Data collection issues skewed the latest Consumer Price Index report, economists warned, clouding the picture for the Federal Reserve as it also grapples with a cooling labor market.
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever is yet to be convinced that the money held in Belgium should be loaned to Ukraine (file pic)
European Union leaders begin two days of talks in Brussels with a momentous decision to be taken on whether to loan tens of billions of euros in frozen Russian assets to Ukraine to fund its military and economic needs.
Most of Russia's €210bn (£185bn; $245bn) worth of assets in the EU are held by Belgium-based organisation Euroclear, and so far Belgium and some other members of the bloc have said they are opposed to using the cash.
Without a boost in funding, Ukraine's finances are set to run dry in a matter of months.
One European government official described being "cautiously optimistic, not overly optimistic" that a deal would be agreed. Russia has warned the EU against using its money.
It has filed a lawsuit against Euroclear in a Moscow court in a bid to get its money back.
The Brussels summit comes at a pivotal moment.
US President Donald Trump has said a deal to end the war - which began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 - is "closer now than we have been ever".
Although Russia has not responded to the latest peace proposals, the Kremlin has stressed that plans for a European-led multinational force for Ukraine supported by the US would not be acceptable.
President Vladimir Putin made his feelings towards Europe clear on Wednesday, when he said the continent was in a state of "total degradation" and "European piglets" - a derogatory description of Ukraine's European allies - were hoping to profit from Russia's collapse.
Alexander KAZAKOV/POOL/AFP
Those in favour of loaning Ukraine the money believe it will help deter Putin from continuing the war
The European Commission - the EU's executive arm - has proposed loaning Kyiv about €90bn (£79bn) over the next two years - out of the €210bn of Russian assets sitting in Europe.
That is about two-thirds of the €137bn that Kyiv is thought to need to get through 2026 and 2027.
Until now the EU has handed Ukraine the interest generated by the cash but not the cash itself.
"This is a crunch time for Ukraine to keep fighting for the next year," a Finnish government official told the BBC. "There are of course peace negotiations but this gives Ukraine leverage to say 'we're not desperate and we have the funds to continue fighting'."
Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen says it will also ramp up the cost of war for Russia.
Russia's frozen assets are not the only option on the table for EU leaders. Another idea, backed by Belgium, is based on the EU borrowing the money on the international markets.
However, that would require a unanimous vote and Hungary's Viktor Orban has made it clear he will not allow any more EU money to help Ukraine.
For Ukraine, the hours ahead are significant and President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to attend the EU summit.
Ahead of the Brussels meeting, EU leaders were keen to stress the momentous nature of the decision.
"We know the urgency. It is acute. We all feel it. We all see it," von der Leyen told the European Parliament.
EPA
Ursula von der Leyen told the European Parliament that two choices were on the table for EU leaders
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has played a leading role in pushing for the Russian assets to be used, telling the Bundestag on the eve of the summit it was about sending a "clear signal" to Moscow that continuing the war was pointless.
EU officials are confident they have a sound legal basis to use the frozen Russian assets, but so far Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever remains unconvinced.
His Defence Minister Theo Francken warned ahead of the talks that it would be a big mistake to loan the Euroclear cash.
Hungary is seen as the biggest opponent of the move and, ahead of the summit, Prime Minister Orban and his entourage even suggested that the frozen assets plan had been removed from the summit agenda. A European Commission official stressed that was not the case and it would be a matter for the 27 member states at the summit.
Slovakia's Robert Fico has also opposed using the Russian assets, if it means the money being used to procure weapons rather than for reconstruction needs.
When the pivotal vote does finally take place, it will require a majority of about two-thirds of member states to go through. Whatever happens, European Council President António Costa has promised not to go over the heads of the Belgians.
"We're not going to vote against Belgium," he told Belgian public broadcaster RTBF. "We'll continue to work very intensively with the Belgian government because we don't want to approve something that might not be acceptable for Belgium."
Belgium will also be aware that ratings agency Fitch has placed Euroclear on a negative watch, partly because of "low" legal risks to its balance sheet from the European Commission's plans to use the Russian assets. Euroclear's chief executive has also warned against the plan.
"There are many hiccups and obstacles of course still on the way. We have to find a way to respond to Belgium's worries," the Finnish official added. "We are on the same side as Belgium. We will find a solution together to make sure all the risks are checked as much as they can be checked."
However, Belgium is not the only country to have doubts, and a majority is not guaranteed.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has told Italian MPs she will endorse the deal "if the legal basis is solid".
"If the legal basis for this initiative were not solid, we would be handing Russia its first real victory since the beginning of this conflict."
Malta, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic are also said to be unconvinced by the controversial proposals.
If the deal is passed and the Russian assets are given to Ukraine, the worst-case scenario for Belgium would be one in which a court would order it to hand the money back to Russia.
Some countries have said they would be prepared to provide billions of euros in financial guarantees, but Belgium will want to see the numbers add up.
At any rate, Commission officials are confident that the only way for Russia to get it back would be by paying reparations to Ukraine - at which point Ukraine would hand its "reparations loan" back to the EU.
Frédéric Péchier faces a minimum of 22 years behind bars
A former anaesthetist has been jailed for life for intentionally poisoning 30 patients, including 12 who died.
