Xu Bo, a 48-year-old Chinese billionaire and founder of online gaming company Duoyi, has fathered more than 100 US-born children through surrogacy agencies and reportedly hopes they will one day marry Elon Musk’s children to create a sprawling family dynasty, according to social-media posts verified by the Wall Street Journal.Xu, who calls himself “China’s first father,” publicly stated he intended to sire at least “50 high-quality sons.” Duoyi later posted on social media that he had produced over 100 children via US surrogacy.The story ignited on Chinese social media after Xu’s ex-girlfriend, Tang Jing, claimed he had fathered more than 300 children, 11 of whom she said she had raised for years. “That number might even be undercounted, but it’s certainly not exaggerated,” said Tang Jing, Xu’s ex, in a post Nov. 15, according to the India Times.The pair are now engaged in a custody battle over two daughters they share, with Xu claiming his ex owes him tens of crores in expenses he paid over the years and declining to challenge her posts about his hundreds of children.In a video posted in 2022 by an account linked to Xu, footage showed dozens of young boys in a mansion. As the camera panned, the boys leapt from their chairs and rushed towards the cameraman, shouting “Daddy!” in Chinese. “Imagine a bunch of babies rushing towards you—how does that feel?” reads the caption on the video, according to the outlet. “Take a look. Besides your loved one, what’s cuter than children?”A representative for Duoyi told the Journal that “much of what you described is untrue.” The representative, who refused to give their name, did not respond when asked for specifics.Xu’s quest to build a family dynasty was reportedly inspired by Musk, who has been rumoured to offer friends and family sperm in an effort to build his bloodline—a claim Musk has denied. On Weibo, Xu posted fantasies of his offspring one day marrying Musk’s children, according to the Journal.In the summer of 2023, a judge in California handled petitions from Xu to gain parental rights for four unborn children, as well as at least eight other children he had paid for through surrogates. The judge immediately called a confidential hearing, and Xu appeared over video. He told the judge he hoped to sire 20 or more US-born children—boys specifically because they are superior—to one day take over his business. The judge rejected his petition for parental rights, leaving the unborn children in legal limbo and exposing an industry of surrogacy companies helping wealthy Chinese businessmen have American-born children.Many of his children have reportedly lived in a home in Irvine, Calif., and been raised by nannies. Xu told the judge he had not met them yet because work had been busy but said he planned to bring them to China soon.

In a key development in the Brown University shooting case, authorities have identified a 24-year-old man as a person of interest.Benjamin Erickson, a 24-year-old man, was arrested before dawn on Sunday, at a Hampton Inn in Coventry, Rhode Island, following an 11-hour manhunt, New York Post reported. He was sought in connection with a mass shooting at Brown University’s Providence campus during a final-exam study session on Saturday around 4.30 pm. Two students were killed and nine more wounded when the gunman opened fire.Police said Erickson was not a current student but investigators were examining whether he had studied at Brown or had other ties to the institution. He was being held as a person of interest; no charges had been filed.

Was Erikson part of US Army

According to the records, Erickson served in the US Army. He served as an infantryman in the US Army from May 2021 to November 2024, leaving the military with the rank of specialist, an Army rep told The Post.His voter registration showing a “statehood” party affiliation, according to public records.

What police found at his hotel room?

Law-enforcement officials said the shooter was armed with a handgun and fired more than 40 9 mm rounds. CCTV footage showed a man matching his description walking along a road near the campus before the attack. Shell casings were marked with evidence tags inside the building where the shooting took place.Investigators were also probing whether Erickson had long-standing mental-health issues, sources said. “The man told authorities he had been in his room the entire time Saturday when the shooting took place,” CNN said.The motive remained unclear. Erickson did not immediately appear to have any criminal history, according to public records. A revolver and a small handgun fitted with a special laser light were found in his hotel room, sources and CNN reported. Sources told The Post that the unique laser light on the handgun helped lead them to the person of interest.The FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey team geolocated Erickson to the Coventry hotel, according to agency director Kash Patel. Police also used video evidence, tips from the public, an examination of license-plate readers and other leads to track him, CNN said.

What happened at Brown University?

The shooting occurred around 4.30 pm during a final exam review session for an economics class run by Rachel Friedberg, who also served as a faculty associate of the school’s Programme in Judaic Studies. One victim remained in critical condition, seven were listed as stable and one had been discharged, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley told reporters on Sunday morning.“We continue to be in mourning as a community about the tragic loss of life from gun violence that stole the lives of two of our students yesterday,” Brown University President Christina Paxson said in a statement. “The past 24 hours really have been unimaginable — it’s a tragedy that no university community is ever ready for. While we always prepare for major crises, we also pray such a day never comes” she added.A shelter-in-place order was lifted on the campus, although all final exams were cancelled. “At this time, it is essential that we focus our efforts on providing care and support to the members of our community as we grapple with the sorrow, fear and anxiety that is impacting all of us right now,” school Provost Francis J. Doyle III said in a message.

