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SpaceX's STARLINK-6079 satellite had a close encounter with the Chinese Kinetica 1 rocket, coming as close as 200 meters, sparking fear of a collision in low Earth orbit. “When satellite operators do not share ephemeris for their satellites, dangerously close approaches can occur in space,” said Starlink engineering VP Michael Nicolls.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">When satellite operators do not share ephemeris for their satellites, dangerously close approaches can occur in space. A few days ago, 9 satellites were deployed from a launch from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwestern China. As far as we know, no coordination or…&mdash; Michael Nicolls (@michaelnicollsx) <a href="https://twitter.com/michaelnicollsx/status/1999630601046097947?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The Chinese Kinetica rocket was launched on December 9, 2025, by the Guangzhou-based space company CAS Space from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the Gobi Desert. It carries six Chinese multifunctional satellites. “Our team is currently in contact for more details,” CAS Space tweeted. It asserted that all CAS space rockets use their launch window system with ground-based cooperation to avoid collision with space debris and other space objects. It also agreed with Nicholis for further collaboration to avoid orbital collisions. “This calls for re-establishing collaborations between the two New Space ecosystems,” wrote the CAS Space in a follow-up.&nbsp;<h2>Clusters of satellites are a ticking time bomb</h2>There are roughly 13,000 functioning satellites present in the Earth's orbit; among them, SpaceX alone has close to 9,300 satellites, almost ⅓ of which were launched in 2025. According to a Harvard Astrophysicist, Jonathan McDowell, there is at least one or two satellites that collapse every day. &nbsp;Nearly 54,000 space objects with a size of four inches remain as space debris in orbit, whereas nearly 140 million other pieces measuring between 0.04 inches and 0.39 inches are available in space. According to Leo Labs, this is a ticking time bomb. At any moment, just a single collision could set off a chain reaction dubbed the Kessler syndrome, potentially rendering orbits unusable for satellites and space travel for generations.

A SpaceX Starlink satellite narrowly avoided a collision with China’s Kinetica-1 rocket, coming within 200 metres in low Earth orbit. The incident has reignited concerns over space debris, satellite congestion, and the risk of a catastrophic Kessler syndrome.

SpaceX's STARLINK-6079 satellite had a close encounter with the Chinese Kinetica 1 rocket, coming as close as 200 meters, sparking fear of a collision in low Earth orbit. “When satellite operators do not share ephemeris for their satellites, dangerously close approaches can occur in space,” said Starlink engineering VP Michael Nicolls.

A SpaceX Starlink satellite narrowly avoided a collision with China’s Kinetica-1 rocket, coming within 200 metres in low Earth orbit. The incident has reignited concerns over space debris, satellite congestion, and the risk of a catastrophic Kessler syndrome.

Space X satellite and Chinese rocket had a disturbing close encounter as Earth's orbit gets overcrowded

Gen Z–led protests erupted across Nepal, Madagascar, Indonesia, Morocco, Bulgaria, Philippines, Peru, Mexico, Kenya and Paraguay in 2025. Triggered by corruption, poor governance and economic distress, youth-driven movements reshaped politics and challenged power globally.

Fire, tear-gas, graffiti and more: From Nepal to Madagascar, how Gen Z protests shook governments | YEARENDER 2025

A married couple who lost their lives in the Bondi Beach terror attack have been hailed as heroes after footage revealed they tried to disarm one of the attackers to save others. Boris Gurman, 69, and his wife Sofia, 61, confronted the danger head-on when gunfire erupted, their family said, choosing to act rather than flee as chaos unfolded around them. Dashcam video from the scene shows Boris grappling with one of the shooters, managing to take the firearm from his hands before both fell onto the roadway. Moments later, Boris can be seen rising and hitting the attacker with the seized weapon. Investigators believe the assailant then accessed another gun, which was used to fatally shoot Boris and Sofia.<h2>See the dashcam video below</h2>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">BREAKING: New dashcam footage reveals that an elderly Australian hero and his wife almost managed to stop the Bondi Massacre before it even began. They saw the jihadist death squad jump out of a car draped with an ISIS flag and immediately attempted to tackle the gun men. The… <a href="https://t.co/2moVt1P9zc">pic.twitter.com/2moVt1P9zc</a>&mdash; Drew Pavlou 🇦🇺🇺🇸🇺🇦🇹🇼 (@DrewPavlou) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrewPavlou/status/2000769153234559021?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

In a statement, the Gurman family said their grief is matched by deep pride in the couple’s courage. “Nothing can ease the pain of losing Boris and Sofia, but their bravery and instinct to protect others defines who they were,” the statement read. The couple, who had been married for 34 years, were identified as the first victims killed in Sunday’s attack, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. They were attending an event marking the first night of Hanukkah when the shooting began.&nbsp;Family members described Boris as a retired mechanic known for his quiet generosity and readiness to help anyone. Sofia worked at Australia Post and was cherished by her colleagues and neighbours. “Together, they lived honest, hardworking lives and treated everyone with kindness and respect,” the statement said. “They were deeply devoted to each other and their family. Their loss has left an unbearable emptiness.”&nbsp;Witnesses at the scene described Boris as fearless. The owner of the dashcam footage told news agency Reuters that he did not attempt to escape. “He ran directly toward the threat, using everything he had to fight for others,” she said, adding that seeing him collapse after being shot was “heartbreaking”.&nbsp;Another eyewitness told Australian media publication 9News that Boris’s actions came at the very start of the attack. “He put himself right in the line of fire when bullets were already flying,” the witness said. “People need to know what he tried to do.” Police have declared the shooting a terrorist act aimed at the Jewish community.&nbsp;At least 15 people were killed in the attack, including a 10-year-old girl, a British-born rabbi, a retired police officer, and a Holocaust survivor. Victims ranged in age from 10 to 87. 29 others remain hospitalised, with nine listed in critical condition.

Bondi Beach terror attack: Dashcam shows married couple died attempting to save others during shooting | VIDEO

A married couple who lost their lives in the Bondi Beach terror attack have been hailed as heroes after footage revealed they tried to disarm one of the attackers to save others. Boris Gurman, 69, and his wife Sofia, 61, confronted the danger head-on when gunfire erupted, their family said, choosing to act rather than flee as chaos unfolded around them. Dashcam video from the scene shows Boris grappling with one of the shooters, managing to take the firearm from his hands before both fell onto the roadway. Moments later, Boris can be seen rising and hitting the attacker with the seized weapon. Investigators believe the assailant then accessed another gun, which was used to fatally shoot Boris and Sofia. See the dashcam video below

A new dashcam footage shows a Bondi couple killed while bravely trying to disarm one of the gunman, as police confirm the attack targeted the Jewish community

Thailand cut a fuel route through Laos amid fears supplies were diverted to Cambodia as border fighting escalated. Cambodia accused Thailand of bombing areas near Angkor temples. Thailand denied ceasefire talks despite Trump’s claims, as clashes over disputed borders displaced thousands

Thailand-Cambodia conflict spills over to Laos, Trump's ceasefire call fails, India's statement - What's happening now

Like it or hate it, AI has been firmly embedded in daily life in 2025, and the controversies surrounding it have become ubiquitous. From an allegedly antisemitic AI chatbot, to millions of pages of pirated books used to train large language models, to an AI model destroying its own database, there were major AI-related controversies almost every month. Here is a roundup of the most notable ones.<h2>AI robocalls in US election to Grok giving “antisemitic” answers</h2>The year started with allegations that AI-generated robocalls were used to influence voters during the US presidential election that was won by Donald Trump. The calls reportedly mimicked public figures’ voices and allegedly spread misinformation.&nbsp;Political controversy was not limited to elections. In July, xAI’s Grok faced heavy criticism after a system prompt change reportedly encouraged “politically incorrect” responses. These included answers widely described as antisemitic, violent and offensive.<h2>Ransomware powered by AI models?</h2>In August, a controversial ransomware prototype was uncovered. PromptLock, identified by security researchers, was an AI-powered ransomware ‘proof of concept’ that demonstrated how locally run language models could be used to dynamically generate attack logic and even automate extortion. Although not deployed at scale, the ransomware that could be automated via AI was alarming for cybersecurity experts.<h2>Pirated books and a 1.5 billion dollar settlement</h2>AI startup Anthropic agreed to a 1.5 billion dollar settlement in a class-action lawsuit over the use of pirated content from books for training its language models. A group of authors had alleged large-scale copyright infringement. The settlement was among the largest to date related to AI training data.<h2>AI hits Hollywood workers, as Disney embraces Sora</h2>Trade unions and creatives in Hollywood reacted angrily after legacy media company Disney entered into a deal with AI startup OpenAI that would allow AI-generated videos of Disney characters via Sora model. Critics argued the partnership could undermine creative jobs and devalue Disney’s intellectual property through mass production of fan-generated “AI slop”.&nbsp;The backlash came even as Disney almost simultaneously issued a cease-and-desist order to Google, accusing it of large-scale copyright infringement in AI training.<h2>Political and diplomatic deepfakes grow, AI agents sabotage their own systems</h2>Political and diplomatic deepfakes continued to proliferate throughout the year, complicating global relations and public trust. Meanwhile Replit's own AI coding agent deleted parts of its production databases during an automated operation.&nbsp;This was not the only ‘system failure’. Grok AI reportedly publicised more than 300,000 conversations that users thought were private.<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/open-ai-plans-1-4-tn-spend-on-computing-power-1764589595110/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/open-ai-plans-1-4-tn-spend-on-computing-power-1764589595110/embed</a><h2>Legacy industry's epic fail: Rehiring humans after AI bungled</h2>Several legacy industries experimented with AI but quietly reversed course. Financial institutions were among them, with Klarna acknowledging it had to rehire human customer service staff after its AI chatbot rollout led to higher call volumes, customer frustration and lower resolution rates, despite earlier claims of efficiency gains.Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/yearender-2025-the-year-of-ai-humanoid-robots-agntic-ai-competition-and-policy-reform-what-did-you-miss-1765864185978">YEARENDER: 2025 , the year of AI - Humanoid robots, Agntic AI, competition and policy reform - What did you miss?</a><h2>The harms of AI: Lawsuits and human cost</h2>Multiple lawsuits alleged that AI systems encouraged self-harm and suicidal ideation among teenagers. Parents accused companies like OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, of exposing children to harmful advice and emotionally manipulative interactions. Ethical data use, job displacement, and environmental damage - particularly the energy demand and carbon footprint of large data centres - were also hotly debated.Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/ai-is-expanding-the-frontier-of-what-is-possible-says-microsoft-ceo-satya-nadella-1765638706782">AI is expanding the ‘frontier of what is possible’, says Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella</a><h2>AI regulation multiplied too: Taming the machines over deepfake and sexual content</h2>The year saw more than 1,000 AI-related bills introduced across states in the US, reflecting a shift towards decentralised regulation.&nbsp;Several states moved to restrict or prohibit independent AI-driven medical diagnoses without human oversight. At the federal level, President Trump issued an executive order rescinding a number of earlier safety-focused AI rules, instead prioritising innovation and reducing regulatory barriers.&nbsp;In Europe, the European Union’s AI Act provisions for general-purpose models came into effect in August.Deepfake laws also proliferated in the US, with states enacting 68 new statutes, most of them focused on non-consensual sexual content and impersonation.

