Author: Justin M. Larson

Getty ImagesTwo US fighter jets were tracked circling the Gulf of Venezuela on Tuesday as tensions continue to escalate between the two countries.The F/A-18 Super Hornets appeared on flight tracking sites near Maracaibo, Venezuela’s second-largest city, at around 13:00 (17:00 GMT), before circling the gulf for about 40 minutes.A US defence official told the Associated Press the F/A-18 jets had conducted a “routine training flight” in the area.The incident comes amid a wave of US strikes against boats in the Caribbean Sea, which the White House said were trafficking drugs to the US from Venezuela. Experts have raised questions over…

Thailand says ordnance replanted by Cambodia has injured or maimed more than a dozen of its soldiers. Cambodia rejects the accusation. Source link

Electric flying taxis with speeds of up to 150mph could soon be available to UK passengers, with plans to gain approval for commercial flights as early as 2028.Vertical Aerospace is hoping its electric Valo aircraft, which will carry up to six people, can obtain the regulatory green light it needs to introduce the first commercial routes within three years. The British company says the flying taxi has the potential to provide a service to passengers at “a similar cost” to hiring an Uber. Its plans are the latest in a succession of predictions that a revolution in air transport is…

Caught between Beijing and the Trump administration, the International Monetary Fund offered mild criticism of China for relying too heavily on exports. Source link

The government faces a dilemma over what to do with civil-war-era prisons and detention camps that hold thousands of ISIS fighters and tens of thousands of their family members. Source link

In this photo illustration, iPhone screens display various social media apps on the screens on February 9, 2025 in Bath, England.Anna Barclay | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesAustralia on Wednesday became the first country to formally bar users under the age of 16 from accessing major social media platforms, a move expected to be closely monitored by global tech companies and policymakers around the world.Canberra’s ban, which came into effect from midnight local time, targets 10 major services, including Alphabet’s YouTube, Meta’s Instagram, ByteDance’s TikTok, Reddit, Snapchat and Elon Musk’s X.The controversial rule requires these platforms to take “reasonable…

Frank GardnerSecurity correspondentBBCRussia’s full-scale war on Ukraine will soon enter its fifth year. Mysterious incidents of so-called “hybrid warfare” are mounting in Europe, increasing tensions. And in the UK, military chiefs have warned we must prepare for war if we want to avoid it. But if the unthinkable happened, and war with Russia broke out, could the UK fight for more than just a few weeks?Listen to Frank reading this article”We are not planning to go to war with Europe. But if Europe wants to, and starts, we are ready right now.” So said Russian President Vladimir Putin on 2…

Dominic Casciani,Home and Legal CorrespondentandBrian Wheeler,Political reporterEPADanish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer meeting in London earlier this yearSir Keir Starmer has urged European leaders to reform human rights laws to make it easier to deport illegal migrants ahead of crucial talks on a potential shake-up of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).The government has already announced plans to restrict asylum seekers using the “right to family life” clause in the ECHR to avoid deportation from the UK. Now the prime minister is urging fellow ECHR members to change the rules to make it easier…

Coupang said Park Dae-jun would step down to accept “grave responsibility” for the leak that exposed information on nearly 34 million customer accounts. Source link

Ukraine is “ready for elections”, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said, after US President Donald Trump repeated claims Kyiv was “using war” to avoid holding them. Zelensky’s five-year term as president was due to end in May 2024, but elections have been suspended in Ukraine since martial law was declared after Russia’s invasion.Speaking to reporters following Trump’s comments in a wide-raging Politico interview, Zelensky said he would ask for proposals to be drawn up which could change the law.Elections could be held in the next 60 to 90 days if security for the vote was guaranteed with the help of the…

The head of the Norwegian Nobel Institute told the state broadcaster that María Corina Machado would not attend Wednesday’s event in Oslo. Source link

Indonesia and United States flags together realtions textile cloth fabric textureOleksii Liskonih | Istock | Getty ImagesThe trade deal between Indonesia and the U.S. is at risk of unravelling as Washington officials view that Jakarta is going back on the terms of the agreement, according to The Financial Times. The report, citing people familiar with matter, said on Tuesday that U.S. trade representative Jamieson Greer believes Indonesia was “backtracking” on several commitments it had made.Indonesian officials reportedly are averse to agreeing to some binding commitments made in the deal and have communicated that to the USTR. Washington believes Indonesia is “backsliding”…

Park Dae-jun, CEO of South Korean online retail giant Coupang has resigned, three weeks after the company became aware of a massive data breach that affected nearly 34 million customers.CoupangThe CEO of South Korean online retail giant Coupang has resigned, three weeks after the company became aware of a massive data breach that affected nearly 34 million customers.Coupang said Wednesday that CEO Park Dae-jun resigned due to the data breach incident — which was revealed on Nov. 18 — according to a Google translation of the statement in Korean.”I am deeply sorry for disappointing the public with the recent personal…

