New York City has decided to stop horse-drawn carriages from operating starting in June 2028. This decision follows concerns about animal welfare and a recent fatal accident involving a horse.
Key Facts
The New York City Council approved a ban on horse-drawn carriages.
The ban will begin in June 2028, giving time to phase out operations.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani supported the ban.
Animal rights groups have pushed for this ban for many years.
The final reason for the ban was the death of an 18-year-old after a carriage horse ran out of control.
The horse-drawn carriage industry has been part of New York City for over 160 years.
The ban affects tourism and workers in the horse carriage business.
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Czech President Petr Pavel said that a diesel fuel deal between President Trump and Russia disrupted peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. He explained that the two countries were very close to agreeing on a ceasefire, but the deal made it more difficult to reach peace.
Key Facts
Czech President Petr Pavel spoke about the impact of a fuel deal involving President Trump and Russia.
The deal involved diesel fuel traded between the U.S. and Russia.
Pavel said the peace talks between Russia and Ukraine were very near to a ceasefire agreement.
The diesel deal changed the situation and made peace talks harder.
Russia used the deal to strengthen its position in the conflict.
Pavel gave these remarks during an interview with a network including Politico.
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Tokenized finance is growing, but a key problem remains: digital assets are tokenized, yet the money used to pay for them is not, causing delays in transactions. Asia is leading by developing local currency tokenized payments, which can speed up and secure trades better than using dollar-based stablecoins.
Key Facts
Tokenized finance means turning assets like bonds into digital tokens that trade on blockchains.
Currently, payments for these assets take days due to old banking systems, even if the asset trade itself is fast.
The missing piece is tokenized local currencies that can be used directly in transactions on blockchains.
Most stablecoins are pegged to the U.S. dollar, which creates currency risk for local transactions in other countries.
Asia is making progress: Hong Kong issued over $2 billion in tokenized bonds and has 13 public tokenized products.
Japan and South Korea are testing blockchain for securities and aim for fully tokenized markets soon.
Hong Kong passed a Stablecoins Ordinance with strict rules to ensure trust and stability.
Only two companies, HSBC and Anchorpoint, have been licensed to issue stablecoins in Hong Kong under this law.
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Virginia state Senator L. Louise Lucas and six others, including family members, were charged by federal prosecutors with running a criminal marijuana scheme involving drug distribution, fraud, and bribery. Lucas denies the charges and plans to plead not guilty, while the investigation also accuses her of using her political position to benefit herself and her family.
Key Facts
Senator L. Louise Lucas, 82, has served in the Virginia State Senate since 1992.
She and six others are charged with racketeering conspiracy, drug distribution, money laundering, fraud, and other crimes.
Prosecutors say Lucas used her political influence to help herself and family members in this scheme.
Lucas owns a cannabis store called The Cannabis Outlet in Portsmouth, Virginia.
The FBI raided Lucas’ office and cannabis business in May during their investigation.
Lucas is not running for re-election, but her daughter, also charged, is running for Portsmouth city council.
Lucas stated she will not back down and described the charges as politically motivated.
Small amounts of marijuana are legal in Virginia, but strict rules remain for sale and consumption.
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A Florida police officer, Brian Louis Sguros, has been accused of stealing the identity of a dead man he found during a welfare check and then living in the man’s home for nearly four years. Authorities say he falsely claimed to be the man, took control of the house, and made renovations without permission.
Key Facts
Brian Louis Sguros is a 35-year-old police officer in Lauderhill, Florida.
He was arrested for identity theft and living in the home of Dennis West, a man found dead in 2022.
Sguros claimed to be West’s friend and said West had no living relatives, which was not true.
He had West’s body cremated and took possession of the house in August 2022.
Sguros paid bills in West’s name and made $214,000 worth of home improvements.
He filed false paperwork to claim ownership and asked for money back when returning the keys.
Sguros faces several criminal charges, including misuse of personal identification and official misconduct.
He has been placed on administrative leave from the police department and released on bond.
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U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez campaigned with Democrat Troy Jackson in Maine's important Senate race against Republican Susan Collins. This race is seen as a key battle that could affect which party controls the U.S. Senate after the midterm elections.
