President Joe Biden on Wednesday cancelled the final overseas trip of his presidency just hours before he was set to depart for Rome and the Vatican, choosing to remain in Washington to monitor the response todevastating fires raging in California. Biden was scheduled to leave Thursday afternoon, aftereulogizing former President Jimmy Carterat a memorial service in Washington, for the three-day trip to meet with Pope Francis and Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The trip was meant as a coda to the second Catholic U.S. president’s time in the White House a

More than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed inthe Israel-Hamas war, Gaza's Health Ministry said Thursday, as the conflict raged into a 16th month with no end in sight. The ministry said a total of 46,006 Palestinians have been killed and 109,378 wounded. It has said women and childrenmake up more than half the fatalities, but does not say how many of the dead were fighters or civilians. The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. It says it tries to avoid harming civilians and blames Hamas for their deaths because the militants operate in resid

Israel’s defense minister said Wednesday that troops have recovered the bodies of two additional hostagesfrom Gaza. Defense Minister Israel Katz said the bodies of Yosef Al Zaydani and his son Hamzah were recovered in an operation, without disclosing further details. The men were taken captive during Hamas’ attack on Oct. 7, 2023. The return of the two bodies comes as Israel and Hamas are consideringa ceasefire dealthat would free the remaining 100 or so hostages and would halt the fighting in Gaza. Israel believes a third of the remaining hostages are dead. However, Yosef and Hamzah Al Za

A wildfire whipped up by extreme winds swept through a Los Angeles hillside dotted with celebrity residences Tuesday, burning homes in Pacific Palisades and prompting evacuation orders for tens of thousands. In the frantic haste to get to safety, roadways were clogged and scores of people abandoned their vehicles and fled on foot, some toting suitcases. The traffic jam on Palisades Drive prevented emergency vehicles from getting through and a bulldozer was brought in to push the abandoned cars to the side and create a path, according to the LA Fire Department. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, w

Incoming U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to use economic force to make Canada part of the United States. Trump told reporters that he has no intention of using military force against Canada; instead, he would use economic pressure. Trump argued that the move would be beneficial for national security, stating that the issue with Canada is the billions of dollars the U.S. spends to protect it. Trump made these comments during a press conference in Florida. He also suggested he might use military force to acquire the Panama Canal and Greenland. Trump said China is using the Panama Can

Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founder of France’s far-right National Front who was known for fiery rhetoric against immigration and multiculturalism that earned him both staunch supporters and widespread condemnation, has died. He was 96. Jordan Bardella, president of the National Rally as the party is now known, confirmed Le Pen’s death in a post on social media platform X on Tuesday. A polarizing figure in French politics, Le Pen's controversial statements, including Holocaust denial, led to multiple convictions and strained his political alliances. Le Pen, who once reached the second round of

The third case of the Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV), similar to the coronavirus, has been reported in India. On Monday, a 2-month-old child from a Rajasthani family was confirmed positive in Ahmedabad, where the child is undergoing treatment. Earlier, two cases were detected in Karnataka: a 3-month-old girl and an 8-month-old boy, both treated in a Bengaluru hospital. HMPV infection causes symptoms resembling a cold or COVID-19 and predominantly affects young children. Following reports of HMPV cases, fear gripped the Indian stock market, leading to a significant drop. The Sensex closed 1,258

A judge has set January 10 as the date for sentencing former U.S. President Donald Trump on charges related to a hush money case involving a porn star. All eyes are on the court's decision, which will come 10 days before Trump is set to be sworn in as president for a second term. However, Manhattan Judge Juan Marchon has indicated that Trump will not be sent to prison. Regardless of the final decision, it is certain that Trump will become the first president to reach the White House with a criminal conviction. Donald Trump was convicted in May of 34 serious counts of tampering with business r

Pope Francis on Monday named the first woman to head a major Vatican office, appointing an Italian nun, Sister Simona Brambilla, to become prefect of the department responsible for all the Catholic Church's religious orders. The appointment marks a major step in Francis’ aim to givewomen more leadership rolesin governing the church. While women have been named to No. 2 spots in some Vatican offices, never before has a woman been named prefect of a dicastery or congregation of the Holy See Curia, the central governing organ of the Catholic Church. The historic nature of Brambilla’s appointm