By Mostafa Salem, CNN (CNN) — Anti-government rebels in northern Syria have launched a sudden offensive in an effort to capitalize on Israel’s efforts to weaken Iran’s regional proxies. After making only limited gains in recent years, they have already captured some 40 towns and villages that were controlled by government forces, as well as
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By Graham Hurley and Chris Boyette, CNN (CNN) — Despite a breast cancer diagnosis, Thanksgiving Grandma and the young man she met nearly a decade ago via an accidental text will continue their holiday tradition today for the ninth year in a row. But Wanda Dench’s annual gathering with Jamal Hinton will look a little
Continue ReadingAssociated Press KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — A Congolese opposition politician has been sentenced to one year in prison for inciting civil disobedience. His political party described it as a “blatant attempt” by the government to silence its critics. Seth Kikuni, the president of the political party Piste pour l’Emergence, was convicted of inciting disobedience and
Continue ReadingBy Andy Rose, CNN (CNN) — A northeast Texas town is in mourning this Thanksgiving week after an officer on its police force died in the line of duty for the first time in over a century. Officer Cooper Dawson, 27, was running after a suspect following a traffic stop Monday night when that suspect
Continue ReadingAssociated Press TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Georgia’s prime minister says the country will suspend negotiations on joining the European Union in view of what he described as “blackmail and manipulation” from some EU politicians. Irakli Kobakhidze made the declaration Thursday after he was reappointed by members of the Georgian Dream party, whose disputed election victory
Continue ReadingBy Kathy Rose O’Brien, CNN (CNN) — A former British soldier whose escape from a London prison last year sparked a three-day man-hunt has been found guilty of spying for Iran. A jury convicted 23-year-old Daniel Khalife despite his claims that it had been an attempt to work as a double agent to help British
Continue ReadingROME (AP) — Pope Francis said on Thursday that he hopes to travel to Turkey next year to commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, Christianity’s first ecumenical council. The visit to Nicaea, today located in İznik on a lake southeast of Istanbul, would come during Francis’ big Holy Year, the once-every-quarter-century celebration
Continue ReadingAssociated Press TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A Russian human rights group says a court in Russia convicted a prominent lawyer and sentenced him to seven years in prison for speaking out against the war in Ukraine on social media. The verdict in the case of Dmitry Talantov, who once chaired a regional association of lawyers
Continue ReadingAssociated Press PARIS (AP) — France’s minority government may be on its last legs as opposition lawmakers move this week toward a no-confidence vote. In a last-ditch effort to save themselves, Cabinet members warned of domestic and international turmoil if the government is toppled. Prime Minister Michel Barnier, a conservative allied with French President Emmanuel
Continue ReadingLONDON (AP) — A trial in London has heard claims that three Bulgarian nationals passed secrets to Russia for nearly three years after carrying out surveillance across Europe on individuals and places of interest to Moscow. Prosecutors at the trial at the Central Criminal Court said Katrin Ivanova, 33, Vanya Gaberova, 30, and Tihomir Ivanov
Continue ReadingFor more than 60 days, Lebanese have watched stunned as Israeli strikes smashed into buildings, raising giant explosions and palls of smoke in the heart of the capital and other cities. Now, after a ceasefire was reached this week between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group, Lebanese are returning to their homes and viewing the
Continue ReadingAssociated Press NEW YORK (AP) — As the holiday season kicks off, the journey home could also mean that those who are more tech-savvy will be called on to provide a backlog of tech support to parents, grandparents and other family. Tips on how to manage your tech encounters this holiday season include making sure
Continue ReadingBEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon’s parliament has renewed the term of army chief Joseph Aoun, who is seen as a potential presidential candidate in next year’s vote. Thursday’s session is the first since a U.S.-brokered ceasefire came into effect on Wednesday which has left the Lebanese military responsible for ensuring Hezbollah militants leave the country’s south
Continue ReadingAssociated Press PARIS (AP) — The bells of Notre Dame are chiming again, but scaffolding still clinging to the cathedral’s exterior is puzzling some Parisians, who question whether its grand post-blaze reopening is more symbolic than substantive. When French President Emmanuel Macron inspects the rebuilding work on Friday, in his final tour of the construction
Continue ReadingAssociated Press BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — A top Romanian court has asked the official electoral authority to recount and verify all of the ballots cast in the first round of the presidential election. The Constitutional Court in Bucharest voted unanimously in favor of the recount, and said the decision is final. The Central Election Bureau
Continue ReadingAssociated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Vaping is coming before the Supreme Court next week as federal regulators ask the high court to uphold its block on sweet, flavored products following a spike in youth e-cigarette use. The Food and Drug Administration has denied more than a million marketing applications for candy- or fruit-flavored products that
Continue ReadingBy Niamh Kennedy and Kathy Rose O’Brien, CNN (CNN) — Ireland’s youngest ever prime minister, Simon Harris, may have thought he had a victory in Ireland’s upcoming general election all but shored up. Touted as the TikTok taoiseach, Harris had used his last seven months in power to try and reassure Ireland’s young population that,
Continue ReadingAssociated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — With artificial intelligence at a pivotal moment of development, the federal government is about to transition from one that prioritized AI safeguards to one more focused on eliminating red tape. That’s a promising prospect for some investors but creates uncertainty about the future of any guardrails on the technology, especially
Continue ReadingAssociated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — With artificial intelligence at a pivotal moment of development, the federal government is about to transition from one that prioritized AI safeguards to one more focused on eliminating red tape. That’s a promising prospect for some investors but creates uncertainty about the future of any guardrails on the technology, especially
Continue ReadingAssociated Press MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — A social media ban for children under 16 passed the Australian Parliament on Friday in a world-first law. The law will make platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram liable for fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars ($33 million) for systemic failures to prevent children
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