A court in the city of Besançon in eastern France found Frédéric Péchier guilty of contaminating infusion bags with substances that caused cardiac arrest or hemorrhaging.
Péchier was first placed under investigation eight years ago, when he was suspected of poisoning patients at two clinics in Besançon between 2008 and 2017.
"You are Doctor Death, a poisoner, a murderer. You bring shame on all doctors," said prosecutors last week. "You have turned this clinic into a graveyard."
Péchier, who has always denied any wrongdoing, now has 10 days to lodge an appeal.
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The firm behind President Donald Trump's Truth Social platform is merging with a Google-backed energy company in a deal valued at more than $6bn (£4.4bn).
Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) and TAE Technologies announced the plans on Thursday in a joint statement, which said the move would "create one of the world's first publicly traded fusion companies".
Fusion power is a method of generating energy from heat released by nuclear fusion reactions. It could release vast amounts of energy with little associated radioactivity.
The statement said the combined company planned to begin constructing the "world's first utility-scale fusion power plant" next year, with further plants to follow.
Under the merger both firms will have an equal 50% share in ownership after the deal is completed, which is expected by mid-2026 pending regulatory and shareholder approvals.
TAE Technologies provides technology for energy storage and power delivery systems for batteries and electric vehicles. Its umbrella organisation, TAE Life Sciences, develops technologies and drugs for treating cancer patients.
The tie-up with the firm signals a bold and surprising shift for Trump Media, as it moves from social media and financial offerings into the energy sector.
Devin Nunes, chairman and chief executive of TMTG, said his firm was "taking a big step forward toward a revolutionary technology that will cement America's global energy dominance for generations".
Calling fusion power the "most dramatic energy breakthrough" since the 1950s, he said his firm would bring "the capital and public market access" to help make TAE's technology commercial viable.
Surging electricity demand for AI data centers has revived interest in cleaner and reliable nuclear power, including restarting shuttered reactors, expanding existing ones and signing contracts for future small modular reactors.
The joint statement said TAE Technologies had raised more than $1.3bn of funding from other investors including Google and Goldman Sachs.
Lina Chernykh tells the BBC her niece Matilda was a joyous child who spread love everywhere she went
The family of the Bondi shooting's youngest victim Matilda urged the community to not let her death fuel anger, as they said a final goodbye to the 10-year-old on Thursday.
Matilda was among 15 people who were shot dead when two gunmen opened fire on an event marking the start of Hannukah at Sydney's Bondi Beach on Sunday.
Speaking to the BBC at Matilda's funeral, her aunt Lina Chernykh said the Jewish community is right to want more action to stamp out antisemitism – she does too.
But she said Matilda was a joyous child who spread love everywhere she went, and urged the community to do the same in her honour.
"Take your anger and… just spread happiness and love and memory for my lovely niece," Ms Chernykh said.
"I hope maybe she's an angel now. Maybe she [will] send some good vibes to the world."
Jewish community leaders have in recent days suggested the tragedy was an inevitable result of Australia struggling to address rising antisemitism.
The attack on Sunday, which targeted the Jewish community at an event celebrating the first night of Hanukkah, was the country's deadliest incident since 1996, when a gunman killed 35 people during the Port Arthur massacre.
Ahead of Matilda's funeral on Thursday, Ms Chernykh said the family was devastated.
"I look at their faces [and] I don't know if they will be ever happy again," she said of Matilda's parents.
Matilda's younger sister, from whom she was "inseparable", is shattered and confused, she said.
"She doesn't have enough tears to cry."
At a flower memorial on Tuesday, Matilda's mother Valentyna told mourners that the family came to Australia from Ukraine more than a decade ago, thinking it would be a safe place for them.
"I couldn't imagine I'd lose my daughter here... It's just a nightmare," she said.
Ms Chernykh told the BBC she too has struggled to make sense of what is happening.
She was gardening at her home on the Gold Coast when Matilda's mother called on Sunday.
"Truly, I was thinking something happened to my father because he's 84 years old... and she says Matilda was shot," she recalled.
"How [could] someone in Australia understand, if someone tells you your kid was shot… I couldn't understand it. I was thinking I have bad reception. I asked a few times what I'm [hearing]."
Police have designated the attack a terrorist incident, with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese saying it appears to have been "motivated by Islamic State" group ideology.
Police allege that the two gunmen were a father and son. Sajid Akram, 50, was shot dead at the scene, while his son Naveed, 24, has been charged with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder and one of committing a terrorist act.
Australia on Thursday announced it would strengthen laws to crack down on hate - including by introducing powers to cancel or refuse visas on grounds of antisemitism.
Anthony Albanese has announced new laws that will target 'those who spread hate'
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says his government will crack down on hate speech following Sunday's deadly shooting at Bondi Beach that targeted a Jewish festival.
Fifteen people were killed when two gunmen opened fire at an event to mark the first day of Hanukkah.
New laws will target "those who spread hate, division and radicalisation", Albanese told reporters in Canberra.
The home affairs minister will also be given new powers to cancel or refuse visas for those who spread hate and a new taskforce will be set up to ensure the education system "prevents, tackles and properly responds to antisemitism".
The new laws will also include penalties for preachers and leaders who promote violence, a new federal offence of "aggravated hate speech", and the introduction of "hate" as an aggravating factor in sentencing crimes for online threats and harassment.
