Minnesota reports highest level of whooping cough cases in more than a decade (2025)

Israel’s foreign minister says it has struck suspected chemical weapons sites and long-range rockets in Syria in order to prevent them from falling into the hands of hostile actors. Gideon Saar said Monday that “the only interest we have is the security of Israel and its citizens.” He added: “That’s why we attacked strategic weapons systems, like, for example, remaining chemical weapons, or long-range missiles and rockets, in order that they will not fall in the hands of extremists." He spoke after Syrian rebels reached Damascus over the weekend and overthrew President Bashar Assad’s government following nearly 14 years of civil war.

More than three-quarters of the land on Earth is permanently drying, primarily due to climate change, according to a report released Monday at a United Nations summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Nations at the conference on combating desertification — the process of once-fertile lands turning arid because of hotter temperatures, lack of water and deforestation — are discussing whether there should be a legally binding framework to protect the world’s lands from drying out. The report said nearly five billion people will be impacted by drying land, which leads to agricultural, water and biodiversity loss, by the end of the century.

Israel's foreign minister says it has struck suspected chemical weapons sites in Syria.

Palestinian medical officials said Monday that Israeli strikes in the central Gaza Strip overnight killed at least six people, including one woman. The strikes came as ousted Syrian leader Bashar Assad fled to Moscow and received asylum from his longtime ally, according to Russian media, hours after rebels seized control of Damascus. The U.N. Security Council plans to hold emergency closed consultations on Syria later Monday at Russia’s request. Israel’s offensive has killed over 44,500 Palestinians in the Gaza since the start of the war, according to local health authorities.

Juan Soto agrees to record $765 million, 15-year contract with Mets, AP source says

Australia has announced a multimillion-dollar agreement with Nauru that gives Australia a veto right over a range of pacts the tiny Pacific atoll might want to enter with third countries including China. Australia on Monday offered $89 million over five years to the remote nation's population of 12,000 under the treaty to be implemented next year, including $26 million to enhance policing and security. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a joint statement with Nauru President David Adeang at Australia’s Parliament House that the "treaty provides that Nauru and Australia will jointly agree to any engagement by other countries in Nauru’s security, banking and telecommunications sectors.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to testify for the first time in a trial against him on corruption allegations. His testimony is expected to start Tuesday and last weeks, as Israel fights its war in Gaza. The Israeli leader faces charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate affairs. Prosecutors say Netanyahu exchanged regulatory favors with media titans for favorable press coverage. They say he also advanced the personal interests of a billionaire Hollywood producer in exchange for lavish gifts. Netanyahu denies wrongdoing. The trial began in 2020, and a verdict is not expected until at least 2026.

South Korea’s Justice Ministry says President Yoon has been placed under a travel ban for investigation of martial law.

Indonesian rescuers have recovered 10 bodies that were swept away in flash floods or buried under tons of mud and rocks that hit hilly villages on the country’s main island of Java. Officials said Monday that two people are still missing. Torrential rains since last week have caused rivers to burst their banks, tearing through more than 170 villages in Sukabumi district of West Java province, as mud, rocks and trees tumbled down mountainside hamlets, according to the head of a rescue command post in Sukabumi. Landslides, flash floods and strong winds also forced more than 3,000 people to flee to temporary government shelters.

MACAO (AP) — A crack of fire under a sprawling wok, a dab of soy sauce and a splash of Chinese rice wine. Bursts of aroma from spices sourced from around the world sizzle as a chef prepares Minchi, a dish of fried minced meat with diced potatoes topped with a sunny-side-up egg. This is one o…

Japanese Empress Masako says the Nobel Peace Prize for an organization of atomic bombing survivors was a key event that impressed her this year and reminded her of the importance of global peace efforts. Her remarks were in a palace statement for her 61st birthday Monday. They came a day before the Nihon Hidankyo organization is honored at a Nobel prize award ceremony in Oslo. Masako, the wife of Emperor Naruhito, said she “felt anew the importance for the people of the world to strive for mutual understanding and work together in order to build a peaceful world." The 30 survivors attending the ceremony see the prize as a last chance to get their message to younger generations.

South Korea’s corruption investigation chief says he ordered travel ban on President Yoon over martial law decree.

People with substance use disorder are not getting a direct say on how most opioid settlement money is used. Some advocates say keeping them out of the process is a major reason money is going to law enforcement efforts instead of other programs more likely to prevent overdose deaths. Companies have agreed to pay more about $50 billion over time to resolve lawsuits filed by governments. Most of the money is required to be used to fight the crisis. Figuring out exactly to do with it is up to state and local governments that have used a variety of structures to make those decisions.

