World News

House Democrats release 95,000 Jeffrey Epstein photos showing Trump, Clinton and others, reviving pressure on the DOJ to release sealed investigative files.

Trump, Clinton, Bannon and Gates feature in new batch of Epstein photos; no illegal activity indicated

Among the photos is a black and white image of Trump from several years before his presidency, standing with several women whose faces have been redacted.

Canada: Three Indian-origin truckers held in Brampton shooting linked to tow-truck rivalry | Watch

Three Indian-origin truckers have been arrested in Brampton for a shooting linked to a tow-truck rivalry. One suspect remains at large as police seek information and pursue firearm-related charges.

DNA, biometrics, email history: US plans stricter screening for visa-free travellers from 42 countries | Explained

The proposal is currently open for public review. If approved, travellers from 42 countries who are allowed to enter the US for up to 90 days without a visa will face stricter checks.

Trump’s ‘Gold Card’ arrives: Is it really worth it or risky for Indians seeking US citizenship?

Donald Trump’s new ‘Gold Card’ promises quick US residency for a $1 million contribution, but Indians may face years or even decades of delays due to severe EB-1 and EB-2 visa backlogs.

Shehbaz Sharif becomes meme material yet again, enters Putin’s meeting uninvited after 40-minute wait and leaves unnoticed | WATCH

For Shehbaz Sharif, this kind of diplomatic awkwardness is nothing new. His attempts to appear relevant on the world stage have repeatedly fallen flat.

Midnight escape, Interpol alerts, passport cancellation: How Luthra brothers fled to Thailand and how India is forcing their return

The brothers will next be produced before a Thai Immigration Court. The court will examine the passport cancellation, visa status and communication received from Interpol.

Why China–Japan tensions are escalating and why de-escalation looks unlikely

China–Japan tensions have intensified after Sanae Takaichi’s remarks on Taiwan triggered diplomatic, economic and military retaliation from Beijing, with domestic politics and shifting geopolitics leaving little room for de-escalation.

Trump’s plan to push for cannabis rescheduling lifts pot stocks

Cannabis is currently labeled a Schedule I drug, putting it in the same category that includes substances like heroin and LSD, categorized as having no medical use and a high potential for abuse.

BOJ is said to see hiking cycle likely extending beyond 0.75%

Even if BOJ officials update their estimate of the rate with the latest data, at this point they do not see the range drastically narrowing, according to the people. A narrower range suggests a central bank is closing in on the neutral rate.

US clears $686 million F-16 package for Pakistan: Why Trump-Munir bromance is concerning for India | Explained

New Delhi sees the latest American approval as yet another attempt to bolster Pakistan’s combat capabilities under the guise of counterterrorism.

Thailand’s snap election: How border conflict and power plays are shaping the polls

Thailand heads for a snap election after Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul dissolved parliament amid a border conflict with Cambodia and political infighting. The vote, due within 60 days, sets up a fierce contest with the opposition People’s Party.

India urges restraint as Thailand-Cambodia clashes damage 1,100-year-old Hindu temple, calls for dialogue

Clashes have erupted at more than a dozen points along the 817-km border in what officials describe as the most intense violence since a five-day confrontation in July.

India eases visa curbs on Chinese workers as New Delhi moves to stabilise ties with Beijing: Report

New Delhi has removed a key layer of bureaucratic scrutiny and cut visa approval times to under a month as PM Modi cautiously works to stabilise relations with Beijing.

ChatGPT named in a murder-suicide lawsuit: What drove a son to kill his mother before taking his own life

The case links OpenAI’s ChatGPT to a tragic murder-suicide in Greenwich, Connecticut, where 56-year-old Stein-Erik Soelberg killed his 83-year-old mother, Suzanne Adams, before taking his own life.

‘Your daughter hates you’: Trans rights clash with Newsom turns ugly, Musk fires back with ‘woke mind virus’ charge

The exchange quickly spread across the platform as users debated Newsom’s remark and Musk’s rebuttal.

'Will conquer Delhi': LeT's Rauf, who led terrorists' funeral prayers during Op Sindoor, makes open threats

In a video doing the rounds on X, Rauf can be heard claiming that India will “not dare to attack Pakistan for the next 50 years”

Why now? The rare summit bringing Russia, Turkey and Iran together

Russia, Turkey and Iran are meeting in Turkmenistan for a rare summit as the country marks 30 years of neutrality. The event highlights Turkmenistan’s isolation, gas wealth, and strategic regional role.

China set to deliver another lackluster economic report card

Numbers to be released by the National Bureau of Statistics Monday are expected to show retail sales rose 2.9% in November from a year before, the median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg shows.

Lashkar-e-Taiba cheers Asim Munir's elevation as CDF, pushes Pakistani Army's line against Afghanistan

Qari Yaqoob Sheikh endorsed the fatwa issued by clerics from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Afghanistan declaring that Afghan soil must not be used for terrorism against any country.

'Positive action': Beijing hails India’s faster business visas as ties warm

China has welcomed India’s decision to fast-track business visas for Chinese professionals, signalling a cautious thaw in relations as New Delhi rebalances diplomacy amid U.S. tariffs and seeks to boost investment.

‘High on mushrooms’: Cockpit audio captures Alaska Airlines pilot’s mid-air attempt to shut down engines | Watch

Cockpit audio captures the frantic struggle as off-duty pilot Joseph Emerson, impaired and sleep-deprived, attempted to shut down the engines of a packed Horizon Air flight before being restrained.

IMF tightens Pakistan bailout, adds 11 conditions, total 64 over 18 months

Pakistan must meet 64 conditions over 18 months, including anti-corruption measures, tax reforms, and power sector restructuring, to continue receiving IMF support.

