new video loaded: Deadly Storm Causes Massive Flooding Across Gaza
By Jorge Mitssunaga, Nader Ibrahim and Saher Alghorra
December 12, 2025
Canada’s WestJet to pause non-adjustable seat rollout, seek passenger feedback
Dili, East Timor – On the 50th anniversary of Indonesia’s invasion of East Timor, longtime independence advocate and now the country’s President Jose Ramos-Horta reflected on the last half-century of politics and diplomacy in his country.
Ramos-Horta was serving as the foreign minister of the newly declared Democratic Republic of East Timor in the days leading up to Indonesia’s invasion in December 1975.
list of 4 itemsend of list
Formed by the independence party Fretilin after colonial Portugal’s withdrawal from the country, the new government in East Timor’s capital Dili was under pressure from Indonesia and its threat of invasion.
As the danger intensified, Ramos-Horta flew to the United Nations in New York to plead for international recognition and protection for East Timor’s fragile independence. Despite unanimous support at the UN for Timorese self-determination, Indonesian troops launched their invasion on December 7, 1975.
Ramos-Horta’s colleagues, including Prime Minister Nicolau Lobato and other Fretilin leaders, either went into hiding or were killed in the ensuing attack. Unable to return home, Ramos-Horta became East Timor’s voice in exile for the next 24 years.
During his exile, Ramos-Horta lobbied governments, human rights organisations, and the UN to condemn Indonesia’s occupation, which resulted in the deaths of an estimated 200,000 Timorese through conflict, famine, and repression.
Silenced by a military-imposed media blackout for much of the 1980s, it was only in the 1990s that reports of Indonesian atrocities – including the 1991 Santa Cruz massacre – began to filter out and East Timor’s struggle for independence gained international attention.
Ramos-Horta’s tireless advocacy earned him a Nobel Peace Prize, along with Bishop Carlos Belo, in 1996.
A UN-sponsored referendum delivered an overwhelming vote for independence in 1999, leading to a fully independent East Timor in 2002. However, the country continues to face economic challenges and remains one of Southeast Asia’s poorest nations.
In the years overseeing his country’s transition from conflict to reconciliation, Ramos-Horta has held the roles of foreign minister, prime minister and now president.
Al Jazeera’s Ali MC sat down with Ramos-Horta on a recent trip to East Timor, where the president spoke about his country’s long road to peace and hopes for it to prosper from membership of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), increased trade with China, and development of the offshore Greater Sunrise gas field.
Al Jazeera: Reflecting on your role as an ambassador for East Timor after Indonesia’s 1975 invasion, what were some of the key challenges that you faced while advocating for your country on the international stage?
Ramos-Horta: First, we were in the midst of the Cold War with that catastrophic US engagement in the wars against North Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.
Then, you can say – the US defeat, if not military defeat, it was a total political defeat at the hands of the Vietnamese. So, it was in the midst of all of this that Indonesia invaded Timor-Leste [the official Portuguese-language name for East Timor], on December 7, 1975. The day before, US President Gerald Ford and Secretary of State Kissinger were in Jakarta, and they officially gave the green light to President Soeharto to invade – immorally – with the use of American weapons.
So, it was within this context that it was very challenging for us to mobilise sympathy, support and the media. The invasion merited only one small, short column in The New York Times.
In Australia, there was more coverage. But the coverage didn’t last long, because Indonesia did a very good job, with Australian complicity, in blocking any news out of East Timor. At that time, not a single journalist came – the first foreign journalist to come here was in 1987.
The absence of [proof of] death is the worst enemy of any struggle. There were terrible massacres on the day of the invasion, hundreds of people shot and dumped into the sea, including an Australian, Roger East [a journalist killed by Indonesian forces on the day of the invasion].
Many, many countless people shot on the spot. Many were alive and dragged to the port of Dili, shot and fell into the sea. Many more killed randomly around town. And zero media coverage, not a single camera.
AJ: How did that lack of media coverage make it difficult for you, as an ambassador overseas, to describe to the international community exactly what was happening in East Timor?
Ramos-Horta: Terribly difficult.
To mobilise people who are potentially sympathetic, you can do so effectively if you have a backup for what you say, what you allege, what you report. This must be backed up with visuals.
But people were sympathetic and listened to me. I was persuasive enough for them to believe what might be going on.
AJ: Given your own personal experience in the struggle for independence in East Timor, does that influence the way that you advocate? Does that bring a more personal response to your diplomacy?
Ramos-Horta: My personal instinct as a person is not shaped by anyone, by any school, any religion. It is me, always, against injustice and abuse.