A fishing boat capsized after colliding with a sand barge in waters off South Korea’s southeastern coast, leaving seven crew members dead and one missing, according to local coast guard and fire departments. The 29-ton fishing boat, which had eight passengers, three South Koreans and five Indonesian nationals, capsized after colliding with a 456-ton barge in waters near the city of Gyeongju early Monday, according to an official at the Pohang coast guard. Dozens of emergency workers, along with 15 coast guard vessels and six helicopters, were mobilized to search for the missing passenger, who was Indonesian. None of the passengers from the barge were hurt.

A Russian attack on a military industrial facility in central Ukraine on Nov. 21 marked the first use of a powerful new weapon -– a hypersonic ballistic missile with multiple warheads. In the past, such missiles were designed to carry nuclear warheads. The Oreshnik missile struck its target with submunitions that apparently were unarmed but had enough kinetic energy so that their impact delivered the equivalent force of tons of explosives. With the attack, President Vladimir Putin delivered a stern warning to Ukraine’s Western allies that Moscow could use the Oreshnik against Ukraine's NATO allies who allowed Kyiv to use their longer-range missiles to strike inside Russia.

Many presidents have promised to shake up Washington, but Donald Trump may prove to be in a class of his own. So far, he appears more interested in beating the federal government into submission than recalibrating it. In staffing his administration, Trump has shown an inclination to choose people who distrust or even disdain the agencies that they’ve been chosen to lead. That could set up a potential war of attrition between the incoming Republican president and American institutions. Trump’s approach will become even clearer this week as his FBI director pick, Kash Patel, heads to Capitol Hill for a round of meetings with senators who will choose whether to confirm him.

Tens of thousands of people held in Syria's notorious prisons have been freed in the 10 days since the insurgents began their lightning advance across the country that ended with the toppling of President Bashar Assad. Human rights groups, whistleblowers, and former detainees say torture has been systematic, while secret executions have been reported at more than 20 sites run by Syrian intelligence. Among those released was Bashar Bashoum, a writer who was due to be executed on Sunday. Instead, he walked in the Damascus sunshine and tried to find a way to contact his family to let them know he was alive.

People struck by the loss of the iconic Sycamore Gap tree in northern England last year found it hard to understand why someone would have committed such a senseless act. The trial of two men that starts Monday may provide some answers. The tree, perched symmetrically in a dip between two hills, drew tourists and locals who marked important life events under its canopy. Its felling also damaged a section of the ancient wall built by Emperor Hadrian in A.D. 122 to protect the northwest frontier of the Roman Empire. Little has been said about the case to protect the integrity of the trial and the rights of the accused.

Ousted Syrian leader Assad flees to Moscow after fall of Damascus, Russian state media say

Ousted Syrian leader Assad flees to Moscow after fall of Damascus, Russian state media say

The Onion's bid to buy conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' Infowars is scheduled to return to a Texas courtroom. A federal judge in Houston is set to hold a hearing Monday on whether a bankruptcy auction was run properly as Jones alleges collusion and fraud. The Onion satirical news outlet was named the winning bidder last month over a company affiliated with Jones. The auction was held to help pay nearly $1.5 billion in defamation judgments that Jones was ordered to pay families of victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. The families won lawsuits against Jones for calling the shooting a hoax.

Expect a starry field of actors when nominations to the 82nd Golden Globes are announced Monday morning. Zendaya, Timothée Chalamet, Daniel Craig, Denzel Washington, Ariana Grande and Selena Gomez all stand a strong chance of hearing their names read. The Globes, which are still in comeback mode after years of scandal and organizational upheaval, could surely use that star power to help stabilize the awards. The nominations will be announced Monday by Mindy Kaling and Morris Chestnut beginning at 8:15 a.m. ET on the CBS News website, CBS’s YouTube channel and the CBS News Mobile App. At 8:30 a.m. ET, 10 categories will be unveiled on “CBS Mornings” on CBS.

The Onion's bid to buy Infowars goes before judge as Alex Jones tries stopping sale

Depending on who you ask, the results of the 2024 U.S. presidential election rattled the country or were cause for celebration. Is it any surprise the Merriam-Webster word of the year is “polarization”? In an exclusive interview with The Associated Press, Merriam-Webster editor at large Peter Sokolowski says “polarization means division, but it’s a very specific kind of division.” Originating in the 1800s, the word is now most commonly used to mean “causing strong disagreement between opposing factions or groupings.” Merriam-Webster chooses its word of the year based on data, tracking a rise in search and usage.

A New York City jury will begin weighing whether to convict Marine veteran Daniel Penny of criminally negligent homicide in the death of a man he placed in a chokehold on a subway train. That is after the jurors said they couldn’t reach a unanimous verdict on a more serious charge last week. Judge Maxwell Wiley has told the panel to begin deliberating Monday on the lesser charge after agreeing to dismiss the top count of manslaughter against Penny on Friday. Penny placed Jordan Neely in a chokehold for about six minutes in May 2023 after Neely began acting erratically on a subway car. Penny's lawyers argue he was protecting himself and other passengers, while prosecutors say he went too far in responding to Neely, who was unarmed.

