The World Health Organization has warned that amid an early start to the Northern Hemisphere influenza season, a new variant of the virus is rapidly gaining ground. Influenza and other respiratory viruses are surging, Dr Wenqing Zhang, Unit Head for Global Respiratory Threats at the Department of...
Moving goods around the world could soon become cheaper, faster and far more flexible, following the adoption of a new United Nations-backed agreement that modernizes the paperwork behind global shipping. The UN General Assembly adopted the resolution for UN Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents supporting the convention on Monday. A signing ceremony is planned for the second half of 2026 in A
President Donald Trump has signed a Proclamation expanding full restrictions and entry limitations of nationals from 39 countries "to protect U.S. national security and public safety interests." Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem had said earlier this month that the U.S. Government was planning to widen the travel ban that Trump announced on 19 countries to more than 30. In a proclamation h
President Donald Trump has announced that he is ordering "a total and complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers going into, and out of, Venezuela." In a lengthy statement he posted on Truth Social Tuesday, Trump said he is designating the Nicolas Maduro regime in Venezuela a foreign terrorist organization "For the theft of our assets, and many other reasons, including terrorism, drug smuggl
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has directed the military departments to proactively review personnel records of U.S. service members who were involuntarily discharged solely for refusing to take the Covid-19 vaccine and facilitate appropriate discharge upgrades. A discharge upgrade is a...
A new EU-funded report confirms that urgent bloc-level action is needed to tackle cardiovascular diseases, which is the European Union's number one killer. The 'State of Cardiovascular Health in the EU' report reveals that cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death and disability in the EU, accounting for one-third of all annual deaths and affecting over 60 million people. These fi
The U.S. Department of the Treasury has warned consumers to be alert against cyber-enabled scams and online fraud during holiday season. The warning was given in an annual holiday advisory issued by the Treasury's Office of Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Protection to help consumers protect...
President Donald Trump has signed an Executive Order designating illicit fentanyl and its core precursor chemical as weapons of mass destruction. The Order directs the Attorney General to immediately pursue criminal charges, sentencing enhancements, and sentencing variances in fentanyl trafficking cases. Trump ordered the Secretary of State and the Secretary of the Treasury to pursue appropriate
Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy has announced a $1.5 billion grant for infrastructure projects across the country. Duffy announced a Notice of Funding Opportunity through Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Grants for Fiscal Year 2026. The merit criteria of BUILD...
President Donald Trump has urged his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to release Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon and politician Jimmy Lai, who was found guilty under the controversial national security law. "I feel so badly. I spoke to President Xi about it and I asked to consider his release," Trump told reporters. "He's an older man, and he's not well. So I did put that request out. We'll s
Far-right Jose Antonio Kast has been elected as Chile's president. In the presidential election run off held on Sunday, Kast secured 58.30 percent of the votes while leftist candidate Jeannette Jara won 41.70 percent. The defeat for the ruling left-wing coalition candidate is seen as voters' mandate against the government over rising crime and immigration. Kast, who is an admirer of former ri
Global oil demand is set to rise by 830 kb/d in 2025 amid an improving macroeconomic and trade outlook, according to The International Energy Agency's Oil Market Report. These brighter prospects extend to IEA's 2026 forecast, which upgrades by 90 kb/d, to 860 kb/d y-o-y. Gasoil and jet/kerosene account for half of this year's gains, with fuel oil losing ground to natural gas and solar in power g
Three Americans have been killed in a terrorist attack in Syria. Two U.S. troops and one U.S. civilian were killed, and three soldiers were injured in an ambush by an Islamic State gunman, U.S. Central Command said in a press release. The gunman was engaged and killed in the incident, which took...
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he will push for tougher gun laws at Monday's Cabinet meeting convened to discuss future course of action in the wake of the fatal Bondi beach terror attack. Fifteen people were killed and dozens of others were wounded in Sunday's attack targeting a Hanukkah celebration by the Jewish community on Bondi Beach in Sydney. Reports quoting police said t
President Donald Trump has signed an Executive Order to protect American AI innovation from an inconsistent and costly compliance regime resulting from varying State laws. The Order directs the Attorney General to establish an AI Litigation Task Force to challenge unconstitutional, preempted, or otherwise unlawful State AI laws that harm innovation. The Order directs the Secretary of Commerce t
December 12, 2025 15:14 ET Central bank decisions dominated the economic news flow this week led by the Federal Reserve. Trade data from the U.S. also gained attention. The Canadian and Swiss central banks also announced their interest rate decisions. Inflation data from China was in focus as the country released the latest consumer price and producer price data.