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President Trump's "Board of Peace" initiative has scheduled its first formal meeting for February 19 in Washington, according to officials familiar with the planning. The gathering comes despite skepticism from key US allies about the approach to resolving global conflicts.
The World Health Organization has confirmed that a woman has died in northern Bangladesh after contracting the deadly Nipah virus infection. Health officials are monitoring the situation and tracing contacts as the virus carries a fatality rate of up to 75 percent.
Haiti's embattled transitional council has formally handed power to US-backed Prime Minister Fils-Aime, ending weeks of political uncertainty. The move comes after the council's failed attempt to oust the PM and the recent deployment of a US warship to waters near Port-au-Prince.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces a deepening leadership crisis over his decision to appoint Lord Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador to Washington, despite knowing that Mandelson maintained a friendship with Jeffrey Epstein well past Epstein's conviction for soliciting underage prostitution.
Japanese voters are heading to the polls in a snap election called by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who is gambling that her personal popularity can overcome broader dissatisfaction with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Observers say Takaichi's charisma may help the LDP maintain its grip on power despite economic headwinds.
Queensland is set to introduce sweeping hate speech laws that will ban specific slogans including "from the river to the sea" and "globalise the intifada," as well as offensive symbols. The laws will be introduced in parliament this week as part of the government's response to rising antisemitism.
The Australian Coalition is on the brink of reunion after Opposition Leader Sussan Ley brokered a deal with Nationals Leader David Littleproud to bring the Liberal and National parties back together. The agreement, expected to be announced Sunday, comes less than three weeks after the parties split for the second time in eight months over Labor's hate speech laws.
The Defense Department has announced it will cut all ties with Harvard University, terminating military training programs, fellowships, and certificate courses at the Ivy League institution. The move comes amid an escalating standoff between Harvard and the White House over what Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has called "woke" policies.
Will Lewis, the controversial CEO and publisher of The Washington Post, has abruptly resigned just days after the newspaper announced devastating layoffs that cut nearly one-third of its entire staff. Jeff DOnofrio, who led Tumblr from 2017 to 2022 and has been serving as CFO at the Post since June, will take over as acting CEO and publisher.
Weather agencies in both the United States and Australia are pointing to the possibility of an El Nino forming in the Pacific Ocean later this year—a phenomenon that could push global temperatures to all-time record highs in 2027.
As the West reacts to revelations in the latest batch of Epstein files, China is quietly advancing plans for the renminbi to become a global reserve currency—a strategic move that could reshape the international financial order.
Wilma Spence father was an Anzac soldier buried in the Gaza War Cemetery—part of which has now been bulldozed by the Israeli Defense Forces, leaving her grief-stricken and demanding answers about why historic Commonwealth graves were destroyed.
Italy has become the latest country to decline participation in US President Donald Trump proposed "Board of Peace," with the government citing constitutional provisions that prevent Italy from joining structures where one leader stands above other members.
Bangladesh is heading back to the ballot box in what is being billed as its first free and fair election in more than a decade, though the nation wounds from last year uprising remain fresh.
Fraudsters who previously exploited people with disabilities through the NDIS are now targeting veterans, prompting the federal government to announce a $200 million crackdown on the emerging scheme.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog upcoming visit to Australia has ignited controversy, with Palestinian Australian communities describing Prime Minister Anthony Albanese invitation—issued after the antisemitic attack in Bondi—as deeply painful given the ongoing Gaza conflict.
Thailand's ongoing border conflict with Cambodia is reshaping the country's political landscape, with a pro-military party riding a wave of nationalist sentiment into a competitive election.
The United States has begun transferring Islamic State detainees from northeastern Syria to Iraq as American forces draw down their presence in the war-torn country.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces accusations of hypocrisy after the UK slashed its contribution to the World Food Programme by a third, even as he pledged to address "suffering and starvation."
Talks between Iran and the United States held in Oman on Friday have been characterized as "positive" by officials from both sides, marking a potential thaw in the long-frozen relationship.
A bloody suicide bombing at a mosque has dealt a significant blow to Pakistan's claims of progress in its long-running battle against the Islamic State and other militant groups.
A federal judge has reversed President Trump's freeze on $16 billion in funding for the Gateway Project, which will create a new rail tunnel connecting New York and New Jersey under the Hudson River.
Congress has voted to cut $125 million in funding designated for replacing toxic lead drinking water pipes, a move that will disproportionately impact states with the highest levels of lead infrastructure.
Gun permit applications have surged across Minnesota following weeks of ICE raids, protests, and violent confrontations that resulted in the shooting deaths of two U.S. citizens.
Irish politicians have described as "reprehensible" the use of Shannon Airport by a private jet transporting Palestinians being deported from the United States to Israel.
The UK has criminalized the creation of non-consensual intimate deepfake images as new legislation takes effect, but victims and campaigners are calling for stronger protections including civil takedown orders for abusive imagery.
The State Department has ordered the deletion of all posts made by official accounts on X before President Trump returned to office in 2025, in a sweeping policy change that erases years of diplomatic communications from the public record.