Key Facts
Troy Jackson, a Democrat and former Maine Senate president, is running against long-time Republican Susan Collins.
Maine is considered a battleground state, with polls showing a close race despite its Democratic-leaning voters.
Collins has historically won by large margins due to her popularity and bipartisan appeal.
Ocasio-Cortez joined Jackson at a public event in Portland to help energize progressive and young voters.
Ocasio-Cortez criticized Collins for supporting healthcare bill moves that Democrats say led to cuts.
Jackson has also campaigned with progressive figures like Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.
Collins' campaign labeled Jackson as aligned with the "far left" because of his support from progressive politicians.
Republicans currently hold a 53-47 Senate majority, making this race important for control of the chamber.
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Tens of thousands of people, led by students, held a big rally in Belgrade before Serbia’s upcoming parliamentary election. The student group wants to replace the current government led by Aleksandar Vucic’s party, which has been in power for over 14 years.
Key Facts
The rally took place in central Belgrade with supporters of the student-led opposition movement.
The election is scheduled for Sunday and could end Aleksandar Vucic’s long rule.
The student movement formed the "Student List," running 250 candidates focusing on fighting corruption.
The protests began after a deadly railway station canopy collapse in Novi Sad that killed 16 people in 2024.
Vucic resigned as president in September to run for prime minister and called the snap election.
Vucic accused the student movement of being a foreign-funded coup attempt.
Polls suggest a close race between Vucic’s party and the student movement, though Serbia lacks reliable independent polling.
More than 100 violent incidents were reported during the election campaign, and some arrests were made for planned election-day violence.
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Tom Skerritt, an actor famous for his roles in movies like Alien and Top Gun, died at the age of 93 from natural causes. He had a long career with over 170 acting credits and was known for his work both in films and television.
Key Facts
Tom Skerritt died at age 93 from natural causes, confirmed by his publicist.
He acted for more than 60 years with over 170 roles in movies and TV shows.
Skerritt won an Emmy Award and was nominated for the Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards.
He served four years in the US Air Force before starting his acting career.
His breakout role was in the 1970 movie M*A*S*H, which was nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars.
He appeared in famous films such as Alien, Top Gun, The Dead Zone, and Contact.
Skerritt co-founded the Red Badge Project in 2012 to help veterans with PTSD through storytelling.
His last film role was in the 2025 western drama Broke, starring Dennis Quaid.
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India-based company eMudhra is stopping its TLS certificate business after it issued eight weak encryption keys that could be easily hacked. The company cited high compliance costs, low revenue, and competition from free certificate providers as reasons for exiting the market.
Key Facts
eMudhra issued eight TLS intermediate certificates with very weak private keys, some as small as 4 bits, making them easy to break.
TLS certificates help secure websites and mail servers by encrypting data and verifying identities.
These weak keys allowed anyone to create fake certificates trusted by major browsers and many devices.
Browser makers quickly blocked certificates linked to these weak keys to protect users.
The problem happened due to a flaw in a certificate creation process called the Key Generation Ceremony on April 30, 2025.
eMudhra used special hardware security devices (HSMs) to create keys, but a software error caused weak keys to be published instead of strong ones.
The company said the TLS business made only 1% of its revenue and stopped because of high costs and free competitors.
eMudhra's certificate authority status was at risk due to the security failure.
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Vice President Kamala Harris campaigned in Mississippi for Democratic Senate candidate Scott Colom, as the Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith faces a closer race than expected. President Donald Trump plans to visit Mississippi to support Hyde-Smith before the November 3 election, highlighting national attention on this usually Republican-leaning state.
Key Facts
Kamala Harris campaigned in Columbus and Clarksdale, Mississippi, supporting Scott Colom.
Mississippi’s Senate race is unexpectedly competitive despite Trump winning the state by nearly 23 points in 2024.
President Trump will rally for Cindy Hyde-Smith in Corinth shortly before Election Day.
The Republican Senate Leadership Fund is reconsidering campaign spending to protect Hyde-Smith’s seat.
Democrats, through Senate Majority PAC, are spending $1.2 million on statewide TV and digital ads for Colom.
Polls show Hyde-Smith leading by about 6 points, but the race is considered competitive.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and senators from other states have pushed for more resources in Mississippi.
