Russia ramps up attacks on key cities in eastern Ukraine

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian forces have ramped up attacks in eastern Ukraine in an attempt to gain ground near two key front line cities, Ukrainian military officials said Sunday. Moscow's troops have begun a push to regain territory near Bakhmut, the eastern mining city that was the site of the war’s bloodiest battle before falling into Russian hands in May, the head of Ukraine’s ground forces wrote on the Telegram messaging app. Ukrainian troops had recaptured the hei

Nov. 12, 2023

Israel says ready to evacuate babies from Gaza's main hospital

GAZA/JERUSALEM -- Israel's military said it was ready to evacuate babies from Gaza's largest hospital Sunday, where Palestinian officials said two newborns died and dozens more were at risk after fuel ran out amid intense fighting in the area. As the humanitarian situation worsened, Gaza's border authority said the Rafah crossing into Egypt would reopen Sunday for foreign passport holders after closing Friday. Hamas said it had completely or partially destroyed more than 160 Israe

Nov. 12, 2023

Moody's downgrades US debt rating outlook to negative

Moody's on Friday downgraded its outlook on United States debt to negative from stable, one week before crucial budget negotiations in Congress. For now, the agency has maintained its Aaa rating on US government debt. "In the context of higher interest rates, without effective fiscal policy measures to reduce government spending or increase revenues, Moody's expects that the US's fiscal deficits will remain very large, significantly weakening debt affordability," the age

Nov. 11, 2023

This year 'virtually certain' to be warmest in 125,000 years: scientists

BRUSSELS -- This year is "virtually certain" to be the warmest in 125,000 years, European Union scientists said Wednesday, after data showed last month was the world's hottest October in that period. Last month smashed through the previous October temperature record, from 2019, by a massive margin, the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service said. "The record was broken by 0.4 degrees Celsius, which is a huge margin," said C3S Deputy Director Samantha Burgess, who de

Nov. 8, 2023

[Graphic News] Biden trails Trump in states likely to decide 2024 US election, polls show

In the US, Democratic President Joe Biden is behind Republican frontrunner Donald Trump in five of the six most important battleground states exactly a year before the presidential election as Americans express doubts about Biden’s age, dissatisfaction toward his handling of the economy and other issues, polls showed. The polls were conducted by The New York Times and Siena College. Trump, first in the field for his party’s 2024 nomination as he seeks to regain the presidency, leads

Nov. 8, 2023

Arab partners disagree on need for cease-fire amid war

RAFAH, Gaza Strip — The United States and Arab partners disagreed Saturday on the need for an immediate cease-fire in the Gaza Strip as Israeli military strikes killed civilians at a UN shelter and a hospital, and Israel said the besieged enclave’s Hamas rulers were “encountering the full force” of its troops. Large columns of smoke rose as Israel’s military said it had encircled Gaza City, the initial target of its offensive to crush Hamas. Gaza’s Health Mini

Nov. 5, 2023

Nepal rushes aid, rescue operations after quake kills at least 157

KATHMANDU, Nepal — Survivors of a strong earthquake that shook Nepal’s northwest in the middle of the night described sudden shaking followed by houses collapsing and burying entire families, as the death toll rose to 157 on Saturday. Most of those killed were crushed by debris when their houses — usually made by stacking rocks and logs — crumbled under the force of the tremblor midnight Friday, local media reported. While rescuers were scrambling to rush aid, operations

Nov. 5, 2023

Protest marches from US to Berlin call for immediate halt to Israeli bombing of Gaza

From Washington to Milan to Paris, tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched Saturday, calling for a halt to Israel’s bombardment of Gaza . The marches reflected growing disquiet about the mounting civilian casualty toll and suffering from the Israel-Hamas war . Protesters, particularly in countries with large Muslim populations, including the US, UK and France, expressed disillusionment with their governments for supporting Israel while its bombardments of hospitals and

Nov. 5, 2023

Israel fires missile at Gaza house of Hamas chief Haniyeh: report

CAIRO (Reuters) - An Israeli drone fired a missile at the Gaza house of Hamas' leader Ismail Haniyeh who is currently outside the enclave, Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa Radio reported on Saturday. It was unclear whether any of his family members were at the house when it was struck. Haniyeh, Hamas' political chief, has been outside the Gaza Strip since 2019, residing between Turkey and Qatar.

