WORLD NEWS
Thousands flock to Bethlehem to revive Christmas spirit after 2 years of war in Gaza
Read full article: Thousands flock to Bethlehem to revive Christmas spirit after 2 years of war in GazaThousands of people have flocked to Bethlehem's Manger Square on Christmas Eve, after two years of subdued Christmas celebrations because of the war in Gaza.
EU warns of possible action after the US bars 5 Europeans accused of censorship
Read full article: EU warns of possible action after the US bars 5 Europeans accused of censorshipFrance, Germany, the European Union and the United Kingdom are hitting out at a U.S. decision to impose travel bans on five Europeans the Trump administration accuses of pressuring tech firms to censor or suppress American views.
Zelenskyy says he's open to creating demilitarized zone in Ukraine's industrial heartland
Read full article: Zelenskyy says he's open to creating demilitarized zone in Ukraine's industrial heartlandUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he would be willing to withdraw troops from the country’s eastern industrial heartland as part of a plan to end Russia’s war, if Moscow also pulls back and the area becomes a demilitarized zone monitored by international forces.
Turkey recovers black boxes from jet crash that killed top Libyan military officials
Read full article: Turkey recovers black boxes from jet crash that killed top Libyan military officialsSearch teams in Turkey have recovered the cockpit voice and flight data recorders from a jet crash that killed eight people, including Libya’s military chief.
Pope disappointed over approval of assisted suicide legislation in his home state of Illinois
Read full article: Pope disappointed over approval of assisted suicide legislation in his home state of IllinoisPope Leo XIV says he's “very disappointed” that his home state of Illinois has approved medically assisted suicide.
Venezuela seeks to criminalize oil tanker seizures as Trump puts pressure on Maduro
Read full article: Venezuela seeks to criminalize oil tanker seizures as Trump puts pressure on MaduroVenezuela's National Assembly has approved a measure criminalizing activities that hinder navigation and commerce, like the seizure of oil tankers.
Trump says he's inviting Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to next year's G20 summit in Miami
Read full article: Trump says he's inviting Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to next year's G20 summit in MiamiPresident Donald Trump says he will be extending invitations to next year’s Group of 20 summit to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
Yemen’s sides agree to release 2,900 detainees in war's largest exchange
Read full article: Yemen’s sides agree to release 2,900 detainees in war's largest exchangeYemen’s government and Iran-backed Houthi rebels have agreed to release 2,900 detainees in the largest swap during the 11-year civil war.
Ex-aide says Netanyahu tasked him with making a plan to evade responsibility for Oct. 7 attack
Read full article: Ex-aide says Netanyahu tasked him with making a plan to evade responsibility for Oct. 7 attackA former close aide to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that immediately following the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, he was ordered to figure out how the premier could evade responsibility for the security breach.
Major Russian drone and missile attack on Ukraine kills at least 3 people and cuts power
Read full article: Major Russian drone and missile attack on Ukraine kills at least 3 people and cuts powerOfficials say Russia fired more than 650 drones and three dozen missiles at Ukraine in a large-scale attack that began during the night and stretched into daylight hours Tuesday.
Gaza's tiny Christian community tries to capture the holiday spirit during the ceasefire
Read full article: Gaza's tiny Christian community tries to capture the holiday spirit during the ceasefireGaza’s tiny Palestinian Christian community is trying to capture some of the Christmas spirit under a fragile ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.
Sudan's prime minister takes his peace plan to the UN, but US urges humanitarian truce now
Read full article: Sudan's prime minister takes his peace plan to the UN, but US urges humanitarian truce nowSudan’s prime minister is proposing a wide-ranging peace initiative to end a nearly 1,000-day war with a rival paramilitary force.
At least 5 killed after Mexican Navy plane on medical mission crashes in Texas
Read full article: At least 5 killed after Mexican Navy plane on medical mission crashes in TexasOfficials say a small Mexican Navy plane transporting a young medical patient along with seven others has crashed near Galveston.
Ecuadorian court hands down max sentences to 11 soldiers in case of 4 disappeared minors
Read full article: Ecuadorian court hands down max sentences to 11 soldiers in case of 4 disappeared minorsA court in Ecuador has sentenced eleven soldiers to 34 years in prison for the abduction and torture of four children last year.
The killing of a general in Moscow follows a series of assassinations Russia blames on Ukraine
Read full article: The killing of a general in Moscow follows a series of assassinations Russia blames on UkraineRussia has accused Ukraine of carrying out a number of high-profile attacks against prominent Russians since Moscow invaded its neighbor nearly four years ago.
