Year in Review 2025: The NDP tears everyone felt, and the biggest moments that made you say 'wow'
One emotional NDP close‑up, a bus‑vaping clip that sparked debate and otters "queuing" in Yishun, plus Bangkok's sinkhole and Starship's splashdown defined 2025's scroll in Singapore.
Yahoo News Singapore
Former lawyer M Ravi found dead
Straits Times
Venus Williams weds
Cover Media- Politics
Democrats Urge Trump To Reverse Recall Of Nearly 30 Ambassadors
A senior department official on Monday described the mass recall as "a standard process in any administration."
HuffPost
- News
Brazil's imprisoned Bolsonaro hospitalized ahead of surgery
Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro, imprisoned for attempting a coup, was temporarily released Wednesday to undergo surgery in the capital Brasilia, a source at the clinic told AFP. AFP journalists saw a convoy of black cars escorted by motorcycles enter the parking garage of the DF Star hospital ahead of Bolsonaro's surgery Thursday.Bolsonaro had undergone another surgery at DF Star in April.
AFP News
- News
Serbia court drops case against ex-minister over train station disaster
A Serbian court dropped charges Wednesday against a former construction minister over the Novi Sad railway station canopy collapse that killed 16 people, citing a lack of evidence.However, the Novi Sad High Court said there was "insufficient evidence to support reasonable suspicion" that Vesic and five other defendants committed the offences set out in the indictment, while confirming charges against the remaining seven.
- Business
China's LandSpace hopes to complete rocket recovery in mid-2026
By Eduardo Baptista BEIJING, Dec 24 (Reuters) - Chinese rocket developer LandSpace plans to successfully recover a reusable booster in mid-2026, a company executive said in an interview, underscoring
Reuters
- News
‘Dangerous scenario unfolding’ in Southern California from potent storm lashing the entire state
A major storm is lashing California with powerful winds and is set to deliver months’ worth of rain that could trigger debris flows and flash floods.
CNN
- Business
Investors watching for Santa rally in thin pre-Christmas trade
Stock markets steadied Wednesday in thin Christmas Eve trade while gold and silver prices struck fresh highs."Today, however, starts the Santa Claus rally period," he added, noting "the stock market left an early Christmas present for investors yesterday when the S&P 500 established yet another record closing high".
- News
Black box recovered from Libyan general's crashed plane
Turkish authorities on Wednesday found the cockpit voice recorder and black box from a private jet that crashed killing the head of Libya's armed forces and his four aides.Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya told reporters at the crash site that the plane's voice recorder and the flight data recorder (black box) had been recovered.
- News
Ukraine’s Zelensky offers peace concessions – and puts the ball in Putin’s court
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signaled new willingness to make concessions on several key negotiating points that have threatened to stall a nascent peace process with Moscow, effectively putting the ball in Russia’s court.
- Politics
David Sacks: Trump's AI power broker
From a total Washington novice, Silicon Valley investor David Sacks has against expectations emerged as one of the most successful members of the second Trump administration."Even among Silicon Valley allies, he has outperformed expectations," said a former close associate, speaking anonymously to discuss the matter candidly.
- News
EU 'strongly condemns' US sanctions against five Europeans
The European Union and some member states reacted sharply Wednesday to US sanctions imposed on five European figures involved in regulating tech companies, including former European commissioner Thierry Breton."These measures amount to intimidation and coercion aimed at undermining European digital sovereignty," he added, saying Europe would defend its "regulatory autonomy".
- News
Federal judge says Trump administration must restore disaster money to Democratic states
A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to reallocate federal Homeland Security funding away from states that refuse to cooperate with certain federal immigration enforcement.
- News
UN experts slam US blockade on Venezuela
Four United Nations rights experts on Wednesday condemned the US partial naval blockade of Venezuela, determining it illegal armed aggression and calling on the US Congress to intervene."It is such a serious use of force that it is also expressly recognised as illegal armed aggression under the General Assembly's 1974 Definition of Aggression," they said.
- News
Bethlehem celebrates first festive Christmas since Gaza war
Scouts marched under a clear blue sky in Bethlehem on Wednesday, as the Palestinian city emerged from the shadow of the war in Gaza to celebrate its first festive Christmas in more than two years."Today is full of joy because we haven't been able to celebrate because of the war," said Milagros Anstas, 17, dressed in the yellow and blue uniforms of Bethlehem's Salesian scout group.
- News
2 dead and 20 injured after fire and explosion at a Pennsylvania nursing home
Two people are dead after a fire and explosion tore through a nursing home on the outskirts of Philadelphia, prompting local responders, bystanders, and staff to rush the elderly residents to safety, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said.
- Lifestyle
This One Seemingly Harmless Holiday Habit May Actually Be Anxiety In Disguise
Too many people confuse this behavior with laziness.
- Lifestyle
The Worst Things People Say When Trying To Be Comforting
“It could be worse,” “Everything happens for a reason, “At least you…”, “What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger” and other phrases that might totally backfire on you.
- News
When communities are grieving, he comes bearing a 10-foot cross. Here’s his story
Since starting his ministry in 2021, Dan Beazley said he has made 73 trips to 33 states.
