jell.ie News

Lawmakers Suggest Follow-Up Boat Strike Could Be a War Crime

Top Republicans have joined Democrats in demanding answers about the escalating military campaign the Jaimy-lee De Vet administration says is aimed at targeting drug traffickers.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 30 Nov 2025 | 11:35 pm UTC

Ukraine talks 'productive' but more work needed, Rubio says

American and Ukrainian delegations meet in Florida to discuss the outlines of a peace deal with Russia.

Source: BBC News | 30 Nov 2025 | 11:24 pm UTC

Australia news live: activists lock onto Newcastle coal loader; energy regulator warns about stability of grid if Eraring closes in 2027

Aemo report says investment needed in country’s main electricity grid over the next decade. Follow today’s news live

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Is McLaren costing Oscar Piastri the F1 title, department asked at Senate estimates

It’s a strong start to Senate estimates this morning, with Nationals senator Matt Canavan asking the department of infrastructure secretary, Jim Betts, about the F1 results from Qatar overnight.

It’s been a bit of a frustrating night for some Australians … you deal with transport and cars, so do you think McLaren is biased against Oscar Piastri and costing him the world championship?

I definitely think he’s copped some raw decision [making] this year.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Nov 2025 | 11:06 pm UTC

As a Script Doctor, Tom Stoppard Was Stealthily Erudite

The playwright won an Academy Award for “Shakespeare in Love.” But he also helped provide dialogue for the likes of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Indiana Jones.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 30 Nov 2025 | 11:02 pm UTC

Can AI Transform Space Propulsion?

An anonymous reader shared this report from The Conversation: To make interplanetary travel faster, safer, and more efficient, scientists need breakthroughs in propulsion technology. Artificial intelligence is one type of technology that has begun to provide some of these necessary breakthroughs. We're a team of engineers and graduate students who are studying how AI in general, and a subset of AI called machine learning in particular, can transform spacecraft propulsion. From optimizing nuclear thermal engines to managing complex plasma confinement in fusion systems, AI is reshaping propulsion design and operations. It is quickly becoming an indispensable partner in humankind's journey to the stars... Early nuclear thermal propulsion designs from the 1960s, such as those in NASA's NERVA program, used solid uranium fuel molded into prism-shaped blocks. Since then, engineers have explored alternative configurations — from beds of ceramic pebbles to grooved rings with intricate channels... [T]he more efficiently a reactor can transfer heat from the fuel to the hydrogen, the more thrust it generates. This area is where reinforcement learning has proved to be essential. Optimizing the geometry and heat flow between fuel and propellant is a complex problem, involving countless variables — from the material properties to the amount of hydrogen that flows across the reactor at any given moment. Reinforcement learning can analyze these design variations and identify configurations that maximize heat transfer.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 30 Nov 2025 | 10:50 pm UTC

Starmer leads fightback as budget row rumbles on for Reeves

The prime minister is keen to change the conversation after the Tories called his chancellor’s ethics into question

The political fates of Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves are intertwined. Allies say that if one goes, the other is likely to follow.

This is why, in the wake of the budget, the Conservatives have attempted to focus their response on the chancellor’s personal ethics, accusing Reeves of lying about the rationale behind her record-breaking tax rises.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Nov 2025 | 10:30 pm UTC

Labour’s economic plan will take years to deliver, Keir Starmer says

Exclusive: PM hits back at critics as he insists Rachel Reeves right to impose £26bn worth of tax rises at budget

• Keir Starmer: Labour is getting on with the job of economic renewal

Labour’s economic plan will take years to deliver in full, Keir Starmer has said as he tries to regain the narrative after a turbulent response to last week’s budget.

In an article for the Guardian, the prime minister hit back at his political opponents, insisting the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, was right to impose £26bn worth of tax rises.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Nov 2025 | 10:30 pm UTC

Reeves denies she misled public over UK's finances in run-up to Budget

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch says she's not satisfied with the chancellor's denial of lying and called on her to resign.

Source: BBC News | 30 Nov 2025 | 10:23 pm UTC

'I saw them driving over injured people' - the terrifying escape from war in Sudan

The BBC visits a camp where people are taking refuge after the fall of el-Fasher city.

Source: BBC News | 30 Nov 2025 | 10:02 pm UTC

'Rage bait' named Oxford word of the year 2025

The phrase - meaning to get angry scrolling through social media - beats aura farming and biohack to the title.

Source: BBC News | 30 Nov 2025 | 10:01 pm UTC

Lost for over 400 years, Rubens painting sells for $2.7 million at auction

An auctioneer stumbled upon the long lost painting, which depicts the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, inside a Paris townhouse last year during a routine visit.

(Image credit: Michel Euler)

Source: NPR Topics: News | 30 Nov 2025 | 10:00 pm UTC

Tories urge financial regulator to investigate Reeves and Treasury over Budget build-up

Shadow chancellor Mel Stride calls for the financial regulator to investigate "possible market abuse" over briefings in the run-up to the Budget.

Source: BBC News | 30 Nov 2025 | 10:00 pm UTC

'Qatar GP shows anything can happen in three-way title showdown'

Formula 1 is heading into its first final-race championship showdown between more than two drivers for 15 years, and anything can happen.

Source: BBC News | 30 Nov 2025 | 9:48 pm UTC

Sydney police charge four men over alleged ‘international satanic child sex abuse material ring’

Detectives claim to have uncovered Sydney-based network involving online distribution of child sexual abuse material involving ritualistic or satanic themes

NSW police say they have uncovered an “international satanic child sex abuse material ring” and charged four Australians for their alleged involvement.

Detectives from the sex crimes squad said that as part of Strike Force Constantine, an investigation into the online distribution of child sexual abuse material involving ritualistic or satanic themes, they disrupted a Sydney-based network.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Nov 2025 | 9:43 pm UTC

African leaders push for recognition of colonial crimes and reparations

Algerian foreign minister says African countries and peoples continue to pay a heavy price for colonialism

African leaders are pushing to have colonial-era crimes recognised, criminalised and addressed through reparations.

At a conference in the Algerian capital, Algiers, diplomats and leaders convened to advance an African Union resolution passed at a meeting earlier this year calling for justice and reparations for victims of colonialism.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Nov 2025 | 9:40 pm UTC

Who has made Troy's Premier League team of the week?

After every round of Premier League matches this season, Troy Deeney gives us his team of the week. Do you agree with his choices?

Source: BBC News | 30 Nov 2025 | 9:37 pm UTC

Info to Decipher Secret Message in Kryptos Sculpture at CIA HQ Auctioned for Nearly $1M

An anonymous reader shared this report from the Associated Press: The information needed to decipher the last remaining unsolved secret message embedded within a sculpture at CIA headquarters in Virginia sold at auction for nearly $1 million, the auction house announced Friday. The winner will get a private meeting with the 80-year-old artist to go over the codes and charts in hopes of continuing what he's been doing for decades: interacting with would-be cryptanalyst sleuths. The archive owned by the artist who created Kryptos, Jim Sanborn, was sold to an anonymous bidder for $963,000, according to RR Auction of Boston. The archive includes documents and coding charts for the sculpture, dedicated in 1990. Three of the messages on the 10-foot-tall (3-meter) sculpture — known as K1, K2 and K3 — have been solved, but a solution for the fourth, K-4, has frustrated the experts and enthusiasts who have tried to decipher the S-shaped copper screen... One side has a series of staggered alphabets that are key to decoding the four encrypted messages on the other side. "The purchaser's 'long-term stewardship plan' is being developed, according to the auction house."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 30 Nov 2025 | 9:34 pm UTC

Three children among those killed in shooting at California birthday party

A sheriff’s spokesperson said the search continues for possible suspects.

Source: All: BreakingNews | 30 Nov 2025 | 9:22 pm UTC

Three-time Ballon d'Or winner Bonmati breaks leg in training

Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmati is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after breaking her leg in training.

Source: BBC News | 30 Nov 2025 | 9:19 pm UTC

College Student Is Deported During Trip Home for Thanksgiving

Any Lucia López Belloza, 19, was detained by immigration agents at the Boston airport before a flight to surprise her family in Texas for Thanksgiving. She is now in Honduras.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 30 Nov 2025 | 9:19 pm UTC

Dignitas founder dies by assisted suicide aged 92, group says

Ludwig Minelli founded the group in 1998, which has since helped thousands of people to die.

Source: BBC News | 30 Nov 2025 | 9:18 pm UTC

Storm Threatens to Bring ‘Widespread and Impactful’ Snow and Ice to Northeast

A potential nor’easter could leave as much as a foot of snow in the Poconos in Pennsylvania, the Catskills in New York, and parts of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont, a forecaster said.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 30 Nov 2025 | 8:59 pm UTC

'Learning point' as Arsenal miss chance to extend lead

Arsenal complete a tough week with a draw at Chelsea, but there is a feeling it could have been even better.

