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King Charles Shares Positive Update on Cancer Treatment
new video loaded: King Charles Relays ‘Good News’ About His Cancer Treatment
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transcript
King Charles Relays ‘Good News’ About His Cancer Treatment
In a recorded message aired on Friday, King Charles III said that his doctors planned to scale back his cancer treatment starting next year, after being diagnosed in early 2024. The monarch also promoted cancer research and screening programs for early detection.
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Today I am able to share with you the good news that thanks to early diagnosis, effective intervention and adherence to doctor’s orders, my own schedule of cancer treatment can be reduced in the new year. This milestone is both a personal blessing and a testimony to the remarkable advances that have been made in cancer care in recent years. Testimony that I hope may give encouragement to the 50 percent of us who will be diagnosed with the illness at some point in our lives. Yet too often, I am told people avoid screening because they imagine it may be frightening, embarrassing or uncomfortable. If and when they do finally take up their invitation, they are glad they took part. A few moments of minor inconvenience are a small price to pay for the reassurance that comes for most people when they are either told they don’t need further tests, or for some, are given the chance to enable early detection with the life-saving intervention that can follow.
In a recorded message aired on Friday, King Charles III said that his doctors planned to scale back his cancer treatment starting next year, after being diagnosed in early 2024. The monarch also promoted cancer research and screening programs for early detection.
By Jamie Leventhal
December 12, 2025
JustCo CEO Recognizes Similarities Between Co-working Spaces and Hotels: Both Are Hospitality Businesses
Kong Wan Sing, the founder and CEO of JustCo, one of Asia’s largest co-working space providers, doesn’t quite think of himself as leading an office company. Instead, he sees parallels with a different property business: Hotels.
“It’s a hospitality business. People come to us not just for the network, but also for the hospitality,” he told Fortune. “You need to serve them. You have to take care of their needs, like serving the customers who are coming to look for them in the office.”
Kong and JustCo are expanding their presence in Asia even as employers and employees continue to fight a battle about flexible work and returning to the office. Globally, corporate giants ranging from Amazon to JPMorgan have called workers back to the office full-time. But employees tout the benefits of working from home and hybrid work, forcing employers and office designers to get creative in how they bring people back.
The company is also expanding into new markets regionally, including Malaysia and India. In the longer run, they’re also looking to move into countries in North Asia and the Middle East.
“After entering all these markets, we will be truly covering all the key cities in Asia-Pacific,” says Kong. He’s even considering returning to mainland China, after JustCo exited the market in 2022 due to tight social distancing regulations during the COVID pandemic.
JustCo just entered the Vietnam market with a new office along Ho Chi Minh City’s waterfront. The Vietnamese city is the tenth urban market in Asia for JustCo. It’s also a return of sorts for Kong, who was first exposed to the idea of a flexi-office in Ho Chi Minh City several decades ago.
JustCo’s story
Kong Wan Sing founded JustCo in Singapore in 2011. Following a regional expansion drive in 2015, it now operates 48 offices across Asia-Pacific, including in major cities like Seoul, Bangkok, Taipei, Melbourne, and Sydney. Kong himself hails from a family of entrepreneurs; his parents operate garment factories in nearby Malaysia. “There’s genes inside me to build a business,” he says.
In the early 2000s, Kong was an employee of Singaporean real estate investment company Mapletree, working out of a flexi-office in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City. (A flexi-office is a modern workspace where employees don’t have assigned desks, but instead choose from various work zones including hot desks, quiet pods, and collaborative areas.)
The experience opened his eyes to the value of flexible workspaces, and he saw a business opportunity in Asia, where such spaces were still few and far between.
Kong notes that, just three years ago, just under 4% of all offices in Asia-Pacific were flexi-offices. It’s since risen to over 5%, but that’s still half the level seen in more developed markets in Europe and the U.S. Yet JustCo’s CEO says he’s seeing a “surge” in Asia: “The growth is definitely much faster than European or American countries.”
JustCo also leases small offices for businesses to rent. Sixty percent of JustCo’s clients are multinational corporations looking for space for a regional office, Kong said. Companies like Chinese tech giant Tencent and U.S. vaccine maker Moderna use JustCo for their local offices.
New brands
JustCo has since broadened its offerings to potential renters, launching two new brands: “THE COLLECTIVE” and “the boring office.”
The former is a luxury co-working space, equipped with premium white-glove services like daily breakfasts and aperitif hours, and twice-a-day office cleaning. The first such space was launched in Tokyo in March.
“Japan is a very mature market, and people in Japan—they appreciate luxury stuff,” said Kong, when asked why the country was chosen to debut its premium brand. Kong and his team has since launched THE COLLECTIVE in Bangkok and Taipei; the company will bring the concept to Singapore and India in 2026.