Trump offers condolences

US President Trump also mourned the victims, speaking at a White House Christmas event shortly before a mass shooting in Australia’s Bondi Beach. “I want to just pay my respects to the people, unfortunately, two are no longer with us, Brown University, nine injured, and two are looking down on us right now from Heaven,” Trump said.A candlelight vigil was held for the victims at Lippitt Memorial on Sunday instead of the town’s holiday light celebration, Providence Councilwoman Sue AnderBois said as hundreds gathered. “We are gathered here to share light with one another in one of Providence’s darkest times,” she said. “Our hearts break for the two students at Brown who lost their lives to gun violence yesterday, and the nine others who are injured, and their families and the whole Brown and Greater Providence community.

NEW DELHI: Delhiites could see poison in the air on Sunday. A thick layer of toxic smog enveloped the capital, turning the city into a gas chamber with air quality plunging to ‘severe-plus’ category for the first time this year.The city’s 24-hour average air quality index stood at 461, the second-worst recorded in Dec and the worst in nearly 13 months. Since the scale began in April 2015, only once has a higher AQI been recorded in Dec – 469 on Dec 21, 2017. For any month, the last time Delhiites a suffered worst AQI was on Nov 18 last year (494).

AQI Severe-Plus, Delhi’s Worst In More Than 1 Yr

High moisture, low temperatures and calm winds effectively trapped pollution close to the surface even as a grey smog screened out the sun for most of the day. Winds are predicted to pick up slightly post-noon on Monday, which could disperse some pollutants.On Sunday, atmospheric ‘inversion’ made the situation worse. This occurs when cooler air near the ground gets trapped un-der warmer air above, stop ping pollutants from dispers ing. Though meteorological conditions remained unfa-vourable for the dispersion of pollutants, local emissions continued to remain high.“This is a true depiction. of Delhi’s local emissions be cause wind speeds are almost zero, meaning there is hardly any inflow or outflow of air. Vertical ventilation is con-fined to a column of just 600 metres, which means whatev er remains in the box-Delhi is largely its own emis sions. Under these condi-tions, the contribution of dust is negligible. When dust is released from construction activity, it usually spreads to other areas due to wind, but with winds nearly calm, it cannot pollute places beyond the immediate site of re-lease,” said Gufran Beig. founder of the System of Air Quality and Weather Fore-casting and Research (SA-FAR) and Chair Professor at the National Institute of Ad-vanced Studies (NIAS).Of the total 39 active air quality monitoring stations, 38 saw ‘severe’ AQI while only Shadipur was placed in the ‘ve-ry poor category at 375. Of these, three stations Wazir pur, Rohini and Ashok Vihar maxed out at 500, while several others reported AQI above 490.This is the second spell of severe air days in Delhi this season. The city had recorded three consecutive severe days from Nov 11 to 13. In this win-ter season, the city has re-corded five such days, when AQI surpassed 400.After air quality started rapidly deteriorating on Saturday, the Graded Response Action Plan’s stage III was im-posed in the morning. Stage IV was invoked on Saturday eve ning as AQI showed no sign of improvement. Currently, all stages of GRAP are in force.Delhi’s highest-ever AQI of 497 was recorded on Nov 6, 2016. The second-worst air quality day followed on Nov 18 last year with AQI reaching 494.

India has identified close to 300 products across engineering goods, pharmaceuticals, agriculture and chemicals that offer significant opportunities for Indian exporters to expand their presence in the Russian market, a senior official told PTI. The exercise comes as New Delhi and Moscow work towards the bilateral trade target of $100 billion by 2030.India currently exports only $1.7 billion worth of these products to Russia, compared to Russia’s total imports of $37.4 billion in the same categories. “This stark disparity demonstrates the substantial complementary export space India can target,” the official said, adding that enhanced shipments could also help narrow India’s trade deficit with Russia, which stands at $59 billion.The commerce ministry shortlisted the high-potential product basket by mapping India’s supply strengths against Russia’s import demand across key sectors. Engineering goods, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and agriculture emerge as strong candidates, reflecting India’s growing global competitiveness and Russia’s unmet requirements. India’s share in Russia’s overall import basket remains modest at around 2.3 per cent, according to PTI.Imports from Russia have surged more than tenfold—from $5.94 billion in 2020 to $64.24 billion in 2024—led almost entirely by crude oil, which jumped from $2 billion to $57 billion during the period. Oil now accounts for nearly 21 per cent of India’s total crude imports from Russia, underscoring Moscow’s importance as a key supplier. Fertilisers and vegetable oils are the other major imports.On the export front, agriculture and allied items continue to offer strong traction. India currently exports $452 million worth of products in this segment to Russia, against Russia’s global import demand of $3.9 billion. Engineering goods show an even wider gap, with India’s exports at $90 million versus Russia’s $2.7 billion import requirement—an opportunity that widens as Russia diversifies away from China. Chemicals and plastics tell a similar story: India supplies $135 million, while Russia imports $2.06 billion.Pharmaceuticals remain a particularly high-value corridor. India exports $546 million of pharma products to Russia, while Russia’s import bill stands at $9.7 billion, giving Indian generics and APIs meaningful headroom for growth.The official added that beyond these high-value sectors, labour-intensive industries such as textiles, apparel, leather products, handicrafts, processed foods and light engineering also have strong export potential due to India’s competitiveness and Russia’s large consumer base. Electronics and textiles currently have less than 1 per cent market share in Russia but face substantial demand, which could be tapped with stronger distribution channels.