"Every Jewish Australian has the right to feel safe, valued and respected for the contribution that they make to our great nation," Albanese said.
"The terrorists, inspired by ISIS... sought to turn Australians against each other. Australians have responded to that act of hatred with love and sympathy for those in mourning."
Albanese added that his government would be "fully supporting and adopting" the recommendations put forward in July in a report by antisemitism envoy Jillian Segal, who also spoke at the press conference.
She said the country was "at a very important moment not only for our community, but for fighting antisemitism around the world."
Her report was criticised by some upon its release in July due to its implications for free speech, including plans to monitor universities and arts organisations and withhold funding if they were deemed to have failed to act against antisemitism. There were concerns for instance, that the funding could be used to silence pro-Palestinian protests.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the government was "shifting the threshold".
"There have been individuals who have managed to exploit a nation that had different principles of freedom of speech and have gone right to the limits of language that is clearly dehumanising, unacceptable, having no place in Australia, but have not quite crossed the threshold to violence," he said.
Meanwhile, Albanese acknowledged accusations from the Jewish community that his government had not done enough to prevent antisemitism since the 7 October attack on Israel by Hamas, and said more could have been done.
"I accept my responsibility for the part in that as prime minister of Australia," he said. "But what I also do is accept my responsibility to lead the nation and unite the nation. Because what people are looking for at this time isn't more division."
Watch: Trump says service members will receive $1,776 "warrior dividend"
US President Donald Trump has announced a "warrior dividend" payment to US service members, in a speech in which he also defended his track record on the economy after 11 months back in office.
In a televised address to the nation on Wednesday, Trump said cheques for $1,776 (£1,329) for 1.45 million US service members were already on the way" and should arrive before Christmas. He said they would be paid for, in part, by his tariffs.
In the combative address, Trump also touted his achievements on immigration while railing against opposition Democrats.
Speaking loudly and quickly, he seemed determined to convince Americans that the US was doing well - and things would only get better.
He claimed prices were falling, at a time when polls show that many Americans are unhappy about the cost of housing, childcare and healthcare.
Democrats were critical of the speech. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said the president's words "showed he lives in a bubble completely disconnected from the reality everyday Americans are seeing and feeling".
Schumer added: "People are feeling squeezed harder and harder every day and tonight Donald Trump took a victory lap."
In the brief, 18-minute address, Trump said the "warrior dividend", which totals $2.57bn (£1.9bn), would be distributed "in honour of our nation's founding in 1776".
"Nobody deserves it more than our military," he said.
The president offered little new information in the speech, and some of his assertions were either exaggerated or unfounded.
Much of Trump's address focused on his economic record and the administration's efforts to bring down prices - which he blamed on former US President Joe Biden and the Democrats. Trump mentioned the former president seven times.
"Now, under our leadership, they [prices] are all coming down and coming down fast," he said. "Democrat politicians also sent the cost of groceries soaring, but we are solving that too."
While fuel and egg prices have indeed fallen, many other food items are more expensive.
Economic data from September shows the US inflation rate hit 3% for the first time since January, while consumer confidence fell to its lowest level since April due to concerns over the cost of living, jobs and the wider economy.
Trump has previously acknowledged that concerns over rising prices have contributed to a lacklustre performance for candidates from his Republican Party during elections held in November - with the Democrats having success in Virginia, New Jersey and New York City, as well as more recently in Miami and Georgia.
He has also acknowledged that incumbent presidents and their parties often fare poorly in mid-term elections, which will take place next year.
The White House has since been wrestling with how to address voter concerns about the economy, while at the same time pushing back on repeated Democratic criticism over rising prices.
The political dilemma faced by the Trump administration has been highlighted by recent polling.
One poll, from Politico, showed that about half of overall voters - and 4 in 10 people who voted for Trump in 2024 - felt the cost of living was the worst it has been in their lives.
Another poll, released in November by CBS News/YouGov, suggested that Trump's approval on economic issues had dropped 15 points since March - with 36% of Americans approving his handling of the issue.
More broadly, other polls show that Trump is at or near the lowest approval ratings of his second term, with concerns about the economy playing a significant role.
While the president offered little in the way of empathy over prices, he did point to Republican efforts - such as tax reform legislation passed earlier this year - that he said would benefit many Americans in the coming year.
When he ran for re-election last year, Trump promised immediate results. And after 11 months in office, many Americans say they still haven't seen substantive change, and the president's speech might be unlikely to change their minds.
Trump, in part, focused his remarks on the promise of improvements during 250th birthday celebrations for American's founding next year.
"When the world looks at us next year, let them see a nation that is loyal to its citizens, faithful to its workers, confident to its identity, certain to its destiny, and the envy of the entire globe," he said.
"We are respected again, like we have never been respected before," he added.
Poipet is known for being a major casino hub and the biggest land crossing between the two countries
Thailand says it has bombed a "logistics centre" near the Cambodian town of Poipet, known for being a major casino hub and the biggest land crossing between the two countries.
The bombings comes as renewed border clashes show no sign of abating.
Cambodia's defence ministry said Thai forces dropped two bombs, while the Thai side said that they targeted a facility storing rocket systems.