The year 2025 exposed AI’s legal, ethical and social risks; from election robocalls to antisemitic chatbots, ransomware, pirated content for training and Hollywood backlash. Regulation struggled to keep pace with the mindboggling pace of AI developments. Here is a roundup


Like it or hate it, AI has been firmly embedded in daily life in 2025, and the controversies surrounding it have become ubiquitous. From an allegedly antisemitic AI chatbot, to millions of pages of pirated books used to train large language models, to an AI model destroying its own database, there were major AI-related controversies almost every month. Here is a roundup of the most notable ones. AI robocalls in US election to Grok giving “antisemitic” answers The year started with allegations that AI-generated robocalls were used to influence voters during the US presidential election that was won by Donald Trump. The calls reportedly mimicked public figures’ voices and allegedly spread misinformation. Political controversy was not limited to elections. In July, xAI’s Grok faced heavy criticism after a system prompt change reportedly encouraged “politically incorrect” responses. These included answers widely described as antisemitic, violent and offensive. Ransomware powered by AI models? In August, a controversial ransomware prototype was uncovered. PromptLock, identified by security researchers, was an AI-powered ransomware ‘proof of concept’ that demonstrated how locally run language models could be used to dynamically generate attack logic and even automate extortion. Although not deployed at scale, the ransomware that could be automated via AI was alarming for cybersecurity experts. Pirated books and a 1.5 billion dollar settlement AI startup Anthropic agreed to a 1.5 billion dollar settlement in a class-action lawsuit over the use of pirated content from books for training its language models. A group of authors had alleged large-scale copyright infringement. The settlement was among the largest to date related to AI training data. AI hits Hollywood workers, as Disney embraces Sora Trade unions and creatives in Hollywood reacted angrily after legacy media company Disney entered into a deal with AI startup OpenAI that would allow AI-generated videos of Disney characters via Sora model. Critics argued the partnership could undermine creative jobs and devalue Disney’s intellectual property through mass production of fan-generated “AI slop”. The backlash came even as Disney almost simultaneously issued a cease-and-desist order to Google, accusing it of large-scale copyright infringement in AI training. Political and diplomatic deepfakes grow, AI agents sabotage their own systems Political and diplomatic deepfakes continued to proliferate throughout the year, complicating global relations and public trust. Meanwhile Replit's own AI coding agent deleted parts of its production databases during an automated operation. This was not the only ‘system failure’. Grok AI reportedly publicised more than 300,000 conversations that users thought were private. https://www.wionews.com/videos/open-ai-plans-1-4-tn-spend-on-computing-power-1764589595110/embed Legacy industry's epic fail: Rehiring humans after AI bungled Several legacy industries experimented with AI but quietly reversed course. Financial institutions were among them, with Klarna acknowledging it had to rehire human customer service staff after its AI chatbot rollout led to higher call volumes, customer frustration and lower resolution rates, despite earlier claims of efficiency gains. Also read: YEARENDER: 2025 , the year of AI - Humanoid robots, Agntic AI, competition and policy reform - What did you miss? The harms of AI: Lawsuits and human cost Multiple lawsuits alleged that AI systems encouraged self-harm and suicidal ideation among teenagers. Parents accused companies like OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, of exposing children to harmful advice and emotionally manipulative interactions. Ethical data use, job displacement, and environmental damage - particularly the energy demand and carbon footprint of large data centres - were also hotly debated. Also read: AI is expanding the ‘frontier of what is possible’, says Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella AI regulation multiplied too: Taming the machines over deepfake and sexual content The year saw more than 1,000 AI-related bills introduced across states in the US, reflecting a shift towards decentralised regulation. Several states moved to restrict or prohibit independent AI-driven medical diagnoses without human oversight. At the federal level, President Trump issued an executive order rescinding a number of earlier safety-focused AI rules, instead prioritising innovation and reducing regulatory barriers. In Europe, the European Union’s AI Act provisions for general-purpose models came into effect in August. Deepfake laws also proliferated in the US, with states enacting 68 new statutes, most of them focused on non-consensual sexual content and impersonation.

The year 2025 exposed AI’s legal, ethical and social risks; from election robocalls to antisemitic chatbots, ransomware, pirated content for training and Hollywood backlash. Regulation struggled to keep pace with the mindboggling pace of AI developments. Here is a recap

YEARENDER 2025: Biggest AI controversies, from robocall elections to ‘antisemitic’ Grok, ransomware and deepfake

A man who survived the October 7 Hamas terror attack at the Nova music festival was present in the mass shooting in the Bondi Beach Hanukkah terror attack. The man is identified as Arsen Ostrovsky, describes the incident as “an absolute bloodbath, a massacre”. Arsen Ostrovsky is recognised by the Jerusalem Post as the Top 50 Jewish Leaders of the world. He was visited in the hospital by Amir Maimon, the Israeli Ambassador to Australia, and &nbsp;Amichai Chikli, Israeli Minister of Diaspora and Combating Antisemitism, Zionist Strategist. The man posted a bloody selfie as he was lying there injured.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Amen <a href="https://twitter.com/lalshareef?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@lalshareef</a>, my brother! <a href="https://t.co/2FivHlcbeC">https://t.co/2FivHlcbeC</a>&mdash; Arsen Ostrovsky 🎗️ (@Ostrov_A) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ostrov_A/status/2000761676992520546?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2>What was Arsen doing in Australia?</h2>Arsen Ostrovsky reached Australia just a couple of weeks ahead of the terror attack, to take over his new role as head of the Australia-Israel &amp; Jewish Affairs Council Sydney office. He had reportedly lived in Israel for 13 years and had reportedly survived the October 7 Hamas terror attack.&nbsp;“I was here with my family, it was a Hanukkah celebration, there were hundreds of people, there were children, there were elderly people, families enjoying themselves", he said while talking to Australian TV channel News 9.Arsen had reached Australia in late November and posted pictures of “F**k Zionism” Graffiti and foretold that something big was going to happen. Arsen Ostrovsky had been a long supporter of the IDF and its massacre of the Palestinian people. He mocked Greta Thunberg as a Jihadi and urged that Palestinians deserve to die.&nbsp;He reportedly escaped death as a bullet just skimmed past his head, and the most reasonable, sane response he had was to take a selfie.&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">This Arsen Ostrovsky? The fanatic genocidal zionist hate bully, with this &#39;moral&#39; view on Palestinian people? <a href="https://t.co/89qe4wF2Vr">https://t.co/89qe4wF2Vr</a> <a href="https://t.co/UCijHYbHMB">pic.twitter.com/UCijHYbHMB</a>&mdash; 🆆🄸🆂🅂🅴🄽🍉 (@java_wisman) <a href="https://twitter.com/java_wisman/status/2000177736564764763?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Arsen Ostrovsky, a survivor of the October 7 Hamas attack, was injured in the Bondi Beach Hanukkah shooting weeks after moving to Australia.

A man who survived the October 7 Hamas terror attack at the Nova music festival was present in the mass shooting in the Bondi Beach Hanukkah terror attack. The man is identified as Arsen Ostrovsky, describes the incident as “an absolute bloodbath, a massacre”. Arsen Ostrovsky is recognised by the Jerusalem Post as the Top 50 Jewish Leaders of the world. He was visited in the hospital by Amir Maimon, the Israeli Ambassador to Australia, and Amichai Chikli, Israeli Minister of Diaspora and Combating Antisemitism, Zionist Strategist. The man posted a bloody selfie as he was lying there injured.

Arsen Ostrovsky, a survivor of the October 7 Hamas attack, was injured in the Bondi Beach Hanukkah shooting weeks after moving to Australia.

Who is Arsen Ostrovsky? The man survived Nova festival Hamas attack and Bondi Beach attack

Germany has developed a unique concept that combines public transportation with nightlife, transforming subway cars and train carriages into mobile nightclubs. The concept has been dubbed “Techno Subway Party,” which transforms regular trains into clubs. During the ride, DJs perform live techno sets inside the subway cars, creating a high-energy, club-like atmosphere.&nbsp;A video surfaced on social media shows passengers in the metro coaches dancing to the electronic beats and enjoying the festive mood in the train. In the next scene, a DJ is seen playing the playlist and dancing with the people surrounding him.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨⚡️Crazy idea Germans invent a new way where a unique event called the &quot;Techno Subway Party&quot; transforms subway cars into mobile parties. DJs deliver live performances while passengers dance and enjoy a club-like atmosphere on board the train, from late afternoon until… <a href="https://t.co/f5ydFXIwLQ">pic.twitter.com/f5ydFXIwLQ</a>&mdash; RussiaNews 🇷🇺 (@mog_russEN) <a href="https://twitter.com/mog_russEN/status/2000581067087245387?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The event typically runs from late afternoon until evening, drawing music lovers and curious commuters alike. The initiative showcases the innovative approach to urban culture in Germany, reimagining everyday spaces as platforms for shared entertainment and community-driven experiences.<h3>About Techno Subway Party</h3>The event was launched in 2019 by Nuremberg nightclub Haus 33. The moving nightclub runs only twice a year, and it has only two official stops: where it starts and where it ends. The journey of the party begins at Frankenstadion station at about 4 pm, and travels around 100km towards Wurzburg, then loops back to Nuremberg Central Station by about 11 pm.&nbsp;The train consists of 12 carriages, three of which are converted into dedicated dance floors equipped with DJ consoles, sound systems and onboard bars. Nearly 25 DJs perform throughout the journey as hundreds of revellers move between different coaches. Each ride is capped at around 700 tickets, which sell out within seconds despite minimal promotion.&nbsp;The place always remains strictly under the security measures. In line with transport regulations requiring seating for every passenger, calmer chill-out carriages are also provided alongside the high-energy party zones.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/statue-of-liberty-powerful-storms-topple-replica-in-brazil-s-rio-grande-do-sul-here-s-what-happened-next-watch-1765860477164">Statue of Liberty: Powerful storms topple replica of structure in Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul; Here's what happened next — WATCH</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;

The event typically runs from late afternoon until evening, drawing music lovers and curious commuters alike. The initiative showcases the innovative approach to urban culture in Germany, reimagining everyday spaces as platforms for shared entertainment and community-driven experiences.

Germany has developed a unique concept that combines public transportation with nightlife, transforming subway cars and train carriages into mobile nightclubs. The concept has been dubbed “Techno Subway Party,” which transforms regular trains into clubs. During the ride, DJs perform live techno sets inside the subway cars, creating a high-energy, club-like atmosphere. A video surfaced on social media shows passengers in the metro coaches dancing to the electronic beats and enjoying the festive mood in the train. In the next scene, a DJ is seen playing the playlist and dancing with the people surrounding him.

The event typically runs from late afternoon until evening, drawing music lovers and curious commuters alike. The initiative showcases the innovative approach to urban culture in Germany, reimagining everyday spaces as platforms for shared entertainment and community-driven experiences.

WATCH: Metro coaches in Germany turn into moving nightclubs, people dance to live DJ & electronic music

In 2025, the semiconductor rivalry between the US and China, often called ‘chip war’, continued. The US used export controls to limit China's access to advanced chip technologies. China, which is making progress on artificial intelligence and military applications, responded with steps to strengthen domestic semiconductor capabilities and export controls on critical inputs such as rare earths. Supply chains, investment patterns and industry strategies were affected, with many US companies, including AI chip giant Nvidia, seeing impacts due to the chip war.<h2>Export controls became a tool for chip wars</h2>As the year began, US export controls restricted sales of advanced AI chips and related technology to China. Firms like Nvidia faced significant revenue losses and costs related to restrictions on advanced AI chips and access to the Chinese market. US officials explained the restrictions as national security steps, but they were criticised by industry leaders for harming competitiveness and incentivising China to expand independent innovations. After Donald Trump became US president in January, he eased some export controls on advanced AI chips to “approved customers” in China, allowing sales of Nvidia’s H200 chip subject to profit sharing with the US government. These policy shifts were interpreted as efforts to maintain US companies’ market access.<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/auto-sector-hit-by-global-chip-wars-1762235587408/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/auto-sector-hit-by-global-chip-wars-1762235587408/embed</a><h2>China responded to US restrictions on chips with its own curbs&nbsp;</h2>China asked the US to reverse what it called discriminatory semiconductor export controls, which it claimed were harming its industry and global supply chains.China also placed export restrictions on rare earth elements, an area which it dominates and is crucial to AI chipmaking. As the competition intensified, both sides later agreed to suspend some rare earth export controls in late 2025.Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ai-chip-war-u-turn-trump-allows-nvidia-h200-sales-to-china-says-xi-jinping-responded-positively-1765262721420">AI chip war U-turn? Trump allows Nvidia H200 sales to China, says Xi Jinping ‘responded positively’</a><h2>China increases self-reliance in semiconductor production</h2>Chinese companies and the government raised research spending and production capacity on chips. The government supported local innovation efforts through policy changes, while more Chinese companies expanded their roles across semiconductor supply chains.Even after export permission was granted, China moved to limit access to certain advanced foreign chips over security concerns, which affected chipmakers like Nvidia.Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/vikram-chip-at-semicon-india-2025-india-fired-first-shot-in-global-chip-wars-here-is-why-it-s-not-just-another-science-story-1756812544584">Vikram chip at Semicon India 2025: India fired its first shot in global 'chip wars'. Here is why it's not just another science story</a><h2>US-China chip war affected global supply chains</h2>Global supply chains and investment flows were impacted by the ongoing US-China tensions and strategic diversification. &nbsp;The revenues and stock prices of American and allied companies were hit due to the curbs. Chinese firms focused on domestic technology, &nbsp;substituting local suppliers for restricted foreign components. The year also saw the US bolstering its domestic subsidy programmes through CHIPS Act, which envisages new domestic fabrication plants.

