Remains found in shallow grave amid search for missing woman Kada ScottHuman female remains found in…Show more Human remains found Saturday have been confirmed to be 23-year-old Kada Scott, who had been missing since going to work on Oct. 4, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office confirmed on Monday.
“It has been confirmed that these are the human remains of Kada Scott, and that has been confirmed by DNA,” Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said at a press conference when asked if the identity of the remains had been confirmed.
Krasner’s comments came during a press conference on Monday morning where his office announced new charges against Keon King, who was previously charged with kidnapping in Scott’s disappearance.
Officials in Philadelphia are searching for Kada Scott, a 23 year old woman who has been missing for nearly a week. Philadelphia Police Department King, 21, is now facing charges including arson causing catastrophe, conspiracy, unauthorized use of an automobile, tampering with evidence, recklessly endangering another person and receipt of stolen property, Krasner announced on Monday.
Krasner also said his office will proceed with filing homicide charges against King “when we can very precisely confirm everything we need for probable cause,”
“We will do so as quickly as we can, once we have confirmed what we need to establish probable cause for that particular charge,” he said.
ABC News has reached out to King’s attorney but requests for comment were not returned.
Assistant District Attorney Ashley Toczylowski said on Monday that the DA’s office has reason to believe other people were involved in Scott’s disappearance, but they do not know who those people are at this point.
Suspect held on $2.5M bail in alleged kidnapping of missing 23-year-old Philadelphia woman: Police The new charges come after police told ABC News over the weekend that female human remains found Saturday morning in a shallow grave on the grounds of an abandoned school were “believed” to belong to Scott.
The remains were found in a deeply wooded area behind Ada H. Lewis Middle School, an abandoned school near Awbury Arboretum in Germantown around 10 a.m. on Saturday after police received a “very specific” anonymous tip overnight, First Deputy Commissioner of the Philadelphia Police Department John Stanford told reporters during a press conference on Saturday evening.
The Dev Deepavali is the festival of Kartik Poornima celebrated in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Temples across Malaysia and India glowed with lamps and chants as Hindus nationwide ushered in Deepavali with prayers, rituals and gatherings celebrating faith, family and the triumph of good over evil.
The joyous occasion featured homes adorned with colourful kolams and flickering oil lamps as Malaysians of all backgrounds joined in the festive cheer.
Thousands of devotees gathered at the Sri Subramaniar Swamy Temple in Batu Caves as early as 6 am to perform prayers with offerings of fruits and flowers.
Deepavali’s origins trace back thousands of years, with variations across India’s diverse regions and linguistic traditions. Its underlying message, however, remains constant: the victory of light over darkness.
In North India, the festival commemorates Lord Rama’s return to Ayodhya after defeating the demon king Ravana, an event described in the ancient Hindu epic Ramayana. Citizens lit oil lamps to welcome Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana home after their 14-year exile, and those lights came to symbolise the power of righteousness and hope.
In South India, many associate Deepavali with the triumph of Lord Krishna over the demon Narakasura, who had imprisoned thousands of women. The day represents liberation and the restoration of moral order. In other traditions, Deepavali celebrates the goddess Lakshmi, the bringer of prosperity, or marks the start of a new year in the Hindu calendar.
These different interpretations share one spirit: Deepavali is a reminder that goodness ultimately prevails and that renewal – both moral and spiritual – is always possible.
TRADITIONS AND SYMBOLISM Preparations for Deepavali begin well before the festival itself. Homes are thoroughly cleaned and decorated, symbolizing the removal of negativity and the welcoming of blessings. In many Hindu households, new clothes are purchased, debts are settled, and relationships mended before the celebration begins.
Oil lamps, or diyas, are lit inside and outside the home, often in intricate arrangements. They represent enlightenment and the light of inner truth. Many Malaysians also adorn their entrances with kolam, beautiful patterns made with coloured rice or powder, believed to bring prosperity and invite the goddess Lakshmi’s presence.
