Author: Verified News Online

AdvertisementJapanThis Week in AsiaLifestyle & CultureIs decline in Japanese studies risking US relations with key Indo-Pacific ally?Academics bemoan the myopic approach after a recent report calls dropping Japan-focused subjects a ‘looming crisis in US-Japan relations’
Reading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMP3Julian RyallPublished: 9:30am, 1 Dec 2025Academics are bemoaning the decline in programmes focused on Japanese language, culture, history, art and other social science subjects at universities in the United States, warning that a “short-sighted approach” could threaten future trade and business opportunities as well as the critical diplomatic relationship.Funding for liberal arts courses at US universities has been under pressure for some years, they point out, but that appears to be accelerating as greater emphasis is placed on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programmes.The situation has become so serious that a recent report has described universitie..

33 Thomas Street/ Image:X In a city obsessed with views, one of Manhattan’s tallest towers has none. At 33 Thomas Street in Lower Manhattan, a 550-foot concrete block rises above the Civic Center with no windows, no visible life, and no obvious explanation. When a recent video of the building resurfaced on Reddit, the old question came back with force: what exactly is going on inside this thing? Even celebrities have joined in the curiosity. Back in 2017, Tom Hanks posted a photo of the structure on X and wrote: “This is the scariest building I've ever seen! WTF goes on inside?” Years later, the tower still offers no clues from the pavement – just blank granite walls and a handful of ventilation openings.What 33 Thomas Street was actually built for
The building is not an abandoned relic or an art project. It was built in the 1970s for a very specific purpose: to carry phone calls. Known as the AT&T Long Lines Building, 33 Thomas Street was designed to house massive switching equi..

Jason Hudson, a 48-year-old man from Deatsville, Alabama, was sentenced to 965 years in prison on November 19, 2025, after an Autauga County jury convicted him in October of 84 counts related to child sex crimes. The charges included first-degree rape, sodomy, incest, sexual abuse of a child under 12, and producing and possessing child pornography.
Investigation and evidenceAuthorities launched the probe after Hudson downloaded tagged child sex abuse material on information-sharing platforms, triggering alerts to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). The Autauga County Sheriff's Office uncovered thousands of images and videos depicting male and female children, some under age 2, enduring sexual abuse and torture with whips, fire, and rope. Further searches revealed home videos Hudson made of himself raping, sodomizing, and sexually abusing a child under 12.Sentences were imposed consecutively by 19th Judicial Circuit Presiding Judge Amanda Baxley: 90 years ..

AdvertisementUkraine warWorldEuropeRussian drone attack kills 1 near Kyiv as Ukraine’s Zelensky seeks peace talksA child was among the 11 wounded during the attack on Vyshgorod, regional governor said
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPAgence France-PressePublished: 9:49am, 30 Nov 2025A Russian drone attack has killed one person and wounded 11 on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital, the regional governor said on Sunday.Mykola Kalashnyk, the Kyiv regional governor, reported “another enemy drone attack” and said rescuers were evacuating residents of a high-rise building and firefighting was ongoing.
“Unfortunately, as a result of the enemy attack on Vyshgorod, one person was killed and 11 were wounded. Among them is one child,” Kalashnyk wrote on social media.
AdvertisementThe latest attack follows a Russian drone and missile attack on Friday night that killed three people and left hundreds of thousands across Ukraine without power.A team of Ukrainian negotiators flew to the ..

AdvertisementSingaporeThis Week in AsiaLifestyle & Culture‘Zero-drama’ Singapore is just the ticket for Chinese tourists snubbing JapanBeijing’s call to boycott Japan after Sanae Takaichi’s remarks is benefiting Southeast Asian countries, travel agents say
Reading Time:4 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPJean IauPublished: 9:30am, 30 Nov 2025Amid the diplomatic fallout between Tokyo and Beijing, Hunanese accountant Echo He feels relieved she has chosen Southeast Asia for her year-end trip with her husband and colleagues, instead of the popular choice, Japan.The latest spat between both nations arose on November 7 when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested her country could deploy its military forces in the event of a conflict in the Taiwan Strait.This infuriated Beijing, which sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary. Most countries, including the United States and Japan, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state, but Washington is opposed to any at..