The US-China chip war continued to reshape global supply chains as export controls in 2025. Curbs on AI chips, rare earth elements and policy shifts under Trump hit firms like Nvidia. Here is a roundup

In 2025, the semiconductor rivalry between the US and China, often called ‘chip war’, continued. The US used export controls to limit China's access to advanced chip technologies. China, which is making progress on artificial intelligence and military applications, responded with steps to strengthen domestic semiconductor capabilities and export controls on critical inputs such as rare earths. Supply chains, investment patterns and industry strategies were affected, with many US companies, including AI chip giant Nvidia, seeing impacts due to the chip war. Export controls became a tool for chip wars As the year began, US export controls restricted sales of advanced AI chips and related technology to China. Firms like Nvidia faced significant revenue losses and costs related to restrictions on advanced AI chips and access to the Chinese market. US officials explained the restrictions as national security steps, but they were criticised by industry leaders for harming competitiveness and incentivising China to expand independent innovations. After Donald Trump became US president in January, he eased some export controls on advanced AI chips to “approved customers” in China, allowing sales of Nvidia’s H200 chip subject to profit sharing with the US government. These policy shifts were interpreted as efforts to maintain US companies’ market access. https://www.wionews.com/videos/auto-sector-hit-by-global-chip-wars-1762235587408/embed China responded to US restrictions on chips with its own curbs China asked the US to reverse what it called discriminatory semiconductor export controls, which it claimed were harming its industry and global supply chains. China also placed export restrictions on rare earth elements, an area which it dominates and is crucial to AI chipmaking. As the competition intensified, both sides later agreed to suspend some rare earth export controls in late 2025. Also read: AI chip war U-turn? Trump allows Nvidia H200 sales to China, says Xi Jinping ‘responded positively’ China increases self-reliance in semiconductor production Chinese companies and the government raised research spending and production capacity on chips. The government supported local innovation efforts through policy changes, while more Chinese companies expanded their roles across semiconductor supply chains. Even after export permission was granted, China moved to limit access to certain advanced foreign chips over security concerns, which affected chipmakers like Nvidia. Also read: Vikram chip at Semicon India 2025: India fired its first shot in global 'chip wars'. Here is why it's not just another science story US-China chip war affected global supply chains Global supply chains and investment flows were impacted by the ongoing US-China tensions and strategic diversification. The revenues and stock prices of American and allied companies were hit due to the curbs. Chinese firms focused on domestic technology, substituting local suppliers for restricted foreign components. The year also saw the US bolstering its domestic subsidy programmes through CHIPS Act, which envisages new domestic fabrication plants.

The US-China chip war continued to reshape global supply chains as export controls in 2025. Curbs on AI chips, rare earth elements and policy shifts under Trump hit firms like Nvidia. Here is a roundup

YEARENDER 2025: Chip wars led to firms being caught between policy, Trump and China

MAGA conservatives have suggested that the deadly shooting at Brown University was a politically motivated attack. This comes as the manhunt for the suspect continues. On Saturday (Dec 13), a gunman opened fire in a classroom at the US Ivy League school during a final exam study session, killing two and injuring nine people. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Providence police have released new videos and images of a person of interest in connection with the shooting. Meanwhile, a reward of $50,000 for any information about the shooter has also been announced.Conspiracy theories float as FBI Director Kash Patel once again faces scrutiny over the handling of the case involving the shooting that killed two people – Ella Cook, the vice president of the school’s Republican club, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzoko, a neurosurgeon.Sharing a list of violent attacks against right-wing personalities like Turning Point founder Charlie Kirk, Conservative podcaster Benny Johnson wrote on X, “Ella Cook was just 19 years old—a Conservative, a Christian, and Vice President of the Republican Club at Brown University. She was brutally killed by a shooter in what appears to be a targeted political attack.”He added, “If you still don’t see what’s happening, you haven’t been paying attention.”Actor and Trump supporter James Woods also shared similar views, saying, “They will keep assaulting and murdering conservative Americans until we are wiped out or start fighting back.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">They will keep assaulting and murdering conservative Americans until we are wiped out or start fighting back. <a href="https://t.co/Bfpmm7TZCu">https://t.co/Bfpmm7TZCu</a>&mdash; James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealJamesWoods/status/2000491718404096028?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

&nbsp;<h2>What did Trump say about the shooting?</h2>Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said on Monday (Dec 15) that it was not yet known whether the attack was targeted. He said that no motive has been identified for the gunman to open fire at Brown University.“We’re going to see what happens,” Trump told reporters. “Hopefully they're going to capture this animal.”When asked why the FBI has still not been able to identify the shooter, Trump defended the agency, saying that the issues lie with the university.“This was a school problem. They had their own guards,” Trump said. “They had their own police, had their own everything. But you’d have to ask that question really to the school, not to the FBI. We came in after the fact, and the FBI will do a good job, but they came in after the fact.”Hours after the shooting, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that the suspect was in custody. However, shortly after, he made another post saying that the suspect was not in custody.On Monday, the FBI and the Providence police released new videos and images of a person of interest in connection with the Brown University shooting. The visuals, captured on a CCTV camera about two hours before the shooting, show a man in dark clothes and a face mask. The images show the person near Hope and Benevolent streets, which are close to the scene of the shooting. Meanwhile, the FBI has also announced a reward of $50,000 for any information about the shooter as the manhunt continues.

Conspiracy theories float as FBI Director Kash Patel once again faces scrutiny over the handling of the case involving the shooting that killed two people.

MAGA conservatives have suggested that the deadly shooting at Brown University was a politically motivated attack. This comes as the manhunt for the suspect continues. On Saturday (Dec 13), a gunman opened fire in a classroom at the US Ivy League school during a final exam study session, killing two and injuring nine people. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Providence police have released new videos and images of a person of interest in connection with the shooting. Meanwhile, a reward of $50,000 for any information about the shooter has also been announced. Conspiracy theories float as FBI Director Kash Patel once again faces scrutiny over the handling of the case involving the shooting that killed two people – Ella Cook, the vice president of the school’s Republican club, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzoko, a neurosurgeon. Sharing a list of violent attacks against right-wing personalities like Turning Point founder Charlie Kirk, Conservative podcaster Benny Johnson wrote on X, “Ella Cook was just 19 years old—a Conservative, a Christian, and Vice President of the Republican Club at Brown University. She was brutally killed by a shooter in what appears to be a targeted political attack.” He added, “If you still don’t see what’s happening, you haven’t been paying attention.” Actor and Trump supporter James Woods also shared similar views, saying, “They will keep assaulting and murdering conservative Americans until we are wiped out or start fighting back.”

Conspiracy theories float as FBI Director Kash Patel once again faces scrutiny over the handling of the case involving the shooting that killed two people.

Was Brown University shooting politically motivated? MAGA panics, Trump says...

US President Donald Trump is trying to divert attention from his own connection with Epstein, as focus shifts towards the Democratic leaders Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, who are supposedly trying to avoid deposition in the House investigation for the Epstein case. Republican Chairman of the House Oversight Committee for the Epstein case, James Comer, has threatened to pursue a contempt case against the Clintons if they fail to appear physically in the Capitol Hill on December 17 or 18 or schedule a date for early January. These charges could result in one year in prison as well as a fine of $100,000.“President Trump has consistently sought to divert attention from his own relationship with Mr Epstein, and unfortunately, the committee appears to be complicit.” The US President Donald Trump has signed a bill to release the full list of Epstein files in a downloadable and printable format by December 19.<h2>Are the Clintons avoiding testifying in the House Epstein enquiry?</h2>Bill and Hillary Clinton have on several occasions offered to provide sworn-in statements but refused to appear on Capitol Hill. David Kendaill, Clinton's attorney, has sent three letters to the House Oversight Committee, explaining why they should be required to submit a sworn statement not physically appearing. But Comer refused to pay heed to the clues, instead threatening them with contempt. Kendall pointed out that apart from the Clintons, Comer has subpoenaed eight others, out of whom only one, Attorney General William Barr, appeared before the committee. Five of the former Attorney Generals, FBI directors James B. Comey and Robert S. Mueller III were allowed to give a written statement. He accused Comer of "weaponising legislative investigations and targeted criminal prosecutions" against the Clintons. He has accused James Comer of holding Clinton to a different standard and targeting Clinton to create a public spectacle.&nbsp;

Are Bill and Hillary Clinton avoiding testimony in the House Epstein inquiry? James Comer threatens contempt as Trump orders Epstein files release.

US President Donald Trump is trying to divert attention from his own connection with Epstein, as focus shifts towards the Democratic leaders Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, who are supposedly trying to avoid deposition in the House investigation for the Epstein case. Republican Chairman of the House Oversight Committee for the Epstein case, James Comer, has threatened to pursue a contempt case against the Clintons if they fail to appear physically in the Capitol Hill on December 17 or 18 or schedule a date for early January. These charges could result in one year in prison as well as a fine of $100,000. “President Trump has consistently sought to divert attention from his own relationship with Mr Epstein, and unfortunately, the committee appears to be complicit.” The US President Donald Trump has signed a bill to release the full list of Epstein files in a downloadable and printable format by December 19. Are the Clintons avoiding testifying in the House Epstein enquiry? Bill and Hillary Clinton have on several occasions offered to provide sworn-in statements but refused to appear on Capitol Hill. David Kendaill, Clinton's attorney, has sent three letters to the House Oversight Committee, explaining why they should be required to submit a sworn statement not physically appearing. But Comer refused to pay heed to the clues, instead threatening them with contempt. Kendall pointed out that apart from the Clintons, Comer has subpoenaed eight others, out of whom only one, Attorney General William Barr, appeared before the committee. Five of the former Attorney Generals, FBI directors James B. Comey and Robert S. Mueller III were allowed to give a written statement. He accused Comer of "weaponising legislative investigations and targeted criminal prosecutions" against the Clintons. He has accused James Comer of holding Clinton to a different standard and targeting Clinton to create a public spectacle.

Are Bill and Hillary Clinton avoiding testimony in the House Epstein inquiry? James Comer threatens contempt as Trump orders Epstein files release.

Trump 'diverting attention' from himself as Bill and Hillary Clinton are avoiding testifying in Epstein case

US President Donald Trump on Monday (Dec 15) signalled that his administration is seriously considering easing federal restrictions on marijuana, reopening a debate that has long divided Washington and the states. This comes as Trump signed an executive order classifying fentanyl a "weapon of mass destruction".<h2>What did Trump say about weed?</h2>Asked by reporters whether an executive order on cannabis reform was in the works, Trump said the idea was under active review. "We are considering that," he said. He claimed that a lot of people were asking for reclassification for "research" purposes. "A lot of people want to see it, the reclassification, because it leads to tremendous amounts of research that can't be done unless you reclassify, so we are looking at that very strongly."Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/fentanyl-more-dangerous-than-a-bomb-trump-classifies-drug-as-weapon-of-mass-destruction-1765847533698">Fentanyl more dangerous than a bomb? Trump classifies drug as 'weapon of mass destruction'</a><h2>Is marijuana legal in the US?</h2>Under federal law, marijuana, aka grass, is currently listed as a Schedule I substance, a category reserved for drugs like heroin and LSD, which the government says have a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use. That status has increasingly clashed with reality on the ground, where dozens of US states now allow marijuana, also referred to as Devil's lettuce, for medical purposes, and many permit recreational use as well.According to a recent Washington Post report, Trump is weighing a shift to Schedule III, a category that includes drugs considered to have legitimate medical value and a lower risk of abuse. Ketamine and anabolic steroids are classified at that level.<h2>Does that mean marijuana would be legal throughout the US?</h2>No, rescheduling would not amount to full legalisation or decriminalisation. But it could bring significant changes. Moving marijuana out of Schedule I would ease restrictions on scientific research, which currently requires multiple layers of federal approval. Researchers have long argued that the existing rules make it unnecessarily difficult to study cannabis for medical benefits and risks.The move could also have tax implications for the growing legal cannabis industry.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sza-slams-trump-admin-for-rage-baiting-artists-for-free-promo-after-white-house-uses-her-song-big-boy-in-ice-video-watch-1765422624181">SZA slams Trump admin for ‘rage baiting artists for free promo’ after White House uses her song 'Big Boy' in ICE video. Watch</a><h2>But can Trump reclassify cannabis?</h2>Trump cannot change marijuana's classification on his own. Any shift would require action by federal agencies, including the Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The Post reported that Trump is expected to sign an executive order instructing those agencies to begin the process.Former president Joe Biden had also pushed for reclassification, but his administration did not complete the effort before Trump returned to office in early 2025. &nbsp;

Trump hints at big weed shift | Trump says the White House is actively considering easing federal marijuana rules, including reclassifying cannabis for research. Here's what he said.

