Author: OMN AI

The UK has stopped a planned clinical trial on puberty blockers for children after the medicines regulator raised safety concerns. The regulator warned about unknown long-term biological risks and called for a minimum age of 14. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency will hold talks with King’s College London next week. The Department of Health and Social Care confirmed that the Pathways trial will not recruit participants until they resolve the issues. The study followed a recommendation from the Cass review into gender care for young people. The review found weak evidence for the benefits of puberty blockers. Dr…

The United States captured gold in the mixed team aerials event at the 2026 Winter Olympics, reinforcing its strength in freestyle skiing and adding another historic moment to its Games performance. The U.S. team delivered a dominating performance on Saturday in Italy to secure the top podium spot ahead of teams from Switzerland and China. Team USA’s crew of Kaila Kuhn, Connor Curran, and Chris Lillis combined precision and power in the finals to earn a total score of 325.35 points. Their strong aerial jumps put them well ahead of Switzerland, which claimed silver, and China, which earned bronze. The…

Big Tech faces a landmark legal challenge. A major trial over social media addiction has begun and could reshape the technology industry. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified before a jury for the first time over allegations that social media harms young people. His testimony came more than four years after leaked internal documents suggested the company knew its platforms could cause harm. Internal documents presented in a Los Angeles courtroom seemed to confirm long-standing concerns. Meta knew preteens used its apps. The company aimed to maximize scrolling time. It also ignored expert advice on safety, although Meta said the documents…

China has regained its position as Germany’s top trading partner, overtaking the United States in 2025.Total trade between Germany and China reached €251bn, while trade with the US fell to €240bn. Germany imported far more from China than it exported.Imports were worth €170.6bn, compared with €81.3bn in German exports.Trade with the US declined by about 5%, partly linked to tariff disputes. Friedrich Merz will travel to Beijing for his first official visit as chancellor.He is scheduled to meet Li Qiang and Xi Jinping for talks on trade, Ukraine and human rights.A delegation of German business leaders will join the trip.…

Budapest Demands Pipeline Repairs Before Backing Sanctions Hungary has declared it will block the EU’s 20th sanctions package against Russia until Ukrainian oil shipments to the country resume. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said after a meeting with the Energy Security Council that no EU war loans or financial aid to Ukraine will move forward while Hungary’s oil supply remains cut off. Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó added that the sanctions, scheduled for adoption at an EU foreign ministers’ meeting, would be withheld until Ukraine repairs the Druzhba pipeline, damaged in a Russian strike. Orbán also confirmed that a diesel delivery service,…

The European Union faces growing criticism after a report revealed massive subsidies for foods that worsen the climate. Experts urge the EU to implement a Plant-Based Action Plan to encourage sustainable diets and help farmers transition away from meat and dairy. Red meat and other high-emission foods receive disproportionate EU subsidies, raising concerns over misuse of taxpayer money. Charity Foodrise released a report showing that in 2020, the EU’s common agricultural policy (CAP) directed far more funding to animal-based foods than to plant-based options. Animal-sourced foods received roughly 77 percent of total CAP subsidies, totaling €39 billion of the €51…

The US Supreme Court ruled that President Donald Trump exceeded his authority when he imposed sweeping global tariffs last year.The court decided by six votes to three that Trump could not use a 1977 emergency law to tax imports from nearly every country.The judges said only Congress can create new taxes under the Constitution. The ruling left open whether consumers and companies could receive refunds for the estimated $130bn generated by the tariffs.The court did not address refunds, and further legal disputes are expected.Hours after the decision, Trump signed a proclamation under a different law to impose a new 10%…

OpenAI said it considered contacting Canadian police about a user later responsible for a deadly school shooting.The company flagged the account in June for potential “furtherance of violent activities”. The suspect, Jesse Van Rootselaar, killed eight people in British Columbia before taking their own life.The attack is one of the worst school shootings in Canada’s recent history. OpenAI reviewed whether to alert the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.It decided the activity did not show an imminent or credible threat at the time.The company said referrals require clear evidence of serious and immediate risk. After the shooting, OpenAI contacted the RCMP and…

Immediate Tariff Hike US President Donald Trump announced an immediate increase in global tariffs from 10% to 15%, a day after the Supreme Court ruled that his previous use of emergency powers to impose broad import taxes exceeded presidential authority. Trump framed the move as necessary to protect American interests, dismissing the court’s decision as “poorly written” and emphasizing that other legal avenues remain to enforce trade measures. Legal Challenges and Limits The Supreme Court’s 6–3 ruling clarified that only Congress has the power to impose taxes, including tariffs. Chief Justice John Roberts noted that the Constitution does not grant…

US researchers say a single nasal spray vaccine could protect against coughs, colds and flu. The vaccine could also prevent bacterial lung infections and may even reduce allergies. Scientists at Stanford University tested the universal vaccine in animals and still need human clinical trials. They describe the approach as a radical break from more than 200 years of vaccine development. Experts called the findings exciting but emphasized that the research remains at an early stage. Current Vaccines Protect Against Only One Disease Current vaccines train the immune system to fight a single infection. A measles vaccine protects against measles, and…