Incoming New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani named his pick to be the city's top lawyer, tapping a former city official who resigned from prominent law firm Paul Weiss this year after it struck a controversial deal with President Donald Trump.

New York

Incoming New York City Mayor Zoran Mandani has named Steve Banks as his choice for corporation counsel, the city's top legal position. Banks, who previously led the city's Homeless Services Department, resigned from the law firm Paul Weiss earlier in the year after it made a controversial deal with former President Donald Trump.

Mandani highlighted Banks' experience and his willingness to challenge Trump-aligned policies, noting that Banks will play a key role in supporting the mayor-elect's agenda for transformative change. Banks expressed honor at being the first legal aid lawyer nominated for the position and readiness to take on the leadership role.

Mamdani picks Trump critic Steve Banks as New York's top lawyer

Incoming New York City Mayor Zoran Mandani on Tuesday named his pick for the city's top lawyer. That's why I'm thrilled to also announce my corporation counsel today, Steve Banks, a name that many of you will be familiar with. Steve Banks used to lead the city's Homeless Services Department under the former mayor Bill de Blasio. In April this year, he resigned from the prominent law firm Paul Weiss in defiance of the controversial deal it struck with President Donald Trump. That sort of firm pledged $40 million in free legal services to causes aligned with the White House in return for Trump's withdrawal of an executive order which punished it for having ties to his supposed political enemies. If anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him. Given Mandani's ambitious agenda and his promises to challenge several of Trump's policies, Banks' new role will likely be a busy one. I know firsthand the key role that the staff of the law department can play in supporting the mayor-elect's vision and agenda for transformative change to help New Yorkers in every community of the city. I'm honored to be the first legal aid lawyer ever nominated to be the corporation counsel and I'm ready for this leadership role.

President Trump says the U.S. "knocked out" a "big facility" last week linked to alleged drug boat operations. Unlike previous operations at sea, this strike occurred on Venezuelan territory, though the president did not disclose specific details about the timing, location, or the party responsible for the attack.

Washington

Trump says U.S. launched strike on boat dock inside Venezuela

Tatiana Schlossberg, the granddaughter of President John F. Kennedy and an environmental journalist, has died at the age of 35 following a battle with cancer, the JFK Library Foundation announced Tuesday.

Tatiana Schlossberg, JFK's granddaughter, dies at 35

The United Arab Emirates says it's withdrawing its remaining forces from Yemen. The move comes after Saudi Arabia bombed a port in Yemen, saying it targeted an arms shipment intended for a UAE-backed separatist force.

Al Mukalla

Saudi Arabia bombs port in Yemen

In an overnight strike, the Saudi military hit a Yemeni port saying they were neutralising a weapons shipments arriving from UAE. The UAE has denied the shipment contained weapons and claimed the vehicles were not intended for any groups. Both countries have supported the fighting sides in the over-decade long war in Yemen, but this strike has turned this rivalry into an open dispute.

The UAE denies shipping weapons to Yemen after overnight Saudi strike

The Kremlin said Tuesday it would toughen its negotiating position in talks on ending the war in Ukraine after accusing Kyiv of attacking a Russian presidential residence — an allegation that Kyiv said was baseless and intended to prolong the conflict.

Moscow

Russia will toughen negotiating stance on war in Ukraine

China fired rockets into waters off northern and southern Taiwan on Tuesday (December 30) and deployed new amphibious assault ships alongside bomber aircraft and destroyers on the second day of its most extensive war games.

Taipei City

China fires rockets towards Taiwan in war games simulating blockade

President Donald Trump on Monday confirmed an alleged drug-related site was targeted during a recent strike, saying, "they load the boats up with drugs, so we hit all the boats and now we hit the area." Trump did not say when the strike happened or exactly where.

Caracas

U.S. strike hits Venezuelan port facility

The search for Malaysia Airlines flight 370 that went missing in 2014 with 239 people on board is expected to resume Tuesday (December 30). The Malaysian government and a private marine robotics company say they will use advances in technology to aid in the search.

Kuala Lumpur

Search resumes for Malaysia Airlines flight that disappeared in 2014

The two countries have agreed to hold fire, freeze troop movements and allow civilians to return home under a new agreement.

Krong Poi Pet

Thailand-Cambodia ceasefire holds as 72-hour observation period ends

Head of Yemen's presidential council, which is supported by Saudi Arabia, says UAE-backed forces in the country should leave within 24 hours.

Yemen’s presidential council cancels UAE defence deal

U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States could support another major strike on Iran were it to resume rebuilding its ballistic missile or nuclear weapons programs and warned Hamas of severe consequences if it does not disarm.