Festive meals take centre stage during Deepavali. Tables overflow with sweet and savoury treats such as murukku, laddu, gulai, and samosa. Families visit one another’s homes in an open-house tradition, sharing food, laughter, and goodwill.
There is much symbolism of light’s triumph over darkness during Deepavali | Image Credit: The Pride SKM DEEPAVALI IN MALAYSIA In Malaysia, Deepavali is both a national public holiday and a vibrant showcase of the country’s multicultural spirit. The festival is celebrated primarily by the Indian Hindu community, but it resonates far beyond religious lines. Many non-Hindus join in the festivities, enjoying open houses, temple visits, and street celebrations.
In the days leading up to the festival, neighbourhoods in cities such as Kuala Lumpur, Penang, and Ipoh burst into colour. Little India in Brickfields becomes a hub of activity, with stalls selling saris, jewellery, decorations, and traditional sweets. The air fills with the aroma of jasmine, incense, and spiced snacks as families prepare for the big day.
Temples, including the Sri Mahamariamman Temple in Kuala Lumpur and the Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Temple in Penang, hold special prayers and rituals. Devotees offer flowers, fruits, and coconut milk to the deities, seeking blessings for peace and prosperity. Many also observe rituals at dawn, beginning the day with an oil bath, an act symbolizing purification and renewal.
The sense of community is palpable. Streets are lined with lights and festive music, while television networks air Deepavali specials featuring dance, song, and storytelling that reflect Malaysia’s Indian heritage. It is a time not only for devotion but also for celebration, unity, and pride in cultural identity.
Beyond its religious roots, Deepavali has evolved into a broader celebration of light, kindness, and resilience. In a fast-paced modern world, its themes remain deeply relevant. The lighting of lamps is no longer seen only as a ritual act but also as a symbol of hope and humanity… a call to dispel prejudice, ignorance, and despair.
In Malaysia’s multicultural setting, Deepavali stands as a reminder of shared values that transcend belief systems: the importance of family, the pursuit of goodness, and the power of renewal. It offers an opportunity for reflection and gratitude, a pause to acknowledge how light – both literal and metaphorical – continues to guide daily life.
Each year, Malaysians of all backgrounds come together in appreciation of the festival’s warmth and meaning. Corporate offices, schools, and public institutions decorate their spaces and organize Deepavali events, reflecting how deeply the celebration has become woven into Malaysia’s social fabric.
Even as traditions adapt to modern life, the spirit of Deepavali endures. It is seen in the flickering lights across suburban neighbourhoods, in the aroma of sweets shared among friends, and in the quiet moment of prayer at dawn when devotees offer thanks for another year of blessings.
For Malaysia’s Hindu community, Deepavali remains one of the year’s most anticipated celebrations – a time to honour faith, family, and the enduring belief that light will always overcome darkness.
Authorities to examine whether popular gaming platform exposes minors to violence, exploitation, or privacy risks.
Dutch government to assess child safety risks on Roblox after review of TikTok, Authorities to examine whether popular gaming platform exposes minors to violence, exploitation, or privacy risks
Dutch government to assess child safety risks on Roblox after review of TikTok, InstagramFile Photo
The Dutch government will investigate potential security and child safety risks on the online gaming platform Roblox, following similar reviews of social media platforms Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok, the Interior and Kingdom Relations Ministry said on Monday, public broadcaster NOS reported.
“Online learning, relaxation, and connecting are very valuable for children, but there is also a downside: bullying, shocking images, unwanted contact, and health problems due to too much screen time,” outgoing State Secretary Eddie van Marum (BBB) said.
The ministry will conduct a Children’s Rights Impact Assessment, a method that evaluates how digital platforms affect children’s rights and well-being.
Roblox has faced increasing scrutiny internationally.
In the US, authorities and parents have filed lawsuits accusing the company of failing to adequately protect minors from sexual abuse and online extortion.
