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Multiple artists, including Hayley Williams and Björk, have joined a cultural boycott of Israel, removing their music from Israeli streaming platforms in protest of the Gaza war. The move aligns with a broader campaign to pressure Israel through artistic and cultural means, amid ongoing violence and casualties in Gaza.
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Hong Kong hosts the World’s 50 Best Bars awards, with Bar Leone ranked No. 1, marking a historic first for Asia. The city also sees new bar openings, immersive dining experiences, and a vibrant event week, highlighting its rising prominence in the global cocktail scene.
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Since September 29, 2025, Afghanistan has faced a near-total internet and telecom blackout after the Taliban severed fiber-optic connections citing immorality concerns. The Taliban deny imposing a ban, attributing outages to decaying infrastructure. The shutdown disrupts banking, commerce, aviation, and humanitarian aid, with partial restoration beginning October 1.
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WFP reduces food aid for Ethiopian refugees amid funding shortages, risking starvation for 780,000. Meanwhile, conflict in Congo hampers health services, leaving millions without medicine. Climate impacts worsen hunger in Kenya's Turkana, highlighting a growing regional crisis.
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Between November 21-23, 2025, armed bandits abducted over 250 students and 12 teachers from St. Mary's Catholic School in Niger State, Nigeria. This follows a recent kidnapping of 25 schoolgirls in Kebbi State. Nigerian security forces, including military and local hunters, are actively searching for the victims amid escalating insecurity in northern Nigeria. President Bola Tinubu postponed foreign trips to address the crisis.
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On 26 November 2025, UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the abolition of the two-child benefit cap, effective April 2026. The policy, introduced by the Conservatives in 2017, limited child tax credits to two children per family and contributed to rising child poverty. The repeal is expected to lift 450,000 children out of poverty, funded by new taxes including a gambling levy and mansion tax.