US President Donald Trump on Monday (Dec 15) signalled that his administration is seriously considering easing federal restrictions on marijuana, reopening a debate that has long divided Washington and the states. This comes as Trump signed an executive order classifying fentanyl a "weapon of mass destruction". What did Trump say about weed? Asked by reporters whether an executive order on cannabis reform was in the works, Trump said the idea was under active review. "We are considering that," he said. He claimed that a lot of people were asking for reclassification for "research" purposes. "A lot of people want to see it, the reclassification, because it leads to tremendous amounts of research that can't be done unless you reclassify, so we are looking at that very strongly." Also read | Fentanyl more dangerous than a bomb? Trump classifies drug as 'weapon of mass destruction' Is marijuana legal in the US? Under federal law, marijuana, aka grass, is currently listed as a Schedule I substance, a category reserved for drugs like heroin and LSD, which the government says have a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use. That status has increasingly clashed with reality on the ground, where dozens of US states now allow marijuana, also referred to as Devil's lettuce, for medical purposes, and many permit recreational use as well. According to a recent Washington Post report, Trump is weighing a shift to Schedule III, a category that includes drugs considered to have legitimate medical value and a lower risk of abuse. Ketamine and anabolic steroids are classified at that level. Does that mean marijuana would be legal throughout the US? No, rescheduling would not amount to full legalisation or decriminalisation. But it could bring significant changes. Moving marijuana out of Schedule I would ease restrictions on scientific research, which currently requires multiple layers of federal approval. Researchers have long argued that the existing rules make it unnecessarily difficult to study cannabis for medical benefits and risks. The move could also have tax implications for the growing legal cannabis industry. Also read | SZA slams Trump admin for ‘rage baiting artists for free promo’ after White House uses her song 'Big Boy' in ICE video. Watch But can Trump reclassify cannabis? Trump cannot change marijuana's classification on his own. Any shift would require action by federal agencies, including the Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The Post reported that Trump is expected to sign an executive order instructing those agencies to begin the process. Former president Joe Biden had also pushed for reclassification, but his administration did not complete the effort before Trump returned to office in early 2025.

Trump hints at big weed shift | Trump says the White House is actively considering easing federal marijuana rules, including reclassifying cannabis for research. Here's what he said.

Marijuana 'research' material but fentanyl a 'weapon of mass destruction'? Trump's explosive announcement on devil's lettuce

&nbsp;The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Providence police on Monday (Dec 15) released new videos and images of a person of interest in connection with the Brown University shooting. On Saturday (Dec 13), a gunman opened fire in a classroom at the US Ivy League school during a final exam study session, killing two and injuring nine people. Meanwhile, the FBI has also announced a reward of $50,000 for any information about the shooter as the manhunt continues.The visuals, captured on a CCTV camera about two hours before the shooting, show a man in dark clothes and a face mask. The images show the person near Hope and Benevolent streets, which are close to the scene of the shooting.During a press conference on Monday, Providence police chief Col. Oscar Perez said, “This is a very active investigation, a very complex investigation.” He added that several federal agencies, including the FBI and the US Marshals Service, were present in the area for assistance.“We’re at the 49th hour,” Perez said, urging the public to help in identifying the shooter.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨1/4 We are requesting the public&#39;s assistance in identifying a person of interest in Saturday&#39;s incident at Brown University. Please share these video clips and direct all tips to 401-272-3121 or <a href="https://t.co/8a1yEMYJya">https://t.co/8a1yEMYJya</a> <a href="https://t.co/D63mcbnq8J">pic.twitter.com/D63mcbnq8J</a>&mdash; Providence Police (@ProvidenceRIPD) <a href="https://twitter.com/ProvidenceRIPD/status/2000701550864326687?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨2/4 We are requesting the public&#39;s assistance in identifying a person of interest in Saturday&#39;s incident at Brown University. Please share these video clips and direct all tips to 401-272-3121 or <a href="https://t.co/8a1yEMYJya">https://t.co/8a1yEMYJya</a> <a href="https://t.co/5hLiqRDtC4">pic.twitter.com/5hLiqRDtC4</a>&mdash; Providence Police (@ProvidenceRIPD) <a href="https://twitter.com/ProvidenceRIPD/status/2000701552663654740?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Video 3: We are requesting the public&#39;s assistance in identifying a person of interest in Saturday&#39;s incident at Brown University. Please share these video clips and direct all tips to 401-272-3121 or <a href="https://t.co/8a1yEMYJya">https://t.co/8a1yEMYJya</a> <a href="https://t.co/65EhywRyh1">pic.twitter.com/65EhywRyh1</a>&mdash; Providence Police (@ProvidenceRIPD) <a href="https://twitter.com/ProvidenceRIPD/status/2000705687408542037?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">4/4 We are requesting the public&#39;s assistance in identifying a person of interest in Saturday&#39;s incident at Brown University. Please share these images and direct all tips to 401-272-3121 or <a href="https://t.co/8a1yEMYJya">https://t.co/8a1yEMYJya</a> <a href="https://t.co/9kyZXBlj7I">pic.twitter.com/9kyZXBlj7I</a>&mdash; Providence Police (@ProvidenceRIPD) <a href="https://twitter.com/ProvidenceRIPD/status/2000702215904788495?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2>FBI announces $50,000 reward</h2>Ted Docks, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston field office, announced a $50,000 reward for any information about the suspect. He cautioned that the shooter should be considered armed and dangerous. He added that the FBI lab in Quantico, Virginia, was “documenting the trajectories of the bullets to reconstruct the scene.”Docks appealed to the public for help, saying that “no amount of information is too small.”Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said that the investigation was “making steady progress.”“The sooner we can identify that person, the sooner we can, I think, blow this case open,” Neronha said.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The <a href="https://twitter.com/FBI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FBI</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/ProvidenceRIPD?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ProvidenceRIPD</a> are releasing new images of a person of interest in the mass shooting at Brown University on December 13, 2025. The FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the individual.… <a href="https://t.co/8LdPVxn7EV">pic.twitter.com/8LdPVxn7EV</a>&mdash; FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/2000691911473164606?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2>FBI under scrutiny once again</h2>Earlier, the law enforcement detained a person of interest but later released him because the evidence pointed in a “different direction.” FBI chief Kash Patel has once again come under scrutiny over the handling of the investigation.This is not the first time that the wrong person has been arrested by US law enforcement. Following the assassination of US President Donald Trump’s ally, the FBI detained the wrong man in connection with the shooting, following which the agency and its chief, Kash Patel, faced scrutiny over the handling of the case.

Earlier, the law enforcement detained a person of interest but later released him because the evidence pointed in a “different direction.” FBI chief Kash Patel has once again come under scrutiny over the handling of the investigation.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Providence police on Monday (Dec 15) released new videos and images of a person of interest in connection with the Brown University shooting. On Saturday (Dec 13), a gunman opened fire in a classroom at the US Ivy League school during a final exam study session, killing two and injuring nine people. Meanwhile, the FBI has also announced a reward of $50,000 for any information about the shooter as the manhunt continues. The visuals, captured on a CCTV camera about two hours before the shooting, show a man in dark clothes and a face mask. The images show the person near Hope and Benevolent streets, which are close to the scene of the shooting. During a press conference on Monday, Providence police chief Col. Oscar Perez said, “This is a very active investigation, a very complex investigation.” He added that several federal agencies, including the FBI and the US Marshals Service, were present in the area for assistance. “We’re at the 49th hour,” Perez said, urging the public to help in identifying the shooter.

Earlier, the law enforcement detained a person of interest but later released him because the evidence pointed in a “different direction.” FBI chief Kash Patel has once again come under scrutiny over the handling of the investigation.

WATCH | New videos of Brown University shooting suspect released; FBI announces $50,000 bounty

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call 2025 the year of AI. Here are the major developments in artificial intelligence that made us take note and say 'Wow'. What did you miss?


YEARENDER: 2025 , the year of AI - Humanoid robots, Agntic AI, competition and policy reform - What did you miss?

There is an epistemic unease surrounding the Bondi Beach terror attack. At least 15 people died, and 25 others were injured. 24-year-old Naveed Akram and his 50-year-old father, Sajid Akram, are the prime suspects. However, there are certain anomalies which are too eerie to ignore. Just ahead of the Bondi Beach terror attack on November 14, there was a noticeable spike in search interest for the keyword Naveed Akram in Tel Aviv, Israel, in the past 7 days. Posts on social media claiming that the apparent attack on Bondi Beach was a ‘false flag’ started to circulate. Soon, a group of fact-checkers from Australia, AAP fact check, discredited the claims, saying that they found no evidence that people in Israel searched on Google for the shooter.&nbsp;<h2>So was there a search interest for Naveed Akram in Tel Aviv?</h2>At the outset, when we tried to seek evidence for search data on the keyword "Naveed Akram", in Google Trends, we could not find any evidence of the search. Here is the genuinely interesting part: What does not appear in usual search results can be found using a VPN. Which means Google Trends is showing different historical data based on the user's location, which would be unprecedented. So, below are the four screenshots we collected when searching for Naveed Akram from different regions, such as Romania, Canada and Japan.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Google Trends data at December 16, 8.35 am IST

Google Trends data at December 16, 12.21 am IST

Google Trends data at December 15, 12.17 am IST

Google Trends data at December 15, 11.07 pm IST

What we found is that within just a few hours of a gap, the data trend is different. It is showing three different dates for the pre-attack search of the keyword Naveed Akram within Israel.&nbsp;<h2>What does this mean?&nbsp;</h2>There are a few possible explanations, such as active historical data manipulation, or the data is genuinely fluctuating because of processing issues, or different versions are being shown to different users, or different Google server has different versions. However, one thing seems to be popping out: there was a reasonable search interest for the keyword Naveed Akram in Israel, ahead of the Bondi Beach terror attack on December 14. Though this does not prove the terror attack was a 'false flag', or that Israel had orchestrated it. But it hints there is something unusual with the Google trend data, and the name was being discussed within Israel, but it does not reveal the intent and identity of those conducting the searches.

Google Trends data linked to the Bondi Beach attack sparked debate after users reported pre-attack searches for ‘Naveed Akram’ in Israel. Here’s what we found.

There is an epistemic unease surrounding the Bondi Beach terror attack. At least 15 people died, and 25 others were injured. 24-year-old Naveed Akram and his 50-year-old father, Sajid Akram, are the prime suspects. However, there are certain anomalies which are too eerie to ignore. Just ahead of the Bondi Beach terror attack on November 14, there was a noticeable spike in search interest for the keyword Naveed Akram in Tel Aviv, Israel, in the past 7 days. Posts on social media claiming that the apparent attack on Bondi Beach was a ‘false flag’ started to circulate. Soon, a group of fact-checkers from Australia, AAP fact check, discredited the claims, saying that they found no evidence that people in Israel searched on Google for the shooter. So was there a search interest for Naveed Akram in Tel Aviv? At the outset, when we tried to seek evidence for search data on the keyword "Naveed Akram", in Google Trends, we could not find any evidence of the search. Here is the genuinely interesting part: What does not appear in usual search results can be found using a VPN. Which means Google Trends is showing different historical data based on the user's location, which would be unprecedented. So, below are the four screenshots we collected when searching for Naveed Akram from different regions, such as Romania, Canada and Japan.

Google Trends data linked to the Bondi Beach attack sparked debate after users reported pre-attack searches for ‘Naveed Akram’ in Israel. Here’s what we found.

Did search interest for Naveed Akram spike in Tel Aviv ahead of Bondi Beach terror attack?

Escalating its tensions with China, the Philippines said on Monday (Dec 15) said that it will protest the Chinese coast guard's "harassment and endangerment" of Filipino fishermen in a South China Sea shoal last week and will undertake appropriate diplomatic response. On the other side, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, in a parliamentary session, repeated Tokyo’s position on Taiwan, insisting that the issue should be resolved “peacefully through dialogue.” He also highlighted the 1972 document that normalised diplomatic ties with Beijing and severed ties with Taipei.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-japan-heading-toward-all-out-war-military-base-construction-patrolling-in-contested-waters-what-s-happening-1765181256902">China, Japan heading toward all-out war? Military base construction, patrolling in contested waters — What's happening</a><h2>China vs Japan and Philippines</h2>The Philippine coast guard had on Saturday (Dec 13) accused Chinese coast guard ships of firing at their boats and injuring at least three Filipino fishermen. It also said that two fishing vessels suffered “significant damage.” It said that the Chinese cut their anchor lines in a disputed area of the South China Sea. Beijing, in its statement, said that it had taken "necessary control measures" involving about 20 Philippine fishing boats near Sabina Shoal. Meanwhile, China is already embroiled in its worse tensions with Tokyo after Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi named Taiwan as an example where her country could use 'survival-threatening situations' laws. Beijing is escalating tensions both in the Asia Pacific and South China Sea region. While it claims its sovereignty over Taiwan, it also asserts that nearly entirety of the South China Sea is theirs — despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.<h2>What Philippines said?</h2>The Philippines' maritime council said in a statement that it was alarmed by the actions of China's coast guard, saying the use of water cannons and dangerous manoeuvres that cause injury and damage “cannot be justified.""The Philippines will undertake the appropriate diplomatic response and register its strong objection to these actions and demand that China cease such aggressive acts," it added. Presidential press officer Claire Castro told reporters that the Philippines will file a demarche to the Chinese embassy.&nbsp;<h2>What China said?</h2>China said that the Philippines had deployed a large number of ships on Friday to “create trouble.” The Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun accused Philippine vessels of taking dangerous actions threatening personnel by “brandishing knives.” On Friday, China's coast guard said that it had driven away multiple Philippine vessels and taken “control measures.” Sabina Shoal, which China refers to as Xianbin Reef and the Philippines as the Escoda Shoal, lies in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone 150 km (95 miles) west of Palawan province.<h2>What Japan foreign ministry said?</h2>In a parliamentary session, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi seemed to be softening its stance on Taiwan after Beijing went all out against Japanese PM's remark. “Regarding Taiwan, Japan’s fundamental policy is, as the prime minister has clearly stated, in line with the 1972 Japan-China Joint Communique. The document states that the Government of Japan fully understands and respects this stand of the Government of the People’s Republic of China, and it firmly maintains its stand under Article 8 of the Potsdam Declaration.” South China Morning Post reported that Motegi did not read out the first half of the cited clause, which states “the Government of the People’s Republic of China reiterates that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the territory of the People’s Republic of China.”

