Gaza population down by 6% since start of war
(Reuters) — The population of Gaza has fallen 6% since the war with Israel began nearly 15 months ago as about 100,000 Palestinians left the enclave while more than 55,000 are presumed dead, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS).
Russian gas era in Europe ends as Ukraine stops transit
Russian gas exports via Soviet-era pipelines running through Ukraine came to a halt on New Year’s Day, marking the end of decades of Moscow’s dominance over Europe’s energy markets.
Ramming attack in New Orleans dampens New Years revelries
The man killed in a shootout with the police after ramming into dozens of revelers in New Orleans early on New Year’s Day was Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, a native of Texas who had served several years ago with the U.S. Army, officials confirmed on Wednesday as they sought to determine a motivation for the attack.
Yemen will continue to defend itself, say Houthis after US strikes
(Reuters) — Yemen’s Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam said that the country would continue to defend itself after several U.S. strikes targeted facilities in the capital Sanaa on Tuesday.
US hits Russian judge with sanctions over human rights
The United States issued sanctions against a Russian judge on Tuesday for her role in the detention of human-rights activist Alexei Gorinov over his opposition to Russia’s war in Ukraine, the Treasury Department said.
Drugmakers to raise US prices on over 250 medicines starting Jan. 1
Drugmakers plan to raise U.S. prices on at least 250 branded medications including Pfizer COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid, Bristol Myers Squibb’s cancer cell therapies and vaccines from France’s Sanofi at the start of 2025, according to data analyzed by healthcare research firm 3 Axis Advisors.
Puerto Rico’s power grid collapses; could take two days to restore service
SAN JUAN — Puerto Ricans were without electricity on New Year’s Eve after a grid failure left nearly all of the island without power.
FBI says it found largest cache of homemade explosives in its history at Va. Farm
A Virginia man was arrested in December with what federal prosecutors described in court papers Monday as the largest cache of “finished explosive devices” ever found in the FBI’s history.
Trump gives US House Speaker Johnson ‘complete and total endorsement’
WASHINGTON — U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Monday threw his support behind House Speaker Mike Johnson, who will stand for reelection to the top job this week with a slim Republican majority in the House of Representatives.
Russia and Ukraine swap more than 300 prisoners before US transition
ISTANBUL — Russia and Ukraine announced Monday that they had exchanged more than 300 prisoners of war in a deal brokered by the United Arab Emirates. The swap comes just weeks before U.S. military aid for Ukraine is likely to be thrown into question under the Trump administration.
Displaced Gaza newborn freezes to death and twin fights for his life as rain floods tents
GAZA, Dec 30 (Reuters) — Yahya Al-Batran woke up in the early hours of Sunday morning to find his wife, Noura trying to wake their newborn twin sons Jumaa and Ali as they lay together in the makeshift tent the family occupied in an encampment in the central Gaza Strip.
China hacked Treasury Dept. in ‘major’ breach, US says
WASHINGTON — A state-sponsored actor in China hacked the U.S. Treasury Department, gaining access to the workstations of government employees and unclassified documents, the Biden administration said Monday.
Boeing shares drop after South Korean crash
SEOUL, South Korea — Boeing’s shares fell on Monday, a day after the deadly crash of a 737-800, a widely used model that is a staple of low-cost airlines, at an airport in South Korea. The passenger plane, operated by Jeju Air, was carrying 181 people, and all but two were killed.
Trump loses appeal of Carroll’s $5 million award in sex-abuse case
NEW YORK — President-elect Donald Trump on Monday failed to overturn a $5 million judgment that he sexually abused writer E. Jean Carroll in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the mid-1990s and later defamed her.
Nation and world news in brief for December 31
Jimmy Carter funeral service to be held at Washington National Cathedral on Jan. 9
Nation and world news in brief for December 30
Finland finds drag marks on seabed after cable damage
3 are killed in Texas tornado and storms in Mississippi
A line of storms related to a severe weather system was marching across the Southeastern United States on Sunday, a day after a tornado and storms killed three people in Texas and Mississippi.
SpaceX knocks out 1st of final 2 Space Coast launches of 2024
SpaceX knocked out a midnight launch from Cape Canaveral on Sunday, but has a midnight today launch on tap from Kennedy Space Center to cap off a record year for the Space Coast.
Israeli forces order new evacuation of besieged northern Gaza town, residents say
CAIRO — Israeli forces carrying out a weeks-long offensive in northern Gaza ordered any residents remaining in Beit Hanoun to leave the town on Sunday, citing Palestinian militant rocket fire from the area, residents said.
German politicians decry Elon Musk’s AfD support as ‘intrusive’ election influence
BERLIN (Reuters) — U.S. billionaire Elon Musk drew criticism from German politicians from the government and opposition on Sunday for an opinion piece he wrote backing the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) which they deemed “intrusive” outside influence.