“The boring office” sits on the other end of the spectrum, catering to firms that want a stripped-down solution. “When you go to the boring office, there’s no cleaning [of rooms] every day, only once a week,” Kong says. “And the pantry is a very basic pantry that provides only water—there’s no coffee, nothing.” The first space under that brand was launched in Singapore in July.
These three brands cater to companies’ differing needs, and are priced along a sliding scale.
The firm’s luxury offices are 20 to 30% more costly than the classic JustCo workspace, while the boring office’s spaces are cheaper by roughly the same amount, Kong explains.
Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua officially set for next year with one stipulation
Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua look to finally be set for their long-awaited battle.
The two British rivals have been linked to a fight with one another for close to a decade, ever since they were both reigning world heavyweight champions.
While many fans will feel any potential contest is happening much later than it should have, it looked like it was on the verge of taking place at the start of 2025.
Those plans went up in smoke when Fury instead announced his abrupt retirement, meaning it has still not been able to materialise and seemed it may never actually happen.
That could be about to change though, after it was reported by The Ring that the duo are set to meet on a Riyadh Season card next year.
“Sources have advised The Ring that a highly anticipated showdown between former heavyweight champions Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will headline a Riyadh Season mega-event in 2026.”
There is one big condition though in order for the fight to take place, with Fury and Joshua both set to first compete in separate bouts in early 2026, where they will seemingly both be required to win in convincing fashion.
“Before that collision happens, The Ring has also learned that Fury and Joshua are slated to see action in separate fights as part of next year’s Riyadh Season.”
Fury hasn’t fought since back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk in 2024, having previously claimed wins over the likes of Deontay Wilder, Wladimir Klitschko and Dillian Whyte.
As for Joshua, his last outing was a September 2024 defeat to Daniel Dubois, and before looking ahead to his planned 2026 schedule, he has a controversial battle with YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in Miami on Friday 19 December.
Venezuela’s oil exports plummet following US seizure of tanker near coast | Updates on Nicolas Maduro
Oil tanker movements in and out of Venezuelan waters come to near standstill after US seizes vessel and fuel cargo.
Venezuela’s oil exports have plummeted since the United States seized an oil tanker off the country’s coast this week and imposed new sanctions on shipping companies doing business with the embattled Latin American country.
Oil tanker movements into and out of Venezuelan waters have almost come to a standstill, the Reuters news agency reported on Friday, after the US announced that it would seize more vessels as part of its military pressure on Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro.
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The seizure on Wednesday of the Skipper tanker marked the first US capture of Venezuelan oil cargo since Washington imposed sanctions on Caracas in 2019. It also comes amid a US military build-up in the Caribbean, which appears designed to remove Maduro from power.
Threats of more seizures have now left tankers – loaded with about 11 million barrels of oil and fuel – stuck in Venezuelan waters and fearing to venture further, according to data and documents reviewed by Reuters.
Only tankers chartered by US oil giant Chevron have left ports and sailed into international waters carrying Venezuelan crude since the seizure of the Skipper, according to Reuters. Chevron has US government authorisation to operate in Venezuela through joint ventures with state-run oil company PDVSA and can export its oil to the US.
Chevron confirmed this week that it was operating in Venezuela “without disruption and in full compliance with laws and regulations applicable”, according to Reuters, and had exported two cargoes of Venezuelan heavy crude to the US since the seizure of the Skipper.
As the Skipper was taken to Houston, Texas, on Friday for the unloading of its confiscated fuel cargo, Trump reiterated that the US military will start carrying out strikes on land against drug trafficking targets in Latin America.
Speaking at the White House, Trump said that US forces – which have been attacking vessels in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean for weeks, killing some 90 people – had stopped 96 percent of drugs trafficked to the US by water.
The US also claims it is attacking drug trafficking vessels but has provided no evidence, while international law experts say the attacks amount to extrajudicial killings by Washington in international waters.
Trump says Maduro’s ‘days are numbered’
The Agencia Venezuela News site reported on Friday that Venezuela’s Executive Vice President, Delcy Rodriguez, filed a formal complaint with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) denouncing Washington’s “violation of freedom of navigation in the Caribbean”.
Rodriguez told the IMO of the “vulgar robbery” of Venezuelan oil by the US, which was an “internationally illegal act”, the news agency said. “The Vice President also reiterated that Washington’s threatening actions are not related to a supposed fight against drug trafficking,” it added.
On Monday, Trump said in an interview that Maduro’s “days are numbered” while also declining to rule out a ground invasion of Venezuela by US forces.
Washington has offered a $50m reward for Maduro’s capture, accusing the Venezuelan president of leading the alleged “Cartel of the Suns”, which the US has branded a “narco-terrorist” organisation.
On Thursday, the US Treasury announced sanctions on three relatives of Maduro and six shipping companies and six vessels involved in transporting Venezuelan oil, a move that could imperil his leadership.
