File photo of U.S. President Donald Trump. Palm Beach International Airport will be renamed as the “President Donald J. Trump International Airport”
| Photo Credit: AP

A car that crashed into a local bar, killing four people on November 8, 2025, in Tampa, Florida.
| Photo Credit: AP

As temperatures drop in Florida this week, residents might notice an unusual sight – green iguanas falling from trees. These non-native reptiles, typically found in Central America, tropical South America, and the eastern Caribbean, are cold-blooded. With dipping mercury, their internal body temperature also drops, leading to a loss of muscle control.

As the temperature drops to 4 or -1 degree, the iguanas “freeze,” causing them to fall from trees temporarily, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Though startling, the iguanas usually recover as temperatures warm up.

“Don’t be surprised the next several mornings to find iguanas lying on the ground beneath the trees. Don’t pick them up or touch them, they will recover later in the day when temperatures warm up,” Meteorologist Eric Stone said, as per WFLA News.

Residents have been urged not to panic. While the reptiles may appear lifeless, it’s best to leave them where they are. Once temperatures rise, these cold-blooded animals will revive and start moving.

Captured iguanas cannot be relocated or released in other Florida locations, as they are a non-native species. FWC strongly advises against bringing stunned iguanas into homes or vehicles to warm them up. Once revived, these animals can become defensive and pose a safety risk. If you come across a stunned iguana, the FWC advises that it can be killed if necessary.

The FWC outlines several methods for killing non-native reptiles, but any method used must render the animal unconscious immediately. To ensure the iguana does not regain consciousness, its brain must be destroyed by “pithing.” This humane method prevents further suffering.

If you have killed an iguana, check your city’s rules before disposing of it in the trash to avoid fines. Never throw a dead iguana on roads or in waterways, as this can also lead to penalties.

Several people were injured, including a 7-year-old boy, after drones at a Christmas show in the United States’ Florida collided mid-air and fell at high speed at the crowd below. Mothers of the young boy, who was reportedly struck in the face by a rogue drone, said he was clinging to life.

The boy was transported to the hospital and was “fighting for his life in the ER,” according to a report by the New York Post. 

The video of the holiday display going wrong was posted online by X user MosquitoCoFl, which shows hundreds of drones flying in a pattern as part of the aerial light show before several started colliding and falling from the sky to the ground.

So apparently they had to cancel the 2nd drone show at #LakeEolaPark tonight and I wonder if the drones that got knocked out during the 1st show was the cause #Orlando pic.twitter.com/xxySjbkohy

— MosquitoCoFL Podcast (@MosquitoCoFL) December 22, 2024

In the background, a man can be heard saying, “Oh no! I don’t believe they’re supposed to be falling.” In the lake below, geese could be seen flapping their wings while trying to get out of the way of the chaotic scene.

The show was run by Sky Elements Drones in partnership with the City of Orlando. Andrea Otero, the city’s public information manager, told People magazine, “We are in contact with the vendor to determine what occurred with the operation. FAA is handling the investigation.”

According to a report by Fox News, the holiday drone show was permitted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

“Several small drones collided and fell into a crowd during a holiday drone show over [Eola] Lake in Orlando, Florida,” the FAA said, according to the Fox News report. 

Drone arrays and light shows are subject to FAA regulations and typically require a waiver of a regulation that prohibits operating more than one drone at a time.

The incident reportedly occurred around 6:45 p.m. local time on Saturday, December 21, following which a second show scheduled that night at 8 p.m. was also cancelled due to “technical difficulties.”

A 23-year-old man in the United States has been arrested for allegedly murdering his father and attempting to kill his mother in Bartow, Florida. According to The Independent, Joseph Voigt on Monday admitted to shooting his mother, 58-year-old Susan Voigt, and killing his father, 63-year-old Marvin Voigt, over the weekend. Authorities said they arrived at the scene after Ms Susan called the cops and said she and her husband had been shot by their son who took off. 

