Robot entertainment
Seoul’s Galaxy Robot Park opens with K-pop shows and AI attractions
The Galaxy Corporation venue in Gangdong is offering robot concerts, portraits and staged fights ahead of a full grand opening planned for August 2026
Latest News
Read the latest verified world, politics, business, tech, culture, and local news on BetaVoices.
- Housing fight House GOP splits with Trump over Senate housing bill Trump wants the House to pass a Senate-approved affordability package, but House Republicans are advancing a modified plan that could slow its path to his desk
- MLB Mariners place Cal Raleigh on injured list for first time in his career The Seattle catcher is out with a right oblique strain during a sharp early-season downturn after his record-setting 60-homer year in 2025
- Music Drake drops three albums, revisits Kendrick Lamar feud Iceman arrives alongside Habibti and Maid of Honour, a 43-track release with Central Cee, 21 Savage and PARTYNEXTDOOR among its collaborators
Census 2026
P.E.I. advocates welcome first sexual orientation question on census
The question appears on the 2026 long-form census sent to one-quarter of Canadian residents and is being watched as a potential tool for visibility, policy and funding
Security legislation
Bill C-22 draws U.S. scrutiny over police access to data
American lawmakers and major tech companies warn the Canadian bill could affect U.S. users, while Ottawa says critics are misreading its safeguards
Rugby league
Glenora Bears player Eugene Hanna dies at 30 after season-opening injury
The New Zealand club said Hanna was injured in a Premier Reserves match against the Te Atatu Roosters and later died after care at Auckland Hospital
Cuba-U.S. tensions
U.S. moves toward possible indictment of Raúl Castro
Officials say any charges would need grand jury approval and are expected to center on Cuba’s deadly 1996 shootdown of Brothers to the Rescue planes
UK politics
Reform says Farage bought £1.4m house with ITV fee, not donor gift
The party says the Surrey purchase was unrelated to a £5m payment from Christopher Harborne now under scrutiny by Parliament’s standards commissioner
U.S.-China relations
Trump Says Decision Is Coming on China-Iran Oil Sanctions
The president said he discussed possible relief for Chinese oil companies after Washington targeted refiners accused of importing Iranian crude
TNA Impact
Cedric Alexander wins TNA X Division title, ending Leon Slater’s record bid
Alexander defeated Slater in a two-out-of-three falls match on “Impact” in Sacramento, while Fabian Aichner appeared to position himself as the next challenger
NFL streaming
Baldwin criticizes Netflix-only Packers holiday game
The Wisconsin senator said the NFL’s Thanksgiving Eve matchup between the Packers and Rams shows why fans need broader access to local team broadcasts
Prisoner exchange
Ukraine and Russia swap 410 prisoners in first phase of major deal
Kyiv and Moscow each returned 205 prisoners of war in an exchange President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described as the first stage of a planned 1,000-for-1,000 swap
U.S.-China relations
Trump says he would not tell Xi whether U.S. would defend Taiwan
The president said Xi Jinping raised the question during a two-day Beijing summit, where the Chinese leader warned that Taiwan could endanger the broader relationship
India’s dollar squeeze
Modi urges Indians to cut gold buying and foreign trips as rupee pressure builds
With war in Iran lifting oil costs, New Delhi is trying to curb dollar demand while avoiding the pain and politics of a sharper currency slide
Sunday Times Rich List
David Beckham Becomes UK’s First Billionaire Sportsman
The 2026 Sunday Times Rich List estimates David and Victoria Beckham’s combined wealth at £1.185bn, placing them second among the UK’s wealthiest sports figures
Aviation regulation
Heathrow rival could bid to build third runway, watchdog says
The Civil Aviation Authority is consulting on rule changes for any Heathrow expansion, including tighter spending controls and possible competition for a new terminal
UK politics
Burnham’s Commons path opens, but Makerfield poses Reform test
Number 10 is not expected to block the Greater Manchester mayor this time, but Reform UK’s recent strength in the constituency could make the by-election a defining fight
Philippines
Philippine Senate locked down after gunfire as ICC-wanted senator takes refuge
Officials said Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa was safe and that no casualties were reported, while the government denied it was trying to arrest him
Murdaugh case
Alex Murdaugh’s murder convictions overturned, new trial ordered
South Carolina’s Supreme Court said jury interference by a county clerk denied Murdaugh a fair trial in the 2021 killings of his wife and son
Art market