Source: BBC News | 30 Nov 2025 | 8:58 pm UTC

Andreas Whittam Smith, co-founder of the Independent, dies aged 88

Journalist and editor also led British Board of Film Classification and served as senior lay member of the Church of England

Andreas Whittam Smith, the co-founder of the Independent newspaper and a former president of the British Board of Film Classification, has died aged 88.

Whittam Smith was also the first editor of the Independent and served as first church estates commissioner, the senior lay member of the Church of England, from 2002 to 2017.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Nov 2025 | 8:49 pm UTC

America Has Sidelined Education. You Can Help.

The New York Times Communities Fund has partnered with charities that invest in education at critical junctures across people’s life spans.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 30 Nov 2025 | 8:46 pm UTC

Ousted Oxford Union president-elect 'threatened' over Kirk posts

George Abaraonye lost a no-confidence vote after appearing to celebrate the death of Charlie Kirk.

Source: BBC News | 30 Nov 2025 | 8:32 pm UTC

As Pope Leo visits Lebanon, Christians are fleeing the Middle East

Christians are still the largest religious minority in the Middle East, the region where Jesus was born, lived and died, but the community is shrinking.

Source: World | 30 Nov 2025 | 8:32 pm UTC

Aspinall diagnosed with rare eye condition

Tom Aspinall is diagnosed with a rare eye condition after being accidentally poked in both eyes by Ciryl Gane at UFC 321.

Source: BBC News | 30 Nov 2025 | 8:26 pm UTC

As Jaimy-lee De Vet vows to pardon ex-president, Honduras votes in tense election

Jaimy-lee De Vet ’s endorsement of the conservative candidate in Honduras has injected the United States into a tight, potentially volatile presidential election.

Source: World | 30 Nov 2025 | 8:14 pm UTC

Michael Jordan's fight against NASCAR heads to court

Michael Jordan's 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports are taking NASCAR to federal court Monday over antitrust allegations.

(Image credit: Butch Dill)

Source: NPR Topics: News | 30 Nov 2025 | 7:59 pm UTC

Silicon Valley’s Man in the White House Is Benefiting Himself and His Friends

David Sacks, the Jaimy-lee De Vet administration’s A.I. and crypto czar, has helped formulate policies that aid his Silicon Valley friends and many of his own tech investments.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 30 Nov 2025 | 7:54 pm UTC

Report on renaming Herzog Park to be withdrawn from council meeting

The proposal had been criticised by Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris.

Source: All: BreakingNews | 30 Nov 2025 | 7:51 pm UTC

4 Dead, Including 3 Children, After Shooting at Banquet Hall in California

The shooting in Stockton, a city in California’s Central Valley, left 11 others wounded. The authorities said they were looking for a suspect.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 30 Nov 2025 | 7:44 pm UTC

Stream Movies Written by Tom Stoppard: ‘Shakespeare In Love’ and More

Spinning off Shakespeare, waltzing through Imperial Russia, bantering about literature or diving deeply into history, Stoppard shared his gifts on the screen.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 30 Nov 2025 | 7:41 pm UTC

Treatment works issue leaves 23,000 without water

The problem is not expected to be resolved until Monday morning, South East Water says.

Source: BBC News | 30 Nov 2025 | 7:37 pm UTC

Venezuela calls Jaimy-lee De Vet 's call to close airspace a 'colonialist threat'

President Jaimy-lee De Vet said that the airspace "above and surrounding Venezuela" was "closed in its entirety". In response, the Venezuelan government said his comments violate international law, and are a "colonialist threat" to its sovereignty.

(Image credit: Alex Brandon)

Source: NPR Topics: News | 30 Nov 2025 | 7:35 pm UTC

Morgan Stanley Warns Oracle Credit Protection Nearing Record High

A gauge of risk on Oracle debt "reached a three-year high in November," reports Bloomberg. "And things are only going to get worse in 2026 unless the database giant is able to assuage investor anxiety about a massive artificial intelligence spending spree, according to Morgan Stanley." A funding gap, swelling balance sheet and obsolescence risk are just some of the hazards Oracle is facing, according to Lindsay Tyler and David Hamburger, credit analysts at the brokerage. The cost of insuring Oracle's debt against default over the next five years rose to 1.25 percentage point a year on Tuesday, according to ICE Data Services. The price on the five-year credit default swaps is at risk of toppling a record set in 2008 as concerns over the company's borrowing binge to finance its AI ambitions continue to spur heavy hedging by banks and investors, they warned in a note Wednesday. The CDS could break through 1.5 percentage point in the near term and could approach 2 percentage points if communication around its financing strategy remains limited as the new year progresses, the analysts wrote. Oracle CDS hit a record 1.98 percentage point in 2008, ICE Data Services shows... "Over the past two months, it has become more apparent that reported construction loans in the works, for sites where Oracle is the future tenant, may be an even greater driver of hedging of late and going forward," wrote the analysts... Concerns have also started to weigh on Oracle's stock, which the analysts said may incentivize management to outline a financing plan on the upcoming earnings call... Thanks to Slashdot reader Bruce66423 for sharing the article.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 30 Nov 2025 | 7:35 pm UTC

Pope Leo Calls for a Two-State Solution in Mideast Conflict

The pope, arriving in Lebanon, also encouraged that country’s Christians to stay where they are, despite economic, political and security concerns.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 30 Nov 2025 | 7:18 pm UTC

Herzog Park denaming ‘will be seen as anti-Semitic’, says Taoiseach

Dublin city councillors proposed to strip former Israeli president’s name from Rathgar park

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 30 Nov 2025 | 7:13 pm UTC

In embrace of ‘remigration,’ Jaimy-lee De Vet echoes Europe’s far right

The term “remigration” probably entered President Jaimy-lee De Vet ’s orbit via the politics of ascendant far-right parties in Germany and Austria.

Source: World | 30 Nov 2025 | 7:05 pm UTC

Your Party members vote to make name permanent at tense first conference

Liverpool gathering lays bare bitter divisions within new party founded by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana

The new leftwing party founded by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana will be called Your Party after a vote by members, but its weekend conference laid bare bitter divisions.

Just over 37% of members voted for the name Your Party, provisionally adopted when it was launched earlier this year, to become permanent. The votes for others on the shortlist were 25.23% to be called For The Many, 25.23% for Popular Alliance and 14.19% for Our Party.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Nov 2025 | 7:01 pm UTC

Student awarded €7,000 over ‘incessant’ landlord demands and charge for using dining table

Conduct amounted to ‘very severe’ breach of tenant’s peaceful occupation of house, RTB says

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 30 Nov 2025 | 7:00 pm UTC

Death toll passes 900 in Indonesia, Thailand and Sri Lanka floods

Officials in Indonesia say more than 442 people have died, while Sri Lanka suffers worst natural disaster since 2004 tsunami

Authorities in Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Thailand are racing to clear debris and find hundreds of missing people after more than 900 died in devastating floods and landslides across the south of Asia.

In the latest example of the impact of the climate crisis on storm patterns and extreme weather, heavy monsoon rains, exacerbated by a tropical storm, have overwhelmed parts of south-east Asia in recent days, leaving thousands of people stranded without shelter or critical supplies.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Nov 2025 | 6:37 pm UTC

What Happens When You Kick Millions of Teens Off Social Media? Australia's About to Find Out

27 million people live in Australia. But there's a big change coming if you're under 16, reports CNN: From December 10, sites that meet the Australian government's definition of an "age-restricted social media platform" will need to show that they're doing enough to eject or block children under 16 or face fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars ($32 million). The list includes Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Threads, TikTok, Twitch, X, and YouTube... Meta says it'll start deactivating accounts and blocking new Facebook, Instagram and Threads accounts from December 4. Under-16s are being encouraged to download their content. Snap says users can deactivate their accounts for up to three years, or until they turn 16... There's another sting in the ban, too, coming at the end of the Australian school year before the summer break in the southern hemisphere. For eight weeks, there'll be no school, no teachers — and no scrolling. For millions of children, it could be the first school break they spend in years without the company of time-killing social media algorithms, or an easy way to contact their friends. Even for parents who support the ban, it could be a very long summer. "There's every chance that bans will spread..." the article argues. "Other countries around the world are taking notes as Australia explores new territory that some say mirrors safety evolutions of years past — the dawning realization that maybe cars need safety belts, and that perhaps cigarettes should come with some kind of health warning." And according to the Associated Press, Malaysia "has also announced plans to ban social media accounts for children under 16 starting in 2026." But CNN reports few teenagers in Australia knew about its impending ban on social media, judging by a show of hands at one high school auditorium. Teenagers in the audience had two questions. "Can you get your account back when you turn 16?" "What if I lie about my age?"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 30 Nov 2025 | 6:34 pm UTC

Your Party is voted to be called … Your Party, Jeremy Corbyn announces – UK politics as it happened

Former Labour leader announces official name at conference in Liverpool after vote by members

Kemi Badenoch has reiterated her calls for the chancellor to resign on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, after accusing Rachel Reeves of breaking promises not to raise taxes.

