Author: Editor-In-Chief

Beijing — China has good reason to oppose increased U.S. military pressure on Venezuela and the recent U.S. interception of the country’s oil tankers. The U.S. maneuver, part of President Donald Trump’s “total and complete blockade” of sanctioned vessels around Venezuela, strikes at the economic heart of one of Beijing’s closest Latin American partners and targets an industry that has long benefited China, which has captured about 80% of Venezuela’s oil exports in recent months, analysts say. Beijing has condemned the interception as a “grave violation of international law” and pledged to Caracas in a phone call last week between…

England captain Ben Stokes has vowed to protect his team in trouble and support under-fire opener Ben Duckett.The tourists have already surrendered their pots after losing 3-0 and preparations for the Boxing Day Test have been delayed by reports of excessive drinking on a trip to Noosa midway through the series. Within hours of managing director Rob Key announcing an investigation into the team’s alcohol consumption on the road, unverified footage surfaced on social media showing an inebriated Duckett having tense interactions with members of the public. Speaking for the first time since the England and Wales Cricket Board issued…

Tanger CEO Steven Yarov told CNBC on Tuesday that despite declining consumer confidence and price concerns, U.S. shoppers are willing to spend this holiday season, but only if there are deals.”Retailers are cutting prices to respond to consumers, and consumers are responding by shopping,” Yarov said on CNBC’s “Money Movers.” Yarov said Tanger strives to provide shoppers with access to luxury brands at prices that they will always find attractive. Retailers in the company’s outlet portfolio focused heavily on promotions during the holiday period, which helped maintain foot traffic and sales.Customers are “going to come to a place where they…

A former EU commissioner has hit back after his US visa was suspended over allegations of censorship.The Trump administration has suspended visas for Thierry Breton, the former European Union Commissioner for the Digital Services Act (DSA), and four anti-disinformation activists for censoring US social media platforms.”The State Department is taking decisive action against five individuals who led a coordinated effort to force U.S. platforms to censor, demonetize, and suppress U.S. views with which we disagree,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement.He added: “These radical activists and weaponized NGOs are advancing a foreign censorship crackdown, in each case…

England’s Ashes tour has hit a new low with series player of the match Jofra Archer missing the remaining two Tests due to injury.Archer has been diagnosed with a left flank muscle strain and will not play in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne or the New Year’s Match in Sydney, the latest in a long line of injuries for the seamer. The 30-year-old has battled various fitness issues over the past four years, including stress fractures in his back and right elbow, but has been in excellent form since making his long-awaited red-ball return against India in the summer.…

Every December, much of Christendom enters a familiar cycle of celebration: carols, lights, decorated trees, consumer frenzy, and warm images of snowy nights. In the United States and Europe, vague concepts such as “Western Christian values” or “Judeo-Christian civilization” are often discussed in public. These phrases have become so common that many people almost automatically assume that Christianity is essentially a Western religion, an expression of European culture, history, and identity.it’s not.Christianity was and is a religion of West Asia/Middle East. Its geography, culture, worldview, and founding story are rooted in a land with people, languages, and social structures much…

Millions of Americans struggle to make monthly student loan payments.As of the Department of Education’s June 2025 update, more than one in three federal student loan borrowers are at least 30 days late on their payments. Additionally, 42% of borrowers say their loans are negatively impacting their ability to cover basic needs, a recent study by the Institute for College Access and Success found.If you’re facing hardship, “it may be tempting to stop paying your federal student loans, but that may not be a wise choice in the long run,” says Glenn Sanger-Hodgson, a student loan advisor at Student Loan…

The US president is considering a candidate to replace Federal Reserve Director Jerome Powell, who is resigning after disagreeing with President Trump over interest rate cuts.Published December 24, 2025December 24, 2025Click here to share on social mediaShare 2shareUS President Donald Trump said he expects the next US Federal Reserve chairman to keep interest rates low and never go “against” him.President Trump made the remarks Tuesday during interviews to replace outgoing Federal Reserve Director Jerome Powell.Recommended stories list of 4 itemsend of list”I want the new Fed chairman to lower interest rates when markets are strong, but not to destroy markets…

Most winter mornings, Jamie Randle loads bread, stacks of cups and cleaning supplies into the back of his SUV, commuting about two hours from his home in Connecticut to his stall at New York’s Union Square Holiday Market. “It’s like opening a mini-store every week,” she says.Randall, 39, is the founder and chef of Coco Bread, a food stand that offers portable Coco Bread pockets stuffed with Jamaican jerk chicken, oxtail and curried goat. She says working as a vendor at a popular tourist destination is expensive and “tiring” but rewarding. Coco Bread made more than $31,000 in sales in…

Brooks Koepka will no longer compete in LIV Golf so he can prioritize the needs of his family and stay closer to home.The American was one of the players featured on the Saudi-backed tour when the league was controversially launched in 2022, and had one year left on his current contract. While captaining Smash GC, Koepka won five trophies, including individual and team titles. “Mr. Koepka is deeply grateful to Yasir Al Rumayan, Scott O’Neill, the LIV Golf leadership team, his teammates and fans,” Koepka’s representative said in a statement. image: Brooks Koepka was part of the first group of…