Nov. 4, 2023

Quake shakes northwest Nepal, killing at least 128 and injuring dozens

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Helicopters and ground troops rushed to help people hurt in a strong earthquake that shook districts in northwestern Nepal just before midnight Friday, killing at least 128 people and injuring dozens more, officials said Saturday. Authorities said the death toll was expected to rise, noting that communications were cut off with many places. At the regional hospital in the city of Nepalgunj, more than 100 beds were made available and teams of doctors stood by to help

Nov. 4, 2023

Blinken redoubles calls for humanitarian pause in Israel-Hamas war

WASHINGTON -- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an emphatic appeal Friday for "humanitarian pauses" in the fighting between Israel and the Hamas militant group in Gaza, saying they would facilitate efforts to bring aid to the besieged enclave and secure the release of hostages. Blinken addressed a press conference in Tel Aviv after he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials on a trip to reiterate the United States' support for Israel, ensure

Nov. 4, 2023

Israel says it has encircled Gaza City

Israeli forces on Thursday encircled Gaza City - the Gaza Strip's main city - in their assault on Hamas, the military said, but the Palestinian militant group resisted their drive with hit-and-run attacks from underground tunnels. The city in the north of the Gaza Strip has become the focus of attack for Israel, which has vowed to annihilate the Islamist group's command structure and has told civilians to flee to the south. "We're at the height of the battle. We've had i

Nov. 3, 2023

[Graphic News] Survey shows 51% of US teens spend an average 4.8 hours a day on social media

　Just over half of US teens said in a Gallup Poll that they spend at least 4 hours a day on social media sites such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and X, formerly known as Twitter. 　Gallup found 51 percent of teens averaged 4.8 hours a day. 　Across age groups, the average time spent on social media ranges from as low as 4.1 hours per day for 13-year-olds to as high as 5.8 hours per day for 17-year-olds. 　The data is from Gallup’s Familial and Adolescent Health Survey conducted

Nov. 3, 2023

More than 3,600 Palestinian children killed in just 3 weeks of war

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip -- More than 3,600 Palestinian children were killed in the first 25 days of the war between Israel and Hamas, according to Gaza's Hamas-run Health Ministry. They were hit by airstrikes, smashed by misfired rockets, burned by blasts and crushed by buildings, and among them were newborns and toddlers, avid readers, aspiring journalists and boys who thought they'd be safe in a church. Nearly half of the crowded strip's 2.3 million inhabitants are under 18, a

Nov. 2, 2023

Open hatred of Jews surges globally, inflamed by Gaza war

In Los Angeles, a man screaming "kill Jews" attempts to break into a family's home. In London, girls in a playground are told they are "stinking Jews" and should stay off the slide. In China, posts likening Jews to parasites, vampires or snakes proliferate on social media, attracting thousands of "likes." These are examples of incidents of antisemitism, which have surged globally since the attack by Hamas gunmen on southern Israel on Oct. 7 and subsequent war o

Nov. 1, 2023

Israeli military jets strike Gaza, says Hamas commander killed

Israeli airstrikes hit a densely populated refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, killing at least 50 Palestinians and a Hamas commander, and medics struggled to treat the casualties in the enclave where food, fuel and basic supplies are running scarce. Israeli tanks have been active in Gaza for at least four days following weeks of air bombardments in retaliation for an attack by Palestinian Hamas militants on southern Israeli towns on Oct. 7 and the taking of more than 200 hostages. An Israel Defense

Nov. 1, 2023

[Graphic News] The toll of the Israel-Hamas war in numbers

The latest Israel-Hamas war has quickly become the deadliest and most destructive of the five wars fought between the sides since Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007 from the Palestinian Authority. Fighting erupted Oct. 7 when Hamas carried out a bloody attack in southern Israel. Since then, Israel has relentlessly pounded the Gaza Strip with airstrikes that have wrought unprecedented destruction, flattening entire neighborhoods. Here’s a look in numbers at the toll of the Israe

Nov. 1, 2023

In early 2029, Earth will likely breach key warming threshold: scientists

In a little more than five years -- sometime in early 2029 -- the world will likely be unable to stay below the internationally agreed temperature limit for global warming if it continues to burn fossil fuels at its current rate, a new study says. The study moves three years closer the date when the world will eventually hit a critical climate threshold, which is an increase of 1.5 degrees Celsius since the 1800s. Beyond that temperature increase, the risks of catastrophes increase, as the world

Oct. 31, 2023

Israel pushes deeper into Gaza and frees Hamas captive

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip -- Israeli ground forces pushed deeper into Gaza on Monday, advancing in tanks and other armored vehicles on the territory’s main city and freeing a soldier held captive by Hamas militants. The Israeli prime minister rejected calls for a cease-fire as airstrikes landed near hospitals where thousands of Palestinians are sheltering beside the wounded. The military said a soldier captured during Hamas' brutal Oct. 7 incursion was rescued in Gaza -- the first rescu

Oct. 31, 2023

Oman transitions to digital voting

MUSCAT, Oman -- Oman has seen a surge in voter turnout following the implementation of an electronic voting system Sunday, allowing its citizens to use mobile apps to cast ballots remotely for new members of Parliament. At the same time, the election has left Oman's powerful monarchy, headed by Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, with room for further improvement in terms of civic engagement. Sunday's election recorded a 65.88 percent voter turnout, as nearly 500,000 out of the nation's 7

Oct. 31, 2023