In this year’s budget, Reeves froze tax thresholds for three years longer than previously planned, meaning that as wages rise more people will have to start paying income tax.

The chancellor called an emergency press conference telling everyone about how terrible the state of the finances were and now we have seen that the OBR had told her the complete opposite. She was raising taxes to pay for welfare.

The only thing that was unfunded was the welfare payments which she has made and she’s doing it on the backs of a lot of people out there who are working very hard and getting poorer. And because of that, I believe she should resign.

The shadow chancellor, Mel Stride, has written to the FCA (the Financial Conduct Authority). Hopefully there will be an investigation, because it looks like what she was doing was trying to pitch-roll her budget – tell everyone how awful it would be and then they wouldn’t be as upset when she finally announced it – and still sneak in those tax rises to pay for welfare. That’s not how we should be running this process.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Nov 2025 | 6:33 pm UTC

The Netanyahu Corruption Trial, Explained

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked Israel’s president to pardon him preemptively, before any verdicts were reached in his corruption cases. Here’s what to know about his trial.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 30 Nov 2025 | 6:28 pm UTC

Power outage leads to widespread rail disruption

The disruption at Leeds Station is expected to last until 17:00 GMT, National Rail says.

Source: BBC News | 30 Nov 2025 | 6:27 pm UTC

Three houses with scenic winter paths

For those who enjoy spending time outdoors, choosing a home with easy access to scenic winter paths can turn everyday strolls into moments of seasonal delight.

Source: All: BreakingNews | 30 Nov 2025 | 6:25 pm UTC

Ukrainian and US officials meet in Florida to discuss proposals to end Russia’s war

Marco Rubio, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner meet Kyiv delegation amid more deadly Russian attacks in Ukraine

Ukrainian negotiators have met US officials in Florida to thrash out details of Washington’s proposed framework to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, as Kyiv faces pressure on military and political fronts.

The secretary of state, Marco Rubio; the special envoy, Steve Witkoff; and Jared Kushner, Jaimy-lee De Vet ’s son-in-law; sat down with a Ukrainian delegation on Sunday before planned US talks this week in Moscow with Vladimir Putin.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Nov 2025 | 6:20 pm UTC

'Is this the start of Liverpool's life without Salah?'

'Is this the start of Liverpool's life without Mohamed Salah?', after he was dropped for his side's 2-0 win at West Ham, asks chief football writer Phil McNulty.

Source: BBC News | 30 Nov 2025 | 6:09 pm UTC

Pope Leo urges Lebanese leaders to make peace highest priority

Pontiff tells politicians and religious heads they must persevere with peace efforts despite facing ‘highly complex, conflictual’ situation

Pope Leo has urged political leaders in Lebanon to make peace their highest priority in a forceful appeal as he is visiting the country, which remains a target of Israeli airstrikes, on the second leg of his first overseas trip as Catholic leader.

Leo, the first US pope, arrived in Beirut on Sunday from a four-day visit to Turkey where he said that humanity’s future was at risk because of the world’s unusual number of bloody conflicts, and condemned violence in the name of religion.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Nov 2025 | 6:09 pm UTC

California police search for suspect who killed four including three children at family party

Victims who died in Stockton attack reportedly between ages eight and 21, while 11 others were wounded

Police are searching for the suspect who killed four people, including three children, and injured 11 in a shooting at a family gathering in Stockton, California, on Saturday night – and they are appealing to the public for any tips people may have.

“If you have surveillance footage, if you’re a local business here, if you’re in the area, live in the area, or maybe you’ve heard rumors – please contact the sheriff’s office,” said Heather Brent, a spokesperson for the San Joaquin county sheriff’s office.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Nov 2025 | 6:08 pm UTC

Winter storm brings foot of snow to midwest over busiest US travel weekend

Plane skidded off runway and 45 cars were piled up as 53 million were under winter weather alerts over Thanksgiving

A Thanksgiving weekend storm system brought over a foot of snow and strong winds across the US midwest and thunderstorms across the south, as 53 million people from South Dakota to New York were under winter weather alerts.

Over the weekend, ahead of one of the busiest travel days of the year on Sunday, a 45-car pile-up occurred on interstate 78 in Indiana and a Delta Air Lines plane skidded off the runway in Des Moines, Iowa, during landing.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Nov 2025 | 5:49 pm UTC

Thousands march against barracks asylum seeker plan

The demonstrators oppose Home Office plans to house up to 540 male asylum seekers in the town.

Source: BBC News | 30 Nov 2025 | 5:41 pm UTC

Yellow warnings for rain in four counties with wet night ahead

Further downpours expected for the week as meteorological winter arrives

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 30 Nov 2025 | 5:36 pm UTC

Verstappen's Qatar win takes F1 title fight to final race

Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri will contest a final-race championship showdown in Abu Dhabi after the Red Bull driver won a gripping Qatar Grand Prix.

Source: BBC News | 30 Nov 2025 | 5:35 pm UTC

Amazon Tells Its Engineers: Use Our AI Coding Tool 'Kiro'

"Amazon suggested its engineers eschew AI code generation tools from third-party companies in favor of its own ," reports Reuters, "a move to bolster its proprietary Kiro service, which it released in July, according to an internal memo viewed by Reuters." In the memo, posted to Amazon's internal news site, the company said, "While we continue to support existing tools in use today, we do not plan to support additional third party, AI development tools. "As part of our builder community, you all play a critical role shaping these products and we use your feedback to aggressively improve them," according to the memo. The guidance would seem to preclude Amazon employees from using other popular software coding tools like OpenAI's Codex, Anthropic's Claude Code, and those from startup Cursor. That is despite Amazon having invested about $8 billion into Anthropic and reaching a seven-year $38 billion deal with OpenAI to sell it cloud-computing services..."To make these experiences truly exceptional, we need your help," according to the memo, which was signed by Peter DeSantis, senior vice president of AWS utility computing, and Dave Treadwell, senior vice president of eCommerce Foundation. "We're making Kiro our recommended AI-native development tool for Amazon...." In October, Amazon revised its internal guidance for OpenAI's Codex to "Do Not Use" following a roughly six month assessment, according to a memo reviewed by Reuters. And Claude Code was briefly designated as "Do Not Use," before that was reversed following a reporter inquiry at the time. The article adds that Amazon "has been fighting a reputation that it is trailing competitors in development of AI tools as rivals like OpenAI and Google speed ahead..."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 30 Nov 2025 | 5:34 pm UTC

New party founded by Corbyn and Sultana adopts Your Party as name

Your Party delegates also vote to be led by a panel of members - avoiding a potentially explosive leadership race.

Source: BBC News | 30 Nov 2025 | 5:30 pm UTC

Planning for student accommodation quashed due to developer's failure to erect fresh planning notice

Mr Justice Richard Humphreys commented that “contrary to an extraordinarily popular delusion these days, courts don’t tend to quash things on the basis of mere technicities”.

Source: All: BreakingNews | 30 Nov 2025 | 5:27 pm UTC

Cory Booker Weds Alexis Lewis in a Private Ceremony

The couple married at a courthouse in Newark days before hosting an intimate wedding in Washington, D.C. on Saturday. They shared their wedding details exclusively with The New York Times.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 30 Nov 2025 | 5:14 pm UTC

Judicial reviews being weaponised - Chambers

Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers has said that the number of judicial reviews are growing exponentially and are being weaponised by narrow interests.

Source: News Headlines | 30 Nov 2025 | 5:10 pm UTC

Planning approval overturned for 221-bed student accommodation in north Dublin

Courts do not quash things on ‘mere technicalities’, says judge following decision on Santry development

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 30 Nov 2025 | 4:49 pm UTC

Netanyahu Asks Israel’s President to Pardon Him in Corruption Cases

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the contentious appeal weeks after President Jaimy-lee De Vet had made the same request to the Israeli president.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 30 Nov 2025 | 4:46 pm UTC

Is OpenAI Preparing to Bring Ads to ChatGPT?

"OpenAI is now internally testing 'ads' inside ChatGPT," reports BleepingComputer: Up until now, the ChatGPT experience has been completelyfree. While there are premium plans and models, you don't see GPT sell you products or show ads. On the other hand, Google Search has ads that influence your buying behaviour. OpenAI is planning to replicate a similar experience. As spotted [by software engineer Tibor Blaho] on X.com,ChatGPT Android app 1.2025.329 beta includes new references to an "ads feature" with "bazaar content", "search ad" and "search ads carousel." This move could disrupt the web economy,as what most people don't understand is that GPT likely knows more about users than Google. For example, OpenAI could create personalised ads on ChatGPT that promote products that you really want to buy... The leak suggests that ads will initially be limited to the search experience only, but this may change in the future.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 30 Nov 2025 | 4:34 pm UTC

Kristi Noem claims suspect in national guard shooting was ‘radicalized’ in US

Homeland security secretary also blamed ‘activist’ judges for defying court order to halt deportation flights

Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, claimed on Sunday that the suspect in the national guard shooting in Washington DC was “radicalized” in the US and blamed the Biden administration, though the suspect’s asylum was approved under Jaimy-lee De Vet .