Then came our experience and the fight for independence. When we fought for independence and for freedom, I went around the world begging for support, begging for sympathy. Then, we became independent.
Well, how can I not show sympathy in a real way towards the Palestinians? Why would I not show sympathy in a real way towards the people of Myanmar? Just showing sympathy, because we cannot do much more.
What can we do? We are not even a mid-sized country. But speaking out – a voice – is very important.
AJ: What are your reflections on what has occurred in Gaza?
Ramos-Horta: It is one of the most abominable humanitarian catastrophes in modern times, in the 21st century, next to the killing fields in Cambodia during Pol Pot’s regime.
The amount of bombs dropped on Gaza is more than the combined amount of the bombs dropped on London and Dresden during World War II, and more than the bombs dropped on Cambodia by the Americans during the Vietnam War.
The suffering inflicted on civilians, women and children is just unbelievable.
How we, human beings in this 21st century, can descend so low and how Israel, a country that I always admired, first out of sympathy for what Jewish people went through, through their lives, through their history – always persecuted, always having to flee, and then culminating in the horrendous Holocaust. When you survive a Holocaust experience, like the Jews, I would think that you are a person that is the most sympathetic to anyone yearning for freedom, for peace, for dignity. Because you understand.
They [Israelis] are doing the opposite.
And you have to understand, also, the people who are on the other side. You know the Palestinians, who had 70 years of occupation and brutality, they are not going to show any sympathy to the Jews or Israelis. So, this whole situation has generated hatred and polarisation as never before.
AJ: What can the international community learn from the experience of East Timor and people such as yourself?
Ramos-Horta: I am thoroughly disillusioned with the so-called international community, particularly the West, that enjoy entertaining themselves lecturing Third World countries on democracy, human rights, transparency, anticorruption, etc, etc.
They could never find the case to help poorer countries getting out of extreme poverty. But they found billions of dollars for the last three years to pump into the war in Ukraine.
I don’t condemn that. It is white people supporting white people being attacked. But then they are silent on Israel as it bulldozes the whole of Palestine; carpet bombing, killing tens of thousands of civilians.
And yet, with incredible, nauseating hypocrisy, when they are asked to comment on this, they say Israel has the right to defend itself!
Defend itself against children, against women, against students, against academics, against universities, that they bulldoze completely. Defend themselves against doctors and nurses in hospitals that they bulldoze.
And in an incredible contortion, you have the secretary-general of NATO say Iran presents a threat to the whole world. I know the whole world, literally, and I don’t know of anyone in the whole world that I know that considers Iran a threat to them.
I feel nauseated with such dishonesty, such inhumanity. So, I’m thoroughly disappointed. And I was always an admirer of the West.
AJ: Reflecting on many decades in politics in East Timor, is there anything that stands out to you as a personal success or something that you feel most proud about?
Ramos-Horta: I feel proud that we have been able to keep the country at peace. We have zero political violence. We have zero ethnic-based or religious-based tensions or violence. We don’t have even organised crime. We have never had a bank robbery or armed robbery in someone’s home. We don’t have that. And we are ranked among having the freest media in the world and the freest democracy in the world. I’m proud of my contribution in that.
![While East Timor has one of the highest Catholic populations worldwide, LGBT rights have become more accepted, with even President Ramos - Horta a supporter. 2. Pride Parade from East Timor ’ s capital, Dili, to the famed Cristo Rei statue of Christ, built by the Indonesians during the occupation [Ali MC/Al Jazeera]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/East-Timor-Additional-2-2-1765528720.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C512&quality=80)
AJ: East Timor is set to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). What will be the benefits of being a part of that?
Ramos-Horta: We’ll be part of a community of 700 million people, a community whose combined GDP is at least $4 trillion.
And that means the possibility of Timor-Leste benefitting from our neighbours is greater. There will be more free movement of capital. There’ll be more people attracted to visit Timor-Leste and more embassies opening.
These are the benefits of being associated with an organisation like ASEAN. There are concrete, material benefits besides the importance of the strategic alliance, the strategic partnership, with our neighbours.
AJ: China is really emerging in the Southeast Asia and Pacific regions. Are there any tensions over East Timor’s relationship with China?
Ramos-Horta: We don’t view China as an enemy of anyone, unlike some in America.
The US is not able to digest the fact that China today is a global superpower, that China today is a major global financial and economic power. That it is no longer the US that rules this unipolar world, that it has a competitor.
But the Chinese are very modest, and they say they are not competing to be number one with the US.
Any rational, intelligent person who is informed about China – even if a leader emerged in China that would view Australia and the US with hostility – would, in his right mind, think that you can overpower the US economically and militarily.
