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David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros Discovery, promised ‘everyone’ would win by combining the storied Hollywood studios with his reality TV giant. Instead, many lostIt’s less than five years since David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros Discovery, negotiated what looked like the deal of his career. Now as Netflix plans a landscape-changing takeover of Warner Bros, he’s in the middle of an even bigger one.Zaslav, or Zaz, is a hard-charging, well-connected executive who cut his teeth inside NBC, and ascended into New York’s media elite as he transformed Discovery Inc from a nature- and science-focused cable broadcaster into a reality TV giant. Continue reading...

The Trump administration released a policy paper on Friday that made explicit Washington’s support for Europe’s nationalist far-right partiesThe Swedish navy encounters Russian submarines in the Baltic Sea on an “almost weekly” basis, its chief of operations has said, and is preparing for a further increase in the event of ceasefire or armistice in the Ukraine war.Capt Marko Petkovic said Moscow was “continuously reinforcing” its presence in the region, and sightings of its vessels were a regular part of life for the Swedish navy. Its “very common”, he said, adding that the number of sightings had increased in recent years. Continue reading...

India's engagement with Russia is not without risks. Its decision to host the summit, nonetheless, and continue its trade ties despite overt disapproval from the West, is a clear exercise of strategic autonomy.

Total of 25 people shot in early morning Pretoria attack, with victims including 12-year-old boy and 16-year-old girlGunmen have stormed into a hostel in South Africa’s capital and killed at least 11 people, including a three-year-old child, and injured more than a dozen others.“I can confirm that a total of 25 people were shot,” police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said of the early morning attack in Pretoria. She said 14 people had been hospitalised. Continue reading...

James Graham’s play Punch touches on gang culture, restorative justice and masculinity in crisis, and for the playwright the true story was a privilege to tellWhen thousands of schoolchildren came to see James Graham’s play Punch in the West End, the playwright, actors and producers were struck by one thing. Despite fears about social media eroding attention spans, the pupils were engrossed for two and a half hours and many stayed for Q&A sessions afterwards.“They were the most remarkable atmospheres we’ve ever experienced,” Graham said. “Julie [Hesmondhalgh, one of the actors] said it was one of the highlights of her performing career. You always hear that theatre doesn’t fit the TikTok generation, but we could tell these young people were completely connected to the themes of what it’s like to grow up as a teenager, to struggle, survive and evolve.” Continue reading...

Moscow ‘continuously reinforcing’ its presence in the region, says Swedish chief of operations Capt Marko PetkovicThe Swedish navy encounters Russian submarines in the Baltic Sea on an “almost weekly” basis, its chief of operations has said, and is preparing for a further increase in the event of ceasefire or armistice in the Ukraine war.Capt Marko Petkovic said Moscow was “continuously reinforcing” its presence in the region, and sightings of its vessels were a regular part of life for the Swedish navy. Its “very common”, he said, adding that the number of sightings had increased in recent years. Continue reading...

Crafters, artisans and others told to declare income if above £1,000 trading allowance in tax yearThis is a busy time of year for the thousands of people who earn a bit of extra income from a festive side hustle such as running a stall at a Christmas market or selling items online.The UK’s army of crafters, artisans and designers are being urged to check if they need to tell HM Revenue and Customs about their earnings. Continue reading...

An overnight exchange of fire between Afghan and Pakistani forces along their tense border has killed five Afghan civilians and wounded five others