Nearly half of India’s family-owned enterprises now report annual revenues between USD 1 billion and USD 30 billion, with 36% alone in the USD 1–5 billion band, according to Deloitte Private’s latest Family Business Insights Series: Defining the family business landscape, 2025, ANI reported.The report—based on a survey of 1,587 family businesses across 36 countries, including 50 in India, along with 30 senior executive interviews—shows Indian family businesses entering a phase of strong expansion, backed by rising access to capital, generational leadership shifts and deeper public markets.“The growth of India’s family businesses is no accident. It is driven by multiple interlinked factors, including greater access to capital, generational shifts, the formation of family offices and the robustness of India’s public markets, along with leading transformation through technology and inclusion,” said K R Sekar, Partner and Leader – Deloitte Private, Deloitte India.Robust growth outlook for 2025–26Globally, the number of family businesses generating USD 100 million or more in annual revenue is projected to rise 22% by 2030. India stands out within this trend:

The study highlights that more than half of Indian family businesses (53%) have already adopted artificial intelligence, far surpassing global adoption levels. AI-led efficiencies, venture into new markets, and product diversification are helping these companies stay competitive amid tightening margins and cost pressures.ESG, governance and inclusion gain groundDeloitte notes an increasing emphasis on sustainability and governance, with 76% of Indian family-owned enterprises expressing strong commitment to ESG goals.At the board level, 73% report more than 10% female representation, signalling gradual improvements in leadership diversity. However, only 4% of family businesses have 41–50% women in senior leadership or C-suite positions, showing gender parity remains a challenge.Aggressive expansion plans across Asia and beyondThe study shows high regional confidence:

With rising revenues, growing global ambitions and strengthening institutional frameworks, Deloitte concludes that Indian family businesses are set for a period of accelerated, tech-driven scale-up—placing them among the most dynamic family enterprise ecosystems globally.

Australian authorities have identified one of the alleged gunmen involved in the deadly Bondi Beach shooting as Naveed Akram, a man from Sydney’s south-west, as investigations continue into the attack that left at least 12 people dead.A senior law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told ABC News that Akram’s residence in Bonnyrigg was raided by police on Sunday evening. However, authorities said it remains unclear which of the two attackers Akram was, as one gunman was killed at the scene while the other was arrested in critical condition.The shooting occurred shortly after 6.30pm (local time) on Sunday during the Chanukah by the Sea event, attended by hundreds marking the first night of Hanukkah. New South Wales police said two gunmen opened fire on the crowd, killing at least 12 people and injuring several others.NSW police commissioner Mal Lanyon said an improvised explosive device was found in a car linked to the deceased attacker. He confirmed that the incident has been designated a terrorist attack, though the intended target has not yet been established. “We have found an improvised explosive device in a car which is linked to the deceased offender,” Lanyon told a news conference.Lanyon also indicated that one of the shooters was previously known to authorities, but posed no immediate threat. “The person that we know has very, very little knowledge to the police,” he said. “So he’s not someone that we would have automatically been looking at at this time.”Footage aired by the ABC showed two black-clad gunmen firing from a footbridge near the beach. Another video, filmed by a bystander and broadcast on local television, appeared to show a member of the public tackling and disarming one of the attackers.Eyewitnesses recounted scenes of panic. Lachlan Moran, 32, from Melbourne, told AP: “You heard a few pops, and I freaked out and ran away. … I started sprinting. I just had that intuition. I sprinted as quickly as I could.” He said the gunfire continued intermittently for about five minutes. British tourist Timothy Brant-Coles told AFP he saw “two shooters in black with semi-automatic rifles” and several wounded people. Local resident Harry Wilson told the Sydney Morning Herald he saw “at least 10 people on the ground and blood everywhere.”The Australian security intelligence organisation (ASIO) confirmed that one of the attackers was “known to us, but not in an immediate threat perspective.” Police and federal agencies continue to examine suspicious items found in the area, with an exclusion zone still in place as Bondi Beach remains largely deserted during the ongoing investigation.