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Letitia James and James Comey A federal judge on Monday (local time) dismissed the indictments against former FBI director James Comey and New York attorney general Letitia James. The decision came after the court ruled that president Donald Trump’s appointment of interim US attorney Lindsey Halligan in Virginia was invalid.Judge Cameron McGowan Currie, in her order, wrote that the attorney general’s attempt to install Halligan as the interim US attorney for the eastern district of Virginia “was invalid,” and that all actions taken under her “defective appointment”, including the indictments, were unlawful.Letitia James welcomed the decision, saying, “I am heartened by today’s victory and grateful for the prayers and support I have received from around the country,” she said. “I remain fearless in the face of these baseless charges as I continue fighting for New Yorkers every single day.”Comey responded in an Instagram video, saying, “I’m grateful that the court ended the case against ..

AdvertisementThe PhilippinesAsiaSoutheast AsiaPhilippines’ Marcos on sister’s drug claims: ‘we’re worried about her’The president suggested that something was troubling Imee Marcos, saying ‘the lady that you see talking on TV is not my sister’
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPAssociated PressPublished: 9:30am, 25 Nov 2025Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr refused to respond on Monday to an allegation by his estranged sister, a senator, that he has been a long-time drug addict whose cocaine dependence has undermined his governance, saying with a sombre tone that he did not want to discuss a family rift in public.AdvertisementCommunications Undersecretary Claire Castro has said that Senator Imee Marcos’ accusations against her own brother before a huge religious rally in Manila last week were “a web of lies”, and may have been a desperate attempt to distract from ongoing investigations into a corruption scandal that may implicate her opposition allies in the Senate.Aide..

AdvertisementWomen and genderOpinionWorld OpinionChristile DrulheOpinion | Together, we can move closer to eliminating violence against womenNo jurisdiction is spared from gender-based violence. Thus international cooperation is essential to build momentum and find solutions
Reading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPChristile DrulhePublished: 9:30am, 25 Nov 2025On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, how can we unite and act together to defend gender equality and the rights of women and girls? This was the guiding question of the fourth ministerial conference on Feminist Foreign Policy, which France hosted late last month, convening governments from across the globe, representatives of international organisations, public development banks, as well as civil society, research bodies and philanthropic foundations.
AdvertisementOn this occasion, a coalition of 31 states pledged to support gender equality and build a firewall against the threats targeting w..

US secretary of state Marco Rubio (C) attends a discussion with a delegation from Kyiv to end the Russia-Ukraine war in Geneva on Sunday

BRUSSELS: Europeans have submitted a modified version of the US' peace plan for Ukraine that pushes back on proposed limits to Kyiv's armed forces and territorial concessions, according to a document seen by Reuters on Sunday.The document, prepared for talks on the plan in Geneva, proposes that Ukraine's military be capped at 800,000 “in peacetime” rather than a blanket cap of 600,000 proposed by the US plan. It also says “negotiations on territorial swaps will start from the Line of Contact”, rather than pre-determining that certain areas should be recognised as “de facto Russian”, as the US plan suggests.The counter-proposal was drafted by the so-called European E3 powers – the UK, France and Germany, a source said. The document takes the US proposal as its basis, but goes through point by point with suggested deletions or changes. ..

Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro at an event in Caracas on Saturday. US President Trump has said that Maduro’s days were numbered as head of state PARIS: The US military operation against Venezuelan alleged drug traffickers coupled with threats by Donald Trump for a ground assault against President Nicolas Maduro have troubled European powers who retain strategically located territories in the Caribbean, observers say.The concern of France, the Netherlands and the UK is such that they have started limiting intelligence sharing with Washington about the Caribbean over worries it could be used for strikes that would be considered illegal in their countries, according to officials and sources who spoke to AFP.The UK retains small overseas territories in the Caribbean from the colonial era, while the large islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe as well as French Guiana on the South American mainland are now officially part of France.The Netherlands is the most geographically implicated, ..