While Roblox has introduced measures such as facial age verification and expanded parental controls, experts say these protections are often easy to bypass. Children can use fake ages or other people’s facial scans to gain access to restricted features.
A Roblox spokesperson said the company enforces strict rules on user behavior and content.
“If we notice these rules being violated, we issue a warning, block an account, or shut it down completely,” the company said, adding that users can report abuse directly via the platform.
Van Marum stressed that social media and online service providers must take responsibility for protecting children. “And we must help children and parents use these services responsibly,” she added.
Donald Trump says the Aukus defence agreement struck with Australia and the UK is a deterrent for China – but adds “we’re not going to need it”
The US president adds that the deal is now moving “full steam ahead”, with only “minor” clarifications needed – here’s a quick look at the deal
He says he’ll be discussing the defence agreement further as he greets Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to the White House
Trump and Albanese have kicked off their meeting by signing a deal on critical minerals and rare earths – a key objective for the US as it seeks to move away from dependence on China.
Albanese will seek to reassure the US that Australia remains a useful partner as China grows increasingly influential in the Pacific.The Trump administration announced this month it would undertake a 30-day review of the Aukus agreement – the deal struck in 2021 that would see US nuclear submarines sold to Australia, and new-design nuclear-powered Aukus submarines built in the UK and Australia.
Takaichi and JIP leader Yoshimura Hirofumi met in the Diet Monday night and made the pairing official. Their parties have agreed to cooperate on policies, including economic and fiscal, foreign, national security, and energy.
Takaichi said: “Today will be a starting point for us to strengthen the Japanese economy and transform Japan into a country that can take responsibility for future generations. I am looking forward to working together on this.”
Yoshimura said: “My party will further advance the reforms we have been advocating. I think we share the same intention to improve Japan. I would like to work together to make Japan a country that children think of as a truly great place when they grow up.”
Lawmakers are set to vote for a new prime minister on Tuesday. Although the LDP is the biggest party in the Diet, it does not have a majority of seats in either house. Joining up with the JIP puts them close to that level.
Earlier this month, junior coalition partner Komeito quit the partnership after 26 years. It happened about a week after Takaichi became party leader.
Myanmar’s junta raided one of the country’s most notorious internet scam centres and seized Starlink devices, it said Monday, after an AFP investigation revealed an explosion in their use in the billion-dollar black market.
State media The Global New Light of Myanmar said the military “conducted operations in KK Park near Myanmar-Thai border” and had “seized 30 sets of Starlink receivers and accessories”.
Internet sweat shops where workers scam unsuspecting foreigners with business or romance schemes have thrived in war-ravaged Myanmar’s lawless border regions.
This year a transnational push by Thai, Chinese and Myanmar authorities resulted in a huge crackdown releasing thousands of workers, many who say they were trafficked to work in the compounds.
But an AFP investigation this month revealed rapid new construction at scam centre sites and devices using Elon Musk-owned satellite internet service Starlink being installed on their roofs.
A huge outage of Amazon Web Services has knocked out many of the world’s biggest websites and apps – here’s what we know so far
Snapchat, Duolingo, Zoom and Roblox are among hundreds of sites hit, as well as Lloyds and Halifax banks, the UK’s National Rail and HMRC – what else is impacted?
Amazon Web Services (AWS) make the infrastructure underpinning millions of large companies’ websites and platforms
AWS says it is now “seeing significant signs of recovery” and most requests should now be succeeding
But some Snapchat users tell the BBC that while their account is back, they’ve lost all their friends on the app.Major internet outage affecting websites, games and apps A major internet outage is affecting dozens of websites, online games and apps including Amazon, Snapchat and Vodafone.
Issues started this morning, and problems appear to be related to an issue at Amazon Web Services.
According to Downdetector, there are more than 2,000 reports of the Amazon Web Services outage in the US alone.
On its service status page, the company said it was seeing “increased error rates” and delays with “multiple AWS services”.