The renewed fighting this month has killed at least 21 people in Thailand and 17 in Cambodia, while displacing around 800,000, officials say.
In a statement, the Cambodian defence ministry said Thai forces dropped two bombs in the area of Poipet municipality at around 11:00 am (0400 GMT) Thursday.
Shortly after, Thai Air Force spokesman Air Marshal Jackkrit Thammavichai said that the Thai military had attacked the centre outside Poipet that had been used to store BM-21 rockets and that no civilians were harmed.
BM-21 rockets are weapons that are typically fired in volleys from the back of an armoured vehicle.
The bombings appear to be the first on Poipet, which is known for casinos popular with Thai gamblers and its international border checkpoint.
On Tuesday, Thailand said Tuesday that between 5,000 and 6,000 Thai nationals remained stranded in Poipet after Cambodia closed its land border crossings between the two countries.
Cambodia's interior ministry said the border closures were a "necessary measure" to reduce risks to civilians, adding that air travel remained an option for those seeking to leave.
The century-old border dispute between the South East Asian neighbours dramatically escalated on 24 July with a Cambodian rocket barrage into Thailand, followed by Thai air strikes. That set off five days of intense fighting, which left dozens of soldiers and civilians dead.
The two countries later agreed to an "immediate and unconditional ceasefire" brokered by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and US President Donald Trump - who at the time threatened to stop tariff negotiations until the hostilities stopped.
But that ceasefire fell apart again last week, with both sides blaming each other for re-igniting the fighting, which has seen air strikes and exchanges of artillery fire.
Trump claimed last week that he could stop the fighting between Thai and Cambodian forces that broke out by just picking up the phone, but it has continued.
Earlier this week, Cambodia accused Thai forces of bombing Siem Reap province, home to the ancient Angkor temples - the country's top tourist draw - for the first time in the latest round of clashes.
Arnett reported on the Vietnam and Gulf Wars during his career (pictured here in Saigon, Vietnam, in 1963)
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and war correspondent Peter Arnett has died at the age of 91, US media has reported.
Arnett won the international reporting prize in 1996 for his Vietnam War coverage at the Associated Press (AP). But he was also well known for his work at CNN, having become a household name while reporting on the first Gulf War.
His career spanned decades and covered several conflicts in countries including Iraq, Vietnam and El Salvador.
The New Zealand-born journalist died on Wednesday surrounded by family and friends in California, his son told reporters. He was receiving hospice care for prostate cancer.
AP Photo/Peter Arnett/File
Arnett also took photographs while on assignment with troops - like this one from Vietnam in 1965
Arnett first worked for AP as a wire-service correspondent in Vietnam, from 1962 until the war's end in 1975, often accompanying troops on missions.
At a talk in 2013, he recalled the moment he witnessed a soldier being shot in Vietnam as he paused to read a map.
"As the colonel peered at it, I heard four loud shots as bullets tore through the map and into his chest, a few inches from my face," Arnett told the American Library Association.
"He sank to the ground at my feet."
AP Photo/Peter Arnett/File
His reporting and photographs, including this one of workers in Ho Chi Minh City in 1972, showed the reality on the ground
The journalist left AP in 1981 to join US outlet CNN, where he later became known for his work on the first Gulf War.
He was one of the few Western reporters to stay in Baghdad, according to AP, with one of his first broadcasts from the city being interrupted by the sounds of missiles and air-raid sirens.
"There was an explosion right near me, you may have heard," he once exclaimed live on-air.
While in Iraq, he interviewed then-president Saddam Hussein. Writing about the experience in the Roanoke Times, Arnett said he had decided to be "as tough in my questioning as the situation would allow".
He continued: "I was not intimidated by the prospect of encountering the man many had called 'The Butcher of Baghdad'. I figured he could do no worse to me than the constant bombing of Baghdad was threatening to do."
AP Photo/Peter Arnett/File
Arnett visited Pyongyang, North Korea, in 1979, taking this photograph of children performing for then-UN Secretary General Kurt Waldheim
In 1997, Arnett became the first Western journalist to interview Osama Bin Laden at a secret hideout in Afghanistan, a few years before the 11 September 2001 attacks on the US.
According to several US media reports, when asked about his plans, Bin Laden told Arnett: "You'll see them and hear about them in the media, God willing."
Arnett later worked for NBC and was famously sacked by the broadcaster after giving an interview on Iraqi state television, in which he was seen as critical of US military strategy.
He was hired by the Daily Mirror hours later and said he was "in shock" at his dismissal.
"I report the truth of what is happening here in Baghdad and will not apologise for it," he wrote in the UK paper.
AP Photo/Peter Arnett/File
Arnett provided an inside-look of what was happening in Vietnam throughout his career
Born in 1934 in Riverton, New Zealand, Arnett later naturalised as an American citizen and had lived in southern California since 2014.
Edith Lederer, a former colleague who still works at AP, told the agency: "Peter Arnett was one of the greatest war correspondents of his generation - intrepid, fearless, and a beautiful writer and storyteller.
"His reporting in print and on camera will remain a legacy for aspiring journalists and historians for generations to come."
Meanwhile, Nick Ut, a retired photographer who worked with Arnett in Vietnam, said he was "like a brother".
"His death will leave a big hole in my life," he told AP.