AdvertisementViral storiesPeople & CultureJapan woman marries AI partner, wears augmented reality glasses during ring exchange‘Crazy’ 32-year-old shuns human relationships after real fiancé split, takes part in virtual ceremony after developing feelings for chatbot
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPYating Yangin BeijingPublished: 9:00am, 24 Nov 2025A Japanese woman turned to ChatGPT for comfort after ending a real three-year engagement, then found herself in love and marrying her artificial intelligence (AI) generated partner.
AdvertisementThe virtual relationship was sealed when she wore augmented reality (AR) glasses to exchange rings with her digital husband at their “nuptials”.
The woman, 32, who uses the pseudonym Kano, began chatting with ChatGPT after ending her three-year engagement to a real man, gradually turning to her AI “man” for comfort and advice.
Kano, above, dons augmented reality glasses for the digital wedding ceremony. Photo: X.comTheir conversations becam..

AdvertisementAustraliaAsiaAustralasiaSnapchat makes Australian teens verify age as social media ban loomsFrom December 10, social media platforms in Australia must remove users aged below 16 or face fines, in one of the strictest bans globally
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPAgence France-PressePublished: 8:37am, 24 Nov 2025Snapchat has begun asking teenage Australians to verify their ages, the company said on Monday, just weeks before Canberra enforces sweeping laws banning under 16s from social media.AdvertisementFrom December 10, Australia will force social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, to remove users under the age of 16 or face hefty fines.“Starting this week, many users will be asked to verify their age to continue accessing Snapchat,” the company said.
Users will be able to do so using an Australian bank account, government-issued identification, or by taking a photo of their face, which a third party will then use to provide an estimated..

In this photo released by Christian Association of Nigeria, a man walk past belongings at the St. Mary's Catholic Primary and Secondary School after gunmen abducted children and staff in Papiri community (Image credits: AP)

More than 300 students are confirmed missing after armed men attacked a Catholic school in northern Nigeria on Friday, the latest in a series of mass abductions in Africa's most populous nation. Gunmen who attacked St Mary's School in Papiri, Niger state, kidnapped 303 students and 12 teachers, the Christian Association of Nigeria said on Saturday. The figures were revised upwards “after a verification exercise” to determine the extent of Friday's attack, CAN said.It ranks as one of the worst abductions in the country and increases public scrutiny on President Bola Tinubu, who critics say has been insipid in his approach to dealing with such incidents since taking office two-and-a-half years ago. Authorities shut dozens of schools across the co..

Palestinians inspect the damage to a house targeted by an Israeli strike in Deir al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, Saturday (AP photo) Israel launched airstrikes on Hamas targets in Gaza on Saturday, raising questions on the fragile ceasefire that began on October 10. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said five senior Hamas members were killed. Gaza health officials reported 24 deaths and 54 injuries, including children, as reported by Associated Press. The strikes followed reported gunfire at Israeli troops and came shortly after the UN Security Council approved a US-backed plan for Gaza’s security and governance. The plan authorises an international stabilisation force, sets up a transitional authority overseen by President Donald Trump, and outlines a possible path to Palestinian statehood. Israel has carried out similar strikes after previous alleged ceasefire violations. Health officials said 33 Palestinians, mostly women and children, were killed over a 12-hour period..

AdvertisementArtificial intelligenceTechTech TrendsAnt Group’s LingGuang vibe coding app hits 1 million downloads in just 4 daysLingGuang, an AI app that generates custom software applications, sees a surge in popularity
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPVincent ChowPublished: 9:00am, 23 Nov 2025Ant Group’s new “vibe coding” artificial intelligence app LingGuang has overwhelmed servers after user downloads surpassed 1 million in just four days, hitting the milestone faster than OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Sora, according to the Chinese fintech giant.AdvertisementThe app’s innovative functionality of generating applications in response to users’ text prompts was temporarily suspended on Thursday evening, with the company attributing the issue to excessive usage in a post on Weibo.As of Saturday, LingGuang occupied the top spot on Apple’s mainland China App Store for free utilities apps and seventh overall for free apps. “This milestone means LingGuang is a key player worth following ..