Tensions rose in the South China Sea as the Philippines accused China of harassing and injuring Filipino fishermen near Sabina Shoal and vowed diplomatic action. China denied wrongdoing, while Japan reiterated its stance that Taiwan issues must be resolved peacefully under the 1972 pact.

Escalating its tensions with China, the Philippines said on Monday (Dec 15) said that it will protest the Chinese coast guard's "harassment and endangerment" of Filipino fishermen in a South China Sea shoal last week and will undertake appropriate diplomatic response. On the other side, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, in a parliamentary session, repeated Tokyo’s position on Taiwan, insisting that the issue should be resolved “peacefully through dialogue.” He also highlighted the 1972 document that normalised diplomatic ties with Beijing and severed ties with Taipei. Also Read: China, Japan heading toward all-out war? Military base construction, patrolling in contested waters — What's happening China vs Japan and Philippines The Philippine coast guard had on Saturday (Dec 13) accused Chinese coast guard ships of firing at their boats and injuring at least three Filipino fishermen. It also said that two fishing vessels suffered “significant damage.” It said that the Chinese cut their anchor lines in a disputed area of the South China Sea. Beijing, in its statement, said that it had taken "necessary control measures" involving about 20 Philippine fishing boats near Sabina Shoal. Meanwhile, China is already embroiled in its worse tensions with Tokyo after Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi named Taiwan as an example where her country could use 'survival-threatening situations' laws. Beijing is escalating tensions both in the Asia Pacific and South China Sea region. While it claims its sovereignty over Taiwan, it also asserts that nearly entirety of the South China Sea is theirs — despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis. What Philippines said? The Philippines' maritime council said in a statement that it was alarmed by the actions of China's coast guard, saying the use of water cannons and dangerous manoeuvres that cause injury and damage “cannot be justified.""The Philippines will undertake the appropriate diplomatic response and register its strong objection to these actions and demand that China cease such aggressive acts," it added. Presidential press officer Claire Castro told reporters that the Philippines will file a demarche to the Chinese embassy. What China said? China said that the Philippines had deployed a large number of ships on Friday to “create trouble.” The Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun accused Philippine vessels of taking dangerous actions threatening personnel by “brandishing knives.” On Friday, China's coast guard said that it had driven away multiple Philippine vessels and taken “control measures.” Sabina Shoal, which China refers to as Xianbin Reef and the Philippines as the Escoda Shoal, lies in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone 150 km (95 miles) west of Palawan province. What Japan foreign ministry said? In a parliamentary session, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi seemed to be softening its stance on Taiwan after Beijing went all out against Japanese PM's remark. “Regarding Taiwan, Japan’s fundamental policy is, as the prime minister has clearly stated, in line with the 1972 Japan-China Joint Communique. The document states that the Government of Japan fully understands and respects this stand of the Government of the People’s Republic of China, and it firmly maintains its stand under Article 8 of the Potsdam Declaration.” South China Morning Post reported that Motegi did not read out the first half of the cited clause, which states “the Government of the People’s Republic of China reiterates that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the territory of the People’s Republic of China.”

Tensions rose in the South China Sea as the Philippines accused China of harassing and injuring Filipino fishermen near Sabina Shoal and vowed diplomatic action. China denied wrongdoing, while Japan reiterated its stance that Taiwan issues must be resolved peacefully under the 1972 pact.

China’s tensions with Philippines and Japan: Manila steps up diplomatic war; Tokyo softens after Takaichi's Taiwan stance

US President Donald Trump on Monday (Dec 15) filed a lawsuit seeking at least $10 billion in damages from the BBC, accusing the British broadcaster of defamation. The lawsuit alleges that the British broadcaster manipulated Trump's January 6, 2021 speech to supporters ahead of the US Capitol riot. The lawsuit has been filed in federal court in Miami and names two counts against the BBC. Trump is seeking "damages in an amount not less than $5,000,000,000" for each count, alleging defamation and violations of Florida's Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/fentanyl-more-dangerous-than-a-bomb-trump-classifies-drug-as-weapon-of-mass-destruction-1765847533698">Fentanyl more dangerous than a bomb? Trump classifies drug as 'weapon of mass destruction'</a><h2>BBC 'put words in my mouth': Trump</h2>Earlier in the day, Trump had signalled that legal action was coming, claiming the BBC had deliberately altered his words. He said the broadcaster had "put words in my mouth," and even suggested that the clip may have been manipulated using "AI or something."Trump's legal team, in a statement to AFP, said the BBC had intentionally "defamed" Trump. "The formerly respected and now disgraced BBC defamed President Trump by intentionally, maliciously, and deceptively doctoring his speech in a brazen attempt to interfere in the 2024 Presidential Election," they alleged.The statement also alleged the BBC "has a long pattern of deceiving its audience in coverage of President Trump, all in service of its own leftist political agenda". Trump’s lawsuit claims the altered video was broadcast just a week before the election in an effort to damage his campaign. The video was "fabricated and aired by the Defendants one week before the 2024 Presidential Election in a brazen attempt to interfere in and influence the Election's outcome to President Trump's detriment."Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/-extrememly-frustrated-trump-warns-ukraine-war-could-explode-into-a-third-world-war-1765520498886">'Extremely frustrated' Trump warns Ukraine war could explode into a 'third world war'</a><h2>What did the BBC do?</h2>The case centres on a documentary aired last year on Panorama, the BBC's flagship current affairs programme, in the run-up to the 2024 US presidential election. The film edited together two separate portions of Trump's speech from January 6 in a way that, according to the lawsuit, made it appear he directly encouraged supporters to storm the Capitol as Congress met to certify Joe Biden's election victory.The controversy has already had major consequences for the broadcaster. The BBC was thrown into turmoil last month after media reports revived scrutiny of the edited clip. The fallout led to the resignations of the BBC's director-general and its top news executive.The BBC has denied the defamation allegations, though its chairman, Samir Shah, had sent Trump a letter of apology.

Trump sues BBC for $10bn | Donald Trump has filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC, accusing it of doctoring his January 6 speech to make it look like he incited the Capitol riot. 

US President Donald Trump on Monday (Dec 15) filed a lawsuit seeking at least $10 billion in damages from the BBC, accusing the British broadcaster of defamation. The lawsuit alleges that the British broadcaster manipulated Trump's January 6, 2021 speech to supporters ahead of the US Capitol riot. The lawsuit has been filed in federal court in Miami and names two counts against the BBC. Trump is seeking "damages in an amount not less than $5,000,000,000" for each count, alleging defamation and violations of Florida's Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. Also read | Fentanyl more dangerous than a bomb? Trump classifies drug as 'weapon of mass destruction' BBC 'put words in my mouth': Trump Earlier in the day, Trump had signalled that legal action was coming, claiming the BBC had deliberately altered his words. He said the broadcaster had "put words in my mouth," and even suggested that the clip may have been manipulated using "AI or something." Trump's legal team, in a statement to AFP, said the BBC had intentionally "defamed" Trump. "The formerly respected and now disgraced BBC defamed President Trump by intentionally, maliciously, and deceptively doctoring his speech in a brazen attempt to interfere in the 2024 Presidential Election," they alleged. The statement also alleged the BBC "has a long pattern of deceiving its audience in coverage of President Trump, all in service of its own leftist political agenda". Trump’s lawsuit claims the altered video was broadcast just a week before the election in an effort to damage his campaign. The video was "fabricated and aired by the Defendants one week before the 2024 Presidential Election in a brazen attempt to interfere in and influence the Election's outcome to President Trump's detriment." Also read | 'Extremely frustrated' Trump warns Ukraine war could explode into a 'third world war' What did the BBC do? The case centres on a documentary aired last year on Panorama, the BBC's flagship current affairs programme, in the run-up to the 2024 US presidential election. The film edited together two separate portions of Trump's speech from January 6 in a way that, according to the lawsuit, made it appear he directly encouraged supporters to storm the Capitol as Congress met to certify Joe Biden's election victory. The controversy has already had major consequences for the broadcaster. The BBC was thrown into turmoil last month after media reports revived scrutiny of the edited clip. The fallout led to the resignations of the BBC's director-general and its top news executive. The BBC has denied the defamation allegations, though its chairman, Samir Shah, had sent Trump a letter of apology.

Trump sues BBC for $10bn | Donald Trump has filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC, accusing it of doctoring his January 6 speech to make it look like he incited the Capitol riot.&nbsp;

'They put words in my mouth': Trump claims BBC used AI to alter Jan 6 speech, files $10 billion lawsuit

The Australian police has made a major breakthrough in the Bondi beach attack, in which 15 people were killed and 40 were injured. The police on Tuesday (Dec 16) said that the gunmen — Sajid Akram and Naveed Akram — had travelled to the Philippines last month and the purpose of the trip is under investigation. Philippine immigration authorities said that the father and son visited the country in November and traveled on Indian passports, news agency Bloomberg reported. Authorities also revealed that at least two Islamic State flags were found in the attacker's car. It added that the vehicle, which is registered to the younger male's name, contained improvised explosive devices.&nbsp;&nbsp;Naveed Akram was apprehended at the scene and taken to the hospital, Sajid Akram was killed during the shooting. The gunmen attacked Jewish festival Hanukkah event at Sydney's Bondi Beach. The incident is being investigated as an act of terrorism targeting the Jewish community. Earlier, ABC News reported that Australia’s domestic intelligence agency, ASIO, investigated Naveed Akram over his close ties to a Sydney-based Islamic State (IS) terrorism cell, about six years ago. Reuters reported that Islamic state-linked networks are known to operate in the Philippines.&nbsp;"Early indications point to a terrorist attack inspired by Islamic State, allegedly committed by a father and son," Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said at a news conference. “These are the alleged actions of those who have aligned themselves with a terrorist organisation, not a religion.”&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pakistani-nationals-links-to-islamic-state-what-we-know-about-bondi-beach-shooters-sajid-and-naveed-akram-1765765119824">Islamic State links? What we know about Bondi beach shooters Sajid and Naveed Akram</a>&nbsp;Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-is-ahmed-al-ahmed-australian-hero-who-disarmed-gunman-and-saved-many-during-bondi-beach-terror-attack-1765776844630">Australian hero Ahmed al Ahmed</a>, hailed for confronting the Bondi Beach gunmen singlehandedly, issued his first statement, hailing God. His father, Mohamed Fateh al Ahmed, told state broadcaster ABC News in an interview, that his son is a hero. IN a video that went viral after the attack, Ahmed was seen sprinting through the parked vehicles and grabbing the attacker from behind. He was successful in chasing one of the gunman away, while sustaining bullet injuries.

Australian police say Bondi Beach attackers Sajid and Naveed Akram travelled to the Philippines, with IS flags and IEDs found in their car. The Hanukkah attack killed 15. Authorities probe Islamic State links as hero Ahmed al Ahmed is praised for confronting a gunman.

The Australian police has made a major breakthrough in the Bondi beach attack, in which 15 people were killed and 40 were injured. The police on Tuesday (Dec 16) said that the gunmen — Sajid Akram and Naveed Akram — had travelled to the Philippines last month and the purpose of the trip is under investigation. Philippine immigration authorities said that the father and son visited the country in November and traveled on Indian passports, news agency Bloomberg reported. Authorities also revealed that at least two Islamic State flags were found in the attacker's car. It added that the vehicle, which is registered to the younger male's name, contained improvised explosive devices. Naveed Akram was apprehended at the scene and taken to the hospital, Sajid Akram was killed during the shooting. The gunmen attacked Jewish festival Hanukkah event at Sydney's Bondi Beach. The incident is being investigated as an act of terrorism targeting the Jewish community. Earlier, ABC News reported that Australia’s domestic intelligence agency, ASIO, investigated Naveed Akram over his close ties to a Sydney-based Islamic State (IS) terrorism cell, about six years ago. Reuters reported that Islamic state-linked networks are known to operate in the Philippines. "Early indications point to a terrorist attack inspired by Islamic State, allegedly committed by a father and son," Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said at a news conference. “These are the alleged actions of those who have aligned themselves with a terrorist organisation, not a religion.” Also read | Islamic State links? What we know about Bondi beach shooters Sajid and Naveed Akram Meanwhile, Australian hero Ahmed al Ahmed, hailed for confronting the Bondi Beach gunmen singlehandedly, issued his first statement, hailing God. His father, Mohamed Fateh al Ahmed, told state broadcaster ABC News in an interview, that his son is a hero. IN a video that went viral after the attack, Ahmed was seen sprinting through the parked vehicles and grabbing the attacker from behind. He was successful in chasing one of the gunman away, while sustaining bullet injuries.

