Author: Disha Mishra

As the Los Angeles area begins the formidable task of rebuilding after the most destructive wildfires in its history, the city’s artists and art collectors are mourning what could amount to billions of dollars in irreplaceable art that went up in flames. The wildfires have altogether destroyed more than 13,000 structures, with many among those located in the affluent Palisades neighborhood — home to many priceless art collections — and the town of Altadena, which was home to a flourishing artist community. Some of those art collectors likely lost many of their acquisitions as the fires burned out of control…

Powerful winds and bone-dry conditions were expected to pose a challenge to firefighters battling new wildfires in southern California on Thursday, including a new blaze that swelled over the past day, forcing tens of thousands of people to evacuate north of Los Angeles. The Hughes fire, about 50 miles (80 km) north of Los Angeles, grew to 10,176 acres (4,118 hectares) since igniting on Wednesday morning, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, said on its website. The 4,000 firefighters battling the blaze have achieved 14% containment, a measure of the percentage of a fire’s perimeter…

Syria’s new authorities are using Islamic teachings to train a fledgling police force, a move officers say aims to instil a sense of morality as they race to fill a security vacuum after dismantling ousted president Bashar al-Assad’s notoriously corrupt and brutal security forces. Police they brought into Damascus from their former rebel enclave in the northwestern region of Idlib are asking applicants about their beliefs and focusing on Islamic sharia law in the brief training they offer recruits, according to five senior officers and application forms seen by Reuters. Ensuring stability and winning the trust of people across Syria…

Micheál Martin was elected Irish prime minister for the second time by a coalition of the country’s two large centre-right parties and independent lawmakers on Thursday, a day later than scheduled after opposition protest derailed an initial vote. The coalition is the second in a row between historic rivals Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, who between them have led every government since the foundation of the state, with independents replacing junior coalition partner the Green Party, which lost most of its seats. The initially scheduled vote to elect Martin on Wednesday descended into chaos when the parliament was suspended four…

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Thursday urged the United States to keep supplying Ukraine with weapons to fight Russia’s invasion and said he was sure Europe was ready to pay the bill. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the NATO chief said Europe must invest more in defence, ramp up arms production and take a bigger share of spending on Ukraine aid. His comments came after U.S. President Donald Trump said earlier this week that the European Union should be doing more to support Ukraine. “On Ukraine, we need the U.S. also to stay involved,” Rutte said.…

A new wildfire that broke out north of Los Angeles on Wednesday rapidly spread to more than 9,400 acres (38 square km), fueled by strong winds and dry brush, forcing mandatory evacuation orders for more than 31,000 people. The Hughes fire, about 50 miles (80 km) north of Los Angeles, sent huge flames and plumes of smoke over a hilly area and further taxed firefighters who have managed to bring two major fires in the metropolitan area largely under control. In just a few hours on Wednesday, the new fire grew to two-thirds the size of the Eaton Fire, one…

Germany will eventually have to spend more than 2% of economic output on defence but must first reform its procurement system to get more bang for its buck, opposition leader Friedrich Merz, who is tipped to become the next chancellor, said on Thursday. “I want us to spend the necessary funds we spend much more efficiently; we can get more for our money and therefore the procurement system needs to be changed,” he told a gathering in Berlin. Merz dismissed the recent call by new U.S. President Donald Trump for Germany to spend as much as 5% of economic output…

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has directed prosecutors to investigate officials who resist immigration enforcement efforts, intensifying a sweeping crackdown that Trump launched the day he took office. In a memo seen by Reuters, Trump’s acting deputy attorney general, Emil Bove, told Justice Department staff that state and local authorities must cooperate with the immigration crackdown and federal prosecutors “shall investigate incidents involving any such misconduct for potential prosecution.” The Justice Department could also challenge laws that complicate the effort, Bove wrote. The policy was issued as the new Republican administration prepared to step up policing of illegal immigration in…

The U.S. military will send 1,500 additional active-duty troops to the border with Mexico, the White House said on Wednesday, just two days after President Donald Trump signed an executive order on immigration. The additional troops include 500 Marines, as well as Army helicopter crews and intelligence analysts. They will join 2,200 active duty troops and thousands of National Guard that were on the border prior to Trump’s inauguration this week. During his first term, Republican Trump ordered 5,200 troops to help secure the border with Mexico. Democratic former President Joe Biden deployed active-duty troops to the border as well.…

Oil prices dipped in Asian trade on Thursday, extending losses amid uncertainty over how U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs and energy policies would impact global economic growth and energy demand. Brent crude futures fell 38 cents, or 0.5%, to $78.62 a barrel by 0716 GMT in a sixth straight day of losses, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) fell for a fifth day, easing 39 cents, or 0.5%, to $75.05. “Oil markets have given back some recent gains due to mixed drivers,” said senior market analyst Priyanka Sachdeva at Phillip Nova. “Key factors include expectations of increased U.S.…