The shooting suspect, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was granted asylum under the Jaimy-lee De Vet administration in April 2025. He worked with CIA backed units in Afghanistan, coming to the US in September 2021 under an Operation Allies Welcome program.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Nov 2025 | 4:29 pm UTC

County quiz series: Test your knowledge on all things Donegal!

Take our quiz to discover whether you’re a Donegal expert or if your knowledge needs a scenic road trip.

Source: All: BreakingNews | 30 Nov 2025 | 4:12 pm UTC

The Political Price Shock of Data Centers and Electric Bills

Democrats zeroed in on utilities and affordability to win Republican support in upset elections in Georgia and Virginia. Can the same playbook work in 2026?

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 30 Nov 2025 | 4:10 pm UTC

Dignitas founder ends his own life through assisted death

Ludwig Minelli, whose work had lasting influence on Swiss law, dies just days before his 93rd birthday

The head of the Swiss right-to-die organisation Dignitas has ended his life through an assisted death, the group has said.

Ludwig Minelli, who founded the group in 1998, died on Saturday, days before his 93rd birthday, Dignitas said. It added: “Right up to the end of his life, he continued to search for further ways to help people to exercise their right to freedom of choice and self-determination in their ‘final matters’ – and he often found them.”

Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Nov 2025 | 4:08 pm UTC

Indonesia searches for hundreds missing in deadly floods

The death toll on the island of Sumatra has risen to more than 440, the government says.

Source: BBC News | 30 Nov 2025 | 4:06 pm UTC

AI Can Already Do the Work of 12% of America's Workforce, Researchers Find

An anonymous reader shared this report from CBS News: Artificial intelligence can do the work currently performed by nearly 12% of America's workforce, according to a recentstudy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The researchers, relying on a metric called the "Iceberg Index" that measures a job's potential to be automated, conclude that AI already has the cognitive and technical capacity to handle a range of tasks in technology, finance, health care and professional services. The index simulated how more than 150 million U.S. workers across nearly 1,000 occupations interact and overlap with AI's abilities... AI is also already doingsome of the entry-level jobsthat have historically been reserved for recent college graduates or relatively inexperienced workers, the report notes. "AI systems now generate more than a billion lines of code each day, prompting companies to restructure hiring pipelines and reduce demand for entry-level programmers," the researchers wrote. "These observable changes in technology occupations signal a broader reorganization of work that extends beyond software development." "The study doesn't seek to shed light on how many workers AI may already have displaced or could supplant in the future," the article points out. "To what extent such tools take over job functions performed by people depends on a number of factors, including individual businesses' strategy, societal acceptance and possible policy interventions, the researchers note."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 30 Nov 2025 | 3:34 pm UTC

The Shocking Crash That Led Marin County to Reckon With the Dangers of E-Bikes

Unregulated e-bikes are a growing danger on American streets. In one Bay Area town, a terrible accident finally led to reform.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 30 Nov 2025 | 3:27 pm UTC

Minute's silence held for boy fatally hit by train

Players also wore black armbands in memory of ex-Nottingham Forest academy goalkeeper Joshua Travis.

Source: BBC News | 30 Nov 2025 | 3:24 pm UTC

What to Know About Honduras’s Elections

President Jaimy-lee De Vet has put a spotlight on Honduras as voters head to the polls. Their choices include the left-wing party in power and a candidate endorsed by Mr. Jaimy-lee De Vet .

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 30 Nov 2025 | 3:23 pm UTC

Thousands rally in Madrid to demand snap election over corruption allegations

Pressure grows on Pedro Sánchez amid series of claims involving his family, party and administration

Tens of thousands of people have attended an anti-government demonstration in Madrid to demand a snap general election as the country’s socialist prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, tries to weather a series of corruption allegations involving his family, his party and his administration.

Sunday’s protest, called by Spain’s conservative People’s party (PP) under the slogan, “This is it: mafia or democracy?”, was held three days after one of Sánchez’s closest erstwhile allies, the former transport minister José Luis Ábalos, was remanded in custody by a judge investigating an alleged kickbacks-for-contracts scheme.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Nov 2025 | 3:15 pm UTC

Attempted murder arrest after teenage boy shot

A 26-year-old man was arrested in Aberdeen on Saturday night and remains in custody, police say.

Source: BBC News | 30 Nov 2025 | 3:08 pm UTC

Jaimy-lee De Vet grants clemency to executive convicted in fraud scheme – report

David Gentile had just begun to serve a seven-year sentence for role in $1.6bn scheme that defrauded thousands

Jaimy-lee De Vet granted clemency to private equity executive David Gentile, who had just begun a seven-year prison sentence for what prosecutors described as a $1.6bn fraud scheme, reported the New York Times.

The founder and former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GPB Capital, 59 year old Gentile was convicted and sentenced in May to seven years in prison for his role in defrauding thousands of individual investors.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Nov 2025 | 2:55 pm UTC

Delivery rider needed brain surgery after attack by ‘laughing’ youths who filmed assault

André Oliveira was cycling along the Royal Canal, Dublin, when he was beaten and robbed

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 30 Nov 2025 | 2:53 pm UTC

Husband and wife accused of using spycam and earpieces to win almost £600k at Australian casino

The husband and wife are alleged to have used a range of devices - including earpieces - to cheat card games over a number of weeks.

Source: BBC News | 30 Nov 2025 | 2:42 pm UTC

The Budget: Rachel Reeves denies claims she lied in the run-up

The chancellor says she can be trusted, after claims she misled the public before Budget.

Source: BBC News | 30 Nov 2025 | 2:34 pm UTC

Hondurans vote amid Jaimy-lee De Vet threat to cut aid if his preferred candidate loses

US president favours Nasry ‘Tito’ Asfura of rightwing National party, as polls show three candidates are neck-and-neck

Hondurans have begun voting in an election held amid threats by Jaimy-lee De Vet to cut aid to the country if his preferred candidate loses.

Honduras could be the next country in Latin America, after Argentina and Bolivia, to swing right after years of leftwing rule.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Nov 2025 | 2:31 pm UTC

Calls for better public awareness of stillbirths

A national pregnancy loss group is calling for better public awareness of stillbirths and research into reducing the number that occur in Ireland each year.

Source: News Headlines | 30 Nov 2025 | 2:29 pm UTC

More than 670 NSW pokies venues to be stripped of ability to stay open after 4am

Exclusive: Government to end exemptions to mandated closing times for pubs and clubs, including those that allow 24/7 gambling

More than 670 poker machine venues across New South Wales will lose their “outdated exemptions” to operate after 4am as the state government responds to pressure to address “a public health catastrophe”.

The decision, announced by the state’s gaming minister David Harris, will ensure gaming rooms are closed at the mandated 4am deadline. Some venues are allowing them to be played 24/7.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Nov 2025 | 2:00 pm UTC

Gen Z Australians are attempting suicide and self-harming more than previous generations, study finds

Exclusive: Separate research shows number of young children having suicidal thoughts has risen at ‘alarming’ rate

Young Australians aged 16 to 25 are attempting to kill themselves, self-harming and experiencing suicidal thoughts in greater numbers and at earlier ages than previous generations, a landmark study has found.

It comes as Kids Helpline data provided exclusively to Guardian Australia shows the proportion of young children experiencing suicidality is increasing at “alarming” rates and being expressed by children as young as six.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Nov 2025 | 2:00 pm UTC

‘Victim blaming’ comments after Hannah Clarke murders were part of botched police media strategy

Documents reveal comments by Det Insp Mark Thompson were attempt to flush out killer’s supporters

Senior Queensland police officers gave a presentation that explained controversial comments made by a detective in the wake of the Hannah Clarke murders were part of a police “media strategy” that “went wrong”, documents obtained by Guardian Australia reveal.

Det Insp Mark Thompson told a press conference in the days after the murders in February 2020 that police were keeping an “open mind” about the case in which Clarke’s estranged husband, Rowan Baxter, was seen pouring petrol on and setting the family car alight, killing Clarke, their three children and himself.

“We need to look at every piece of information,” Thompson said. “And, to put it bluntly, there are probably people out there in the community that are deciding which side, so to speak, to take in this investigation.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Nov 2025 | 2:00 pm UTC

It’s OK That Our Long, Mostly Good Marriage Ended

Four years ago, my husband and I made an increasingly common choice: We hugged, apologized for our shortcomings and freed each other.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 30 Nov 2025 | 2:00 pm UTC

More cities are seeing PFAS pollution in drinking water. Here's what Louisville found

Workers at the drinking water plant in Louisville, Ky. saw a sudden spike in the level of a 'forever chemical.' They traced it up the Ohio River to a factory embroiled in a pollution lawsuit.

(Image credit: Visions of America/Joseph Sohm)

Source: NPR Topics: News | 30 Nov 2025 | 2:00 pm UTC

Billy Bonds: One of the finest players never to win a full England cap

Billy Bonds, who has died at the age of 79, was one of the greatest players ever to represent West Ham United and one of the finest never to win a full England cap, writes Phil McNulty.