“If there are no oil exports, it will affect the foreign exchange market, the country’s imports… There could be an economic crisis,” Elias Ferrer of Orinoco Research, a Venezuelan advisory firm, told the AFP news agency.
“Not just a recession, but also shortages of food and medicine, because we wouldn’t be able to import,” Ferrer said.
Before the seizure of the oil tanker this week, Venezuela exported some 952,000 barrels per day of crude and fuel in November, with about 80 percent of those shipments sent directly and indirectly to China.
One Apartment Per Day Constructed in Europe’s Biggest 3D-Printed Housing Project
Described as Europe’s largest 3D-printed housing project, the Skovsporet development is currently underway in Denmark. A total of 36 student apartments were built with remarkable speed, as the cutting-edge technology allowed the equivalent of more than one apartment per day to be printed.
Designed by SAGA Space Architects, with 3DCP and COBOD, Skovsporet is located in the town of Holstebro. It was commissioned by affordable housing organization NordVestBo for a local university campus.
The development consists of six buildings in all, with the 36 student apartments spread between them. It was built on-site using a COBOD BOD3 3D printer, which is the 3D-printing firm’s successor to the BOD2 model used on the VeroVistas and the world’s largest 3D-printed building.
SAGA
The 3D printer extruded a cement-like mixture out of a nozzle in layers to create the basic structure of the apartments from a pre-designed blueprint. Thanks to the automated nature of the printing process, just three people were needed on site and over time progress was sped up significantly.
“Over the course of the project, printing productivity increased significantly,” explains COBOD. “Printing time reduced from several weeks on the first building of six apartments to just five days on the last, equal to more than one apartment per day.”
The student residences range in size from 40 to 50 sq m (431 to 538 sq ft), with each unit including a kitchen, study area, lounge, bathroom, and a bedroom with a double bed. Large roof windows maximize natural light, and the interior decor makes use of coated plywood and glass to offset the coldness of the concrete.
However, it’s important to stress that while the 3D printing robot has completed its work, the job’s not yet completed. A human workforce has now taken over and is currently fitting windows, interiors, furniture, and everything else required to turn a basic shell into actual housing. Outside, landscaped gardens, walking paths, and bicycle parking are also being added to help foster a student-friendly environment.
SAGA
Skovsporet is expected to be completed by August 2026. The project comes during what has been a remarkable 3D-printing boom in 2025, with the burgeoning technology moving to the mainstream in Europe, Australia, and the United States.
Sources: COBOD, SAGA Space Architects
UMG submits comprehensive plan to EU regulator to resolve final concern about $775m Downtown deal
Universal Music Group has submitted what it calls a “robust remedy” to the European Commission, following receipt of a Statement of Objections last month regarding its proposed $775 million acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings.
A UMG spokesperson told MBW on Friday (December 12) that the company’s response to the regulator “comprehensively addresses” the Commission’s outstanding issue with the transaction.
“Following constructive conversations with the European Commission, we have submitted a robust remedy that comprehensively addresses the Commission’s only remaining concern,” the spokesperson said.
“We are confident that the Commission will recognize the benefits of the transaction for artists, labels, independent music, and fans in Europe, and clear the transaction swiftly.”
UMG spokesperson
They added: “This deal is about offering independent music entrepreneurs access to world-class tools and support to help them succeed.
“We are confident that the Commission will recognize the benefits of the transaction for artists, labels, independent music, and fans in Europe, and clear the transaction swiftly.”
UMG’s submission to the EC represents a critical juncture in the Commission’s investigation into the proposed deal. The EC opened its in-depth Phase II investigation into the proposed acquisition in July, following a 25-day initial Phase I review.
The Commission said that its aim was to assess two specific concerns: “if the transaction may allow UMG to reduce competition in the market for (i) the wholesale distribution of recorded music in the European Economic Area (‘EEA’) by acquiring commercially sensitive data of its rival record labels; and (ii) the supply of A&L services in the EEA by removing an important competitive force”.
Downtown provides artist and label services through its FUGA music distribution platform, and offers royalty accounting services through its Curve platform, which handles processing, accounting, payment and related services for royalties as well as rights management.
The European Commission issued a Statement of Objections to UMG in November, formally setting out its preliminary concerns about the proposed acquisition.
In describing the results of its investigation, the press release issued last month focused only on UMG’s potential access to data “stored and processed” by Downtown’s Curve platform.
The Commission said in a press release in November that “such information advantage for UMG would hamper rival labels’ ability and incentive to compete with UMG.”
UMG’s Virgin Music Group announced the Downtown acquisition in December 2024. The proposed transaction would see UMG acquire Downtown and its subsidiaries, including FUGA (music distribution), Curve (royalty accounting), CD Baby, and Songtrust (publishing administration).