Australian police say Bondi Beach attackers Sajid and Naveed Akram travelled to the Philippines, with IS flags and IEDs found in their car. The Hanukkah attack killed 15. Authorities probe Islamic State links as hero Ahmed al Ahmed is praised for confronting a gunman.

Australia's Bondi shooting gunmen entered Philippines as Indian nationals days ahead of attack? What we know

A 24-metre replica of the Statue of Liberty outside a Havan megastore in Guaíba, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, was struck by a powerful storm that hit southern Brazil on December 15. The statue fell after strong winds with the speed of 90 km/h swept through the areas following severe weather warnings issued by Defesa Civil, Brazil’s civil defence authority.&nbsp;A horrifying video also surfaced on social media showing the replica of the structure slowly leaning before crashing into a parking lot. The statue was installed in 2020 and stood on an 11-metre concrete base, which remained intact after the collapse.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">WILD FOOTAGE 🔴 Statue of Liberty collapses due to strong winds in Guaíba, Brazil. It is replica, the statue was installed in the early 1900s and is associated with Freemasonry. <a href="https://t.co/2saX3FMxvX">pic.twitter.com/2saX3FMxvX</a>&mdash; Open Source Intel (@Osint613) <a href="https://twitter.com/Osint613/status/2000677979798507797?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h3>No injuries were found after the Statue of Liberty fell</h3>No injuries or significant property damage were reported during the incident. Eyewitnesses and store employees acted swiftly to move parked vehicles away, avoiding potential losses. Guaíba Mayor Marcelo Maranata also confirmed the episode on social media, noting that wind speeds reached between 80 and 90 kmph. He praised the Havan staff for their quick action in securing the site.&nbsp;"The area was immediately isolated by the company, following all safety protocols," Havan said in a statement. The retailer added that debris clearance began within hours and that store operations continued uninterrupted.&nbsp;Authorities said the storm was triggered by a low-pressure system interacting with a cold front after days of intense heat. Defesa Civil issued emergency cell broadcast alerts—overriding silent mode, to warn residents about strong winds, structural hazards, and severe weather risks.&nbsp;In addition, other cities in Rio Grande do Sul were also affected due to the storm. Hail was reported in Tio Hugo, and roof damage took place in Passo Fundo, Santa Cruz do Sul, and Vera Cruz. Meanwhile, heavy rain caused localised flooding in Lajeado; however, no major power or service outages were found in the affected region.

Guaíba Mayor Marcelo Maranata also confirmed the episode on social media, noting that wind speeds reached between 80 and 90 kmph. He praised the Havan staff for their quick action in securing the site.

A 24-metre replica of the Statue of Liberty outside a Havan megastore in Guaíba, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, was struck by a powerful storm that hit southern Brazil on December 15. The statue fell after strong winds with the speed of 90 km/h swept through the areas following severe weather warnings issued by Defesa Civil, Brazil’s civil defence authority. A horrifying video also surfaced on social media showing the replica of the structure slowly leaning before crashing into a parking lot. The statue was installed in 2020 and stood on an 11-metre concrete base, which remained intact after the collapse.

Guaíba Mayor Marcelo Maranata also confirmed the episode on social media, noting that wind speeds reached between 80 and 90 kmph. He praised the Havan staff for their quick action in securing the site.

Statue of Liberty: Powerful storms topple replica of structure in Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul; Here's what happened next — WATCH

US President Donald Trump on Monday (Dec 15) said that a deal to end the war between Russia and Ukraine was “closer than ever”. He made the remarks as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held discussions with key leaders in Berlin as part of efforts to end the war, where Europeans proposed a “multinational force” to enforce a potential peace accord. Meanwhile, Zelensky described the discussions with US envoys as challenging but constructive, stating that the talks yielded tangible progress despite their complexity.“I think we’re closer now than we have been ever,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. He added that he had “very long and very good talks” with Zelensky and others, including the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and NATO.Following the talks in Germany, European leaders issued a joint statement proposing a force as part of the US-backed “robust security guarantees” that would guarantee that Russia would not violate a peace agreement to end the war that started in 2022 after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion.Zelensky said that the talks with Trump’s envoys were “not easy” but brought “progress”.“These conversations are always not easy, I'll be honest with you. But it was a productive conversation, with a lot of details, really a lot,” he said after his meeting on the second day with Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and special envoy Steve Witkoff.“There has been sufficient dialogue on the territory, and I think that, frankly speaking, we still have different positions,” Zelensky told reporters.Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the talks had created the “chance for a real peace process”. He also praised the US for offering “substantial” security guarantees.The European statement, which was signed by leaders, including those of Britain, France and Germany, also stated that the Ukrainian military should continue receiving support and maintain a peacetime strength of 800,000 troops.It added that peace would be maintained by a “US-led ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism”, which would identify violations and “provide early warning of any future attack.”

Following the talks in Germany, European leaders issued a joint statement proposing a force as part of the US-backed “robust security guarantees” that would guarantee that Russia would not violate a peace agreement to end the war.

US President Donald Trump on Monday (Dec 15) said that a deal to end the war between Russia and Ukraine was “closer than ever”. He made the remarks as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held discussions with key leaders in Berlin as part of efforts to end the war, where Europeans proposed a “multinational force” to enforce a potential peace accord. Meanwhile, Zelensky described the discussions with US envoys as challenging but constructive, stating that the talks yielded tangible progress despite their complexity. “I think we’re closer now than we have been ever,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. He added that he had “very long and very good talks” with Zelensky and others, including the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and NATO. Following the talks in Germany, European leaders issued a joint statement proposing a force as part of the US-backed “robust security guarantees” that would guarantee that Russia would not violate a peace agreement to end the war that started in 2022 after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion. Zelensky said that the talks with Trump’s envoys were “not easy” but brought “progress”. “These conversations are always not easy, I'll be honest with you. But it was a productive conversation, with a lot of details, really a lot,” he said after his meeting on the second day with Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and special envoy Steve Witkoff. “There has been sufficient dialogue on the territory, and I think that, frankly speaking, we still have different positions,” Zelensky told reporters. Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the talks had created the “chance for a real peace process”. He also praised the US for offering “substantial” security guarantees. The European statement, which was signed by leaders, including those of Britain, France and Germany, also stated that the Ukrainian military should continue receiving support and maintain a peacetime strength of 800,000 troops. It added that peace would be maintained by a “US-led ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism”, which would identify violations and “provide early warning of any future attack.”

Following the talks in Germany, European leaders issued a joint statement proposing a force as part of the US-backed “robust security guarantees” that would guarantee that Russia would not violate a peace agreement to end the war.

Russia-Ukraine deal ‘closer than ever’: Trump says after key talks in Berlin

Elon Musk could become the world’s first trillionaire within the next 12 months as discussions about a possible SpaceX initial public offering (IPO) gain momentum. Recent media reports indicated that SpaceX has begun preliminary steps in selecting investment banks to advise on a potential IPO which, if executed and valued highly, could be one of the largest in history. SpaceX is eyeing a valuation above $1 trillion for the IPO, with some reports suggesting that it could go up to $1.5 trillion.<h2>Investment bank “bake-off” starts, say report</h2>The Wall Street Journal reported that SpaceX has started a selection process known as 'bake-off with investment banks to pitch for advisory roles on a potential public listing. The bake-off suggests the space and internet company is considering formal IPO preparations.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/elon-musk-s-trillion-dollar-spacex-riddle-1765429441145/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/elon-musk-s-trillion-dollar-spacex-riddle-1765429441145/embed</a><h2>CFO Bret Johnsen remains ambivalent about spacex ipo</h2>On December 12, SpaceX’s Chief Financial Officer Bret Johnsen told staff in a message that the company is preparing for an IPO as early as 2026. “If we execute brilliantly and the markets cooperate, a public offering could raise a significant amount of capital,” he said. However, he was ambivalent, saying that whether, when and at what valuation the IPO will occur “remains highly uncertain”.News reports said the IPO could occur in 2026, potentially mid-year, but the timing is not guaranteed and would depend on market conditions or company strategy.&nbsp;<h2>SpaceX secondary share sale and valuation estimates and what Musk thinks about it</h2>Earlier, SpaceX approved a secondary share sale at approximately US $421 per share, which would place an implied private valuation at $800 billion if and when the transaction completes. Secondary share sale allows existing investors and employees to sell their stake.&nbsp;Musk has earlier denied that SpaceX is raising new capital at an $800 billion valuation, saying &nbsp;it conducts periodic stock buybacks to provide liquidity to employees and investors rather than to secure fresh funding. He stated that reports claiming an $800 billion capital raise are “not accurate”.Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/spacex-to-offer-insider-shares-elon-musk-clarifies-amid-market-buzz-over-800b-valuation-1765090614016">SpaceX to offer insider shares? Elon Musk clarifies amid market buzz over $800B valuation</a><h2>Starlink internet services drive company value and could pave the way for trillionaire status for Musk&nbsp;</h2>SpaceX’s rapid expansion of its Starlink satellite internet service is a major factor in its growing private valuation, and there was even talk of Starlink becoming a separate company. Starlink traffic and customer growth have increased, which boosts the value of SpaceX potential IPO.Musk’s net worth is around $600 billion, driven by his stakes in Tesla and SpaceX. A SpaceX IPO with a high valuation could help him become a trillionaire in the next 12 months, depending on the listing price and further performance of the stock.Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/spacex-ipo-news-spacex-biggest-launch-could-be-on-stock-market-2026-ipo-to-value-elon-musk-s-firm-at-1-5-trillion-claims-report-1765347193049">SpaceX BIGGEST LAUNCH could be on stock market: 2026 IPO to value Elon Musk’s firm at $1.5 trillion, claims report</a>&nbsp;<h2>SpaceX : A story of more than two decades</h2>SpaceX , short for Space Exploration Technologies Corp., was founded by Musk in 2002, aimed at cutting space transportation costs and the eventual colonisation of Mars. Now perhaps the most important private space company, SpaceX is known for reusable rockets and contracts with NASA, as well as launching satellites and crewed missions that included private individuals as well as astronauts.&nbsp;

Elon Musk could move closer to trillionaire status in 2026 as SpaceX reportedly moves ahead with plans for a potential IPO, with WSJ reporting an investment bank 'bake-off'. Here is what reports are saying

Elon Musk could become the world’s first trillionaire within the next 12 months as discussions about a possible SpaceX initial public offering (IPO) gain momentum. Recent media reports indicated that SpaceX has begun preliminary steps in selecting investment banks to advise on a potential IPO which, if executed and valued highly, could be one of the largest in history. SpaceX is eyeing a valuation above $1 trillion for the IPO, with some reports suggesting that it could go up to $1.5 trillion. Investment bank “bake-off” starts, say report The Wall Street Journal reported that SpaceX has started a selection process known as 'bake-off with investment banks to pitch for advisory roles on a potential public listing. The bake-off suggests the space and internet company is considering formal IPO preparations. https://www.wionews.com/videos/elon-musk-s-trillion-dollar-spacex-riddle-1765429441145/embed CFO Bret Johnsen remains ambivalent about spacex ipo On December 12, SpaceX’s Chief Financial Officer Bret Johnsen told staff in a message that the company is preparing for an IPO as early as 2026. “If we execute brilliantly and the markets cooperate, a public offering could raise a significant amount of capital,” he said. However, he was ambivalent, saying that whether, when and at what valuation the IPO will occur “remains highly uncertain”. News reports said the IPO could occur in 2026, potentially mid-year, but the timing is not guaranteed and would depend on market conditions or company strategy. SpaceX secondary share sale and valuation estimates and what Musk thinks about it Earlier, SpaceX approved a secondary share sale at approximately US $421 per share, which would place an implied private valuation at $800 billion if and when the transaction completes. Secondary share sale allows existing investors and employees to sell their stake. Musk has earlier denied that SpaceX is raising new capital at an $800 billion valuation, saying it conducts periodic stock buybacks to provide liquidity to employees and investors rather than to secure fresh funding. He stated that reports claiming an $800 billion capital raise are “not accurate”. Also read: SpaceX to offer insider shares? Elon Musk clarifies amid market buzz over $800B valuation Starlink internet services drive company value and could pave the way for trillionaire status for Musk SpaceX’s rapid expansion of its Starlink satellite internet service is a major factor in its growing private valuation, and there was even talk of Starlink becoming a separate company. Starlink traffic and customer growth have increased, which boosts the value of SpaceX potential IPO. Musk’s net worth is around $600 billion, driven by his stakes in Tesla and SpaceX. A SpaceX IPO with a high valuation could help him become a trillionaire in the next 12 months, depending on the listing price and further performance of the stock. Also read: SpaceX BIGGEST LAUNCH could be on stock market: 2026 IPO to value Elon Musk’s firm at $1.5 trillion, claims report SpaceX : A story of more than two decades SpaceX , short for Space Exploration Technologies Corp., was founded by Musk in 2002, aimed at cutting space transportation costs and the eventual colonisation of Mars. Now perhaps the most important private space company, SpaceX is known for reusable rockets and contracts with NASA, as well as launching satellites and crewed missions that included private individuals as well as astronauts.

