U.S./World category, Page 2
The year’s 1st meteor shower and supermoon clash in January skies
NEW YORK — The year’s first supermoon and meteor shower will sync up in January skies, but the light from one may dim the other. The Quadrantid meteor shower peaks Friday night into Saturday morning, according to the American Meteor Society. In dark skies during the peak, skygazers typically see...
After quiet off-year elections, Democrats renew worries about Trump interfering in the midterms
If history is a guide, Republicans stand a good chance of losing control of the House of Representatives in 2026. They have just a slim majority in the chamber, and the incumbent party usually gives up seats in midterm elections. President Donald Trump, whose loss of the House halfway through...
SNAP bans on soda, candy and other foods take effect in 5 states Jan. 1
Starting Thursday, Americans in five states who get government help paying for groceries will see new restrictions on soda, candy and other foods they can buy with those benefits. Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Utah and West Virginia are the first of at least 18 states to enact waivers prohibiting the purchase...
Channel Tunnel disruption affects Eurostar and vehicle shuttle between France and England
PARIS — Power problems and a stuck train interrupted rail services through the undersea Channel Tunnel connecting the United Kingdom and continental Europe on Tuesday, operators said, stranding passengers during the busy end-of-year holidays. At Paris’ Gare du Nord station, Jamie and Issy Gill scrambled to find a flight back...
Russia’s nuclear-capable Oreshnik missiles have entered active service, Moscow says
Russia’s nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile system has entered active service in Belarus, Russia’s Defense Ministry said Tuesday, as the U.S. efforts to broker a deal to end the nearly four-year war in Ukraine have entered a pivotal stage. The ministry released a video showing combat vehicles that are part of the...
Israel says it will halt operations of several humanitarian organizations in Gaza starting in 2026
JERUSALEM — Israel on Tuesday said it will suspend over two dozen humanitarian organizations, including Doctors Without Borders, for failing to meet its new rules to vet international organizations working in Gaza. The Ministry of Diaspora Affairs said the organizations that will be banned on Jan. 1 did not meet...
European and Canadian leaders discuss U.S.-led peace efforts in Russia-Ukraine war
KYIV, Ukraine — Leaders from Europe and Canada held talks Tuesday on U.S.-led peace efforts to end the nearly four-year war between Russia and Ukraine, as Moscow and Kyiv sparred over Russian claims, denied by Ukraine, of a mass drone attack on a lakeside residence used by President Vladimir Putin....
Khaleda Zia, former Bangladeshi prime minister and archrival of Hasina, dies at 80
DHAKA, Bangladesh — Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, whose archrivalry with another former premier defined the country’s politics for a generation, has died, her Bangladesh Nationalist Party said in a statement Tuesday. She was 80. Zia was the first woman elected prime minister of Bangladesh. She had faced corruption...
Saudi Arabia bombs Yemen over shipment of weapons for separatists that arrived from UAE
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Saudi Arabia bombed Yemen’s port city of Mukalla on Tuesday after a weapons shipment from the United Arab Emirates arrived for separatist forces in the war-torn country, and warned that it viewed Emirati actions as “extremely dangerous.” The bombing followed tensions over the advance of...
U.S. military carries out 30th strike on alleged drug boat
WASHINGTON — The U.S. military said Monday that it had conducted another strike against a boat accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people. The strike, which was announced by U.S. Southern Command on social media, has brought the total number of known boat strikes to...
U.S. pledges $2 billion for UN humanitarian aid as Trump warns agencies must ‘adapt or die’
GENEVA — The United States on Monday announced a $2 billion pledge for U.N. humanitarian aid as President Donald Trump’s administration slashes U.S. foreign assistance and warns United Nations agencies to “adapt, shrink or die” in a time of new financial realities. The money is a small fraction of what...
Court releases transcript from closed hearing for man accused of killing Charlie Kirk
SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah judge on Monday ordered the release of a transcript from a closed-door hearing in October over whether the man charged with killing Charlie Kirk must be shackled during court proceedings. State District Judge Tony Graf said public transparency was “foundational” to the judicial system...
