By United Press International, Inc. | | 3/27/2025 4:52 AM
U.S. President Donald Trump's imposition of auto tariffs is a "direct attack" on Canada and its workers, Prime Minister Mark Carney said, as he vowed the Great White North will defend itself. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 3/26/2025 6:12 PM
The U.S. State Department Wednesday commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Biological Weapons Convention, an agreement implemented in 1975 to stop the development and use of biological and toxin weapons. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 3/26/2025 5:35 PM
French President Emmanuel Macron during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pledged the equivalent of $2.15 billion in U.S. dollars to support Ukraine's defense against Russia. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 3/26/2025 2:06 PM
Four Army soldiers are missing and search-and-recovery efforts are underway near Pabrade, Lithuania, U.S. Army officials announced Wednesday. ... Read full Story
Prince Harry cited conflict between members of the board and the chair of the board, who refused to step down, as the reason for his resignation. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 3/26/2025 11:56 AM
Japan accepted 2 Palestinians injured in the Gaza war for medical treatment Wednesday. It's the first time since the current Gaza war started in 2023 that people injured there have gotten treatment in Japan. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 3/26/2025 11:54 AM
The British finance minister announced Wednesday billions in welfare budget cuts to fill a shortfall with stalled growth and higher borrowing costs since the government's first spending plan. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 3/26/2025 11:07 AM
Prince Harry has resigned from Sentebale, an African charity he co-founded, siding with the board of trustees in a dispute with the chairman of the board. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 3/26/2025 9:45 AM
Vice President JD Vance will travel to Greenland later this week, joining his wife Usha Vance and a U.S. delegation for a trip that has been pared back to one day following protests from Nuuk and Copenhagen. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 3/26/2025 7:51 AM
U.S. President Donald Trump said he thinks Russia could be deliberately frustrating his efforts to broker an agreement to end the fighting in Ukraine. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 3/26/2025 7:00 AM
The death toll from multiple wildfires tearing through the southeastern region of South Korea rose to 24 on Wednesday, officials said, with more than 27,000 residents evacuated and historical treasures destroyed. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 3/25/2025 11:45 PM
Japan's Osaka High Court ruled Tuesday that the country's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, following similar rulings in the high courts of Sapparo, Tokyo, Fukuoka and Nagoya. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 3/25/2025 10:30 PM
Thousands of Palestinians protested Hamas "terrorists" on Tuesday in a rare demonstration in Gaza, as they demanded "an end to the war" and the release of Israeli hostages. ... Read full Story
Shortly after Trump's remarks, the Greenlandic government denied extending an invite to the U.S., saying its priority was completing the process of forming a new government. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 3/25/2025 2:05 PM
The Trump administration has announced that the U.S. has come to agreements with both Ukraine and Russia about the maintenance of peace and shipping in the Black Sea. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 3/25/2025 1:25 PM
Hamdan Ballal, a Palestinian co-director of the Oscar-winning film No Other Land and who was allegedly detained and beaten by Israeli soldiers, has reportedly been set free. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 3/25/2025 10:35 AM
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen pledged Tuesday that her government would resist what she called the unacceptable pressure of a "private" visit to Greenland by U.S. Second Lady Usha Vance. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 3/25/2025 10:27 AM
Chinese authorities released five local employees of U.S. consulting firm Mintz Group, two years after they were arrested at its Beijing offices in March 2023 in a crackdown that saw the firm pull out of China. ... Read full Story
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 1, 2025 is:
cynosure \SYE-nuh-shur\ noun
A cynosure is a person or thing that attracts a lot of attention or interest. As a proper noun, Cynosure may refer to the North Star or its constellation Ursa Minor.
// He was the cynosure of all eyes as he walked into the room.
"Look at any picture of Kashmir and you'll understand why it is called heaven on earth. And Srinagar, framed by the majestic Zabarwan Mountains, is the cynosure of all travel itineraries, offering a mix of breathtaking landscapes, rich culture, and spirituality." — Mallika Bhagat, Times Now (Mumbai, India), 17 Dec. 2024
Did you know?
Ancient mariners noted that all the stars in the heavens seemed to revolve around a particular star, and they relied on that star to guide their navigation. The constellation that this bright star appears in is known to English speakers today as Ursa Minor, or the Little Dipper, but the Ancient Greeks called it Kynósoura, a term that comes from a phrase meaning "dog's tail." Kynósoura passed into Latin and Middle French, becoming cynosure. When English speakers adopted the term in the 16th century, they used it as a name for both the constellation and the star (which is also known as the North Star or Polaris) and also to identify a guide of any kind. By the 17th century, cynosure was also being used figuratively for anything or anyone that, like the North Star, is the focus of attention or observation.