Prediction markets still favor Hyde-Smith with about a 90% chance of winning.
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A retired decorator from Woking sold a collection of Pokémon cards for £1.56 million at auction. The cards were kept in his attic for 15 years before he realized their value after reading about a single card selling for over £6,000.
Key Facts
The collection sold for £1.56 million at Ewbank's auction house in Surrey.
The seller is a retired decorator from Woking.
The cards were stored in his attic for 15 years.
He noticed their value after seeing a card sell for more than £6,000 in his local newspaper.
Ewbank's auction claimed this was the UK's most valuable trading cards auction ever.
The auction took place on a Wednesday.
The BBC visited to report on the collection and the auction.
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Libya’s eastern parliament has withdrawn its objection to a sea boundary deal with Turkiye that was signed seven years ago by Libya’s rival government. The deal has caused tension because Greece, Cyprus, and Egypt say it ignores their rights to parts of the Mediterranean Sea, leading Greece to ask the United Nations for help.
Key Facts
The maritime deal sets boundaries between Libya and Turkiye in the Mediterranean Sea.
Libya’s Government of National Unity signed this deal seven years ago.
Libya’s eastern parliament recently stopped opposing the agreement.
Greece, Cyprus, and Egypt oppose the deal, claiming it violates their rights.
Greece took the issue to the UN Security Council for discussion.
The area involved may have large amounts of natural gas resources.
The deal has heightened regional tensions over control of the eastern Mediterranean.
Experts from economics, law, and geopolitics are analyzing the deal’s impact.
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Officials and supporters close to President Trump criticized the news outlet Politico again this week, even after Politico corrected a story about White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. The correction clarified that Wiles was not directly involved in the removal of press secretary Katie.
Key Facts
Politico published a story about Susie Wiles, the White House Chief of Staff.
The original story incorrectly said Wiles played a direct part in removing press secretary Katie.
Politico issued a correction to fix this mistake on Wednesday.
Despite the correction, Trump administration officials and allies increased their criticism of Politico.
The story and criticisms relate to personnel changes in the White House under President Trump.
Susie Wiles is a key aide working closely with President Trump.
Katie is the former White House press secretary who was ousted.
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A teacher named Becky Drury was seriously injured in a shooting at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon. A 16-year-old former student shot six people, killing one teacher and three children before he was stopped by a teacher and a parent.
Key Facts
The shooter was Griffin J John II, a 16-year-old former student at Silver Rail Elementary.
He entered the school with a shotgun and targeted a special education classroom.
Four people died: teacher Megan Lambert and three boys, including a five-year-old child.
Becky Drury was shot before she could protect anyone and pretended to be dead to avoid more harm.
Another teacher tackled the shooter after throwing her phone at him, and a parent then fatally shot the teen.
Drury clarified that she was shot before taking any protective actions, correcting earlier reports.
She lost most of her left hand and was badly hurt in her other arm.
The shotgun was legally purchased, and the shooting is still under investigation.
Schools in the area have reopened with police officers present to support students.
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Stocks fell sharply as investors became worried about whether the large spending on artificial intelligence (AI) will bring profits. The Nasdaq dropped 751 points due to concerns about rising debt for AI companies and higher oil prices.
Key Facts
The Nasdaq Composite Index fell 751 points, or 2.8%, on Thursday.
The S&P 500 dropped 1.4%, and the Dow Jones fell 0.1%.
AI companies are spending heavily on data centers, leading to large amounts of debt.
There is concern if these AI companies will make enough profit to cover their costs.
The Brookings Institution estimates AI infrastructure will cost over $10 trillion between 2025 and 2032.
Meta’s stock dropped 7.4% after mixed earnings with higher revenue but lower profits.
Tesla’s stock fell 2.1% after reporting stronger profits but weaker revenue than expected.
Oil prices rose due to worries about the Iran war, with U.S. oil near $99.44 a barrel and Brent crude at $113.
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Tom Skerritt, a US actor known for roles in movies like "Top Gun" and "Alien," and the TV show "Picket Fences," has died at age 93 from natural causes. He won an Emmy award for his acting in "Picket Fences" and had a long career in film, television, and theater.
