World Headlines
Ukraine, France discussing allied troop deployment to country, Zelenskyy says
Antonio Masiello/Getty Images(LONDON) -- Talks are ongoing between Paris and Kyiv for the possible deployment of French troops inside Ukraine despite the ongoing war with Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a post to social media.Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron "had a detailed discussion about the situation on the battlefield and the progress of Ukrainian forces in the Kursk operation," the Ukrainian leader said in a Monday night post to X."We also agreed to work closely with key allies on achieving peace and developing effective security guarantees," Zelenskyy added."As one such guarantee, we discussed the French initiative to deploy military contingents in Ukraine," he continued. "We addressed practical steps for its implementation, potential expansion and the involvement of ... Read More
North Korea tests ‘several’ missiles, South Korean military says
Jung Yeon-je/AFP via Getty Images(SEOUL and TOKYO) -- North Korea launched "several short-range ballistic missiles," that landed in the Sea of Japan Tuesday morning local time, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said.The missiles "flew approximately 250 km," the officials said."North Korea's missile launch is a clear provocative act that seriously threatens the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula, and we strongly condemn it," the officials added.Tuesday's test launches marked the second missile test of the year, following the Jan. 6 launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile, a test that coincided with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to South Korea.North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said at the time that the "performance of our latest hypersonic intermediate-range ... Read More
Tsunami advisory lifted after strong earthquake hits Japanese coast
Sankei via Getty Images)(TOKYO and LONDON) -- A tsunami advisory has now been lifted after an earlier warning in the wake of a strong earthquake Monday off the coast of Japan’s Miyazaki Prefecture, officials said.The U.S. Geological Survey put the quake’s preliminary magnitude at 6.8. The Japan Meteorological Agency said it had an intensity of lower 5 on the Japanese scale of 0 to 7.The quake began at around 9:19 p.m. local time, with its epicenter a few miles offshore at a depth of about 19 miles, Japanese and American officials said.The Japanese weather agency had issued a tsunami advisory for Miyazaki and Kochi prefectures, with expected heights of about 1 meter. One tsunami wave measuring about 8 inches reached some ... Read More
Ukraine claims more North Korean soldiers killed as Zelenskyy offers prisoner swap
Kim Won Jin/AFP via Getty Images(LONDON) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy predicted that his nation's forces would "undoubtedly" capture more North Korean troops, after sharing purported video of two prisoners of war detained after being wounded in fighting in Russia's western Kursk region."It's only a matter of time before our troops manage to capture others," Zelenskyy said in a post to social media, accompanied with brief video interviews with two North Korean soldiers.The short videos showed the two apparently wounded men giving brief answers to a Ukrainian interviewer via a translator.One said he was told by commanders that he was being deployed as part of a training exercise, according to the translation. The prisoner said he entered combat on Jan. 3, ... Read More
Baltic Sea undersea ‘sabotage’ sets stage for escalating NATO-Russia contest
Jussi Nukari/Lehtikuva/AFP via Getty Images(LONDON) -- A spate of alleged sabotage operations against undersea cables in the Baltic Sea has raised the prospect of a dangerous 2025 in NATO's northern theater, with allied leaders vowing closer surveillance of and tougher action against Russian- and Chinese-linked and other ships accused of nefarious efforts there."NATO will enhance its military presence in the Baltic Sea," alliance chief Mark Rutte said in late December, after the last such instance of suspected sabotage, condemning "any attacks on critical infrastructure."Rutte's commitment came after the most recent of three alleged sabotage operations in the Baltic Sea -- the damaging of the Estlink 2 power cable and four internet cables on Christmas Day. The Estlink 2 cable -- along ... Read More
Middle East live updates: Israel, Hamas closer to ceasefire than ever before
Menahem Kahana/AFP via Getty Images(LONDON) -- The Israel Defense Forces continues its intense airstrike and ground campaigns in Gaza, particularly in the north of the strip. A latest round of peace talks to end the 15-month-old war has resumed in Qatar, with high-level delegations traveling to Doha.Meanwhile, the November ceasefire in Lebanon is holding despite ongoing Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah targets, which Israeli officials say are responses to ceasefire violations by the Iranian-backed militant group. Israeli forces also remain active inside the Syrian border region as victorious rebels there build a transitional government.Tensions remain high between Israel and Iran after tit-for-tat long-range strikes in recent months and threats of further military action from both sides. The IDF and the Yemeni ... Read More
Scientists were shocked by how warm it was in 2023. The following year was even hotter
