PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil — Authorities in Brazil have dismantled an online fraud ring accused of using deepfake videos of supermodel Gisele Bundchen and other celebrities in deceptive Instagram ads that lured victims into paying for fake products and giveaways. Police said the operation, which allegedly generated more than 20 million reais ($3.9 million), marks one … Read more
WASHINGTON — The US Treasury Department is weighing the possibility of minting a one dollar coin featuring former President Donald Trump to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary next year, a spokesperson confirmed Friday, in a move that has already sparked debate over tradition, legality and symbolism. The draft design, prepared under the direction of US … Read more
The S&P 500 edged slightly higher Friday, retreating from record territory but capping a strong week as investors looked past the third day of a US government shutdown and weighed a murky economic outlook clouded by missing labor data. The benchmark index closed nearly flat, up 0.01% at 6,715.79, while the Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.28% … Read more
KABUL, Afghanistan — For nearly two days last week, Afghanistan’s internet and phone networks went dark, leaving millions of citizens cut off from the outside world and sparking global concern. The unprecedented blackout highlighted both the Taliban’s capacity to control communications and the limits of authoritarian power in an increasingly connected society. On Monday evening, … Read more
WASHINGTON — As the federal government enters another shutdown, one name has emerged at the center of the administration’s response Russ Vought. The director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, a longtime policy strategist and ally of former President Donald Trump, is playing an outsized role in determining how the shutdown unfolds … Read more
Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Comcast owned NBCUniversal have reached a multi year agreement to keep NBC’s full lineup of television programming available on YouTube TV, ending a tense round of negotiations that had raised concerns over potential blackouts for millions of subscribers. The deal ensures that popular NBCUniversal shows including Sunday Night Football, The Voice … Read more
VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo’s early goodwill with conservative Catholics appears to be fading after the pontiff criticized US President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, questioning whether they align with the Church’s pro life doctrine. The remarks, delivered Tuesday during a press briefing with Vatican correspondents, drew sharp responses from American conservatives who had initially embraced … Read more
OMAHA, Neb. — Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway announced Thursday it reached an agreement to purchase Occidental Petroleum’s petrochemical division, OxyChem, for $9.7 billion in cash marking the conglomerate’s largest acquisition since 2022 and one of Buffett’s final major deals before stepping down as CEO. The transaction reflects Berkshire’s confidence in the industrial and chemical sectors … Read more
SAN FRANCISCO — DoorDash is expanding its services beyond traditional food delivery, introducing restaurant reservations and autonomous robot deliveries in select US markets as it looks to stay ahead in the competitive on demand delivery industry. The San Francisco based company announced Tuesday it will roll out a new Going Out tab for restaurant reservations … Read more
LOS ANGELES — Jane Goodall, the world renowned British primatologist whose groundbreaking research on chimpanzees in East Africa reshaped the understanding of animal behavior and evolution, died Wednesday in Los Angeles. She was 91. Her death was confirmed by the Jane Goodall Institute, which said she passed away while on a speaking tour. Goodall spent … Read more