Arnett is survived by his wife Nina Nguyen and their children, Andrew and Elsa.
Nick Reiner's lawyer says the case involves "complex and serious issues"
Nick Reiner, the son of celebrated Hollywood director Rob Reiner, has appeared in court for the first time charged with murdering his parents.
The 32-year-old waived his right to enter a plea to two charges of first-degree murder at the hearing, as all sides agreed to delay his arraignment until 7 January when he will once again have the opportunity to enter a plea.
His lawyer, Alan Jackson, told reporters outside court that there were "complex and serious issues" in the case that needed to be worked through in the coming weeks.
Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner were found stabbed to death in their Brentwood home on Sunday. Nick Reiner was charged with their murder on Tuesday.
As he appeared in court in downtown Los Angeles, Mr Reiner only said "yes, your honour" when asked by Judge Theresa McGonigle if he understood that he has the right to a speedy trial.
The judge earlier ordered the assembled media - who gathered outside the courthouse hours prior to the hearing - not to film the defendant, who wore what appeared to be a suicide prevention vest.
Media inside the courtroom could not see Mr Reiner throughout the brief hearing because he was sitting in a corner out of sight.
He was initially slated to make a court appearance on Tuesday but had not been medically cleared to do so, his lawyer and prosecutors said.
"We ask that during this process, you allow the system to move forward in the way that it was designed to move forward," Mr Reiner's lawyer, Alan Jackson, told reporters.
"Not with a rush to judgement, not with jumping to conclusions, but with restraint and with dignity, and with the respect that this system and this process deserves, and that the family deserves," he said.
The delay in Mr Reiner entering a plea could be designed to allow time for a psychiatric evaluation, one criminal defence lawyer told the BBC after the hearing.
"The psychiatric evaluation is generally done before arraignment to see if he is even fit to stand trial," Seth Zuckerman said.
Getty Images
Nick Reiner (right) is accused of killing his parents
Until the next hearing on 7 January, Mr Reiner will remain in custody at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles.
If he pleads not guilty, he could be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole or the death penalty if convicted. Prosecutors have said no decision has been made yet about whether the death penalty will be pursued.
Rob Reiner directed a handful of iconic films in a variety of genres, including This is Spinal Tap, Misery and A Few Good Men.
Michele Singer Reiner was an actress, photographer and producer, and the founder of Reiner Light, a photography agency and production company.
"This case is heartbreaking and deeply personal, not only for the Reiner family and their loved ones, but for the entire city," LA Police Department chief Jim McDonnell said on Tuesday.
Dan Bongino has said he will leave his role as the FBI's deputy director in January.
In a post on X, he thanked President Donald Trump, as well as the director of the FBI and the attorney general "for the opportunity to serve with purpose".
It comes after Trump said earlier on Wednesday that the former podcast host "did a great job" in office, and "wants to go back to his show".
Bongino, who was appointed to the role by Trump in February, was previously a New York City police officer and a US Secret Service agent assigned to protect Barack Obama. In recent years, he built a large following through his podcast and other media appearances.
Bongino, a staunch Trump ally, was considered a surprise pick for the role – which had previously been held by career agents – because he had no prior experience with the agency.
The FBI Agents Association, which represents around 14,000 current and former agents, had opposed his appointment to the position.
Announcing his decision in a social media post on Wednesday, he said: "I will be leaving my position with the FBI in January. I want to thank President Trump, AG [Pam] Bondi, and Director [Kash] Patel for the opportunity to serve with purpose.
"Most importantly, I want to thank you, my fellow Americans, for the privilege to serve you. God bless America, and all those who defend Her."
Before joining the agency, Bongino had echoed disinformation and conspiracy theories about Trump's false claim that he won the 2020 election, and about the 6 January 2021 pipe bomb investigation.
Bongino had also questioned whether sex offender Jeffrey Epstein had taken his own life in a New York prison cell in 2019 as he awaited trial.
In July, the US justice department and FBI released a memo that said Epstein did take his own life.
The memo frustrated many of Trump's supporters, who echoed the Epstein conspiracy theories and rejected the justice department's findings.
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Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar with the now released servicemen
Nigeria's Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar has formally apologised to Burkina Faso for the unauthorised entry of a Nigerian military jet into Burkinabè airspace, an incident that led to the detention of 11 Nigerian servicemen.
Tuggar's spokesperson told the BBC that the detained personnel had been released and were due to return to Nigeria, without saying when.
The plane was flying to Portugal when it developed a technical problem and had to land in Burkina Faso, according to the Nigerian Air Force.
The unauthorised landing sparked a diplomatic row with the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) made up of Burkina Faso and its neighbours, Mali, and Niger.
In a statement, AES characterised it as an "unfriendly act" and said member states‘ respective air forces had been put on maximum alert and authorised to "neutralise any aircraft" found to violate the confederation's airspace.
The three AES states, all run by the military, have withdrawn from the West African regional bloc, Ecowas, and moved closer to Russia, while most Ecowas members remain allied to the West.
Tuggar led a delegation to the Burkinabè capital, Ouagadougou, on Wednesday, to discuss the incident with military leader Captain Ibrahim Traoré.
"There were irregularities concerning the overflight authorisations, which was regrettable, and we apologise for this unfortunate incident," Tuggar said on national TV.
