Trump and Netanyahu are to meet in Florida at a crucial moment for the US-backed Gaza ceasefire
PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. They aim to boost a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in Gaza, which faces challenges as it looks to move into a more complicated second phase. Trump hopes to leverage his relationship with Netanyahu to speed up the peace process. The ceasefire began in October and has mostly held, but progress has slowed lately. The second phase involves rebuilding Gaza under international supervision, creating an international security force and normalizing relations between Israel and the Arab world.
Trump says Ukraine and Russia are 'closer than ever' to peace after talks with Zelenskyy
PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump says Ukraine and Russia are “closer than ever before” to a peace deal, but he acknowledges that negotiations could still break down and leave the war dragging on for years. Trump spoke Sunday as he hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Florida resort. Earlier Trump had what he described as an “excellent,” two-and-a-half-hour phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump insisted he believed Putin wants peace, even as Russia launched fresh attacks on Ukraine while Zelenskyy flew to the United States. Trump and Zelenskyy both acknowledged thorny issues remain, including whether Russia can keep Ukrainian territory it controls.
Chinese military stages drills around Taiwan to warn 'external forces' after US, Japan tensions
HONG KONG (AP) — The Chinese military says it dispatched air, navy and rocket troops to conduct joint military drills around Taiwan to warn against what it called separatist and “external interference” forces. Taiwan said it was placing its forces on alert and called the Beijing government “the biggest destroyer of peace.” The drills came after Beijing expressed anger at U.S. arms sales to the territory and a statement by Japan’s prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, that its military could get involved if China were to take action against Taiwan, the self-governing island that the world’s second-biggest economy says must come under its rule. But the Chinese military did not mention the U.S. and Japan in its statement.
US pledges $2B for UN humanitarian aid as Trump slashes funding and warns agencies to 'adapt or die'
GENEVA (AP) — The United States has announced a $2 billion pledge for U.N. humanitarian aid as President Donald Trump continues to slash U.S. foreign assistance funding. The money is a tiny fraction of what the U.S. has contributed in the past but reflects what the administration believes is a generous amount that will maintain the United States’ status as the world’s largest humanitarian donor. The pledge creates an umbrella fund from which money will be doled out to individual agencies and priorities. The announcement caps a crisis year for many U.N. organizations as the U.S. and other Western donors have cut billions in funding, prompting massive cuts in spending and jobs.
Winter storm brings blizzard conditions and dangerous wind chills
A powerful winter storm is moving northeast, bringing snow, ice, rain, and strong winds. The National Weather Service warns of blizzard conditions and treacherous travel. Snow and winds spread across the Upper Midwest, with forecasts of over a foot of snow in parts of the Great Lakes. Dangerous wind chills are expected in North Dakota and Minnesota. Meanwhile, the South is experiencing severe thunderstorms and a sharp cold front, ending record warmth. Temperatures in cities like Atlanta and Dallas are set to drop significantly by Tuesday. The storm is intensifying as it moves east.
4 dead, dozens injured in Syria during clashes between Alawites and counterdemonstrators
LATAKIA, Syria (AP) — At least four people have been killed and dozens wounded in clashes on Syria’s coast. Health officials said that the violence erupted Sunday between Alawite protesters and counterdemonstrators. This follows a bombing at an Alawite mosque in Homs on Friday that killed eight and wounded 18. Thousands protested in Latakia and Tartous. A group called Saraya Ansar al-Sunna claimed responsibility for the mosque attack. Security forces tried to break up the clashes by firing into the air. Syria’s state-run television reported injuries to security forces and damage to property. The country has faced sectarian clashes since the fall of former President Bashar Assad.
Zohran Mamdani has bold promises. Can he make them come true as New York City mayor?
Zohran Mamdani has promised to transform New York City government when he becomes mayor. Can he do it? Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist, already faces intense scrutiny, even before taking office in one of the country’s most scrutinized political jobs. Republicans have cast him as a liberal boogeyman. Some of his fellow Democrats have deemed him too far left. Progressives are closely watching for any signs of him shifting toward the center. On Jan. 1, he will assume control of America’s biggest city under that harsh spotlight, with the country watching to see if he can pull off the big promises that vaulted him to office and handle the everyday duties of the job.
Interoceanic Train derails in southern Mexico, killing at least 13 and injuring dozens
MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AP) — Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum says 13 people died and another 98 people were injured when a train derailed on a rail line connecting the Pacific Ocean with the Gulf of Mexico. The Interoceanic Train linking the states of Oaxaca and Veracruz went off the rails Sunday as it passed a curve near the town of Nizanda. The accident halted traffic along the line. Officials have said that 241 passengers and nine crew members were on the train when the accident occurred. The Interoceanic Train was inaugurated in 2023 by then President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
Pipe bomb suspect told FBI he targeted US political parties because they were 'in charge,' memo says
WASHINGTON (AP) — The man accused of placing two pipe bombs in Washington on the eve of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol told investigators after his arrest that he believed someone needed to “speak up” for people who believed the 2020 election was stolen. He also said he wanted to target the country’s political parties because they were “in charge." That's according to a memo filed by the Justice Department on Sunday that argues that Brian J. Cole Jr. should remain jailed as the case moves forward. Cole was arrested earlier this month on charges of placing pipe bombs outside the headquarters of the Democratic and Republican national committees.
Preliminary results show Prime Minister Kurti's party won Kosovo snap vote convincingly
PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Preliminary results of a snap parliamentary election in Kosovo shows that the party of Prime Minister Albin Kurti has won by a clear margin. The snap ballot on Sunday was scheduled after Kurti’s governing Vetevendosje, or Self-Determination, party failed to form a government despite also winning the most votes in a Feb. 9 election. The state election authorities said Kurti’s party had nearly 50% on Sunday, which is far ahead of opposition Democratic Party of Kosovo with 21%, and the Democratic League of Kosovo with nearly 14%. It was not immediately clear whether Kurti's party will be able to form a government on their own.
