2 h. ago IU researcher charged with using women’s underwear to smuggle E. coli from China to the U.S.

IU researcher charged with using women’s underwear to smuggle E. coli from China to the U.S.  Fox 59

Politics

5 h. ago Rubio says won’t force deal on Ukraine as Europeans join Miami talks

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday promised not to force Ukraine into any agreement to end Russia’s invasion as European allies joined fresh talks in Miami. The weekend talks come as Russian President Vladimir Putin in an annual news conference vowed to press ahead with his military offensive in Ukraine, hailing battlefield gains nearly four years into his war. US President Donald Trump’s envoys have pressed a plan in which the United States would offer security guarantees to Ukraine,...

Politics

6 h. ago US lawmakers want DeepSeek, Xiaomi added to list of China military

US lawmakers want DeepSeek, Xiaomi added to list of China military-linked firms  South China Morning Post

Events

8 h. ago Rome to charge tourists to get close to famed Trevi Fountain

Tourists who want to get close to Rome’s Trevi Fountain will soon have to pay a €2 (US$2.34) fee, the city mayor said on Friday, as authorities look to profit more handsomely from Italy’s many attractions. Mayor Roberto Gualtieri told reporters the new payment system would start on February 1, adding that the measure was expected to raise €6.5 million (US$7.6 million) a year. “Two euros isn’t very much and it will lead to less chaotic tourist flows,” Gualtieri said, stressing that citizens...

Politics

10 h. ago US lawmakers want DeepSeek, Xiaomi added to list of Chinese military

A group of nine US lawmakers sent a letter to US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth this week urging the Pentagon to add a slew of Chinese technology firms to a list of entities allegedly assisting the Chinese military. The letter, sent late on Thursday after US President Donald Trump signed a US$1 trillion must-pass military spending bill into law, asks Hegseth to place AI firm DeepSeek, smartphone maker Xiaomi and electronic display maker BOE Technology Group on what is known as the Section...

Events

10 h. ago US lawmakers want DeepSeek, Xiaomi on list of Chinese military

US lawmakers want DeepSeek, Xiaomi on list of Chinese military-linked firms  South China Morning Post

Events

10 h. ago US lawmakers urge Pentagon to add DeepSeek, Xiaomi to China military

Nine Republican lawmakers, including several congressional committee chairs, sent a letter this week urging US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to add more than a dozen Chinese technology firms to the Pentagon’s list of companies alleged to have links to the Chinese military. The letter, released on Friday after US President Donald Trump signed a US$900 billion military spending bill restricting US investments into Chinese tech, asks the Pentagon chief to place AI firm DeepSeek, smartphone maker...

Events

12 h. ago US lawmakers urge Pentagon to add DeepSeek, Xiaomi to list of firms allegedly aiding Chinese military

US lawmakers urge Pentagon to add DeepSeek, Xiaomi to list of firms allegedly aiding Chinese military  Reuters

Events

15 h. ago U.S. expands military encirclement of China across the Pacific

U.S. expands military encirclement of China across the Pacific  mronline.org

Events

17 h. ago Chinese military tightens review of equipment and weapons pricing to fight corruption

The Chinese military is pushing for stricter rules on equipment purchases, including its pricing system, to stem corruption. According to a set of “professional ethics” released on Friday, the Central Military Commission’s (CMC) Equipment Development Department should foster “professional values in the new era”, with quality the top priority in equipment procurement. The department should serve the People’s Liberation Army with “integrity and clean practice”, the official PLA Daily quoted the...

Events

21 h. ago Trump’s Venezuela ‘blockade’ raises legal questions as US masses forces

US President Donald Trump’s “blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers off Venezuela’s coast was raising new questions about the legality of his military campaign in Latin America, while fuelling concerns that the US could be edging closer to war. The Trump administration says its blockade is narrowly tailored and not targeting civilians, which would be an illegal act of war. But some experts say seizing sanctioned oil tied to leader Nicolas Maduro could provoke a military response from Venezuela,...

Politics

27 h. ago Trump signs defence bill restricting investment in Chinese tech, military firms

US President Donald Trump on Thursday signed a sweeping defence bill that would restrict US outbound investment in Chinese technology and curb federal contracts with Chinese biotechnology companies, amid an uneasy trade truce between Washington and Beijing. The bill, known as the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA), cleared both the House of Representatives and Senate earlier this month after months of negotiation. The Senate passed the bill on Wednesday in a 77-20 vote, following its...

Economics

28 h. ago US arms deal supports Taiwan’s effort to reassure Trump on defence burden

The US State Department’s approval this week of a US$11.1 billion weapons package for Taiwan – reportedly the largest in the island’s history – dovetails with Taipei’s effort to show US President Donald Trump it is doing more to defend itself, even as it shifts towards a less conventional “porcupine” strategy, analysts said. “These are asymmetric weapons that are focused on bolstering the capability of Taiwan’s military to prevent a PLA invasion,” said Bonnie Glaser, vice-president of the German...

Politics

46 h. ago Putin vows victory in Ukraine as US and Russia prepare for Miami talks

Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed confidence in victory for his war in Ukraine during a meeting with senior military officials on Wednesday amid a renewed diplomatic push to achieve a peaceful solution to the conflict. He said that more than 300 localities in the neighbouring country have been conquered this year alone. “Among them are also large cities that have been turned by the enemy into fortress nodes with permanent defensive installations,” Putin said. The Russian president said...

Politics

48 h. ago US forces strike another alleged drug boat in eastern Pacific, killing 4

The US military said on Wednesday that it attacked a boat accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing four people on the same day the US House rejected efforts to limit President Donald Trump’s power to use military force against drug cartels. US Southern Command stated on social media that the vessel was operated by narco-terrorists along a known trafficking route. The military didn’t provide evidence behind the allegations but posted a video of a boat moving through water...

Events

50 h. ago Bondi Beach attack: Philippines rejects ‘outdated’ violent extremism portrayal

There is no evidence indicating that the two suspects involved in the Bondi Beach attack received any form of military training while in the Philippines, the Philippines’ National Security Adviser said on Wednesday. In a statement, Eduardo Ano said that a mere visit to the country does not substantiate allegations of terrorist training, and the duration of their stay would not have permitted any meaningful or structured training. The alleged father-and-son gunmen opened fire on a Hanukkah...

Events

53 h. ago Department of Energy Funded Research Collaborations with Chinese Military

Department of Energy Funded Research Collaborations with Chinese Military-Industrial Complex  National Review

Events

56 h. ago Son of US filmmaker Rob Reiner in court on charges that he murdered his parents

The younger son of Hollywood filmmaker and political activist Rob Reiner made his first court appearance on Wednesday for the two murder charges he faces in the stabbing deaths of his parents, who were found slain in their Los Angeles home over the weekend. The arraignment was delayed until January 7 and Nick Reiner, 32, did not enter a plea. Bearded and wearing a blue protective vest, he made the court appearance three days after his arrest and a day after he was charged with one of the most...

Events

56 h. ago Son of filmmaker Rob Reiner in court on charges of murdering parents

The younger son of Hollywood filmmaker and political activist Rob Reiner made his first court appearance on Wednesday for the two murder charges he faces in the stabbing deaths of his parents, who were found slain in their Los Angeles home over the weekend. The arraignment was delayed until January 7, and Nick Reiner, 32, did not enter a plea. Bearded and wearing a blue protective vest, he made the court appearance three days after his arrest and a day after he was charged with one of the most...

Events

58 h. ago Investigation Reveals Energy Department Collaborated with China's Military on Research

Investigation Reveals Energy Department Collaborated with China's Military on Research  Select Committee on the CCP | (.gov)

Events