2 pilots killed after helicopters collided in New Jersey are identified
Authorities on Monday identified two pilots who died after their helicopters collided midair in southern New Jersey. Kenneth Kirsch, 65, and Michael Greenberg, 71, were friends who both lived in New Jersey and would often have breakfast together at a cafe near the crash site in Hammonton, about 35 miles...
A bomb cyclone brings blizzards and dangerous wind chills to the Midwest
A strengthening bomb cyclone barreled across the northern U.S. on Monday, unleashing severe winter weather in the Midwest as it took aim at the East Coast. The storm brought blizzard conditions, treacherous travel and widespread power outages to parts of the Plains and Great Lakes on Monday as sharply colder...
Iran Central Bank governor resigns as protests erupt over currency drop
TEHRAN, Iran — The head of Iran’s Central Bank resigned Monday as protests erupted in Tehran and several other cities after the country’s currency plummeted to a new record low against the U.S. dollar. The resignation of Mohammad Reza Farzin was reported by state TV, as hundreds of traders and...
U.S. offers Ukraine 15-year security guarantee as part of peace plan, Zelenskyy says
KYIV, Ukraine — The United States is offering Ukraine security guarantees for a period of 15 years as part of a proposed peace plan, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday, though he said he would prefer an American commitment of up to 50 years to deter Russia from further attempts...
Trump and Netanyahu are to meet in Florida at a crucial moment for the U.S.-backed Gaza ceasefire
PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, as Washington looks to create fresh momentum for a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in Gaza that could be in danger of stalling before a complicated second phase. Trump could use the face-to-face at...
Train derails in southern Mexico, killing at least 13 and injuring dozens
MEXICO CITY, Mexico — Officials said a train accident in southern Mexico killed at least 13 people and injured dozens, halting traffic along a rail line connecting the Pacific Ocean with the Gulf of Mexico. The Interoceanic Train linking the states of Oaxaca and Veracruz went off the rails Sunday...
Pipe bomb suspect told FBI he targeted political parties because they were ‘in charge,’ memo says
WASHINGTON — The man accused of placing two pipe bombs in Washington on the eve of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol told investigators after his arrest that he believed someone needed to “speak up” for people who believed the 2020 election was stolen and that he...
China stages military drills around Taiwan to warn ‘external forces’ after U.S., Japan tensions
HONG KONG — China’s military on Monday dispatched air, navy and rocket troops to conduct joint live-fire drills around the island of Taiwan, which Beijing called a “stern warning” against separatist and “external interference” forces. Taiwan said it was placing its forces on alert and called the Chinese government “the...
New York subway ends its MetroCard era and switches fully to tap-and-go fares
NEW YORK — When the MetroCard replaced the New York City subway token in 1994, the swipeable plastic card infused much-needed modernity into one of the world’s oldest and largest transit systems. Now, more than three decades later, the gold-hued fare card and its notoriously finicky magnetic strip are following...
Midair helicopter crash in New Jersey leaves 1 dead and another critically injured
HAMMONTON, N.J. — Two helicopters crashed midair in New Jersey on Sunday, killing one person and critically injuring another, authorities say. Hammonton Police Chief Kevin Friel said rescuers responded to a report of an aviation crash at about 11:25 a.m. Video from the scene shows a helicopter spinning rapidly to...
Winter storm threatens to bring blizzards and ice to parts of the U.S., hampering holiday travel
A powerful winter storm was sweeping east from the Plains on Sunday, driven by what meteorologists describe as an intense cyclone, setting off a chain reaction of snow, ice, rain and severe weather expected to affect much of the country. Snow and strengthening winds spread across the Upper Midwest on...
Trump says Ukraine and Russia are ‘closer than ever’ to peace after talks with Zelenskyy
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump on Sunday insisted Ukraine and Russia are “closer than ever before” to a peace deal as he hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Florida resort, but he acknowledged that negotiations are complex and could still break down, leaving the war dragging...
Brigitte Bardot, 1960s sex symbol turned militant animal rights activist, dies at 91
PARIS — Brigitte Bardot, the French 1960s sex symbol who became one of the greatest screen sirens of the 20th century and later a militant animal rights activist and far-right supporter, has died. She was 91. Bardot died Sunday at her home in southern France, according to Bruno Jacquelin, of...
