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Spotify acquired WhoSampled, the fan-built database tracking 1.2 million songs and 622,000 samples, to power its new SongDNA feature for Premium users, revealing song origins, credits, and inspirations. Producers like Nicholas Craven and Statik Selektah worry it will expose uncleared samples, leading to takedowns that hurt indie artists rooted in hip-hop's DIY sampling tradition. Others cheer the transparency, saying it honors music history and ensures original creators get credit and compensation, turning a community tool into a broader discovery resource.

Key Takeaway

Hip-hop producers have long lived by 'no sample snitching'—never publicly revealing uncleared samples to avoid lawsuits. Now Spotify's purchase of WhoSampled is testing that code, with fans and creators clashing over creativity versus fair pay.

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The assets, worth €183 billion and held mostly at Euroclear in Brussels, would fund Ukraine's defense and budget needs now, with repayment from future Russian reparations. De Wever demands EU-wide risk sharing and points to Belgium's ongoing aid via taxes on the assets' interest, expected to yield €1 billion next year. EU allies criticize Belgium's handling of those funds, while the standoff highlights strains in supporting Ukraine amid shifting U.S. policies. Diplomats hope for progress at December's summit.

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Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever wrote a firm letter this week, calling the EU's proposal to back €140 billion in loans with frozen Russian funds fundamentally wrong. He worries it breaks international law and risks Belgium's financial standing.

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Internal Kremlin documents obtained by French services show Moscow's presidential administration approved operations to depict France as both anti-Semitic and Islamophobic, exploiting immigration debates and the Israel-Hamas war. Serbian nationals carried out the vandalism under remote direction from alleged Russian agent Aleksandar Savic, who remains at large after arrests in France and Serbia. The incidents fit a pattern of suspected Russian hybrid tactics, amid France's real challenges with rising hate crimes since October 2023. Neither French authorities nor Russia have publicly confirmed the findings.

Key Takeaway

In May and September 2025, green paint splattered synagogues and pigs' heads marked 'MACRON' appeared at mosques near Paris. French intelligence now links these acts to a Russian scheme aimed at fracturing the nation's unity.

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Israel became the first UN member state to formally recognize Somaliland, a self-declared republic that has governed independently since 1991 after Somalia's civil war. The agreement with Somaliland's President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi and Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar promises cooperation in agriculture, economics, and security. Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud condemned the move, calling Somaliland a secessionist project and hinting at force, while the African Union and others decried it as a sovereignty violation amid fears of escalation in the Horn of Africa.

Key Takeaway

On December 26, 2025, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed off on recognizing Somaliland's independence—a bold step echoing a 1960 letter of support.

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Cocoon runs on the TON blockchain and pairs AI developers needing processing muscle with GPU providers who earn cryptocurrency rewards. It uses Trusted Execution Environments to encrypt prompts and results, shielding them even from the hardware hosts. Telegram's billion users will soon feel the impact through features like message translation and voice-to-text in Mini Apps. Durov sees it as a privacy-focused rival to big cloud providers, with plans to scale up GPU supply and demand in the weeks ahead.

Key Takeaway

Pavel Durov just flipped the switch on Cocoon, a new network that lets developers tap into GPUs worldwide while keeping every bit of data locked tight. It's a fresh take on AI power, rewarding hardware owners with TON crypto along the way.

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Amorim guided United unbeaten through October but saw results crumble, ending with a draw at Leeds and no wins in six, leading to his dismissal after 14 months. Maresca earned November honors with 10 points for Chelsea, but a collapse and owner rift got him fired on New Year's Day after 18 months. Fans flood social media with memes, joking to vote Arsenal's Mikel Arteta for December to test the curse, while praising Arsenal's patience through his mid-season slump that now has them topping the table with 48 points.

Key Takeaway

Ruben Amorim won October's Manager of the Month with Manchester United, only to get sacked this morning after a winless run. Enzo Maresca met the same fate at Chelsea just weeks after his November award.

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The cryptocurrency fell sharply on December 1, 2025, due to thin liquidity, doubts on Federal Reserve rate cuts, and spillover from traditional markets. It steadied around $86,500 by mid-morning UTC, down 5% for the day, following a pattern of volatility since 2009 where Bitcoin has recovered from worse. Optimists point to its resilience through hacks and crashes, while skeptics warn of risks from leverage and big-player moves. History shows these dips often strengthen long-term holders.

Key Takeaway

Bitcoin plunged to $85,000 in early Asian trading today, wiping out over $500 million in leveraged bets. Changpeng Zhao's calm words from February—'No need to panic, bitcoin won't die'—echoed once more.

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On Sunday, police in Karachi arrested 45 people after nationalist groups at a Sindhi Culture Day event strayed from approved routes and clashed with officers on Shahrah-e-Faisal. The annual celebration honors Sindh's heritage with ajrak shawls and topis, though most events stayed peaceful while raising calls for missing activists. Videos captured damaged vehicles and blocked roads, highlighting tensions between cultural pride and grievances over resources and state actions. Opinions divided, with some calling it a small disruption by a few dozen, others seeing echoes of separatist demands.

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Protesters waved green Jiye Sindh flags near a busy bridge, but the rally turned chaotic when stones flew and tear gas filled the air.

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The footage from July 25 in Shah Inayat Colony, Kasur, Punjab, shows the six-year-old looking startled but resuming play, unaware of the assault's weight. Punjab police arrested the suspect soon after, using the clear CCTV evidence. Kasur's painful history, including the 2018 Zainab Ansari murder and a 2015 child pornography ring, amplifies the heartbreak. The video's recent return draws pained reflections on child safety and lasting trauma.

Key Takeaway

A little girl pedaled her tricycle down a narrow alley, full of innocent joy. Then a man in white shalwar kameez approached, lifted her off, and kissed her forcibly before walking away.

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