VIS

US immigration authorities are detaining more people than ever, according to a Guardian report. After public backlash against high-profile, visible raids, the Trump administration moved from a 'siege' approach to what critics call 'soft feet' tactics — shorter, quieter operations lasting as little as 90 seconds. Observers say ICE is now effectively everywhere, with arrests less visible to the public.

Sudan is calling on the United Nations to take action against states and actors backing the Rapid Support Forces, in a move that follows a dispute over visas for army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. The demand adds a new diplomatic front to the country's war, with Khartoum pressing the UN to hold the RSF's foreign supporters accountable amid mounting international friction.

Pope Leo has completed a visit to France that commentators describe as unusually political for a pontiff normally seen as a measured diplomatic figure. Analysts say the trip carried clear political weight, touching on church-state relations and France's secular traditions, drawing attention to how openly the Pope engaged with contested public issues during his stay.

The 2009 road rage murder case of Jason Ivler is being revisited in a new documentary series on controversial Philippine cases. Ivler, an American-Filipino, shot and killed Renato Victor Ebarle Jr., son of a government official, during a traffic altercation in Quezon City, sparking a manhunt before his arrest. The retrospective has drawn renewed attention to the case and debates over justice and gun violence.

A federal court has ruled that Washington, D.C.'s parole and supervised release system discriminates against people with disabilities. The decision means the District's system for supervising people returning from incarceration fails to accommodate disabilities, and it is expected to force changes to how parole and supervision are administered. Advocates, including the ACLU of the District of Columbia, have highlighted the ruling, which could prompt reforms to ensure disabled people are not disadvantaged in reentry and supervision proceedings.

Anthropic has filed its IPO prospectus, laying out an ambitious vision for artificial intelligence alongside sharply rising operating costs. The filing offers the first detailed public look at the company's finances, spending on computing and its competitive position in the AI market, and is drawing attention from investors and tech watchers assessing the company's valuation prospects.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents carried out raids across Southern Oregon, detaining 21 people, according to local activists and advocacy groups monitoring enforcement activity. The report from Jefferson Public Radio highlights growing concern among community organisations about federal immigration operations in the region, and advocates are working to confirm the identities and legal status of those detained.

Small business owners travelled to the US Capitol for a healthcare summit focused on the challenges they face with health coverage costs and access. Organized by the NFIB, the advocacy group for small and independent business, the event gives owners a chance to meet lawmakers directly. Rising healthcare premiums have long been one of the top cost concerns for small employers, and participants are expected to push for policy changes.

LeBron James says he had considered signing with the New York Knicks when he was a free agent, though he ultimately never joined the team. The remarks shed light on how close the NBA star came to playing in New York, prompting fans to debate how the franchise's fortunes might have differed with James in a Knicks uniform.

Tanzania has introduced a requirement that all foreign visitors arriving in the country hold inbound travel insurance. Law firm Dentons published a legal alert outlining the new rule, which affects tourists and business travellers alike. Travellers planning trips to Tanzania are being advised to check the insurance requirements before departure to avoid problems at entry.

Anthropic has filed an IPO prospectus, reviewed by Reuters, that lays out a sweeping vision for artificial intelligence alongside sharply rising operating costs. The filing gives investors a first detailed look at the ChatGPT rival's finances, strategy and spending on computing power as it prepares to go public.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has travelled to the United Arab Emirates to meet the Emirati leader, in a rare visit by an Israeli premier to the Gulf state. The trip comes after reports that Israel received warnings ahead of Hamas's October 7 attack. The meeting is being closely watched for what it signals about Israeli-Arab relations amid the ongoing fallout from the intelligence controversy.

Apple is reportedly exploring new designs for its Vision Pro headset, including a version that would offload processing to a separate compute puck, similar in concept to the Mac Studio-style unit used with the original Vision Pro prototype. The reports suggest Apple is iterating on the headset's form factor to reduce weight and cost, though the company has not confirmed any specific plans or timelines.

Activision is taking over the Halo franchise from 343 Industries as part of a broader reorganisation of Microsoft's Xbox gaming division. The move consolidates Halo under the Call of Duty publisher, and the restructuring is reported to come alongside layoffs affecting staff across the gaming business.

The Vietnamese government is facing accusations that it abducted a Melbourne-based human rights activist. The claim, reported by The Guardian, alleges the activist was taken against their will in an operation attributed to Vietnamese authorities. Details about the activist's identity, whereabouts and the circumstances of the alleged abduction have not yet been confirmed, and Vietnam has not publicly responded to the allegations.

Benchmark has closed its wholesale mortgage division, Eleven Mortgage, and says it will concentrate on its retail lending business going forward. The move ends the company's wholesale channel, meaning independent mortgage brokers who used Eleven Mortgage will need to find other lenders. The company did not detail layoffs or reasons for the shutdown in the announcement.

The Calcasieu Parish Correctional Center in Louisiana is set to be featured on the television series 'JAIL', which documents life inside correctional facilities across the United States. Local news outlet KPLC 7 News reported the news, drawing attention from residents curious about how their parish jail will be portrayed on national television.

Typhoon Queenie has left the Philippine Area of Responsibility, but the intertropical convergence zone continues to bring scattered rain and thunderstorms across parts of the country. Affected areas include the Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Caraga, Lanao del Sur, and Basilan. Authorities and residents are monitoring conditions as the storm departs while wet weather persists over Mindanao and the central islands.

Residents of Clinton County are once again debating a proposed solar farm in their area, according to local reporting. The project has stirred recurring discussion among locals, with supporters and opponents weighing in on issues such as land use and community impact. No new decisions about the project have been announced.

South African investment group Purple Group has launched Hello Purple, a new embedded finance division that packages the company's own banking and payments technology as a service for fintech developers. Through the offering, external firms can build Purple's financial infrastructure directly into their own products. The move follows a broader industry trend of financial groups monetising their technology stacks via business-to-business partnerships.

The site of a Village Farms development project rejected in Davis, California, is now under investigation by a state wildlife agency. The probe, first reported by the Sacramento Bee, is drawing local attention amid questions about whether environmental or habitat concerns played a role in the project's demise. Residents and officials are watching for the agency's findings.

Colorado Congressman Gabe Evans and Dr. Mehmet Oz visited Greeley, where they discussed Medicaid and toured the new University of Northern Colorado building. The visit drew attention as Evans and Oz, who leads the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, addressed health policy issues affecting constituents. Local coverage focused on their remarks about the program's future and the university's new facility.

Milbank has hired a corporate finance counsel from Davis Polk as a partner, according to a Bloomberg Law report. The move adds strength to Milbank's corporate finance practice and marks another lateral partner move between two of the leading New York law firms. Details of the hire, including the lawyer's name and start date, were not immediately available.

HelloGov and iVisa have announced a merger aimed at making the process of obtaining passports, visas and other travel documents faster and simpler. The news comes as Daytona Beach reports record travel activity, a sign of strong demand for smoother paperwork services as more Americans plan domestic and international trips.