It remains unclear when the military personnel, said to be in "high spirits", and the aircraft will return to Nigeria.
According to Nigeria's foreign ministry, both sides agreed to "sustain regular consultations and pursue practical measures to deepen bilateral cooperation and regional integration".
Getty Images/BBC
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US President Donald Trump has said he is ordering a "a total and complete" blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers going into and out of Venezuela.
In a post on Truth Social, he accused Venezuela of stealing US assets, such as oil and land, and of "Terrorism, Drug Smuggling, and Human Trafficking".
"Therefore, today, I am ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela," he added.
His post came a week after the US seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela – a move that marked a sharp escalation Washington's pressure campaign against Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro's government.
In the post, the US president said Venezuela was "completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America".
He added that it will "only get bigger" and "be like nothing they have ever seen before".
Trump also accused Maduro's government of using stolen oil to "finance themselves, Drug Terrorism, Human Trafficking, Murder, and Kidnapping".
Venezuela has not yet responded to Trump's latest remarks.
The Trump administration has repeatedly accused Venezuela of drug smuggling and since September the US military has killed at least 90 people in strikes on boats it has alleged were carrying fentanyl and other illegal drugs to the US.
In recent months, the US has also moved warships into the region.
Venezuela - home to some of the world's largest proven oil reserves - has, in turn, accused Washington of seeking to steal its resources.
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Mario Pineida played for Barcelona SC for nine years
Published
Ecuador defender Mario Pineida has died at the age of 33 after being shot in Guayaquil.
Local media reported that Pineida was shot on Wednesday by two people on motorbikes who opened fire on him, his mother and another woman outside a shop in the north of the city.
Ecuador's interior ministry said it has sent a special police unit to investigate.
Guayaquil has become a hotspot for gang violence and drug trafficking, with 1,900 murders recorded between January and September - the highest in Ecuador.
Three second-tier footballers were killed in September and a local player was wounded in a shooting in October.
Pineida won nine caps for Ecuador between 2014 and 2021.
He began his club career at Independiente DV before moving to Barcelona SC in Guayaquil in 2016.
He also spent time on loan at Fluminese and El Nacional.
Independiente and Fluminese paid tribute to Pineida on social media, while Barcelona SC said "this unfortunate news makes all of us who are part of this institution deeply dismayed".
In a statement, the Ecuadorian Football Federation condemned the violence and passed on condolences to Pineida's family.
The US accuses Rwanda of backing the M23 rebels - which it denies
The rebel group which last week seized the Democratic Republic of Congo city of Uvira say they have begun withdrawing, promising to complete the pullout on Thursday, following pressure from the US.
The M23 group captured the strategic city near the border with Burundi, days after a "historic" US-brokered peace deal between Congolese and Rwandan governments aimed at ending the long-running conflict in eastern DR Congo.
However, DR Congo's government says the reported withdrawal is a "diversion" and needs verification.
On Thursday morning some Uvira residents told the BBC it was not clear if the M23 were leaving, with some of their trucks still moving around the city.
The capture of Uvira sparked US condemnation and warning of sanctions against Rwanda. The US accuses Rwanda of backing the rebels, which it denies.
M23 leader Bertrand Bisimwa said on Wednesday that the withdrawal was "under way," with spokesman Willy Ngoma adding that this was "for the sake of peace".
In a post on X, Bisimwa urged mediators and international partners to ensure the city was protected from "reprisals, violence and remilitarisation".
A local civil society member, who did not want to be named for his own safety, told the BBC that some M23 troops had started withdrawing. However, he said police officers from the same group were still moving in.
Another resident expressed doubts about the withdrawal.
"It seems they are still here. In fact, yesterday I saw them bringing in the police trucks," the resident told the BBC on Thursday morning.
DR Congo government spokesman Patrick Muyaya told the BBC Newsday programme that the M23's announcement was meant "to distract the American mediation team, which is preparing to take measures against Rwanda".
Muyaya described the M23's decision to leave Uvira as a "positive sign" but said the government needed to confirm the situation on the ground.
Earlier he had called for "vigilance" in response to the "alleged withdrawal".
"Who can verify it? Where are they going? How many were there? What are they leaving behind in the city? Mass graves? Soldiers disguised as civilians?" he said in a post on X.
The Uvira offensive left dozens dead, at least 100 wounded and more than 200,000 displaced, according to the UN. At least 30,000 civilians fled into Burundi.
It came despite the 4 December peace deal signed in Washington between Rwandan President Paul Kagame and his DR Congo counterpart, Felix Tshisekedi, at a ceremony in Washington hosted by President Donald Trump.
The rebels were not signatories to that peace deal but they have been part of a parallel peace process led by Qatar, a US ally that has strong ties with Rwanda.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., with President Trump and Mehmet Oz, the Medicaid and Medicare services administrator, in the White House in September.
Ken Martin, the Democratic National Committee chairman, ordered the autopsy months ago but is now said to believe that its release would be counterproductive for the party.
“Here’s our North Star: Does this help us win?” Ken Martin, the Democratic National Committee chairman, said in a statement about the 2024 audit. “If the answer is no, it’s a distraction from the core mission.”
