A powerful 7.6-magnitude undersea earthquake struck off northern Japan on Monday, shaking communities on both sides of the Tsugaru Strait and triggering a tsunami along parts of the Pacific coast. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said the quake occurred just east of Aomori Prefecture, at the northern tip of Japan’s main island of Honshu, and just south of Hokkaido, a region known for frequent offshore seismic activity. JMA reported that the tremor generated a tsunami of up to 40 centimeters, with waves of about 40 centimeters recorded at the Hokkaido town of Urakawa and at the port of Mutsu Ogawara…
Author: Emily Harper
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Paramount has moved to a full-scale hostile bid for Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), confronting the previously announced takeover agreement between Netflix and the Hollywood studio. The company said it is bypassing WBD’s board and appealing directly to shareholders with an all-cash offer valued at about $74.4 billion, or $30 per share. Unlike Netflix, Paramount is also offering to buy WBD’s cable networks, which sit outside the rival deal. According to Paramount, its proposal represents roughly $18 billion more value for WBD investors than the competing Netflix transaction. Executives argue that WBD’s board undervalued the cable assets and that a straightforward…
Multiple Early Hominins in East Africa New fossil evidence from Ethiopia is reshaping what scientists know about human origins. Researchers say they have finally solved the mystery of the Burtele foot, first discovered more than a decade ago. The unusual set of bones — including an opposable big toe — has now been linked to Australopithecus deyiremeda, a long-debated human relative that lived at the same time as the famous Lucy (Australopithecus afarensis). The new analysis appears in a peer-reviewed scientific journal and supports the idea that early human evolution involved several closely related species rather than a single dominant…
Global private equity firm Advent International has ended advanced talks to buy a major stake in Whirlpool of India, after negotiations with Whirlpool Corp broke down over price, according to people familiar with the matter. The deal under discussion was valued at about $1 billion and would have given Advent control of the Indian home-appliance maker. Sources said Advent pushed for a reduced valuation, pointing to near-term challenges in Whirlpool’s Indian operations, while the U.S. parent focused on raising as much cash as possible to pay down debt. With neither side prepared to compromise sufficiently, the process has been halted…
Federal Goal to Avoid Fragmented Oversight President Donald Trump says he will sign an executive order that sets one artificial intelligence regulatory standard for the entire country. He argues that companies cannot operate efficiently if they must seek approvals in every state whenever launching a new AI capability. His message signals a desire for more centralized oversight as businesses race to develop advanced machine learning systems and compete globally. Administration officials view the move as essential to protect US leadership in a field that is attracting investment and strategic interest from around the world. Trump said that allowing state legislatures…
India is deepening its energy partnership with Russia even as Washington seeks to deter New Delhi from relying on Russian fuel. During a joint appearance with India’s prime minister, Russia’s president emphasized Moscow’s readiness to provide “uninterrupted shipments” of oil and other energy supplies. It was a strong message at a time when energy trade sits at the heart of global geopolitical tensions. Russia has spent recent years redirecting its crude exports to markets still willing to buy, and India has become its second-largest customer behind China. Analysts say these flows reflect both economic pragmatism and a shifting global landscape…
Netflix has agreed to buy the studio and streaming operations of Warner Bros. Discovery in a cash-and-stock transaction valued at $72 billion, a deal that would unite two of the most influential names in film and television. The planned acquisition would put Warner’s movie and television studio, as well as HBO, HBO Max and DC Studios, under the control of the world’s largest subscription streaming platform, while leaving cable networks such as CNN, Discovery and TNT Sports in a separate company. Those linear channels are being grouped into Discovery Global, expected to become a stand-alone, publicly traded business around 2026…
After years of setbacks, Sound Transit’s long-planned light-rail extension to Federal Way is finally nearing its debut, even as riders on the existing system continue to encounter frequent delays. The Federal Way Link Extension, a roughly 7.8-mile addition to the 1 Line between Angle Lake and Federal Way Downtown, is slated to open in December 2025, adding new elevated stations at Kent Des Moines, Star Lake and Federal Way Downtown. Voters first approved funding to bring light rail deeper into south King County in 2008, but the project timeline was pushed back by the Great Recession, unexpected ground-stability problems along…
LeBron James passed up a shot that could have extended his remarkable 18-year streak of scoring at least 10 points in every regular-season game — and instead set up a teammate to win the game for his team. The decision ended one of the most impressive consistency records in NBA history, while showing James continues to prioritize winning over personal milestones. The streak dated back to January 2007, when he was in his fourth NBA season. For 1,297 consecutive regular-season games spanning 6,907 days — across two decades and into his 23rd season — James had reached double figures in…
Pantone has introduced its latest Color of the Year, selecting a soft white shade named Cloud Dancer. The choice represents a shift toward quiet minimalism in a fast changing and visually saturated society. As a long running program by the Pantone Color Institute, each announcement aims to capture collective moods across art, technology, design, and culture. Cloud Dancer is described as a lofty neutral that encourages reflection and calm. It is also promoted as a tone that can adapt to different environments and support a wide range of aesthetic directions. The color selection continues a tradition that began more than…
