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Deadly disaster in Hong Kong is now under a judge-led investigation, fresh data show U.S. mass killings have dropped to their lowest level in nearly two decades, and Taiwan’s president is warning there is “no room for compromise” on national security as defense spending rises.

Markets are wobbling on a bond and bitcoin selloff, scientists flag new environmental health risks, and year-end sports and awards races are heating up.

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Hong Kong’s leader has ordered an independent probe into a high-rise blaze that killed at least 151 people and destroyed seven apartment towers at the Wang Fuk Court housing estate.

A judge-led commission will examine how flammable renovation materials and lax oversight may have turned the complex into a firetrap.

Police have already arrested multiple suspects on manslaughter and corruption allegations as officials face criticism for previously dismissing residents’ safety complaints.

A separate report that a domestic worker carried her employer’s baby and elderly mother to safety, celebrated in coverage of a “heroic helper”, has become a rare bright spot in a grim week.

The inquiry will test public confidence in Hong Kong’s institutions at a time when calls for accountability are sensitive under tightened national security rules. Its findings could reshape building standards, refurbishment rules, and corruption enforcement far beyond one housing estate.

A new count from a long-running national database finds the U.S. has recorded just 17 mass killings so far this year, the lowest number since 2006, according to a fresh analysis.Researchers say the drop follows several unusually deadly years rather than a guaranteed new normal.

Mass killings, defined in the database as incidents with four or more victims excluding the perpetrator, still claimed dozens of lives, including a weekend shooting at a California birthday party.

A separate overview notes the 2025 total of U.S. mass killings is down sharply from the peak years of the late 2010s and early 2020s, but experts quoted in a companion report caution against reading too much into a single year of data.

The drop offers some relief in a country where high-profile attacks routinely drive political debate and fear, yet gun violence overall remains far higher than in peer nations.

For policymakers, the question is whether this year’s numbers reflect lasting changes in policing, social conditions, or chance — and whether they can be sustained.

A small Taiwanese charter airline has proposed joining the island’s “whole-of-society” defense model by offering surveillance flights to track foreign warships, using a light aircraft outfitted with advanced radar.

The plan, detailed in a report on a surveillance-flight proposal, would provide maritime data directly to Taiwan’s military and coast guard.

Officials say civilian companies could increasingly support national security through communications, logistics, and intelligence roles, an approach described in an overview of expanded civilian participation.

The idea reflects rising pressure on Taiwan’s defense system as it responds to frequent Chinese military activity around the island.

If adopted, the model could redefine how smaller countries integrate private-sector assets into defense and surveillance — especially those facing sustained asymmetric threats.

A U.S. special envoy is traveling to Moscow to present a revised peace proposal for the war in Ukraine, with the Kremlin confirming President Vladimir Putin will receive the delegation, according to a new briefing.

The trip comes after months of shuttle diplomacy and battlefield shifts in eastern Ukraine.

Whether the talks yield any breakthrough will shape military aid debates and winter fighting on the ground.

Beijing and Tokyo issued conflicting accounts after a Chinese coast guard vessel confronted a Japanese fishing boat near the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu islands, described in a maritime incident report.

China said it expelled an intruding vessel from its waters, while Japan accused Chinese ships of entering its territory and harassing its fishermen.

The episode highlights how contested waters in the East China Sea remain a flashpoint between two major economies.

Malaysia has strengthened its nuclear-related laws to widen oversight of materials and technology that could be diverted for weapons, according to an updated legal notice.

The amendments add new licensing requirements and sharper penalties for smuggling and unauthorized exports.

Officials say the changes are aimed at closing loopholes in a country seen as a regional trade hub, aligning its framework more closely with global nonproliferation standards.

A special envoy’s trip to Moscow to discuss a Ukraine peace plan, detailed in a latest dispatch, marks the most visible U.S.–Russia contact over the war in months.

The visit will test whether either side is willing to entertain cease-fire terms after a year of grinding conflict and could influence how allies calibrate military and economic support for Kyiv.

Nearly 44% of the roughly 16,000 commercial driver training programs listed nationwide may not meet federal requirements, a Transportation Department review found, according to a new compliance report.

Programs that lose students over regulatory concerns could face closure, raising questions about safety standards and potential knock-on effects for an industry already short of drivers.

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear an appeal from a faith-based pregnancy center challenging a state investigation into whether it misled patients, a dispute outlined in a case preview.

The decision could clarify how far states can go in policing claims by anti-abortion counseling centers at a time when abortion access varies widely across the country.

A sharp selloff in cryptocurrencies and government bonds has left stock markets cautious, with traders digesting expectations of a coming rate hike in Japan, according to a global markets wrap. Bitcoin is down about 30% from its October peak even after a small rebound, while benchmark bond yields sit near multi-year highs.

The moves reflect uncertainty over how quickly central banks will shift from fighting inflation to cutting rates.

U.S. shares slipped after a multi-day rally as bitcoin and other high-flying assets retreated, described in a Wall Street snapshot. The S&P 500 fell about 0.5%, with retailers and tech names among the laggards.

