Since the surprise attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7, hundreds of civilians, including babies, the elderly, and soldiers have been killed, wounded or captured. Israel retaliated against Hamas by firing missiles into Gaza.A terror attack by Hamas at a music festival in Israel claimed the lives of…

Madagascar’s top court on Friday ratified the victory of incumbent President Andry Rajoelina in last month’s election, giving him a third term as leader following a boycott of the vote by opposition candidates.OPPOSITION CANDIDATE CLAIMS MADAGASCAR ELECTION INVALID, SUES TO OVERTURN RESULTSThe High Constitutional Court said Rajoelina received 58.96% of…

Mexico’s president said Friday the country’s minimum wage will rise by 20% in 2024, to the equivalent of about $14.25 per day.MEXICAN GOVERNMENT FORCES FREIGHT LINES TO PRIORITIZE PASSENGER RAILAbout one-third of Mexico’s registered workers report earning the minimum wage, which will amount to about $1.75 per hour starting Jan.…

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday ordered the country’s military to increase the number of troops by nearly 170,000 to a total of 1.32 million, as Moscow’s military action in Ukraine continues into its 22nd month.Putin’s decree was released by the Kremlin on Friday and took force…

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The leader of a doomsday cult in Kenya was sentenced Friday to 18 months in prison for the illegal distribution of films and operating a film studio without licenses.The senior magistrate in the city of Malindi, Olga Onalo, handed down the sentence for Paul Mackenzie. The…

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations Security Council voted Friday to end its political mission of a few hundred people dedicated to ending the civil war in Sudan.Russia abstained from the unanimous vote to end UNITAMS, the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan. The United States’ and…

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Venezuela’s government and a faction of the opposition have agreed on a process through which aspiring presidential candidates who were banned from running for office can attempt to get that decision reversed. The timeline to file an appeal opened Friday.The agreement, released late Thursday by negotiators…

Three magistrates of Guatemala’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal fled the country Friday, shortly after lawmakers stripped four of them of legal immunity.The move opens the tribunal’s magistrates to prosecution.The whereabouts of the magistrates in question are unknownThree magistrates of Guatemala’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal left the country early Friday, hours after the Congress…

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Authorities in Haiti held former rebel leader Guy Philippe on Friday at a police station where he remained a day after the the United States repatriated him to Haiti, his lawyer said.Philippe is a convicted money launderer who played a key role in the 2004 rebellion…

More than 30 people are trapped under rubble at an open-pit mine in Zambia after part of a waste pile was thought to have collapsed on them, a government minister said on Friday.Home Affairs and Internal Security Minister Jack Mwiimbu said in Parliament that the collapse happened in the city…