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Kushner's vision for rebuilding Gaza faces major obstacles

Modern cities with sleek high-rises, a pristine coastline that attracts tourists, and a state-of-the-art port that juts into the Mediterranean. This is what Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law and Middle East adviser, says Gaza could become, according to a presentation he gave at an economic forum in Davos, Switzerland.

In his 10-minute speech on Thursday, Kushner claimed it would be possible — if there's security — to quickly rebuild Gaza's cities, which are now in ruins after more than two years of war between Israel and Hamas.

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Trump downplaying NATO's Afghanistan involvement causes distress in UK

U.S. President Donald Trump provoked outrage and distress in the U.K. on Friday with his suggestion that troops from NATO countries stayed away from the frontline during the war in Afghanistan.

In an interview with Fox News in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday, Trump said he was not sure NATO would be there to support the U.S. if and when requested.

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How big winter storms create snow, sleet and freezing rain

When big winter storms move in, they can bring nasty weather that ranges from snow to sleet and freezing rain — or maybe extreme and dangerous cold.

Here's a look at some weather conditions and how they vary from place to place.

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DiCaprio on Oscar nomination: 'It's about trying to be in films that are memorable'

Leonardo DiCaprio picked up his sixth lead actor Oscar nomination Thursday morning for carrying the American masterpiece "One Battle After Another" as the overwhelmed single dad and flustered revolutionary Bob Ferguson.

Ten years after he won best actor for "The Revenant," it's a statistic that puts him in a rarefied group that includes Daniel Day-Lewis. Including his supporting nomination for "What's Eating Gilbert Grape," he's now among a group of only eight actors, male or female, to have achieved that milestone. Overall, he has eight nominations to his name, including a best picture credit for "The Wolf of Wall Street."

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Turkey celebrates as Syrian government makes gains against Kurdish-led force

Turkey is celebrating the latest developments in Syria, where the new government has effectively defeated a major Kurdish-led force with an abrupt offensive.

Ankara has long viewed armed groups led by Kurds — an ethnic minority with large populations in eastern Turkey, Iraq and northern Syria — as a threat as Turkey as fought to quell the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, whose decades‑long insurgency claimed tens of thousands of lives.

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TikTok finalizes deal to form new American entity

TikTok has finalized a deal to create a new American entity, avoiding the looming threat of a ban in the United States that has been in discussion for years on the platform now used by more than 200 million Americans.

The social video platform company signed agreements with major investors including Oracle, Silver Lake and the Emirati investment firm MGX to form the new TikTok U.S. joint venture. The new version will operate under "defined safeguards that protect national security through comprehensive data protections, algorithm security, content moderation and software assurances for U.S. users," the company said in a statement Thursday. American TikTok users can continue using the same app.

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Ukraine, Russia, US teams to discuss territory in UAE

President Volodymyr Zelensky said negotiating teams from Washington, Moscow and Kyiv would discuss territorial control of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region at talks beginning Friday in the United Arab Emirates.

"The Donbas is a key issue. It will be discussed in the modality that the three parties see fit in Abu Dhabi today and tomorrow," Zelensky told journalists, including from AFP, in an online briefing.

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Putin meets Trump's envoys as Kremlin says Ukraine settlement hinges on territory

Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the settlement in Ukraine with U.S. President Donald Trump's envoys during marathon overnight talks, and the Kremlin insisted that the territorial issue needs to be resolved to reach a peace deal.

The Kremlin meeting, which lasted past 3 a.m. Friday, came hours after Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sharply criticized his European allies Thursday for what he cast as their slow and fragmented response to Russia's nearly four-year full-scale invasion that he said has left Ukraine at the mercy of Putin amid an ongoing U.S. push for a peace settlement.

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At least 5,002 killed in Iran protests as Trump says US 'armada' approaching

The toll in Iran's bloody crackdown on nationwide protests has reached at least 5,002 people killed, activists said Friday, warning many more were feared dead as the most comprehensive internet blackout in the country's history crossed the two-week mark.

The challenge in getting information out of Iran persists due to authorities cutting off access to the internet on Jan. 8, even as tensions rise between the United States and Iran as an American aircraft carrier group moves closer to the Middle East — a force U.S. President Donald Trump likened to an "armada" in comments to journalists late Thursday.

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Barcelona midfielder Pedri sidelined for a month by hamstring injury

Barcelona midfielder Pedri is expected to be out for a month because of a hamstring injury.

Pedri injured his right leg in the 4-2 win at Slavia Prague in the Champions League on Wednesday.

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