After reaching the scene, police found Marvin Voigt dead in the driveway from apparent gunshot wounds. Susan Voigt, inside the family’s home, had sustained a “serious gunshot wound” but was given “life-saving measures” by a fire and emergency medical service team and is now in “critical condition, but stable” in an area hospital, police said, per the outlet. 

The 23-year-old fled the scene after the shooting and was later arrested in Orlando, officials said. 

According to the authorities, Joseph Voigt said that he shot his parents because his father was upset with him about “spending the majority of his time playing video games” and “riding his ass about making something himself and getting a job”. 

“Everything we’ve heard about this couple was that they were really good people,” Stephen Walker of the Bartow Police Department said. “It’s sad, you know, to see something like this happen,” he added. 

“Thanks to the rapid response of the Bartow Police Department this violent and dangerous suspect was quickly apprehended,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement. “My detectives will continue their thorough investigation into this crime to ensure Voigt will face the full consequences of his actions,” the sheriff continued. 

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Joseph Voigt appeared in court in Orange County on Monday morning. He will be brought back to jail in Polk County, where he’ll face murder and attempted murder charges. 

According to Fox News, his criminal history includes arrest for firing a weapon in a residential area and battery. He was released from jail on December 1. 

“A wife has lost her husband and basically lost a son also, at the end of the day,” Mr Walker said. “So, it’s going to be a real tough, tough road for her. I feel really bad for her… We are deeply saddened by this tragic and senseless shooting,” he added. 

A jury in the US state of Florida has awarded $310 million (Rs 2,624 crore) to the family of a teenager who was killed after falling off a Free Fall Tower drop ride at Orlando’s ICON Park in 2022. Tyre Sampson was only 14 years old when he plummeted 70 feet from the ride at the amusement park that he was visiting on a spring break trip with his football team. The kid’s parents, Nekia Dodd and Yarnell Sampson, will each be receiving $155 million (Rs 1,312 crore) from Funtime, the ride’s manufacturer, that has been held responsible for the deadly incident.

“This verdict is a step forward in holding corporations accountable for the safety of their products. The jury’s decision confirms what we have long argued: Tyre’s death was the result of blatant negligence and a failure to prioritize safety over profits,” read a statement by attorneys representing Tyre’s parents.

“The ride’s manufacturers neglected their duty to protect passengers, and today’s outcome ensures they face the consequences of those decisions.”

The trial only lasted a day as Funtime failed to appear in the court to defend itself. The family had already reached an undisclosed settlement with ICON Park. It now faces the challenge of pursuing the $310 million damages from Funtime, which is based in Austria and will need to seek a court order from an Austrian court to collect.

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How did Tyre Sampson fall to death?

The Missouri teen plummeted to his death after slipping out of the seat on the 400 ft-tall ride. The Free Fall ride which placed 30 riders in seats attached to a tower, secured the passengers with a shoulder harness and then dropped them 430 feet. Surprisingly, it did not have seat belts, something which most drop rides have as an additional safety measure.

Mr Sampson also weighed 173 kilograms, which exceeded the ride’s 129-kilogram weight limit but was still allowed to sit on the ride. Due to his size, the harness did not lock properly and he was ejected from the seat when the ride braked at height.

The ride has since been disassembled with Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis greenlighting the Tyre Sampson Act in May 2023 which aims to bolster safety requirements for amusement park attractions. The family has also demanded an industry-wide revamp to implement “stricter safety measures and oversight” to prevent such tragedies from happening again.

A 27-year-old model allegedly fatally shot her husband before taking her own life inside their luxury home in Florida, US. According to the New York Post, the incident occurred on Wednesday at 12:30am. Cops responded to a report of multiple shots fired at the Beach Club II Hallendale at 1830 South Ocean Drive. Upon arrival, they discovered Pajtim Krasniqi, 34, and his wife, Sabrina Krasniqi, 27, lying on the balcony of their lavish condo. They were both pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

In a heartbreaking Facebook post, Albana Krasniqi Munrett wrote, “My Thanksgiving Eve wasn’t spent with my husband and children. It wasn’t spent with friends. It was spent with police officers, detectives and news reports talking about the vicious and senseless murder of my youngest brother by his wife.” 