Florida

Middle East Conflict

Trump warns Iran of possible strike, urges Hamas to disarm

U.S. hit an area in Venezuela where boats are loaded with drugs, Trump says, as Pentagon carries out another deadly strike in the Pacific. This claim follows a series of U.S. strikes on boats in the Eastern Pacific, raising the total number of known strikes to 31 and resulting in over 100 deaths.

Trump claims attack on a dock in Venezuela, strikes kill two in Pacific

The Taiwanese government says it has placed its forces on alert as China intensifies its military presence in the Indo-Pacific Ocean and launches air, navy and rocket drills around the island.

Taiwan's forces on alert as China launches military drills

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is denying Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s claim that Ukraine tried to attack President Vladimir Putin's residence in northern Russia.

Kyiv

Ukraine Invasion

Zelenskyy denies Russian claim that Ukraine targeted Putin’s residence

President Trump said after a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Hamas must disarm soon or "there will be hell to pay." He said the next phase of the Gaza peace plan could move forward quickly if Hamas disarms.

Trump warns "hell to pay" if Hamas doesn't disarm

CBC’s Kris Reyes highlights the biggest AI advancements in 2025 along with the continued calls to establish clear boundaries in an effort to prevent misuse.

DeepSeek and the biggest AI advancements in 2025

Russia accused Ukraine on Monday (December 29) of trying to attack President Vladimir Putin's residence in northern Russia, although it provided no evidence to back up an assertion that Kyiv dismissed as baseless and designed to undermine peace negotiations.

Russia claims Ukraine tried to attack Putin residence

Two helicopters collided above Hammonton, New Jersey, and one person has died, officials say. CBS News' Elaine Quijano reports.

Hammonton

Helicopters collide in New Jersey

U.S. President Donald Trump is meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida on Monday (December 29) as questions linger about the future of the U.S.-backed ceasefire in Gaza.

Palm Beach

Trump and Netanyahu meet in Florida to discuss Gaza ceasefire

British-Nigerian boxer Anthony Joshua was involved in a road accident on Monday in Makun, Ogun State, south-west Nigeria.

Makun

British boxer Anthony Joshua survives car crash that killed two others

In a new show of force, China has mobilized its navy, air force, and ground troops to simulate a blockade of the self-ruled island's key ports. The military drill comes on the heels of an $11bn US arms sale to Taipei.

China stages new military exercises around Taiwan

U.S. President Donald Trump said he believes both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin truly want peace as he and Zelenskyy met in Florida. Some experts say Trump is 'delusional' if he truly thinks Putin wants peace.

Trump-Zelenskyy meeting ends with optimism but no deal

Although the U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine have been "100% agreed," they have a short expiration date, the Ukrainian president explained after revealing more details following his meeting with Trump on Sunday.

U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine set for 15 years, Zelenskyy says

China's military moved army, naval, air force and artillery units around Taiwan on December 29 for its "Justice Mission 2025" drills, as the island vowed to defend democracy and mobilized troops to rehearse repelling a potential Chinese attack.

China launches 'Justice Mission 2025' war games around Taiwan

President Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone before meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Florida on Sunday. Trump said he thinks both men are ready for peace.

Trump meets with Zelenskyy, insists Putin is ready for peace

Far-right politics have pushed further into the mainstream across much of Europe. Populist parties, even in opposition, are shaping national debates on migration and the economy. The trend reflects growing voter frustration over living costs, borders and political trust.

Berlin

Far-right politics gaining influence across Europe

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is set to discuss a new peace plan draft with U.S. President Trump in Florida on Sunday (December 28). However, fresh Russian attacks on Kyiv have left a third of the city without power, undermining local confidence.

Kyiv residents fear escalation amid Zelenskyy-Trump peace talks

A report has sought to catalogue some of the most significant extreme weather events of the year. UK charity Christian Aid found that heatwaves are pushing the limits of human adaptation, hurricanes and typhoons are breaking records, and droughts are devastating lives across the globe. It's all coming at a heavy financial cost.

Top 10 natural disasters cost over $120 billion in 2025, report says

Russia attacked Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine with hundreds of missiles and drones on Saturday, ahead of what President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said would be a crucial meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump to work out a plan to end nearly four years of war.

Russian drones, missiles pound Kyiv ahead of Zelenskiy-Trump meeting

French actor Brigitte Bardot has died aged 91, her foundation said on Sunday (December 28). She shot to international fame dancing the mambo barefoot in "And God Created Woman," her tousled hair and fierce energy radiating a sexual magnetism rarely before seen in mainstream cinema.

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