China to impose VAT on contraceptives from Jan 1, raising concerns over public health and fertility

For the first time in over 30 years, China will tax contraceptives at 13%, prompting worries about higher costs, reduced access, and potential rise in unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.

Indiana Republicans break with Trump and why the pressure campaign failed

Personal lines were crossed, threats backfired and a deeply conservative state drew limits on loyalty politics.

Can OpenAI pull ahead again now that Google has caught up on AI?

A new GPT-5.2 release shows the race has tightened, and OpenAI’s bigger challenge may be financial, not technical.

Hollywood braces for a defining reckoning as Warner Bros sale hangs in the balance

Two rival bids promise very different futures, but both leave the film industry anxious about jobs, politics and the survival of the studio system.

Venezuela’s oil lifeline is under pressure; why one seized tanker matters

A single intercepted cargo exposes how dependent Caracas still is on crude exports, and how vulnerable that lifeline is to pressure from Washington.

How Jan Marsalek’s Libyan money trail reveals a deeper Russian influence game

Behind shell companies, cement plants and boardroom deals lies a quiet struggle over stolen money and strategic assets.

Told he had three hours to live, he went on to build a $10 million gaming empire

Seventeen years after doctors told him he had only three hours to live, Zhenghua “Z” Yang runs Serenity Forge, a fast-growing indie games publisher. His near-death crisis shaped a mission to build emotionally resonant titles that also became a multimillion-dollar business.

Trump’s memecoin tries a reset with a “Billionaires Club” mobile game

A Trump-branded play-to-earn title, due on December 30, is being positioned as a utility boost for the $TRUMP token after a steep slide. The project promises up to $1 million in token rewards, but faces regulatory and credibility questions.

The quiet reason opposite sides of a dice always total 7

A mix of history, standardisation and probability explains one of the most familiar quirks of the humble cube.

Flipperachi: The Bahraini rapper whose FA9LA became Dhurandhar’s surprise anthem

Known offstage as Hussam Aseem, Flipperachi has spent years building a Gulf hip-hop following. After Dhurandhar used his 2024 track FA9LA for a key scene, the song surged across social media and streaming worldwide.

Canada committee votes to strip sacred swastika from hate-symbol language in anti-hate bill

A parliamentary committee unanimously agreed to remove references that link the ancient religious swastika with the Nazi emblem in federal hate-crime legislation.

Trump warns Russia-Ukraine war risks triggering ‘third world war’ as US pushes revised peace plan

Trump urges an immediate end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, warning rising casualties and stalled negotiations could spark a global crisis.

6.7-magnitude earthquake strikes Japan's Hokkaido and Tohoku; tsunami advisory issued

A tsunami advisory was issued as the Pacific coast of Hokkaido, Aomori, Iwate and Miyagi prefectures could see a tsunami of up to 1 meter (3.2 feet).

Pakistan warns social media firms of possible ban over ‘lack of cooperation’; says X not cooperating

The Pakistan government says social media platforms risk bans for not cooperating, with X singled out as the least responsive.

Trump again claims he ‘settled eight wars,’ credits trade and tariffs

Trump claims his tariff strategy “settled eight wars,” but analysts and foreign governments say the ceasefires are fragile and his assertions lack credibility.

‘Felt humiliated by Yunus govt’: Bangladesh President Shahabuddin plans to resign after February 2026 polls

President Mohammed Shahabuddin, feeling sidelined by the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government, says he will step down after the country’s parliamentary elections on February 12, 2026.

Over 600 priceless artefacts, including Indian items, stolen from Bristol Museum: Here’s what was taken

Bristol police released CCTV footage of four suspects after more than 600 culturally significant artefacts, including items from India’s colonial era, were stolen from the British Empire and Commonwealth collection.

Hasina's Bangladesh Awami League rejects February 12 poll schedule, calls Yunus-led govt ‘illegal and biased’

The Awami League has rejected Bangladesh’s February 12 election schedule, accusing the Yunus-led interim government of bias and demanding a neutral caretaker administration for free polls.

US pollster Mark Mitchell vows to ‘de-Indianise’ American firms: ‘Every single H-1B equals 10 illegal aliens’

Rasmussen Reports chief Mark Mitchell has intensified his attacks on Indian tech professionals, urging mass H-1B deportations and announcing plans for a consultancy to “de-Indianise” major US firms.

No visas for birth-tourism plans, US embassy warns Indian travellers: ‘This is not permitted’

The US Embassy has tightened visitor-visa scrutiny and broadened online vetting for H-1B and H-4 applicants, warning that tourist visas will be denied if officers believe the traveller intends to give birth in America to secure citizenship for a child.

Salvadoran man wrongly deported from US released from ICE custody: lawyer

In her ruling Thursday, Judge Paula Xinis concluded that Abrego Garcia has been held in ICE detention "absent a lawful removal order."

Trump "extremely frustrated" over delays in Russia-Ukraine peace deal, says White House

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the US is advocating for Ukraine to pull back its forces from the Donetsk region to create a "free economic zone" in Kyiv-controlled areas of eastern Ukraine, which Moscow seeks to dominate, as reported by Al Jazeera.

Amid Trump's attacks, Ilhan Omar's ex-husband pops back to spotlight after years, report says

The New York Post cites Somali community figure Abdihakim Osman, who told the Daily Mail in 2020 that Omar once referred to Elmi as her brother who needed “papers.”

Trump claims US is leading world in AI energy production, disputes reports of Chinese dominance

He emphasised that every AI facility being constructed in the US is simultaneously building its own electricity-generating capabilities.

US issues fresh sanctions targeting Maduro's family, Venezuela-linked oil tankers

The targeted vessels are supertankers that recently loaded crude in Venezuela, according to state oil company PDVSA's internal shipping documents.