Saudi Arabia, others offer condolences to victims of New Orleans attack

Saudi Arabia, others offer condolences to victims of New Orleans attack

International condemnation poured in Wednesday for the attack on a crowd of New Year’s Eve revelers in New Orleans, which killed at least 15 people and wounded dozens more. Here is a round-up of global reactions. Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia “condemns and denounces” the attack, its foreign ministry said in a statement on X. France “New Orleans,…

Syrian foreign minister arrives in Saudi Arabia with delegation

Syrian foreign minister arrives in Saudi Arabia with delegation

A high-level Syrian delegation, led by newly appointed Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani arrived in Riyadh on Wednesday in its first official visit abroad, Syrian state news agency SANA reported, citing a foreign ministry source. According to Al Arabiya’s correspondent, Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Walid al-Khuraiji welcomed the Syrian delegation, which included the Foreign Minister, the Defense…

Israeli airstrike kills at least 10 in southern Gaza, medics say

Israeli airstrike kills at least 10 in southern Gaza, medics say

An Israeli airstrike killed at least 10 Palestinians in a tent encampment sheltering displaced families in southern Gaza strip early on Thursday, medics said. The 10 people, including women and children, were killed in a tent in Al-Mawasi, designated as a humanitarian area in western Khan Younis, according to the medics. Fifteen people were also wounded, the…

Tesla Cybertruck explodes outside Trump hotel in Las Vegas, killing one

Tesla Cybertruck explodes outside Trump hotel in Las Vegas, killing one

A Tesla Cybertruck exploded in flames outside the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas on Wednesday, killing the driver and injuring seven others, and the FBI was investigating whether the blast was an act of terrorism, officials said. Videos taken by witnesses inside and outside the hotel showed the vehicle exploding and flames pouring out of…

Taiwan president wants exchanges with China, sees lack of goodwill

Taiwan president wants exchanges with China, sees lack of goodwill

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said on Wednesday that he welcomed equal, dignified, healthy and orderly exchanges with China, but wondered whether there was goodwill from Beijing given what he said was their blocking of simple things like tourism. Lai, who took office in May, has regularly offered talks with China but been rebuffed. China views democratically…

S. Korea investigators vow to execute Yoon arrest warrant

S. Korea investigators vow to execute Yoon arrest warrant

South Korean investigators said Wednesday they would execute an arrest warrant for Yoon Suk Yeol over his declaration of martial law by the deadline on January 6, as the impeached leader’s supporters rallied outside his residence. Supporters and opponents of Yoon, who was suspended from office by lawmakers over his attempt to subvert civilian rule last month,…

Russia launches New Year drone strike on Kyiv, officials say

Russia launches New Year drone strike on Kyiv, officials say

Russia launched a drone strike on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early on Wednesday, causing damage in at least two districts, city officials said. Kyiv’s air force warned of drones approaching the city as an air-raid alert was declared. Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said air-defenses were repelling an enemy attack, and that debris had sparked fires in…

Ukraine says it downed six of 21 missiles launched by Russia

Ukraine says it downed six of 21 missiles launched by Russia

Ukraine said on Tuesday it downed six of 21 missiles launched overnight and in the early morning by Russia, reporting minor damage in the capital of Kyiv and hits on infrastructure in the northern Sumy region. A woman was wounded in the Kyiv region, where a private house was damaged, the interior ministry said on Telegram….

Syria’s al-Sharaa meets senior Christian clerics, Kurds

Syria’s al-Sharaa meets senior Christian clerics, Kurds

Syria’s de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa met with high-level Christian clergymen on Tuesday, amid calls to guarantee minority rights after seizing power earlier this month. “The leader of the new Syrian administration, Ahmed al-Sharaa, meets a delegation from the Christian community in Damascus,” Syria’s General Command said in a statement on Telegram, which included pictures of the…

Israel says intercepted two projectiles fired from central Gaza

Israel says intercepted two projectiles fired from central Gaza

Israel’s military said two projectiles were fired from Gaza on Wednesday in the first minutes of the new year, one of which was intercepted while the other landed in an open area. Alert sirens sounded around midnight (2200 GMT) in the western Negev, the Israeli military said, and “two projectiles were identified crossing from the central Gaza…

US military hits several Houthi sites inside Yemen ahead of 2025

US military hits several Houthi sites inside Yemen ahead of 2025

The US military said Tuesday that it had conducted multiple precision strikes against Iran-backed Houthi targets in Yemen’s Sanaa and coastal locations within Houthi-controlled territory over the last 24 hours. Over two days, US Navy ships and fighter jets hit a Houthi command and control facility and advanced conventional weapon (ACW) production and storage facilities that included…

Elon Musk flummoxes internet with ‘Kekius Maximus’ persona

Elon Musk flummoxes internet with ‘Kekius Maximus’ persona

Elon Musk adopted the moniker “Kekius Maximus” on X Tuesday, sparking speculation among his 210 million followers about his mysterious new handle that is a mash-up of an alt-right symbol, a memecoin, and the lead character of the movie Gladiator. Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX and a confidant of US President-elect Donald Trump, also…

Netanyahu leaves hospital against doctors’ advice to vote on contentious bill

Netanyahu leaves hospital against doctors’ advice to vote on contentious bill

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left hospital against his doctors’ advice to vote on a bill in parliament that would help fund the nation’s wars, legislation that has failed to get the backing of his entire coalition. Netanyahu left for the Knesset after National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, head of one of the coalition parties,…

London mayor draws line under Trump feud

London mayor draws line under Trump feud

London Mayor Sadiq Khan on Tuesday followed other prominent politicians from Britain’s ruling Labour party by drawing a line under his previous outspoken criticism of US president-elect Donald Trump. Khan — one of Britain’s most high-profile Asian-origin politicians, speaking a day after day it was revealed he had been knighted by King Charles III, told…