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Ireland, UK begin clean-up after Storm Eowyn causes widespread damage

Hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses in the Republic of Ireland, neighbouring Northern Ireland and Scotland, remained without electricity on Saturday

China warns Rubio to act prudently in first call since his appointment

The short phrase seemed aimed at Rubio's vocal criticism of China and its human rights record when he was a US senator, which prompted the Chinese government to put sanctions on him twice in 2020

Fighting in Sudan's civil war ignites flames at largest oil refinery

Thick plumes of black smoke towered over the site, carried south toward Khartoum by the wind. Exposure to that smoke can exacerbate respiratory problems and raise cancer risks

Democratic states weigh support for immigrants as Trump admin cracks down

Resistance efforts in California, New York and other states are a counterpoint to the many Republican-led states advancing measures to aid Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration

Israel, Hamas set to swap more hostages for prisoners in latest exchange

On Saturday, four hostages are expected to be freed for 200 prisoners, including 120 who are serving life sentences after being convicted of deadly attacks on Israelis

Philippines accuses China's naval forces of harassing fisheries vessels

Beijing has repeatedly asserted sovereignty over most of the South China Sea and accused rival claimant states, including the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia of encroachment

Senate heads to approve Kristi Noem as Trump's homeland security secretary

Republicans were determined to barrel through on Noem's confirmation, threatening to keep the Senate working through the weekend to install Trump's national security Cabinet officials

Sudan's largest oil refinery set ablaze in civil war, satellite photos show

Attacks around the refinery, owned by Sudan's government and the state-run China National Petroleum Corp., represent the latest woe in a war between the rebel Rapid Support Force and Sudan's military

Trump pumps coal as answer to AI power needs but boost may be short-lived

Trump this week suggested coal can help meet surging electricity demand from manufacturing and the massive data centres needed for artificial intelligence

Trump proposes 'getting rid of FEMA' while visiting North Carolina

Instead of having federal financial assistance flow through FEMA, the Republican president said Washington could provide money directly to the states

Nigerian soldiers killed 79 militants, kidnappers in the past week: Army

Nationwide operation by Nigeria's military led to the arrest of 252 individuals and the liberation of 67 hostages held by the militants

Trump, Vance join anti-abortion activists, celebrate 'March for Life' gains

Trump has already made quieter moves on abortion, including pardoning several right to life activists and using wording related to fetal personhood in an executive order

State Department halts new funding for nearly all US aid programmes

Order sent in a cable to US embassies worldwide prohibits new government spending, which appears to limit programs to running only as long as they have cash on hand

Hamas names 4 hostages it plans to release today in new ceasefire exchange

Relatives of hostages still being held by militants in Gaza had earlier Friday called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ensure that all remaining captives are freed

Leaders at Davos hail 'constructive optimism' despite divisions in world

Many business leaders, world-class academics, top government officials and other elites on hand sought to cast an upbeat tone about economic prospects, efforts to end wars in places

Hamas publishes names of 4 hostages to be released from Gaza on Saturday

According to the deal, on Friday Hamas is to announce the names of the next four hostages to be released on Saturday, after which Israel will also release a list

Google pledges fight against fake reviews in deal with competition watchdog

Google pledged to crack down on fake online reviews with tougher punishments for rogue reviewers and businesses that try to profit from them, British regulators said Friday following an investigation.

Kremlin rejects Trump's claim that lower oil prices could end Ukraine war

Asked to comment on Trump's claim that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is ready for a peace deal, Peskov pointed out the Ukrainian leader's earlier decision to rule out any talks with Moscow

Afghan women's group hails ICC's decision to arrest Taliban leaders

Since they took back control of the country in 2021, the Taliban have barred women from jobs, most public spaces and education beyond sixth grade

Donald Trump says he plans to reach out to North Korea's Kim Jong Un

President Donald Trump said that he will reach out to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who he described as a smart guy