Author: Trainee Reporter

New Zealand: An oil painting of a Maori elder by renowned New Zealand artist Charles Frederick Goldie has set a new record, evolving the most valuable artwork of its kind in New Zealand history. The portrait, Thoughts of a Tohunga, fetched $2.2 million (NZ$3.75 million), marking the highest price ever paid for a painting at an auction in the country. The painting portrays Wharekauri Tahuna, an esteemed Maori priest believed to be one of the last tattooed men of his generation. Goldie, who was known for his portraits of Maori leaders, painted the work in 1938, nine years before his…

United States: Donald Trump, the US President-elect, has selected Dr Jay Bhattacharya, a notable critic of Covid lockdown policies, as the next director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Bhattacharya, a Stanford University-trained physician and economist, is widely recognised for co-authoring the controversial Great Barrington Declaration, which fought widespread pandemic lockdowns in favour of targeted protection for powerless populations. Trump announced Bhattacharya’s nomination, describing him as a leader capable of reforming the NIH into “a Gold Standard of Medical Research.” Bhattacharya expressed his gratitude on social media, vowing to “reform American scientific institutions” and focus on making the nation…

Egypt: A search for 16 people missing after the Sea Story tourist boat sank in the Red Sea has resumed for a second day. The vessel, which was carrying 44 passengers, sent a despair signal at 5:30 AM (03:30 GMT) before it sank within minutes. So far, 28 people have been rescued. Among the missing are two British nationals, one Finnish, and four Egyptians. Authorities believe the boat may have been hit by a large wave, contributing to the rapid sinking. The incident occurred near Marsa Alam, a popular diving destination on Egypt’s southern Red Sea coast. The Sea Story,…

Australia: The Macquarie Dictionary, Australia’s leading authority on Australian English, has selected “enshittification” as its Word of the Year for 2024. The slang term refers to the gradual decline in the quality of online products and services due to profit-driven decisions. In a statement, the judging panel said the word echoed with a growing sentiment that things, particularly in the digital realm, are steadily worsening. The panel noted that, “This word captures what many of us feel is happening to the world and so many aspects of our lives at the moment.” Macquarie defines “enshittification” as the “gradual deterioration of…

Taiwan: Taiwan’s defence ministry has reported the detection of a Chinese balloon, marking the first such incident since April. The balloon was observed on 24th November at 6:21 PM local time, approximately 111 km (69 miles) northwest of Keelung City, at an altitude of 33,000 feet. It entered Taiwan’s Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) and vanished two hours later at 8:15 PM. This latest sighting was part of a broader military presence in the region, with the Taiwanese ministry also noting the detection of 12 Chinese military aircraft and seven warships in the surrounding waters over the past 24 hours.…

Romania: Ultranationalist Calin Georgescu has emerged as the frontrunner in the Romanian presidential election, securing 22% of the vote with 96% of ballots counted. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, a pro-European Social Democrat, trails closely with 20%, according to preliminary figures from the Central Electoral Bureau. Georgescu’s unexpected rise, forced by a grassroots campaign heavily reliant on TikTok, has upended earlier exit polls that had projected Ciolacu as the clear leader and centre-right candidate Elena Lasconi as his likely challenger. Lasconi currently holds third place with 18%, while nationalist George Simion is in fourth. The result positions Georgescu, who ran independently…

Russia: The Ukraine-Russia war has marked its 1,000th day this week with heightened tensions, as Western nations particularly expanded military support for Ukraine and Moscow responded with new nuclear threats. The United States delivered a major policy shift by allowing Ukraine to use ATACMS long-range missiles to strike targets inside Russia, resulting in missile hits on Russia’s Bryansk region. This was followed by UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles hitting Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces have charged 600 sq km of Russian territory. In addition, outgoing President Joe Biden approved the deployment of controversial anti-personnel landmines to Ukraine, further strengthening its…

United States: Donald Trump has named Scott Bessent, a prominent Wall Street financier and former advisor to George Soros, as his nominee for US Treasury Secretary. The appointment caps a lengthy selection process for one of the administration’s most influential posts, with sweeping responsibilities over tax policy, public debt, international finance, and economic sanctions. Bessent, 62, has been a vocal advocate of Trump’s America First agenda, pledging to strengthen US competitiveness and implement policies that reduce trade imbalances.  Trump wrote in his announcement on Truth Social, mentioning that, “Scott is widely respected as one of the world’s foremost international investors…

England: Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has signed a two-year contract extension, keeping him at the Premier League champions until 2027. The extension will see the Spanish manager spend more than a decade at the club, having joined in 2016 and transformed City into a football powerhouse, securing six league titles and one Champions League trophy. Guardiola’s decision to expand his tenure will be a relief to City fans, who had concerns that his time at the club might be approaching an end with his previous contract set to expire at the end of this season. In a statement, the…

Pakistan: A tragic convoy attack has claimed at least 41 lives, including women and children after anonymous gunmen attacked a convoy of 200 passenger vehicles in Pakistan’s tribal district of Kurram. The convoy, travelling through the remote mountainous region near the Afghan border, was under police escort due to ongoing sectarian violence in the area. According to officials, the attackers first targeted the police escort before spreading fire indiscriminately on the vehicles. Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos and horror. Saeeda Bano, a survivor, recounted how she hid beneath car seats with her children as gunfire erupted around them. When the…