The Democratic National Committee is refusing to release its autopsy of the party’s major 2024 losses it announced on Wednesday, breaking Chair Ken Martin’s public pledge to do so. The decision underscores the party’s challenges in grappling with its electoral setbacks as it heads into what is expected to be a stronger midterm year.
The DNC’s completed post-election review of the party’s melodramatic and botched campaign cycle is based on hundreds of interviews with operatives in all 50 states. During that process, some Democrats raised concerns about releasing the findings, according to a DNC official granted anonymity to describe the sensitive process.
The DNC wanted to avoid another public debate over how the party lost the White House to Donald Trump, and instead, turn its focus on its recent successes, according to this official. Democrats have overperformed in special elections across the country this year, and won handily in New Jersey and Virginia last month. The committee previewed some initial findings from the autopsy to top donors and other Democratic stakeholders in October.
Former President Joe Biden's decision to run for reelection, despite his advanced age — and his disastrous debate performance — were not mentioned in the some excerpts of the report's findings, which were shared with POLITICO. Democrats are still divided over what contributed to Kamala Harris' loss.
In a statement, Martin said the committee had “completed a comprehensive review of what happened in 2024” and they are “putting our learnings into motion,” noting the party’s off-year victories.
“In our conversations with stakeholders from across the Democratic ecosystem, we are aligned on what’s important, and that’s learning from the past and winning the future,” Martin continued. “Here’s our North Star: does this help us win? If the answer is no, it’s a distraction from the core mission.”
The decision marks an about-face for a coalition that’s at odds over what went wrong last year, and still registering record-lowapprovalratings even among its own voters. Several outside groups, from the progressive Way to Win to the center-left Welcome nonprofit, released their own in-depth audits of the party’s missteps with differing diagnoses for how to fix its problems. Just last week, some DNC members called on the committee to provide more answers.
The DNC official described some examples of the report’s findings, including the party’s organizing strategies, necessary technological upgrades and its youth voter problem — though the details shared with POLITICO were sparse and incomplete. Excerpts from the review broadly described Democrats as defensive on immigration and public safety — issues that generally favor Republicans — but didn’t name-check a campaign, candidate or entity for its role in this posture, at least not publicly.
On the party’s organizing efforts, the DNC’s review urged campaigns to incentivize engaging conversations with voters over just the number of doors knocked and phones called. It called for investing more into relational organizing and year-round field infrastructure, efforts Martin championed during his chair’s race last year. Of the party’s data infrastructure, the DNC’s report issued warnings that it was out-of-date and overwhelmed at key moments during the campaign and called for it to be modernized.
It described the party’s much-reported losses among young voters, citing Republicans’ advantages in communicating through the influencer ecosystem and pressing Democrats to do engage with non-traditional media sources. Back in February, Democrats conceded the GOP was “running circles” around them online, but in describing its findings, the DNC doesn’t go much further in clarifying its own public recommendations.
This fall, the DNC held briefings with donors and other Democratic stakeholders on its initial findings. At the time, one Democrat who attended an October donor event confirmed that Biden’s initial decision to run in spite of his advanced age was not mentioned by DNC officials as a part of the review. It’s not clear whether his decision to run for reelection is discussed in the private review.
Biden’s age was not mentioned in the excerpts of the review shared with POLITICO on Thursday, nor was it raised in other briefings on the report’s initial findings. Most Democrats cite the last-minute candidate switch as a core reason for the party’s sweeping losses.
Martin’s decision to withhold the report doubles back on a pledge he made just hours after he was elected to be the DNC’s chair in February. In comments to reporters, Martin committed to the public release of the 2024 report.
At the time, he also questioned why the DNC hadn’t released its 2016 autopsy, when he questioned, “what happened with that … was there any utility in doing that?”
“Of course it will be released,” Martin said in February, referring to a future review on the 2024 election. “There has to be some lessons that we glean on that so we can operationalize it, not just here in DC, but through all of the 57 state parties, and, of course, the county parties, so people have a sense of what we need to do.”
Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani chose Sherif Soliman, a veteran of municipal government and the chief financial officer of the City University of New York, to lead the Office of Management and Budget.
Jessica Fuentes with her children at the Community Kitchen in West Harlem in December. Ms. Fuentes said she was struggling to keep up with the costs of all of her necessities, like food.
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever is yet to be convinced that the money held in Belgium should be loaned to Ukraine (file pic)
European Union leaders begin two days of talks in Brussels with a momentous decision to be taken on whether to loan tens of billions of euros in frozen Russian assets to Ukraine to fund its military and economic needs.
Most of Russia's €210bn (£185bn; $245bn) worth of assets in the EU are held by Belgium-based organisation Euroclear, and so far Belgium and some other members of the bloc have said they are opposed to using the cash.
Without a boost in funding, Ukraine's finances are set to run dry in a matter of months.
One European government official described being "cautiously optimistic, not overly optimistic" that a deal would be agreed. Russia has warned the EU against using its money.
It has filed a lawsuit against Euroclear in a Moscow court in a bid to get its money back.
The Brussels summit comes at a pivotal moment.
US President Donald Trump has said a deal to end the war - which began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 - is "closer now than we have been ever".
Although Russia has not responded to the latest peace proposals, the Kremlin has stressed that plans for a European-led multinational force for Ukraine supported by the US would not be acceptable.
