World News

Nasa begins practice countdown for 1st moonshot with astronauts in 50 yrs

A bitter cold spell delayed the fueling demo, and the launch, by two days. Feb. 8 is now the earliest the rocket could blast off

Blast in Iran kills 1, wounds 14 ahead of Hormuz naval drill watched by US

Media reported at least 14 people suffered injuries in the explosion at the eight-storey building, which blew out windows and covered the street below in debris

US special envoy for Iraq no longer in the post amid tensions with Baghdad

Savaya, a Christian Iraqi-American entrepreneur, was among a handful of Arab Americans named to senior posts by Trump, however, it was not immediately clear what prompted Savaya's departure

92 militants, 15 security personnel killed in ops across Pak's Balochistan

The violence was reported from many parts of Balochistan, including Mastung, Noshki, Dalbandin, Kharan, Panjgur, Tump, and Pasni

Bangladesh confirms 330 int'l observers for Feb polls; India yet to respond

India has also been invited to join the international observer mission for Bangladesh's general election, but has yet to confirm its participation, a statement said

Judge denies request to halt immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota

Judge Katherine M Menendez denied a preliminary injunction sought in a lawsuit filed this month by state Attorney General Keith Ellison and the mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul

US envoy arrives in Venezuela to reopen diplomatic mission after 7 years

The move comes almost one month after a military action ordered by US President Donald Trump removed the country's then-leader Nicolas Maduro from office

Winter storm, freezing cold grounds 2,100 flights, threatens citrus crops

The storm means a second weekend of flight delays and cancellations, but shouldn't be as severe as the previous round, when more than 10,000 trips were scrubbed across the country

Feds to stay out of protests in Democratic-led cities unless asked: Trump

This moves comes amid mounting criticism of President Donald Trump's administration's immigration crackdown

One person killed, 14 hurt in blast in Iranian port of Bandar Abbas: Report

The semi-official Tasnim news agency said that social media reports alleging that a Revolutionary Guard navy commander had been targeted in the explosion were "completely false"

Sell America emerges as the new trade gaining ground on Wall Street

Investors are increasingly souring on the United States, as illustrated by the declining dollar, the stalled stock market and rising government borrowing costs

57 militants, 10 security personnel killed in ops across Pak's Balochistan

The attacks happened in several areas, including Quetta, Gwadar, Makran, Hub, Chaman and Naseerabad

Israeli strikes kill at least 12 in Gaza as ceasefire efforts inch forward

The strikes came a day before a border crossing is set to open in Gaza's southernmost city, a reminder that the death toll is still rising even as a ceasefire agreement inches forward

China factory activity contracts in Jan, manufacturing PMI drops to 49.3

Sub-indexes of new orders and new export orders also saw declines, respectively down to 49.2 from 50.8 in December and 47.8 from 49.0 in December

Powerful storm hits US East Coast, brings snow to areas unaccustomed to it

Temperatures neared the teens (minus 10 degrees Celsius) in Nashville, Tennessee, and frustrations bubbled up for those who spent a week without power

Wild party, planned visit, STD: What Epstein files reveal about Musk, Gates

The documents have revealed fresh details about Epstein's contacts with powerful people, including Tesla Chief Elon Musk, Microsoft Co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates and US Commerce Secretary

US govt agencies shut down as Trump-backed funding deal awaits House vote

The funding lapse is likely to be short, with the House returning from a week-long break on Monday and the Republican president fully supporting the spending package

New DOJ files show Lutnick planned Epstein island visit, stayed in touch

In a December 2012 email, Lutnick asked Epstein if it would be possible for his family and another to visit his island during a trip to the Caribbean

Journalist Don Lemon charged with civil rights crimes in anti-ICE protest

Lemon, who was fired from CNN in 2023, was due to appear Friday in federal court in Los Angeles

Satellite photos show activity at Iran nuclear sites amid protest crackdown

US President Donald Trump repeatedly has demanded Iran negotiate a deal over its nuclear program to avert threatened American military strikes over the country's crackdown on protesters