The global system designed to protect human rights is facing its most serious threat in decades, according to a stark new report from Human Rights Watch (HRW). The world, the organisation warns, has entered a period of “democratic recession,” with nearly three-quarters of the global population now living under autocratic rule, a level not seen since the mid-1980s. At the centre of this decline, HRW argues, is a convergence of authoritarian pressures from traditional rights-abusing states such as Russia and China, combined with what it describes as a dramatic erosion of democratic norms and safeguards in the United States under…
Author: Leonard
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of Libya’s former ruler Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and once the most prominent political figure of the Gaddafi dynasty after his father, has reportedly been shot dead, according to Libyan and international media. The death of the 53-year-old figure long regarded as both a potential reformer and a symbol of the brutal repression that defined the final years of his father’s rule was confirmed on Tuesday by the head of his political team, according to the Libyan News Agency. However, competing versions of events and the absence of independent verification have underscored the uncertainty surrounding the…
US shoots: The United States military shot down an Iranian drone on Tuesday after it “aggressively” approached the USS Abraham Lincoln, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier operating in the Arabian Sea, according to US officials. The incident, which involved an advanced American F-35 fighter jet intercepting and destroying the unmanned aerial vehicle, marks another flashpoint in a period of heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran. While no American personnel were injured and no US equipment was damaged, the shootdown underscores the increasingly volatile military environment in the Middle East. It also comes at a delicate diplomatic moment, as US and Iranian…
2026 trends. Every year brings a fresh crop of interior trends, each promising reinvention, excitement, and the illusion of newness. Some ideas slip effortlessly into our homes, becoming so familiar we barely register them as trends at all. Others require a leap of faith and occasionally a suspension of personal taste. While the right designer can make even the most divisive idea sing, there remain certain looks that, for personal, practical, or emotional reasons, simply don’t land. This year, the House & Garden team reflects on the trends we admire from afar but won’t be inviting into our own homes.…
OpenAI has announced plans to remove several older artificial intelligence models from ChatGPT starting February 13, as the company continues its transition toward newer and more advanced large language models. The move will affect ChatGPT users worldwide and marks another milestone in OpenAI’s evolving product strategy. The decision will affect ChatGPT users worldwide and includes the removal of GPT-4o, GPT-4.1, GPT-4.1 mini, and OpenAI o4-mini from the ChatGPT interface. While these models will no longer be selectable by regular users, OpenAI has confirmed that they will remain accessible through its application programming interface (API) for developers. Among the models being…
US President Donald Trump has warned that “bad things” could happen if Washington and Tehran fail to reach a deal on Iran’s nuclear programme, even as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian confirmed he has ordered the launch of negotiations with the United States. The sharp rhetoric from Trump comes amid heightened regional tensions, ongoing unrest inside Iran, and renewed diplomatic efforts led by regional powers to prevent a military escalation that could destabilise the Middle East. Trump Balances Threats With Hope for Diplomacy Speaking late Monday, Trump said he remained hopeful that the two sides could “work something out,” but issued…
From celery juice cleanses to lemon water detoxes, social media has long been fertile ground for wellness trends promising fast results with minimal effort. The latest addition to this ever-growing list is the chia seed challenge, a viral TikTok trend that claims to promote rapid weight loss, improve digestion, and “heal” gut health through the daily consumption of chia seeds often soaked in water. Across TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, millions of users are sharing videos of themselves drinking cloudy glasses of chia seed water, frequently accompanied by captions promising flatter stomachs, suppressed appetites, glowing skin, and dramatic before-and-after…
Iran is seriously considering the terms for resuming diplomatic negotiations with the United States over its nuclear program, officials said Monday, amid intense international pressure and growing fears that escalating tensions could spark a broader conflict in the Middle East. Both Tehran and Washington have signaled a willingness to re-engage after months of stalemate, but deep fissures, particularly over ballistic missiles and security guarantees, continue to complicate prospects for a deal. As Iranian leaders weigh their options, the Middle East finds itself at a dangerous crossroads: the flashpoints of nuclear proliferation, sanctions, domestic unrest, and military posturing are converging. A…
Alphabet Inc.’s Google secured a significant legal victory on Friday after a federal judge in San Francisco rejected a consumer bid to impose more than $2 billion in additional penalties related to the company’s past data collection practices. The ruling caps one of the largest privacy class action lawsuits ever brought against a U.S. technology company and prevents Google from facing what plaintiffs described as billions of dollars in ill-gotten gains tied to the collection of user data. While the company remains liable for hundreds of millions of dollars in damages awarded by a jury in 2025, the court’s refusal…
Google has officially blocked YouTube background playback for non-Premium users, marking a significant change in how millions of people consume content on mobile devices. The update prevents free users from playing YouTube videos or music in the background when using mobile web browsers, a feature that many relied on for years through third-party or workaround browsers. This move aligns YouTube’s mobile web experience with its official app policies, where background playback has long been reserved exclusively for YouTube Premium subscribers. While Google frames the update as a step toward consistency, quality, and security, critics argue it is a calculated push…