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Disney invests $1 billion in OpenAI, making it the first major content licensing partner for Sora, an AI video generation tool. This partnership allows fans to create and share videos featuring over 200 characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars. Meanwhile, Disney sends Google a cease and desist letter, accusing it of using copyrighted characters without permission for AI training. Disney aims to protect its intellectual property while embracing AI technology for its own products and services.

Unemployment benefits surge, Fed cuts rates amid job market concerns - Applications for unemployment benefits in the US jumped by 44,000, totaling 236,000, higher than expected. The Federal Reserve reduced its benchmark lending rate for the third time, despite a seemingly robust job market. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell fears the job market may be weaker than official data suggests, potentially shedding an average of 20,000 jobs monthly since spring. Continuing jobless claims fell to 1.84 million, the lowest since mid-April, but experts attribute this to seasonal adjustments and benefit eligibility limits. The job market remains in a low-hire, low-fire state, making it difficult for the unemployed to find new opportunities.

New AP-NORC poll shows a significant drop in public approval for President Trump on economy and immigration, with his lowest economic approval in an AP-NORC poll during either of his terms. Approval on immigration also fell, potentially becoming liabilities for his party in the 2026 midterms. Despite specific declines, overall job approval has not fallen as steeply, indicating a nuanced picture of public opinion on critical issues.

Former cryptocurrency entrepreneur, Do Kwon, co-founder of Terraform Labs, sentenced to 15 years for epic fraud involving TerraUSD and Luna collapses, causing $40 billion in losses. Kwon, a South Korean national, developed digital coins through Singapore-based company, facing charges in US following 2022 crypto slump. Judge Engelmayer emphasized massive scale of fraud, Kwon pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud and wire fraud, expressing remorse. Prosecutors presented evidence of Kwons secret arrangement to artificially inflate coins price, deceiving investors. Sentencing marks significant moment in regulating volatile digital asset world.

Shocking allegations of abuse at Chinas disciplinary schools revealed: former students share harrowing accounts of severe beatings, sexual assault, and forced abductions. BBC investigation uncovers network of schools using corporal punishment, despite official ban. Despite some closures and arrests, schools often reopen under new names, making regulation challenging. Former students fight to expose abuses and shut down these institutions.

Thailands Prime Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, dissolves parliament amid border clashes with Cambodia, setting the stage for a general election within 45-60 days. Facing political pressure and criticism for handling a recent flood, Charnvirakul aims to return power to the people.

Cyclone Senyars Devastation: Tapanuli Orangutans Face Uncertain Fate in Sumatras Batang Toru Forests The Batang Toru forests in North Sumatra, Indonesia, have fallen silent since Cyclone Senyar hit the region on November 25th, leaving conservationists deeply concerned about the critically endangered Tapanuli orangutans. With fewer than eight hundred individuals left, the discovery of a carcass believed to be an orangutan has intensified worries. Humanitarian workers found the dead animal partially buried in mud and logs in Pulo Pakkat village, with Deckey Chandra, an orangutan conservation expert, describing it as defaced and likely from being buried. The disaster has also severely damaged several orangutan research centers, including the worlds first, Ketambe, in Aceh, which is now almost completely destroyed. Professor Erik Meijaard, managing director of Borneo Futures, is using satellite images to study the impact, estimating that up to 7,200 hectares of forest on the mountain slopes were destroyed by landslides, likely containing around thirty-five orangutans. The urgent need to rebuild research centers and protect the remaining population is emphasized.

Explosions along the Moei River mark a new phase in Myanmars conflict, as the military targets scam compounds linked to Chinese crime groups. The Karen National Union seizes control of two compounds, inviting journalists and law enforcement to expose the scam business, while thousands of foreign workers, mostly Chinese, remain trapped amidst shelling and artillery exchanges.

South Koreas Suneung college entrance exam, known for its difficulty, faced criticism this year due to challenging English questions. The top official resigned after the test, which included a question on Immanuel Kants philosophy and another using gaming jargon. The gaming question, about an avatars virtual bodily space, was criticized for its complex wording. Only 3.1% of test-takers achieved the highest grade in English, a significant drop from last year. English language professor Jung Chae-kwan argues that the test is maddeningly confusing, focusing on test-taking tricks rather than actual English education. The Suneung, an eight-hour marathon held every November, can determine a students future, with many teenagers spending their entire lives preparing for it.