Author: Trainee Reporter

United States: President Joe Biden is considering issuing pre-emptive pardons to notable critics of President-elect Donald Trump, as concerns grow over potential revenge from Trump’s incoming administration. Biden has discussed the prospect with senior White House aides, though no specific names have been formally suggested. The move would aim to shield individuals who opposed Trump during his previous term, including figures involved in the impeachment efforts and the investigation of the 2021 Capitol riots. US media reports suggest potential recipients include Dr. Anthony Fauci, who criticised Trump’s COVID-19 response, and California Senator-elect Adam Schiff, who led the first impeachment case.…

Colombia: Colombia’s Finance Minister, Ricardo Bonilla has stepped down following allegations of corruption linked to the country’s disaster relief agency. In a major shake-up within President Gustavo Petro’s administration, Bonilla, who announced his resignation, denied all charges, maintaining his innocence in the face of accusations involving fund diversion and vote-buying within Congress. Bonilla stated that, “I leave with my head held high,” adding that his legal defence rests on truth and transparency. Despite accepting his resignation, President Petro defended Bonilla, calling him a determined economist and criticising what he described as the pervasive corruption in Colombian politics. Bonilla’s resignation follows…

France: The French government has collapsed after Prime Minister Michel Barnier was ousted in a no-confidence vote. Members of Parliament overwhelmingly reinforced the motion against him, with 331 votes in favour—far exceeding the 288 needed to pass. This marks the first time since 1962 that France’s government has fallen due to a no-confidence vote, heightening the political instability caused by a fragmented parliament. The collapse comes just three months after Barnier, a former Brexit negotiator, was designated by President Emmanuel Macron. The motion of no confidence was flashed by Barnier’s use of special presidential powers to force through a controversial…

United Kingdom: Telegram has agreed to collaborate with the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) to combat the spread of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), marking a notable shift after years of resistance. The IWF, a globally recognised organisation used by major online platforms to detect and remove CSAM, will now work with Telegram to enforce its world-leading tools. This decision follows growing criticism and a legal challenge to Telegram’s failure to negotiate extreme content. In August, the platform’s founder, Pavel Durov, was arrested in Paris for alleged negligence in addressing illegal activities on the app, including drug trafficking, cybercrime, and CSAM.…

United States: Meta, the tech giant behind Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, has reported minimal AI impact on elections worldwide this year. The company attributed this success to advanced defences against coordinated misinformation campaigns and bot networks, according to Nick Clegg, Meta’s president of global affairs. Since 2017, Meta has dismantled 39 coordinated misinformation networks originating in Russia, followed by Iran and China. Clegg underlined that despite concerns over generative AI, the volume of AI-generated misinformation remained low. Harmful content, including deep fake videos and audio clips, was swiftly flagged and removed. In the U.S. alone, Meta blocked 590,000 attempts to…

United States: President-elect Donald Trump has announced the nomination of businessman Warren Stephens to serve as the United States ambassador to the United Kingdom. In a statement on Truth Social, Trump expressed his enthusiasm, saying that, “Warren has always dreamed of serving the United States full time. I am thrilled that he will now have that possibility as the top diplomat, representing the USA to one of America’s most cherished and beloved allies.” Stephens, the CEO of Arkansas-based investment bank Stephens Inc., has been a major donor to Trump’s political campaigns, contributing millions to his re-election efforts. If confirmed, he…

China: A squadron of six Chinese Chengdu J-10 fighter jets has dazzled spectators with spectacular aerobatics during the China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition, commonly known as the Zhuhai Airshow. Held from November 12 to 17 in the southern city of Zhuhai, the event showcased the People’s Liberation Army’s latest advancements in aviation, drawing nearly 600,000 visitors and generating $38.7 billion in deals, according to Chinese state media. Among the highlights was the unveiling of the long-anticipated J-35A stealth fighter and an updated Harbin Z-20 helicopter. The Russian Su-57 stealth warplane also made its first appearance outside Russia. However, experts…

Australia: Australian authorities have dismantled what they described as the country’s largest cocaine bust, arresting 13 individuals and seizing 2.3 tonnes of the drug. The massive haul has a street value of $494 million (760 million Australian dollars). The arrests were made after the Australian Federal Police (AFP) tracked a fishing vessel allegedly used to meet with a mother ship carrying cocaine off the Queensland coast. When the fishing boat broke down 18 kilometres (10 nautical miles) offshore, police moved in, making multiple arrests. Among the 13 detained were 11 adult men and two juveniles, all charged with a scheme…

Netherlands: Stellantis CEO, Carlos Tavares, has stepped down immediately, marking an incredible shake-up at the helm of one of the world’s largest carmakers. Stellantis, the parent company of Chrysler, Vauxhall, Jeep, Fiat, and Peugeot, has been steering a turbulent period marked by falling sales, a sharp drop in profits, and a 40 percent plunge in its share price this year. The resignation arrives just two months after the automaker allocated a profit warning and days after it revealed plans to shut down its Vauxhall van factory in Luton, threatening 1,100 jobs. In a statement, Henri de Castries, Stellantis’ senior independent…

Australia: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has reaffirmed Labour’s commitment to specifying a national environmental watchdog, despite shelving Greens deal during the final parliamentary sitting week. The planned reforms, central to Labour’s election promises, include creating an Environmental Protection Agency to supervise national compliance and an Environmental Information Agency to manage data. However, last-minute negotiations between Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek and Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young were revoked by Albanese after discussions with Western Australian Premier Roger Cook. Albanese stressed that the government would advance the reforms “on the basis of our values” without bowing to crossbench demands. Albanese stated that, “We…