Role in India-Pak Tensions
China’s role in the May 7-10 Operation Sindoor came under serious scrutiny and criticism, especially the military assistance provided by Beijing to Islamabad.
On the diplomatic front, Beijing called on India and Pakistan on May 7, asking both nuclear-powered nations to exercise restraint even while expressing regret over India’s airstrikes.
“China finds India’s military operation early this morning regrettable,” said a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement, reacting to questions on India’s airstrikes and escalating tensions between India and Pakistan.
The statement, without naming Pakistan, claimed, “China opposes all forms of terrorism,” in an apparent reference to the Pahalgam terrorist attack and urged both sides to exercise restraint in the interest of peace.
But China’s active military support to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor has become a sharp reminder of the negative impact of Beijing and Islamabad’s close ties on their relations with New Delhi.
For its part, China, whose arms exports amount to over 81 per cent of Pakistan’s military hardware, sought to downplay India’s assertion that Beijing used the conflict as a “live lab,” declining to directly answer the charges made by Deputy Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Rahul R Singh.
Gen Singh said China’s strategy during Operation Sindoor was based on its ancient military strategy of “36 stratagems” and killing the adversary with a “borrowed knife” to buttress the point that Beijing extended all possible support to Pakistan to cause pain to India.
What China Said On India Ties
In his speech on China’s foreign policy initiatives, Wang Yi spoke of the good momentum of improvement of relations between India and China, as he mentioned Beijing’s invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit held in Tianjin in August this year.
“This year, we invited the leaders of India and North Korea to China. China-India relations showed good momentum, and the traditional friendship with the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) was cemented and further promoted,” he said, adding that the SCO summit was a resounding success.
The Foreign Minister claimed that China’s engagement with neighbouring countries entered a new stage of building a community with a shared future at a faster pace.
On US Tariffs
In apparent reference to US President Donald Trump unleashing unilateral tariffs against China and other countries, Wang Yi said, “This year, economic globalisation met serious setbacks. The tariff war dealt a blow to international trade rules and disrupted the global economic order. The choice between openness and isolation became imperative.”
He stressed the China-US relationship is one of the most consequential bilateral relationships in today’s world.
“The strategic choices of the two countries will shape the course of world history,” he said.
“On major issues of principle, we maintained firm and unequivocal positions. On issues concerning China’s core interests, we responded with strength and held our ground,” he said.
China’s military exercises come less than two weeks after the US announced a record $11.1 billion arms package to Taiwan. Taipei condemned the drills as irresponsible but said it would not escalate tensions.
Taiwan said 130 Chinese military aircraft and 22 navy and coastguard vessels had been operating around the islandImage: Eastern Theatre Command/Handout via REUTERS
China launched rockets and deployed warships, bombers and amphibious assault vessels around Taiwan on Tuesday in the second day of large-scale military drills aimed at rehearsing a blockade of the self-ruled island.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry confirmed live-firing drills, adding that it detected more than 130 Chinese military aircraft and 22 navy and coast guard vessels around the island in the 24 hours until 6 a.m. local time (2200 GMT).
The exercises, named “Justice Mission 2025”, include live-fire drills in multiple zones surrounding Taiwan and simulate strikes on maritime and key ports, according to China’s Eastern Theater Command.
According to Chinese authorities, the war games are due to finish at 6 p.m. on Tuesday and will cover five large zones around Taiwan.
Why is China conducting drills around Taiwan?
Chinese military spokesperson Shi Yi called the drills “a stern warning against ‘Taiwan Independence’ separatist forces, and…a legitimate and necessary action to safeguard China’s sovereignty and national unity,” state broadcaster CCTV reported.
On Monday, China said the drills were aimed at “deterrence” of outside military intervention.
The exercices come less than two weeks after the US announced a record $11.1 billion (€9.43 billion) arms package to Taiwan, including missiles, drones, artillery systems and military software.
Tensions have also been high in the region after a statement from Japan that its military could get involved if China acted against Taiwan.
China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, on Tuesday blasted “pro-independence forces in Taiwan” and Japan’s leaders.
“In response to the continuous provocations by pro-independence forces in Taiwan and the large-scale US arms sales to Taiwan, we must resolutely oppose and strongly counter them,” Wang said during an end-of-the-year diplomatic event in Beijing.
Meanwhile, Chinese state media on Tuesday published a poster showing the Taiwan’s President Lai being crushed by one hammer striking the island’s south while another hits its north.
Additionally, on Monday, the Chinese military released an AI-generated video depicting automated humanoid robots, microdrones and weaponized robotic dogs attacking Taiwan.
Taiwan is a self-governing island that Beijing claims as its territory.
In Germany, it is only permitted to sell fireworks in the three days leading up to New Year’s Eve. Some line up early to buy them, but others have safety concerns and want to see them banned altogether.
Pretty to look at but contentious: 43% of Germans want a ban on private fireworksImage: Robert Michael/dpa/picture alliance
In the early hours of Monday [December 29], residents in the state of Thuringia called the police out to a local supermarket, warning that thieves were trying to break in. But when the police arrived, the group of young men, armed with hot tea and blankets, just wanted to be first in line when the supermarket opened. December 29 is the start of the three-day window in Germany when fireworks can be sold, to adults over the age of 18, to celebrate New Year’s Eve.
All over the country, undeterred by the cold and dark, people line up and wait every year for fireworks to go on sale. The coveted products have names like Giftzwerg (“poison dwarf”), Hysteria, Hurricane Force. The fireworks come in brightly colored packages of various sizes, with a fuse sticking out.
When the fuse is lit, they shoot up into the air. Black powder produces loud explosions, while colorful effects are created by metal powder, in combination with other chemicals.
Only a minority let off private fireworks
Germany has a long tradition of people letting off their own fireworks on New Year’s Eve. For the manufacturers, it’s a profitable and steadily growing business. The German Pyrotechnic Industry Association calculates that in 2024 its turnover was €197 million ($232 million) — a record high, up from €180 million the previous year. The association estimates that 10% to 15% more goods will be on sale in 2025.
Yet only 22% of people living in Germany want to see in the New Year with a private fireworks display. These were the findings of a representative survey of 2,500 people over the age of 18 by the opinion research institute Civey. The survey was commissioned by Germany’s Association of Technical Inspection Agencies (TÜV).
“It’s only a minority of people who set off their own firecrackers, rockets, or other fireworks on New Year’s Eve,” says Joachim Bühler, the CEO of the TÜV association. He explains that the tradition is most popular among younger people and families with children.
More and more people seriously injured
But while some regard fireworks as colorful, exciting, and fun, the rockets and firecrackers have serious downsides. In addition to creating an enormous amount of trash, the Federal Environment Agency records that burning fireworks to ring in the new year generates more than 2,000 metric tons of fine particulates, which constitute a risk to health. 2,000 tons is around 1% of Germany’s entire annual particulate pollution.
The most serious concern, however, is that injuries and damage to property are increasing year on year, especially in big cities. Firecrackers can cause serious injuries like acoustic trauma, burns and the loss of body parts, such as fingers or an entire hand.
More and more often, injuries are caused by fireworks that have been purchased illegally on black markets in Poland, Czechia and the Netherlands, and have considerably more explosive power. According to the police, they’re comparable to bombs and grenades. In 2024, two young men died in Germany after handling so-called spherical bombs that contained more than 600 grams of black powder. A doctor described one of the men as having been “ripped to shreds.”
This year, fireworks have been banned for the first time in large parts of Czechia. Starting in 2026, the Netherlands is banning private fireworks altogether. The hope is that this will stop the two countries being used as key transshipment points for home-made firecrackers and goods smuggled in from China.
German customs officials report that in 2024 they seized more than seven tons of pyrotechnics that were not authorized for use in Germany. That’s considerably more than in all three of the previous years put together.
“For many people, ordinary fireworks aren’t enough anymore,” warned Jochen Kopelke, the chair of the federal German Police Union. “They want them to be more and more powerful, with big explosions and lots of fire.”
Many organizations want firecrackers banned
There has also been an increase in the deliberate use of pyrotechnics as a weapon, including against police officers, firefighters and paramedics. Aggression and violence tend to break out on New Year’s Eve, especially in the bigger cities. Some neighborhoods almost resemble a war zone.
This is why the security services are calling for a blanket ban on all fireworks. A petition to this effect, launched by the police trade union (GdP) in Berlin, has already been signed by almost 2.5 million people.
The branch leader of the GdP in Berlin, Stephan Weh, believes politicians have to do something.
“All that’s happened in the last few years has been the imposition of localized bans on firecrackers, guns and knives, in specific zones. But these make no difference to the excesses of violence,” he says. “We don’t want to wait until one of our colleagues loses their life in this wild, senseless firecracker frenzy.”
More than 50 civil society organizations have also come together to call for a ban on private New Year’s Eve fireworks, under the hashtag #böllerciao (“Bye-bye, firecrackers”). Medical associations, Environmental Action Germany, animal welfare organizations, and the German Children’s Fund are among those supporting the initiative. Around 750,000 people have signed their petition.
One in three against a ban on fireworks
Increased aggression on New Year’s Eve also affects people’s perception of security. The TÜV survey found that almost one in three — women in particular — do not feel safe in public if there are firecrackers around. 32% of those surveyed and 45% of women surveyed said they didn’t feel safe outside on New Year’s Eve because of fireworks.
More and more people would welcome restrictions on private fireworks. Almost half are in favor of a total ban, with only the smallest fireworks excepted, such as sparklers or table fireworks. 22% would like to see a ban on firecrackers, both large and small.
However, there are also people — 33%, according to the survey — who reject any sort of ban, citing tradition and personal freedom.
A woman tries to recover a carpet after overnight rainfall flooded a beachside tent camp in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Mohammad Jahjouh)
The United Nations warned Tuesday (Dec 30) that recent actions by Israel against the UN agency for Palestinian refugees risked depriving millions of people of basic services such as education and healthcare.
Israel’s parliament passed new legislation on Monday formally stripping the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) of diplomatic immunity, and barring Israeli companies from providing water or electricity to the agency’s institutions.
According to UNRWA, the legislation also grants the Israeli government the authority to expropriate the agency’s properties in East Jerusalem, including its headquarters and main vocational training centre.
UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini condemned the legislation as “outrageous”, decrying it on social media as “part of an ongoing, systematic campaign to discredit UNRWA and thereby obstruct the core role that the agency plays providing human-development assistance and services to Palestine refugees”.
“The vote by the Israeli parliament on 29 December 2025 passing new legislation against UNRWA is outrageous. It is a direct affront to the mandate granted to the Agency by the UN General Assembly and contrary to findings of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which… pic.twitter.com/6tomQEoldS
Filippo Grandi, the outgoing head of the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, and a former UNRWA chief, also criticised the move as “very unfortunate”.
In an interview with AFP, he highlighted that UNRWA, unlike other UN agencies, provides basic public services such as education and healthcare to the millions of registered Palestinian refugees it serves across Gaza and the West Bank, as well as in Lebanon, Jordan and Syria.
“If you deprive those people of those services…then you had better find a substitute,” he said, warning: “I think it would be very difficult.”
“At the moment, there is a great risk that millions of people will be deprived of basic services if UNRWA is further deprived of space to work, and resources to work.”
It has accused the agency of providing cover for Hamas militants, claiming that some UNRWA employees took part in the militant group’s Oct 7, 2023 assault on Israel, which sparked the war in Gaza.
A series of UN-linked internal and external investigations found some “neutrality-related issues” at UNRWA, but stressed Israel had not provided conclusive evidence for its headline allegation.
A certified medical assistant holds a syringe for a flu vaccine at a clinic in Seattle, on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
Flu is rising rapidly across the U.S., driven by a new variant of the virus — and cases are expected to keep growing with holiday travel.
That variant, known as “subclade K,” led to early outbreaks in the United Kingdom, Japan and Canada. In the U.S., flu typically begins its winter march in December. On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported high or very high levels of illness in more than half the states.
The CDC estimated there have been at least 7.5 million illnesses, 81,000 hospitalizations and 3,100 deaths from flu so far this season. That includes at least eight child deaths — and is based on data as of Dec. 20, before major holiday gatherings.
Some states are particularly hard-hit. New York’s health department said the week ending Dec. 20 marked the most flu cases the state had recorded in a single week since 2004: 71,000.
It’s far too soon to know if this flu season will be as severe as last winter’s.
But it’s not too late to get a flu shot, which health experts say can still prevent severe illness even if someone gets infected. While this year’s vaccine isn’t a perfect match to the subclade K strain, a preliminary analysis from the U.K. found it offered at least partial protection, lowering people’s risk of hospitalization.
According to the CDC, only about 42% of adults and children have gotten a flu vaccination so far this year.
What is subclade K flu?
The flu virus is a shape-shifter, constantly mutating, and it comes in multiple forms. There are two subtypes of Type A flu, and subclade K is a mutated version of one of them, named H3N2. That H3N2 strain is always harsh, especially for older adults.
Subclade K’s mutations aren’t enough of a change to be considered an entirely new kind of flu.
But they’re different enough to evade some of the protection from this year’s vaccine, said Andrew Pekosz, a virus expert at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Will subclade K make people sicker?
The CDC said it’s too soon to know how severe this season will be.
Flu seasons dominated by any version of H3N2 tend to be bad, with more infections overall and more people becoming seriously ill. But Hopkins’ Pekosz cautioned it will take time to tease apart whether this subclade K version simply spreads more easily or also is more dangerous.