Angelina Jolie portraying opera singer Maria Callas in the movie “Maria” and Jamie Foxx's Netflix comedy special called “Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was...” are some of this week’s new streaming entertainment releases. Two sitcom favorites, Ray Romano and Lisa Kudrow, team up for the Netflix dark comedy “No Good Deed,” and Elton John looks back at his 50 years in the spotlight in the new documentary “Elton John: Never Too Late.” In music releases, there's a new posthumous album from the rapper DMX and Snoop Dogg teams up with Dr. Dre. for the album “Missionary.”

Shares are mostly lower in Asia, with South Korea's benchmark down 2.3%, after U.S. stocks rose to records on Friday. South Korea's political situation remained volatile as local media reported that the police were considering imposing an overseas travel ban on President Yoon Suk Yeol. Yoon's status remained uncertain after he declared martial law last week in the midst of a budget dispute and then reversed that hours later. U.S. shares advanced after data suggested the job market remains solid enough to keep the economy going, but not so strong that it raises immediate worries about inflation. The S&P 500 climbed 0.2% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 0.3%. The Nasdaq composite climbed 0.8%.

Tonga’s Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni has abruptly quit his post in parliament ahead of a planned confidence vote in his leadership, capping a period of fraught relations between his government and Tonga’s king. Sovaleni took office in 2021. He did not give a reason for his departure on Monday, but his statement to lawmakers halted the confidence motion. It was not immediately clear who would succeed him. His resignation comes 10 months before a national election in Tonga, a South Pacific island nation of 105,000 people. It follows difficult relations this year between the leader and Tonga's King Tupou VI.

Europe's economy needs help. Political chaos in France and Germany means it may be slower in coming

After African countries struggled to get testing kits during the COVID-19 pandemic, officials vowed to make the continent less dependent on imported medical supplies. Now, in a first for Africa, a Moroccan company is filling orders for mpox tests as an outbreak grows. Moroccan startup Moldiag began developing mpox tests after the World Health Organization declared the virus a global emergency in August. Africa’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported more than 59,000 mpox cases and 1,164 deaths in 20 countries this year. But getting supplies to far-flung outbreak areas takes time, and many places don't have labs for processing tests.

Australian law enforcement authorities have declared an arson attack on a synagogue last week a terrorist act in a decision that increases resources available to the investigation. Arson squad detectives have been investigating the blaze that extensively damaged the Adass Israel Synagogue on Friday. But the investigation was taken over Monday by the Joint Counter-Terrorism Team, which involves Victoria state Police and Australian Federal Police as well as the the nation’s main domestic spy agency. The declaration gives investigators more resources, information and legal powers to pursue three suspects.

Minnesota is reporting the highest number of whooping cough cases in more than a decade, the state Department of Health says.

Australia has signed a treaty with the Pacific nation of Nauru which gives Canberra a veto over security and infrastructure partners, dealing another blow to China’s efforts to expand its strategic presence in the region.

Red flag warnings will go into effect early Monday for large swaths of Southern California, from Los Angeles to San Diego, due to strong Santa Ana winds, according to the National Weather Service.

Juan Soto and the New York Mets agreed to a record $765 million, 15-year contract Sunday night, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the agreement hadn’t been announced and was subject to the completion of a successful physical. Soto’s deal easily surpassed Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million agreement from the prior winter for what’s believed to be the biggest in sports history, and Soto’s contract doesn’t include any deferred payments.

A person familiar with the deal tells The Associated Press that star outfielder Juan Soto and the New York Mets have agreed to a record $765 million, 15-year contract. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement, first reported by the New York Post, was subject to a successful physical. Soto’s deal is the largest and longest in Major League Baseball history, topping Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million, 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Fernando Tatis Jr.’s $340 million, 14-year contract with San Diego. Soto's deal does not include deferred money, the person said.

Juan Soto and the New York Mets have agreed to a $765 million, 15-year contract, a person familiar with the deal told AP.

Lara Trump will step down as co-chair of the Republican National Committee. One of her potential next steps is replacing Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, whom Trump tapped to be the next secretary of state. If Rubio is confirmed, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will choose who takes the seat through the remainder of Rubio’s term, which expires in 2026. Lara Trump tells The Associated Press that filling a Senate vacancy is something she'd seriously consider. Elected as RNC co-chair in March, Lara Trump was a key figure in the Republicans retaking the White House and control of the Senate while maintaining a narrow House majority.

President-elect Donald Trump announced that his personal lawyer Alina Habba will join his White House team and serve as counselor to the president.

In his first network news appearance since his nearly unprecedented political comeback and election victory, President-elect Donald Trump said he’s planning to undo part of the U.S. constitution via executive action and that he hopes to see several sitting and former members of Congress locked up.