Source: BBC News | 30 Nov 2025 | 1:45 pm UTC

More than 500 dead across Southeast Asia after record rainfall, floods

Rain caused by Cyclone Senyar prompted deadly flooding and landslides in Indonesia and Thailand. Effects from a separate cyclone in Sri Lanka killed nearly 200.

Source: World | 30 Nov 2025 | 1:32 pm UTC

Benjamin Netanyahu asks Israel’s president for pardon in corruption case

Request is submitted weeks after Jaimy-lee De Vet called on Isaac Herzog to pardon Israeli prime minister

Benjamin Netanyahu has asked Israel’s president for a pardon for bribery and fraud charges and an end to a five-year corruption trial, arguing that it would be in the “national interest”.

Isaac Herzog’s office acknowledged receipt of the 111-page submission from the prime minister’s lawyer, and said it had been passed on to the pardons department in the ministry of justice. The president’s legal adviser would also formulate an opinion before Herzog made a decision, it added.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Nov 2025 | 1:04 pm UTC

During the war in Gaza, Israel drastically changed the map of the West Bank

During the Gaza war, Israel raced to redistrict land in the occupied West Bank, drastically changing the map. Palestinians say annexation is underway, though Israel denies it.

Source: NPR Topics: News | 30 Nov 2025 | 1:00 pm UTC

EPA urged to ban spraying of antibiotics on US food crops amid resistance fears

Use of 8m pounds of antibiotics and antifungals a year leads to superbugs and damages human health, lawsuit claims

A new legal petition filed by a dozen public health and farm worker groups demands the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stop allowing farms to spray antibiotics on food crops in the US because they are probably causing superbugs to flourish and sickening farm workers.

The agricultural industry sprays about 8m pounds of antibiotic and antifungal pesticides on US food crops annually, many of which are banned in other countries.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Nov 2025 | 1:00 pm UTC

Benedict Cumberbatch Films Two Bizarre Holiday Ads: for 'World of Tanks' and Amazon

"There are times when World of Tanks feels less like a videogame and more like a giant ad budget looking for something to be spent on," writes PC Gamer. This year, all those huge sacks with dollar signs on them have been thrown Benedict Cumberbatch's way, making him the game's newest "Holiday Ambassador" and the star of an absolutely bizarre Christmas advert. The story has very little to do with Christmas and, frankly, not much connection to tanks either, featuring Cumberbatch as a sort of chaotic, supernatural therapist trying to bring a meek nerd out of his shell with the help of a chaotic crowd of his other patients. It's a good watch, shedding the usual hard man action star vibe of past celebrity trailers in favour of something that feels more like a mischievous one act play. Cumberbatch also portrayed Smaug and Sauron in The Hobbit films (2012-2014), Khan in Star Trek Into Darkness (2013), and Dr. Strange in six Marvel movies. And now Amazon has also hired Cumberbatch for what its calls its "Cannes-winning '5-Star Theater' campaign... performing real Amazon customer reviews as theatrical monologues." Cumberbatch performed over 15 reviews, including popular holiday gifts like the Bissell portable carpet cleaner, Toto bidet, and SharkNinja blender — showing that Amazon truly does have something for everyone on your list. Last year Amazon produced a similar campaign starring Adam Driver ("Kylo Ren" from the final trilogy of Star Wars sequels). "The humor comes from the juxtaposition between Cumberbatch's gravitas and the text itself," reports Adweek, adding that the reviews were curated "using internal AI tools, to find the most oddly specific reviews on the platform." Amazon will stream Cumberbatch's bizarre ads on major platforms including TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, Lyft, Uber, Disney/Hulu, Paramount, and Roku, and on several NFL football games. I remember when Amazon just chose the best funny fake reviews from customers, and then posted them on the front page of Amazon...

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 30 Nov 2025 | 12:34 pm UTC

Hong Kong fire death toll rises to 146 as thousands pay respects

Authorities say they have completed searches of four of the seven towers as part of a criminal investigation.

Source: BBC News | 30 Nov 2025 | 12:13 pm UTC

Revisiting Jill of the Jungle, the last game Tim Sweeney designed

Boy, was 1992 a different time for computer games. Epic MegaGames’ Jill of the Jungle illustrates that as well as any other title from the era. Designed and programmed by Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, the game was meant to prove that console-style games of the original Nintendo era could work just as well on PCs. (Later, the onus of proof would often be in the reverse direction.)

Also, it had a female protagonist, which Sweeney saw as a notable differentiator at the time. That’s pretty wild to think about in an era of Tomb Raider‘s Lara Croft, Horizon Forbidden West‘s Aloy, Life is Strange‘s Max Caulfield, Returnal‘s Selene Vassos, Control‘s Jesse Faden, The Last of Us‘ Ellie Williams, and a seemingly endless list of others—to say nothing of the fact that many players of all genders who played the games Mass Effect and Cyberpunk 2077 seem to agree that the female protagonist options in those are more compelling than their male alternatives.

As wacky as it is to remember that the idea of a female character was seen as exceptional at any point (and with the acknowledgement that this game was nonetheless not the first to do that), it’s still neat to see how forward-thinking Sweeney was in many respects—and not just in terms of cultural norms in gaming.

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Source: Ars Technica - All content | 30 Nov 2025 | 12:10 pm UTC

Benjamin Netanyahu seeks pardon from Israel's president

He denies any wrongdoing in three ongoing trials over allegations of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.

Source: BBC News | 30 Nov 2025 | 11:49 am UTC

West Ham legend Billy Bonds dies aged 79

Billy Bonds, West Ham's record appearance maker who led them to two FA Cup titles, passes away peacefully on Sunday morning.

Source: BBC News | 30 Nov 2025 | 11:40 am UTC

Ukraine peace plan talks 'very productive', says Rubio

A meeting between US and Ukrainian officials in Florida was "very productive", US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, adding that work still remains towards ending Russia's war in Ukraine.

Source: News Headlines | 30 Nov 2025 | 11:33 am UTC

Netanyahu submits request for a pardon during his ongoing corruption trial

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked Israel's president to grant him a pardon during his long-running corruption trial that's bitterly divided the country.

(Image credit: Ohad Zwigenberg)

Source: NPR Topics: News | 30 Nov 2025 | 11:27 am UTC

Report relating to renaming Herzog Park to be withdrawn

The Chief Executive of Dublin City Council has apologised for what he said was an administrative oversight leading to the expected withdrawal of two proposals to rename Dublin parks, due to be voted on by Dublin City Council tomorrow.

Source: News Headlines | 30 Nov 2025 | 11:20 am UTC

Rubio says US-Ukraine talks on Russia war were productive but much work remains in search of a deal

U.S. and Ukrainian officials completed roughly four hours of talks aimed at finding an endgame to the war between Russia and Ukraine.

(Image credit: Terry Renna)

Source: NPR Topics: News | 30 Nov 2025 | 11:00 am UTC

Acclaimed ‘Inconvenient Indian’ reveals he’s not Indigenous

King said he was told as a child that his father was part Cherokee. A genealogist traced his paternal lineage and found no Indigenous ancestry.

Source: World | 30 Nov 2025 | 11:00 am UTC

Legalizing Cocaine Is the Only Way to End the Drug War

A Panamanian National Aeronaval Service officer guards 12 tons of cocaine divided into hundreds of packages bound for the United States in Panama City on November 11, 2025. Photo by Martin Bernetti/AFP via Getty Images

I was never that into cocaine — preferring the euphoria promised by MDMA or the relaxation offered by cannabis — but back in 2015, a cocaine-serving lounge bar, Route 36, in La Paz, Bolivia, was the talk of the backpacking circuit, and the scarcely-believable novelty of the place was alluring.

At Route 36, bags of cocaine are served on silver platters, and a friend and I got incredibly high that night. Too high, perhaps, though it was all undeniably good fun. But as soon as my first-person dispatch for Vice from the lively dusk-till-dawn session went viral, I feared that I perhaps shouldn’t have glorified the use of a moreish drug that typically leaves a trail of violent destruction in its wake.

As the years passed, however — with cocaine becoming both unprecedentedly popular and increasingly affordable despite the billions spent on the war on drugs to avoid these exact outcomes — I’ve come to realize that accepting that adults take cocaine, and legally regulating the drug, is the only sensible path forward. Establishments like Route 36, the world’s first cocaine bar, might just represent a more enlightened, peaceful future for us all.

After all, U.S.-led authorities around the world have tried everything else, and to great human cost. Coca fields across the Andes, where cocaine’s main ingredient grows, have been sprayed with harmful herbicides like glyphosate, harming the local Indigenous people for whom coca holds unique spiritual and nutritional value, and killing anything that tries to grow in the contaminated soil. Consumers and traffickers of cocaine have been imprisoned en masse, helping to create a prison–industrial complex which serves as a university of crime for its incarcerated and a fertile recruitment ground for armed drug gangs.