Supporters of Yemen’s Huthis pose with a portrait of Major General Mohammed al-Ghamari, the Huthis’ military chief, as they attend a rally condemning Israel a day after the Iran-backed group said that Ghamari had been killed in an Israeli attack earlier this year, in Sanaa on October 17, 2025. An Israeli attack has killed Major General Mohammed al-Ghamari, the Huthis said on October 16, threatening revenge. His death was announced days into a ceasefire in the two-year Gaza war, during which the Huthis repeatedly attacked Israeli targets and cargo ships in the Red Sea. Supporters of Yemen’s Huthis pose with a portrait of Major General Mohammed al-Ghamari, the Huthis’ military chief, as they attend a rally condemning Israel a day after the Iran-backed group said that Ghamari had been killed in an Israeli attack earlier this year, in Sanaa on October 17, 2025. An Israeli attack has killed Major General Mohammed al-Ghamari, the Huthis said on October 16, threatening revenge. His death was announced days into a ceasefire in the two-year Gaza war, during which the Huthis repeatedly attacked Israeli targets and cargo ships in the Red Sea. Iranian-backed Houthi rebels detained around two dozen United Nations employees on Sunday, a day after storming another UN facility in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, The Associated Press reported citing a UN official a saying.
Jean Alam, spokesperson for the UN resident coordinator in Yemen, told the news outlet that the detentions occurred at a UN facility in Sanaa’s southwestern Hada neighborhood. The group includes five Yemeni nationals and 15 international staff. Another 11 UN workers were released after questioning.
UN calls for immediate release Alam said the UN is in contact with the Houthis and other parties “to resolve this serious situation as swiftly as possible, end the detention of all personnel, and restore full control over its facilities in Sanaa.”
Trump races to catch up to China’s rare earth dominance
President Trump is racing to respond to a major escalation of the U.S.-China trade war, with the American supply of critical technology hanging in the balance.
Trump administration officials announced plans this week to take a more active role in ensuring access to “rare earths” — minerals that are key components in several important technologies — in response to new Chinese export restrictions.
The new rules give China significant leverage in its trade war with the U.S. as both nations race to dominate the future of AI and the semiconductor chips essential to powering the technology.
The U.S. and China have butted heads over tech exports and defense-related technologies for decades, and Beijing could ease or issue exemptions to the new rules to bring the temperature back down.
But China’s latest actions, experts say, reflect an unprecedented willingness and ability to test the boundaries of its relationship with the U.S. at a dangerous time for the dynamic between the two nations.
“We’re just playing with fire here,” said Edward Alden, senior fellow at the Center for Foreign Relations.
“We don’t actually know what the potential consequences are. We may be able to keep this to a fairly small blaze, or it may really burn out of control with extraordinary consequences that are hard to forecast.”
Months of progress toward a U.S.-China trade pact skidded to a halt last week when the Chinese government announced new, wide-ranging restrictions on rare earth minerals and related products.
The restrictions require companies to seek licenses for products manufactured abroad that contain trace amounts of certain rare earth minerals from China or rely on Chinese rare earth mining technologies.
It also announced new export controls on five additional rare earth minerals, as well as various rare earth and lithium battery related technologies.
The move threatens to upend numerous high-tech industries that are dependent on the materials.
These materials are essential for semiconductors, electric vehicles and U.S. F-35 fighter jets. China plays an outsized role in the sector, accounting for nearly 70 percent of the world’s rare earth mining as of 2024, according to Oxford Economics.
Owen Tedford, a senior research analyst at Beacon Policy Advisors, suggested the Chinese government sees this as leverage that it can use to pressure Washington to roll back restrictions.
“The Chinese see this as being a very powerful source of leverage, in large part because the supply chain outside of China is not well-developed, so there aren’t easy substitutes for the U.S. to go and increase their purchases from,” Tedford said.
Beijing has previously sought to flex its dominance over rare earths, imposing export restrictions on seven minerals in April, after the U.S. levied hefty new tariffs against China and dozens of other countries.