Mexican drug cartels are overwhelming outgunned police forces with .50-caliber ammunition produced at a plant owned by the United States Army, according to an investigation that traced smuggled rounds from Missouri to crime scenes across Mexico.
The Justice Department is struggling to recruit prosecutors as offices across the country hemorrhage staff, with some locations so decimated that military lawyers have been deployed to handle cases. The exodus accelerated after Washington ordered prosecutors to halt ongoing investigations, including the murder case of Renee Good in Minnesota.
Lindsey Vonn, the 41-year-old American skiing superstar, will race in the Olympic downhill on Sunday despite rupturing her left ACL just one week ago—a feat that would sideline virtually any other athlete. If she finishes on the podium, she will become the oldest alpine Olympic medalist in history.
President Trump is pushing for an end to the war in Ukraine by June, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with three-way peace talks between the US, Ukraine, and Russia expected to take place in Miami within a week. The diplomatic push comes as Russian forces continue to pummel Ukrainian energy infrastructure during a bitter winter freeze.
Exiled Iranian journalists working for BBC Persian have been warned that their movements are being closely monitored by the Iranian state, as they revealed that their family members in Iran are being interrogated and persecuted in an effort to curb the network coverage of domestic unrest.
A US-funded vaccine trial targeting infants in Guinea-Bissau has been suspended by local authorities after the study sparked widespread public outrage over concerns about medical ethics and the use of African children as test subjects for Western research.
Northern Australia faces dual weather emergencies as Tropical Cyclone Mitchell intensifies toward category three strength off Western Australia Pilbara coast, while in the Northern Territory, the Daly River is expected to reach major flood level Sunday with significant damage to homes anticipated.
Portuguese voters return to the polls Sunday for the final round of a presidential election that has been marked by a coordinated push to keep the far-right candidate at bay, even as deadly storms that have battered the country threaten to overshadow the democratic process.
The United Nations and United States have strongly condemned drone strikes by Sudan Rapid Support Forces that targeted humanitarian aid deliveries in famine-stricken North Kordofan, with the Sudan Doctors Network calling the attack a blatant violation of international humanitarian law.
Newly released Epstein files have revealed that the late Queen Elizabeth II gave her full support to her son Prince Andrew even after damaging photographs emerged showing him with Jeffrey Epstein and underage victims, while additional documents expose a disturbing pattern of how women were systematically used as services in Epstein network of wealthy and powerful men.
The United States and India have reached an interim trade agreement, marking a significant diplomatic breakthrough between the two nations following a period of détente between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The United Kingdom is threatening to seize a Russia-linked shadow fleet tanker in a significant escalation that could open a new front against Moscow at a time when the country oil revenues are already under severe pressure from international sanctions.
General Philippe Morillon, the French UN commander who famously told residents of besieged Srebrenica "I will never abandon you" before the town became the site of Europe's worst massacre since World War II, has died at age 90.
An international nuclear monitoring organization said it has found no evidence to support U.S. claims that China recently conducted a nuclear weapons test, as Washington presses Beijing to join a revised arms control framework following the expiration of nuclear agreements with Russia.
A Colorado funeral home owner who stashed 189 decomposing bodies in a building over four years and gave grieving families fake ashes was sentenced to 40 years in state prison Friday. Judge Eric Bentley condemned Jon Hallford as a "monster" during sentencing.
A federal judge extended an injunction Thursday blocking Trump administration officials from freezing nearly $10 billion in child care and other social service funds destined for Minnesota and four other Democratic-led states.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the Defense Department to sever all ties with Harvard University, in a move that appears to specifically target his own alma mater, Harvard's Kennedy School for public policy.
Luigi Mangione, accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December, spoke out in court Thursday against the prospect of facing back-to-back state and federal trials for the killing, telling a judge "it's the same trial twice."
The World Health Organization confirmed Friday that a woman died in northern Bangladesh in January after contracting the deadly Nipah virus. The case follows two Nipah virus cases identified in neighboring India, prompting stepped-up airport screenings across Asia.
NSW Police have fined American social media personality Sur Ronster and issued two traffic infringement notices for negligent driving after he led a swarm of approximately 40 e-bike and motorcycle riders across the Sydney Harbour Bridge's main deck during peak-hour traffic on Tuesday.
The NSW government has invoked special police powers ahead of Israeli President Isaac Herzog's visit next week, with Premier Chris Minns warning would-be protesters that police will not allow "conflict on Sydney streets." The move comes as 13 state and federal MPs appeal to the police commissioner to facilitate a planned march from Town Hall to Parliament.
President Donald Trump refused to apologize Thursday for sharing an AI-generated video on his social media platform that depicted former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama as apes, telling reporters "No, I didn't make a mistake." Hours later, in what analysts describe as an unprecedented reversal, Trump deleted the post.
Thai voters head to the polls with the reformist Peoples Party leading in surveys, but facing an establishment with a two-decade record of overturning electoral mandates through coups, court rulings, and constitutional maneuvers.