That question aside, the CDC notes there are some prescription medicines to treat flu — usually recommended for people at high risk of complications. But they generally need to be started a day or two after symptoms begin.
Who needs a flu vaccine?
The CDC and major medical societies all recommend a flu vaccine for just about everyone age 6 months and older. Despite lots of recent misinformation and confusion about vaccines, the flu recommendations haven’t changed.
Flu is particularly dangerous for people 65 and older, pregnant women, young children and people of any age who have chronic health problems, including asthma, diabetes, heart disease and weak immune systems.
President Donald Trump warned Iran against reconstituting its nuclear program Monday as he welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to his home in Florida for wide-ranging talks.
President Donald Trump warned Iran on Monday that the U.S. could carry out further military strikes if the country attempts to reconstitute its nuclear program as he held wide-ranging talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his home in Florida.
Trump had previously insisted that Tehran’s nuclear capabilities were “completely and fully obliterated” by U.S. strikes on key nuclear enrichment sites in June. But with Netanyahu by his side, Trump raised the possibility that suspected activity could be taking place outside those sites. Israeli officials, meanwhile, have been quoted in local media expressing concern about Iran rebuilding its supply of long-range missiles capable of striking Israel.
“Now I hear that Iran is trying to build up again,” Trump told reporters gathered at his Mar-a-Lago estate. “And if they are, we’re going to have to knock them down. We’ll knock them down. We’ll knock the hell out of them. But hopefully that’s not happening.”
Trump’s warning to Iran comes as his administration has committed significant resources to targeting drug trafficking in South America and the president looks to create fresh momentum for the U.S.-brokered Israel-Hamas ceasefire. The Gaza deal is in danger of stalling before reaching its complicated second phase that would involve naming an international governing body and rebuilding the devastated Palestinian territory.
At a news conference with Netanyahu after their meeting, Trump suggested that he could order another U.S. strike.
“If it’s confirmed, they know the consequences, and the consequences will be very powerful, maybe more powerful than the last time,” Trump said.
Iran has insisted that it is no longer enriching uranium at any site in the country, trying to signal to the West that it remains open to potential negotiations over its atomic program. The two leaders discussed the possibility of taking new military action against Tehran just months after June’s 12-day war.
The Iranian mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump’s warning.
Gaza ceasefire progress has slowed
Trump, with Netanyahu by his side, said he wants to get to the second phase of the Gaza deal “as quickly as we can.”
“But there has to be a disarming of Hamas,” Trump added.
The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that Trump championed has mostly held, but progress has slowed recently. Both sides accuse each other of violations, and divisions have emerged among the U.S., Israel and Arab countries about the path forward.
The truce’s first phase began in October, days after the two-year anniversary of the initial Hamas-led attack on Israel that killed about 1,200 people. All but one of the 251 hostages taken then have been released, alive or dead.
The Israeli leader, who also met separately with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, has signaled he is in no rush to move forward with the next phase as long as the remains of Ran Gvili are still in Gaza.
Gvili’s parents met with Netanyahu as well as Rubio, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, in Florida on Monday.
“They’re waiting for their son to come home,” Trump said of the family of the young police officer known affectionately as “Rani.”
Next phase is complex
The path to implementing Trump’s peace plan is certainly complicated.
If successful, the second phase would see the rebuilding of a demilitarized Gaza under international supervision by a group chaired by Trump and known as the Board of Peace. The Palestinians would form a “technocratic, apolitical” committee to run daily affairs in Gaza, under Board of Peace supervision.
It further calls for normalized relations between Israel and the Arab world and a possible pathway to Palestinian independence. Then there are thorny logistical and humanitarian questions, including rebuilding war-ravaged Gaza, disarming Hamas and creating a security apparatus called the International Stabilization Force.
Much remains unsettled
Two main challenges have complicated moving to the second phase, according to an official who was briefed on those meetings. Israeli officials have been taking a lot of time to vet and approve members of the Palestinian technocratic committee from a list given to them by the mediators, and Israel continues its military strikes.
Trump’s plan also calls for the stabilization force, proposed as a multinational body, to maintain security. But it, too, has yet to be formed. Whether details will be forthcoming after Monday’s meeting is unclear.
A Western diplomat said there is a “huge gulf” between the U.S.-Israeli understanding of the force’s mandate and that of other major countries in the region, as well as European governments.
All spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide details that haven’t been made public.
The U.S. and Israel want the force to have a “commanding role” in security duties, including disarming Hamas and other militant groups. But countries being courted to contribute troops fear that mandate will make it an “occupation force,” the diplomat said.
Hamas has said it is ready to discuss “freezing or storing” its arsenal of weapons but insists it has a right to armed resistance as long as Israel occupies Palestinian territory. One U.S. official said a potential plan might be to offer cash incentives in exchange for weapons, echoing a “buyback” program Witkoff has previously floated.
Trump makes case once again for Netanyahu pardon
The two leaders, who have a long and close relationship, heaped praise on each other. Trump also tweaked the Israeli leader, who at moments during the war has raised Trump’s ire, for being “very difficult on occasion.”
Netanyahu said Trump during the lunch was formally told that his country’s education ministry will award him the Israel Prize, breaking the long-held convention of bestowing the honor on an Israeli citizen or resident.
“President Trump has broken so many conventions to the surprise of people,” Netanyahu said. He added, “So we decided to break a convention too, or create a new one.”
Trump also renewed his call on Israeli President Isaac Herzog to grant Netanyahu, who is in the midst of a corruption trial, a pardon.
Teyana Taylor and Aaron Pierre have split up after less than a year of dating, sources exclusively tell Page Six.
The breakup news comes after unconfirmed rumors began popping up online that they’d parted.
The reason behind the split is unclear, but sources say they have gone their separate ways.
Taylor is up for a Golden Globe as best supporting actress in a motion picture for her latest film, “One Battle After Another.” Pierre’s upcoming projects include the next “Star Wars” movie, “Star Wars: Starfighter,” with Ryan Gosling, as well as the upcoming DC Studios and HBO series, “Lanterns.”
Teyana Taylor and Aaron Pierre have split, we hear. WireImage
Taylor, who also stars in Ryan Murphy’s Kim Kardashian series “All’s Fair,” and Pierre, who starred in last year’s “Mufasa: The Lion King,” first sparked dating rumors earlier this year when they both attended the Fifteen Percent Pledge Gala in Los Angeles in February.
Soon after, the couple was together at the Vanity Fair Oscar party, and Pierre popped up in a trailer for Taylor’s 2025 album, “Escape Room,” in which the two shared a steamy kiss.
By June, they’d made things Instagram official, as the saying goes, when Taylor posted a sweet tribute to Pierre to mark his 31st birthday — and a subsequent roundup of photos from his bday bash.
The couple then attended the BET Awards in LA together, and Taylor, 35, told Complex in an interview about her younger beau, “He’s very gentle … It allows me to feel warm and to feel safe and not be in survival mode.”
Pierre subsequently participated in a panel discussion for Taylor’s album launch, saying, “I’m sure everybody knows this, but I’ve got to say it, Teyana is really one of one,” and the duo cutely even started wearing matching outfits to events promoting the project. (Taylor got a Grammy nomination for the album.)
But, while Pierre was with Taylor on the red carpet for the London premiere of her latest film, “One Battle After Another,” it seems the sweet romance has ended.
According to Ukrainian reports, as many as half a million people have been left without electricity.
Residential buildings, including tower blocks, in the capital have been captured in complete darkness – in footage shared on social media.
Street lamps also appear to be in blackout in some areas, with the only source of light coming from the cars on the roads.
One X account, promoted as an ‘open source intelligence monitor focused on Europe and conflicts’, shared the footage.
Footage from Moscow shows residential buildings in blackout (Picture: X)
‘Russian channels are reporting that large portions of Moscow are currently without power, amidst a large-scale drone attack currently underway against the Russian capital by Ukraine,’ the account posted this evening.
Sharing images of the reported blackouts, Volodymyr Zelensky’s former press secretary, Iuliia Mendel, said: ‘Total blackout hits Moscow region is reported on social media: over 600,000 people plunged into darkness for more than four hours — no electricity, no mobile signal, total isolation.’
She added: ‘Drone threat declared across the oblast right now.’
Another account, which reports on the Russia-Ukraine war, wrote: ‘Power outages are now reported in the Moscow region, with no official explanation yet.
‘This comes shortly after reports of a large Ukrainian drone swarm heading toward the Russian capital.’
While the number of residents understood to be affected remains unverified, estimates range between 100,000 and 600,000 people.
The Russian capital has a population of more than 13million.
Some reports suggest the blackout could have been triggered by a substation fire – though it is unclear whether, if this was the cause, it resulted from a Ukrainian drone strike.
The attack on the capital is understood to have forced airports to suspend operations.
Russia’s air defence units destroyed a total of 27 Ukrainian drones in the three-hour period starting at 8pm local time including three over the Moscow region, the Russian defence ministry said
Andrei Vorobyov, governor of the Moscow region, said on Telegram that 21 Ukrainian drones were downed during the day over the region. One civilian person was injured as a result of the attack.
Russian media has declared victory over Ukraine after Trumps latest summit (Image: Getty)
Russian state media has claimed a victory over Ukraine after a Florida summer between Donald Trump and Volodimir Zelensky appears to have forced Ukraine into making concessions. The meeting to flesh out the final stage of the Russian-Ukrainian peace deal took place at Trump’s Mar-a-lago estate on Sunday and was billed as a push towards ending Russia’s nearly four-year invasion.
But the pair seemed to reach a sticking point with some “thorny issues” still to be ironed out. When probed more about the specifics, President Trump claimed that some of the land Ukraine has spent nearly half a decade defending is still “up for grabs”, claiming that it has “already been taken.”
Trump went on: “I think the land you’re talking about, some of that land has been taken.
“Some of that land is maybe up for grabs, but it may be taken over the next period of a number of months, and you’re better off making a deal.”
America’s Russian sympathy seems to be something that Moscow has taken as a victory, with a broadcast on state media labelling the summit as a win for Putin.
According to Russian broadcaster and noted Kremlin Propagandist Vladimir Solovyov, Moscow is delighted with how the meeting went, claiming it was all part of his country’s plan.
Speaking on his evening show, Solovyov said: “We have achieved a knockout victory, we prepared on a grandmaster’s level on all the main points and it worked.
“Everything was extremely precise, and of course Zelensky started to melt, he melted down.”
The Kremlin mouthpiece claimed that to dispute the two-hour meeting between Trump and Zelensky, “the mood just wasn’t there”.
He also claimed that a call between Trump and Moscow took place shortly before the Ukrainian president landed.
Solovyov goes on to see that the phone call “completely destroyed Zelensky’s plans,” arguing that he didn’t even need to get off the plane.
The broadcaster’s statements need to be taken with a grain of salt, but still give an insight into the optimism within the Kremlin for this deal to be weighed in Russia’s favour.
Their talk has worried many in Kiev, with Yuriy Boyechko, CEO and founder of Hope for Ukraine – a non-profit delivering humanitarian aid to war-torn Ukrainians – slamming Mr Trump’s approach as dangerously detached from reality.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia looks on during a rally in Dhaka May 2, 2009. REUTERS/Andrew Biraj/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Khaleda Zia, who became Bangladesh’s first female prime minister in 1991 and went on to develop a bitter rivalry with Sheikh Hasina as they spent decades trading power, died on Tuesday after a long illness. She was 80.
Her opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) said that she died after a prolonged illness. She had advanced cirrhosis of the liver, arthritis, diabetes, and chest and heart problems, her doctors said.
She went to London for medical treatment in early 2025, staying for four months before returning home.
Though Khaleda had been out of power since 2006 and had spent several years in jail or under house arrest, she and her centre-right BNP continued to command much support.
The BNP is seen as the frontrunner to win the parliamentary election slated to take place in February. Her son and acting chairman of the party, Tarique Rahman, 60, returned to the country last week from nearly 17 years in self-exile and is widely seen as a strong candidate to become prime minister.
Since August 2024, after a student-led uprising led to the ouster of Hasina, Bangladesh has been run by an interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel peace laureate and microfinance pioneer.
In November, Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia for her deadly crackdown on the student protests.
Known by her first name, Khaleda was described as shy and devoted to raising her two sons until her husband, military leader and then-President Ziaur Rahman, was assassinated in an attempted army coup in 1981.
Three years later she became the head of the BNP, which her husband had founded, and vowed to deliver on his aim of “liberating Bangladesh from poverty and economic backwardness”.
She joined hands with Hasina, daughter of Bangladesh’s founding father and head of the Awami League party, to lead a popular uprising for democracy that toppled military ruler Hossain Mohammad Ershad in 1990.
BATTLING BEGUMS
But their cooperation did not last long. Their bitter rivalry would lead to the two being dubbed “the battling Begums” – a phrase that uses an Urdu honorific for prominent women.
Supporters saw her as polite and traditional yet quietly stylish, someone who chose her words carefully. But they also viewed her as a bold, uncompromising leader when it came to defending her party and confronting her rivals.
Hasina, by contrast, was far more outspoken and assertive. Their opposite personalities helped fuel the rivalry that dominated Bangladesh’s politics for decades.
In 1991, Bangladesh held what was hailed as its first free election. Khaleda won a surprise victory over Hasina, having gained the support of the country’s largest Islamic party, Jamaat-e-Islami.
In doing so, Khaleda became Bangladesh’s first female prime minister and only the second woman to lead a democratic government of a mainly Muslim nation after Benazir Bhutto, elected to lead Pakistan three years earlier.
