The Arctic is one of the coldest and least populated regions on Earth, much of it covered by ice. But in recent years it has become one of the most important sites of geopolitical tensions — and a key focus of American policy. Despite its inhospitability, land north of the Arctic Circle has long been…
read moreWASHINGTON — Trump administration officials are moving to fire at least some of the FBI agents engaged in investigations involving President Donald Trump, two people familiar with the plans said Friday. It was not clear how many agents might be affected, though scores of investigators were involved in various inquiries touching Trump. Officials acting at the…
read moreWASHINGTON — Facing intense scrutiny from U.S. senators over his potential profit from vaccine lawsuits while serving as the nation’s health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said that if he is confirmed he will not collect fees from litigation against the drugmakers of a cervical cancer vaccine. Kennedy, who’s President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the…
read moreKAMPALA, UGANDA — A day after Uganda’s Ministry of Health announced a new Ebola outbreak in the capital, Kampala, most Ugandans appeared unaware or unconcerned about the outbreak and went about their business normally. But health authorities are warning Ugandans not to take Ebola lightly. For weeks, Uganda has battled an outbreak of mpox, also known…
read moreWASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump will put in place 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico and 10% tariffs on goods from China effective on Saturday, the White House said on Friday, but it provided no word on whether there would be any exemptions to the measures that could result in swift price increases…
read moreFire and emergency service officials in Washington said Friday that more than 40 bodies have been recovered from the wreckage of a commercial passenger jet and military helicopter that collided and crashed into the Potomac River late Wednesday. Operations to recover the bodies of 67 people killed in the collision resumed at dawn Friday. The…
read moreMany people first learn about the horrors of the Holocaust through the diary of Anne Frank, a Jewish teenager who with seven others spent more than two years hiding from the Nazis inside a secret annex in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Recently, an exhibition opened in New York, bringing a replica of the hiding place to Manhattan.…
read moreWASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to embark on his first official trip as the nation’s top diplomat on Saturday, with planned visits to Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic from Saturday to Thursday. Officials and experts say the visit is partly aimed at countering China’s growing influence…
read moreSEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — When Chinese startup DeepSeek released its AI model this month, it was hailed as a breakthrough, a sign that China’s artificial intelligence companies could compete with their Silicon Valley counterparts using fewer resources. The narrative was clear: DeepSeek had done more with less, finding clever workarounds to U.S. chip restrictions. However, that…
read moreA male nurse in Uganda has died of Ebola, the first recorded death by the disease in the East African country since an outbreak ended in 2023, health officials said. The 32-year-old nurse worked at Mulago National Specialised Hospital in Kampala, Diana Atwine, permanent secretary of Uganda’s health ministry, said Thursday. The nurse died Wednesday…
read morewhite house — Arms control advocates are hoping U.S. President Donald Trump’s fresh words of support for denuclearization will lead to talks with Russia and China on arms reduction. U.S. negotiations with the Russians and Chinese on denuclearization and eventual agreements are “very possible,” according to Trump, who addressed the World Economic Forum a week ago…
read moreMcALLEN, TEXAS — A federal judge extended a court agreement on Thursday ensuring safe and sanitary conditions for migrant children in federal custody a day after U.S. Customs and Border Protection was set to begin self-monitoring. The agreement originally ended Wednesday, but District Judge Dolly M. Gee in California decided to extend it by 18 months.…
read moreNEW YORK — Dick Button was more than the most accomplished men’s figure skater in history. He was one of his sport’s greatest innovators and promoters. Button, winner of two Olympic gold medals and five consecutive world championships, died Thursday, said his son, Edward, who did not provide a cause. He was 95. As an entrepreneur…
read moreWASHINGTON — Federal officials on Thursday approved a new type of pain pill designed to eliminate the risks of addiction and overdose associated with opioid medications like Vicodin and OxyContin. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it approved Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ Journavx for short-term pain that often follows surgery or injuries. It’s the first new pharmaceutical…
read moreAn estimated nine million Nigerians are deaf or have hearing impairments, and many cope with discrimination that limits their access to education and employment. But one initiative is working to change that — empowering deaf people with tech skills to improve their career prospects. Timothy Obiezu reports from Abuja. Camera: Timothy Obiezu …
read moreBraver Angels, a nonprofit organization, aims to bridge the political divide by fostering civil dialogue across differences. We take a brief look at one of their initiatives, the 1:1 Conversation, where individuals with opposing views spend a couple of hours engaging in meaningful discussion. …
read moreU.S. lawmakers Thursday weighed the impact that President Donald Trump’s 90-day foreign aid freeze will have on competition with China. Trump signed an executive order within hours of being sworn in as president ordering a halt to all U.S. international assistance while the new administration determines whether the aid aligns with his “America First” policy.…
read moreWASHINGTON — A key Republican senator on Thursday said he was struggling with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination by President Donald Trump to run the top U.S. health agency, saying he had reservations about the nominee’s “misleading arguments” on vaccines. “Your past of undermining confidence in vaccines with unfounded or misleading arguments concerns me,” Republican Senator…
read moreCHICAGO — Alderman Michael Rodriguez represents Chicago’s 22nd Ward, including the “Little Village” neighborhood on the west side of the city. Outside his office windows, he has an up-close view of 26th Street, an important thoroughfare with stores and merchants attracting immigrants from across the region. “26th Street is known as the capital of the Mexican…
read moreNEW YORK — U.S. President Donald Trump is making plans to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence and create a new national sculpture garden while reviving efforts to harshly punish those who vandalize or destroy existing statues and monuments. Trump signed an executive order Wednesday establishing a White House task force to plan what he…
read moreKampala, Uganda — Uganda has confirmed an outbreak of Ebola virus disease in the capital Kampala, with the first confirmed patient dying from the disease on Wednesday, the health ministry said on Thursday. The patient, a nurse at the Mulago referral hospital in the capital, had initially sought treatment at various facilities, including Mulago after developing…
read moreThe U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee is set to question former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard as she seeks confirmation to become the nation’s director of national intelligence. Gabbard is expected to face questions about her 2017 visit to Syria, when during her time in Congress she met with then-President Bashar al-Assad. At the time she faced criticism…
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