This report is from this week’s CNBC’s The China Connection newsletter, which brings you insights and analysis on what’s driving the world’s second-largest economy. You can subscribe here.The big storyChris Miller, author of the book “Chip War,” warned three years ago that the balance of modern power hinges on a semiconductor supply chain crossing geopolitical fault lines. Now, the Tufts University historian is raising a new concern: the U.S. risks losing its advantage over China in artificial intelligence talent.When it comes to brain power, “America’s edge is deteriorating dangerously,” Miller told a U.S. Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee last week. It’s a…

The leader of France’s far-right National Rally (RN) Jordan Bardella has welcomed “for the most part” concerns raised about Europe in US President Donald Trump’s new National Security Strategy.Last week, the White House published a document which outlined Trump’s vision of the world and the state of the European continent, which many have characterised as harshly critical of Europe.Speaking to the BBC’s Nick Robinson for his Political Thinking podcast, Bardella praised what he said was Trump’s “appeal to American pride” – but he made clear he did not want Europe to be “subservient to any major power”.He said there was…

Employees stand near an The Amazon Inc. logo is displayed above the reception counter at the company’s campus in Hyderabad, India, on Friday, Sept. 6, 2019.Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesAmazon on Wednesday committed to investing over $35 billion in India’s cloud and artificial intelligence space by 2030, as hyperscalers race to get a foothold in the market. The commitment, unveiled at the Amazon Smbhav Summit in New Delhi, builds on nearly $40 billion already invested in the country. In a press release, Amazon said the new funds will target AI-driven digitization, export growth and job creation, aligning with India’s national priorities…

This report is from this week’s CNBC’s UK Exchange newsletter. Like what you see? You can subscribe here.The dispatchLovers of ice cream brands like Magnum, Cornetto, Carte D’Or, Ben & Jerry’s, Breyers and Wall’s can now own shares in them directly following Monday’s demerger of The Magnum Ice Cream Company (TMICC) from former parent Unilever.In one of the splashiest stock market events of 2025, shares of TMICC debuted on Amsterdam’s Euronext, and there are also secondary listings in London and New York — where Peter ter Kulve, the chief executive, will ring the opening bell today. (He’ll also be live on CNBC’s Squawk on the Street at 3…

The former chief executive of Nexperia, a Dutch chipmaker, said Dutch officials had known for years that the company’s Chinese owner sought to move its technology to China. Source link

James GallagherHealth and science correspondentShutterstockThe donor’s sperm was used in clinics across Europe (stock image)A sperm donor who unknowingly harboured a genetic mutation that dramatically raises the risk of cancer has fathered at least 197 children across Europe, a major investigation has revealed.Some children have already died and only a minority who inherit the mutation will escape cancer in their lifetimes.The sperm was not sold to UK clinics, but the BBC can confirm a “very small” number of British families, who have been informed, used the donor’s sperm while having fertility treatment in Denmark. Denmark’s European Sperm Bank, which sold…

An executive left TSMC for Intel. Taiwan’s government says that could threaten its national security. Source link

Brazil’s parliament descended into chaos on Tuesday as conservative lawmakers continued to push a law which would reduce the prison sentence of former president Jair Bolsonaro. One left-wing lawmaker was forcibly removed by police after trying to disrupt proceedings, while footage showed scuffles breaking out as security tried to restore order.Bolsonaro began a 27-year jail term in November for attempting to plot a coup following his 2022 election defeat.His conservative allies in Congress have proposed a law which would reduce sentences for coup-related offences, as well as free dozens of Bolsonaro supporters who stormed government buildings shortly after he left…

At least 160 people were killed in the blaze at the Wang Fung Court complex, Tai Po district, which was undergoing renovations.Mr. Türk expressed solidarity with the victims and called for civic space to be ensured. Answers and accountability“At a tragic time like this, the space for discussion and debate on issues of major public interest and concern is more important than ever,” he said.“The people of Hong Kong understandably want answers and accountability, so that the hundreds of victims are properly compensated and to avoid such a tragedy occurring again.”. Mr. Türk noted that the authorities appointed an independent review committee and initiated criminal and anti-corruption investigations into the fire – but have so far…

Aksonethip Somvorachit spoke to UN News about the challenges she has faced as a staff focal point for PSEA.“Early in my UN career, I took on the responsibility of serving as the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) focal point. I acted as the confidential contact for anyone raising a concern—providing a safe space to be heard and helping them access assistance, even when immediate action might feel distant.At first, I was proud to take on the role. I believed I could make a difference. But soon, the reality struck me. A young female colleague approached me: ‘I don’t want…

Officials initially weighed sending survivors of U.S. attacks on boats suspected of drug smuggling to a notorious prison in El Salvador, to keep them away from American courts. Source link