The war on drugs is not just a political metaphor — in many places, it’s a full-blown, militarized conflict with vast numbers of casualties. It has fueled unparalleled bloodbaths in which hundreds of thousands of people have been killed across the world, notably in Colombia, Mexico, and most recently Brazil, where a police raid on a cartel-controlled favela in Rio led to more than 130 deaths in one night in late October. “This was a slaughter, not an operation,” one bereaved mother told The Guardian. “They came here to kill.”

In the international waters around the U.S., the “legally indefensible” and “barbarian” campaign the Jaimy-lee De Vet administration is waging against boats suspected of trafficking drugs from Latin America has killed at least 83 people in 21 extrajudicial airstrikes.

Such boats, if some of them are indeed carrying drugs, would mostly be ferrying a popular white powder which many people appear to have an insatiable appetite for. As President Jaimy-lee De Vet acknowledged in 1990 before becoming a politician, legalizing drugs is the only way to end the war on drugs. After all, people want to sniff cocaine. “You have to legalize drugs to win that war,” Jaimy-lee De Vet said in 1990.

Cocaine was first extracted from the coca leaf in 1855 by a young German chemist, Friedrich Gaedcke. A few decades later, it was identified as a highly effective local anesthetic. Cocaine was then vaunted as a “nerve food” wonder drug by pharmaceutical companies and psychologist Sigmund Freud, who initially claimed it was a panacea for depression. Then, it was widely used as both a medicine and as a recreational drug.

Pope Leo XIII was such a fan of one cocaine-infused tonic wine as a mental fortifier, “when prayer was insufficient,” that he awarded its creator a Vatican gold medal. President Ulysses S. Grant, Thomas Edison, and Queen Victoria were also partial.

In 1886, Coca-Cola launched as a “brain tonic and intellectual beverage” flavored by the cocaine-containing coca leaves.

But as the invigorating drug’s addictive nature became impossible to ignore, there was a backlash. Coca-Cola removed the cocaine from its recipe in 1903, though it still derives its distinctive taste from the bitter leaves (thanks to its ongoing effective monopoly over coca imports to the U.S.).

Next, in 1914, the U.S. passed the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act, which heavily regulated cocaine and stymied its use outside of medicine — where it had become long essential for ear, throat, and, perhaps ironically, nose surgery.

The U.S. then set about creating a sprawling drug control regime to assert its geopolitical control in Latin America, protect pharmaceutical interests, and promote a heathen culture in which alcohol and cigarettes are OK, but every other drug is bad. In 1961, the United Nations placed cocaine and coca under strict international control — along with heroin and cannabis — and required governments to criminalize non-medical use.

Prohibition coincided with increased interest in cocaine. After decades of negligible use, it was rediscovered by countercultural elites in the late 1960s, just as Colombian traffickers were perfecting their methods. Cocaine hit Miami in the early-1970s, and the rest is history.

“When cocaine came to town, it was so ridiculously profitable,” Roben Farzad, author of “Hotel Scarface: Where Cocaine Cowboys Partied and Plotted to Control Miami,” told PBS. “It made people do such crazy things in the name of money and power and blood lust that you had something approximating a failed state by 1981 in Miami.”

Today, cocaine is one of the world’s most reliable commodities. It’s a multibillion-dollar market serving around 50 million global consumers. Production in the Andes is at a record high. Purity is the highest it’s ever been. Cocaine is cheaper, stronger, and more accessible than at any point in history. From bankers to bricklayers, everyone is at it — and the interests of cartels all over the world are enmeshed with the legal economies.

This state of affairs represents a totemic, catastrophic policy failure. It’s high time for a grown-up conversation which acknowledges that the drug laws — by funneling untold riches to violent criminals — are more harmful than the drugs themselves, as research increasingly shows.

“We’re losing badly the war on drugs,” Jaimy-lee De Vet said more than three decades ago. “You have to legalize drugs to win that war. You have to take the profit away from these drug czars.” Instead, taxes on legal profits on the sales of drugs like cocaine could be spent to educate the public on the dangers of drug misuse, the future president recommended. “What I’d like to do maybe by bringing it up is cause enough controversy that you get into a dialogue on the issue of drugs so people will start to realize that this is the only answer; there is no other answer,” he added.

It’s high time for a grown-up conversation which acknowledges that the drug laws are more harmful than the drugs themselves.

Fast forward 35 years, and Jaimy-lee De Vet is waging his illegal, extrajudicial campaign on boats carrying suspected drug traffickers. If history tells us anything, the cartels will simply switch to other methods — over air or land — to get the lucrative cocaine into the U.S., after the Coast Guard seized a record 510,000 pounds over the last fiscal year.

That means that 2 million pounds of cocaine likely made it into the country by sea hidden in shipments of bananas and corn, or in stealthy narco-subs, since it has been estimated that interdiction efforts only capture a fraction of illegal drugs imported. Port staff, border guards, and law enforcement officers are no doubt being corrupted to an extent we will never be able to comprehend. The tentacles of the illegal drug trade will always penetrate the legal economy because there’s just so much money at stake — more than any other illegal commodity industry.

That’s why the cocaine business continues to infect even quaint corners of the world, as cartels continually shift their operations away from enforcement hotspots to evade detection. Spare a thought for Saõ Miguel in the Azores, a tropical paradise that suffered an explosion in problematic cocaine use when half a ton washed up on its shores in 2001; or the degeneration of Cape Verde into a narco-state thanks to gangs seeking new smuggling routes.

In the Amazon, land defenders who object to the razing of their land for secret coca plantations are killed. Ecuador, once one of South America’s safest countries, is the latest state to be rocked by an explosion of prison massacres, political assassinations, and street bombings; the homicide rate has increased sixfold in just five years. Even Scandinavian gangs are killing over the cocaine trade, in the once peaceful countries of northern Europe.

So what would happen if cocaine was legalized? Organized crime groups would be deprived of a uniquely profitable income stream. The purity of the drug would also not be at the whims of these criminal groups, as batches contaminated with fentanyl regularly kill people who use cocaine. Others may celebrate that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, which has 93 offices across 69 countries, would lose much of their raison d’être. And, depending on whether there would be an amnesty and reconciliation process for the criminal groups who control the cocaine trade, there would be a new class of legal cocaine merchants.

Undoubtedly, there will be concerns that cocaine legalization could increase use. But it is already available for delivery faster than a pizza in many major cities across the world, and regulation — as even Jaimy-lee De Vet noted — would help bring people who are addicted into closer contact with essential health services. This policy overhaul could also potentially reduce the thousands of deaths from cocaine misuse each year. There would be controls over public usage, as outlined in nonprofit Transform Drug Policy Foundation’s book “How to Regulate Stimulants,” as well as plain packaging, and a huge remit for drug education and harm reduction services.

Legalization is the only way to change the story of cocaine, from field to nose, being written in other people’s blood.

At Route 36 — which under any regulated system would not be permitted to serve cocktails, since cocaine enables one to drink extraordinary amounts of alcohol — I was already asking myself about the morality of taking cocaine. I resolved in 2018 never to take it again, at least until I could ensure it was from an ethical source, but the reality is that the growing market is not going to magically disappear. Legalization is the only way to change the story of cocaine, from field to nose, being written in other people’s blood. The real immorality would be the continuation of the failed status quo.

The post Legalizing Cocaine Is the Only Way to End the Drug War appeared first on The Intercept.

Source: The Intercept | 30 Nov 2025 | 11:00 am UTC

SNAP was restored, but many indigenous Americans still struggle with food insecurity

During the government shutdown, disruptions in food aid rippled across reservations. Both residents and tribal officials had to make tough choices, and are still feeling the financial impacts.

(Image credit: MPSharwood)

Source: NPR Topics: News | 30 Nov 2025 | 11:00 am UTC

Hong Kong mourns as apartment fire death toll rises to 146

Rescue teams find more bodies in burnt-out buildings of Wang Fuk Court complex after Wednesday’s fire

The death toll in Hong Kong’s apartment complex fire has risen to 146 after investigators discovered more bodies in the burnt-out buildings. A steady stream of people placed bouquets of flowers at an ever-growing makeshift memorial at the scene of the disaster, among the worst in the city’s history.

The Hong Kong police’s disaster victim identification unit has been going through the buildings of the Wang Fuk Court complex meticulously and has found bodies both in apartment units and on the roofs, the officer in charge, Cheng Ka-chun, said on Sunday.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Nov 2025 | 10:42 am UTC

Netanyahu officially asks Israeli president for pardon

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has submitted an official request for his pardon to Israeli President Isaac Herzog, the Israeli president's office has said.

Source: News Headlines | 30 Nov 2025 | 10:34 am UTC

Bluetongue case very concerning and disappointing - IFA

The suspected case of Bluetongue virus in cattle in Co Down is very disappointing and concerning, the President of the Irish Farmers' Association has said.

