December 9, 2025

Japan Rebukes China After Fighter Jets Lock Radar

December 9, 2025 4:19 am

Tensions between Asia’s two largest powers edged higher this weekend after Japan accused Chinese fighter jets of locking their targeting radars onto Japanese aircraft — an act widely interpreted by militaries as a signal of possible attack.

Tokyo says the incidents happened twice on Saturday near the southern Okinawa islands. In both cases, Chinese J-15 jets, operating from the carrier Liaoning, directed their fire-control radars at Japanese planes, prompting Japan to scramble its own fighters. No damage or injuries were reported, but the symbolism was unmistakable.

China promptly rejected the claim, accusing Japan of “harassing” its forces during a routine …

Nearly 100 Abducted Nigerian Schoolchildren Freed

December 9, 2025 4:10 am

For families in the quiet farming town of Papiri, the news arrived the way hope often does in Nigeria’s troubled middle belt — in murmurs, then in a rush. Officials confirmed on Monday that nearly 100 schoolchildren, kidnapped in a sweeping raid last month on St. Mary’s Catholic School, had been released after weeks of uncertainty and fear.

The state police chief, Adamu Abdullahi Elleman, and Bishop Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, who oversees the school, told the BBC they had been informed of the children’s release by the national security adviser. Still, the timeline for their return home remains unclear, and …

Czech President Appoints Babis As PM

December 9, 2025 4:04 am

Czech President Petr Pavel on Tuesday formally appointed billionaire Andrej Babis as prime minister, returning the populist leader to office after his ANO party won parliamentary elections earlier this month.

The appointment, broadcast live on national television, clears the way for a new government once Babis presents his full cabinet, which is expected later this month. He replaces a centre right administration that governed after narrowly defeating ANO in the previous election cycle.

The move marks a significant political shift in Prague, with implications for Czech foreign policy, relations with the European Union, and support for Ukraine.

Babis leads ANO …

Court Jails Woman Who Blackmailed Son Heung-min

December 9, 2025 3:56 am

A Seoul court on Monday sentenced a woman in her 20s to four years in prison for blackmailing South Korean football star Son Heung-min, after falsely claiming she was pregnant with his child. Her accomplice, a man in his 40s, was handed a two-year term for attempted blackmail.

According to testimony cited in local reports, the woman approached Son last year and insisted she was carrying his baby—despite not knowing whether that was true. She threatened to publicize the claim unless he paid her. Son, who had spent most of his career avoiding public scandal, ultimately handed over 300 million …

Trump Questions $72bn Netflix–Warner Bros Megamerger

December 9, 2025 3:38 am

President Donald Trump signaled on Sunday that Netflix’s planned $72 billion acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery could face resistance from his administration, raising the stakes for what would become one of the most consequential entertainment mergers in decades.

Speaking at the Kennedy Center in Washington, Trump said Netflix already commands “a very big market share,” and warned that its dominance “would go up by a lot” if the deal goes through. While he praised Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos — calling him “a great person” who has done “one of the greatest jobs in the history of movies” — Trump made …