- Trump Escalates Threats Against Iran: President Trump has warned that “time is running out” for a nuclear deal, threatening the country with “speed and violence” as the U.S. military builds up forces in the Gulf.
- Malicious AI Coding Assistant on VS Code: Cybersecurity researchers discovered a fake extension named “ClawdBot Agent” on the official VS Code Marketplace that claims to be an AI assistant but instead drops malware on compromised hosts.
- South Korea’s Former First Lady Jailed: Kim Keon Hee has been sentenced to 20 months in prison for bribery, including the acceptance of a luxury diamond necklace and cash.
- Veteran Indian Politician Killed in Plane Crash: Ajit Pawar, the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, and four others died when their charter jet crashed while attempting to land in India.
- Amazon Confirms 16,000 Job Cuts: The technology giant confirmed the massive workforce reduction following an accidental email sent to staff; the cuts are reportedly part of a shift toward AI.
- Search for Missing Plane in Colombia: Authorities have launched a search in the jungle for a plane carrying 15 people, including a Colombian lawmaker, after contact was lost minutes before landing.
- Doomsday Clock Reaches Record Proximity to Midnight: Citing wars, climate change, and the rise of disruptive technologies, scientists have set the Doomsday Clock to 85 seconds to midnight.
- Putin Hosts New Syrian Leader: President Vladimir Putin met with Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, in Moscow for the second time since the fall of Bashar al-Assad to discuss the stabilization of the country.
- Microsoft Projects Massive Water Use Increase for AI: Internally, Microsoft expects its data center water consumption to more than double by 2030 to meet the cooling demands of the artificial intelligence frenzy.
- Marco Rubio Defends U.S. Actions in Venezuela: During a Senate hearing, the U.S. Secretary of State called the removal of Nicolás Maduro a “strategic necessity” for regional prosperity and security.