White House defends new press secretary amid questions about her legal credentials

Ukraine's drone ops slow after Musk's Starlink curbs as Trump warms to Putin

Anthropic flags revenue surge to investors ahead of stock market debut

It comes as some investors have become concerned about the amount of money being spent on AI infrastructure.

Watch: Orange haze blankets Indonesia's Kalimantan region

Thick orange smog descended on the Indonesian city of Palangka Raya as wildfires continue raging nearby.

How Chinese parts are fuelling Houthi ambitions to strike Israel and Saudi Arabia

Retired US generals call on Pentagon to cancel 'barbaric' execution livestream

Livestreaming the execution of Nidal Hasan "will taint the honor of the military that employs it, and a nation that allows it," 72 former officers said in a letter.

US Teenager Arrested Over Plot To Carry Out Mass Shootings Targeting Indians At Hindu Temple

Police said Alexandros Paporakis, 19, plotted to carry out a "mass shooting of Indian people" at a Hindu temple in Aurora, but his rifle malfunctioned.

Fed rate hike call seen tight as inflation heats up

A Federal Reserve interest-rate decision later this month may be a closer call than previously thought after Labor Department data showed consumer prices were up 3.7 percent last month from a year earlier, well above the Fed's 2 percent target and moving in the wrong direction. Higher gasoline prices from the Middle East war were a main driver. Excluding volatile food and energy prices, the core Consumer Price Index (CPI) was up 2.6 percent, more than the 2.5 percent economists polled by Reuters had projected. The Fed lifted the policy rate in September to a target range of 3.75 percent-4.00 percent to bring down too-high inflation, and officials have said they are looking closely for signs of broadening price pressures that could keep inflation high even if gas prices fall, necessitating more policy tightening. Wednesday's data contained plenty of such signs. "The surprise was not concentrated in any one item, like it was with wireless in the August report, but instead reflected a number of components showing strength, i.e., it was broad-based," wrote Omair Sharif, founder of Inflation

Houthis say targeted Saudi oil giant Aramco, vow more attacks

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Yemen's Houthis said Wednesday they had targeted facilities belonging to Saudi Aramco, after Saudi officials reported a strike on a building in an area housing the energy giant's operations centre. Powerful explosions also rattled the Saudi capital, as the coalition fighting the Houthis said it had intercepted a missile fired by the Iran-backed group towards Riyadh. The world's top crude oil exporter has in recent days come under sustained attack, including a strike on Riyadh's international airport that was the deadliest in years, as the war with the Houthis dramatically escalates. It has hit back with strikes against the group's stronghold in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, which for years has been under their grip. Yahya Saree, Houthi military spokesman, said their forces had conducted "a high-quality military operation targeting Aramco in Dhahran," as well as strikes targeting Riyadh airport and a refinery in the capital. He added the attacks were carried out with missiles and drones, and that operations "will continue in the coming days, targeting Saudi enemy airpo

Pope Leo back on his feet after shock cancer diagnosis

VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo's recovery from surgery is progressing as expected and he has begun walking in his hospital room and eating normally, the Vatican said on Wednesday, after doctors announced the 71-year-old pontiff was being treated for lung cancer. World leaders, Catholics across the globe and senior cardinals at the Vatican have offered prayers for Leo after he had part of his right lung removed in an operation on Tuesday. Blood tests and a chest X-ray carried out on Wednesday showed normal post-operative results, the Vatican said, adding that the pontiff had undergone respiratory physiotherapy. The cancer diagnosis for a pope known to be relatively young and energetic and who was elected only in May 2025 caused shock and raised questions about the future shape of his papacy as he deals with the illness. Leo normally follows a very busy schedule. He is due to make a tour of Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from November 6 to 17 and the Vatican press office said on Wednesday that "nothing has changed" regarding the planned trip. However, Peruvian President Keiko Fujimori said on Wedne

US drops case against ex-CIA analyst accused of aiding S. Korea

NEW YORK — U.S. prosecutors have agreed to drop charges against a former CIA analyst accused of working as an agent of the South Korean government in exchange for designer handbags, high-priced dinners and other luxury goods. Sue Mi Terry, who had also served on the White House National Security Council, was charged in 2024 for failing to register as a foreign agent and disclosing U.S. government information to South Korean intelligence. A court filing Tuesday showed the Justice Department has struck a deferred prosecution agreement with Terry, who denied the accusations and was due to go on trial later this year. It means Terry, previously a senior fellow for Korea studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, will not face jail time provided she complies with several rules for the next 12 months. They include restrictions on leaving the United States, and a ban on communicating with the South Korean intelligence service. Terry is a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in South Korea's capital, Seoul, and raised in Virginia and Hawaii. She was employed by the U.S. government from 2001 t

New York to ban Central Park's horse-drawn carriages after teen's death

NEW YORK — New York City lawmakers plan to ban horse-drawn carriages from Central Park, ending their more than 150-year run as an iconic, old-timey tourist attraction, following decades of opposition from animal welfare activists and the death of a teenage tourist last spring. The City Council is expected to approve a bill next week that would end the rides by 2028. Three consecutive mayors had called for an end to the carriage rides because of safety concerns, only to have lawmakers yank back the reins. A spokesperson for Julie Menin, the council speaker, confirmed the incoming vote and said the proposal had enough support to pass. Mayor Zohran Mamdani's office said he had reached a deal with the speaker on the legislation. “The horse carriage industry is coming to an end in New York City,” Mamdani said in a social media post. Teen's death reignited debate over carriage rides The latest push for a ban started in June, when 18-year-old Romanch Mahajan, visiting the city from India, died after jumping from a runaway horse carriage during a ride with family members. His death, which a