ASIA: The major Asian stock markets had a mixed day today: • NIKKEI 225 increased 776.25 points or 1.97% to 40,083.30 • Shanghai increased 22.72 points or 0.71% to 3,229.64 • Hang Seng decreased 240.71 points or -1.22% to 19,447.58 • ASX 200 increased 27.70 points or 0.34% to 8,285.10 • SENSEX increased 164.14 points or 0.21% to 78,129.13 • Nifty50 increased 91.85 points or 0.39% to 23,707.90 The major Asian currency markets had a mixed day today: • AUDUSD increased 0.00003 or 0.00% to 0.62463 • NZDUSD decreased 0.00005 or -0.01% to 0.56455 • USDJPY decreased 0.015 or -0.01%…
Author: Team_NationalNewsBrief
TechCrunch, via Wikimedia Commons Courage can be contagious. Sometimes it just takes one brave soul to stand up – a lá Spartacus – to cause a domino effect. That may be what we’re looking at here, as Meta/Facebook announces an end to their notorious “fact-checking” program. CEO Mark Zuckerberg himself delivered the good news, saying, “We’re going to get back to our roots and focus on reducing mistakes, simplifying our policies and restoring free expression on our platforms. More specifically, we’re going to get rid of fact-checkers and replace them with Community Notes similar to X, starting in the U.S.” …
The “Kardashians” star dazzled in a vintage silver chainmail Atelier Versace gown from the brand’s Spring 1999 collection as she attended the award show alongside her boyfriend, Timothée Chalamet. Chalamet, nominated for Best Actor in a Motion Picture—Drama for his portrayal of Bob Dylan in “A Complete Unknown,” made headlines not just for his nomination but also for his affectionate moments with Jenner during the evening.The breathtaking dress was showcased in all its glory when Kylie Jenner snapped a selfie with Timothée’s Chalamet co-stars Elle Fanning and Monica Barbaro, who joined the couple at their table for the ceremony.Article continues…
NATO SPENDING Trump said NATO members should spend 5 per cent of their gross domestic product on defense, a significant increase from the current 2 per cent target. “I think NATO should have 5 per cent,” he said. “They can all afford it, but they should be at 5 per cent, not 2 per cent.” Trump has frequently complained that most NATO members are not paying their fair share, and he floated demanding an increase in NATO defense contributions during the campaign. NATO estimated that 23 of its 32 members would meet its goal of spending 2 per cent of…
Edmundo Gonzalez, who competed against incumbent Nicolas Maduro in July’s presidential elections, says masked men abducted his son-in-law in Caracas.Edmundo Gonzalez, the leader of Venezuela’s political opposition, has accused masked men of kidnapping his son-in-law, who remains missing. Gonzalez, who ran in the country’s contested presidential election in July, announced the news on social media on Tuesday. “This morning my son-in-law Rafael Tudares was kidnapped,” Gonzalez wrote. “Rafael was heading to my grandchildren’s school, ages 7 and 6, in Caracas, to drop them off for the start of classes, and he was intercepted by hooded men dressed in black, who…
Ashton Jeanty is on his way to the NFL. The former Boise State running back and 2024 Heisman Trophy runner-up officially declared for the NFL Draft on Friday where he projects to be the first running back off the board. He released a statement on social media announcing his decision. The only question now is where he goes in the draft, and how early he will come off the board.Jeanty has been the best running back in college football the past two seasons and is coming off a truly dominant 2024 season that saw him challenge Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing…
Americans tend to have a soft spot for our former presidents. Even the bad ones.By the time Richard Nixon died in 1994, his presidency was as likely to be lauded for the opening to China or the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency as it was to be damned for Watergate. Gerald Ford’s pardon of Nixon, furiously condemned at the time as a dirty political bargain, was later celebrated as an example of selfless statesmanship. Jimmy Carter’s reputational resurrection — not just for the way he conducted his post-presidency, but also for his acts in office — would have astounded…
AI startups captured a record-high portion of the funding pie last year.According to PitchBook data released on Tuesday and obtained by Bloomberg, venture capitalists poured $209 billion total into U.S. startups in 2024 — and nearly half of that funding, or a record $97 billion, went towards startups focusing on AI.The amount raised by this one category of startups is more than the entire amount of startup funding raised by early-stage companies in Europe and Asia. Europe saw funding for all startups reach $61.6 billion in 2024 while funding in Asia hit $75.9 billion. Related: 4 Ways AI Startups Can…
Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) has probably been infecting people for centuriesROGER HARRIS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY Alarmist headlines that warn of China once again being overwhelmed by a mysterious new virus have dominated in the past few days. But the virus reported to be responsible for a surge in respiratory infections there, called human metapneumovirus, or hMPV, is actually neither mysterious nor new, and authorities in China have rejected claims that its health system is overwhelmed. What is human metapneumovirus? It is one of the many different viruses known as cold viruses because they infect the cells lining our respiratory tract, causing “common…
President-elect Donald Trump’s repeated assertions that he wants Canada to join the United States have become a staple of his presidential transition. But the sentiment — and Trump’s breezy confidence about its ease and popularity — are far from new.Such talk has sprung up practically throughout the whole of American history, often buttressed by the idea that Canadians were clamoring for it, too.Amid the War of 1812, former President Thomas Jefferson told Philadelphia newspaper editor Thomas Duane that “the acquisition of Canada this year, as far as the neighborhood of Quebec, will be a mere matter of marching.” (Spoiler alert:…