Germany's elections saw the far-right AfD secure over 20% of the vote, marking its highest-ever share. The CDU/CSU led by Friedrich Merz won with over 28%, while the SPD recorded its worst result. Mainstream parties ruled out working with AfD. Merz aims to form a government by Easter, with potential coalition negotiations expected to be tough.
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Boston lawyer Joseph Donohue, 65, was brutally murdered on his houseboat, suffering multiple stab wounds. Police discovered his duct-taped, weighted body, with a knife blade lodged in his skull, and one of his dogs drowned. Nora Nelson, 24, was arrested on unrelated warrants. Despite her arrest, many questions about the crime remain unanswered.
Vogue has critiqued Melania Trump's outfit in her official White House portrait, with writer Hannah Jackson commenting that Melania looks like a freelance magician. While the photo has generally been criticized as being 'heavily photoshopped', Vogue's harsh criticism of Melania has a context. Vogue did not make a cover on Melania during her first stint as the First Lady ditching a long-running tradition.
Ranjani Srinivasan, an Indian doctoral student at Columbia University, self-deported from the US after her visa was revoked over alleged support of Hamas. Her departure highlights increased scrutiny on foreign students involved in pro-Palestinian activism. Homeland Security justified the visa revocation by citing security concerns. Srinivasan's significant academic background includes studies at Harvard and Columbia.
A new generation of Africans is increasing pressure on Western museums to return looted artefacts, reflecting growing awareness and changing attitudes, says Unesco's Ernesto Ottone. While countries like France and Britain hold vast collections of stolen cultural heritage, restitution efforts remain complex, often requiring bespoke laws. Some items, like Benin bronzes and Madagascar's royal crown, have been loaned, but widespread returns face legal and political resistance, stalling progress.
A judge temporarily blocked Elon Musk’s DOGE team from accessing sensitive SSA records, citing privacy concerns and lack of justification for their fraud investigation. The directive permits access to redacted data after training, addressing inefficiency while respecting legal boundaries.
Germany’s opposition leader Olaf Scholz has vowed to tighten migration policies, promising stricter border controls, increased deportations, and barring entry to individuals without proper documents if elected chancellor. The pledge follows a fatal knife attack in Aschaffenburg by a rejected asylum-seeker. Scholz criticized Bavaria for failing to deport the suspect. Meanwhile, election rival Friedrich Merz has also advocated tougher migration laws, emphasizing Germany’s need to enforce... Expand
Protesters gathered at Stonewall National Monument to express their outrage over the removal of transgender and queer references from the National Park Service website. This followed President Trump's executive order recognising only two sexes. Demonstrators voiced concerns about the erasure of trans, nonbinary, and queer identities, and activists like Bernie Wagenblast vowed to resist the changes and fight for recognition and rights.
Jason Whitlock made an explosive claim about Barack Obama and Michelle Obama's marriage that it was never out of love but had a political reason behind it. Barack Obama needed a Black wife to be the president and after Biden made it impossible for Michelle Obama to run for president this year, Barack and Michell have no reason to stay married to each other, the commentator said.
US lawmakers are urging President Biden to extend the deadline for ByteDance to sell TikTok's US assets to avoid a potential ban. ByteDance's legal team argues that completing a sale by January 19 is unfeasible, stressing the impact on 170 million American users. Many content creators are switching to another Chinese app, Xiaohongshu.
Elon Musk and Donald Trump had a contentious beginning, with Musk initially critical of Trump. Despite past clashes, Musk’s significant 2024 GOP donations mended ties, with Musk eventually leading a government spending initiative under Trump.