A woman from Shenzhen, China, allegedly scammed 36 men by posing as their lover and persuading each to buy her an apartment in Huizhou before marriage.

She met them on dating apps, gained their trust, and proposed marriage within a month. To appear credible, she contributed 30,000 yuan towards the down payment and suggested properties with developer subsidies.

Once the purchases were finalized, she refused joint ownership, distanced herself, and cut off contact.

The victims, mostly in their 30s, later discovered they had all been deceived. Now burdened with mortgages, they regret their decisions and fear dating again.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has renewed its call for Google to sell its Chrome browser, following a 2024 court ruling that found Google illegally maintained a search monopoly.

In a recent court filing, the DOJ urged Judge Amit P. Mehta to enforce the sale of Chrome and prohibit Google from engaging in anti-competitive practices.

The DOJ argues that Google's exclusive agreements with companies like Apple and smartphone manufacturers have harmed competition, preventing smaller search engines from thriving.

The government also seeks to ban such exclusive deals and require Google to share search data with rivals for a decade.

Google plans to appeal, arguing that the proposal threatens security and innovation. Judge Mehta will hear arguments in April 2025

Vanuatu’s Prime Minister, Jotham Napat, has ordered the cancellation of fugitive businessman Lalit Modi’s Vanuatu passport, stating he was attempting to evade extradition.

This comes after Modi applied to surrender his Indian passport at the High Commission of India in London.

Napat emphasised that Vanuatu citizenship is a "privilege, not a right," and must be obtained for legitimate reasons.

Modi, the founder of IPL, faces allegations of violating FEMA, bid-rigging, and money laundering. Despite the cancellation order, he posted on social media, calling Vanuatu a “bucket list” destination.

Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that Lalit Modi applied for surrender of his passport at the High Commission of India in London and acquired citizenship of Vanuatu. 

Lalit Modi is accused of violating the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999(FEMA), bid-rigging, and money laundering. Lalit was involved in the embezzlement of crores of rupees during his tenure as the boss of the Indian Premier League.

The Ministry of External Affairs assured that all cases against him are being pursued legally and that his application will be reviewed per the rules and regulations.

A Wyoming federal judge has fined three lawyers for citing eight fake AI-generated cases in a lawsuit against Walmart. 

The Court imposed a $3,000 fine on Rudwin Ayala of Morgan & Morgan and removed him from the case, while two other lawyers were fined $1,000 each for failing to verify filings drafted by Ayala.

The judge criticized them for not checking sources and warned about AI’s hallucination risks. Ayala apologized for the mistake.

The lawsuit alleges that a defective Walmart hoverboard caught fire, burning down the plaintiff's house. The trial is set for March 2025, with Walmart denying the allegations. 

A U.S. District Court dismissed a lawsuit against Apple, which was filed by a woman paying $2.99 monthly for iCloud storage. The lawsuit claimed Apple illegally monopolized the digital storage market, forcing users to pay more for iCloud.

The plaintiff alleged that Apple violated antitrust law, leaving users with no viable alternative but to upgrade to a paid iCloud plan.

However, the judge ruled that the lawsuit failed to prove Apple had monopoly power or violated antitrust laws.

The court allowed the plaintiffs to amend their complaint and refile the case.

Yuji Iwasawa, a Japanese judge, has been elected as the new President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague. He replaces Nawaf Salam, the new prime minister of Lebanon.

Iwasawa,  aged 70, will serve as ICJ President until February 5, 2027. He has been a judge at the ICJ since 2018 and previously worked as a professor of international law at the University of Tokyo.

He also served as Chairperson of the UN Human Rights Committee.

He is the second Japanese judge to lead the ICJ, after Hisashi Owada (2009–2012). Iwasawa stated that he aims to promote the rule of law and peaceful dispute resolution.

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order pausing enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), which prohibits US companies and foreign firms from bribing foreign government officials to obtain or retain business contracts.