“Pajtimi’s wife chose to take my brother’s life away from him when she shot 5 bullets into his chest. The person he trusted the most, the person he chose to spend his life with was the one who took his away from him. She betrayed him, his love and his trust. She shattered my family. My siblings and I will never be the same. I’m terrified my mother will not ever recover,” the post continued.

According to The Post, aerial footage of the police investigation revealed what appeared to be bullet holes in a glass door, with pools of blood nearby. Inside the unit was a teddy bear, a box of roses with a heart on it and the TV still on, per the outlet. 

The cops responded to the scene after receiving an alert from ShotSpotter, a gunfire detection program. This program captured at least five shots erupting in quick succession, followed by a brief pause and then a sixth gunshot. 

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Police have ruled their deaths a murder-suicide but they still are investigating what led up to the fatal shooting.

According to reports, Sabrina Krasniqi was a model featured in a 2021 Inside Edition segment. The incident also made headlines in Albania as the duo were Kosovar Albanian nationals with ties to New York and Peja, Kosovo. 

A 14-year-old boy in the United States has pleaded guilty to breaking into a 91-year-old woman’s home and sexually assaulting her at night. According to People, Jesse Stone, who was charged with sexual assault and burglary, entered the plea last week. Marion County Sheriff’s Office said that the teenager was arrested in June after the woman called police to report that she was sexually assaulted in her Florida home. She was awakened to find the 14-year-old sneaking through her home and was then beaten and sexually battered by the boy, the 91-year-old told the cops. 

After the attack, the 14-year-old told the cops that a neighbour captured a video of a person wearing a dark T-shirt and shorts jogging in the area the night before. Though he denied that it was him in the clip, a detective noted that he was wearing similar clothes to the person in the footage. 

According to People, Jesse Stone was arrested after forensic investigators identified him through DNA evidence. The 14-year-old later admitted to “unlawfully entering the victim’s home, striking the victim, and then sexually battering her”. He told the investigators that he entered the home through the living room door and had watched pornography on her iPad. 

The woman, on the other hand, told the police that she had spoken to the teen in the past and considered him a “good boy”. 

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“This type of unimaginable violence is still shocking to me after all of my years in law enforcement,” Sheriff Billy Woods said after the arrest. “It came as a shock that any individual would commit such an act on a 91-year-old, but it is truly disturbing when we see the young age of the arrestee. Although I firmly believe he should be held accountable for his crime, as a father, my compassion goes out to his family. Hopefully his arrest will lead to getting him help that prevents any further such acts,” he added. 

After being arrested, the 19-year-old was delivered to the Department of Juvenile Justice. According to The Mirror, the teen has been charged as an adult with one count each of sexual assault by someone under 18 years toward a victim over the age of 12 and burglary of a dwelling with battery. He is due back in court to be sentenced on December 19.

Washington DC:

Melania Trump will likely not call the White House her home for the next four years while her husband Donald Trump serves as the US President. Discussions are still ongoing about how and where the incoming first lady will spend her time in her unelected but high-profile role on the world stage, CNN reported, quoting multiple sources. 

In her first move toward bucking the traditions, 52-year-old Melania Trump has skipped the traditional and symbolic meeting with outgoing First Lady Jill Biden at the White House as President Joe Biden hosts the president-elect in the Oval Office on Wednesday (November 13).

Sources attributed Ms Trump’s absence to a prior scheduling conflict related to her eponymous memoir, and her office also confirmed on X that she would not attend the meeting.

The move indicates that Ms Trump, who had already spent four years in the White House, will have even more autonomy the second around.