Khaleda replaced the presidential system with a parliamentary one, so that power rested with the prime minister. She also lifted restrictions on foreign investment and made primary education compulsory and free.
She lost to Hasina in the 1996 general election but came back five years later with a surprise landslide win.
Her second term was marred by the rise of Islamist militants and allegations of corruption.
In 2004, a rally that Hasina was addressing was hit by grenades. Hasina survived but over 20 people were killed and more than 500 wounded. Khaleda’s government and its Islamic allies were widely blamed.
In 2018, after Hasina had reclaimed Bangladesh’s highest office, Rahman was tried in absentia and sentenced to life for the attack. The BNP denounced the trial as politically motivated.
DETENTION AND FREEDOM
Although Khaleda later clamped down on Islamist radical groups, her second stint as prime minister ended in 2006 when an army-backed interim government took power amid political instability and street violence.
The interim government jailed both Khaleda and Hasina on charges of corruption and abuse of power for about a year before they were both released ahead of a general election in 2008.
Khaleda never regained power. With the BNP boycotting the 2014 and 2024 elections, her vitriolic feud with Hasina continued to dominate Bangladeshi politics.
Tension between their two parties often led to strikes, violence and deaths, impeding the economic development of Bangladesh, a poverty-stricken country of about 175 million that is low-lying and prone to devastating floods.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday the United States could support another major strike on Iran were it to resume rebuilding its ballistic missile or nuclear weapons programs and warned Hamas of severe consequences if it does not disarm.
Speaking beside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following a meeting at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, Trump suggested Tehran may be working to restore its weapons programs after a massive U.S. strike in June.
“I’ve been reading that they’re building up weapons and other things, and if they are, they’re not using the sites we obliterated, but possibly different sites,” Trump told reporters during a press conference.
“We know exactly where they’re going, what they’re doing, and I hope they’re not doing it because we don’t want to waste fuel on a B-2,” he added, referring to the bomber used in the earlier strike. “It’s a 37-hour trip both ways. I don’t want to waste a lot of fuel.”
Trump, who has broached a potential nuclear deal with Tehran in recent months, said his talks with Netanyahu focused on advancing the fragile Gaza peace deal he brokered and addressing Israeli concerns over Iran and over Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Iran, which fought a 12-day war with Israel in June, said last week that it had conducted missile exercises for the second time this month.
Netanyahu said last week that Israel was not seeking a confrontation with Iran, but was aware of the reports, and said he would raise Tehran’s activities with Trump.
A SECOND PHASE IN GAZA?
Trump said he wanted to move to the second phase of the ceasefire deal between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas reached in October after two years of fighting in Gaza, a progression that entails international peacekeeping forces deployed in the Palestinian enclave.
Israel and Hamas accuse each other of major breaches of the deal and look no closer to accepting the much more difficult steps envisaged for the next phase. Hamas, which has refused to disarm, has been reasserting its control as Israeli troops remain entrenched in about half the territory.
Israel has indicated that if Hamas is not disarmed peacefully, it will resume military action to make it do so.
During his Monday comments, Trump heaped the blame on the militant group for not disarming more promptly, arguing that Israel had lived up to its side of the deal and warning that Hamas was inviting grave consequences.
“There will be hell to pay,” Trump warned when asked what he will do if Hamas does not lay down its arms. He has made similar statements at previous intervals during the fighting.
Netanyahu said this month that Trump had invited him for the talks, as Washington pushes to establish transitional governance for the Palestinian enclave amid Israeli reluctance to move forward.
The deployment of the international security force was mandated by a November 17 U.N. Security Council resolution.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with their delegations, meet at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., December 29, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Erns Purchase Licensing Rights
While Washington has brokered three ceasefires involving its longtime ally – between Israel and Hamas, Israel and Iran, and Israel and Lebanon – Netanyahu is wary of Israel’s foes rebuilding their forces after they were considerably weakened in multiple wars.
Overall, Trump’s comments suggested he remains firmly in Netanyahu’s camp, even as some aides have privately questioned the Israeli leader’s commitment to the Gaza ceasefire. His comments also suggested he is willing to risk additional hostilities related to Gaza and Iran, even as Trump has taken credit for resolving Israel’s wars in both places.
Trump struck a warm tone as he greeted Netanyahu before their meeting, going so far as to say that Israeli President Isaac Herzog had told him he planned to pardon Netanyahu of corruption-related charges – a conversation Herzog’s office immediately denied took place.
Netanyahu reciprocated, telling reporters after the meeting that he was gifting Trump the country’s Israel Prize, which he said has historically been reserved for Israelis.
NEXT STEPS IN GAZA CEASEFIRE PLAN
Trump’s plan to end the Gaza war ultimately calls for Israel to withdraw from the Palestinian territory and Hamas to give up its weapons and forgo a governing role.
The first phase of the ceasefire included a partial Israeli withdrawal, an increase in aid and the exchange of hostages for Palestinian detainees and prisoners.
An Israeli official in Netanyahu’s circle said that the prime minister would demand that the first phase of the ceasefire be completed by Hamas returning the remains of the last Israeli hostage left in Gaza, before moving ahead to the next stages. The family of the deceased hostage, Ran Gvili, joined the prime minister’s visiting entourage.
Israel has yet to open the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, also a condition of Trump’s plan, saying it will only do so once Gvili’s remains are returned.
Trump said that he and Netanyahu did not agree fully on the issue of the Israeli-occupied West Bank but the Republican leader did not lay out what the disagreement was.
China fired rockets into waters off Taiwan on Tuesday, showcased new assault ships and dismissed prospects of U.S. and allied intervention to block any future attack by Beijing to take control of the island in its most extensive war games to date.
As part of drills rehearsing a blockade, China’s Eastern Theatre Command conducted 10 hours of live-fire exercises, launching rockets into waters to the north and south of the democratically governed island.
Chinese naval and air force units also simulated strikes on maritime and aerial targets and carried out anti-submarine drills around the island, while state media released images touting Beijing’s technological and military superiority and its ability to take Taiwan by force if necessary.
Named “Justice Mission 2025”, the drills began 11 days after the U.S. announced a record $11.1 billion arms package to Taiwan, drawing the Chinese defence ministry’s ire and warnings that the military would “take forceful measures” in response.
DETERRING ‘EXTERNAL FORCES’
For the first time, China’s military said the drills were aimed at deterring outside intervention.
“Any external forces that attempt to intervene in the Taiwan issue or interfere in China’s internal affairs will surely smash their heads bloody against the iron walls of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army,” China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said in a statement on Monday.
Beijing has also intensified its rhetoric over Taiwan in the weeks since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested a hypothetical attack on the island could trigger a military response from Tokyo.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping last week promoted the commander of the Eastern Theatre Command, which oversees Taiwan-facing operations, to full general – a move which analysts say serves to shore up the military’s combat readiness after a leadership purge.
“China not only has vast numerical superiority, it now has qualitative superiority across the board in weaponry and probably in training as well,” said Lyle Goldstein, Asia programme director at U.S.-based think tank Defense Priorities.
“This is an arms race Taiwan cannot possibly win.”
U.S. President Donald Trump downplayed the drills on Monday, talking up his relationship with Xi and saying China has carried out naval exercises around Taiwan for 20 years.
The drills this week, the sixth major round of war games since 2022, were the largest by area and the closest yet to Taiwan.
Military equipment of the ground forces takes part in long-range live-fire drills targeting waters south of Taiwan, from an undisclosed location in this screenshot from a video released by the Eastern Theatre Command of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) on December 30, 2025. Eastern Theatre Command/Handout via REUTERS Purchase Licensing Rights
Hsieh Jih-sheng, deputy chief of the general staff for intelligence at Taiwan’s Defence Ministry, told reporters China had ramped up its drills around the island over the past three years to make people doubt the government’s ability to defend them.
SHOW OF FORCE
A senior Taiwan security official told Reuters that China appeared to be simulating striking land-based targets such as the U.S.-made HIMARS rocket system, a mobile artillery system with a range of about 300 km (186 miles) that could hit coastal targets in southern China.
Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te said in a post on Facebook that frontline troops were primed to defend the island but that Taipei did not seek to escalate the situation.
China’s state media rolled a stream of propaganda posters, including one titled “Hammers of Justice” that showed Lai being crushed by one hammer striking the island’s south while another hits its north.
Chinese newspapers also highlighted the first deployment of the Type 075 amphibious assault ship. Zhang Chi, an academic at China’s National Defence University, said the vessel can simultaneously launch attack helicopters, landing craft, amphibious tanks and armoured vehicles.
CHINA BELIEVED TO BE EYEING 2027 READINESS TARGET
Taiwan sits alongside key commercial shipping and aviation routes, with some $2.45 trillion in trade moving through the Taiwan Strait each year and the airspace above the island a conduit between China, the world’s second-largest economy, and the fast-growing markets of East and Southeast Asia.
Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Authority said that although 11 of Taipei’s 14 flight routes were affected by the drills, no international flights had been cancelled. Routes to the offshore islands of Kinmen and Matsu near China’s coast were blocked, affecting around 6,000 passengers.
Taiwan’s defence ministry said 71 Chinese military aircraft and 24 navy and coast guard vessels had been operating around the island on Tuesday. The ministry added that China fired 27 rockets in Taiwan’s waters.
Russia accused Ukraine on Monday of trying to attack President Vladimir Putin’s residence and vowed retaliation, providing no evidence for a claim Kyiv dismissed as baseless and aimed at derailing arduous peace talks.
The angry exchanges between the warring neighbours on Monday – including a statement by Russia that it was reviewing its stance in negotiations in response to the attack – dealt a new blow to prospects for peace in Ukraine.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Putin had told him about the alleged attack in a phone call on Monday morning, which had angered him. Still, Trump repeated his belief that a peace deal may be near.
“It’s one thing to be offensive,” Trump told reporters. “It’s another thing to attack his house. It’s not the right time to do any of that. And I learned about it from President Putin today. I was very angry about it.”
On Sunday, Trump met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Florida and the U.S. president said they were “getting a lot closer, maybe very close” to an agreement to end the war, although “thorny” territorial issues remained.
On Monday, Putin struck a defiant tone, telling his army to press on with a campaign to take full control of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region. The Kremlin repeated demands for Kyiv to pull its forces out of the last part of the Donbas area that they still hold in eastern Ukraine.
Putin told Trump in Monday’s phone call that Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February 2022, was reviewing its stance following the reported drone attack, an aide said.
Zelenskiy dismissed Russia’s allegation as “a complete fabrication” and the Kremlin’s own refusal to take necessary steps to end the war.
After the call with Putin, Trump told reporters outside his home in Palm Beach, Florida, that he had no further information about the alleged attack.
“I don’t like it, it’s not good,” Trump said. Asked if U.S. intelligence agencies had evidence of such an attack, Trump said: “We’ll find out.”
RUSSIA SIGNALS MORE HARDLINE APPROACH TO ENDING THE WAR
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Ukraine had tried to attack Putin’s residence in the Novgorod region west of Moscow on December 28-29 with 91 long-range drones which were all destroyed by Russian air defences. No one was injured and there was no damage, he said in comments reported by Russian media.
“Such reckless actions will not go unanswered,” Lavrov said in a statement, describing the attack as “state terrorism” and adding that targets had already been selected for retaliatory strikes by Russia’s armed forces.
Reuters could not independently verify Lavrov’s comments. Neither Lavrov nor any other Russian officials offered any evidence for the attack assertions. It was not clear where Putin was at the time.
Lavrov said the attack took place during negotiations about a possible peace deal, and said Russia would review its negotiating stance but not quit the negotiations.
Denying Ukraine had planned such an attack, Zelenskiy accused Russia of preparing the ground to strike government buildings in Kyiv.
“It is clear that we had a meeting with Trump yesterday, and it is clear that for the Russians, if there is no scandal between us and America, and we are making progress – for them it is a failure, because they do not want to end this war,” Zelenskiy told reporters via WhatsApp.
Satellite imagery shows Vladimir Putin’s residential complex in Roshchino, Novgorod Region, Russia August 31, 2023. 2025 Planet Labs PBC/Handout via REUTERS Purchase Licensing Rights
He added: “I am sure they are simply preparing the ground for strikes, probably on the capital, probably on government buildings.”
TERRITORIAL ISSUES UNRESOLVED
Trump said his conversation on Monday with Putin was productive.
“We have a couple of issues that we’re going to get resolved, hopefully, and if we get them resolved, you’re going to have peace,” Trump said.
Zelenskiy said that on Sunday, a bilateral agreement had been outlined with Trump on security guarantees for Ukraine. Still, Trump said they were only 95% ready and Zelenskiy said on Monday that he had sought a 50-year security deal.
Lavrov, in a wide-ranging interview with state news agency RIA published late on Monday said that Ukraine and Western countries had to come to terms with the fact that Russia held the initiative on the battlefield in Ukraine.
“Our principled position remains unchanged. The strategic initiative rests wholly with the Russian army,” Lavrov said.
Trump said he expected European countries to “take over a big part” of security efforts with U.S. backing. Agreement on such moves would be complicated, as Russia has said any foreign troop deployment in Ukraine would be unacceptable.
Zelenskiy told Fox News in an interview that aired late on Monday that Ukraine cannot win the war without U.S. support and that he does not trust Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“I don’t trust Putin and he doesn’t want success for Ukraine,” Zelenskiy said.
