President Donald Trump attributed a mid-air collision to a military helicopter flying at an incorrect elevation. “The Blackhawk helicopter was flying too high, by a lot. It was far above the 200 foot limit. That’s not really too complicated to understand, is it???†Trump posted on Truth Social. The New York Times reported that the military Black Hawk helicopter deviated from its approved flight path, surpassing the 200-foot altitude limit and causing the crash with an American Airlines plane.
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Taiwan's Presidential Office staged on Thursday its first tabletop simulation of China's military actions in the region to boost the island's readiness against "authoritarian expansion", a security official said.the Thursday morning exercise, led by the president's office, involved 19 central ministries, local governments and NGOs. "It aims at bolstering Taiwan's whole-of-society defence resilience in the face of authoritarian expansion by China and other countries as they continue to challenge... Expand
A Cypriot court sentenced a Syrian man who captained a migrant boat from Lebanon to three years in prison over causing the death of a young girl from dehydration, authorities said Friday. A statement by the Cypriot prosecution service said the Famagusta criminal court sentenced the Syrian national, 47, on Thursday after finding him guilty of negligence resulting in the death of a three-year-old Syrian girl, who died from dehydration.
Elon Musk has announced plans to cut $1 trillion from the $6.7 trillion budget under Donald Trump's administration, potentially leading to large-scale layoffs and program disruptions. Trump's commitment not to touch health and retirement benefits remains unchanged, but Musk's directive faces resistance from some federal agencies.
Senate Democrats announced their opposition to a Republican stopgap funding bill, increasing the risk of a government shutdown by the end of the week. They propose a one-month extension to allow time for negotiation on a bipartisan spending agreement.
Nasa’s holiday video from the ISS, featuring astronauts in Santa hats and a Christmas tree floating in zero gravity, has sparked online conspiracy theories and questions about how the items reached space. Nasa confirmed a November SpaceX delivery provided the festive items, and astronauts' mission extended due to technical issues with their capsule.
A Georgian court has sentenced former President Mikheil Saakashvili to an additional 4½ years for illegal border crossing, extending his total imprisonment to 12½ years. Saakashvili, who accuses the authorities of politically motivated prosecution, vows to continue fighting against what he calls unjust charges.
China imposed tariffs on US coal, LNG, oil, and vehicles in response to Trump's tariffs on Chinese goods, escalating the trade war. Tensions with Canada and Mexico initially eased, but a political crisis erupted in Canada, forcing Prime Minister Trudeau's resignation and early elections. Trump's tariff strategy remains aggressive, with potential economic impacts.
A lawsuit accuses the University of California of racial discrimination in its admissions, alleging unfair preference to Black and Hispanic applicants against White and Asian students. Filed by Students Against Racial Discrimination, the suit seeks compliance with federal antidiscrimination laws. The university denies using race for admissions and cites adherence to Proposition 209, banning affirmative action.
The Biden administration ordered the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to halt activities, effectively shutting down the organisation created after the 2008 crisis. Russell Vought directed the CFPB to stop work on regulations, suspend rule implementations, and cease investigations. The directive also ended the bureau's Federal Reserve funding to reduce what the administration views as excessive agency operations.
Donald Trump consistently defended Musk and said he's doing a great job and he's doing something from which he has nothing to gain. Trump also praised the DOGE team and said all the young men working there have very high IQ. Trump repeatedly asserted that there is no conflict of interest as Elon Musk has abided by all the federal rules and if there is any, Elon Musk will not be allowed to deal with that.