Author: Trainee Reporter

Galveston: A small Mexican Navy aircraft carrying a medical patient and seven others crashed off the southern coast of the United States near Texas, killing at least five people. In a statement, Mexico’s Navy confirmed that eight people were on board the plane, including four Navy officers and four civilians, among them a child. Two people survived the crash, while one person remains missing. The Mexican Marine Corps expressed condolences, saying it was sending its deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this tragic accident. US Coast Guard Petty Officer Luke Baker told The Associated…

Maryland: The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a pill version of the popular weight-loss drug Wegovy, pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk announced, marking a major milestone in obesity treatment. The once-daily oral medication is the first weight-loss pill of its kind to receive FDA approval and is expected to offer patients a more convenient alternative to injectable therapies. Novo Nordisk said the pill delivers weight-loss results comparable to the Wegovy injection, which had already been approved specifically for weight management. Wegovy is part of a class of drugs known as GLP-1 receptor agonists. Similar medications, such as Ozempic,…

Malaysia: Senior diplomats from Southeast Asia have convened in Malaysia, in an effort to halt escalating border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia that have left at least 41 people dead and forced nearly one million others from their homes. The talks, held in Kuala Lumpur, aimed to revive a ceasefire brokered in July by Malaysia, the current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with the involvement of US President Donald Trump. It marked the first face-to-face meeting between Thai and Cambodian officials since fighting resumed on December 8, with both sides accusing each other of reigniting hostilities.…

Niigata: Japan’s Niigata prefecture is expected to endorse the restart of the world’s largest nuclear power plant, marking a significant step in the country’s gradual return to nuclear energy more than a decade after the Fukushima disaster. The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power station, located around 220 kilometres northwest of Tokyo, was shut down along with dozens of reactors nationwide following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that triggered the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear crisis. Of the 54 reactors taken offline at the time, only 14 of the 33 still operable units have since been restarted. If approved, Kashiwazaki-Kariwa would become the first nuclear…

Miami: Former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has knocked out YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in the sixth round of their much-hyped, Netflix-backed fight at the Kaseya Centre. The two-time world champion eventually asserted his superior size and power to end a contest that struggled to live up to its billing, despite a reported combined purse of $184 million. While many had predicted an early stoppage, Paul managed to survive the opening rounds by staying out of range and repeatedly resorting to clinching as Joshua searched for a decisive opening. The eight-round bout descended into farce at times, with Paul dropping to…

Washington: The US government has announced new pilot programmes aimed at reducing out-of-pocket drug costs for older and disabled Americans enrolled in Medicare, bringing prices closer to those paid in economically comparable countries. The Centres for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) said the initiatives, titled Guarding US Medicare Against Rising Drug Costs (GUARD) and Global Benchmark for Efficient Drug Pricing (GLOBE), will assess manufacturer rebates when drug prices under Medicare exceed those charged in similar international markets. Under the GLOBE model, CMS will use global pricing data to calculate manufacturer rebates and determine patient out-of-pocket costs for select drugs covered…

United States: TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance has signed binding agreements with US and global investors that will give them majority ownership of the company’s American business, TikTok chief executive Shou Zi Chew told employees in a memo. Under the deal, a newly formed joint venture will see 50 percent ownership held by a consortium of investors including Oracle, Silver Lake and Abu Dhabi-based investment firm MGX. The transaction is expected to close on January 22, potentially ending years of political and legal uncertainty surrounding the popular video-sharing app in the United States. ByteDance will retain a 19.9 percent stake in…

Sydney: Australia will introduce sweeping new laws to crack down on hate speech and extremism following a deadly shooting at a Jewish festival in Sydney, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced. Fifteen people were killed, when two gunmen opened fire at a Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach, in what authorities described as a terrorist attack inspired by ISIS ideology. Speaking in Canberra, Albanese said the new legislation would target those who spread hate, division and radicalisation, while reaffirming the government’s commitment to protecting Australia’s Jewish community. Albanese stated that, “Every Jewish Australian has the right to feel safe, valued and…

California: The Academy Awards will begin streaming exclusively on YouTube starting in 2029, marking a significant transformation in how Hollywood’s most prestigious ceremony reaches global audiences. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that it has signed a multi-year agreement granting YouTube exclusive worldwide rights to broadcast the Oscars through 2033. Under the deal, the awards ceremony will be streamed live and free on YouTube. For over 50 years, the Oscars have been broadcast on ABC, which has held the broadcast rights since 1976. The 2028 ceremony will be among the final telecasts hosted by ABC, with the…

Washington: Talks between the UK and the United States over the proposed Technology Prosperity Deal have stalled, with US officials raising concerns about what they see as broader UK trade barriers. Downing Street said the UK remains in active conversations with US counterparts at all levels of government on the wide-ranging tech partnership, despite the slowdown. The deal was billed as ‘historic’ when it was unveiled during US President Donald Trump’s state visit in September, with both countries pledging closer cooperation in areas including artificial intelligence and quantum computing. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman declined to comment on the specifics…