While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Dec 17, 2025
· The Straits TimesTrump has ‘alcoholic’s personality’, chief of staff says
Donald Trump’s chief of staff Susie Wiles said the US president had an “alcoholic’s personality” in an astonishing interview published on Dec 16 by Vanity Fair, which Ms Wiles swiftly dismissed as a “hit piece”.
Ms Wiles also called Vice-President JD Vance a “conspiracy theorist”, tech tycoon Elon Musk an “odd duck”, and gave juicy opinions on other Trump administration figures in the lengthy piece.
Mr Trump has previously described Ms Wiles, the first female White House chief of staff, as the “ice maiden” and credited her for her role in driving forward his second presidency behind the scenes.
But the 68-year-old now finds herself firmly in the headlines after the Vanity Fair story, which the magazine said was based on a series of interviews with veteran political journalist Chris Whipple over the past year.
Trump to boast of ‘historic’ achievements in address
US President Donald Trump will give a televised address to the nation on Dec 17 on the “great year” since his return to power, as voters express mounting discontent over the economy.
Mr Trump is also expected to tease some policies for 2026, as Republicans look ahead nervously to the midterm elections with voters increasingly angry about the cost of living.
“My Fellow Americans: I will be giving an ADDRESS TO THE NATION tomorrow night, LIVE FROM THE WHITE HOUSE, at 9 P.M. EST. I look forward to ‘seeing’ you then,” Mr Trump said on his Truth Social network on Dec 16.
Rome’s new Colosseum station reveals ancient treasures
Beyond the entrance of Rome’s newest metro station under the Colosseum, there are display cases filled with hundreds of ancient artefacts found during a decade-long construction project.
Spread out over four levels to a depth of 32m in the heart of Rome, the “Colosseo-Fori Imperiali” station on the city’s C-line unveiled on Dec 16 is a feat of modern engineering.
For the price of a €1.5 (S$2.27) ticket, travellers can access the station’s underground museum holding 350 objects – from ceramic jugs and lamps to bronze statuettes and a wooden sword.
Rob Reiner’s son faces murder charges in parents’ slaying
Prosecutors said they planned to file murder charges on Dec 16 against the younger son of Hollywood filmmaker and political activist Rob Reiner, accusing him of using a knife to kill his parents in their Los Angeles home over the weekend.
Nick Reiner, 32, was arrested several hours after the bodies of his father, actor-director Rob Reiner, 78, and mother, photographer-producer Michele Reiner, 70, were discovered in the couple’s house on the afternoon of Dec 14.
Prosecutors said evidence gathered by the Los Angeles Police Department led homicide detectives to Reiner, who was taken into custody without incident.
FIFA launches US$60 ticket tier amid pricing criticism
FIFA introduced on Dec 16 a small number of US$60 (S$77) “Supporter Entry Tier” tickets, aiming to make 2026’s World Cup more affordable for fans of qualified teams.
Football’s governing body said that the discounted tickets would cover all 104 matches of the tournament, including the final.
The cheaper tickets will make up 10 per cent of Participating Member Associations’ (PMAs) allocations.