AJ: What is the projected benefit economically for East Timor from the Greater Sunrise Gas Field?
Ramos-Horta: The existing studies point to it taking seven years for the whole project to be completed and deliver gas and revenue to Timor-Leste.
But long before that, the day we sign the agreement, within the following few months, two years, a lot of investments already start to happen. Because we have to build all the infrastructure on the south coast that will run into the tens of millions of dollars, hundreds of millions of dollars.
The pipeline will take its time to reach Timor, but the pipeline will be served by all the infrastructure built on the south coast, plus housing. Hundreds, maybe thousands of houses for workers, for people and so on. Then improvement in the agriculture sector. Farmers in the community benefitting because they will sell produce to the company, to the workers and so on.
![Despite more than two decades of independence, Timor - Leste remains one of the poorest countries in the region (Ali MC/Al Jazeera]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Ramos-Horta-Article-6-1764315950.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C512&quality=80)
The Federal Reserve’s early reappointment of its regional bank presidents took markets by surprise and eased concerns the central bank would soon lose its independence as President Donald Trump continues demanding steeper rate cuts.
On Thursday, the Fed announced 11 out its 12 bank presidents were re-upped, leaving out the Atlanta Fed chief role as Raphael Bostic had announced previously that he’s stepping down.
The presidents’ five-year terms were due to end in February, and prior reappointments have typically come closer to expiration dates as they historically have been routine affairs. But recent suggestions from the Trump administration that new conditions ought to be placed on the presidents raised concerns it was seeking a wider leadership shakeup.
Earlier this month, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent floated a three-year residency requirement for Fed presidents. Days later, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, who is the frontrunner to become the next Fed chair, endorsed the idea.
While Fed presidents are nominated by governing boards drawn from their respective districts, the Fed’s board of governors approve them. As a result, tipping the balance of power on the Fed board with Trump appointees could conceivably give them the ability to reshape the Fed presidents as well.
Meanwhile, the rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee is comprised of the seven members of the Fed board, plus five of the 12 Fed presidents, with four of them rotating on an annual basis. In recent FOMC meetings—including Wednesday’s—Fed presidents have been more resistant to rate cuts while Trump-appointed governors have been more aggressive in calling for cuts.
“The reappointments for 11 of the reserve bank presidents takes a risk off the table that the President or his appointment of a new chairman might disrupt the structure and governance of the system going into 2026,” Robert Eisenbeis, who previously served as director of research at the Atlanta Fed told Fortune via email.
For now, the Fed board consists of three Trump appointees. Jerome Powell’s term as chairman is up in May, though he could remain on the board. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court will consider whether Trump can fire Governor Lisa Cook. If justices let him, that could allow Trump to name a fourth governor.
Deutsche Bank strategist Jim Reid pointed out in a note on Friday the 10-year Treasury yield edged higher after the Fed’s reappointment announcement, as bond investors priced in fewer rate cuts.
“The regional presidents’ current terms expire in February so the advance announcement suggests that the Board was united in wanting to avoid the risk that the reappointment process raises questions over Fed independence,” he added.
Justin Wolfers, a professor of public policy and economics at the University of Michigan, was more blunt about the Fed’s surprise news.
“If I’m reading this properly, they just Trump-proofed the Fed,” he wrote in a post on X.
What’s also notable about the reappointment is the unanimous decision to bring back the Fed presidents suggests the Trump-appointed governors went along with it as well.
That includes Stephen Miran, who is on leave as the White House’s chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers while filling a vacancy on the Fed.
Prior to joining the administration, he had urged an overhaul of the Federal Reserve to give at-will power to the U.S. president to fire Fed board members and Fed bank presidents; hand over control of the Fed’s operating budget to Congress; and shift the Fed’s regulatory responsibility over banks and financial markets to the Treasury.
The changes would diminish the Fed’s power in favor of the White House so much analysts at JPMorgan warned earlier this year Miran’s appointment “fuels an existential threat as the administration looks likely to take aim at the Federal Reserve Act to permanently alter U.S. monetary and regulatory authority.”
A large fire broke out on a Turkish car ferry anchored at the Ukrainian port city of Odesa after it was hit in a strike on Friday.
The company that operates the Cenk T confirmed the attack occurred at 16:00 local time (14:00 GMT) shortly after it docked at the Chornomorsk port.
Ukraine’s President Volodymr Zelensky has blamed the strike on Russia, which has not commented.
The attack came hours after Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told Russian President Vladimir Putin that a limited ceasefire for energy facilities and ports could be beneficial. Russia has resisted all calls for a ceasefire.