This move impacts the case against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, who faces FCPA charges for allegedly bribing Indian officials to secure solar energy contracts.

The suspension orders Attorney General Pam Bondi to review past and current FCPA actions over 180 days, potentially relieving Adani.

U.S. lawmakers have also urged a review, criticising the Biden administration's prosecution as detrimental to U.S.-India relations.

Meta has urged a U.S. appeals court to uphold a $725 million class action settlement over Facebook’s alleged privacy violations.

The lawsuit, led by plaintiff Sarah Feldman, a longtime Facebook user concerned about digital privacy, accused Facebook of allowing Cambridge Analytica and others to access user data without consent.

A lower court approved the settlement in 2023, but some users objected, seeking higher compensation and reduced attorney fees.

Plaintiffs’ lawyer Derek Loeser defended the deal as the largest data-privacy recovery in history. Meta has denied the wrongdoing but has agreed to settle.

The case is now before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Brazil has enacted a law restricting smartphone usage in all public and Private schools, allowing them only for education, emergencies, or accessibility needs. 

These measures aim to improve student focus and mental health by reducing distractions. 

Previously, restrictions varied across states, making enforcement difficult. 

Brazil has one of the world’s highest screen time rates, fueling concerns about bullying, anxiety, and academic distraction.

Similar bans exist in China, France, and parts of the U.S. Students report improved socialization and concentration, with many finding alternative ways to engage with peers.

The Indian government is actively working on a new legislative framework to facilitate safe and legal overseas employment for its citizens. 

With the proposed Overseas Mobility (Facilitation and Welfare) Bill, 2024, India aims to modernize migration policies by replacing the Emigration Act of 1983 to ensure safe migration amid outrage over the US deporting 104 Indians in chains. 

This decision follows controversy over the US deporting over 100 Indian migrants, who arrived in Amritsar chained and shackled aboard a C-17 US military aircraft.

The reason for such deportation is entering the country unlawfully, violating visa regulations or using unauthorized routes like Mexico and Central America.

Australia has enacted strict new anti-hate crime laws, introducing mandatory minimum jail sentences for offences such as displaying Nazi salutes and committing terror-related hate crimes.

Sentences range from 12 months for public hate symbols to six years for terrorism-related offences.

The law, introduced to counter rising antisemitism, criminalizes threats or violence based on race, religion, gender, and identity.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, initially opposed to mandatory sentencing, supported the bill amid criticism from the opposition.

New South Wales will also strengthen its hate speech laws, aligning with Western Australia and Victoria to combat escalating antisemitic attacks.

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning transgender women from competing in women's sports, interpreting Title IX based on gender assigned at birth.

The order titled "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" mandates enforcement against schools violating this policy, risking federal funding cuts.

Trump framed the move as protecting women’s sports, resonating with voters across party lines. 

The order, signed on National Girls and Women in Sports Day, follows Trump’s broader push against transgender rights.

He also warned the International Olympic Committee to revise policies regarding transgender athletes ahead of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

U.S. President Donald Trump has agreed to pause 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico for 30 days, following calls with Canadian PM Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.

In return, Canada will strengthen border security and launch a joint strike force with the U.S. to combat fentanyl trafficking, while Mexico will deploy 10,000 National Guard troops to its northern border.

Meanwhile, a 10% tariff on Chinese imports has taken effect, prompting China to impose retaliatory tariffs on U.S. coal, crude oil, and agricultural machinery. 

Trump warned tariffs could increase unless a trade agreement is reached.

El Salvador's congress passed a bill with a 55-2 majority voting for the amendment to this reform of the country's Bitcoin law to receive a billion-dollar loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

El Salvador, a country in Central America, passed a controversial law on September 7, 2021, qualifying Bitcoin as a legal tender in the country.

El Salvador has now made Bitcoin adoption voluntary for private merchants and prohibits tax collection in cryptocurrency.

As per IMF rules, taxes must be collected in US dollars, and public sector involvement in Bitcoin will be limited.