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Opponents of Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro took to the streets in their thousands Thursday in a last-ditch protest against his swearing-in for a third six-year term as president.After a July election that many believe was stolen, opposition supporters gathered in the capital Caracas, and towns and cities nationwide, to denounce what some called a  “dictatorship.””Get out …

‘Venezuela will be free’: anti-Maduro protests roil Caracas Read More »

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday said Donald Trump’s return to the White House would open “a new chapter” and reiterated a call for Western allies to send troops to help “force Russia to peace”.Zelensky spoke at a meeting of about 50 allies at the US air base Ramstein in Germany, the last such gathering …

Ukraine’s leader calls for support as Trump’s return opens ‘new chapter’ Read More »

Video game play met romantic intimacy in a corner of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES)  on Thursday — but it hasn’t always been smooth sailing for sex toys at the Las Vegas gadget extravaganza. In 2019, CES was marred in controversy after stripping an award from a sex toy called the Ose personal massager for being …

Video game play gets frisky at CES gadget gala Read More »

Two dozen armed men tried to storm into Chad’s presidential palace but 18 of the attackers and two soldiers were killed in the failed attack, the national prosecutor said Thursday.Heavy gunfire erupted near the presidential complex just before 8:00 pm local time (1900 GMT) on Wednesday in the centre of N’Djamena, the capital of the …

Chad says bid to storm into presidential palace foiled, 20 dead Read More »

Jimmy Carter brought a brief moment of national unity to a divided America Thursday as five US presidents gathered for the solemn state funeral of the 39th commander-in-chief in Washington’s National Cathedral.In historic scenes just 11 days before the inauguration of Donald Trump for what promises to be a turbulent second term, the incoming president …

Jimmy Carter unites US as presidents attend state funeral Read More »

Shell-shocked Los Angeles residents on Thursday surveyed the devastation from wind-whipped fires that have engulfed entire neighborhoods and claimed at least five lives, as forecasters warned of further dangerous conditions.Several blazes were still burning out of control, with zero percent containment of fires in upscale Pacific Palisade and the northern suburb of Altadena — which …

Shocked LA residents survey fire damage, brace for more Read More »

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Rome Thursday for talks with European counterparts on bringing stability to Syria in the face of Turkish threats against Kurdish forces there.It is the final stage in what is likely his last tour in the role before US President Joe Biden makes way for President-elect Donald Trump …

Blinken seeks to avert Syria turmoil with Europeans on final trip Read More »

Italy’s far-right prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, said on Thursday Elon Musk’s political interventions only caused outrage because he wasn’t left-wing — and that foreigners had been interfering in Italian politics for years.Meloni, head of the post-Fascist Brothers of Italy party, said Musk was exercising his right to free speech. Instead, she accused powerful people on …

Musk draws ire because ‘isn’t left-wing’: Italy’s Meloni Read More »

Jimmy Carter began his final journey Thursday, with his flag-draped coffin being moved from the US Capitol for his state funeral at Washington’s National Cathedral as mourners paid their respects to the 39th US president.The service caps a week of mourning that has seen thousands of citizens quietly filing past the casket to pay their …

Jimmy Carter honored at state funeral as US mourns Read More »

Wildfires threatened to engulf parts of Hollywood on Thursday as a growing number of blazes raged across Los Angeles, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes and claiming at least five lives.Over 100,000 people have been told to flee at least five separate blazes, including in the heart of historic Hollywood, just …

Deadly Los Angeles wildfires threaten Hollywood Read More »