Ukraine's Zelenskyy says progress in US-led peace talks is 'quite solid'
Read full article: Ukraine's Zelenskyy says progress in US-led peace talks is 'quite solid'U.S. proposals for a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia meet many of Kyiv's demands, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Clashes flare as top Turkish officials visit Syria ahead of a deadline for Kurdish integration
Read full article: Clashes flare as top Turkish officials visit Syria ahead of a deadline for Kurdish integrationClashes have erupted between Syrian security forces and Kurdish fighters in the city of Aleppo.
Trump's appointment of envoy to Greenland sparks new tension with Denmark
Read full article: Trump's appointment of envoy to Greenland sparks new tension with DenmarkThe leaders of Denmark and Greenland are insisting that the U.S. won’t take over Greenland after President Donald Trump announced the appointment of a special envoy to the semi-autonomous territory.
India and New Zealand finalize a free trade agreement, eyeing growth as global uncertainties persist
Read full article: India and New Zealand finalize a free trade agreement, eyeing growth as global uncertainties persistIndia and New Zealand say they have reached a free trade deal to deepen economic ties amid global trade uncertainties.
Ukraine is leveraging its powerful – and cheap – new drone killers for air defense
Read full article: Ukraine is leveraging its powerful – and cheap – new drone killers for air defenseUkraine is rapidly deploying low-cost interceptor drones to counter Russia’s evolving aerial attacks on cities and power infrastructure.
Thailand and Cambodia to resume ceasefire talks after deadly border clashes
Read full article: Thailand and Cambodia to resume ceasefire talks after deadly border clashesThailand’s foreign minister says Thailand and Cambodia will resume talks to work toward a more durable ceasefire along their border.
Bondi Beach shooting suspect conducted firearms training with his father, Australian police say
Read full article: Bondi Beach shooting suspect conducted firearms training with his father, Australian police sayAustralian police documents reveal that a man accused of killing 15 people at Sydney’s Bondi Beach conducted firearms training with his father.
Scientists and data explain why Kenya's lakes are rising as thousands face an uncertain future
Read full article: Scientists and data explain why Kenya's lakes are rising as thousands face an uncertain futureDickson Ngome's farm at Lake Naivasha in Kenya's Rift Valley has been submerged due to rising water levels.
Trump removes nearly 30 career diplomats from ambassadorial positions
Read full article: Trump removes nearly 30 career diplomats from ambassadorial positionsThe Trump administration is recalling nearly 30 career diplomats from ambassadorial and other senior embassy posts as it moves to reshape the U.S. diplomatic posture abroad with personnel deemed fully supportive of President Donald Trump’s “America First” priorities.
Israel's Cabinet approves 19 new Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank
Read full article: Israel's Cabinet approves 19 new Jewish settlements in the occupied West BankIsrael’s far-right finance minister says the Cabinet has approved 19 new Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Élysée Palace silver steward arrested for stealing thousands of euros' worth of silverware
Read full article: Élysée Palace silver steward arrested for stealing thousands of euros' worth of silverwareThree men are set to stand trial next year after a silver steward at the French president's residence was arrested for stealing silverware worth thousands of euros.
Multiple gunmen open fire at a South African pub, killing 9 and wounding 10
Read full article: Multiple gunmen open fire at a South African pub, killing 9 and wounding 10Authorities report that nine people have died and at least 10 others are injured after a shooting at a South African pub.
Thousands gather at Bondi Beach to mourn victims of antisemitic attack
Read full article: Thousands gather at Bondi Beach to mourn victims of antisemitic attackThousands of mourners have gathered at Sydney’s Bondi Beach to mark a week since two gunmen targeted a Jewish festival, killing 15 people.
Australian state plans tougher laws against displaying extremist flags after Bondi shooting
Read full article: Australian state plans tougher laws against displaying extremist flags after Bondi shootingThe Australian state of New South Wales is proposing a ban on public displays of Islamic State group flags and extremist symbols.
UN urges Rwanda to leave eastern Congo and extends peacekeeping mission for a year
Read full article: UN urges Rwanda to leave eastern Congo and extends peacekeeping mission for a yearThe U.N. Security Council has urged Rwanda to withdraw its forces from eastern Congo and extended the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Congo for a year.
Russian strike on Odesa kills 8 as US hosts a Kremlin envoy for talks on peace plan
Read full article: Russian strike on Odesa kills 8 as US hosts a Kremlin envoy for talks on peace planA Russian missile strike on port infrastructure in Odesa has killed eight people and wounded 27, according to Ukraine’s emergency service.
Trump administration restricts 2 Honduran election officials' visas over special vote count
Read full article: Trump administration restricts 2 Honduran election officials' visas over special vote countThe Trump administration has restricted visas for two leftist Honduran election officials, citing interference in the Central American country’s special vote count.
