U.S. Announces Major Strikes Targeting ISIS Positions Across Syria

U.S., allies launch “large-scale” strikes on Islamic State targets across Syria after Palmyra attack U.S. and allied forces carried out large-scale strikes against the Islamic State group across Syria today, the U.S. military said, describing the operation as a direct response to last month’s attack that killed three Americans in the ancient city of Palmyra. U.S. Central Command said in a statement on X that “the strikes today targeted ISIS throughout Syria” as part of Operation Hawkeye Strike, launched after a Dec. 13…

U.S. announces major airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Syria

U.S., allied forces launch large-scale strikes on ISIS in Syria after deadly Palmyra attack U.S. and allied forces carried out large-scale strikes against the Islamic State group across Syria on Saturday, U.S. Central Command said, the latest response to a Dec. 13 assault in Palmyra that killed three Americans. “The strikes today targeted ISIS throughout Syria” and were part of Operation Hawkeye Strike, which CENTCOM said was launched “in direct response to the deadly ISIS attack on U.S. and Syrian forces in Palmyra.” The…

Protests sweep U.S. after ICE agent shoots woman, sparking outrage

Thousands march nationwide after ICE agent fatally shoots Minneapolis woman Renee Good MINNEAPOLIS — Thousands of demonstrators chanting the name of Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother killed by a federal immigration agent, flooded Minneapolis streets on Saturday, the latest flashpoint in anger over the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and use of force by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Organizers said more than 1,000 actions were planned across the United States under the slogan “ICE, Out for Good,” a nod to…

Elon Musk says Grok deepfake backlash is a pretext for censorship

X faces threat of being effectively blocked in the United Kingdom as regulators probe its AI chatbot Grok over reports it generated sexualized deepfake images — including of children — at users’ request. Owner Elon Musk has denounced the backlash, saying critics “want any excuse for censorship.” The UK’s communications regulator, Ofcom, said it has launched an expedited assessment following urgent contact with X and is weighing enforcement under the Online Safety Act. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said she would support…

Kyiv races to restore shattered power grid after Russian strikes

Kyiv’s water and heating systems are back on after a brief shutdown Friday as engineers scrambled to stabilize a power grid battered by weeks of Russian strikes and a plunging cold snap. The city administration said around noon local time that state grid operator Ukrenergo had ordered a full shutdown of Kyiv’s power system, forcing water and district heating to stop and halting electrified public transport. Less than an hour later, Ukrenergo said crews had remedied the immediate issue, caused by damage from earlier attacks,…

Greenland Parliament rejects Trump proposal, vows not to become Americans

Greenland’s entire political spectrum closed ranks to reject U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to take control of the Arctic island, issuing a rare joint statement asserting the territory’s right to self-determination and demanding respect for international law. “We will not be Americans, we will not be Danes, we are Greenlanders,” the leaders said in a statement released late Tuesday. The five party chiefs — including Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen — said they “strongly oppose” any U.S. takeover of Greenland and…

Australia issues disaster declaration as wildfires rage across the country

Australia declared a state of disaster in Victoria as fast-moving bushfires destroyed homes and scorched vast tracts of forest during a searing heatwave, with authorities warning dangerous conditions persist even as some fronts ease. Temperatures surged past 40C across the southeast this week, and hot, shifting winds fanned some of the most perilous fire weather since the Black Summer of 2019-2020. One of the fiercest blazes tore through almost 150,000 hectares near Longwood, a region known for dense native forests. Premier…

Trump’s Greenland admission lays bare his true intentions and agenda

Donald Trump’s Greenland fixation has never been about maps or minerals. It is about possession — a muscular assertion of power for its own sake — and it now threatens to turn a long‑standing alliance into collateral damage. In a three-hour interview with the New York Times on Wednesday, the former president did what he so often claims to do: say the quiet part out loud. Asked why he wants to take over Greenland, he was disarmingly blunt. “Ownership is very important,” he said. Pressed on whether the world’s most powerful…

Minister slams X’s Grok AI image editing limit as cosmetic gesture

Irish officials have condemned X’s decision to put some of its Grok AI image-editing tools behind a paywall, calling the move “window dressing” that fails to address the spread of sexually explicit deepfakes, including images of children, on the platform. Niamh Smyth, Minister of State with responsibility for AI, said X had informed her it would meet with her in the coming weeks after she requested talks earlier this week. But she said restricting image generation and editing to paying subscribers does nothing to stop…

Minister calls X’s Grok image-editing limits mere window dressing

Ireland’s minister for AI has condemned X’s decision to put parts of its Grok AI image tool behind a paywall, calling the move “window dressing” that fails to address the spread of abusive and illegal deepfakes. X said this week it has limited Grok’s image generation and editing features to paying subscribers. Users asking Grok to alter photos now receive a prompt stating those functions are “currently limited to paying subscribers,” with links to subscribe. The platform’s AI also told one user the change was “effective…