The European Commission has until February 6, 2026, to reach a final decision on the proposed acquisition.
At the conclusion of its investigation, the Commission can clear the merger with or without conditions, or prohibit it entirely if competition concerns cannot be adequately addressed.
As previously reported by MBW, the UMG-Downtown deal did not meet the EU’s standard turnover thresholds that would typically require notification to Brussels.
The EC decided to look into the deal because the Netherlands triggered a legal mechanism in EU competition law called Article 22. Austria subsequently joined the referral.
The deal has attracted opposition from independent music organizations. In July, over 200 people signed a letter objecting to the acquisition, including 20 employees from Beggars Group and Secretly Group companies, while a “100 Voices” campaign launched in October featuring testimonies from indie reps urged the EC to block the deal.
Last month, responding to reports that the EC was expected to issue a statement of objections over the deal, IMPALA said in a statement that it “welcome[s] this news and look[s] forward to official confirmation and details of the objections.”
In October, Music Business Worldwide published a collection of views from leaders in the global independent music distribution space on the topic of Universal‘s proposed $775 million takeover of Downtown.
In September, Downtown Music CEO Pieter van Rijn issued an open letter commenting on UMG’s proposed acquisition of his company. Van Rijn addressed what he calls “whispering campaigns of misinformation that we have seen pervade the public debate” about the deal.
In July, Virgin Music Group’s bosses slammed what they called “juvenile and offensive falsehoods” spread by opponents of VMG’s planned Downtown acquisition.
On July 2, the European Composer & Songwriter Alliance (ECSA) issued an open letter to the European Commission urging it to block the planned acquisition.Music Business Worldwide
Fighting between Thailand and Cambodia persists despite Trump’s announcement of ceasefire agreement between the two countries
Fighting between Thai and Cambodian forces continued early on Saturday hours after US President Donald Trump said the two countries had agreed to a ceasefire.
Thai prime minister Anutin Charnvirakul said he told the US president a ceasefire would only be possible after Cambodia had withdrawn all its forces and removed landmines.
“Thailand will continue to perform military actions until we feel no more harm and threats to our land and people. I want to make it clear. Our actions this morning already spoke,” he said on social media.
Shelling continued overnight, as Thai forces push to take a number of vantage points along the border. At least 21 people have died in the renewed fighting and 700,000 have been evacuated on both sides.
Trump had claimed earlier in the week that he could stop the fighting between Thai and Cambodian forces that broke out on Monday just by picking up the phone.
After speaking to both prime ministers on Friday night he wrote on social media that the two countries had agreed to “cease shooting effective this evening” and go back to the agreement they signed in front of the US president in October.
“Both countries are ready for peace,” he wrote.
However, Anutin said he told Trump that Thailand was not the aggressor, and that Cambodia must show that it had withdrawn its forces and removed landmines from the border before a ceasefire was possible. “They must show us first,” he said.
There was no mention of the use of tariffs as leverage to force the two sides to disengage, as happened in July.
Thailand has warned the US not to link the conflict to trade.
On Saturday Cambodia reported that it had been struck by more Thai air strikes.
“On December 13, 2025, the Thai military used two F-16 fighter jets to drop seven bombs” on a number of targets, the Cambodian defence ministry said in an X post.
“Thai military aircraft have not stopped bombing yet,” it said.
The Thai military also confirmed that fighting continued.
The long-standing border dispute escalated on 24 July, as Cambodia launched a barrage of rockets into Thailand, which responded with air strikes.
Both countries have accused each other of initiating the attacks.
After days of intense fighting which left dozens dead, the neighbouring South East Asian countries agreed to an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire” brokered by Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. This was formalised at a ceremony in Malaysia in October presided over by the US president.
However both sides continued to trade accusations of ceasefire violations, with Thailand publishing evidence of Cambodian troops laying landmines, which have caused seven Thai soldiers to lose limbs. Cambodia says the mines are left over from the civil war in the 1980s.
Since then, tensions continued to build.
This week, Thailand launched air strikes inside Cambodia after two of its soldiers were injured in a skirmish last Sunday. Cambodia has responded with rocket barrages. The fighting affected six provinces in north-eastern Thailand and six provinces in Cambodia’s north and north-west.
The two countries have been been contesting their 800km land border for more than a century. The border was drawn by French cartographers in 1907, when France was the colonial ruler in Cambodia.
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Devastating Storm Triggers Widespread Flooding in Gaza
new video loaded: Deadly Storm Causes Massive Flooding Across Gaza
Nearly 795,000 displaced people in Gaza were at risk of dangerous floodwaters, according to the United Nations. The heavy rain and strong winds flooded makeshift shelters and collapsed several buildings, according to the Gaza Civil Defense.
By Jorge Mitssunaga, Nader Ibrahim and Saher Alghorra
December 12, 2025