Elon Musk could move closer to trillionaire status in 2026 as SpaceX reportedly moves ahead with plans for a potential IPO, with WSJ reporting an investment bank 'bake-off'. Here is what reports are saying

Elon Musk to be first trillionaire in next 12 months? Banks to pitch in SpaceX IPO ‘bake-off’, say reports

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-is-ahmed-al-ahmed-australian-hero-who-disarmed-gunman-and-saved-many-during-bondi-beach-terror-attack-1765776844630">Australian hero Ahmed al Ahmed</a>, hailed for confronting the Bondi Beach gunmen singlehandedly, has spoke for the first time on Monday (Dec 15), after the terror attack. Video of the Syrian-born man, who is an Australian citizen, has gone viral, in which he is seen recovering in the hospital and thanking God. &nbsp;As many as 15 people were killed and at least 40 have been injured in the horrific attack by a father and son on the Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach. The attackers have been identified as Sajid Akram and Naveed Akram. Ahmed al Ahmed was seen sprinting through the parked vehicles and grabbing the attacker from behind. Videos of his brave act of confronting the attacker and chasing him away went viral on the internet.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bondi-beach-terror-attack-terrible-and-antisemitic-attack-says-donald-trump-1765742440344">Bondi Beach terror attack: 'Terrible and antisemitic attack', says Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;In the video, which has been subtitled by TRT, he says: “I appreciate the efforts of everyone. May Allah reward you and grant you well-being. God willing, we will return to you with joy. Thank you for your efforts. Abdullah, Ahmed Al and Bilal, thank you to everyone. I went through a very difficult phase, only Allah knows it. Praise be to Allah for everything, and may Allah reward you with your efforts. I ask my mother, the apple of my eye, to pray for me. Pray for me, my mother."&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pakistani-nationals-links-to-islamic-state-what-we-know-about-bondi-beach-shooters-sajid-and-naveed-akram-1765765119824">Islamic State links? What we know about Bondi beach shooters Sajid and Naveed Akram</a>&nbsp;Ahmed's father, Mohamed Fateh al Ahmed, told state broadcaster ABC News in an interview, "My son is a hero. He served in the police, he has the passion to defend people." He confirmed that Ahmed is a fruit seller. "When he saw people lying on the ground and the blood, quickly his conscience pushed him to attack one of the terrorists and take away his weapon," Mohamed Fateh said. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as well as other global leaders, including US President Donald Trump hailed the him too. “It's been a very, very brave person, actually, who went and attacked frontally one of the shooters, and saved a lot of lives,” Trump said.&nbsp;

Ahmed al Ahmed, an Australian citizen of Syrian origin, was hailed a hero after confronting attackers during the Bondi Beach terror attack that killed 15 people. Speaking from hospital, he thanked God as leaders including PM Albanese and Donald Trump praised his bravery.

The Australian hero Ahmed al Ahmed, hailed for confronting the Bondi Beach gunmen singlehandedly, has spoke for the first time on Monday (Dec 15), after the terror attack. Video of the Syrian-born man, who is an Australian citizen, has gone viral, in which he is seen recovering in the hospital and thanking God. As many as 15 people were killed and at least 40 have been injured in the horrific attack by a father and son on the Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach. The attackers have been identified as Sajid Akram and Naveed Akram. Ahmed al Ahmed was seen sprinting through the parked vehicles and grabbing the attacker from behind. Videos of his brave act of confronting the attacker and chasing him away went viral on the internet. Also read | Bondi Beach terror attack: 'Terrible and antisemitic attack', says Donald Trump In the video, which has been subtitled by TRT, he says: “I appreciate the efforts of everyone. May Allah reward you and grant you well-being. God willing, we will return to you with joy. Thank you for your efforts. Abdullah, Ahmed Al and Bilal, thank you to everyone. I went through a very difficult phase, only Allah knows it. Praise be to Allah for everything, and may Allah reward you with your efforts. I ask my mother, the apple of my eye, to pray for me. Pray for me, my mother." Also read | Islamic State links? What we know about Bondi beach shooters Sajid and Naveed Akram Ahmed's father, Mohamed Fateh al Ahmed, told state broadcaster ABC News in an interview, "My son is a hero. He served in the police, he has the passion to defend people." He confirmed that Ahmed is a fruit seller. "When he saw people lying on the ground and the blood, quickly his conscience pushed him to attack one of the terrorists and take away his weapon," Mohamed Fateh said. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as well as other global leaders, including US President Donald Trump hailed the him too. “It's been a very, very brave person, actually, who went and attacked frontally one of the shooters, and saved a lot of lives,” Trump said.

Ahmed al Ahmed, an Australian citizen of Syrian origin, was hailed a hero after confronting attackers during the Bondi Beach terror attack that killed 15 people. Speaking from hospital, he thanked God as leaders including PM Albanese and Donald Trump praised his bravery.

'Australian hero' Ahmed al Ahmed, who disarmed Bondi attack gunman, issues first statement: 'May Allah reward...'

India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador P Harish, launched a scathing attack on Pakistan during a Security Council open debate, pointing out how Islamabad has an "obsessive focus on harming India" and labelling it the "global epicentre of terror".Responding to Pakistan's references to Jammu and Kashmir, Ambassador Harish declared, "The Union Territories of Jammu &amp; Kashmir and Ladakh are an integral and inalienable part of India. They were, are, and will always remain so." He added that Pakistan's "unwarranted reference" to the region "attests to its obsessive focus on harming India and its people".The Indian Ambassador criticised Pakistan, a current non-permanent Security Council member, saying, "A serving non-permanent Security Council Member that chooses to further this obsession in all meetings and platforms of the UN in pursuit of its divisive agenda cannot be expected to fulfil its designated responsibilities and obligations."On the Indus Waters Treaty, which India placed in abeyance earlier this year following the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians, Amb Harish defended the move. "India had entered into the Indus Waters Treaty, 65 years ago, in good faith, in a spirit of goodwill and friendship," he said."Throughout these six and a half decades, Pakistan has violated the spirit of the Treaty by inflicting three wars and thousands of terror attacks on India."He cited the Pahalgam terror attack as the latest example: "The most recent of which was the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025, which involved religion-based targeted killings of 26 innocent civilians by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists." Stating that the treaty would remain on hold "until Pakistan... credibly and irrevocably ends its support for cross-border and all other forms of terrorism."In a pointed remark on Pakistan's domestic politics, India's Permanent Representative said, "Pakistan of course has a unique way of respecting the will of its people, by jailing a Prime Minister, by banning the ruling political party and by letting its armed forces engineer a constitutional coup through the 27th amendment and giving life-time immunity to its Chief of Defence Forces."Separately, Ambassador Harish called for urgent UN Security Council reforms, describing the body's current structure as "frozen in time". Quoting UN Secretary-General António Guterres, he said, "we can’t create a future fit for our grandchildren with systems built for our grandparents."He urged time-bound, text-based negotiations to expand membership in both permanent and non-permanent categories, emphasising, “reforming the Security Council to make it fit-for-purpose to tackle contemporary challenges is an urgent global imperative.”

Separately, Ambassador Harish called for urgent UN Security Council reforms, describing the body's current structure as "frozen in time".

India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador P Harish, launched a scathing attack on Pakistan during a Security Council open debate, pointing out how Islamabad has an "obsessive focus on harming India" and labelling it the "global epicentre of terror". Responding to Pakistan's references to Jammu and Kashmir, Ambassador Harish declared, "The Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh are an integral and inalienable part of India. They were, are, and will always remain so." He added that Pakistan's "unwarranted reference" to the region "attests to its obsessive focus on harming India and its people". The Indian Ambassador criticised Pakistan, a current non-permanent Security Council member, saying, "A serving non-permanent Security Council Member that chooses to further this obsession in all meetings and platforms of the UN in pursuit of its divisive agenda cannot be expected to fulfil its designated responsibilities and obligations." On the Indus Waters Treaty, which India placed in abeyance earlier this year following the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians, Amb Harish defended the move. "India had entered into the Indus Waters Treaty, 65 years ago, in good faith, in a spirit of goodwill and friendship," he said. "Throughout these six and a half decades, Pakistan has violated the spirit of the Treaty by inflicting three wars and thousands of terror attacks on India." He cited the Pahalgam terror attack as the latest example: "The most recent of which was the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025, which involved religion-based targeted killings of 26 innocent civilians by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists." Stating that the treaty would remain on hold "until Pakistan... credibly and irrevocably ends its support for cross-border and all other forms of terrorism." In a pointed remark on Pakistan's domestic politics, India's Permanent Representative said, "Pakistan of course has a unique way of respecting the will of its people, by jailing a Prime Minister, by banning the ruling political party and by letting its armed forces engineer a constitutional coup through the 27th amendment and giving life-time immunity to its Chief of Defence Forces." Separately, Ambassador Harish called for urgent UN Security Council reforms, describing the body's current structure as "frozen in time". Quoting UN Secretary-General António Guterres, he said, "we can’t create a future fit for our grandchildren with systems built for our grandparents." He urged time-bound, text-based negotiations to expand membership in both permanent and non-permanent categories, emphasising, “reforming the Security Council to make it fit-for-purpose to tackle contemporary challenges is an urgent global imperative.”

Separately, Ambassador Harish called for urgent UN Security Council reforms, describing the body's current structure as "frozen in time".

India's UN envoy delivers sharp rebuke to Pakistan at Security Council debate

The US Southern Command said on Monday (Dec 15) that it carried out strikes on three vessels in international waters, killing eight men. It said that the operation was carried out on narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific. In his war against drug cartels, the United States struck more than 20 vessels in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea near Venezuela. At least 90 suspected drug smugglers have been killed in the process. Despite criticism, the Trump administration, including the US president, have defended the legality of the strikes. The strikes are also seen as the precursor to US land strikes on Venezuela that Trump has said will soon start.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">On Dec. 15, at the direction of <a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecWar</a> Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted lethal kinetic strikes on three vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations in international waters. Intelligence confirmed that the vessels were transiting along known… <a href="https://t.co/IQfCVvUpau">pic.twitter.com/IQfCVvUpau</a>&mdash; U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/Southcom/status/2000756230252314901?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/from-fake-news-to-fog-of-war-trump-admin-faces-backlash-over-hegseth-s-second-strike-on-drug-boats-1764730320331">Trump faces backlash even as Hegseth backs second strike on drug-boats: Will be testify before Congress?</a>&nbsp;"Intelligence confirmed that the vessels were transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and were engaged in narco-trafficking," the military said in a post on X. "Our operations in the Southcom region are lawful under both U.S. and international law, with all actions in compliance with the Law of Armed Conflict," Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson told reporters earlier this month.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/did-hegseth-order-killing-of-drug-boat-survivors-amid-venezuela-conflict-trump-breaks-silence-1764564406451">Did Hegseth order killing of drug-boat survivors amid Venezuela conflict? Trump breaks silence</a>&nbsp;The Trump administration continues with the boat strikes even as it is dealing with a massive controversy over killing of boat survivors by conducting second strike, earlier in September. Calls have been made for Hegseth to testify under oath about the second strike. While he called initial reports about the second strike “fake”, the White House, later, named Admiral Frank Bradley as the person who authorised the second strike. Legal experts, including Senator Tim Kaine, have suggested that firing on shipwrecked or incapacitated survivors could constitute a war crime. Lawmakers from both parties are demanding the release of unedited video footage of the September 2 attack.

US Southern Command struck three suspected drug-smuggling vessels in international waters, killing eight men. As part of Trump’s anti-cartel campaign, over 90 suspects have died. Despite backlash and war crime concerns, the administration defends the strikes as lawful.

The US Southern Command said on Monday (Dec 15) that it carried out strikes on three vessels in international waters, killing eight men. It said that the operation was carried out on narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific. In his war against drug cartels, the United States struck more than 20 vessels in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea near Venezuela. At least 90 suspected drug smugglers have been killed in the process. Despite criticism, the Trump administration, including the US president, have defended the legality of the strikes. The strikes are also seen as the precursor to US land strikes on Venezuela that Trump has said will soon start.