Planet Observer/Universal Images Group via Getty Images(LONDON) -- How warm was 2024? By March, just three months into the year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had already estimated a 55% chance that 2024 would be the warmest year on record for the planet. By July, they gave it a 77% chance.It was nearly certain by November.Turns out, breaking the record was never really in doubt. Last year easily beat out the previous record holder, 2023, for the warmest year on record globally, according to data collected and analyzed by Copernicus Climate Change Service, part of the European Union's climate research program and confirmed by NASA and NOAA scientists.Copernicus said the global temperature for all of 2024 was 1.6 degrees Celsius ... Read More
Nearly a quarter of the world’s freshwater species are at risk of extinction: Report
Narayan Maharjan/NurPhoto via Getty Images(LONDON) -- Nearly a quarter of the world's freshwater species are at risk of extinction, according to new research.A detailed extinction assessment of more than 23,000 species of freshwater fauna by the International Union for Conservation of Nature identified major threats from pollution, dams, agriculture and invasive species, according to a paper published Wednesday in the journal Nature.The species studied included fish, decapod crustaceans -- such as crabs, crayfishes and shrimps -- and odonates, such as dragonflies and damsel flies. About 24% of those species are at risk of extinction, Catherine Sayer, lead of the freshwater biodiversity team for the IUCN, told ABC News."That means there are high to extremely high risks of becoming extinct in the future," ... Read More
Court reissues warrant for impeached South Korean president, who remains at residence
Catherine McQueen/Getty Images(SEOUL, South Korea) -- Seoul Western District Court on Tuesday night reissued a warrant to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol.The Corruption Investigation Office chief, Oh Dong-woon, said during a parliament hearing that they would “thoroughly prepare for the execution of arrest, as if it was the last chance.”The effort to detain Yoon came after a South Korean court issued an arrest and search warrant on Dec. 31 over his short-lived imposition of martial law, ABC News confirmed. Yoon has been suspended from his position since Dec. 14.Yoon's attorney told reporters Wednesday that he is still at his residence and is greatly disappointed to hear rumors saying he had fled. Opposition lawmakers had spread those rumors, the attorney ... Read More
At least 126 dead, scores injured in 6.8 magnitude earthquake near holy city in Tibet, Chinese media reports
Sunil Sharma via Getty Images(TIBET) -- At least 126 people were killed and more than 188 others were injured as a 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck near Tibet's holy city on Tuesday, according to Chinese state media.The earthquake occurred in Dingri County, Shigatse City, Tibet, just after 9 a.m. with a focal depth of 10 kilometers, according to the China Earthquake Networks Centre. More than 3,600 houses had collapsed, state media said.The U.S. Geological Survey placed the earthquake's magnitude at 7.1, pinpointing the epicenter in Xizang, the local name for the Tibet Autonomous Region."The region near the India and Eurasia plate boundary has a history of large earthquakes," the USGS said in a summary of the quake. "In the past century, there have been 10 earthquakes of ... Read More
North Korea fired hypersonic missile in message to ‘rivals,’ Kim Jong Un says
Kim Jae-Hwan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images(LONDON) -- North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency on Tuesday claimed a successful test a new type of intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile, with leader Kim Jong Un touting the weapon as a major military achievement.KCNA said the successful test took place on Jan. 6. The launch marked Pyongyang's first missile test of 2025 and came with Secretary of State Antony Blinken in the region for what is expected to be his last foreign trip as America's top diplomat.Kim personally oversaw the test, KCNA said.Kim said the missile's hypersonic glide vehicle travelled more than 930 miles at 12 times the speed of sound. It reached two different peaks of 62 miles and 26.4 miles before ... Read More
Ukraine is bringing war ‘back to Russia,’ Zelenskyy says after new Kursk offensive
DONETSK OBLAST, UKRAINE - DECEMBER 31: Ukrainian soldiers watch the Zelensky New Years Eve address from their base in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on 31 December 2024. (Photo by Wolfgang Schwan/Anadolu via Getty Images)(LONDON) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday that some 38,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded fighting in Russia's western Kursk region since August, with Kyiv now launching a fresh offensive in the border region."We continue to maintain a buffer zone on Russian territory, actively destroying Russian military potential there," Zelenskyy said in a statement posted to the presidency's website.Monday marked five months since Ukrainian units crossed into Kursk in a surprise summer 2024 offensive there. Russian forces -- recently supported by North Korean troops -- ... Read More
US transfers 11 Guantanamo detainees to Oman, leaving 15 at Cuba facility
