UN rights chief: Israeli West Bank policies ‘resemble apartheid system’

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Lead: The UN human rights office has concluded that Israeli laws, policies and practices in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, produce systemic discrimination against Palestinians and have sharply worsened since late 2022. In a 42-page report issued by High Commissioner Volker Türk, officials warned the measures have an “asphyxiating impact” on daily life … Read more

JPMorgan to Acquire Apple Card Portfolio, Sources Say

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JPMorgan Chase has struck a deal to take over the Apple Card credit‑card portfolio from Goldman Sachs, sources told CNBC on Jan. 7, 2026. The transaction moves roughly $20 billion in card loans and follows about a year of negotiations between the parties. Industry reporting says JPMorgan is paying the portfolio at a discount — … Read more

Pittsburgh Post‑Gazette to Shut Down May 3 After Years of Losses

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Lead: Block Communications announced on January 7, 2026, that it will publish the final edition of the Pittsburgh Post‑Gazette on May 3, 2026, and cease operations. The company said the paper incurred more than $350 million in losses over the past two decades and called the decision necessary after recent court rulings. The announcement followed … Read more

Béla Fleck Withdraws From Kennedy Center Shows, Citing a ‘Charged and Political’ Climate

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On January 7, 2026, celebrated banjoist Béla Fleck announced he had withdrawn from three performances with the National Symphony Orchestra at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, saying the venue had become “charged and political.” Fleck, an 18-time Grammy winner who regularly collaborates with major orchestras, said he hopes to perform with … Read more

Southern Yemen separatists lose contact with Riyadh delegation amid Saudi strikes

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Lead: The Southern Transitional Council (STC) said on Wednesday it lost contact with a 50-member delegation that flew to Riyadh that morning for talks intended to reduce clashes among rival anti-Houthi forces. Delegates posted a single message on X before phones went dark and their locations became unknown, the STC said. The loss of contact … Read more

Thousands of Berliners lost power for days after climate activists struck. Here’s what happened – CNN

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In the early hours of a Saturday during a severe cold snap, an alleged arson attack on Berlin’s electricity infrastructure left nearly 100,000 people without power for several days, officials and the city grid operator say. The blaze damaged high-voltage cables near the Lichterfelde power plant along the Teltow Canal and cut electricity to roughly … Read more

Chen Zhi: Cambodia extradites alleged scam mastermind to China after arrest – BBC

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Lead Cambodia says it has arrested and extradited billionaire businessman Chen Zhi to the People’s Republic of China after a joint investigation that led to the detention of three Chinese nationals on 6 January. Chen, 37 and born in south‑east China, has been accused by US authorities of running large-scale internet scams from Cambodia and … Read more

773,000-year-old Moroccan fossils fill a key gap in human evolution

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2026-01-07 — Researchers report the first hominin remains from a poorly documented interval of human evolution: a cluster of bones and teeth recovered at Grotte à Hominidés, Thomas Quarry, near Casablanca, Morocco, dated to 773,000 years ago. The assemblage includes three jawbones (one juvenile), isolated teeth, vertebrae and a femur, and was dated using paleomagnetism … Read more

Separated and Alone: What Maduro and Cilia Flores Can Expect at MDC

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Lead After their capture by US forces late last week, former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were transferred to the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn, New York. In their first New York court appearance on Monday they pleaded not guilty to drug and weapons charges and did not contest detention … Read more

U.S. Dietary Guidelines 2025–2030: Less Sugar, More Protein — and a Nod to Beef Tallow

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The federal government on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, released the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, reaffirming long‑standing advice to cut added sugars and ultraprocessed foods while placing greater emphasis on protein and certain fats. The short, top‑line recommendations—issued by HHS and the USDA—are paired with hundreds of pages of supporting research. Officials tied the guidance … Read more

Trump Proposes Ban on Institutional Purchases of Single‑Family Homes

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Lead On Jan. 7, 2026, President Donald Trump announced a plan to block large institutional investors from buying single‑family homes in the United States, saying corporate ownership has made homeownership less attainable for many Americans. He posted the pledge on Truth Social and said he would ask Congress to codify the measure, while offering few … Read more

How did this happen? Berlin demands answers after sabotage-triggered blackout

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Lead On 3 January 2026 a deliberate arson attack in south‑west Berlin cut power to roughly 45,000 households and nearly 2,000 businesses, forcing evacuations and disrupting hospitals, care homes and schools. The group calling itself Vulkangruppe (Volcano Group) claimed responsibility, saying the act aimed to spotlight Germany’s dependence on fossil fuels. Federal state prosecutors have … Read more

ICE agents fatally shoot woman in Minneapolis, DHS says

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Federal officials say U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents shot and killed a woman in her car in Minneapolis on Jan. 7, 2026, after agency officials say the vehicle was used to attack officers. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) described the episode as an instance in which a driver weaponized a car; video … Read more