Trump: ‘All hell will break out’ if Hamas hostages not returned
WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday held an omnibus press conference at his Florida estate, where he explained his stances on key foreign policy issues as he prepares to take office in two weeks. He forcefully called for the…
Meta shelves fact-checking program in US, adopts X-like ‘Community Notes’ model
Meta is ending its fact-checking program in the U.S. and replacing it with a “Community Notes” system similar to that on Elon Musk-owned X, the Facebook parent said on Tuesday. The Community Notes model will allow users on Meta’s social…
Lebanon: Appeal for $371.4 million to boost life-saving support
Announced at the Grand Serail in Beirut by Deputy Prime Minister Saade el-Shami and UN Humanitarian Coordinator Imran Riza, the appeal extends emergency efforts through March 2025. It builds on the original Flash Appeal launched in October 2024, following the largest…
Gaza: Humanitarians assist families impacted by recent airstrike in Deir Al-Balah
Personnel from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) conducted the assessment earlier this week in the Yaffa and Al Somud makeshift sites, home to more than 190 families. Several…
More than 5,600 killed in Haiti gang violence in 2024
These deaths represent an increase of over 1,000 on the total killings for 2023, according to figures verified by OHCHR. A further 2,212 people were injured and 1,494 kidnapped. “These figures alone cannot capture the absolute horrors being perpetrated in…
Blinken visits Japan as Nippon Steel decision weighs on relations
WASHINGTON/TOKYO — U.S. President Joe Biden’s decision to block Nippon Steel’s $14.9 billion bid for U.S. Steel cast a shadow over Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Japan on Tuesday for farewell meetings with Washington’s most important ally in…
Ukraine says it shot down 28 Russian drones
Ukraine’s military said Tuesday it shot down 28 of 38 Russian drones that targeted areas of central and eastern Ukraine overnight. The Ukrainian air force said the intercepts took place over the Cherkasy, Kharkiv, Kherson, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, Poltava and Sumy…
Homes talk and tables walk at AI-dominated Consumer Electronics Show
LAS VEGAS — Home appliances that do chores, cars that know your favorite cafe, and robot pets aiming to please are among artificial intelligence-infused offerings at the Consumer Electronics Show opening Tuesday. All these will compete for attention at the…
British PM slams ‘lies and misinformation’ in escalating row with Musk
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has criticized those, in his words, “spreading lies and misinformation,” after coming under fire from billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk. The ally of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump accused Starmer of failing to prosecute past cases…
Louisiana reports 1st bird flu-related death in US, state agency says
WASHINGTON — The Louisiana Department of Health said Monday that a U.S. patient hospitalized with H5N1 bird flu had died, the country’s first death from an outbreak of the virus that has sickened dozens of people and millions of poultry…