Who are the Houthis? Iran-backed group thrust into global spotlight

SANA’A, YEMEN – DECEMBER 03: Members of the Houthi-run Military Special Forces guard during a funeral procession of Houthi fighters at Al-Sha’ab Mosque on December 03, 2023 in Sana’a, Yemen. (Photo by Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images) Mohammed Hamoud | Getty Images News | Getty Images U.S. and U.K. forces have carried out airstrikes against Houthi rebel … Read more

North Korea to welcome Russian tourists in February, the country’s first since the pandemic

SEOUL, South Korea — Russian tourists reportedly going on a ski trip to North Korea will be the first international travelers to visit the country since border closings in January 2020 amid the global pandemic lockdown. The tour, published by the Russian state-run Tass news agency and advertised by a Russian tour agency this week, … Read more

Trans Mountain given more billion-dollar lifelines as debt costs, risks to taxpayers soar

The federal government has quietly guaranteed between $1.75 billion and $2 billion in new commercial bank loans for the Trans Mountain Corporation so it will have enough cash to complete its long-delayed and massively over budget West Coast pipeline expansion. If that money is borrowed, the project’s total cost to the government will now sit … Read more

Worried about losing in 2024, Iowa’s Republican voters are less interested in talking about abortion

DES MOINES, Iowa — A man in Iowa stood up at a recent town hall and told Ron DeSantis he had an “easy” question: How would the Florida governor address abortion when it’s sure to be a big issue in the coming 2024 presidential election? DeSantis said he’d talk about it “the same way I … Read more

Ukraine and Russia say they want peace but they’re nowhere near talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visits soldiers at the Kupiansk front line on Nov. 30, 2023, in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Ukrainian Presidency | Anadolu | Getty Images Ukraine is set to pitch its peace plan for ending the war with Russia to allied national security advisors in Switzerland on Sunday, as officials gather in the ski resort … Read more

U.S., UK strike Iran-backed Houthi targets in response to Red Sea attacks

Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, left, and U.S. President Joe Biden speak at the start of the meeting of the North Atlantic Council (NAC) during the NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, July 11, 2023. Paul Ellis | AP The United States and the United Kingdom have “successfully conducted strikes” against Houthi targets in Yemen, President … Read more

Alabama can enforce a ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors, appeals court rules

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama can begin immediately enforcing a ban outlawing the use of puberty blockers and hormones to treat transgender people under 19, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday, granting the state’s request to stay a preliminary injunction that had blocked enforcement of the 2022 law. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had … Read more

Australia involved in US and UK strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen

Australia has supported US and UK strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen who were blocking free maritime navigation. The strikes were launched in response to the Iran-backed group blockading international shipping lanes in the Red Sea in support of Palestine. Defence Minister Richard Marles said the government will continue to support any actions that assert … Read more

Aldi joins Woolworths in dumping Australia Day merchandise as Peter Dutton calls for boycott

Aldi has joined Woolworths in choosing not to sell Australia Day merchandise ahead of the national holiday. The supermarket giant will not sell themed products such as thongs in the lead-up to January 26. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Aldi joins Woolworths in dumping Australia Day merchandise. Watch the latest news on Channel 7 or stream … Read more

White House prepares for Taiwan presidential elections and ‘period of higher tension’

U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping before a meeting during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders’ week in Woodside, California, Nov. 15, 2023. Brendan Smialowski | Afp | Getty Images The Biden administration doubled down on its support for Taiwan’s democratic process ahead of a presidential election on the island that will serve … Read more