Category: World

Federal vehicle safety regulators have opened a probe into the emergency door release mechanism on the Tesla Model 3 following complaints that occupants may struggle to exit the vehicle during power failures or after crashes, raising concerns about passenger safety in critical moments.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said its Office of Defects Investigation has begun a preliminary evaluation after receiving reports that the manual door release, designed to be used when the electronic system fails, may be difficult to

A magnetic levitation test run in China has pushed rail engineering into uncharted territory, with a prototype train reaching 700 kilometres an hour in roughly two seconds during a controlled acceleration trial. The demonstration, carried out on a short test track designed for extreme propulsion experiments, underscores Beijing’s drive to redefine high-speed ground transport and narrow the gap between rail and short-haul aviation.Engineers involved in the programme said the run focused on acceleration rather than sustained cruising, highlighting the system’s

Japan has taken a decisive step towards restarting the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power station, the largest such facility in the world by capacity, marking a pivotal moment in the country’s post-Fukushima energy policy. The move follows regulatory clearance and political backing after more than a decade of safety reviews, legal scrutiny and local opposition stemming from the 2011 nuclear disaster.The plant, located in Niigata prefecture on the Sea of Japan coast, has been idle since the Fukushima Daiichi accident triggered the

Artificial intelligence-powered surveillance is moving from corridors and playgrounds into some of the most sensitive spaces on school campuses, as administrators turn to new tools to curb vaping, bullying and violent incidents while grappling with rising concerns over student privacy, data security and psychological impact.School districts in the United States and parts of Europe have begun deploying AI-driven camera systems, audio sensors and environmental monitors that promise early detection of prohibited behaviour. At Beverly Hills High School in California, AI-enabled

Kenya’s leadership has renewed its push to project the country as a future developed economy, with Deputy President Kithure Kindiki rejecting claims that the ambition is unrealistic and arguing that structural reforms, demographic momentum and targeted investment are laying the groundwork for first-world status.Speaking at a public forum on economic transformation, Kindiki said scepticism about Kenya’s trajectory often ignored long-term planning frameworks and measurable gains in infrastructure, education and financial inclusion. He framed the ambition not as political rhetoric but

China’s shipments of rare-earth permanent magnets to the United States fell by 11% in November from October, underscoring how strategic trade frictions and regulatory tightening continue to weigh on a supply chain critical to electric vehicles, wind turbines and advanced defence systems. The monthly drop came despite a temporary easing of broader trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies, signalling that structural constraints rather than short-term diplomacy are shaping flows.Customs data from Beijing show that overall magnet exports declined

UK authorities are investigating a sophisticated cyber intrusion into the country’s diplomatic systems after attackers penetrated networks at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, accessed sensitive material and triggered a sweeping security review across government. The breach, discovered in October 2025 during routine monitoring, has been linked by officials to a state-aligned group assessed to have connections to China, sharpening concerns over espionage risks amid strained geopolitical ties.According to officials briefed on the matter, the attackers gained unauthorised access to

Washington moved to reset the direction of its civil and military space ambitions after President Donald Trump signed a sweeping executive order in December 2025 committing the United States to a crewed moon landing by 2028 and the establishment of a sustained lunar outpost by 2030. The order places the Artemis programme at the centre of national strategy, couples it with an expanded role for nuclear power systems in space, and frames the effort as essential to maintaining strategic advantage

Canada faces another period of economic uncertainty as the U. S. Supreme Court weighs a case that could reshape the legal foundations of tariffs imposed during Donald Trump’s presidency, reviving questions about the stability of cross-border trade rules and the exposure of Canadian industries to abrupt policy shifts. The pending decision centres on the scope of presidential authority to levy tariffs under long-standing U. S. trade statutes, a judgment that could either reinforce executive discretion or impose tighter judicial limits.At

Washington has approved an arms package for Taiwan valued at about $11.1 billion, a move described by officials as the largest single tranche of US military support for the island and one that has prompted a sharp diplomatic response from Beijing. The decision underscores a widening security rift across the Taiwan Strait as pressure on Taipei intensifies through military drills, air patrols and naval manoeuvres.The package, authorised late on Wednesday, brings together a mix of air defence, anti-ship and command-and-control

False and misleading content swept across social media after a powerful earthquake struck northern Japan on December 8, compounding public anxiety at a moment when accurate information was critical for safety and relief. Fabricated videos, doctored images and spurious claims about casualties and infrastructure damage circulated widely within hours, prompting warnings from authorities and media organisations that the online information environment had become polluted alongside the physical disruption caused by the quake.False posts flooded feeds after Japan quake, a pattern

President Donald Trump’s administration has broadened the scope of U. S. travel restrictions by adding seven countries and Palestinian Authority travel documents to a full-entry ban that will take effect on January 1, 2026, tightening immigration and border policies that have been a cornerstone of his presidency. The expanded restrictions come as part of a wider strategy the administration says is aimed at bolstering national security and addressing deficiencies in vetting and information-sharing with foreign governments.The proclamation signed by Trump

Federal authorities in Washington have issued a fresh warning to consumers and financial institutions as cyber-enabled fraud intensifies during the year-end shopping season, highlighting a sharp rise in sophisticated scams powered by artificial intelligence and automation. The U. S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Protection said the scale and complexity of digital fraud now pose systemic risks to household finances and payment networks, with losses running into tens of billions of dollars annually.Treasury flags rising

Eastern European Union governments are coordinating a collective push to unlock larger and faster streams of funding to strengthen military defences against Russia, as leaders from eight frontline states meet in Helsinki to align priorities and influence the bloc’s budget and lending rules.Discussions among leaders from Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Romania focus on closing gaps in air defence, long-range fires, ammunition stocks and military mobility, while ensuring that national spending plans are reinforced by EU-level

Kim Kardashian switching on a smartphone camera and pitching pyjamas to a scrolling audience has become a telling marker of how live shopping is edging into the American retail mainstream. Earlier this month, the entrepreneur and media figure hosted a TikTok Live session promoting sleepwear, slippers and coordinated sweat sets, adopting the cadence of a television infomercial but delivering it through a platform built on short videos and creator culture.The appearance underscored TikTok’s steady push to normalise live commerce in

United States President Donald Trump filed a defamation lawsuit against the British Broadcasting Corporation on Monday in the Southern District of Florida, seeking up to $10 billion in damages over the broadcaster’s editing of his January 6, 2021 speech that preceded the storming of the US Capitol. The complaint, lodged as a 33-page legal action, alleges that the BBC manipulated footage in a documentary to create a misleading impression of his remarks, injuring his reputation and violating Florida’s Deceptive