The current Istanbul Biennial has been cut short after the curator, Christine Tohmé, resigned from her post. The 18th Istanbul Biennial will "conclude after its first leg following Tohmé's decision to step down due to personal circumstances", says a statement from the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV), the private foundation that administers the event. The first leg of the biennial was held from 20 September to 23 November across eight venues and welcomed over 600,000 visitors.
When Toronto's streetcars hit a rare open stretch of road, the metallic grind gives way to an airy electric hum, and for a fleeting moment, there is a feeling that one is hurtling along the knife's edge of the future. Seconds later, the illusion shatters: the car grinds to a halt, at a stop or more often, in traffic.
The split followed the decision by the Ministry of Economic Affairs to place Nexperia under emergency legislation at the end of September and the suspension of CEO Zhang Xuezheng by the Enterprise Chamber. Shortly thereafter, the Chinese branch of Nexperia, including the large assembly plant in Dongguan, declared itself effectively independent from Nexperia BV in Nijmegen. Since then, the factory has been supplying Chinese customers directly and no longer uses the group's international distribution model.
As leader of the ECB in 2012, Draghi was hailed as the saviour of the euro when he faced down markets during the sovereign debt crisis, famously declaring he would do "whatever it takes" to stabilise the currency. In Brussels, EU chief Charles Michel led tributes to Draghi at the summit table, thanking him for his work and "artful phrases, and a concise, brief and powerful style".
The United States is offering Ukraine security guarantees for a period of 15 years as part of a proposed peace plan, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday, though he said he would prefer an American commitment of up to 50 years to deter Russia from further attempts to seize its neighbor's land by force. U.S. President Donald Trump hosted Zelenskyy at his Florida resort on Sunday and insisted that Ukraine and Russia are "closer than ever before" to a peace settlement.
Local man Conor had been out shopping for Christmas presents for his family in the early hours of Christmas Eve when he loaded a taxi full of his bags. However, in a brief moment of forgetfulness, Conor exited the taxi without taking the presents with him, only realising his error as the vehicle drove away. To make matters worse, the driver who brought him home was now finished for the night and would not notice the bag full of Conor's purchases until the next morning when he awoke for his shift. Thankfully, there was enough Christmas cheer in the air for the driver to decide to bring the gifts to Store Street Garda station in the hope Gardaí could trace the owner.
Micha Kicinski, co-founder of CD Projekt, has acquired total ownership of the DRM-free video game storefront GOG. The digital video game platform was started by CD Projekt in 2008 with a stated mission to preserve "Good Old Games" (hence the GOG acronym). CD Projekt is known for its game studio CD Projekt Red, the developers The Witcher series and Cyberpunk 2077. GOG said Kicinski bought 100 percent of its shares for PLN 90.7 million ($25 million).
Irish officials were worried by the "opulence" of a proposed trip by Prince Charles to Ireland in the wake of his successful inaugural trip to the Republic. Prince Charles - now King Charles III - wanted to visit Ireland in 1996, just 12 months after his first visit, because of the positive headlines it had garnered. Confidential files released as part of the State Papers revealed Irish officials were concerned at the length of the proposed trip extended and the luxury surrounding the Prince's events steadily mounted.
The bank, Russia's largest lender, said the loan was secured using digital assets mined directly by Intelion Data. Sberbank did not disclose the size, duration, or exact type of cryptocurrency used as collateral, describing the transaction as an experimental pilot rather than a full commercial rollout. "We believe this product will be relevant not only for cryptocurrency miners, but also for companies that own cryptocurrencies," Sberbank said in a statement, adding that it may issue similar loans in the future if the model proves effective.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he was hopeful that US president Donald Trump will visit Ireland either next year for the Irish Open golf tournament or in 2027 for the Ryder Cup. Mr Martin - who will meet Mr Trump at the White House for St Patrick's Day - said he was particularly keen to underline Ireland's long-standing transatlantic relationship as the US marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
Paying tribute to Mr Kavanagh on social media, Mr Loughnane expressed his shock and sadness at the young jockey's untimely passing. "I've struggled to find the words to write this post," he said. "Paul was one of the nicest lads I've ever had the pleasure of knowing, with an infectious smile that would light up every room he walked into. "The world would be a much happier place with more Paul Kavanaghs in it. Such a credit to his family."
Digital sovereignty has outgrown its niche as an IT concern and is now firmly on the boardroom agenda. This has been fueled in no small part by geopolitical concerns. However, while geopolitics may have pushed it into the spotlight, at its core digital sovereignty is about one thing: keeping the business running no matter what happens. When critical systems fail, there is always a cost.
For decades, Avenida Revolucion in Tijuana was a bustling tourist zone, attracting U.S. visitors with its colorful souvenir shops, restaurants and nightlife. But at some point, popular interest in the historic district faded. State and city officials have been trying to revitalize the area for some time to attract more tourists, with hopes of making it a place locals want to hang out, too. The latest move involves closing off a few blocks to vehicles to make way for a pedestrian promenade.
Londoners might not have got a white Christmas, but it looks as though 2026 could kick off with a blast of snow for parts of the UK. And that includes the capital. Snow is notoriously hard to predict, but some early forecasts for this weekend (January 3-4) are saying that temperatures in the capital city could fall below freezing, accompanied by a flurry of the white stuff. So, prepare to wrap up, slip on your wellies and (maybe) dust off that toboggan.
Many of the tactics used by modern militaries were forged long before today's conflicts ever began. During the Cold War, firearms were designed with an eye toward deterrence and large-scale war, but they ended up shaping how real battles were fought in proxy wars and beyond. Here, 24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look at Cold War firearms and how they influenced modern tactics.
Is there something I would figuratively die on a hill for? Yes, there is and as it happens, I'm sitting on a literal hill right now, feeding them. Pigeons. Why pigeons? Because it's about time they get the respect they deserve. I like pigeons. Because they're like me, working class. You can tell pigeons are working class because every pigeon looks knackered. It's about this point in the conversation that people politely make their excuses and slowly back away (literally) while avoiding eye contact.
Known as the land of ice and fire, Iceland has one of the most mesmerizing sceneries on the planet. But nature is not the only thing that will take your breath away when you travel to this Nordic island; so will the alcohol prices. Iceland has the most expensive alcohol in Europe, according to Eurostat. Icelandic alcohol prices are nearly triple than the EU average, though the country itself is not part of the European Union.
JPMorgan BetaBuilders Europe ETF (NYSEARCA:BBEU) provides low-cost exposure to developed European large caps. With a 0.09% expense ratio and $8.4 billion in assets, it tracks hundreds of European stocks weighted by market cap. The fund returned 36.9% year-to-date through late December 2025, more than doubling the S&P 500's 17.8% gain. The return engine is straightforward appreciation of underlying positions. No derivatives, no leverage, no options overlay.
To put in context the surprise that greeted the two-day Boxing Day Test just gone, consider the rarity by arithmetic. The match in Melbourne was Test number 2,615, and was two-day Test number 27. You don't need a calculator to see that's roughly 1%. And yet we've had two such matches in the current Ashes series, plus another in Australia three years earlier. We've had half a dozen two-day Tests worldwide since 2021. What gives?