While the minerals themselves can be widely found in trace amounts, deposits large enough to be economically viable to mine are hard to find.
Even a partial disruption of supply chains would “echo across markets,” warned Louise Loo, head of Asia Economics at Oxford Economics, in a research note Tuesday. Such restrictions could cut U.S. growth by at least 1 percentage point over two years, she said.
However, Loo noted this is a “lower-bound estimate” that “significantly underestimates the market impact of spiraling bilateral escalations.”
China’s move on rare earths prompted a sharp response from Trump, who threatened 100 percent tariffs and new export controls on “critical software.” The newly reignited tensions between the two superpowers, who previously appeared to be nearing a trade deal, sent markets reeling.
The U.S. and China had already taken major steps to undercut each other’s AI and chipmaking capabilities. In recent years, Washington has increasingly expanded export controls on semiconductors.
The Trump administration initially placed restrictions on Nvidia’s H20 chips before walking them back this summer, in a reversal that faced bipartisan backlash. Beijing has, in turn, taken steps to block Chinese companies from purchasing Nvidia’s chips, according to the Financial Times.
While Trump struck a softer tone after the announcement — telling his Truth Social followers, “Don’t worry about China, it will all be fine” — the latest restrictions have a sparked a new push to shore up U.S. access to rare earth minerals.
“When we get an announcement like this week with China on the rare earth, you realize we have to be self-sufficient, or we have to be sufficient with our allies,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC on Wednesday.
“When you are facing a non-market economy like China, then you have to exercise industrial policy,” he added.
The ruling comes just a day after another Spanish court said Sánchez’s brother, David, would also face trial on charges of malfeasance and influence peddling.A judge investigating Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez wife, Begoña Gómez, for alleged embezzlement has ordered that she face trial in a case roiling national politics, a court document showed on Wednesday.
Juan Carlos Peinado said in a ruling dated Tuesday that his preliminary investigation showed that a jury trial was warranted, and summoned her to appear in court on Saturday. Gómez can appeal the ruling.
The ruling comes a day after another Spanish court said Sánchez’s brother, David, would also face trial on charges of malfeasance and influence peddling, which he denies.
The embezzlement investigation centers on whether an official employed in the premier’s office, Cristina Alvarez, worked for Gomez during her past academic job at Madrid’s Complutense University at the expense of her public duties. Judge Juan Carlos Peinado said in a ruling dated Tuesday that his preliminary investigation showed that a jury trial was warranted and summoned her to appear in court on Saturday. He cited emails sent by Alvarez to third parties that “clearly seem to exceed her duties” and constituted “sufficient evidence.” Gomez’s “personal friendship” with Alvarez was “the reason for her appointment to the position of highest trust,” Peinado wrote in his ruling. The appointment, which aimed to serve and improve Gomez’s private activities, “could represent a diversion of public resources in favor of private interests,” Peinado said. Gomez can appeal and the ruling is not yet definitive. Gomez denied wrongdoing during a court appearance before Peinado in Madrid two weeks ago. She told her lawyer Alvarez never helped her in her private professional activities, though she occasionally sent messages that did not affect her primary work, according to legal sources. Gomez said spouses of previous prime ministers hired staff to coordinate their agenda and security, the sources added. Peinado set off the saga in April 2024 by opening an investigation to determine whether Gomez exploited her position as Sanchez’s wife for private benefit after complaints by groups with far-right ties. Sanchez has dismissed the allegations against his wife as an attempt to undermine his government by the right, which has demanded his resignation. This month he said there were “judges who do politics and politicians who try to do justice” and denounced spurious complaints by groups with far-right links. Separate corruption probes have ensnared two former Socialist heavyweights, Santos Cerdan and ex-transport minister Jose Luis Abalos, as well as the prime minister’s younger brother David Sanchez. The legal troubles compound woes for the minority government which engages in laborious negotiations with an array of fringe and regional separatist parties to try to pass legislation.