Investors are balancing optimism about potential rate cuts against concerns that stretched valuations in parts of the market could make any bad news more painful.

Starbucks has agreed to pay about $35 million to more than 15,000 New York City workers to settle allegations it violated a local scheduling law, in what officials call a record worker-protection settlement, according to a labor enforcement update.

The company will also pay civil penalties and commit to stricter compliance with rules requiring predictable shifts.

The case underscores growing scrutiny of retail scheduling practices and could encourage similar enforcement elsewhere.

Researchers using advanced genome sequencing have identified certain strains of a cyanobacterium called Dolichospermum as a key source of potent neurotoxins in Lake Erie’s harmful algal blooms, according to a new study summary.

The work suggests warmer waters and specific nutrient conditions may favor these toxin-producing microbes.

Understanding which organisms are responsible could improve early warning systems for drinking water and recreation.

A new overview of research on plastic additives warns that chemicals found in common products may quietly contribute to obesity, infertility, asthma, and other chronic conditions, as highlighted in a recent health brief.

Scientists say endocrine-disrupting compounds can affect the body even at low doses and call for tighter regulation and better labeling.

The findings add weight to calls for cutting plastic exposure in homes and food supply chains.

Measurements from a long-running forest experiment in China show that drying soils emit less nitrogen gas than expected during heat and drought, challenging assumptions in many climate models, according to a new field report.

The work suggests forests may retain more nitrogen under some stress conditions, which could alter plant growth and atmospheric chemistry.

Researchers say updating models will be important for predicting how ecosystems respond to future warming.

A packed Monday slate saw Western Conference contenders trade statement wins, with a marquee matchup on the U.S. West Coast snapping one team’s multi-game streak as another rode hot three-point shooting, according to the latest league scoreboard.

Coaches pointed to fatigue and heavy travel as factors in the uneven performances, underscoring how tight the standings have become heading into December.

A top-flight European football game was abandoned after away fans ignited fireworks and flares that filled the stadium with smoke, forcing players off the pitch and officials to halt play, as reflected in updated match reports.

League authorities are expected to review severe sanctions, including possible fines and stadium closures, in a bid to curb recurring crowd trouble.

The U.S. women’s national soccer team wrapped up its 2025 schedule with a solid friendly victory over European opposition, highlighted by a controlled second half and a clean sheet, according to the latest international results.

Coaches used the match to test younger players ahead of next year’s major tournaments, keeping pressure on veterans to fight for starting spots.

The 35th Gotham Film Awards in New York honored festival favorites including “One Battle After Another” and “It Was Just an Accident,” with a record number of nominations for low-budget features, according to a ceremony recap.

The event signaled which titles may gain momentum heading into the wider awards season and highlighted how streaming-backed projects now dominate many categories.

A new trailer for “Eras Tour: The Final Show” teases behind-the-scenes footage and concert moments from Taylor Swift’s record-breaking stadium run, ahead of a streaming release that will cap a multi-year cultural phenomenon, as detailed in a trailer launch report.

The project extends the tour’s life into the holiday period and is expected to draw another wave of fans who could not attend in person.

A curated collection of the year’s 100 most striking images brings together scenes from wars, elections, protests, disasters, and everyday life around the world, in a visual package of 2025’s top photos.

Editors say the selection shows both the scale of global crises and quieter human moments, offering a snapshot of a turbulent year as it draws to a close.

Since September, U.S. forces have carried out a series of airstrikes on boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, described officially as hits on “narcoterrorist” drug traffickers.

A detailed overview of the campaign in a comprehensive backgrounder notes that dozens of people have been killed, with only a handful of survivors.

Footage released by the administration shows missiles destroying small vessels at sea, framed as a decisive new front in the fight against maritime smuggling.

Questions escalated after reports that a September operation included a second strike on an already-disabled boat, allegedly killing survivors who were in the water or clinging to debris.

A new White House-focused account says statements from senior officials differ over whether that second strike occurred and how much the president knew about it.

Current and former military lawyers quoted across multiple reports warn that treating suspected traffickers as wartime targets, rather than criminal suspects, pushes legal boundaries set by both U.S. and international law.

Critics argue the operation blurs the line between crime control and armed conflict, pointing out that drug trafficking, however destructive, does not meet traditional definitions of an “armed attack” justifying lethal force on the high seas.

Analysts cited in the legal analysis say the campaign builds on precedents from earlier counterterrorism strikes that expanded the use of drones and special forces far from declared battlefields.

Supporters counter that cartels and allied armed groups have become so heavily armed and violent that treating them purely as criminals is unrealistic.

What happens next will depend on investigations now being urged by lawmakers, human rights groups, and some retired officers.

Key questions include how targets were identified, what rules of engagement were used, and whether Congress should be asked to authorize such operations explicitly.

Internationally, the strikes have already strained relations with countries whose citizens were killed at sea, and they may fuel calls at the United Nations and regional bodies for clearer limits on using military force against non-state actors.

How the U.S. responds will shape not only this campaign but broader norms for using lethal force beyond traditional war zones.

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—The Five Minute Daily Team