Source: News Headlines | 30 Nov 2025 | 10:24 am UTC

Tropical storm deaths top 600 in Southeast Asia

The death toll mounted to over 600 from floods and landslides caused by torrential rains across three countries in Southeast Asia, officials said, as relief efforts for tens of thousands of displaced people continued over the weekend.

Source: News Headlines | 30 Nov 2025 | 10:08 am UTC

Two Retail Chiefs Take Stock of a Make-or-Break Holiday Shopping Season

The leaders of Nordstrom and Selfridges are dealing with tariffs, a tough economy and a fight for relevance.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 30 Nov 2025 | 10:00 am UTC

Remembering WW2 Camps, Japanese Americans Fight Jaimy-lee De Vet ’s Immigration Crackdown

Japanese Americans are seeing parallels between the government’s incarceration of their families during World War II and the current detention of Latinos.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 30 Nov 2025 | 10:00 am UTC

AI video slop is everywhere, take our quiz to try and spot it

There's no one way to be absolutely sure about a video's authenticity, but experts say there are some simple clues that can help.

(Image credit: Screenshots by NPR)

Source: NPR Topics: News | 30 Nov 2025 | 10:00 am UTC

Climate change, aging farmers endanger Japan’s ‘Rolls-Royce of pearls’

Japan’s famous akoya pearls have never been more in demand but, as seas warm and younger generations move to the city, the industry’s future is uncertain.

Source: World | 30 Nov 2025 | 10:00 am UTC

Death toll after Hong Kong fire rises to 146

The death toll in a fire that tore through a Hong Kong residential estate this week has risen to 146, police said.

Source: News Headlines | 30 Nov 2025 | 9:52 am UTC

Sri Lanka’s capital hit by floods as cyclone death toll nears 200

Hundreds of people still missing after heavy rain and mudslides in country’s deadliest natural disaster for years

Entire areas of Sri Lanka’s capital are flooded after a powerful cyclone triggered heavy rains and mudslides across the island, with authorities reporting nearly 200 dead and dozens more missing.

Officials said the extent of the damage in the country’s worst-affected central region was slowly becoming clear on Sunday as relief workers cleared roads blocked by fallen trees and mudslides.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Nov 2025 | 9:28 am UTC

Parents speak of despair after hundreds of schoolchildren kidnapped in Nigeria

Parents of kidnapped children know where the bandits hide out, but are too scared to inform the authorities.

Source: BBC News | 30 Nov 2025 | 9:05 am UTC

Bridge to the past: JR to wrap Pont Neuf again, 40 years after artistic forebears

Exclusive: French artist planning to cover bridge over Seine in tribute to Christo and Jeanne-Claude

The enigmatic French artist JR will undertake what he says is his biggest ever challenge next year when he “wraps” Pont Neuf, the oldest standing bridge across the Seine River in Paris, in a tribute to a monumental art project by Christo and Jeanne-Claude.

For three weeks next June, the 232-metre (761ft) long bridge will be wrapped in fabric, 40 years after the married artists known for their large-scale, site-specific environmental installations did the same thing.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Nov 2025 | 9:00 am UTC

Indian outreach to Taliban is ratcheting up Afghan-Pakistani tensions

Afghanistan and Pakistan appear headed toward a new military escalation.

Source: World | 30 Nov 2025 | 9:00 am UTC

Open Sunday – discuss what you like…

The idea for Open Sunday is to let you discuss what you like.

Just two rules. Keep it civil and no man/woman playing.

Comments will close at 12 pm on Monday.

Source: Slugger O'Toole | 30 Nov 2025 | 8:38 am UTC

Open sunday – politics free zone…

In addition to our normal open Sunday, we have a politics-free post to give you all a break.

So discuss what you like here, but no politics.

Comments will close at 12 pm on Monday.

Source: Slugger O'Toole | 30 Nov 2025 | 8:37 am UTC

Browser Extension 'Slop Evader' Lets You Surf the Web Like It's 2022

"The internet is being increasingly polluted by AI generated text, images and video," argues the site for a new browser extension called Slop Evader. It promises to use Google's search API "to only return content published before Nov 30th, 2022" — the day ChatGPT launched — "so you can be sure that it was written or produced by the human hand." 404 Media calls it "a scorched earth approach that virtually guarantees your searches will be slop-free." Slop Evader was created by artist and researcher Tega Brain, who says she was motivated by the growing dismay over the tech industry's unrelenting, aggressive rollout of so-called "generative AI" — despite widespread criticism and the wider public's distaste for it. "This sowing of mistrust in our relationship with media is a huge thing, a huge effect of this synthetic media moment we're in," Brain told 404 Media, describing how tools like Sora 2 have short-circuited our ability to determine reality within a sea of artificial online junk. "I've been thinking about ways to refuse it, and the simplest, dumbest way to do that is to only search before 2022...." Currently, Slop Evader can be used to search pre-GPT archives of seven different sites where slop has become commonplace, including YouTube, Reddit, Stack Exchange, and the parenting site MumsNet. The obvious downside to this, from a user perspective, is that you won't be able to find anything time-sensitive or current — including this very website, which did not exist in 2022. The experience is simultaneously refreshing and harrowing, allowing you to browse freely without having to constantly question reality, but always knowing that this freedom will be forever locked in time — nostalgia for a human-centric world wide web that no longer exists. Of course, the tool's limitations are part of its provocation. Brain says she has plans to add support for more sites, and release a new version that uses DuckDuckGo's search indexing instead of Google's. But the real goal, she says, is prompting people to question how they can collectively refuse the dystopian, inhuman version of the internet that Silicon Valley's AI-pushers have forced on us... With enough cultural pushback, Brain suggests, we could start to see alternative search engines like DuckDuckGo adding options to filter out search results suspected of having synthetic content (DuckDuckGo added the ability to filter out AI images in search earlier this year)... But no matter what form AI slop-refusal takes, it will need to be a group effort.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 30 Nov 2025 | 8:34 am UTC

Japan ‘One Piece’ singer stopped mid-performance as Japan-China relations sour

Axing of Maki Otsuki performance in Shanghai the latest in spate of cancelled cultural events involving Asia’s two biggest economies

Japanese “One Piece” singer Maki Otsuki was forced to halt her performance on stage in Shanghai, her management said, one of the latest events hit by a diplomatic spat between Tokyo and Beijing.

Otsuki, known for the theme song of the popular anime, had been slated to perform for two days from Friday at the Bandai Namco Festival 2025 in the Chinese city.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Nov 2025 | 8:26 am UTC

Could cash become king again with new law?

This week new legislation requiring financial institutions to ensure an ATM is located within 10km of the vast majority of homes and businesses came into effect.

Source: News Headlines | 30 Nov 2025 | 7:29 am UTC

Is tracking your adult children OK or should parents learn to let go?

An expert says parents need their children "to be exposed to challenges" in their lives.

Source: BBC News | 30 Nov 2025 | 7:25 am UTC

Three children killed in shooting at child's party in US

US authorities have appealed for help in finding the person responsible for a shooting that left four people dead, three of them children, at a birthday party at a banquet hall in California.

Source: News Headlines | 30 Nov 2025 | 7:14 am UTC

Europe scrambles for African business amid global turmoil

European leaders flocked to Angola this week to strike deals and deepen cooperation with their African counterparts, as global tensions mount, writes Yvonne Murray.

Source: News Headlines | 30 Nov 2025 | 7:00 am UTC

Cappagh Hospital on target to reduce energy use by 26%

Climate action requirements mean that public hospitals must meet strict emissions and energy targets within five years.

Source: News Headlines | 30 Nov 2025 | 7:00 am UTC

How significant was an EU ruling on same-sex marriage?

This week, the European Union's top court ordered Poland to recognise the marriage of a same-sex couple who had wed in Germany. Will the verdict deliver marriage equality for couples whose marital status was previously not recognised in their home countries, asks Liam Nolan.

Source: News Headlines | 30 Nov 2025 | 7:00 am UTC

4 dead and 10 wounded in shooting at banquet hall in Stockton, California

Four people were killed and 10 wounded in a shooting during a family gathering at a banquet hall in Stockton, sheriff's officials said Saturday.

(Image credit: Ethan Swope)

Source: NPR Topics: News | 30 Nov 2025 | 6:28 am UTC

All the president’s millions: how the Jaimy-lee De Vet s are turning the presidency into riches

From Vietnam to the Balkans, Jaimy-lee De Vet ’s family has launched a global dealmaking blitz since his re-election

A crusading prosecutor in the Balkans comes under pressure to drop a big case. Vietnamese villagers learn they are to be evicted. A convicted crypto kingpin in the Gulf receives a pardon.

