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Today's reading time is 5 minutes. - Miko Santos
MUST READS
1.🇺🇸 Congress Passes Epstein Files Transparency Act After Months of Opposition
The House and Senate voted decisively Tuesday to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act, forcing the Justice Department to publicly release all files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein within 30 days. The bill passed 427-1 in the House and received unanimous consent in the Senate, representing a significant victory for abuse survivors and transparency advocates who fought for months against opposition from President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson.
The legislation caps a remarkable bipartisan effort that began with a discharge petition in July, allowing lawmakers to bypass House leadership control. Trump reversed his earlier opposition and pledged to sign the bill after mounting pressure from his Republican base and survivors who rallied outside the Capitol. The bill permits limited redactions for victim protection and ongoing investigations but prohibits withholding information due to “embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity.”
2. 🇨🇱 Five Tourists Die in Snowstorm at Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park
Five international tourists died in a severe snowstorm at Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia, while four others who were initially missing have been found alive. The victims include two Mexican nationals, two German citizens, and one British tourist who were trekking without a professional guide near the park’s Los Perros camp when extreme weather conditions trapped them in the remote mountain circuit.
The snowstorm brought winds exceeding 190 kilometers per hour, prompting deployment of 24 first responders including national police and army personnel. Chilean President Gabriel Boric extended condolences to victims’ families and confirmed authorities are working to recover the bodies under harsh conditions. Park officials have closed affected sections while rescue operations continue in one of South America’s most popular trekking destinations.
3.🇳🇬 Gunmen Kidnap 25 Girls from Nigerian Boarding School in Kebbi State
Armed gunmen kidnapped 25 girls from a boarding school in Nigeria’s Kebbi State during a pre-dawn raid Monday, killing at least one staff member and injuring another in the attack. The attackers, armed with sophisticated weapons, arrived on motorcycles around 4 a.m. and exchanged gunfire with security guards before abducting the students from Government Girls Secondary School in Maga, located in the Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area.
Nigerian authorities have launched a coordinated search and rescue operation with combined security teams combing suspected escape routes and surrounding forests. Information Minister Mohamed Idris characterized the incident as an organized criminal kidnapping for profit rather than an ideologically motivated attack, stating that the perpetrators target vulnerable populations regardless of religious affiliation. No group has claimed responsibility for the abduction, which follows a disturbing pattern of mass kidnappings in northern Nigeria over the past decade.
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4. 🇵🇱 Poland Suspects Russian Agents in Railway Sabotage Near Ukraine Border
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk revealed Tuesday that two Ukrainian citizens working for Russian secret services are suspected of sabotaging railway infrastructure connecting Warsaw to the Ukraine border. The suspects, whose identities remain classified due to ongoing investigations, allegedly detonated explosives on a rail line near the village of Mika and damaged power lines in a separate incident near Puławy, forcing passenger trains to halt at both locations.
Tusk described the weekend attacks as an “unprecedented act of sabotage,” prompting deployment of army patrols to inspect critical infrastructure across eastern Poland. Polish prosecutors have initiated investigations into “acts of sabotage of a terrorist nature” that created immediate danger of a land traffic disaster, though no casualties were reported. The suspects have already left Poland, and authorities are working with military commanders and intelligence services to assess broader security implications.
5.🇬🇧 MI5 Warns UK Lawmakers of Chinese Spies Posing as Headhunters
Britain’s MI5 security service issued a warning Tuesday to UK lawmakers about Chinese intelligence officers posing as headhunters and recruitment companies to collect information and influence parliamentary activity. Two individuals using LinkedIn to conduct “outreach at scale” on behalf of China’s Ministry of State Security have been identified targeting members of parliament through fake job opportunities and business contacts.
Security Minister Dan Jarvis announced a comprehensive counterespionage plan in response, describing the activity as “a covert and calculated attempt” by Beijing to interfere in UK politics. The government will invest £170 million in encrypted technology for civil servants and provide enhanced security guidance for election candidates and university leaders. China’s embassy in London rejected the allegations as “pure fabrication and malicious slander,” urging Britain to stop undermining bilateral relations.
Check this Out
Scientists Reveal How Animals Evolve Resistance to Deadly Toxins
Scientists are unraveling how animals have evolved remarkable strategies to survive consuming toxic prey, with research revealing that royal ground snakes from the Colombian Amazon can eat deadly poison dart frogs by dragging them on the ground to remove toxins and using specialized liver enzymes to neutralize remaining poisons. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, found that three of four snakes survived eating frogs whose skin contains lethal histrionicotoxins, pumiliotoxins and decahydroquinolines that interfere with essential cell proteins.
Watch This
A dolphin with a sweet nickname has been spending time in Venice’s canals despite the bustling waterways and noise. When the temperature drops, experts hope it will soon return to the open sea.
Pick of the Day
Scent code: Cologne, deodorant, and body spray explained
Choosing your scent is like picking the right playlist—it sets the tone, boosts your vibe, and makes sure you’re remembered for the right reasons. But before you head to class or link up with the crew, there’s one key move to get right: knowing the difference between cologne and deodorant and body spray.
AXE breaks down how each one works and how to use them together without going overboard.
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