President Vladimir Putin made his feelings towards Europe clear on Wednesday, when he said the continent was in a state of "total degradation" and "European piglets" - a derogatory description of Ukraine's European allies - were hoping to profit from Russia's collapse.
Alexander KAZAKOV/POOL/AFP
Those in favour of loaning Ukraine the money believe it will help deter Putin from continuing the war
The European Commission - the EU's executive arm - has proposed loaning Kyiv about €90bn (£79bn) over the next two years - out of the €210bn of Russian assets sitting in Europe.
That is about two-thirds of the €137bn that Kyiv is thought to need to get through 2026 and 2027.
Until now the EU has handed Ukraine the interest generated by the cash but not the cash itself.
"This is a crunch time for Ukraine to keep fighting for the next year," a Finnish government official told the BBC. "There are of course peace negotiations but this gives Ukraine leverage to say 'we're not desperate and we have the funds to continue fighting'."
Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen says it will also ramp up the cost of war for Russia.
Russia's frozen assets are not the only option on the table for EU leaders. Another idea, backed by Belgium, is based on the EU borrowing the money on the international markets.
However, that would require a unanimous vote and Hungary's Viktor Orban has made it clear he will not allow any more EU money to help Ukraine.
For Ukraine, the hours ahead are significant and President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to attend the EU summit.
Ahead of the Brussels meeting, EU leaders were keen to stress the momentous nature of the decision.
"We know the urgency. It is acute. We all feel it. We all see it," von der Leyen told the European Parliament.
EPA
Ursula von der Leyen told the European Parliament that two choices were on the table for EU leaders
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has played a leading role in pushing for the Russian assets to be used, telling the Bundestag on the eve of the summit it was about sending a "clear signal" to Moscow that continuing the war was pointless.
EU officials are confident they have a sound legal basis to use the frozen Russian assets, but so far Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever remains unconvinced.
His Defence Minister Theo Francken warned ahead of the talks that it would be a big mistake to loan the Euroclear cash.
Hungary is seen as the biggest opponent of the move and, ahead of the summit, Prime Minister Orban and his entourage even suggested that the frozen assets plan had been removed from the summit agenda. A European Commission official stressed that was not the case and it would be a matter for the 27 member states at the summit.
Slovakia's Robert Fico has also opposed using the Russian assets, if it means the money being used to procure weapons rather than for reconstruction needs.
When the pivotal vote does finally take place, it will require a majority of about two-thirds of member states to go through. Whatever happens, European Council President António Costa has promised not to go over the heads of the Belgians.
"We're not going to vote against Belgium," he told Belgian public broadcaster RTBF. "We'll continue to work very intensively with the Belgian government because we don't want to approve something that might not be acceptable for Belgium."
Belgium will also be aware that ratings agency Fitch has placed Euroclear on a negative watch, partly because of "low" legal risks to its balance sheet from the European Commission's plans to use the Russian assets. Euroclear's chief executive has also warned against the plan.
"There are many hiccups and obstacles of course still on the way. We have to find a way to respond to Belgium's worries," the Finnish official added. "We are on the same side as Belgium. We will find a solution together to make sure all the risks are checked as much as they can be checked."
However, Belgium is not the only country to have doubts, and a majority is not guaranteed.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has told Italian MPs she will endorse the deal "if the legal basis is solid".
"If the legal basis for this initiative were not solid, we would be handing Russia its first real victory since the beginning of this conflict."
Malta, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic are also said to be unconvinced by the controversial proposals.
If the deal is passed and the Russian assets are given to Ukraine, the worst-case scenario for Belgium would be one in which a court would order it to hand the money back to Russia.
Some countries have said they would be prepared to provide billions of euros in financial guarantees, but Belgium will want to see the numbers add up.
At any rate, Commission officials are confident that the only way for Russia to get it back would be by paying reparations to Ukraine - at which point Ukraine would hand its "reparations loan" back to the EU.
Hospitals across the UK are seeing high levels of flu cases this winter.
The NHS in England has said it is on "on high alert" after seeing the highest ever number of flu cases in hospital for this time of year, in the week ending 14 December.
You can use our tool below to find out how many flu patients there are in hospitals near you.
Figures relating to flu cases in hospitals are collected in different ways in each UK nation.
In England it is the weekly number of beds occupied by patients with a laboratory confirmed flu case.
This data is provided at NHS Trust level. Trusts are organisations which include hospitals, community services and providers of other forms of patient care. You can find which trust your local hospital belongs to on the NHS England website.
In Scotland the figures relate to the number of patients admitted to hospital with a laboratory confirmed flu case taken between 14 days before the admission date and 48 hours after the admission date.
In Wales it is the weekly number of patients in hospital with a laboratory confirmed flu case taken from 28 days before the admission date if tested outside of hospital, or within two days after admission.
Figures for Scotland and Wales are provided at NHS Health Board level. Health boards are responsible for all frontline healthcare services. You can find which Health Board your local services belong to on the NHS Scotland or NHS Wales websites.
In Northern Ireland the figures show the number of new flu cases admitted to hospital that were acquired outside of hospital.
This data is provided at Health and Social Care Trust level. Trusts are responsible for providing local and regional health services. You can find which trust your local hospital belongs to on the NI direct website.
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