Earlier on Monday, the Ukrainian president said that two main issues in a 20-point peace proposal remained to be resolved: control of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, which is in Russian hands, and the fate of the Donbas area.
Russia controls about a fifth of Ukraine, including the Crimean Peninsula, which it annexed in 2014.
It claims Donbas – comprising the Donetsk and Luhansk regions – as well as the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, although they are all internationally recognised as Ukraine’s sovereign territory.
Russia wants Ukraine to withdraw troops from parts of the Donetsk region that Moscow has failed to occupy. Ukraine wants fighting halted along current front lines, and the U.S. has proposed a free economic zone if Ukraine pulls troops back.
As Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s longest-serving staffer prepares to leave — their entire brand is under threat, multiple sources tell Page Six.
“They’ve essentially shuttered Archewell,” a source tells us as news broke Monday that James Holt is stepping down as chief of their charity, Archewell.
“After five incredible years in Los Angeles, it’s time for my family to return to London,” the businessman told People in a statement.
“When I pass the baton to the team leading Archewell Philanthropies in the coming months, I’ll do so with immense pride and optimism for what lies ahead,” Holt added.
As Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s brand is under threat as their longest-serving staffer prepares to leave their charity, Page Six has learned. BACKGRID
“I’ll miss my colleagues deeply, and I’m grateful to Harry and Meghan for everything they’ve done — for me, and for the countless people we’ve worked to support.”
Harry, 41, and Markle, 44, also applauded Holt’s “stellar support” after about ten years of service, telling the outlet, “His enthusiasm and talent in overseeing our philanthropic endeavours have been extraordinary.”
A rep for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex added that Holt “will remain a senior philanthropic advisor for the couple and Archewell Philanthropies, supporting their humanitarian trips overseas in 2026.”
Now, Page Six can reveal that Holt’s long-time counterpart, Archewell VP Shauna Nep, is not even a full-time employee, but is working on a “consultant” basis.
In addition to this, there are just a few employees left on Harry and Markle’s production business — and they could lose more staffers if Markle’s show, “With Love, Meghan,” is not brought back for another season.
“Anyone still there is simply an enabler, enamored with what the couple once was, not who they are today,” claimed one industry source familiar with the Sussexes. “From a year ago, they have decreased their staff by at least 80-85 percent.”
As Page Six previously revealed, the Archewell Foundation, which recently rebranded as Archewell Philanthropies, was down to just Holt and Nep.
The Sussexes spent the past few months in cost-cutting talks for their charity and even discussed selling the foundation.
Holt’s departure follows that of former Archewell senior staffers, Genevieve Roth, Christine Schirmer and Ashley Hansen.
“Every time someone leaves Harry and Meghan say they are staying on in some capacity,” said another source, “But they are never heard from again.
“Shauna hasn’t been a full-time employee in some time,” added the source, “This is crazy — they have lost their Foundation in a matter of weeks.”
On the production side, the Sussexes still have Chanel Pysnik as head of unscripted, alongside producer Tracy Ryerson.
However, the source added, “If Meghan’s Netflix show isn’t picked up for another season then what happens to their staff?”
Inqilab Moncho member secretary Abdullah Al Jaber announced a four-point demand, including a 24-day ultimatum for the government to complete trial proceedings against those responsible for Osman Hadi’s killing.
Violence erupted in Bangladesh on December 18 after the death of Inqilab Moncho leader Sharif Osman Hadi.
Days after the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, one of the prominent faces of the July Uprising, the mass protests that ousted Sheikh Hasina’s government and spokesperson of the Inqilab Moncho, the party continued its blockade at the Shahbagh section. The Inqilab Moncho has issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the interim government of Bangladesh, headed by chief advisor Muhammad Yunus, and have demanded the cancellation of work permits of Indians.
Bangladesh witnessed widespread protests and vandalism following the death of Hadi on December 18. Hadi, 32, was shot in the head on December 12 during an election campaign in Dhaka. He was airlifted to Singapore for advanced treatment but died of his injuries on December 18. He was also a parliamentary candidate for the upcoming February 12 elections.
Inqilab Moncho member secretary Abdullah Al Jaber announced a four-point demand, including a 24-day ultimatum for the government to complete trial proceedings against those responsible for Hadi’s killing. The platform also indulged in Anti-India rhetoric and demanded the suspension of work permits of Indian nationals in Bangladesh, according to The Daily Star.
The outfit also said that if India refuses to return the murderers of Hadi, who have allegedly fled the country, a case must be filed against Delhi in the International Court of Justice. The fascist culprits hiding in the Civil Military Intelligence must be identified, arrested and brought to justice, the outfit said.
Hadi Killers Fled to India? Security Forces Bust Dhaka’s Claim
Earlier, the Bangladesh Police had claimed that the killers of Sharif Osman Hadi had entered the Indian state of Meghalaya. The security agencies in Meghalaya had dismissed the claims on Sunday. The claims are unfounded and misleading, BSF chief in Meghalaya, Inspector General O P Opadhyay said.
A top Dhaka Metropolitan Police officer earlier in the day said that two primary suspects in the Hadi murder case have crossed into Meghalaya via the Haluaghat border “with the help of local associates”.
“There is no evidence to suggest that any individual crossed the international border from the Haluaghat sector into Meghalaya. The BSF has neither detected nor received any report of such an incident,” Opadhyay told PTI.
The former heavyweight champion was a passenger in the crash, which killed Latif “Latz” Ayodele (left) and Sina Ghami (right)
British heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua has been injured in a car crash in Nigeria, which killed two members of his team.
The former world champion was a passenger in a vehicle that collided with a stationary truck on a major expressway in Ogun State, near Lagos.
The two men who died were Joshua’s close friends and team members Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz” Ayodele, the boxer’s promoter Matchroom Boxing said in a statement.
It added that Joshua was in a stable condition in hospital, where he was taken for “checks and treatment” and will remain for observation.
“Our deepest condolences and prayers are with the families and friends of all those affected – and we ask that their privacy is respected at this incredibly difficult time,” the Matchroom statement said.
The group’s chair, boxing promoter Eddie Hearn, paid tribute to the “two great men” who were killed in the crash. “Rest in eternal peace Sina and Latz. My thoughts and deepest prayers are with everyone,” he said.
Boxing expert Steve Bunce described Mr Ghami and Mr Ayodele as “two of Joshua’s closest friends” and as “massive parts of the Anthony Joshua machine”.
“They’ve been with him, if not from the start, at least very early on. Latz is AJ’s personal trainer and Sina is his strength and conditioning man. They are with him all the time,” Bunce told BBC Radio 5 Live.
Hours before the crash, Joshua posted a video to Instagram of himself and Mr Ayodele playing table tennis. Mr Ghami had recently posted on social media from Lagos.
A joint statement from the Ogun and Lagos state governments said Joshua was stable and conscious, and had been in contact with his family.
They said earlier that Joshua had “narrowly escaped death” in the crash, and there will be a “comprehensive investigation” into what happened.
Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said he had spoken to the 36-year-old boxer personally to convey his condolences and wish him a “full and speedy recovery”.
“AJ assured me he is receiving the best possible care,” he said in a post on X.
The crash took place on the busy Lagos-Ibadan expressway at around 12:00 local time (11:00 GMT) on Monday.
The incident involved two vehicles: a black Lexus and a stationary red commercial truck.
Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said the Lexus was “suspected to be travelling beyond the legally prescribed speed limit”, based on preliminary findings.
It said the car appeared to have “lost control during an overtaking manoeuvre” and crashed into the stationary truck by the side of the road.
Pictures shared by the FRSC showed a wrecked car at the site of the crash, with a crowd of onlookers gathered around.
Local officials said Joshua and another man – the vehicle’s driver – were rescued by the boxer’s security team.
Video from the scene showed the boxer being helped out from the back seat of a wrecked SUV.
Ogun and Lagos state governments said Joshua and another passenger were “immediately evacuated to a specialised medical facility in Lagos”.
The Lagos-Ibadan expressway is known as one of Nigeria’s deadliest roads, with particularly heavy traffic at this time of year as many Nigerians living abroad visit for the festive period.
Joshua, who was born in Watford, has family roots in Sagamu – a town in Ogun State, south-west Nigeria, near the crash site.
He had been spending time in the country following his recent victory over American YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul on 19 December.
Paul posted on X after the crash: “Life is much more important than boxing. I am praying for the lost lives, AJ and anyone impacted by today’s unfortunate accident.”
A relative of Joshua’s in Nigeria, who asked not to be named, told the BBC that news of the crash came as a “shock” to the family.
They said they were hoping for his “speedy recovery” and offered prayers for those who died in the crash.
The family member confirmed that Joshua was travelling from Lagos to Ogun State when the accident happened. His family had been expecting him to join them in Sagamu for New Year celebrations.
The boxer’s family is well known in the town and traces its ancestry there across several generations.
There are plans to build a new indoor boxing venue named after Joshua in Ogun, where the boxer is a sports ambassador.
Residents of Somaliland’s capital city, Hargeisa, have been celebrating Israel’s declaration
Israel has taken the controversial decision to recognise the breakaway state of Somaliland as an independent nation, sparking condemnation from many other countries.
China is the latest to condemn the decision, with its foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian telling reporters: “No country should encourage or support other countries’ internal separatist forces for its own selfish interests.”
China outlined its position ahead of the UN Security Council holding an emergency session to discuss Israel’s decision.
Israel on Friday became the first country in the world to acknowledge Somaliland as a standalone republic, more than 30 years after the region declared independence from Somalia.
Somaliland’s president called the development “a historic moment”, but Somalia furiously rejected Israel’s move as an attack on its sovereignty.
Dozens of countries and organisations, such as Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the African Union, have also condemned Israel’s surprise declaration.
Why does Somaliland want independence?
A breakaway, semi-desert territory on the coast of the Gulf of Aden, Somaliland declared independence after the overthrow of Somali military dictator Siad Barre in 1991.
The move followed a secessionist struggle during which Siad Barre’s forces pursued rebel guerrillas in the territory. Tens of thousands of people were killed and towns were flattened.
Though not internationally recognised, Somaliland has a working political system, government institutions, a police force, and its own currency.
Its history as a distinct region of Somalia dates back to nineteenth century colonial rule. It was a British protectorate – known as British Somaliland – until it merged with Italian Somaliland in 1960 to form the Somali Republic.
Those in favour of Somaliland’s independence argue that the region is predominantly populated by those from the Isaaq clan – an ethnic difference from the rest of Somalia.
Also, Somaliland, home to roughly six million people, enjoys relative peace and stability. Its proponents argue that it should not be shackled to Somalia, which has long been wracked by Islamist militant attacks.
However, Somalia considers Somaliland to be an integral part of its territory. The government in Somalia’s capital city, Mogadishu, has repeatedly said that any recognition of Somaliland’s independence would contravene Somalia’s sovereignty.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has also characterised Israel’s declaration as an “existential threat” to his country’s unity.
Why did Israel recognise Somaliland as an independent state?
In a phone call with Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi on Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country was acknowledging Somaliland’s “right of self-determination”.
He also said official recognition would be “a great opportunity for expanding” the countries’ partnership.
However analysts say there are strategic reasons for Israel’s declaration.
“Israel requires allies in the Red Sea region for many strategic reasons, among them the possibility of a future campaign against the Houthis,” Israeli think tank the Institute for National Security Studies said, referring to Yemen’s Iran-backed rebels, in a paper last month.
“Somaliland is an ideal candidate for such cooperation as it could offer Israel potential access to an operational area close to the conflict zone.”
Israel repeatedly struck targets in Yemen after the Gaza war broke out in October 2023, in response to Houthi attacks on Israel that the rebels said were in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
In response to Israel recognising Somaliland, the Houthis warned that any Israeli presence in Somaliland would be considered a “military target” for their forces.
A few months ago, a number of news outlets reported that Israel had contacted Somaliland over the potential resettlement of Palestinians forcibly removed from Gaza.
Israel did not comment on the reports, but at the time, Somaliland said that any move by Israel to recognise its independence would not have anything to do with the Palestinian issue. Both Somalia and the Palestinian Authority have suggested Israel’s recognition of Somaliland could be linked to a plan to displace Palestinians.
“Somalia will never accept the people of Palestine to be forcibly evicted from their rightful land to a faraway place,” Somalia’s president told his parliament on Sunday.
Offering his perspective, US-based Africa analyst Cameron Hudson told the BBC that Israel has recognised Somaliland primarily because it is trying to counter Iran’s influence in the Red Sea region.
“The Red Sea is also a conduit for weapons and fighters to flow up the Red Sea into the Eastern Mediterranean. It has traditionally been a source of support and supply to fighters in Gaza. And so having a presence, having a security presence, having an intelligence presence at the mouth of the Red Sea only serves Israel’s national security interests,” he said.
Why has Israel’s move been condemned so widely?
Israel has been criticised by the likes of Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the African Union, Yemen, Sudan, Nigeria, Libya, Iran, Iraq and Qatar.
In their condemnations, many of these countries have referred to Somalia’s “territorial integrity” and the breaching of international principles.
The African Union has long been concerned that recognising Somaliland could set off a chain reaction, where separatists could demand recognition for the territories they claim.
“Regions could attempt to establish external alliances without the consent of central governments, creating a dangerous precedent that risks widespread instability,” Abdurahman Sayed, a UK-based analyst for the Horn of Africa, told the BBC.
Is there any support for Israel’s declaration?
Countries considered to be allies of Somaliland, or sympathetic to its campaign for recognition, have largely remained quiet.
