Author: Trainee Reporter

United States: FIFA has introduced a limited number of lower-priced tickets for the 2026 World Cup in response to mounting criticism from fans and supporters’ organisations over what they described as ‘extortionate’ prices. The new tickets, priced at $60 (£45), will be available for a select group of ‘loyal fans’ from countries that have qualified for the tournament, which will be hosted jointly by Canada, Mexico and the United States. The tickets fall under the newly created ‘supporter entry tier’ and will account for 10 percent of each participating nation’s allocation. A FIFA official close to discussions said the decision…

Michigan: Ford Motor has announced that the company is retreating from plans to produce large electric vehicles, arguing that the business case for such models has weakened significantly. According to the company, demand for large EVs has fallen short of expectations, while production costs remain high and regulatory support has eased. Chief executive Jim Farley described the move as a ‘customer-driven shift’ aimed at building a stronger and more profitable business. Jim Farley said Ford will redeploy capital into areas offering higher returns, including trucks, vans, hybrid vehicles and energy storage. As part of the overhaul, Ford will no longer…

Washington: United States President Donald Trump has announced plans to sign an executive order formally classifying fentanyl and its core precursor chemicals as a ‘weapon of mass destruction’ (WMD), marking a further escalation in the administration’s use of militarised language to frame its campaign against international drug trafficking networks. The announcement at a White House event, followed repeated references by the administration to drug smugglers as ‘narco-terrorists’ and the designation of several Latin American cartels as foreign terrorist organisations. Officials have increasingly argued that such groups are not merely profit-driven criminal networks, but actors seeking to destabilise the United States.…

Santiago: Chile has elected far-right politician José Antonio Kast as its next president, marking the country’s sharpest shift to the right since the end of the military dictatorship in 1990. Kast defeated left-wing coalition candidate Jeanette Jara with over 58 percent of the vote in his third presidential run, campaigning heavily on themes of security, immigration, and crime. In his first address as president-elect, Kast pledged a hardline approach to crime. Kast stated that, “Chile will once again be free from crime, free from anguish, free from fear. Criminals, delinquents – their lives are going to change. We’re going to…

Washington: A JetBlue flight departing the Caribbean island of Curacao has halted its climb to avoid a potential midair collision with a US Air Force refuelling tanker, according to air traffic control recordings and airline officials. In a recorded exchange with air traffic controllers, the JetBlue pilot blamed the military aircraft for crossing directly into the jet’s flight path without an active transponder. The pilot added that the Air Force aircraft was flying at the same altitude and passed within an estimated two to five miles, forcing the commercial jet to stop its climb. The pilot also said the tanker…

Santiago: Nearly 15.6 million Chileans are heading to the polls in a presidential runoff that could mark the sharpest rightward shift in the country since the end of the military dictatorship in 1990. The runoff pits far-right Republican Party founder Jose Antonio Kast against leftist coalition candidate Jeannette Jara from the Communist Party. While Jara won November’s first round with 26.85 percent of the vote, Kast finished second with 23.92 percent. Analysts suggest most supporters of other right-wing candidates are likely to back Kast, giving him a clear path to the presidency. Campaigns focus on crime and security As the…

Rhode Island: A manhunt is under way after a mass shooting at Brown University left two students dead and nine others injured, prompting a campus-wide lockdown and shelter-in-place orders. The shooting occurred inside a classroom at the Barus and Holley building, part of the university’s engineering school, where exams were being held. Police said the suspect opened fire during a review session before fleeing the scene. Brown University, one of the oldest and most prestigious institutions in the United States and a member of the Ivy League, was immediately placed on lockdown as local and state police launched an extensive…

Canada: Residents across the Pacific Northwest in the United States and western Canada are bracing for potentially life-threatening floods as days of relentless rainfall continue to swell major rivers and tributaries. Officials have warned that the worst may not yet be over, with additional storms forecast in the coming days. In Washington state, heavy flooding along the Skagit and Snohomish rivers is expected to continue. Governor Bob Ferguson has declared a statewide emergency, cautioning that up to 100,000 residents could face evacuation orders as rising water levels threaten communities across the region. The emergency proclamation warned that continued rain and…

Washington: US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that would prevent individual states from enforcing their own artificial intelligence (AI) regulations, setting the stage for a national framework that consolidates oversight under federal authority. Trump said the decision was designed to eliminate regulatory fragmentation across the country. Trump stated that, “We want to have one central source of approval.” White House AI adviser David Sacks said the executive order gives the administration tools to push back against what it considers the most ‘onerous’ state-level rules, while noting that the federal government will not challenge regulations related specifically to…

Washington: The US Federal Reserve has lowered interest rates for the third time this year, reducing its key lending rate by 0.25 percentage points to a range of 3.50 percent–3.75 percent, the lowest level since 2022. The move underscores policymakers’ growing concerns about a weakening job market, despite inflation remaining stubbornly above the central bank’s 2 percent target. The decision revealed widening rifts among Fed officials, with three policymakers dissenting. Stephen Miran, currently on leave from Donald Trump’s Council of Economic Advisers, pushed for a deeper 0.50-point cut, while Austan Goolsbee of the Chicago Fed and Jeffrey Schmid of the…