- Fear hits east Jerusalem as Israel moves to close UN Palestinian refugee agency The Associated Press
- ‘We rely on God, then on UNRWA’: Palestinians fear drastic effects as Israeli ban on UN agency comes into force CNN
- Norway says sending $24 million to UNRWA after Israel ban The Times of Israel
- Israel Breaks With U.N. Agency Critical to Gaza’s Aid Flow The Wall Street Journal
- What Israel’s UNRWA Ban Could Mean for Palestinians The New York Times
Rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa made transitional president of Syria
Appointment of former leader of group that led operation to topple Assad comes amid other political changes
The former leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist rebel group which led the military operation to topple the former president of Syria, Bashar al-Assad, last month, has been appointed president of Syria for a “transitional period”.
The appointment of Ahmed al-Sharaa, who has been acting as the de-facto leader of the country since early December, came after a meeting of rebel faction leaders on Wednesday and was announced by a military spokesperson.
Continue reading...Syria’s Ahmed al-Sharaa named president for transitional period
Al-Sharaa was also authorised to form a temporary legislative council for the transitional phase, state media reports.
Israel says three Israeli and five Thai hostages to be released in Gaza Thursday – CNN
- Israel says three Israeli and five Thai hostages to be released in Gaza Thursday CNN
- Israel Says 8 of the 26 Hostages That Hamas Is Expected to Release Are Dead The New York Times
- Hamas to release three Israeli and five Thai hostages amid ceasefire Sky News
- Red Cross says it has no control over Hamas conduct during hostage handovers The Times of Israel
- Israel says eight captives to be released Thursday under Gaza truce deal Al Jazeera English
Canada and Mexico can avoid tariffs before Saturday’s deadline, says Trump’s commerce pick
Howard Lutnick testified at his US Senate confirmation hearing for his nomination to head commerce department
Donald Trump’s nominee to run the commerce department, Howard Lutnick, said on Wednesday that Canada and Mexico can avoid looming US tariffs if they act swiftly to close their borders to fentanyl, while vowing to slow China’s advancement in artificial intelligence.
Lutnick, a billionaire Wall Street CEO, at his US Senate confirmation hearing said he has advised Trump to pursue across-the-board tariffs country by country to restore “reciprocity” to America’s trading relationships and said he would erect stronger curbs on China’s access to US technology, including advanced AI semiconductors.
Continue reading...Pentagon strips Gen Milley of security detail and clearance
The former US general was critical of Trump in the past, at one point calling him a "fascist".
Pentagon strips Gen Milley of security detail and clearance
The former US general was critical of Trump in the past, at one point calling him a "fascist".
Lammy tells Rwanda it is putting $1bn in aid ‘under threat’ in DRC invasion
UK foreign secretary issues direct warning during phone call with Rwandan president after escalation of conflict
Rwanda has put $1bn of global aid under threat by taking part in the invasion of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the UK foreign secretary, David Lammy, has said.
He made the direct warning in a phone call to the Rwandan president, Paul Kagame, on Sunday after also speaking to the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, about the crisis.
Continue reading...Fed holds interest rates steady amid uncertainty over Trump’s impact on economy
President has made clear he wants rates to fall as benchmark interest rate now sits at a range of 4.25% to 4.5%
Federal Reserve officials decided on Wednesday to hold interest rates steady as uncertainty over Donald Trump’s impact on the US economy looms and inflation remains above the central bank’s target levels.
This is the first time Fed policymakers have met since the president, who has made clear he wants rates to fall, returned to the White House. The benchmark interest rate now sits at a range of 4.25% to 4.5%.
Continue reading...Dutch police arrest three suspects after the theft of a priceless golden helmet from Romania – The Associated Press
- Dutch police arrest three suspects after the theft of a priceless golden helmet from Romania The Associated Press
- Three arrested after ancient Romanian artefacts stolen from Dutch museum The Guardian
- Three Suspects Arrested After Theft of Ancient Gold Romanian Artifacts from Dutch Museum ARTnews
- Thieves use explosives to steal artefacts from museum in the Netherlands Euronews
- Art Thieves Blew Up a Dutch Museum's Door to Steal an Ancient Golden Helmet From Romania Smithsonian Magazine
Fear among migrants as Trump administration raids ramp up
As more raids take place across the country, some migrants say they are avoiding work or school over fears of arrest.
Israel says eight captives to be released Thursday under Gaza truce deal
Benjamin Netanyahu’s office names Israeli captives to be released as Arbel Yehud, Agam Berger and Gadi Moses.
Family pays tribute to women of three generations killed in Omagh bombing
Mary Grimes, Avril Monaghan, Maura Monaghan and Avril’s unborn twins died in 1998 attack, inquiry hears
A family from which women of three generations were killed in the Omagh bombing have spoken about the immeasurable pain caused by the atrocity and said they hope no other family suffers as they have.
They were speaking at a public inquiry established to determine whether the attack, the worst in the Troubles in Northern Ireland, could have been prevented.
Continue reading...Chester woman to stand trial accused of displaying threatening bumper sticker
Georgia Venables, who allegedly had sticker on her car featuring C-word, has pleaded not guilty to single charge
A woman is to stand trial after pleading not guilty to displaying a threatening bumper sticker on her car.
Georgia Venables, of Prenton Place in Chester, allegedly had a sticker on her car that read: “Don’t be a cunt.”
Continue reading...‘Gulf of America’: Mexico lodging complaint over Google Maps change
Mexico is lodging a complaint with Google after it changed “Gulf of Mexico” to “Gulf of America” for US users.
OpenAI says Chinese rivals using its work for their AI apps
ChatGPT maker says it will need extra protection from US government, following emergence of Chinese rival, DeepSeek.
White House revokes spending freeze in face of legal challenges
Move come after federal judge blocked freeze that disrupted payments to medical and childcare providers
Donald Trump’s administration pulled back a proposed spending freeze that threatened to disrupt hundreds of billions of dollars in aid to US programs, a White House official said on Wednesday.
The first major domestic policy reversal of the Republican president’s new term came after one federal judge had temporarily blocked the freeze and before another judge was due to hear a separate legal challenge. The proposal had thrown the federal government into chaos and disrupted payments to medical and childcare providers.
Continue reading...Far-right AfD’s win on asylum vote rocks German parliament – BBC.com
- Far-right AfD's win on asylum vote rocks German parliament BBC.com
- Olaf Scholz attacks rival’s ‘unforgivable mistake’ as AfD backs migration plan The Guardian
- Opinion | The Trump Effect May Solve Germany’s Migrant Crisis The Wall Street Journal
- Germany’s Merz sparks firestorm by breaking postwar taboo POLITICO Europe
- Germany: Are conservatives' plans on immigration legal? DW (English)
Far-right vote on asylum rocks German parliament
Germany's Bundestag descends into recrimination after a "firewall" against working with the far-right cracks.
London student raped 10 women and filmed attacks as souvenirs, court told
Zhenhao Zou, 27, a Chinese national, is accused of attacking women after ‘stupefying’ them with drink or drugs
A PhD student accused of raping 10 women drugged his victims before filming his attacks as “souvenirs” for his own “sexual gratification”, a court has heard.
Zhenhao Zou, 27, a Chinese national, was described as seemingly charming and smart, but was in fact a “predator, voyeur and rapist” who ignored pleas from his victims to stop, a jury was told.
Continue reading...