Art market faces $2.6 billion test in a single auction week
A New York Times preview says five high-end works could determine one of the most closely watched spring sales seasons in years
Industrial carbon pricing
Ottawa and Alberta near carbon-pricing deal at $130 a tonne by 2040
CBC News reports the tentative plan would raise Alberta’s effective industrial carbon price more slowly than Canada’s earlier headline path, with some issues still unresolved
Manitoba disability care
Family seeks inquest after disabled man died malnourished in hospital
Sean Feldsted, 54, had lived for decades in a Gimli group home. An autopsy listed sepsis as his cause of death, with malnutrition contributing
Parliamentary standards
Farage faces Commons standards inquiry over £5m gift
The inquiry will examine whether the Reform UK leader should have registered a gift from billionaire backer Christopher Harborne after he became an MP
Digital security
Password Help Is Getting Easier to Find Inside Everyday Apps
Apple, Google and other companies now offer tools meant to make online accounts safer as alternatives to traditional passwords gain wider use
Federal anti-fraud crackdown
Vance-led task force withholds $1.4B from home health, hospice providers
The suspensions target providers suspected of fraud nationwide, including operations in California and Minnesota, as officials press a broader crackdown on federal program abuse
Autonomous vehicles
Waymo recalls nearly 3,800 robotaxis after Texas flood incident
The voluntary recall covers vehicles using Waymo’s fifth- and sixth-generation automated driving systems after an empty car entered a flooded San Antonio road and was swept into a creek
Public health warning
Sydney dentist’s former patients urged to test for HIV and hepatitis
New South Wales health officials say thousands of people treated at Dr William Tam’s Strathfield clinic may face a low risk after poor infection-control practices
U.S.-China relations
Musk, Huang and other CEOs join Trump for China trip
The business delegation underscores how much is at stake for U.S. companies as Trump prepares to meet Xi Jinping amid trade, technology and energy tensions
Outbreak explainer
Hantavirus outbreak tied to MV Hondius reaches at least 11 cases
Health officials are tracing confirmed and suspected Andes virus infections linked to the Dutch-flagged cruise ship, including three deaths and cases across several countries
OpenAI trial
Altman defends his leadership as Musk lawsuit tests OpenAI’s mission
The OpenAI chief told a federal jury in Oakland that he is trustworthy and said Musk sought lasting control of the ChatGPT maker before leaving the company
Consumer debt
Canadian insolvency filings hit highest first-quarter total since 2009
New federal bankruptcy data shows 37,121 Canadians filed for insolvency in early 2026, as higher living costs and debt pressures continue to squeeze households
Women’s health
PCOS renamed PMOS after years of debate over misleading label
The new name, polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, is intended to better reflect a hormonal and metabolic condition estimated to affect 170 million women worldwide
Eurovision under pressure
Why Eurovision has become Europe’s most contentious vote
The 2026 contest in Vienna is being tested by a five-country boycott, protests over Israel’s participation and renewed scrutiny of its public voting system
U.S.-China summit
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang joins Trump’s China trip after late call
Nvidia confirmed Huang will visit China this week, a reversal from earlier delegation lists as Trump prepares to meet Xi Jinping in Beijing
Texas Senate race
Obama joins Talarico in Austin as Democrats look to shore up Black voter support
The former president appeared with James Talarico after a bruising Democratic Senate primary in which Jasmine Crockett dominated among Black voters but lost the nomination
Artemis II
Carney welcomes Artemis II crew, says moon mission inspired Canadians
The astronauts are in Ottawa and Montreal for public events, student meetings and space-sector discussions after their 10-day flight around the moon
Tariffs
Tariff Refunds Start After Duties Are Deemed Illegal
The government must return about $160 billion, plus interest, and could owe more if it loses a related tariff case
UK politics
King’s Speech sets out 37 bills as Starmer faces pressure
King Charles outlined the government’s legislative programme for the year ahead, but leadership speculation around the prime minister quickly became Westminster’s dominant question
Real estate
Trump Tower Australia plan collapses as developer cites Iran war
Altus Property Group says the Gold Coast project will continue without the Trump name, while the Trump Organization says its former partner failed to meet obligations