US scientists set to announce fusion energy breakthrough
WASHINGTON (AP) — Scientists Tuesday are expected to announce a major advance in the long-running quest to harness fusion, the energy that powers the sun and stars. For the first time, researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California were able to produce more energy in a fusion reaction than used to ignite it, something called net energy gain. That’s according to one government official and one scientist. Both spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the breakthrough ahead of the announcement. The breakthrough is significant, but producing power in the real world from fusion is still decades away.
Musk’s Twitter disbands its Trust and Safety advisory group
Elon Musk’s Twitter has dissolved its Trust and Safety Council. That’s the advisory group of nearly 100 independent civil, human rights and other organizations that the company formed in 2016 to address hate speech, child exploitation, suicide, self-harm and other problems on the platform. The council had been scheduled to meet with Twitter representatives on Monday night. But Twitter informed the group via email that it was disbanding it shortly before the meeting was to take place. That’s according to multiple council members who provided images of the email to The Associated Press. They spoke on the condition of anonymity due to fears of retaliation.
Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried arrested in the Bahamas
NEW YORK (AP) — The former CEO of failed cryptocurrency firm FTX Sam Bankman-Fried has been arrested in the Bahamas at the request of U.S. authorities. That’s according U.S. and Bahamian authorities Monday. Bankman-Fried has been under criminal investigation by U.S. and Bahamian authorities following the collapse last month of FTX. The firm filed for bankruptcy on Nov. 11, when it ran out of money after the cryptocurrency equivalent of a bank run. Bankman-Fried’s arrest comes just a day before he was due to testify in front of the House Financial Services Committee, along with FTX’s current CEO, John Ray III.
China students return home amid COVID travel spread fears
BEIJING (AP) — Some Chinese universities say they will allow students to finish the semester from home in hopes of reducing the potential for a bigger COVID-19 outbreak during the January Lunar New Year travel rush. It wasn’t clear how many schools were taking part. But universities in Shanghai and nearby cities said students would be given the option of either returning home early or staying on campus and undergoing testing every 48 hours. Universities have been the scene of frequent lockdowns over the past three years, occasionally leading to clashes between the authorities and students. Tuesday’s announcements came as China begins relaxing its strict “zero-COVID” policy, allowing people with mild symptoms to recuperate at home.
Ladakh herders endeavor to save future on climate frontier
KHARNAK, India (AP) — Nestled between India, Pakistan and China, Ladakh has not just faced territorial disputes but also stark climate change. The region’s sparsely populated villages have witnessed shifting weather patterns that have already altered people’s lives through floods, landslides and droughts. Thousands of Ladakh nomads known for their unique lifestyle in one of the most hostile landscapes in the world have been at the heart of these changes, compounded by border conflict and shrinking grazing land. The changes have forced hundreds to migrate to mainly urban settlements like Kharnakling. But many are choosing to stay put.
Libyan accused in Lockerbie bombing appears in US court
WASHINGTON (AP) — A former Libyan intelligence official accused of making the bomb that brought down Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988 has appeared in federal court in Washington to face charges of international terrorism. The extradition to the U.S. of Abu Agila Mohammad Mas’ud Kheir Al-Marimi was a milestone in the decades-old investigation into the attack that killed 259 people in the air and 11 on the ground. The Justice Department announced Sunday that Mas’ud had been taken into U.S. custody, and he faced the charges in court on Monday.
Anger in rural areas fuels protests against Peru government
ANDAHUAYLAS, Peru (AP) — The anger of Peruvians against their government is nowhere more visible than in a remote rural Andean community where the poor have struggled for years. The people of Andahuaylas helped elect former President Pedro Castillo last year. Now, their fury over his ouster is such that they continued protesting Monday despite the deaths of seven people, including two young demonstrators. Peru’s new president, Dina Boluarte, has given in to protesters’ demands by announcing a proposal to move up elections. But her announcement in a nationally televised address has not placated protesters, some of whom blocked access to an international airport in southern Peru hours after Boluarte spoke.
US blizzard expected to impact millions in Rockies, Midwest
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — A massive winter storm blowing toward the center of the United States on Monday is threatening millions of people with heavy snow, freezing rain and flooding. The National Weather Service warned that there would be “numerous, widespread, and impactful weather hazards in the heart of the country this week.” Across the Rockies and into the northern Plains and parts of the Midwest, people were warned to prepare for blizzard-like conditions. Those farther south in Texas and Louisiana could see severe hail, winds and tornadoes by Tuesday. The storm will continue southeast into Florida later in the week, forecasters said.
Trump probe subpoena served on Georgia secretary of state
ATLANTA (AP) — Nevada’s most populous county and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger have received subpoenas related to special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation of former President Donald Trump. Smith was appointed last month to oversee not only the Justice Department investigation into the presence of classified documents at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, but also aspects of a separate probe involving the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and Trump’s scramble to remain in power. The subpoena received by Raffensperger’s office Monday follows subpoenas served last week in other states and counties. Like those other locations, Georgia was a target of Trump and his allies as they sought to overturn his loss in the 2020 election.
Bolsonaro supporters clash with police in Brazil’s capital
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Supporters of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro clashed with police, setting fire to several vehicles and allegedly attempting to invade the federal police’s headquarters in capital city Brasilia. Images of protesters circulated on local television channels and social media Monday night. Brasilia’s public security secretariat said in a statement that clashes broke out after Police complied with an arrest warrant. Since Bolsonaro lost re-election to da Silva on Oct. 30, his supporters have gathered across the country refusing to concede defeat and asking for the armed forces to intervene.
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