World

King Charles will deliver a televised update on his health in a pre-recorded message airing at 8 p.m. on Channel 4 on Friday, part of the broadcaster’s Stand Up to Cancer campaign with Cancer Research UK. The 77-year-old monarch is expected to emphasize the importance of screening programs and early diagnosis. The king disclosed in February 2024 that cancer had been detected during surgery, though the palace has not specified the type. He temporarily paused public duties and returned in April, with doctors saying they were…

Reddit sues Australia in High Court to overturn child social media ban, citing free political communication Reddit has filed a lawsuit in Australia’s High Court seeking to strike down the country’s new nationwide ban on social media access for people under 16, calling the measure an unconstitutional intrusion on political discourse and a threat to online privacy. The San Francisco-based platform, which counts Australia among its major markets, asked the court to declare the law invalid on grounds that it interferes with the…

U.S. to expand anti-narcotics operations from Venezuela to land routes as tanker seizure stokes tensions WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said the United States will “start on land pretty soon” to interdict narcotics shipments moving overland from Venezuela, signaling an expansion of operations as U.S. forces prepare to bring a seized Venezuelan-linked oil tanker to an American port. “They’ve treated us badly,” Trump told reporters at the White House, claiming maritime drug traffic is “down 92%” and adding, “We’ll sort…

Reddit has filed a legal challenge to Australia’s sweeping new social media ban on under-16s, moving just days after the landmark laws took effect and set the stage for fines against noncompliant tech platforms. The US-based discussion site is contesting the general validity of the legislation and argues it should not be included on the government’s list of services barred to users under 16, according to court filings. Australia this week became the first country to prohibit under-age access to a raft of popular platforms —…

The United States will soon begin strikes to interdict narcotics shipments moving overland from Venezuela to the U.S., President Donald Trump said at the White House, escalating a fast-moving confrontation that already includes the seizure of a Venezuela-linked oil tanker by American forces. The announcement comes as the White House confirmed the seized tanker will be brought to a U.S. port and that Washington intends to confiscate its cargo. “The vessel will go to a U.S. port and the United States does intend to seize the…

Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul dissolved parliament after just three months in office, a royal decree published in the Royal Gazette showed, clearing the way for a general election amid renewed violence on the Cambodia border. “The House of Representatives is dissolved to hold a new general election for members of the House,” the decree said. The move came earlier than expected. Anutin had been widely anticipated to wait until after Christmas before sending voters back to the polls. In a report cited by the…

U.S. seizes Venezuelan oil tanker in helicopter raid, to bring ship to American port as tensions spike with Maduro U.S. forces seized a sanctioned oil tanker off Venezuela in a helicopter-borne operation and will bring the vessel to a U.S. port to confiscate its cargo, the White House said, escalating a fast-moving standoff with President Nicolás Maduro’s government. The dramatic interdiction—described by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem as aimed at the “regime” in Caracas—was captured in video released by U.S.…

Oslo — Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado vowed to return her Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuela “at the correct moment” after slipping out of the country under a decade-old travel ban and arriving in Norway hours after Friday’s ceremony. Machado, 58, reached Oslo early Saturday following a clandestine journey that her camp says began by boat from Venezuela to Curaçao and continued by private plane to Norway. She missed the prize ceremony, where her daughter, Ana Corina Sosa Machado, accepted the award and…

Disney to invest $1 billion in OpenAI, license Star Wars, Marvel and Pixar characters to Sora Walt Disney is investing $1 billion in OpenAI and will allow the startup to use characters from its Star Wars, Pixar and Marvel franchises inside Sora, OpenAI’s AI video and image generator, in a deal announced today that could reshape how Hollywood makes and distributes content. Under the partnership, Sora and ChatGPT Images are expected to start generating fan-requested videos using licensed Disney characters in early 2026. The…

A skydiver was left dangling from an aircraft thousands of meters above northern Australia after a reserve parachute snagged on the plane’s tail during a planned formation jump south of Cairns, according to dramatic footage and findings released by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau. The jumper cut free with a hook knife and later landed safely, while the aircraft suffered substantial tail damage before its pilot made a safe emergency landing. The incident occurred in September during a planned 16-way formation skydive…