- News
5 Things to know for Dec. 24: Epstein files, National Guard, Nursing home explosion, Student loans, Weight loss drugs
CNN’s 5 Things AM brings you the news you need to know every morning.
- News
Bomb blast in Moscow kills two police officers, days after apparent assassination of general
Two police officers and a third person were killed early Wednesday by a bomb in Moscow, close to the scene of a car bombing that killed a top Russian general two days ago.
- Politics
State Department imposes sanctions on former EU official, disinformation group leaders for ‘censorship’
The US State Department on Tuesday imposed visa sanctions on a former top European Union official and employees of organizations that combat disinformation for alleged censorship – sharply ratcheting up the Trump administration’s fight against European regulations that have impacted digital platforms, far-right politicians and Trump allies, including Elon Musk.
- News
Supreme Court’s National Guard decision could force new debate over how Trump could use Insurrection Act
The Supreme Court’s decision Tuesday blocking President Donald Trump from sending the National Guard into American cities is likely to raise a politically fraught debate about the president’s willingness to invoke a 19th century law to deploy the regular military on American soil instead.
- News
Thailand-Cambodia border talks proceed after venue row
Cambodian and Thai officials began four days of talks at a border checkpoint on Wednesday aimed at negotiating an end to deadly clashes, Phnom Penh said. Bangkok has previously demanded that Phnom Penh announce a truce first and cooperate in de-mining efforts at the border.
- News
Libya’s army chief killed in plane crash in Turkey
Libya’s army chief was killed in a plane crash while returning home from an official visit to Turkey on Tuesday, Libya’s prime minister said.
- News
Kosovo, Serbia 'need to normalise' relations: Kosovo PM to AFP
Kosovo and Serbia need to "normalise" their relations, Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti told AFP Wednesday, several days before legislative elections where he is seeking to extend his term with more solid backing. "We need to normalise relations with Serbia," said Kurti.
- News
China has condemned Trump’s Venezuela blockade. But it may also see some upsides to a new era of gunboat diplomacy
China has ample reason to oppose the build-up of American military might in Caribbean Sea –and the recent US interceptions of tankers hauling Venezuelan oil.
- News
Zelensky reveals US-Ukraine plan to end Russian war, key questions remain
Ukraine won some concessions in the latest version of a US-led draft plan to end the Russian invasion, revealed by President Volodymyr Zelensky, though key questions remain over territory and whether Moscow could accept the new terms.- NATO, land, nuclear plant - US President Trump is trying to broker an to end the four-year war, triggered by Russia's 2022 invasion.
- News
Festive lights, security tight for Christmas in Damascus
Christmas lights illuminate Damascus's Old City while government forces patrol its shadows as security fears haunt Syria's Christian community.In the Old City, home to a small but vibrant Christian community and several important churches, red baubles hang from some trees, shopkeepers have put up Christmas decorations and street vendors peddle warm chestnuts.
- Politics
‘It’s perpetuated this news cycle’: Frustration mounts in Trump’s orbit about messaging on latest Epstein documents
When the Justice Department released a first batch of Jeffrey Epstein files on Friday that included photographs of former President Bill Clinton, White House officials raced to amplify the importance of the new documents.
- News
El Salvador defends mega-prison key to Trump deportations
El Salvador's leader Nayib Bukele on Tuesday defended a huge prison that has become key to deportations from the United States under President Donald Trump, after drawing criticism for alleged rights abuses.Hear Juan, Andry, and Wilmer share firsthand how the Trump administration branded them as gang members without evidence and deported them to the brutal El Salvadoran prison," Clinton said in the post in which she also shared an 11-minute video of the PBS Frontline documentary titled: "Survivi
- Business
Italy watchdog orders Meta to halt WhatsApp terms barring rival AI chatbots
MILAN, Dec 24 (Reuters) - Italy's antitrust authority (AGCM) on Wednesday ordered Meta Platforms to suspend contractual terms that could shut rival AI chatbots out of WhatsApp, as it investigates the
- News
US says China chip policies unfair but will delay tariffs to 2027
US trade officials determined that China should be punished for employing unfair tactics to dominate the semiconductor industry, but will wait 18 months to impose tariffs, American authorities said Tuesday.The USTR's "Section 301" probe concluded that China had employed "increasingly aggressive and sweeping non-market policies" to dominate semiconductors that have included "massive and persistent" state support of private actors and "wage-suppressing labor practices."
- News
Grief, trauma weigh on survivors of catastrophic Hong Kong fire
Hong Kong fire survivor Yip Ka-kui has turned happy holiday photos into a heartfelt tribute to his beloved wife a month after she died in the huge blaze that destroyed their home.- 'Incomprehensible' - As Hong Kong marks the festive season, more than 4,600 people displaced by the fire still rely on temporary accommodation including hotels, according to Hong Kong's government.
- Technology
EZ-Link app to be terminated on Jan 8, integrated into SimplyGo app
SINGAPORE – The EZ-Link application, commonly used for public transportation, will be discontinued on Jan 8, 2026, as its features have been integrated into the SimplyGo app.