For instance, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which operates a military port in Somaliland, has not released a statement.
Mr Hudson told the BBC that the UAE is “very much aligned with the Israelis on this question of Somaliland”.
“I think even now today you’re going to see an alignment of Israeli and Emirati interests across the entire Red Sea region,” he added.
Ethiopia’s government has also refrained from commenting. Last year Somaliland agreed to lease part of its coastline to landlocked Ethiopia – a move that angered Somalia.
Mr Abdurahman said Turkey stepped in to mediate between Somalia and Ethiopia. It led Ethiopia to sign an agreement with Somalia’s government, committing to respect its territorial integrity.
“In view of the recent situation in bilateral ties with India, Bangladesh High Commissioner in New Delhi M Reaz Hamidullah was called to Dhaka on an urgent basis,” mass-circulation daily Prothom Alo reported.
According to a report, Reaz Hamidullah reached Dhaka on Monday night in response to the call.
Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Reaz Hamidullah reached Dhaka overnight following an “urgent call” from the foreign ministry amid strained bilateral ties, reports said late Monday.
“In view of the recent situation in bilateral ties with India, Bangladesh High Commissioner in New Delhi M Reaz Hamidullah was called to Dhaka on an urgent basis,” mass-circulation daily Prothom Alo reported.
The storm Johannes hits Vasterbotten and the northern mountain areas hard with storm winds and heavy snowfall, at Hemavan, Sweden December 27, 2025. (via REUTERS)
A mixture of snow, ice, rain and strong winds swept across most of the US amid a warning of an intense cyclone. A winter storm, fueled by the impact of a ‘bomb cyclone’, is expected to impact the upper parts of the US.
Heavy snow, blizzards, extreme cold and damaging winds are likely to create hazardous conditions stretching from Montana east to Maine, and Texas north to Pennsylvania, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
US weather bulletin: ‘Bomb cyclone’
The NWS stated in its December 28 release that over the next 48 hours, an intense cyclone will take centre stage. According to NPR, meteorologists warned that after winter weather, an arctic front clashing with warm air could rapidly intensify into a ‘bomb cyclone’ over the Midwest and Great Lakes through Monday.
A ‘bomb cyclone’ or bombogenesis is a rapidly deepening area of low pressure that creates harsh weather conditions, the report added.
“A low-pressure system is rapidly developing over the Mid-Mississippi Valley along an Arctic front as the incoming frigid air from Canada mingles with the anomalous warm airmass that has settled across the Central/Southern US for many days,” it added.
The big storm in the Great Lakes will slowly move into eastern Canada later on Monday. “But the huge circulation of the system will continue to spread very strong and gusty winds into the entire eastern US with snow lingering especially downwind from the lower Great Lakes,” it added.
“Rain showers should taper off or end as light snow across Maine by Tuesday morning behind the cold front,” the NWS said.
The impact could range from heavy snow and blizzard conditions across the upper Midwest to the Great Lakes, to freezing rain across New England, thunderstorms through the eastern US and the South, as well as widespread blustery winds to locally damaging winds in these areas.
Blizzard, snowfall, rains expected
The NWS stated in its weather bulletin that as the low-pressure system accelerates northeastward this week, heavy snow and blizzard conditions will continue across the upper Midwest and the Great Lakes through Monday.
“By Monday morning, a mix of snow sleet and freezing rain will likely impact northern New England before warmer air changes the wintry mix to all rain later on Monday,” the NWS said.
It added that across the central Great Lakes, wind-swept rain and embedded thunderstorms are forecast to turn into a blizzard by early on Monday with blowing snow.
US President Donald Trump said Iranian leaders “know the consequences” should Iran try to rebuild its nuclear program after June’s brief war. He was speaking as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Florida.
Trump made the comments as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited his Mar-a-Lago resortImage: Jim Watson/AFP
Donald Trump on Monday intimated at further Israeli or US strikes on Iran if the country tried to rebuild its nuclear weapons facilities.
“Now I hear that Iran is trying to build up again,” Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Monday during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Florida. “And if they are, we’re going to have to knock them down. We’ll knock them down. We’ll knock the hell out of them. But hopefully that’s not happening.”
Iran and Israel exchanged fire for two weeks in June in what became known as the Twelve-Day War between June 13 and 24, with the US also striking three key Iranian sites with heavy munitions on June 22 in what was codenamed Operation Midnight Hammer.
What happened to Iran’s nuclear capabilities in June’s attacks?
Trump had previously said that Tehran’s nuclear capabilities had been “completely and fully obliterated” by a combination of Israeli and later US strikes in June on key nuclear enrichment sites.
But more sober US appraisals from intelligence agencies and the Pentagon estimated that the attacks would only set Iran back by a matter of months or up to two years, if it were to continue seeking nuclear weapons.
Israeli reports suggest efforts in Iran to rebuild, particularly its long-range missile capabilities that can also be used to strike Israel with conventional weapons.
Iranian adviser warns of ‘immediate harsh response’
Trump said it was possible but not confirmed that Iran was trying to rebuild nuclear capabilities at sites other than the Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan ones struck by the US in June.
“We know exactly where they’re going, what they’re doing, and I hope they’re not doing it because we don’t want to waste fuel on a B-2,” he said, referring to the bomber used in the earlier strike. “It’s a 37-hour trip both ways. I don’t want to waste a lot of fuel.”
He said leaders in Tehran “know the consequences” if the government sought to move towards nuclear weapons, adding these consequences would be “very powerful, maybe more powerful than last time.”
The Perikatan Nasional coalition is made up of Parti Islam Se-Malaysia and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia among others. Muhyiddin is the president of Bersatu.
Malaysian opposition leader and former premier Muhyiddin Yassin speaks during an interview in Kuala Lumpur on Jul 27, 2023. (File photo: Reuters/Hasnoor Hussain)
Former Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said on Tuesday (Dec 30) he will resign as chairman of the opposition bloc Perikatan Nasional (PN), effective Jan 1.
In a statement posted on his Facebook page, Muhyiddin thanked those in the bloc’s leadership “who have given me their full support during my time leading PN since its establishment five years ago”.
“I wish the PN leadership and the component parties all the best,” said Muhyiddin, 78.
The PN coalition – which was formed in February 2020 – is made up of Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) among others. Muhyiddin is the president of Bersatu.
Muhyiddin did not reveal the reasons behind his resignation, but it came following a political crisis in the northeastern state of Perlis, whose state assembly is controlled by PN.
The upheaval saw PAS’ Sanglang assemblyman Mohd Shukri Ramli resigning as chief minister and Bersatu’s Kuala Perlis assemblyman Abu Bakar Hamzah replacing him in the post.
Shukri’s resignation came after eight statutory declarations were signed by state assemblymen – three from PAS and five from Bersatu – retracting their support for him.
There are 15 seats in Perlis’ state assembly, and the three PAS assemblymen have since been sacked by the Islamist party. PAS holds six of the remaining seats, Bersatu holds five, and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat holds one.
In response to Muhyddin’s resignation, PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari said that his party will put forward a candidate to take over as PN chairman.
“This individual does not necessarily have to be the party president, but rather someone who is trusted to unite and mobilise the strengths of the parties within PN.
“A restructuring of PN’s organisation will certainly be carried out to place greater emphasis on grassroots and organisational work moving forward,” he wrote in a Facebook post.
Ahmad Fadhli – who is also the Member of Parliament for Pasir Mas – added that Muhyiddin’s decision to relinquish the PN chairmanship was wise and timely, stressing that the coalition needs fresh momentum as it prepares for the next general election.
MUHYIDDIN’S WOES
Separately, Bersatu has been beset by turmoil over Muhyiddin’s leadership of the party.
There have been growing calls by his one-time loyalists for him to step down as president in favour of deputy president Hamzah Zainuddin, 68, political observers previously told CNA.
Earlier in September, at its annual general meeting, Bersatu unanimously endorsed Muhyiddin as its prime minister candidate ahead of the next general election, which must be held by February 2028.
But the Bersatu meeting was rocked by a public display of dissent against Muhyiddin, with some delegates heckling him to step down as president.
Speaking earlier at the meeting, Muhyiddin had criticised plans to “topple the president” via the collection of statutory declarations from party members, saying that this was against Bersatu’s constitution.
Days after the meeting, PN coalition partner PAS also openly hinted its reluctance to support Muhyiddin as the PM candidate.
In a veiled criticism, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said that he was not fit to be PN’s prime ministerial candidate due to his age and health, maintaining that a healthier leader should be nominated, news outlet Free Malaysia Today had reported.
Abdul Hadi, 78, had added then that the Islamist party would choose someone who is “healthy and under 70 years old” as its prime minister candidate.
He later said that he was not targeting anyone in his remarks, and had meant that he and PAS spiritual leader Hashim Jasin, 86, were too old for the role.
In 2023, Muhyiddin had also caused a stir when he backpedalled on his decision not to defend his presidency at Bersatu’s internal polls that year.
Iran’s largest protests in three years erupted Monday after the country’s currency plummeted to a record low against the U.S. dollar, and the head of the Central Bank resigned.
State TV reported the resignation of Mohammad Reza Farzin, while traders and shopkeepers rallied in Saadi Street in downtown Tehran as well as in the Shush neighborhood near Tehran’s main Grand Bazaar. Merchants at the market played a crucial role in the 1979 Islamic Revolution that ousted the monarchy and brought Islamists to power.
The official IRNA news agency confirmed the protests. Witnesses reported similar rallies in other major cities including Isfahan in central Iran, Shiraz in the south and Mashhad in the northeast. In some places in Tehran, police fired tear gas to disperse protesters.
Monday’s protests were the biggest since 2022, when the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Jina Amini in police custody triggered nationwide demonstrations. She was arrested by the country’s morality police for allegedly not wearing her hijab properly.
Witnesses told The Associated Press that traders shut their shops Monday and asked others to do the same. The semiofficial ILNA news agency said many businesses stopped trading even though some kept their shops open.
On Sunday, protests were limited to two major mobile markets in downtown Tehran, where the demonstrators chanted anti-government slogans.
Iran’s rial on Sunday plunged to 1.42 million to the dollar. On Monday, it traded at 1.38 million to the dollar.
Reports about Farzin’s possible resignation had been circulating over the past week. When he took office in 2022, the rial was trading at around 430,000 to the dollar.
The rapid depreciation is compounding inflationary pressure, pushing up prices of food and other daily necessities and further straining household budgets, a trend that could worsen with a gasoline price change introduced in recent days.
According to the state statistics center, the inflation rate in December rose to 42.2% from the same period last year and is 1.8% higher than in November. Food prices rose 72% and health and medical items were up 50% from December last year, according to the statistics center. Many critics see the rate as a sign of approaching hyperinflation.
Reports in official Iranian media that the government plans to increase taxes in the Iranian new year that begins March 21 have caused more concern.
Iran’s currency was trading at 32,000 rials to the dollar at the time of the 2015 nuclear accord that lifted international sanctions in exchange for tight controls on the country’s nuclear program. That deal unraveled after U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States in 2018.
The United States on Monday announced a $2 billion pledge for U.N. humanitarian aid as President Donald Trump’s administration slashes U.S. foreign assistance and warns United Nations agencies they must “adapt, shrink or die” in a time of new financial realities.
The money is a small fraction of what the U.S. has contributed in the past but reflects what the administration believes is still a generous amount that will maintain America’s status as the world’s largest humanitarian donor.
“This new model will better share the burden of U.N. humanitarian work with other developed countries and will require the U.N. to cut bloat, remove duplication, and commit to powerful new impact, accountability and oversight mechanisms,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on social media.
The pledge creates an umbrella fund from which money will be doled out to agencies and priorities, a key part of U.S. demands for drastic changes across the U.N. that have alarmed many humanitarian workers and led to severe reductions in programs and services.
The $2 billion is only a sliver of traditional U.S. humanitarian funding for U.N.-coordinated programs, which has run as high as $17 billion annually in recent years, according to U.N. data. U.S. officials say only $8 billion to $10 billion of that has been in voluntary contributions. The United States also pays billions in annual dues related to its U.N. membership.
“The piggy bank is not open to organizations that just want to return to the old system,” Jeremy Lewin, the State Department official in charge of foreign assistance, said at a press conference Monday in Geneva. “President Trump has made clear that the system is dead.”
The State Department said “individual U.N. agencies will need to adapt, shrink, or die.” Critics say the Western aid cutbacks have been shortsighted, driven millions toward hunger, displacement or disease, and harmed U.S. soft power around the world.
A year of crisis in aid
The move caps a crisis year for many U.N. organizations, including its refugee, migration and food aid agencies. The Trump administration has already cut billions in U.S. foreign aid, prompting the agencies to slash spending, aid projects and thousands of jobs. Other traditional Western donors have reduced outlays, too.
The U.S. pledge for aid programs of the United Nations — the world’s top provider of humanitarian assistance and biggest recipient of U.S. humanitarian aid money — takes shape in a preliminary deal with the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA, run by Tom Fletcher, a former British diplomat and government official.
Fletcher, who has spent the past year lobbying U.S. officials not to abandon U.N. funding altogether, appeared optimistic at the deal’s signing in Geneva.
“It’s a very, very significant landmark contribution. And a month ago, I would have anticipated the number would have been zero,” he told reporters. “And so I think, before worrying about what we haven’t got, I’d like to look at the millions of people whose lives will be saved, whose lives will be better because of this contribution, and start there.”