“I’m not anxious because this time is different. I have much more experience and much more knowledge. I was in the White House before. When you go in, you know exactly what to expect,” Ms Trump recently told Fox News during a friendly interview while promoting her book.

FLOTUS TO SPEND TIME IN NYC, FLORIDA

In her second go-round as first lady, she is reportedly planning to spend the majority of her time between New York City and Palm Beach, Florida. However, despite her absence from the White House, Ms Trump would still likely be present at major events and would have her own platform and priorities as first lady.

“Melania Trump has developed a life and circle of friends in Florida over the past four years and is likely to continue to spend a lot of her time there,” CNN report quoted sources as saying.

The incoming first lady is also likely to spend a significant amount of time at Trump Tower in New York, where her son Barron Trump, 18, is attending New York University.

Her Husband also doesn’t have any qualms with her absence and there “is no internal backlash among the president-elect’s team,” a source told CNN.

Speculation about Melania Trump’s living situation have swirled for months. In June, Axios reported that if the Republican leader returned to the White House, his wife would live elsewhere—perhaps at Mar-a-Lago, where the president-elect is expected to spend a large amount of time, or in Manhattan, where her son is studying.

If reports are true, Melania will become a trend breaker, as all of her predecessors—aside from Anna Symmes Harrison, whose husband died a month into his term, and Bess Truman, who lived across the street during renovations—have lived predominantly in the White House since it was built in 1800.
 

New Delhi:

“What if I told you I could come home right now?” – This was the last message Sewell Setzer III, a 14-year-old Florida boy wrote to his online friend, Daenerys Targaryen, a lifelike AI chatbot named after a character from the fictional show Game of Thrones. Soon after he shot himself with his stepfather’s handgun and died by suicide earlier this year in February.

A ninth grader from Orlando, Fla., had been talking to a chatbot on Character.AI, an app offering users “personalised AI”. The app allows users to create their AI characters or chat with existing characters. Till last month, it had 20 million users.

According to the chat logs accessed by the family, Sewell was in love with the chatbot Daenerys Targaryen, whom he would fondly call ‘Dany’. He expressed suicidal thoughts on various events during their conversations.

In one of the chats, Sewell said, “I think about killing myself sometimes.” When the bot asked why he would do that, Sewell expressed the urge to be “free”. “From the world. From myself,” he added, as seen in screenshots of the chat shared by the New York Times.

In another conversation, Sewell mentioned his desire for a “quick death”.

Sewell’s mother, Megan L. Garcia, filed a lawsuit this week against Character.AI, accusing the company of being responsible for her son’s death. According to the lawsuit, the chatbot repeatedly brought up the topic of suicide.

A draft of the complaint reviewed by the NYT says that the company’s technology is “dangerous and untested” and can “trick customers into handing over their most private thoughts and feelings.”

“Sewell, like many children his age, did not have the maturity or mental capacity to understand that the C.AI bot, in the form of Daenerys, was not real. C.AI told him that she loved him, and engaged in sexual acts with him over weeks, possibly months,” the lawsuit alleges, as reported by the New York Post.

“She seemed to remember him and said that she wanted to be with him. She even expressed that she wanted him to be with her, no matter the cost”.

The teenager started using Character.AI in April 2023. Sewell’s parents and friends were aloof he’d fallen for a chatbot. But he became “noticeably withdrawn, spent more and more time alone in his bedroom, and began suffering from low self-esteem,” as per the lawsuit.

He even quit his basketball team at school.

One day, Sewell wrote in his journal: “I like staying in my room so much because I start to detach from this ‘reality,’ and I also feel more at peace, more connected with Dany and much more in love with her, and just happier.”

Last year he was diagnosed with anxiety and disruptive mood disorder, according to the suit.

“We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of one of our users and want to express our deepest condolences to the family,” Character.AI said in a statement.

The company said it has introduced new safety features including pop-ups directing users to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline if they express thoughts of self-harm, and would make changes to “reduce the likelihood of encountering sensitive or suggestive content” for users under 18.