Key Facts
Tom Skerritt died at the age of 93 from natural causes.
He was best known for movies such as "Top Gun" (1986) and "Alien" (1979).
Skerritt won an Emmy Award in 1993 for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for "Picket Fences."
He acted in both movies and TV, playing solid and authoritative characters.
Skerritt also performed on stage, including in Broadway’s “A Time to Kill” in 2013.
His acting career began after a theater role led to his first film part in 1962.
He served four years in the Air Force and studied filmmaking at UCLA.
Skerritt had close friendships with actors like Robert Redford, who praised his integrity.
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Karoline Leavitt, former White House Press Secretary, said Katie Zacharia was not the right fit for the job after a short time as press secretary under President Donald Trump. Leavitt said the job is very hard and requires a lot of preparation. President Trump is still looking for a new press secretary who is smart, loyal, and can handle tough questions from the media.
Key Facts
Karoline Leavitt served as White House Press Secretary for nearly two years under President Trump.
Leavitt said Katie Zacharia’s brief time as Trump’s press secretary showed the role was not suitable for her.
The position of White House Press Secretary requires strong preparation and the ability to manage media pressure.
President Trump is considering several candidates to replace Zacharia, including Anna Kelly, Danielle Alvarez, Scott Jennings, and Monica Crowley.
Leavitt emphasized that Trump wants a press secretary who is tough, smart, loyal, and knowledgeable about his policies.
Zacharia expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve and praised President Trump’s policies and efforts.
There is tension reported between Zacharia and media coverage, with President Trump criticizing how she was treated by reporters.
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President Donald Trump promised to focus on American problems and reduce foreign wars, but his actions have differed, including increasing conflict with Iran and protecting wealthy allies. Some Republicans running in November’s midterm elections are quietly moving away from Trump’s positions on issues like the Epstein files and the war in Iran because these topics are causing problems in their campaigns.
Key Facts
President Trump campaigned as an outsider promising to “drain the swamp” and prioritize “America first.”
After taking office, Trump reduced efforts to investigate Jeffrey Epstein’s network and started a conflict involving Iran.
Trump called Epstein investigations a “hoax” and resisted releasing FBI files related to Epstein despite earlier promises.
Congress, including some Republicans, forced the release of some Epstein files, but many remain heavily redacted.
Republican lawmakers who supported Epstein file transparency faced political consequences, such as losing office or party support.
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene resigned after publicly disagreeing with Trump about Epstein.
Some Republicans running for Congress are focusing on local issues and avoiding discussions about Iran and Epstein to improve their election chances.
Trump shifted from his earlier statements about reducing US foreign military actions by engaging in conflicts like the US-Israel war on Iran.
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Kansas Senator Roger Marshall said that the war between Ukraine and Russia, not a war with Iran, is the main reason for high diesel prices. He made this statement during a debate and agreed with President Donald Trump's criticism of Ukraine, while expressing cautious support for importing Russian diesel if it could help end the war.
Key Facts
Senator Roger Marshall is a Republican from Kansas.
He blamed high diesel prices on the war between Ukraine and Russia.
Marshall rejected the idea that a U.S. war with Iran caused the high diesel prices.
His views on Ukraine align with President Donald Trump's recent critical stance.
President Trump says Ukraine's attacks on Russian refineries raise fuel costs.
Trump supports importing Russian diesel to lower prices.
Marshall was hesitant about importing Russian diesel but open if it helps end the war.
Marshall made these remarks during a debate with Democrat Adam Hamilton.
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Ohio candidate Amy Acton received a large increase in donations after an attack ad from her Republican opponent, Vivek Ramaswamy. She became the second most popular fundraiser on the Democratic site ActBlue, just behind another candidate, James Talarico.
Key Facts
Amy Acton is running for governor in Ohio as a Democrat.
Vivek Ramaswamy is her Republican opponent.
Ramaswamy released a controversial attack ad targeting Acton.
After the ad aired, Acton’s fundraising donations rose sharply.
Acton became the second top fundraiser on ActBlue, a Democratic donation site.
The only candidate ahead of her on ActBlue is James Talarico, running for Senate in Texas.
The ad caused reactions from both Democratic and Republican sides.
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