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Finland’s representative to last month’s Miss Universe pageant in Thailand triggered an international backlash after a photograph showing her pulling the corners of her eyes circulated online. The 22-year-old, Sarah Dzafce, uploaded the image on 11 December with a caption that referenced eating with a Chinese person; the gesture and wording were widely judged disrespectful … Read more

Warner Bros. Discovery’s board on Wednesday unanimously recommended that shareholders reject Paramount Skydance’s unsolicited $30-per-share cash tender offer, saying the bid—which Paramount values at an enterprise value of $108.4 billion—is inadequate and carries significant risks. The board reaffirmed its support for a pending transaction with Netflix, which it describes as a superior and more certain … Read more

Metropolitan and Greater Manchester police announced they will arrest people who hold placards or chant the slogan “globalise the intifada” at protests, saying the phrase can have violent consequences. The move followed a mass shooting at Bondi Beach that killed 15 people and a UK synagogue knife attack on 2 October that killed two, incidents … Read more

U.S. prosecutors in Manhattan unsealed an indictment on Dec. 17, 2025, charging Tricolor Holdings founder and CEO Daniel Chu and COO David Goodgame with a years-long, “systematic fraud” scheme that prosecutors say helped the bankrupt subprime auto lender obtain billions. The charges allege misconduct dating at least from 2018 through September 2025 and center on … Read more

Lead: NASA’s MAVEN orbiter has not transmitted any telemetry since Dec. 4, and engineers working the mission reported an update on Dec. 15 that a fragment of tracking data recovered on Dec. 6 suggests the vehicle may be rotating. Launched in November 2013 and arriving at Mars about 10 months later, MAVEN was built to … Read more

Close friends and long-time collaborators of Rob and Michele Reiner, including Billy Crystal, Albert Brooks, Martin Short and Larry David, issued a joint statement mourning the couple two days after they were found dead in their Brentwood, Los Angeles, home. The statement—released first to The Associated Press—praised Rob Reiner’s range as a director and performer … Read more

Lead: Apple is reportedly preparing two strategic changes to make the iPhone Air 2 more appealing ahead of a spring 2027 launch. Sources say the company is weighing the addition of a second rear camera and a lower U.S. starting price to address weak demand for the current iPhone Air. The current model, introduced with … Read more

Lead Week 16 shapes the playoff map across both conferences. Key games on Sunday and Thursday (including Denver vs. Jacksonville, New England at Baltimore, and Seattle vs. Los Angeles) will determine several playoff berths, a division crown and the AFC’s top seed. The Denver Broncos (12-2) have already clinched a playoff spot and can lock … Read more

Lead On Monday, 16 December 2025, a private jet attempting an emergency landing crashed in San Mateo Atenco, about 50 kilometres west of Mexico City, killing at least seven people and sparking a large fire. The aircraft had departed Acapulco earlier and was reported to have registered eight passengers and two crew; hours after the … Read more

The Office for National Statistics reported that UK consumer price inflation eased to 3.2% in the year to November, down from 3.6% in October, marking the lowest annual rate in eight months. The November decline was led by falls in food, clothing and alcohol prices and came ahead of the Bank of England’s interest-rate decision … Read more

Lead: A randomized clinical trial published in the Journal of the American Medical Association reports that tailoring breast cancer screening to individual risk detected cancers at earlier, more treatable stages than offering annual mammograms to all women. The trial enrolled more than 28,000 women between September 2016 and February 2023 and followed participants through September … Read more

On Dec. 16, 2025, a Liverpool court sentenced 53-year-old Paul Doyle to 21 years and six months in prison after he drove a car into crowds leaving Liverpool F.C.’s May 26 victory parade in Liverpool, England, injuring more than 130 people. The incident occurred on Water Street as roughly one million fans dispersed after celebrating … Read more

Lead: Larian Studios, the developer behind Baldur’s Gate 3, confirmed this week that it is experimenting with generative AI in early development work for its newly announced RPG Divinity, while insisting final creative assets will be produced by humans. The comments by co‑founder and designer Swen Vincke followed the game’s reveal at The Game Awards … Read more

Lead: Claire Lai told CNN on Dec. 16, 2025 that she is “devastated” after a Hong Kong court found her father, media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai, guilty under the national security law. The 78-year-old faces the prospect of life imprisonment following a two-year trial arising from actions prosecutors say amounted to collusion with foreign forces. The … Read more

Lead: The New York Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 124-113 on Tuesday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas to win the third Emirates NBA Cup. Jalen Brunson was named Cup MVP as New York claimed the trophy and a $530,933 payout per player, while the Spurs players received $212,373 apiece. The single-game final crowned … Read more