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Sun, Dec 21, 2025 09:43 AM All times are UTC

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More than 1,300 Hajj pilgrims died this year when humidity and heat pushed past survivable limits. It’s just the start

| Insights & Views

Every year, hundreds of thousands of Muslims undertake the Hajj the sacred pilgrimage to Mecca. In 2024, the pilgrimage took place in mid-June, the start of the Saudi summer. But this year, more than 1,300 pilgrims never...

How a Cold War satellite and Robert Menzies changed the way Australian schools are funded

| Insights & Views

As students and teachers prepare to go on holidays, theres a disagreement raging over a new school funding deal for 2025. Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria have all refused to sign up to the...

Australia has an ongoing GP shortage. Why can’t we just train more GPs?

| Insights & Views

If you have Australia is critically short of GPs and the shortfall is growing, predicted to be 8,600 GPs by 2048. So why cant we just train more? Despite new programs to attract medical graduates, there are multiple...

Where does Santa live? It’s a trickier question to answer than you may think

| Insights & Views

Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland. Roman Babakin/Shutterstock Sending a letter to Santa can be difficult as no one can agree on where exactly Santa lives. Several countries are competing to claim Santa as...

What will you be reading this summer? We asked 6 avid readers

| Insights & Views

Lawrence Chismorie/Unsplash Summer reads are often advertised as fat paperback page-turners: romance, adventure or crime fiction. But everyone has their own definition of the summer read. It might be catching up on a...

AI will continue to grow in 2025. But it will face major challenges along the way

| Insights & Views

In 2024, artificial intelligence (AI) continued taking large and surprising steps forward. People started conversing with AI resurrections of the dead, using AI toothbrushes and confessing to an AI-powered Jesus....

Could NZ’s two kākā subspecies actually be remnants of a more diverse species? Here’s why we need to know

| Insights & Views

As many Wellingtonians will know, kākā can be trouble. New Zealands pesky forest parrots have expanded throughout New Zealands capital city since they were reintroduced 22 years ago and they are not averse to modifying...

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Economy

Russia Stocks End Flat as Energy Shares Support MOEX Index

Russian stocks finished mixed after the close of trading in Moscow on Saturday, with the MOEX Russia Index ending the session unchanged at 0.00%. Market sentiment remained cautious as gains in select energy and utility...

Trump Defends Economic Record in North Carolina as Midterm Election Pressure Mounts

U.S. President Donald Trump traveled to the battleground state of North Carolina on Friday to defend his economic policies and reassure voters that the U.S. economy remains on solid footing, as concerns grow ahead of a...

EU Approves €90 Billion Ukraine Aid as Frozen Russian Asset Plan Stalls

Ukraine welcomed a major European Union decision on Friday to provide 90 billion in financial support over the next two years, a move Kyiv says will significantly strengthen its economic resilience amid the ongoing war...

Kevin Hassett Says Inflation Is Below Target, Backs Trump’s Call for Rate Cuts

White House economic advisor Kevin Hassett said President Donald Trump is correct in claiming inflation is low, despite official data, public sentiment, and many economists suggesting otherwise. Speaking on Fox Business,...

U.S. Stocks End Week Higher as Tech Rally Offsets Consumer Weakness

U.S. stocks closed higher on Friday, recovering from a volatile start to the week as gains in technology and AI-related shares outweighed sharp declines in consumer stocks such as Nike. Major indexes finished in positive...

Politics

Venezuela Condemns U.S. Seizure of Oil Tanker as “International Piracy”

The Venezuelan government has strongly condemned the seizure of a new oil tanker near its coast, accusing the United States of committing what it described as a serious act of international piracy. In an official statement...

Bangladesh Mourns Slain Youth Leader as Funeral Draws Thousands Amid Political Unrest

Tens of thousands of Bangladeshis gathered in Dhaka on Saturday to attend the funeral of Sharif Osman Hadi, a slain youth leader and election candidate whose killing has intensified political unrest ahead of the countrys...

U.S. Intercepts Venezuelan Oil Tanker in International Waters Amid Escalating Blockade Tensions

The United States has intercepted an oil tanker in international waters near Venezuela, intensifying tensions just days after President Donald Trump announced a total and complete blockade of sanctioned oil shipments...

Google and Apple Warn U.S. Visa Holders to Avoid International Travel Amid Lengthy Embassy Delays

Alphabets Google and Apple have advised certain employees working in the United States on temporary visas to avoid international travel, as visa stamping delays at U.S. embassies and consulates can now stretch up to 12...

U.S.–Russia Talks in Florida Raise Hopes but Reveal Deep Divides Over Ukraine War

U.S. negotiators met Russian officials in Florida over the weekend as the Trump administration intensified diplomatic efforts to help end Russias war in Ukraine, a conflict that began with Moscows full-scale invasion in...

Science

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Blue Origin’s New Glenn Achieves Breakthrough Success With First NASA Mission

Blue Origins massive New Glenn rocket marked a major milestone as it completed its first mission for paying customers, sending two NASA satellites toward Mars and successfully landing its reusable booster at sea. The...

Cogent Biosciences Soars 120% on Breakthrough Phase 3 Results for Bezuclastinib in GIST Treatment

Cogent Biosciences (NASDAQ: COGT) shares skyrocketed over 120% after the biotech company announced groundbreaking results from its Phase 3 PEAK trial evaluating bezuclastinib in combination with sunitinib for patients with...

Technology

U.S. Lawmakers Urge Pentagon to Blacklist More Chinese Tech Firms Over Military Ties

A group of nine Republican U.S. lawmakers has formally urged the Pentagon to expand its list of Chinese companies accused of supporting Chinas military, intensifying scrutiny of Beijing-linked technology firms amid rising...

Dina Powell McCormick Resigns From Meta Board After Eight Months, May Take Advisory Role

Dina Powell McCormick has resigned from Meta Platforms board of directors effective immediately, just eight months after joining the social media company, Meta confirmed on Friday. The unexpected departure comes at a time...

TikTok U.S. Deal Advances as ByteDance Signs Binding Joint Venture Agreement

TikTok has taken a major step toward securing its future in the United States after its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, announced it has signed binding agreements with three major investors to form a new joint venture...

Trump Administration Reviews Nvidia H200 Chip Sales to China, Marking Major Shift in U.S. AI Export Policy

The U.S. government under President Donald Trump has launched a formal review that could pave the way for the first-ever shipments of Nvidias H200 artificial intelligence chips to China, according to multiple sources...

Oracle Stock Surges After Hours on TikTok Deal Optimism and OpenAI Fundraising Buzz

Oracle Corporation (NYSE: ORCL) shares surged sharply in extended trading on Thursday, reflecting renewed investor optimism fueled by reports of a potential U.S. TikTok transaction and fresh fundraising discussions...