• Top Asia Pacific Breaking News: Morning Edition
  • 200 Killed as Iranian Protests Grow
  • Buddhist Monks Captivate Americans While Walking For Peace
  • Trump Warns Cuba to Make a 'Deal' Now
  • Nepalese Royalists Demand Monarchy Restoration
Pope Leo Marks The End of The Christmas Season

VATICAN CITY (AP) – Pope Leo XIV baptized 20 babies in the Sistine Chapel on Sunday beneath Michelangelo’s frescoed ceiling, continuing an annual tradition that marks the end of the Christmas holiday period at the Vatican. In his first baptismal ceremony as pope, Leo celebrated the Lord’s gift of faith to the children, saying that it gives sense to the gift of life.

Bride and groom among 8 killed in gas cylinder blast at wedding in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD (AP) – A gas cylinder explosion early Sunday after a wedding reception at a home in Pakistan’s capital killed at least eight people, including the bride and groom, police and officials said. The blast occurred as guests who had gathered to celebrate the couple were sleeping at the house, causing part of the house to collapse.

Drone Attack on Russia Kills 1 Person and Wounds 3

A Ukrainian drone strike killed one person and wounded three others in the Russian city of Voronezh, local officials said Sunday. A young woman died overnight in a hospital intensive care unit after debris from a drone fell on a house during the attack on Saturday, regional Gov. Alexander Gusev said on Telegram.

Google teams up with Walmart to enable shopping within Gemini AI chatbot

NEW YORK (AP) – Google said Sunday that it is expanding the shopping features in its AI chatbot by teaming up with Walmart, Shopify, Wayfair and other big retailers to turn the Gemini app into a virtual merchant as well as an assistant.

Sluggish Hiring Closes Out Frustrating Year for US Jobseekers

WASHINGTON (AP) – Sluggish December hiring concluded a year of weak employment gains that have frustrated job seekers even though layoffs and unemployment remained low.  Employers added just 50,000 jobs last month, nearly unchanged from a downwardly revised figure of 56,000 in November, the Labor Department said Friday.

Meta lines up massive nuclear power to energize AI data centers

Meta has cut a trio of deals to power its artificial intelligence data centers, securing enough energy to light up the equivalent of about 5 million homes. The parent company of Facebook on Friday announced agreements with TerraPower, Oklo and Vistra for nuclear power for its Prometheus AI data center that is being built in New Albany, Ohio.

200 Killed as Iranian Protests Grow. Israel is Watching Closely

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) – Israel is “closely monitoring” the fallout from widespread Iranian protests, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday, as U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to attack Iran could escalate the protests within the borders of the Islamic Republic into a regional war.

Drone Attack on Russia Kills 1 Person and Wounds 3

A Ukrainian drone strike killed one person and wounded three others in the Russian city of Voronezh, local officials said Sunday. A young woman died overnight in a hospital intensive care unit after debris from a drone fell on a house during the attack on Saturday, regional Gov. Alexander Gusev said on Telegram.

Britain in Talks With NATO to Counter Russia and China in Arctic

LONDON (AP) – Britain is discussing with NATO allies how it can help beef up security in the Arctic to counter threats from Russia and China, a government minister said Sunday. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the talks are “business as usual” rather than a response to recent threats by U.S. President Donald Trump to take over Greenland.

 

LONDON (AP) – Britain is discussing with NATO allies how it can help beef up security in the Arctic to counter threats from Russia and China, a government minister said Sunday. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the talks are “business as usual” rather than a response to recent threats by U.S. President Donald Trump to take over Greenland.