Moscow has threatened to cut “Ukraine off from the sea” in response to Kyiv’s maritime drone attacks on Russia’s “shadow fleet” tankers thought to be used to export oil – and a main source for funding the ongoing war.
Cenk Denizcilik, the company that owns the cargo ship that operates on the Karasu-Odesa route across the Black Sea, said on Friday that it had been carrying “essential food supplies” when it was hit shortly after anchoring at the Ukrainian port city.
Emergency response measures were immediately activated with the vessel’s crew, port fire brigade and assisting tugboats after a fire broke out on the forward section of the ship, the company’s statement added.
“At this stage, there are no reports of casualties or injuries among the crew,” it said.
Video footage of the attack’s aftermath, which was shared on Zelensky’s Telegram account, shows crews attempting to extinguish a large blaze on the vessel.
While condemning a series of missile attacks that Russia had carried out on the Odesa region the night before, the Ukrainian leader blamed Moscow for targeting the civilian Turkish ship, saying it “could not have any military meaning”.
Turkey’s foreign ministry said an agreement should be reached that would guarantee “the security of shipping and suspending attacks against energy and port infrastructure in order to prevent escalation in the Black Sea”.
“We once again underline the importance of urgently ending the war between Russia and Ukraine,” the ministry said.
Turkey has sought to maintain relations with the two warring countries since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.
It also controls the Bosphorus Strait, which is a key passage for transporting Ukrainian grain and Russian oil out to the Mediterranean.
As the NBA trade season’s unofficial start arrives, attention is shifting toward Anthony Davis and his future with the Dallas Mavericks. League insiders say Dallas could explore options that include trading Davis or discussing a contract extension. Several front offices expect the Mavericks to field calls immediately, since the window to reshape rosters is now wide open.
Davis, a 10-time All-Star, joined Dallas in a major deal last season after the blockbuster trade that sent Luka Dončić to the Lakers. That move transformed Dallas but also placed the franchise in a complicated position. The Mavericks remain without a permanent general manager and are instead operating with interim co-general managers as the trade period begins.
Multiple teams in the Eastern Conference are monitoring the situation closely. The Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks, and Toronto Raptors are among the franchises expected to explore a pursuit if Dallas signals a willingness to discuss a deal. Each organization views Davis as a player who could shift its competitive ceiling immediately.
Detroit owns one of the conference’s top records and sees Davis as a stabilizing two-way presence. Atlanta and Toronto sit in the playoff hunt and believe a frontcourt star could accelerate their timelines. Any of those teams would need to include young players and matching salaries, and executives already recognize that discussions would become complex.
Analysts have outlined several possible trade frameworks. One proposal would send Davis to the Pistons in exchange for a mix of veterans and young talent, giving Dallas more roster balance and future flexibility. Another scenario places Davis in Atlanta as part of a deal involving multiple players and draft assets, allowing the Mavericks to retool while remaining competitive.
Western Conference options also exist. Golden State and San Antonio have been mentioned as potential fits because of their long-term roster needs and salary-matching possibilities. Any move involving Davis would need careful negotiation due to his contract size and injury history.
Trading Davis carries clear risks. He will turn 33 in March and has dealt with injuries, which creates hesitation for some clubs. His contract also includes significant future salary and a player option, which any team must evaluate closely.
Still, his impact when healthy keeps him among the league’s most valuable trade assets. Whether Dallas chooses to keep Davis or pursue a major deal will help define the franchise’s direction as the season moves forward.
On Friday (December 12), Universal Music Group said that it has submitted a “robust remedy that comprehensively addresses” the European Commission’s “only remaining concern” about its proposed acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings.
Meanwhile, GoDigital Music acquired “several” Latin music catalogs in a transaction valued at approximately $115 million. The company has also acquired the publishing catalog of Marc Anthony.
Elsewhere, A&R veteran Craig Kallman was appointed Chief Music Officer at Warner Music Group after nearly 35 years at Atlantic Records.
Also this week, Spotify officially launched music videos in the US and Canada for Premium users, while Rostrum Pacific secured $150 million in financing to grow its music catalog.
Here are some of the biggest headlines from the past few days…
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.
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…“ (MBW)
GoDigital Music says it has acquired “several” Latin music catalogs in a transaction valued at approximately $115 million.
The company said that the deal adds more than 30,000 new assets to its catalog and was financed by Regions Bank and Corrum Capital.
As part of the announcement, GoDigital Music also revealed that it has acquired the publishing catalog of Marc Anthony, whom it calls “one of the most influential Latin artists of all time”.
The company confirmed that the separate Marc Anthony deal was an eight-figure transaction… (MBW)
A&R veteran Craig Kallman has been appointed Chief Music Officer at Warner Music Group. Based in New York, Kallman will report directly to WMG’s CEO Robert Kyncl.