US Southern Command struck three suspected drug-smuggling vessels in international waters, killing eight men. As part of Trump’s anti-cartel campaign, over 90 suspects have died. Despite backlash and war crime concerns, the administration defends the strikes as lawful.

US conducts another boat strike in Pacific on Hegseth's order, kills 8 'male narco-terrorists'

&nbsp;US President Donald Trump courted major controversy, on Tuesday (Dec 15) after he said that American film director Rob Reiner died because of 'Trump Derangement Syndrome.' Marjorie Taylor Greene, Trump's estranged ally, slammed him for settling political score at a time of a "family tragedy." She said that the incident was "not about politics or political enemies." Thomas Massie, another Trump critic on the Republican side of the House of Representatives, called the president's comments “inappropriate and disrespectful.” David Axelrod, the former chief strategist to President Barack Obama, described Trump's post as “perverse.” "The absence of empathy &amp; grace for the Reiner family in their moment of profound loss and grief is sad and revealing. For @POTUS, his grievances trumps their grief." Democratic Senator Chris Murphy said Trump had “lost it.” "Now saying Rob and Michele Reiner caused their own murder because they didn't support him. So sick," he wrote.&nbsp;Trump, on his social platform Truth Social said that Reiner was 'once very talented movie director and comedy star.' He claimed that Reiner suffered from "incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease' known as TDS - or Trump Derangement Syndrome." Trump in his post also wrote, “He was known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump, with his obvious paranoia reaching new heights as the Trump Administration surpassed all goals and expectations of greatness, and with the Golden Age of America upon us, perhaps like never before.”&nbsp;Reiner was found dead alongside his wife, Michele Reiner (68), at their Brentwood, California, home on December 14. Los Angeles police charged son Nick Reiner with murder and detained him. The investigation has also shifted focus to the couple’s four children, Jack, Tracy, Romy and Nick, all of whom have ties to Hollywood and the entertainment industry. No formal charges have been filed so far.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn1.wionews.com/prod/wion/images/2025/20251216/image-1765853096928.png"></figure>

US President Donald Trump sparked outrage after claiming filmmaker Rob Reiner died due to “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” Republicans Marjorie Taylor Greene and Thomas Massie criticised the remarks as disrespectful amid a family tragedy, calling them inappropriate and apolitical.

US President Donald Trump courted major controversy, on Tuesday (Dec 15) after he said that American film director Rob Reiner died because of 'Trump Derangement Syndrome.' Marjorie Taylor Greene, Trump's estranged ally, slammed him for settling political score at a time of a "family tragedy." She said that the incident was "not about politics or political enemies." Thomas Massie, another Trump critic on the Republican side of the House of Representatives, called the president's comments “inappropriate and disrespectful.” David Axelrod, the former chief strategist to President Barack Obama, described Trump's post as “perverse.” "The absence of empathy & grace for the Reiner family in their moment of profound loss and grief is sad and revealing. For @POTUS, his grievances trumps their grief." Democratic Senator Chris Murphy said Trump had “lost it.” "Now saying Rob and Michele Reiner caused their own murder because they didn't support him. So sick," he wrote. Trump, on his social platform Truth Social said that Reiner was 'once very talented movie director and comedy star.' He claimed that Reiner suffered from "incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease' known as TDS - or Trump Derangement Syndrome." Trump in his post also wrote, “He was known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump, with his obvious paranoia reaching new heights as the Trump Administration surpassed all goals and expectations of greatness, and with the Golden Age of America upon us, perhaps like never before.” Reiner was found dead alongside his wife, Michele Reiner (68), at their Brentwood, California, home on December 14. Los Angeles police charged son Nick Reiner with murder and detained him. The investigation has also shifted focus to the couple’s four children, Jack, Tracy, Romy and Nick, all of whom have ties to Hollywood and the entertainment industry. No formal charges have been filed so far.

US President Donald Trump sparked outrage after claiming filmmaker Rob Reiner died due to “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” Republicans Marjorie Taylor Greene and Thomas Massie criticised the remarks as disrespectful amid a family tragedy, calling them inappropriate and apolitical.

'So sick...': US president slammed for claiming Rob Reiner died of 'Trump Derangement Syndrome'

US President Donald Trump on Monday (Dec 15) announced he was classifying fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction, escalating his administration’s crackdown on drug cartels across Latin America and framing the opioid crisis as a national security threat on par with nuclear and chemical weapons.<h2>Deadlier than a bomb?</h2>Speaking at the White House while signing an executive order, Trump said fentanyl was deadlier than any bomb. "No bomb does what this is doing -- 200-300,000 people die every year, that we know of".The executive order places illicit fentanyl in the same category as weapons of mass destruction, arguing that its production and distribution threaten US national security and fuel instability across the region and at the country’s borders. The document states that fentanyl is "closer to a chemical weapon than a narcotic," and that the manufacture and distribution of the drug "threatens our national security and fuels lawlessness in our hemisphere and at our borders."<h2>Is fentanyl more dangerous than a bomb?</h2>No, official data does not support the Trumps fatality figures. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the country recorded an estimated 80,000 overdose deaths in 2024, with roughly 48,000 linked to synthetic opioids such as fentanyl.However, the narrative aligns with Trump's broader campaign against what his administration calls "narco-terrorists." Since early September, the US military has carried out strikes on more than 20 suspected drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean, operations that have killed nearly 90 people. Trump has claimed each vessel destroyed saves 25,000 American lives.Experts note, however, that most of the boats targeted are believed to be carrying cocaine, not fentanyl. The synthetic opioid largely enters the United States through land routes from Mexico, rather than maritime smuggling from countries like Colombia or Venezuela.The strikes have been accompanied by a significant US naval buildup in the Caribbean, including the deployment of the world's largest aircraft carrier and multiple warships. US military aircraft have also conducted repeated flights along Venezuela’s coastline in recent weeks.Washington insists the buildup is focused on counter-narcotics operations. Meanwhile, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has accused the US of using drug trafficking as a pretext for pursuing regime change. The Trump administration has linked Maduro directly to the issue, accusing him of leading the so-called "Cartel of the Suns," which it designated a narco-terrorist organisation last month, and offering a $50 million reward for information leading to his capture. &nbsp;

Fentanyl = WMD? Trump’s explosive claim | Trump labels fentanyl a weapon of mass destruction, says it kills more than bombs. US data disputes the numbers. Scroll to read what Trump said vs the truth.

US President Donald Trump on Monday (Dec 15) announced he was classifying fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction, escalating his administration’s crackdown on drug cartels across Latin America and framing the opioid crisis as a national security threat on par with nuclear and chemical weapons. Deadlier than a bomb? Speaking at the White House while signing an executive order, Trump said fentanyl was deadlier than any bomb. "No bomb does what this is doing -- 200-300,000 people die every year, that we know of". The executive order places illicit fentanyl in the same category as weapons of mass destruction, arguing that its production and distribution threaten US national security and fuel instability across the region and at the country’s borders. The document states that fentanyl is "closer to a chemical weapon than a narcotic," and that the manufacture and distribution of the drug "threatens our national security and fuels lawlessness in our hemisphere and at our borders." Is fentanyl more dangerous than a bomb? No, official data does not support the Trumps fatality figures. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the country recorded an estimated 80,000 overdose deaths in 2024, with roughly 48,000 linked to synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. However, the narrative aligns with Trump's broader campaign against what his administration calls "narco-terrorists." Since early September, the US military has carried out strikes on more than 20 suspected drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean, operations that have killed nearly 90 people. Trump has claimed each vessel destroyed saves 25,000 American lives. Experts note, however, that most of the boats targeted are believed to be carrying cocaine, not fentanyl. The synthetic opioid largely enters the United States through land routes from Mexico, rather than maritime smuggling from countries like Colombia or Venezuela. The strikes have been accompanied by a significant US naval buildup in the Caribbean, including the deployment of the world's largest aircraft carrier and multiple warships. US military aircraft have also conducted repeated flights along Venezuela’s coastline in recent weeks. Washington insists the buildup is focused on counter-narcotics operations. Meanwhile, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has accused the US of using drug trafficking as a pretext for pursuing regime change. The Trump administration has linked Maduro directly to the issue, accusing him of leading the so-called "Cartel of the Suns," which it designated a narco-terrorist organisation last month, and offering a $50 million reward for information leading to his capture.

Fentanyl = WMD? Trump’s explosive claim | Trump labels fentanyl a weapon of mass destruction, says it kills more than bombs. US data disputes the numbers. Scroll to read what Trump said vs the truth.

Fentanyl more dangerous than a bomb? Trump classifies drug as 'weapon of mass destruction'

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday (Dec 16) said that the mass shooting at Sydney's Bondi Beach that killed 15 people appears to have been driven by Islamic State ideology. This is the clearest indication yet of what may have motivated one of the country's deadliest attacks. The shooting took place on Sunday evening during a Hanukkah celebration at the popular beachfront, turning a religious gathering into a scene of chaos and fear. Authorities have already described the attack as an antisemitic act of terrorism, but Albanese's comments marked the first public suggestion that the suspects were radicalised by extremist ideology.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/father-and-son-behind-bondi-beach-attack-that-targeted-the-jewish-community-1765756840634">Father and son behind Bondi Beach attack that ‘targeted the Jewish community’</a><h2>Radialised?</h2>"It would appear that this was motivated by Islamic State ideology," Albanese said. He described it as an ideology of hate that has existed for more than a decade and one that, in this case, led to a willingness to carry out mass murder. "The ideology that has been around for more than a decade that led to this ideology of hate, and in this case, a preparedness to engage in mass murder."The attackers have been identified as Sajid Akram, 50, and his 24-year-old son Naveed Akram. Armed with long-barreled firearms, the pair opened fire on the beach for around 10 minutes before officers shot and killed the father. Naveed Akram was arrested and is currently in a coma in a hospital with serious injuries, under constant police guard.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pakistani-nationals-links-to-islamic-state-what-we-know-about-bondi-beach-shooters-sajid-and-naveed-akram-1765765119824">Bondi beach shooting: Who are father-son IS-linked suspects Sajid, Naveed Akram</a><h2>Australia already had an eye on one of the attackers</h2>Albanese confirmed that Naveed Akram had previously come to the attention of Australia's intelligence agencies in 2019. However, he said the young man was not assessed as posing an immediate threat at the time."He was drawn to their attention because of his association with others," the prime minister said. "Two of the people he was associated with were charged and went to jail, but he was not seen then as a person of interest." &nbsp;

Australia’s PM says the Sydney shooting that killed 15 during a Hanukkah event appears inspired by Islamic State ideology. The father-son attackers targeted the Jewish community. Scroll down for more.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday (Dec 16) said that the mass shooting at Sydney's Bondi Beach that killed 15 people appears to have been driven by Islamic State ideology. This is the clearest indication yet of what may have motivated one of the country's deadliest attacks. The shooting took place on Sunday evening during a Hanukkah celebration at the popular beachfront, turning a religious gathering into a scene of chaos and fear. Authorities have already described the attack as an antisemitic act of terrorism, but Albanese's comments marked the first public suggestion that the suspects were radicalised by extremist ideology. Also read | Father and son behind Bondi Beach attack that ‘targeted the Jewish community’ Radialised? "It would appear that this was motivated by Islamic State ideology," Albanese said. He described it as an ideology of hate that has existed for more than a decade and one that, in this case, led to a willingness to carry out mass murder. "The ideology that has been around for more than a decade that led to this ideology of hate, and in this case, a preparedness to engage in mass murder." The attackers have been identified as Sajid Akram, 50, and his 24-year-old son Naveed Akram. Armed with long-barreled firearms, the pair opened fire on the beach for around 10 minutes before officers shot and killed the father. Naveed Akram was arrested and is currently in a coma in a hospital with serious injuries, under constant police guard. Also read | Bondi beach shooting: Who are father-son IS-linked suspects Sajid, Naveed Akram Australia already had an eye on one of the attackers Albanese confirmed that Naveed Akram had previously come to the attention of Australia's intelligence agencies in 2019. However, he said the young man was not assessed as posing an immediate threat at the time. "He was drawn to their attention because of his association with others," the prime minister said. "Two of the people he was associated with were charged and went to jail, but he was not seen then as a person of interest."

Australia’s PM says the Sydney shooting that killed 15 during a Hanukkah event appears inspired by Islamic State ideology. The father-son attackers targeted the Jewish community. Scroll down for more.

Australia PM Anthony Albanese says Bondi Beach shooting appears driven by Islamic State ideology

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Australia PM says Bondi Beach shooting appears driven by Islamic State ideology