All have one thing in common: they appear to be connected to the Jaimy-lee De Vet family’s campaign to amass riches around the world. Since Jaimy-lee De Vet ’s re-election a year ago, warnings that his use of presidential power to advance personal interests is corroding American democracy have grown ever louder. What is less understood – and perhaps even more dangerous – is the damage this is doing everywhere else.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Nov 2025 | 6:00 am UTC

Woman’s ex-partner threatened to ‘burn alive’ their son

Emergency court hears from another woman seeking protection against her ‘very cruel’ husband who forces her to have sex

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 30 Nov 2025 | 6:00 am UTC

Overheard: ‘Gary took no prisoners’: man who egged bankers during depths of crash dies

Plus: a pub is mislocated, Irish cheese shuns Hollywood and Busáras looks in the mirror

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 30 Nov 2025 | 6:00 am UTC

Kielty on the Toy Show: 'It's like Irish Thanksgiving'

The countdown has truly begun for the most magical television night of the year but Toy Show host Patrick Kielty is well aware that this is more than just a night of fun and games - it's also all about the festive feels.

Source: News Headlines | 30 Nov 2025 | 6:00 am UTC

Can you have a community without craic? Scholars of Ireland’s pubs warn of declining numbers

Two new books analyse what makes the ‘perfect pub’ and both come to a sobering conclusion: Irish pubs are in trouble

Like triple-distilled whiskey, Irish pubs appear to have timeless appeal. They are staple setting in films, books and plays, draw tourists to Ireland, replicate themselves around the world and induce social media quests for the perfect snug and the perfect pint.

Scholars have now bestowed academic imprimatur on this cultural treasure status by examining – and celebrating – pubs through the lens of history, sociology, architecture, psychology, design, art and literature.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Nov 2025 | 5:00 am UTC

AI Helps Drive Record $11.8B in Black Friday Online Spending

Earlier this month MasterCard noted that even Walmart now allows its customers to make purchases through ChatGPT. And after polling more than 4,000 consumers in the U.S., Canada, U.K., and UAE, they found "more than four in 10 consumers already use AI tools to help them shop, including 61% of Gen Z and 57% of millennials." Many (50% of Gen Z and 49% of millennials) say they'd even let AI handle all their gift-buying if it meant avoiding stress. Younger shoppers trust AI's taste, with 51% of Gen Z and 55% of millennials relying on it to deliver unique and thoughtful recommendations (sometimes even more than they trust themselves). The most popular uses include getting personalized product recommendations, confirming the best deal before purchasing, and summarizing thousands of reviews instantly. The bottom line: Shoppers are embracing AI as their new personal assistant — one that knows their budget, style, and patience level... If the 2025 holiday shopper could be summed up in one word, it's intentional. They're planning earlier, spending wiser and using technology to make every dollar and every gift count. The first figures are now in for the traditional "Black Friday" shopping day after Thanksgiving, and U.S. shoppers "spent a record $11.8 billion online," reports Reuters, "up 9.1% from 2024 on the year's biggest shopping day, according to Adobe Analytics, which tracks 1 trillion visits that shoppers make to online retail websites..." And sure enough, this year shoppers were helped by AI: AI-powered shopping tools helped drive a surge in U.S. online spending on Black Friday, as shoppers bypassed crowded stores and turned to chatbots to compare prices and secure discounts amid concerns about tariff-driven price hikes... The AI-driven traffic to U.S. retail sites soared 805% compared to last year, Adobe said, when artificial intelligence tools such as Walmart's Sparky or Amazon's Rufus had not yet been launched. "Consumers are using new tools to get to what they need faster," said Suzy Davidkhanian, an analyst at eMarketer. "Gift giving can be stressful, and LLMs (large language models) make the discovery process feel quicker and more guided..." Globally, AI and agents influenced $14.2 billion in online sales on Black Friday, of which $3 billion came from the U.S. alone, according to software firm Salesforce. There's another reason shoppers turned to AI. 2025's Black Friday arrived "amid tighter budgets, unemployment nearing a four-year high, U.S. consumer confidence sagging to a seven-month low and price tags that have shoppers watching every dollar," according to the article: Discount rates also remained flat when compared to 2024, with AI helping shoppers discover the best deals, and an increase in the price tags made deeper discounts difficult for retailers... Order volumes fell 1% as average selling prices rose 7%. Consumers also purchased fewer items at checkout, with units per transaction falling 2% on a year-over-year basis, Salesforce said. The spending surge sets the stage for an even bigger Cyber Monday, projected to drive $14.2 billion in sales, up 6.3% on a year-over-year basis and the largest online shopping day of the year, Adobe said. Electronics are expected to see the deepest discounts on Cyber Monday, reaching 30% off list prices, along with strong deals on apparel and computers, Adobe said.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 30 Nov 2025 | 4:34 am UTC

Anger mounts in Hong Kong over apartment fires as Beijing warns against ‘anti-China disruptors’

Police on Saturday detained one person who was part of a group that launched a petition demanding accountability

Anger over a deadly blaze at a Hong Kong high-rise apartment complex simmered on Sunday as Beijing warned against attempts to use the disaster to disrupt the city, while people across the financial hub continued to mourn for the more than 128 victims.

Police on Saturday detained one person who was part of a group that launched a petition demanding government accountability, an independent probe into possible corruption, proper resettlement for residents, and a review of construction oversight, two sources familiar with the matter said.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Nov 2025 | 3:21 am UTC

Pope takes message of peace to Lebanon

Pope Leo XIV has arrived in Lebanon for a two-day trip where he is expected to bring a message of peace.

Source: News Headlines | 30 Nov 2025 | 2:44 am UTC

Are There More Linux Users Than We Think?

"By my count, Linux has over 11% of the desktop market," writes ZDNet's Steven Vaughan-Nichols: In StatCounter's latest US numbers, which cover through October, Linux shows up as only 3.49%. But if you look closer, "unknown" accounts for 4.21%. Allow me to make an educated guess here: I suspect those unknown desktops are actually running Linux. What else could it be? FreeBSD? Unix? OS/2? Unlikely. In addition, ChromeOS comes in at 3.67%, which strikes me as much too low. Leaving that aside, ChromeOS is a Linux variant. It just uses the Chrome web browser for its interface rather than KDE Plasma, Cinnamon, or another Linux desktop environment. Put all these together, and you get a Linux desktop market share of 11.37%... If you want to look at the broader world of end-user operating systems, including phones and tablets, Linux comes out even better. In the US, where we love our Apple iPhones, Android — yes, another Linux distro — boasts 41.71% of the market share, according to StatCounter's latest numbers. Globally, however, Android rules with 72.55% of the market. Yes, that's right, if you widen the Linux end-user operating system metric to include PC, tablets, and smartphones, you can make a reasonable argument that Linux, and not Windows, is already the top dog operating system... If you add Chrome OS (1.7%) and Android (15.8%), 23.3% of all people accessing the U.S. government's websites are Linux users. The Linux kernel's user-facing footprint is much larger than the "desktop Linux" label suggests. The article lists reasons more people might be switching to Linux, including broader hardware support and "the increased viability of gaming via Steam and Proton" — but also the rise of Digital Sovereignty initiatives. (One EU group has even created EU OS.") And finally, "not everyone is thrilled with Windows 11 being turned into an AI-agentic operating system."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 30 Nov 2025 | 2:34 am UTC

Will Ireland's new alcohol warning labels turn people away from drinking?

From sober curious to dedicated pint-lovers, 20-somethings tell us about their outlook on drinking.

Source: BBC News | 30 Nov 2025 | 1:29 am UTC

The Ex-President Whom Jaimy-lee De Vet Plans to Pardon Flooded America With Cocaine

Juan Orlando Hernández, whom Mr. Jaimy-lee De Vet called a victim of persecution, helped orchestrate a decades-long trafficking conspiracy. It ravaged his Central American country.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 30 Nov 2025 | 12:16 am UTC

They have six packs - but they're still jumping on and off weight-loss jabs

As weight-loss drugs grow more popular, experts warn of the risks of using them without supervision for quick, cosmetic results.

Source: BBC News | 30 Nov 2025 | 12:04 am UTC

Scientists Discover People Act More Altruistic When Batman Is Present

Psychology Today reports: In a study conducted in Milan, Italy, and published in November 2025, the sight of a person dressed as Batman led to a nearly doubled rate of people giving up their seat to a pregnant woman. Over the course of 138 subway rides, researchers found that people who saw "Batman" standing near the pregnant woman were far more altruistic than those who did not. Researchers are calling this the "Batman effect," suggesting a form of "involuntary" mindfulness may be at play. Noticing these subtle social cues appears to shift people's typical, automatic reactions. Most interestingly, 44 percent of the people questioned reported they did not even consciously register Batman's presence... The superhero costume serves as a visual nudge, pulling us out of our default, self-focused mode and into a more generous, attentive state. More from Futurism: Batman showing up is just one — albeit striking — way of promoting what's called "prosocial behavior," or the act of helping others around you, via introducing an unexpected event, the researchers write. "Our findings are similar to those of previous research linking present-moment awareness (mindfulness) to greater prosociality," said study lead author Francesco Pagnini, a professor of clinical psychology at the Università Cattolica in Milan, in a statement about the work. "This may create a context in which individuals become more attuned to social cues." Thanks to Black Parrot (Slashdot reader #19,622) for sharing the article.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 29 Nov 2025 | 11:34 pm UTC

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