Author: OMN AI

Budapest Demands Pipeline Repairs Before Supporting Sanctions Hungary has announced it will block the EU’s 20th sanctions package against Russia until Ukraine restores oil deliveries to the country. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán told the Energy Security Council that EU funding, including the €90 billion war loan to Ukraine, should not proceed while Hungary’s oil supply remains cut off. Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó confirmed the move, citing the need for Ukraine to repair the Druzhba pipeline, damaged in a Russian strike, before Budapest will lift its objection. Szijjártó added that the new sanctions package is scheduled to be adopted by EU…

OpenAI said it flagged the account of Jesse Van Rootselaar months before a deadly attack in British Columbia.The system identified the activity in June last year as linked to the “furtherance of violent activities”. The company reviewed whether to notify the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.It decided the content did not show an imminent and credible threat at the time.Its policy requires clear risk of serious physical harm before a referral. Last week, the 18-year-old killed eight people in Tumbler Ridge and then died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.Police said the victims included a teaching assistant and five students aged 12…

Tariffs Raised Following Supreme Court Ruling US President Donald Trump announced an immediate increase of global tariffs from 10% to 15%, just a day after the Supreme Court struck down his sweeping use of emergency powers to impose them. Trump said the move was necessary to protect American interests and described the court’s decision as “poorly written” and “anti-American,” insisting other legal avenues remain open to enforce trade protections. Legal Limits and Alternative Measures The Supreme Court ruled 6–3 that only Congress has the authority to levy taxes, including tariffs, emphasizing that the Constitution does not grant the president taxing…

A new agreement with pharmaceutical companies will expand voluntary price transparency under state Medicaid programs in 2026, offering potential relief for seniors facing high prescription costs. The deal aims to provide clearer information on drug pricing, helping patients and healthcare providers make informed decisions. Under the agreement, pharmaceutical firms will disclose more pricing details, including rebates and discounts offered to Medicaid programs. Advocates say the increased transparency could improve affordability and reduce unexpected costs for seniors and low-income patients. Healthcare experts noted that prescription drug prices have been rising for years, placing a heavy financial burden on many Americans. By…

Amazon’s cloud division reportedly suffered at least one service disruption last year after an internal AI agent made a critical change to its environment.The tool autonomously deleted and recreated a system component, causing a lengthy interruption, according to the Financial Times. AWS underpins large parts of the internet, so outages raise concerns about concentration of digital infrastructure.The company said the incident was limited in scope and described it as user error caused by misconfigured access controls.It added that core services such as computing, storage and databases were not affected. The report comes as Andy Jassy continues major job cuts at…

Court Limits Executive Power The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday blocked Donald Trump’s broad global tariffs, ruling that the president overstepped his authority by invoking emergency powers. In a 6–3 decision, the justices said the Constitution clearly grants Congress — not the president — the power to impose taxes, including tariffs. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that the Framers never intended the executive branch to wield that taxing authority. Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, and Brett Kavanaugh dissented, arguing the tariffs were legally justified regardless of policy considerations. The ruling represents the first major test of Trump’s wider agenda to…

Airbus has proposed building two separate warplanes to rescue Europe’s stalled Future Combat Air System.The €100bn programme has been delayed by a leadership dispute with Dassault Aviation. Chief executive Guillaume Faury said the conflict should not endanger Europe’s next-generation defence capability.He argued a split solution could allow progress and attract additional partners. Tensions have grown between France and Germany over the aircraft’s role.Berlin does not require a nuclear-capable jet, while Paris does.Friedrich Merz described the disagreement as technical rather than political. Governments in Germany, France and Spain must soon decide whether to continue the fighter element.Other parts of the project,…

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office, according to a police statement. Officers also carried out searches at properties in Berkshire and Norfolk as part of the investigation. Although authorities did not name him directly, they confirmed that a man in his sixties remains in custody. Mountbatten-Windsor marked his 66th birthday the same day. Police emphasized the need to safeguard the integrity of their inquiry, noting the intense public attention surrounding the case. They said updates would be provided when appropriate. Unmarked police vehicles were seen outside Sandringham in Norfolk, where Mountbatten-Windsor has been staying…

Leading Alpine skiers say melting glaciers are threatening the future of their sport and the wider environment.At the Winter Olympics in Cortina, athletes highlighted how dramatically the ice has shrunk in recent decades. Lindsey Vonn said many glaciers she trained on as a child have almost disappeared.Mikaela Shiffrin added that skiers witness climate change first-hand on high mountains.Italy’s Federica Brignone said the retreat of glaciers now raises concern for the planet, not just skiing. Scientists report that Italy has lost more than 200 square kilometres of glacier area since the late 1950s.The decline has accelerated sharply in the past two…

Countries Move to Prevent Price Surges EU member states have agreed to reinforce a mechanism designed to prevent sudden spikes in carbon prices as the bloc prepares to launch a new carbon tax covering cars, vans, and buildings. The updated system, known as ETS2, is scheduled to take effect in 2028, and the changes aim to keep the carbon price stable and predictable for households and businesses relying on fossil fuels. While Slovakia and the Czech Republic have pushed to delay the tax until 2030 due to concerns about its social impact, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg have…