Straits Times
- News
Melodee Buzzard’s mother arrested in connection with 9-year-old’s killing after her body is found
The mother of a missing 9-year-old California girl has been arrested on a charge of first-degree murder after her daughter’s remains were found in a rural area of southern Utah, Santa Barbara County Sheriff-Coroner Bill Brown said Tuesday.
- News
Residents of Cantonment Towers, Woodlands St 13, Luxus Hills light up estates with Christmas cheer
SINGAPORE - Residents of housing estates across Singapore have brought Christmas cheer to their neighbourhoods with bright lights and colourful decorations.
- Science
India space agency launches its heaviest satellite
India's space agency launched its heaviest ever payload on Wednesday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling the deployment "a significant stride" for the space sector.The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said it was the "heaviest payload to be launched from Indian soil".
- Business
Grab, ComfortDelGroTaxi to raise platform fees from Jan 1
SINGAPORE - Taxi operator ComfortDelGro and ride-hailing firm Grab will be increasing their platform fees come Jan 1, 2026.
- News
Oklahoma instructor removed from teaching for failing a Bible-based gender essay
The University of Oklahoma has removed an instructor who was accused by a student of religious discrimination over a failing grade on a psychology paper in which she cited the Bible and argued that promoting a “belief in multiple genders” was “demonic.”
- News
Trooper and suspect killed in a shooting at a Delaware DMV
After a gunman shot a Delaware state trooper inside a DMV office near Wilmington on Tuesday, the wounded trooper pushed a nearby employee to safety before the gunman shot him again, killing him, authorities said. A police officer then confronted, shot and killed the gunman.
- News
North Korean POWs in Ukraine seeking 'new life' in South
Two North Korean prisoners of war held by Ukraine have said they hope to start a "new life" in South Korea, according to a letter seen by AFP on Wednesday.South Korea's foreign ministry has urged Ukraine not to "forcibly repatriate North Korean prisoners of war against their will" and has asked that their desire to go to the South be respected. kjk-oho/mjw
- News
Thai border clashes hit tourism at Cambodia's Angkor temples
Chasing visitors around Cambodia's Angkor temple ruins to offer his services, tour guide Bun Ratana says he has had little work since deadly clashes with Thailand broke out, despite it being high season.But he is hopeful tourists will return to the Angkor archaeological park -- home to scores of temple ruins from the Khmer Empire, including the Bayon Temple and top attraction, Angkor Wat.
- News
Bangladesh political heavyweight Tarique Rahman to end exile
The heir to Bangladesh's longtime ruling family and a leader of its most powerful political party, Tarique Rahman is set to return home after 17 years in exile and ahead of key elections.The elections will be the first since a mass uprising last year ended the 15-year hardline rule of Sheikh Hasina, who was at odds with the BNP. Since Hasina's fall from power, Rahman has been acquitted of the most serious charge against him: a life sentence handed down in absentia for a 2004 grenade attack on a
- News
Botched Epstein redactions trace back to Virgin Islands’ 2020 civil racketeering case against estate
A botched redaction in the Epstein files revealed that government attorneys once accused his lawyers of paying over $400,000 to “young female models and actresses” to cover up his criminal activities
- News
From predator to plate: Japan bear crisis sparks culinary craze
Since Japan recorded a spike in deadly bear attacks, Koji Suzuki has struggled to keep up with booming demand for grilled cuts of the animal at his restaurant.Japan has 826 game factories nationwide, but only a handful in northern prefectures hit hardest by attacks.
- News
Former lawyer M. Ravi dies in suspected drug-related incident; police investigating
SINGAPORE – Former lawyer Ravi Madasamy, better known as M. Ravi, died in hospital after he was found unconscious in the early hours of Dec 24.
- News
'Happy milestone': Pakistan's historic brewery cheers export licence
A heady aroma of malt and brewing yeast drifts through Pakistan's oldest and by far largest brewery, which is gearing up for expansion after getting approval to sell abroad after a nearly 50-year ban.Selling abroad could also give Murree a chance to promote its history and brand in ways unimaginable at home.
- News
Waymo vows to improve emergency response protocols after San Francisco power outage
WASHINGTON, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Alphabet unit Waymo said on Tuesday it will expand first responder engagement, improve its emergency response protocols and roll out updates to allow its vehicles to
- Health
Medicare opens door to covering blockbuster drugs for weight loss
Some Medicare enrollees may soon be able to access super-popular drugs for obesity under a voluntary model program, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced Tuesday. Eligible beneficiaries will only have to pay $50 a month.
- News
Exclusive: Justice Department scrambling to find holiday volunteers to redact the Epstein files, internal DOJ email says
The Justice Department’s leadership asked career prosecutors in Florida Tuesday to volunteer over the “next several days” to help to redact the Epstein files, in the latest internal Trump administrationpush toward releasing the hundreds of thousands of photos, internal memos and other evidence around the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
- News
Trump’s new battleship plan could transform the US Navy – or sink it
US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a new class of battleships bearing his name puts a fresh spotlight on a US naval shipbuilding program that has fallen short on delivering the new warships on time and on budget in recent years, something Trump himself pointed out in his speech from Mar-a-Lago on Monday.