Taiwan attacker planned assault that killed 3 and injured 11, authorities say
Read full article: Taiwan attacker planned assault that killed 3 and injured 11, authorities sayTaiwanese authorities says the suspect who killed three people and injured 11 others in knife and smoke-grenade attacks in the island’s capital had planned the assaults and set fires at other locations earlier in the day.
Prisoners freed by Belarus say their passports are taken away in a final 'dirty trick' by officials
Read full article: Prisoners freed by Belarus say their passports are taken away in a final 'dirty trick' by officialsEven though Belarus has released dozens of prisoners, those who've been freed say the authoritarian government often delivers one final act of repression by confiscating their passports before deporting them.
Israeli fire kills at least 5 Palestinians in Gaza, a hospital in the enclave says
Read full article: Israeli fire kills at least 5 Palestinians in Gaza, a hospital in the enclave saysA local Gaza hospital says Israeli troops have fired over the ceasefire line in the northern Gaza Strip, killing at least five Palestinians, including a baby.
US awards no-bid contract to Denmark scientists studying hepatitis B vaccine in African babies
Read full article: US awards no-bid contract to Denmark scientists studying hepatitis B vaccine in African babiesThe Trump administration has awarded a $1.6 million, no-bid contract a Danish university to study hepatitis B vaccinations on newborns in Africa.
UN's grim week: 6 peacekeepers and an interpreter killed, while 10 more staffers detained in Yemen
Read full article: UN's grim week: 6 peacekeepers and an interpreter killed, while 10 more staffers detained in YemenIt’s been a grim week at the end of a tough year for the United Nations: Six U.N. peacekeepers were killed in a drone attack in Sudan.
Visiting the Trevi Fountain now will cost more than just a coin toss with a 2-euro tourist fee
Read full article: Visiting the Trevi Fountain now will cost more than just a coin toss with a 2-euro tourist feeTourists visiting the Trevi Fountain are now going to pay more than just the legendary coin toss over their shoulder.
Bolivia's largest cities brought to standstill by transportation strike over fuel price hike
Read full article: Bolivia's largest cities brought to standstill by transportation strike over fuel price hikeBolivia's largest cities La Paz and Santa Cruz have been brought to a standstill as public transportation workers strike against a 100% fuel price increase ordered by the new government.
Pope names new archbishop of Westminster as part of generational shift in English-speaking hierarchy
Read full article: Pope names new archbishop of Westminster as part of generational shift in English-speaking hierarchyPope Leo XIV has made another high-profile appointment that signals a generational shift in the English-speaking Catholic hierarchy.
3 killed in Taiwan knife attack, with the suspect later falling to his death from a department store
Read full article: 3 killed in Taiwan knife attack, with the suspect later falling to his death from a department storeTaiwan's national news agency and the city government say a man with a knife and smoke grenades attacked crowds indiscriminately in Taiwan’s capital.
Spread of famine in Gaza Strip averted but Palestinians there still face starvation, experts say
Read full article: Spread of famine in Gaza Strip averted but Palestinians there still face starvation, experts sayThe world’s leading authority on food crises says the spread of famine’s been averted in the Gaza Strip.
Ukrainian and Polish presidents show unity against Russia, address historical tensions
Read full article: Ukrainian and Polish presidents show unity against Russia, address historical tensionsThe Ukrainian and Polish presidents have met in Warsaw to emphasize unity against Russia and progress on historical reconciliation.
Putin tells his annual news conference that the Kremlin's military goals in Ukraine will be met
Read full article: Putin tells his annual news conference that the Kremlin's military goals in Ukraine will be metPresident Vladimir Putin has emphasized that Moscow’s troops are advancing across the battlefield in Ukraine and has voiced confidence that the Kremlin will achieve its goals militarily if Kyiv doesn't agree to Russia’s conditions in peace talks.
A sunrise crowd gathers at Bondi Beach in solace and defiance after a massacre
Read full article: A sunrise crowd gathers at Bondi Beach in solace and defiance after a massacreThousands of people have returned to Australia's Bondi Beach in the first full day of opening since a mass shooting killed 15 people.
India’s push for battery recycling promises jobs, clean energy and mineral security
Read full article: India’s push for battery recycling promises jobs, clean energy and mineral securityReusing, recycling and repurposing batteries can reduce dependence on hard to obtain critical minerals and create a $9 billion industry, according to energy analysts.
EU leaders agree on 90 billion-euro loan to Ukraine after a plan to use Russian assets unravels
Read full article: EU leaders agree on 90 billion-euro loan to Ukraine after a plan to use Russian assets unravelsEuropean Union leaders have agreed to provide a massive interest-free loan to Ukraine to meet its military and economic needs for the next two years.