Even as the U.S. pulls back its aid contributions, needs have ballooned worldwide: Famine has been recorded this year in parts of conflict-ridden Sudan and Gaza, and floods, drought and natural disasters that many scientists attribute to climate change have taken many lives or driven thousands from their homes.
The cuts will have major implications for U.N. affiliates like the International Organization for Migration, the World Food Program and refugee agency UNHCR. They have already received billions less from the U.S. this year than under annual allocations from the Biden administration — or even during Trump’s first term.
Now, the idea is that Fletcher’s office — which has aimed to improve efficiency — will become a funnel for U.S. and other aid money that can be redirected to those agencies, rather than scattered U.S. contributions to a variety of individual appeals for aid.
Asked by reporters if the U.S. language of “adapt or die” worried him, Fletcher said, “If the choices are adapt or die, I choose adapt.”
US seeks aid consolidation
U.S. officials say the $2 billion is just a first outlay to help fund OCHA’s annual appeal for money. Fletcher, noting the upended aid landscape, already slashed the request this year. Other traditional U.N. donors like Britain, France, Germany and Japan have reduced aid allocations and sought reforms this year.
“This humanitarian reset at the United Nations should deliver more aid with fewer tax dollars — providing more focused, results-driven assistance aligned with U.S foreign policy,” U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said.
At its core, the changes will help establish pools of funding that can be directed either to specific crises or countries in need. A total of 17 countries will be initially targeted, including Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Syria and Ukraine.
U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres also welcomed the announcement, saying that “every dollar counts.”
Two of the world’s most desperate countries, Afghanistan and Yemen, are not included, with U.S. officials citing aid diversion to the Taliban and Houthi rebels as concerns over restarting contributions.
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring during a World Cup 2026 group F qualifying soccer match between Portugal and Hungary in Lisbon, Oct. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Armando Franca, File)
Cristiano Ronaldo has expressed his determination to score 1,000 goals by the end of his career.
And the 40-year-old Portugal superstar is in no doubt he’ll get there.
“I will reach that number for sure, if no injuries,” Ronaldo said late Sunday at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai, where he was named as the best player in the Middle East.
Ronaldo moved onto 956 career goals by scoring twice for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League on Saturday. His tally includes men’s international record of 143 goals for Portugal, which Ronaldo is set to lead into next year’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
By the time the World Cup begins, Ronaldo — a five-time world player of the year — will be aged 41.
“I am still very motivated to carry on,” the former Real Madrid, Manchester United and Juventus striker said on stage after receiving his award. “It doesn’t matter (where) I play — Middle East, in Europe — I always enjoy to play football, to win trophies, to score goals and I want to carry on.
New Year’s Eve events around the world have been cancelled (Image: Getty)
Celebrations on New Year’s Eve are being scrapped in cities around the world as local authorities fear terror threats in cities from Sydney to Paris. Thousands of people looking to celebrate the start of 2026 have had their plans thwarted as reports of planned attacks have caused parties, fireworks and live events to be cancelled just days away from December 31.
Many events started to be axed after the FBI uncovered a planned bombing attack in Los Angeles on New Year’s Eve. Agents managed to arrest the four suspects during a planned rehearsal of their attack in the Mojave Desert just outside the city. Speaking at a press conference earlier in the month, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli showed surveillance footage taken by a drone, in which the suspects could be seen trying to assemble a bomb in the desert.
The attorney named the four suspects as Audrey Illeene Carroll, 30; Zachary Aaron Page, 32; Dante Gaffield, 24; and Tina Lai, 41, all from the Los Angeles area.
According to the Mirror US, despite the terror threat, Los Angeles has yet to officially cancel any of its New Year’s Eve events.
However, elsewhere around the world, the same cannot be said.
Sydney
In the wake of the Bondi Beach shooting that killed 15 and injured 40 more, Australia’s largest city has cancelled its fireworks display on the popular beach that often attracts upwards of 15,000 people.
Organisers at Waverley Council confirmed the cancellations, speaking to Sky News, they said: “Due to the current situation on the ground, Waverley Council has decided to cancel New Year’s Eve events at Bondi Beach, including elrow XXL Bondi and Local’s Lawn.”
They added that the decision was made with “compassion and care for Sydney’s Jewish community,” after the shooting two weeks ago.
Australia’s current National Terrorism Threat Level is probable, warning that there are a small number of people in Australia and overseas who want to cause Australia harm.
New South Wales premier Chris Minns warned Jews are still not completely safe due to the ongoing threat of antisemitism.
He said:“The real test for us will be one year from now, five years from now, 15 years from now, when the Jewish community feels safe in their community.
“I have spoken to so many members of the Jewish community in the last week who don’t feel safe. They don’t feel safe celebrating their religion, they don’t feel safe getting together as a community and we cannot have a situation where the solution to this horrible terrorism event is to have the Jewish community so we can only exist and celebrate our faith behind big walls.”
Paris
The French capital’s popular music event on the Champs-Elysées has been cancelled after police concerns, according to Parisian outlet sortiraparis.
Police urged Mayor Anne Hidalgo to call off the concert that attracts tens of thousands to the 8th Arrondissement over fears of crushes by the huge crowds.
Despite the cancelled event, the city’s main fireworks will carry on as normal.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has claimed that President Vladimir Putin’s state residence in the Novgorod region was the target of a Ukrainian drone attack overnight into Monday, and said it would have implications for the peace negotiations.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the claim as “typical Russian lies” made because Moscow does not want to end the war.
The allegation comes as U.S. President Donald Trump hailed progress toward peace following his latest talks with Zelensky at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday.
“I don’t like it. It’s not good,” Trump said Monday of the alleged attack on Putin’s home, confirming the Russian leader informed him of it during their call earlier.
Securing a long-sought deal on Ukraine would be a crowning moment for Trump, the self-styled global peacemaker, who thinks Putin wants to end the war and has put pressure on Kyiv to make painful compromises because it is losing.
But Kyiv’s allies doubt Moscow’s true desire for peace and believe the Kremlin wants to delay or scupper the fragile process entirely so it can keep fighting and seize more Ukrainian territory, deceiving Trump about its intentions.
Lavrov told reporters in Moscow that Ukraine “carried out a terrorist attack using 91 long-range UAVs [uncrewed aerial vehicles] against the Russian president’s state residence in the Novgorod region,” the Interfax news agency reported, originally in Russian.
The minister said that “all UAVs were destroyed by air defense systems,” adding: “No information has been received about casualties or damage caused by UAV debris.”
Trump was optimistic about the prospects for a peace deal after Sunday’s talks, which Zelensky described as “90 percent” completed.
Lavrov connected the alleged attack on Putin’s residence to the peace talks.
In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting on the state armament program for 2027-2036 in Moscow on December 26, 2025.Read Less | Mikhail METZEL / POOL / AFP via Getty Images
“We draw attention to the fact that this action was carried out during a period of intensive negotiations between Russia and the United States on a settlement of the Ukrainian conflict,” Lavrov said, per Interfax.
“Such reckless actions will not go unanswered. The targets of retaliatory strikes and the timing of their execution by the Russian Armed Forces have been determined.
“At the same time, we do not intend to withdraw from the negotiation process with the United States.
“However, in view of the final transformation of the criminal Kyiv regime, which has shifted to a policy of state terrorism, Russia’s negotiating positions will be revised.”
Zelensky Calls Russia Strike Claim ‘Lies’
Zelensky said in a post on X that Russia “is at it again, using dangerous statements to undermine all achievements of our shared diplomatic efforts with President Trump’s team.”
“We keep working together to bring peace closer,” Zelensky continued.
“This alleged ‘residence strike’ story is a complete fabrication intended to justify additional attacks against Ukraine, including Kyiv, as well as Russia’s own refusal to take necessary steps to end the war. Typical Russian lies. Furthermore, the Russians have already targeted Kyiv in the past, including the Cabinet of Ministers building.
“Ukraine does not take steps that can undermine diplomacy. To the contrary, Russia always takes such steps. This is one of many differences between us.
“It is critical that the world doesn’t stay silent now. We cannot allow Russia to undermine the work on achieving a lasting peace.”
Donbas Unresolved in Peace Talks
Major issues remain unresolved in the peace talks, particularly over control of the Donbas region in the east of Ukraine, and it is unclear how the parties involved will find a way through to an agreement.
Russia is demanding that Ukraine hand over the remaining areas of the Donbas still under its control, or Moscow will take them by force.
A train derailed near Nizanda in Oaxaca, Mexico, killing 13 and injuring 98. The derailment hit the rail traffic.
The train derailed near the town of Nizanda and was carrying nine crew members and 241 passengers. (Image: AFP)
At least 13 people were killed and 98 others sustained injuries after an Interoceanic Train, carrying 250 people, derailed in the southern state of Oaxaca in Mexico, authorities said on Sunday. The derailment disrupted rail traffic along the route linking the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico.
According to the Mexican Navy, the train, which derailed near the town of Nizanda, was carrying nine crew members and 241 passengers. Of those on board, 139 were reported to be out of danger. Around 36 people were receiving medical assistance, Reuters reported.
Meanwhile, President Claudia Sheinbaum, in a post on X, shared that five of the injured were in critical condition, adding that senior officials had been dispatched to the site to assist the families of those killed.
The governor of Oaxaca, Salomon Jara Cruz, expressed condolences to the families of those killed in the accident and said state authorities were coordinating with federal agencies to assist those affected.
Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office has already launched a probe into the incident, Attorney General Ernestina Godoy Ramos stated in a social media post.
The Interoceanic Train, inaugurated in 2023 under former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, forms part of the broader Interoceanic Corridor project.
Somali president warns Israel’s recognition of Somaliland threatens regional stability
Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud warns Israel’s recognition of Somaliland threatens regional stability(AFP)
Israel’s recognition of Somaliland “is (a) threat to the security and stability of the world and the region,” Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud told an emergency parliamentary session Sunday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Friday announcement, made his country the first to recognise Somaliland, “is tantamount to a blunt aggression against the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and the unity of the people of the Somali Republic,” Mohamud said, AFP reported.
Israel on Friday became the first country to formally recognise the self-declared Republic of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state, a move that could alter regional dynamics and challenge Somalia’s long-standing opposition to secession.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would pursue immediate cooperation with Somaliland in sectors such as agriculture, health, technology and the economy.
In a statement, he congratulated Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, praised his leadership and invited him to visit Israel.
Netanyahu said the recognition was “in the spirit of the Abraham Accords, signed at the initiative of President Trump.”
The Abraham Accords, brokered in 2020 during US President Donald Trump’s first term, led to Israel establishing diplomatic ties with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, with other countries joining later.
According to an Israeli statement, Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and Abdullahi signed a joint declaration of mutual recognition.
Abdullahi said in a statement that Somaliland would join the Abraham Accords, describing the move as a step towards regional and global peace. He said Somaliland was committed to building partnerships, enhancing mutual prosperity and promoting stability across the Middle East and Africa.
Somalia’s response
Somalia’s government, however, strongly condemned Israel’s decision, calling it an “unlawful step” and a “deliberate attack” on the country’s sovereignty. In a statement issued by the prime minister’s office, Mogadishu rejected any recognition of Somaliland.
With rising rents, a tough job market and pay cheques stretched to the limit, some young Britons are choosing to build their futures overseas.
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), 195,000 people under the age of 35 moved abroad in the year to June.
So where are they going, what are they doing – and will they ever come home?
‘It feels much safer in Tokyo’
When Ray Amjad graduated from the University of Cambridge a few years ago, he thought about staying in the historic city, but his head was soon turned.
The 25-year-old, from Manchester, travelled to 20 different countries, working remotely in web design, and realised he could no longer see himself living back in the UK.
He moved to Tokyo last year under a two-year visa for top graduates and hopes to apply for permanent residency there in the future.
“In my experience, the UK is losing too many talented young people,” he says.
“Japan is getting a good deal, really – we’re moving out here, fully formed, and they haven’t had to pay for our education or healthcare, growing up.”
Ray’s university friends have moved to Australia, South Korea and Hong Kong, with many citing the cost of living in the UK and lack of employment opportunities as factors.
“Here in Tokyo, it used to be much older people who moved out here to work, but that has changed recently,” he says.
“It feels much safer here. I can walk around and not worry about my phone being stolen. I can leave my laptop in a cafe for a while and it’s still going to be there.
“And the flat I’m renting would be three times the price in London.”
‘People dream big in Dubai’
Isobel Perl started her own skincare brand from her parents’ house in Watford five years ago.
Now 30, she has decided to move to Dubai in the new year and hopes to expand her business into the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
“My sister moved to Dubai a few years ago and my parents have decided to move too, so it just makes sense,” she says.
“Sun all year round is a huge reason for me. It’s an expensive place to live but I won’t have to pay income tax.”
Isobel was among the first cohort to get one of 10,000 golden visas for content creators, which allow 10 years of residency.
Most people moving to Dubai have big ambitions and dreams, Isobel says.
“That energy is so important to be around. There is a thriving business community and it’s a very inspiring place to be.”
Isobel plans to still manufacture her skincare products in the UK but will run things from Dubai and hopes in the future she can import her products and sell them in the UAE.
In January, she has to rebrand from PERL Cosmetics to Isobel Perl due to a trademark objection from another firm, leaving her with £500,000-worth of stock to clear before the end of the year.
“I have had to reduce the prices and it’s a huge financial blow,” she says.
“I really need a new start. I’m going into the new year with hopeful energy.”
She says she will miss her friends, her horse and countryside walks.