According to WMG, in this elevated role, Kallman will provide his “deep A&R expertise” across WMG’s artist roster and label group globally.
The move follows his nearly 35 years at Atlantic Records, where he served as Chairman and CEO of the label for two decades before transitioning to Chief Music Officer… (MBW)
Music videos are officially rolling out in beta to Premium Spotify users across the US and Canada.
The feature, which Spotify says is one of the “most anticipated” among its users, will be available to all Premium users in both countries by the end of December, Spotify confirmed in an emailed statement to MBW.
Premium subscribers in the US and Canada will have access to a “limited catalog” of official music videos, along with “new video formats” including live performances and cover versions.
With this rollout, Spotify said that Premium users in the US and Canada will have access to music videos from artists like Ariana Grande, Olivia Dean, BABYMONSTER, Addison Rae, Tyler Childers, Natanael Cano, and Carín León… (MBW)
Rostrum Pacific, the parent company of indie label Rostrum Records, has secured $150 million in financing to grow its music catalog.
Rostrum said on Thursday (December 11) that the financing came from New York-headquartered Crayhill Capital Management, a private credit investment specialist with $2.9 billion in assets under management.
Crayhill’s financing marks a “significant expansion” of Rostrum’s catalog acquisition strategy, and will allow the company to “pursue catalog opportunities of any scale and integrate them into its robust, fully independent, and already-established ecosystem,” the company said... (MBW)
Partner message: MBW’s Weekly Round-up is supported by BMI, the global leader in performing rights management, dedicated to supporting songwriters, composers and publishers and championing the value of music. Find out more about BMI here. Music Business Worldwide
Anaphylaxis is not something to be messed around with, as it’s an allergic reaction that can prove fatal if not halted. That’s where an experimental new skin patch comes in, as it could warn of the onset of anaphylaxis while there’s still plenty of time to head it off.
Usually taking the form of extreme swelling and tightening of the airways, anaphylaxis typically manifests within two hours of exposure to certain proteins in foods such as eggs, nuts, milk, and seafood. These foods themselves may be easy enough to avoid, but they can sometimes unknowingly be present as ingredients in prepared dishes.
And although the proteins cause no problems for most people, in allergic individuals they trigger the production of antibodies known as immunoglobulin E (IgE). Those antibodies in turn facilitate the release of histamine, tryptase and other biomolecules, resulting in a severe allergic response.
It is possible to detect elevated IgE levels in the bloodstream via blood tests soon after exposure, thus providing an early warning that an anaphylaxis attack will occur unless preventive measures are taken. The problem is … well, that a painful, invasive blood sampling is involved.
The new AllergE patch, on the other hand, would painlessly and continuously provide IgE readings via the skin throughout at-risk periods, such as during and after meals.
Currently being developed by scientists at Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), the device features an array of tiny, porous, hollow microneedles on its underside. Each one is less than a millimeter long, and approximately the width of a human hair.
When the patch is pressed against the user’s skin, the polymer needles only pierce the very top layer of the skin, not reaching the underlying nerve endings. They do, however, reach the interstitial fluid between the skin cells. IgE levels in that fluid correspond to those in the bloodstream.
As the IgE antibodies are carried by the fluid into the microneedles, they encounter DNA strands known as aptamers contained within. Upon contact with the antibodies, those aptamers twist into new shapes, generating an electrochemical signal in the process.
An electrode and other electronics, which are integrated into the patch, translate that signal into a quantitive reading of IgE levels. In tests performed so far on artificial and excised human skin, the device was able to detect IgE concentrations as low as 30 picograms per milliliter, which is reportedly “hundreds of times more sensitive” than most current methods.
Once the technology is developed further, it is hoped that the patch could wirelessly relay its readings to an app on the user’s smartphone.
A paper on the research, which was led by Asst. Prof. Dana Alsulaiman and Prof. Khaled Salama, was recently published in the journal ACS Materials Letters.
Source: KAUST
new video loaded: Dozens Killed in Hospital Strike in Myanmar
By McKinnon de Kuyper and Daniel Fetherston
December 12, 2025
A required part of this site couldn’t load. This may be due to a browser
extension, network issues, or browser settings. Please check your
connection, disable any ad blockers, or try using a different browser.
Welcome to World Breaking News, your trusted source for fast, accurate, and impactful news coverage from around the globe. We are a dedicated team of journalists, editors, and news enthusiasts committed to delivering breaking stories, in-depth analysis, and real-time updates on politics, business, technology, sports, entertainment, and more.
© Copyright -World Breaking News -2025
