Politics

What happened Alexander Smirnov, a former FBI informant, pleaded guilty Monday to falsely claiming that President Joe Biden and his son Hunter were involved in a bribery scheme with Ukrainian energy company Burisma. His bogus 2020 allegation that the Bidens …

If you have a favorite automotive brand, there’s a good chance it’s made by Stellantis. Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep all fall under the company’s umbrella, as do international lines like Fiat, Maserati and Alfa Romeo. But Stellantis is stumbling. How …

In his second administration, Donald Trump is surrounding himself with billionaires. By one estimate, he is assembling the richest set of advisers and Cabinet members in American history, worth a collective $450 billion. Most notable is Elon Musk, the richest …

This year brought a literal whirlwind of destruction in the form of hurricanes. The 2024 Atlantic hurricane ended on Nov. 30, marking one of the deadliest and costliest seasons in recent history. And storms are likely to get worse in …

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What happened A 15-year-old female student fatally shot a teacher and teenage student Monday at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, and wounded six others, police said. The shooter, identified as Natalie Rupnow, was pronounced dead on the way …

The government is under pressure from MI5 to designate China a threat to national security after an alleged spy with links to the Duke of York was identified yesterday. The security service has previously said that Beijing is engaged in …

A senior Russian general and his assistant have been killed in Moscow by Ukraine’s security services, the latest assassination by Kyiv that has intensified a new front in the conflict. Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, head of the Russian military’s nuclear, …

Indian teenager Gukesh Dommaraju has become the youngest ever world chess champion, deepening the “love affair between Indians and chess”, said The Hindu. Chess has been “around for millennia” and is “generally believed to have originated in India”. Now, the …

Sit back and relax with our pick of the best of the big day’s small-screen entertainment, from Gavin & Stacey, Wallace & Gromit and Doctor Who to hilarious opera, little fish and Swan Lake. Swan Lake from English National Ballet …

Delicious, decadent and depleting. Climate change is impacting the production of chocolate, and companies are struggling to keep up with the demand. Luckily, scientists from across the globe have offered up new ways to keep making chocolate that’s tasty and …

Get out the hot chocolate and turn the fireplace on because winter is in full effect. But you can still stay nice and cozy with a selection of new albums from some heavy-hitting musicians. Snoop Dogg, ‘Missionary’ (Dec. 13) Snoop …

There is perhaps no more quintessentially American phenomenon than widespread panic over strange lights in the sky and the unknown implications thereof. From Orson Welles’ panic-inducing broadcast of “The War of the Worlds” to popular culture’s obsession with flying saucers …

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La Zambra lies about 20 minutes from Malaga airport in the golfing mecca of Mijas. The property sits on the site of a former Byblos hotel, a temple to partying in the golden era of the Costa del Sol. This …

What happened South Korea’s Constitutional Court today began weighing whether to ratify Saturday’s impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol. The opposition-led National Assembly’s successful impeachment motion, driven by Yoon’s short-lived imposition of martial law on Dec. 3, immediately suspended him …

What happened Several hundred people are feared dead on Mayotte, a French territory in the Indian Ocean, after Cyclone Chido slammed the archipelago over the weekend, Mayotte Prefect François-Xavier Bieuville said Sunday. Chido, the strongest cyclone to hit Mayotte in …

What happened ABC News said Saturday it will donate $15 million to President-elect Donald Trump’s future “presidential foundation and museum” to resolve a defamation lawsuit Trump filed in March against the network and its anchor George Stephanopoulos. ABC also agreed …

‘Fan club for suspected shooter is a symptom of burn-it-all-down populism’ Catherine Rampell at The Washington Post The “glorification of Luigi Mangione, the man accused of gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson this month, has been chilling,” says Catherine Rampell. …

Water fluoridation is back in the spotlight as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office with an administration skeptical of the practice. The U.S. first began adding fluoride to water in the 1940s after studies showed exposure to it reduced …

A venture capital firm co-founder, David Sacks, has been appointed “Crypto and AI Czar,” a newly created position, by President-elect Donald Trump. An entrepreneur and former chief operating officer of Silicon Valley giant PayPal, Sacks has become a prominent conservative …

An alleged Chinese spy who was “seeking influence over a member of the Royal Family” by reportedly becoming a close confidant of Prince Andrew has been banned from the UK, said the BBC. The man previously known only as H6 …

No longer confined to the “bougie delicatessen”, panettone can be found in almost any supermarket at this time of year, cementing its status as a “British festive staple”, said The Guardian. Demand for the Italian sweet bread is soaring, with …

As opposition forces took hold of Damascus a little over a week ago, Syria’s dictator, Bashar al-Assad, took flight. Flying below radar range and with “the aircraft’s transponder switched off”, his private plane headed first to Russia’s airbase outside the …

Sky News football presenter Kelly Cates is to replace Gary Lineker as host of the BBC’s “Match of the Day”, according to reports. Lineker announced last month that he was leaving the show after 25 years at the helm. Cates …

Human beings have long lived in awe of the vast and starry skies — particularly during a solar eclipse, wherein the very laws of nature feel inverted. Before modern astronomy, solar eclipses were often assigned mythological or theological significance, which …

Haiti’s gangs have crossed a “red line”, after allegedly killing at least 184 people they suspected of witchcraft. Gang leader Micanor Altès is said to have ordered the knife-and-machete “massacre” in the capital Port-au-Prince last week because he suspected people …

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A Nevada court has delivered “a delicious end-of-season plot twist” to the Murdoch family “soap opera”, said Crikey (Australia). In a sealed decision released last weekend, a probate commissioner has ruled against Rupert Murdoch’s attempt to alter the terms of …

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