“But I’m only a seven-hour flight away,” she adds.
‘Business-friendly environment’
Three-quarters of British nationals who emigrated in the year ending June 2025 were under the age of 35, according to the ONS.
But it has recently changed how it estimates British migration, so it is difficult to compare to previous years.
An ONS spokesperson said the data was not surprising because most migrants tended to be young.
David Little, financial planning partner at UK wealth manager Evelyn Partners, believes young people are choosing to work abroad due to the “increasingly negative economic narrative in the UK”, of high unemployment, rising debt and tax burdens, and fewer graduate vacancies.
Dubai, in particular, has transformed into a global career hub, attracting thousands of British workers with tax-free salaries, low crime rates and booming job market, he says.
“Destinations like the UAE offer tax-free living, a ‘can-do’ attitude, and a business-friendly environment that feels far more optimistic and rewarding,” he says.
“Interestingly, instead of the traditional ‘Bank of Mum and Dad’ helping with a first home deposit, families are now supporting children with the costs of emigration and settling abroad.”
‘My corporate job was making me miserable’
Sol Hyde, from Colchester, says he jumped on a plane as soon as his online business started making money.
“The same is true for almost every UK entrepreneur I know,” he adds.
The 25-year-old quit his corporate job last October, after realising it was making him miserable.
“I was waking up to darkness and cold. It was quite a lonely existence because all my friends were working so hard,” he says.
“I had no idea what to do but I just knew I needed to get out.”
In January, he started his marketing consulting firm, which helps businesses grow on social media.
Sol has spent most of this year in Bali but thinks he might end up in Cape Town, South Africa.
“I wake up to the sun and jump on my motorbike to my run club,” he says.
“I meet 30 other young people building businesses and we get a coffee together. I co-work with friends all day and then we go out in the evening.”
The hardest part has been leaving his friends and family behind, he says.
“But when I had a corporate job, I didn’t see them because I was working so hard. Now I am closer to them because we actually speak more.”
He believes the UK suffers from “tall poppy syndrome” – where successful people are resented – and a negative culture.
“Success is met with criticism, rumour-spreading and general hate,” he says.
Sol currently has six employees and is taking on four more. But he believes the tax system in the UK would have inhibited his growth and ability to take risks.
“This is a medium-term solution for me, ” he says.
“I love the UK and I’m not ruling out coming back when I’m in a better financial position, but right now I’m so glad I left.”
DONALD Trump saluted the bravery of Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelensky and his people as he claimed to be on the brink of brokering a peace deal today.
The US President chaired crunch talks with Zelensky at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida and claimed Ukraine would soon be guaranteed both security and prosperity.
Trump and Zelensky shook hands at a news conference after talksCredit: Getty
Trump called the talks “terrific” and said he had “made a lot of progress” towards a deal.
He said: “I just think we’re doing very well. We could be very close or one or two very thorny issues, very tough issues. But I think we’re doing very well.
“We’ve made a lot of progress today, but really we’ve made it over the last month. This is not a one-day process deal. There’s very complicated stuff.”
Asked about bring Ukraine and Russia together for talks, Trump said he could see a trilateral meeting happening “at the right time”.
The thorniest issue yet to be resolved is land, the US president said.
Trump told the Ukrainian leader: “You’re better off making a deal now.”
He said: “I think the land you’re talking about, some of that land has been taken.
“Some of that land is maybe up for grabs, but it may be taken over the next period of a number of months, and you’re better off making a deal.”
Before the talks, Trump said he had the “makings of a deal that’s good for Ukraine, good for everybody”.
He added that European nations, including the UK, backed a revised 20-point plan and that Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin was also “serious about peace”.
Hopes were high for peace in Europe, as the US president said a deal to end the war in Ukraine was in its “final stages”.
The leaders have now finished talks, but before they entered the residence, Trump said that he thought a “rapid” end to the war was possible, telling reporters: “we’ll get it done”.
After the talks, Trump said the war could end in as little as “few weeks”, but would not commit to a deadline.
He said: “In a few a weeks we will know one way or the other.”
Putin has yet to make any concessions to halt the killing. Trump warned ominously that if the near-four-year war does not end soon it will go on for a long time — and that millions more would die.
He said: “Too many people have died and I think both presidents want to make a deal.
“It will either end or it will go on for a long time and millions of additional people are going to be dead. And nobody wants that.
“I believe we can move very rapidly.”
He added that a deal will include a “strong” security agreement for Ukraine, saying that “European nations are very much involved”.
Trump said: “I feel that European nations have been really great, and they’re very much in line with this meeting and with getting a deal done. They are all terrific people.”
Greeting the Ukrainian leader, the US president said: “This gentleman has worked very hard, and is very brave, and his people are very brave.”
Zelensky said he hoped the meeting could “bring peace as quick as possible”.
An updated 20-point peace draft in the campaign to clinch a peace plan is 90 per cent complete, Zelensky told journalists in Kyiv before flying to the US.
The Ukrainian leader said the Mar-a-Lago meeting concerned how to move the 20-point plan forward and could include discussion of possible territorial concessions.
The new plan still needs the approval of Russia, and differs from the original 28-point peace plan that was proposed by Washington.
Speaking after talks, Zelensky said his attitude to the Donbas was “very clear”.
He said Ukraine has “a different position to Russia” on the region, adding that his country must “respect our law and our people”, and the “territory which we control”.
The Ukrainian leader thanked Trump for what he called a “wonderful meeting” at Mar-a-Lago.
He said on Telegram: “We had a meaningful discussion on all issues and highly appreciate the progress made by the Ukrainian and American teams over the past few weeks.
“We discussed all aspects of the peace framework and achieved significant results.
“We agree that security guarantees are key to achieving lasting peace.”
He added that Ukrainian and US teams will meet next week to “finalise all discussed issues”.
Inside the talks, photos showed the Ukrainian delegation sat on the left side of a large dining table, facing US officials.
As Zelensky told the room it was his first time at Mar-a-Lago, Trump replied that the residence was “very conducive to deals”.
The US President said efforts to end the war were in the “final stages”.
As the group sat down, he added: “I think we’re very, we’re in final stages of talking, and we’re going to see. Otherwise it’s going to go on for a long time.”
Trump said ending the Ukraine-Russia war would be “complicated”, but “not that complicated”, in an optimistic start to talks.
Trump added that Ukraine could get “great economic benefits” from a peace deal.
He said: “There are great economic benefits for Ukraine also because, you know, there is a lot of rebuilding to do.
“There’s a lot of wealth to be had and they have great wealth, potentially great wealth.
“They want to get started. There’s a great economic benefit for Ukraine.”
The president’s delegation includes his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine, White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles are also in attendance.
Before the meeting, Trump and Putin had a phone call which the president described on Truth Social as “very good and productive”.
Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters that the call was “friendly” and lasted over an hour.
Ushakov added that Russia had urged Ukraine to take what it called the “brave decision” to pull its troops out of the Donbas “without delay” to end the war.
Ukraine‘s exit from the area is a key Russian demand for any peace agreement.
The Kremlin aide said: “Russia and the United States share the same position, which is that the Ukrainian and European proposal for a temporary ceasefire … would only prolong the conflict and lead to a resumption of hostilities.”
The Putin-Trump chat came just hours before the US president met Zelensky for the first time since October.
Last time the pair met, Trump refused to grant Zelensky’s request for long-range Tomahawk missiles.
Trump’s Putin-facing positivity persisted, despite the fact that many European leaders doubted the possibility of peace.
Russian forces had unleashed hell on the Ukrainian capital in the run up to Zelensky’s summit with Trump.
Putin hit Kyiv with almost 500 drones and 40 missiles in a 10-hour onslaught which has killed two and wounded dozens.
Relatives of the victims have demanded answers about the accident after investigators delayed releasing a report on what went wrong in the 2024 Jeju Air crash.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung arrives at the presidential office in the Blue House, or “Cheong Wa Dae” in Korean, in Seoul, South Korea, 29 December 2025. JEON HEON-KYUN/Pool via REUTERS
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Monday (Dec 29) apologised to the families of the 179 people who died in a Jeju Air crash a year ago, vowing to reveal the truth behind the worst aircraft accident on the country’s soil.
“As president who has the responsibility to protect the lives and safety of the people, I offer my deepest apologies,” Lee said in a message released on Monday.
Relatives of the victims have demanded answers about the accident, after investigators delayed releasing a report on what went wrong on Dec 29, 2024, when the Jeju Air jet crash-landed and slammed into an embankment at the end of the runway.
It erupted in a ball of flames, killing all but two of the 181 people on board. The government-led Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board said in a preliminary report in January that both of the plane’s engines sustained bird strikes.
But questions remain about safety lapses, the design of the runway at Muan International Airport where the crash occured and what actions the pilots took in the last few minutes of the flight.
“The disaster clearly revealed the systematic problems and limitations of our society,” Lee said. “What’s needed now is not perfunctory promises or empty words but rather real change and action.”
Trump congratulated the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia “on their brilliance in coming to this rapid and very fair conclusion”.
US President Donald Trump speaks at his Mar-a-Lago club, Dec 22, 2025, in Palm Beach (Photo: AP/Alex Brandon)
US President Donald Trump on Sunday (Dec 28) congratulated the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia on a ceasefire agreed the previous day after weeks of border clashes that have killed dozens.
“I want to congratulate both great leaders on their brilliance in coming to this rapid and very fair conclusion,” said Trump, who has claimed credit for a previous truce that was broken earlier this month when the border conflict reignited.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump called the eventual outcome “FAST & DECISIVE, as all of these situations should be!”.
He added that Washington, which has been involved in mediation efforts along with China and Malaysia, was “proud to help”.
Ahead of talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later on Sunday, Trump lauded his self-proclaimed role in ending world conflicts, saying “perhaps the United States has become the REAL United Nations”.
“The United Nations must start getting active and involved in WORLD PEACE!”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed the Thailand-Cambodia ceasefire on Saturday, calling on both sides to “immediately honour this commitment”.
At least 47 people were killed and more than a million displaced in three weeks of fighting that spread to nearly every border province on both sides, according to official tallies.
Announcing their agreement on Saturday, Thailand and Cambodia pledged to cease fire, freeze troop movements, and allow civilians living in border areas to return home as soon as possible.
Following the truce, China’s top diplomat Wang Yi is hosting the Cambodian and Thai foreign ministers for two days of talks that began Sunday.
Voters queue to cast their ballots in Yangon, Myanmar
The first of three phases of voting has finished in Myanmar, in an election widely dismissed as a “sham”, with major political parties dissolved, leaders jailed and as much as half the country not expected to vote due to an ongoing civil war.
The military government is holding a phased ballot nearly five years after it seized power in a coup, prompting widespread opposition and spiralling into civil war.
Observers say the junta, with China’s support, is seeking to legitimise its power as it seeks a way out of the devastating stalemate.
More than 200 people have been charged for disrupting or opposing the polls under a new law which carries severe punishments, including the death penalty.
There were reports of explosions and air strikes across multiple regions as the first round of voting took place on Sunday. A rocket attack on an uninhabited house in the Mandalay region in the early hours of the morning injured three people, the region’s chief minister told the BBC.
Separately, a series of explosions damaged more than 10 houses in the Myawaddy township, near the border with Thailand, late on Saturday. A resident told the BBC that a child was killed and three others were taken to hospital.
Voters have told the BBC that the election feels more “disciplined and systematic” than previous polls.
“The experience of voting has changed a lot,” said Ma Su ZarChi, who lives in the Mandalay region.
“Before I voted, I was afraid. Now that I have voted, I feel relieved. I cast my ballot as someone who has tried their best for the country.”
First-time voter Ei Pyay Phyo Maung, 22, said she was voting because she believed it is “the responsibility of every citizen”.
“My hope is for the lower classes – right now, the prices of goods are skyrocketing, and I want to support someone who can bring them down for those struggling the most,” she said.
“I want a president who provides equally for all people.”
The Burmese junta has rejected criticism of the polls, maintaining that it aims to “return [the country] to a multi-party democratic system”.
After casting his vote at a highly fortified polling station in the capital, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing told the BBC that the election would be free and fair.
“I am the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, a civil servant. I can’t just say that I want to be president,” he said, stressing that there were three phases of the election.
Earlier this week, he warned that those who refuse to vote were rejecting “progress toward democracy”.
Film director Mike Tee, actor Kyaw Win Htut and comedian Ohn Daing were among the prominent figures convicted under the law against disrupting polls, which was enacted in July.
They were each handed a seven-year jail term after criticising a film promoting the elections, state media reported.
UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews on Sunday called on the international community to reject the election – saying “nothing legitimate” can come of it.
“An election organised by a junta that continues to bomb civilians, jail political leaders and criminalise all forms of dissent is not an election – it is a theatre of the absurd performed at gunpoint,” he said.
The military has been fighting on several fronts, against both armed resistance groups who oppose the coup and ethnic armies that have their own militias. It lost control of large parts of the country in a series of major setbacks, but clawed back territory this year following relentless air strikes enabled by support from China and Russia.
The civil war has killed thousands of people, displaced millions more, destroyed the economy and left a humanitarian vacuum. A devastating earthquake in March and international funding cuts have made the situation far worse.
All of this and the fact that large parts of the country are still under opposition control presents a huge logistical challenge for holding an election.
Voting is set to take place in three phases over the next month in 265 of the country’s 330 townships, with the rest deemed too unstable.
The next rounds of voting are scheduled for 11 and 25 January, with results expected around the end of the month.
