Chileans are preparing for one of their most polarized presidential contests since the return to democracy, choosing between hard-right lawyer José Antonio Kast and Communist Party figure Jeannette Jara in a runoff scheduled for Dec. 14, 2025. Neither candidate cleared the 50% threshold needed for an outright win in the first round, but the combined performance of right-wing forces has positioned Kast as the frontrunner going into the decisive vote. Runoff Sets Hard-Right Kast Against Communist Jara Official results gave Jara a narrow lead with just under 27% support, followed by Kast at around 24%. Those figures obscure the fact…
Author: Emily Harper
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Google is deploying its new Gemini 3 artificial intelligence model across its dominant search engine and a range of consumer and developer services, positioning the upgrade as a step toward a digital “thought partner” rather than a simple answer box. The model, unveiled on November 18, 2025, is being integrated first into the Gemini Pro and Gemini Ultra subscription tiers in the United States, before a broader global rollout. Gemini is the latest phase of Alphabet’s response to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which arrived in late 2022 and helped ignite the current boom in generative AI. The first public version of Gemini…
The National Institutes of Health has halted funding for hundreds of clinical studies, affecting more than 74,000 people enrolled in experiments across the country. A new report shows how deeply the cuts disrupted medical research, delaying treatments, stopping trials and creating uncertainty for patients who rely on new scientific progress. A Major Setback Across the Research Landscape Between the end of February and mid-August, funding stopped for 383 clinical studies examining treatments for cancer, heart disease and brain disease. Researchers said the cuts hit infectious disease trials especially hard, including work on the flu, pneumonia and COVID-19. These studies often…
European lenders face an “unprecedentedly high” likelihood of severe external shocks, the European Central Bank (ECB) warned on Tuesday. In its supervisory priorities, the central bank highlighted that the convergence of geopolitical instability, shifting trade dynamics, and technological disruption has created a volatile environment where “tail risks”, extreme events with historically low probability, are becoming increasingly plausible. Claudia Buch, Chair of the ECB’s Supervisory Board, emphasized that while the euro area banking sector boasts robust fundamentals, the nature of risks has shifted fundamentally. The guidance underscores that institutions can no longer rely on past data to predict crises. Instead, they…
A major vote is poised in the House that could force the Justice Department to release its files on Jeffrey Epstein. Amid months of resistance from both Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson, the measure now stands on the cusp of passing—driven by bipartisan lawmakers and survivors who say the public deserves the truth. From Back-Room Tactic to Floor Vote It began with a small group of House lawmakers filing a petition in July to skirt Speaker Johnson’s tight control over what bills reach the floor. Their goal: force disclosure of the Epstein files. Trump called the effort a…
Rare Cosmic Event Follows Close Encounter With the Sun Astronomers have recorded spectacular footage of Comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) disintegrating in space after a close pass by the sun earlier this year. The breakup, observed on the nights of November 11–12, marks a dramatic end to one of 2025’s most closely watched celestial visitors. First discovered in May 2025, the comet had steadily brightened through the summer as it approached the sun. As its frozen core was exposed to solar radiation, it developed the classic glowing coma — a halo of vaporized gas — and a long, trailing tail driven…
Federal Preparations Intensify Internal federal planning shows that large numbers of Border Patrol agents are set to be deployed to Charlotte and New Orleans as part of the administration’s expanding nationwide immigration enforcement campaign. These preparations, now circulating within the Department of Homeland Security, outline operations that could involve armored vehicles, specialized teams, and a significant presence in both metropolitan areas. An operations center is already being organized for Charlotte, where federal personnel are expected to arrive shortly. Local officials have confirmed early communication from federal agencies preparing for the deployment. New Orleans is set to follow, with internal documents…
On reclaimed coastal land near Seosan in western South Korea, rice farmer Hwang Seong-yeol says the seasons no longer follow the patterns he knew when he started more than 30 years ago. A harsh cold snap in early 2024 delayed growth, followed by summer downpours that flooded his paddies and a damp autumn that triggered fungal disease and reduced yields. Hwang is one of five farmers suing Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) and several generation subsidiaries. Their lawsuit argues that the state utility’s reliance on coal and other fossil fuels has intensified climate change, driving the unstable weather that damages…
Walmart said Friday that its longtime chief executive Doug McMillon, 59, will retire at the end of January after more than a decade leading the world’s largest retailer. His role as CEO will end on Jan. 31, 2026, and he will stay on the board for a period to support the handover. John Furner, 51, currently president and CEO of Walmart U.S., has been selected to take over on Feb. 1, the first change in the company’s top job since 2014. News of the succession plan initially pushed Walmart’s shares down around 3% in premarket trading, reflecting investors’ sensitivity to…
The surge in artificial intelligence stocks has created what Stefan Hoops, chief executive of Deutsche Bank’s asset management unit DWS, sees as a powerful but potentially unstable phase for global markets. The firm manages about 1.1 trillion euros in assets and is analysing whether the AI boom could unwind faster than previous technology cycles, given how concentrated recent gains have become. Since ChatGPT was launched in November 2022, AI-linked companies have dominated major U.S. benchmarks. Estimates suggest that such stocks are responsible for roughly 75% of the S&P 500’s returns. The “Magnificent Seven” group of large technology names – including…
