News News 3 December 2025 - 9 December 2025

Dateline: Washington, D.C. — December 9, 2025 The federal student loan system is facing yet another seismic shift. On December 9, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education and the state of Missouri announced a proposed court settlement that would effectively terminate the Biden‑era Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) income‑driven repayment plan, leaving more than 7 million borrowers to navigate a new and still‑uncertain repayment landscape. The Washington Post+1 At the same time, Trump administration officials signaled their intent to end the special payment pause and forbearance protections that had shielded millions of SAVE borrowers from monthly bills for roughly

TOKYO — A powerful offshore earthquake late Monday night has rattled northern Japan, injuring dozens of people, triggering tsunami warnings and forcing tens of thousands to evacuate before authorities lifted all tsunami alerts early on Tuesday, December 9, 2025.Reuters+1 This article summarizes what is known so far about the Japan earthquake today, based on official data from the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), statements from Japanese authorities and reporting from multiple international news outlets. The situation remains fluid and figures may be updated. Key Facts at a Glance Where the Japan Earthquake Hit Today The Japan earthquake today is being widely

London’s busiest railway is getting even busier. From Saturday 20 December 2025, Transport for London (TfL) will increase Saturday daytime Elizabeth line services between Whitechapel and Paddington from 16 to 20 trains per hour, giving passengers a train roughly every three minutes through the central section. London Post+3ianVisits+3LondonWorld+3 The upgrade adds four extra trains every hour on Saturdays between central London and the line’s eastern branches, with new services focused on Gidea Park, Abbey Wood and Whitechapel to support booming weekend leisure travel in the run-up to Christmas and into 2026. Travel And Tour World+1 What exactly is changing on

As of 7 December 2025, the UN’s nuclear watchdog has confirmed that the giant steel arch built to contain the wreckage of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster is so badly damaged by a February drone strike that it can no longer fully perform its main safety function of confining radiation. The finding marks the most serious deterioration in the site’s safety barriers since the collapse of the Soviet-era reactor, and it is intensifying global concern over the risks of warfare around nuclear facilities. Reuters+2The Guardian+2 Despite this alarming assessment, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Ukrainian authorities stress that current

Updated: 5 December 2025 Cabo Verde (Cape Verde) has taken a major step in its digital transformation agenda after the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) approved a €17.71 million loan to deepen e‑governance, modernise public administration and strengthen fiscal transparency.Africa Newsroom+2APAnews – Agence de Presse Africaine+2 The financing backs Phase II of the E‑Governance and Public Financial Management Reform Programme and arrives at a time when the island state is posting one of Africa’s stronger growth trajectories but remains heavily exposed to shocks in tourism and external demand.African Development Bank+1 A Second Phase in a Long‑Term Digital Partnership The AfDB

From 1 January 2026, more than one million Australians will see their Centrelink social security payments go up thanks to a fresh round of indexation announced today, 5 December 2025, by Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek. tanyaplibersek.com+29News+2 The changes target students, young people and carers – including those on Youth Allowance, Austudy, ABSTUDY, Youth Disability Support Pension and Carer Allowance – and are now backed by a detailed rate schedule published by the Department of Social Services (DSS). Department of Social Services+2Department of Social Services+2 More than one million Australians to get a Centrelink cash boost In a media release

LONDON / FRANKFURT – 4 December 2025 Europe’s economic calendar for Thursday, 4 December 2025, delivered a dense mix of hard data and policy events: flat eurozone retail sales, improving but still‑weak construction activity, a strong Irish domestic economy print, mixed industrial production in the Baltics and fresh bond auctions in France and Spain. Together, they sketch a picture of an economy that is stabilising, but far from firing on all cylinders. Snapshot: What Moved Europe’s Economic Calendar on 4 December 2025 Key scheduled and released items on today’s Europe economic calendar included: On top of the regular releases, the ECB‑IMF