There is not expected to be any voting in as much as one half of the country. Even in the townships that are voting, not all constituencies will go to the polls, making it difficult to forecast a possible turnout.
Six parties, including the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party, are fielding candidates nationwide, while another 51 parties and independent candidates will contest only at the state or regional levels.
Some 40 parties, including Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League of Democracy, which scored landslide victories in 2015 and 2020, have been banned. Suu Kyi and many of the party’s key leaders have been jailed under charges widely condemned as politically motivated, while others are in exile.
“By splitting the vote into phases, the authorities can adjust tactics if the results in the first phase do not go their way,” Htin Kyaw Aye, a spokesman of the election-monitoring group Spring Sprouts, told the news agency Myanmar Now.
Ral Uk Thang, a resident in the western Chin state, believes civilians “don’t want the election”.
Their next head coach — whoever that may be — lost.
In what was a perfect way to accentuate this miserable season for the Giants, the loss came in a 34-10 win over the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium.
The victory for the Giants, though, significantly damaged their chance of having the No. 1 overall pick in April’s draft.
And with that, it has potentially compromised their chances of enhancing their haul of draft picks since, at No. 1, they’d be holding all the cards in the draft for teams desperate to land a franchise quarterback with coveted Fernando Mendoza poised to go first.
The Giants, now 3-13, entered the day with possession of the No. 1 pick, with a 37 percent chance of retaining it and they relinquished it — probably for good.
Had they lost the game, the Giants would have entered next Sunday’s season finale against Dallas at MetLife Stadium with a 73 percent chance of picking first.
The Giants left Las Vegas after defeating a Raiders team (2-14) that was overtly tanking with just a 6 percent chance of picking first.
New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) celebrates a touchdown in the second quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
That, however, hardly mattered to the Giants players who basked in a victorious locker room for the first time since Oct. 9.
Nor did it matter to their interim head coach, Mike Kafka, who was 0-5 since taking over for the fired Brian Daboll before finally tasting victory for the first time as a head coach.
Whatever momentary relief the Giants felt about ending their nine-game losing streak could end up hurting their future depending on what unfolds in the draft.
The players and coaches who were in that locker room Sunday evening in Vegas don’t give a damn about that.
“It’s easy to say you just ignore the noise, but you’re definitely aware of the external situation,” Giants right guard Greg Van Roten told The Post.
“I felt like it was just noise,” quarterback Jaxson Dart said after throwing for 207 yards and rushing for two touchdowns.
“The things that we were playing for were for each other,” Kafka said. “To a man in that room, we have each other’s back and playing as hard as we can for each other. You get into a football locker room, it’s a family.”
Receiver Wan’Dale Robinson said, “It just felt great to come in here and celebrate with these guys.”
Even at the expense of the tanking Raiders.
The Raiders entered the game advertising to anyone who was paying attention that they had little desire to win Sunday’s game.
First, they placed tight end Brock Bowers, their top offensive weapon, and safety Jeremy Chinn, one of their best defensive players, on season-ending injured reserve despite the fact that both players played every snap in the previous week’s game.
Then the Raiders placed edge rusher Maxx Crosby, their best player, on IR with what they described as a lingering knee injury.
Crosby, who’d played 100 percent of the defensive snaps in the Raiders’ previous five games and was not re-injured last week, was reportedly so livid he immediately left the team facility when informed of the team’s decision.
“I don’t give a s–t about the pick,’’ Crosby told reporters last week. “I don’t play for that.’’
That, however, is exactly what Raiders management was playing for Sunday.
The Raiders looked a lot more like the team riding a nine-game losing streak than the Giants, who raced to a 17-3 lead in the first half and never looked back.
An interception by linebacker Bobby Okereke of Geno Smith set the Giants up for their first score — a 1-yard touchdown run by Devin Singletary on the final play of the first quarter for a 7-0 lead.
After a 42-yard field goal by Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson, the Giants took a 14-3 lead on a 12-yard designed run by Dart with 5:56 remaining in the first half.
The Giants got the ball back one final time in the first half and made it 17-3 on a 32-yard field goal by Ben Sauls, the team’s fourth kicker this season.
The Raiders tightened the game slightly on a 4-yard Smith scoring pass to Tyler Lockett to cut the Giants lead to 20-10 in the third quarter.
On the play, a fourth-and-goal from the Giants 4-yard line, their cornerback Deonte Banks was late in his coverage of Lockett wide open in the back of the end zone.
Bernhardt, who was best known for playing the character Kathy Gordon on”Diff’rent Strokes,” died Friday in Colorado Springs, her brother told TMZ.
The actress, who battled the genetic disorder osteogenesis imperfecta — which causes bones to break easily, poor muscle tone, hearing loss, and dental problems — had been hospitalized after suffering bleeding issues, the outlet reported.
Her health reportedly deteriorated quickly after she was hospitalized.
Actress Melanie Watson Bernhardt, who was best known for playing Kathy Gordon on “Diff’rent Strokes,” has died. NBCUniversal via Getty Images
Bernhardt was 57 years old.
Her brother told TMZ that his sister was fortunate to live as long as she did with her condition.
Bernhardt had a frequent guest-starring role on “Diff’rent Strokes,” in which she played a wheelchair-using friend of lead character Arnold (Gary Coleman). “Diff-rent Strokes” ran for 8 seasons, from 1978-1986.
After the show ended, Berhardt retired from acting.
She later created and served as the executive director of Train Rite, an organization that trains shelter dogs to serve the disabled, according to IMDB.
Bernhardt was previously married to Roger Bernhardt from 1994 to 1996.
“Diff’rent Strokes” followed two orphaned brothers from Harlem (Willis and Arnold Jackson) who were welcomed into the family of a wealthy New York businessman their mother once worked for.
Back in 2021, Todd Bridges — who played Willis — told Page Six that he experienced “extreme racism” growing up as a child star.
“Here you are doing something spectacular for people and people are enjoying it, but then you go outside and you’re treated like you’re ignorant, dumb and stupid,” he told us.
“Not like you have some intelligence or you’re a good kid, not at all,” he continued.
Bridges as well as his co-stars publicly struggled after the show wrapped.
Bridges battled a crack cocaine and methamphetamine addiction. In 1989, he was arrested and tried for the attempted murder of Kenneth “Tex” Clay, a Los Angeles-based drug dealer, but was eventually acquitted.
People cross the street in Manhattan, New York, U.S., December 27, 2025. REUTERS/Kena Betancur Purchase Licensing Rights
A mix of snow and ice bore down on the U.S. Northeast early on Saturday, disrupting post-holiday weekend airline traffic and prompting officials in New York and New Jersey to issue weather emergency declarations even as the storm ebbed by mid-morning.
People in much of the Northeast were advised to stay off the roads because of treacherous conditions, with states of emergency declared in New York and New Jersey.
“The safety of New Yorkers is my top priority, and I continue to urge extreme caution throughout the duration of this storm,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul said in a statement.
By early Saturday, about six to 10 inches (15 to 25 centimeters) of snow had fallen across an area from Syracuse in central New York to Long Island in the southeast of the state, as well as Connecticut, said Bob Oravec, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center near Washington, D.C.
New York City received two to four inches of snow overnight, with 4.3 inches reported at Central Park, Oravec said, the most since 2022.
“The good news is that the heaviest snow is done,” he said. “Only a few flurries remain this morning and those will taper off by the afternoon.”
But the effects were felt by travelers. More than 9,000 domestic U.S. flights on Saturday were canceled or delayed as of early-evening, with many in the New York area, including at John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport, according to the tracking site FlightAware.
Representatives from American Airlines, United Airlines and JetBlue Airways told Reuters that the carriers had waived change fees normally charged to rebook for passengers whose travel plans may be affected by weather-related disruptions.
Ice storm warnings and winter weather advisories were also posted for most of Pennsylvania and much of Massachusetts.
Russia attacked Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine with hundreds of missiles and drones on Saturday, ahead of what President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said would be a crucial meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump to work out a plan to end nearly four years of war.
Zelenskiy cast the vast overnight attack, which he said involved about 500 drones and 40 missiles and which knocked out power and heat in parts of the capital, as Russia’s response to the ongoing peace efforts brokered by Washington.
The Ukrainian leader has said Sunday’s talks in Florida would focus on security guarantees and territorial control once fighting ends in Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War Two, started by Russia’s 2022 invasion of its smaller neighbour.
The attack continued throughout the morning, with a nearly 10-hour air raid alert for the capital. Authorities said two people were killed in Kyiv and the surrounding region, while at least 46 people were wounded, including two children.
“Today, Russia demonstrated how it responds to peaceful negotiations between Ukraine and the United States to end Russia’s war against Ukraine,” Zelenskiy told reporters.
In Russia, air defence forces shot down eight drones headed for Moscow, the city’s mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Saturday.
THOUSANDS OF HOMES WITHOUT HEAT
Explosions echoed across Kyiv from the early hours on Saturday as Ukraine’s air defence units went into action. The air force said Russian drones were targeting the capital and regions in the northeast and south.
State grid operator Ukrenergo said energy facilities across Ukraine were struck, and emergency power cuts had been implemented across the capital.
DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy company, said the attack had left more than a million households in and around Kyiv without power, 750,000 of which remained disconnected by the afternoon.
Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said over 40% of residential buildings in Kyiv were left without heat as temperatures hovered around 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit) on Saturday.
TERRITORIAL CONTROL: A DIPLOMATIC STUMBLING BLOCK
On the way to meeting Trump in Florida, Zelenskiy stopped in Canada’s Halifax to meet Prime Minister Mark Carney.
In a brief statement with Zelenskiy by his side, Carney noted that peace “requires a willing Russia.”
“The barbarism that we saw overnight — the attack on Kyiv — shows just how important it is that we stand with Ukraine in this difficult time,” he said, announcing 2.5 billion Canadian dollars ($1.83 billion) in additional economic aid to Ukraine.
After the meeting Zelenskiy spoke to European leaders. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said afterwards on X: “We welcome all efforts leading to our shared objective – a just and lasting peace that preserves Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. And that strengthens the country’s security and defence capabilities.”
Residents remove debris from balconies of their apartment building, which was hit by a Russian drone strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, December 27, 2025. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko Purchase Licensing Rights
Territory and the future of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant remain the main diplomatic stumbling blocks, though Zelenskiy told journalists in Kyiv on Friday that a 20-point draft document – the cornerstone of a U.S. push to clinch a peace deal – is 90% complete.
He said the shape of U.S. security guarantees was crucial, and these would depend on Trump, and “what he is ready to give, when he is ready to give it, and for how long.”
Zelenskiy told Axios earlier this week that the U.S. had offered a 15-year deal on security guarantees, subject to renewal, but Kyiv wanted a longer agreement with legally binding provisions to guard against further Russian aggression.
Trump said the United States was the driving force behind the process.
“He doesn’t have anything until I approve it,” Trump told Politico. “So we’ll see what he’s got.”
Trump said he believed Sunday’s meeting would go well. He also said he expected to speak with Putin “soon, as much as I want.”
FATE OF DONETSK IS KEY
Moscow is demanding that Ukraine withdraw from a large, densely urbanised chunk of the eastern region of Donetsk that Russian troops have failed to occupy in nearly four years of war. Kyiv wants the fighting halted at the current lines.
Russia has been grinding slowly forwards throughout 2025 at the cost of significant casualties on the drone-infested battlefield.
On Saturday, both sides issued conflicting claims about two frontline towns: Myrnohrad in the east and Huliaipole in the south. Moscow claimed to have captured both, while Kyiv said it had beaten back Russian assaults there.
Under a U.S. compromise, a free economic zone would be set up if Ukrainian troops pull back from parts of the Donetsk region, though details have yet to be worked out.
Axios quoted Zelenskiy as saying that if he is not able to push the U.S. to back Ukraine’s position on the land issue, he was willing to put the 20-point plan to a referendum – as long as Russia agrees to a 60-day ceasefire allowing Ukraine to prepare for and hold the vote.
Residents inspect the damage after U.S. forces had launched a strike against Islamic State militants in Nigeria at the request of Nigeria’s government, as U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social on December 25, in Offa, Kwara State, Nigeria, December 26, 2025. REUTERS/Abdullahi Dare Akogun Purchase Licensing Rights
U.S.-backed air strikes in Nigeria hit two Islamic State-linked camps in the Bauni forest of Sokoto State, targeting foreign fighters infiltrating from the Sahel, the Nigerian government said.
The strikes carried out on Thursday were approved by President Bola Tinubu and launched from maritime platforms domiciled in the Gulf of Guinea, after extensive intelligence gathering, operational planning, and reconnaissance, the information ministry said in a statement on Friday.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social on Thursday that U.S. forces had launched a strike against Islamic State militants in northwest Nigeria at the request of Nigeria’s government. He said the group had been targeting Christians in the region.
“A total of 16 GPS-guided precision munitions were deployed using MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial platforms, successfully neutralising the targeted ISIS elements attempting to penetrate Nigeria from the Sahel corridor,” the Nigerian government statement said.
Intelligence indicated the camps were being used by foreign ISIS elements working with local affiliates to plan large-scale attacks inside Nigeria, it added. No civilian casualties were reported, although debris fell in two towns in Sokoto and Kwara states.
Trump described the operation as “numerous perfect strikes” and warned there would be “more to come.”
The operation marks a rare joint action between Abuja and Washington and underscores growing security cooperation as Islamist violence spreads south from the Sahel.
