World

BETHLEHEM, West Bank — The normally bustling biblical birthplace of Jesus resembled a ghost town on Sunday, as Christmas Eve celebrations in Bethlehem were called off due to the Israel-Hamas war. The festive lights and Christmas tree that normally decorate Manger Square were missing, as were the throngs of foreign tourists and jubilant youth marching bands that gather in the West …

CONCORD, N.H. — Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer may have millions of carrots set out for him on Christmas Eve, but what about the rest of the year? Finding food in a cold, barren landscape is challenging, but researchers from Dartmouth College in New Hampshire and the University of St. Andrews in Scotland report that reindeer eyes may have evolved to …

Donald Trump’s request to the Supreme Court on Wednesday was perhaps his most brazen delay tactic yet. He urged the high court not to get involved right now in the question of whether he is immune from federal prosecution for alleged crimes committed while in office – his latest attempt to ask the legal system to effectively bend to his political will. The …

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Hamas’ top leader traveled to Cairo on Wednesday for talks on the war in Gaza, part of a flurry of diplomacy aimed at securing another cease-fire and hostage swap at a moment when the militant group is putting up stiff resistance to Israel’s offensive. Ismail Haniyeh’s visit came a day after Hamas fired rockets that set …

Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally, Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023, in Durham, N.H. The Colorado Supreme Court on Tuesday, Dec. 19, declared Trump ineligible for the White House under the U.S. Constitution’s insurrection clause and removed him from the state’s presidential primary ballot, setting up a likely showdown in the nation’s highest court to decide whether the …

The front lines where Ukraine and its allies had hoped for a summer breakthrough now epitomize the bleak, dark winter ahead — of Russian resurgence and Kyiv’s mounting losses. “As we like to say in the army, the plan was good on paper, but we forgot about the trenches,” joked Ihor, a commander in the 15th National Guard. CNN is only using his …

UN aid trucks will be entering Gaza directly from Israeli territory starting on Sunday for the first time since the attack by Hamas on October 7, according to Israeli authorities. People stand next to ambulances and trucks with aid as they wait to enter Gaza from Rafah, Egypt on December 11. Abdel Hadi Ramahi/Reuters Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) said that UN aid trucks will undergo …

MEXICO CITY — Once nearly impenetrable for migrants heading north from Latin America, the jungle between Colombia and Panama this year became a speedy but still treacherous highway for hundreds of thousands of people from around the world. Driven by economic crises, government repression and violence, migrants from China to Haiti decided to risk three days of deep mud, rushing rivers and bandits. Enterprising …

It’s a cool evening in Tel Aviv, as thousands gather at a square in the city to demand that the hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza be brought home immediately — “now!” as they keep chanting. Many people in the crowd are holding Israeli flags and signs with photos of hostages. “The hourglass is running out. Free the hostages …

The Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, has died aged 86 after ruling the Gulf state for three years. Sheikh Nawaf had been admitted to hospital in November following an emergency health issue, according to state news agency KUNA. The 86-year-old’s condition was stable at the time, KUNA reported. Sheikh Nawaf was defence minister during one of the biggest …