Elise Swain/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- In a major development, the Pentagon on Monday announced the transfer 11 Yemeni detainees at Guantanamo Bay to Oman, a move that now leaves only 15 detainees still at the detention facility."The United States appreciates the willingness of the government of Oman and other partners to support ongoing U.S. efforts focused on responsibly reducing the detainee population and ultimately closing the Guantanamo Bay facility," said a DOD statement.In recent weeks, the Pentagon had transferred out four other detainees from Guantanamo including a detainee who was brought to the detention facility at the base in Cuba the day that it opened, but was never charged.The transfer of the 11 Yemeni detainees is the largest transfer to take ... Read More
Middle East live updates: Hostage’s body recovered from tunnel in Gaza
Security forces and emergency workers respond to the scene of a shooting attack that targeted a bus and other vehicles on January 6, 2025 in the Palestinian village of Al-Funduq, West Bank. Three people were reported killed and others injured, and security forces are still searching for the assailants. The site is located between the Israeli West Bank settlements of Karnei Shomron and Kdumim. (Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images)(LONDON) -- Rebel forces in Syria are building a transitional government after toppling the regime of President Bashar Assad in a lightning-quick advance across the country.The Israel Defense Forces continues its intense airstrike and ground campaigns in Gaza, particularly in the north of the strip around several Palestinian hospitals. A latest round ... Read More
Climate and environment updates: Biden bans offshore oil and gas drilling
SimpleImages/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- The climate crisis is not a distant threat; it's happening right now and affecting what matters most to us. Hurricanes intensified by a warming planet and drought-fueled wildfires are destroying our communities. Rising seas and flooding are swallowing our homes. And record-breaking heat waves are reshaping our way of life.The good news is we know how to turn the tide and avoid the worst possible outcomes. However, understanding what needs to be done can be confusing due to a constant stream of climate updates, scientific findings, and critical decisions that are shaping our future.That's why the ABC News Climate and Weather Unit is cutting through the noise by curating what you need to know to keep ... Read More
Putin apologizes for ‘tragic incident’ but stops short of saying Azerbaijani plane was shot down
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday apologized to his Azerbaijani counterpart for what he called a “tragic incident” following the crash of an Azerbaijani airliner in Kazakhstan that killed 38 people, but stopped short of acknowledging that Moscow was responsible. Putin’s apology came as allegations mounted that the plane had been shot down by Russian air defenses attempting to deflect a Ukrainian drone strike near Grozny, the regional capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya. An official Kremlin statement issued Saturday said that air defense systems were firing near Grozny airport as the airliner “repeatedly” attempted to land there on Wednesday. It did not explicitly say one of these hit the plane. The statement said Putin apologized ... Read More
What we know about the shooter
WASHINGTON (AP) — The man identified as the shooter in the apparent assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump was a 20-year-old from a Pittsburgh suburb not far from the campaign rally where one attendee was killed. Investigators were working Sunday to gather more information about Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, who they say opened fire at the rally before being killed by Secret Service days before Trump was to accept the Republican nomination for a third time. An FBI official said late Saturday that investigators had not yet determined a motive. Two spectators were critically injured, authorities said. Relatives of Crooks didn’t immediately respond to messages from The Associated Press. His father, Matthew Crooks, told CNN late ... Read MorePrayers for Trump also pour in from political rivals
Prayers for the former president are also coming from his political opponents. “I am horrified by what happened at the Trump rally in Pennsylvania and relieved that former President Trump is safe. Political violence has no place in our country,†said Sen. Chuck Schumer in a statement. “We should all condemn what happened today and I am hoping for the health of the former president and everyone else at the rally,†Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy posted on the social platform X. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a post on X that his “thoughts and prayers are with former President Trump†and expressed thanks “for the decisive law enforcement response.†... Read MoreWikiLeaks founder facing pivotal moment in long fight to stay out of US court
LONDON -- The host of a news conference about WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's extradition fight wryly welcomed journalists last week to the “millionth†press briefing on his court case. Deborah Bonetti, director of the Foreign Press Association, was only half joking. Assange’s legal saga has dragged on for well over a decade but it could come to an end in the U.K. as soon as Monday. Assange faces a hearing in London's High Court that could end with him being sent to the U.S. to face espionage charges, or provide him another chance to appeal his extradition. The outcome will depend on how much weight judges give to reassurances U.S. officials have provided that Assange's rights won't be trampled if ... Read More
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