By United Press International, Inc. | | 7/29/2025 1:36 PM
According to the United Nations Population Division, Latin America will make the demographic shift from a young to an aging society in less than 40 years. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 7/29/2025 1:26 PM
The U.S.-based International Monetary Fund says global economic growth will be better than expected despite a slowdown in the U.S. economy over fluctuating tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 7/29/2025 12:48 PM
Panama, Mexico and Costa Rica have emerged as leading destinations for U.S. retirees, offering a more affordable, safer and more comfortable lifestyle ... Read full Story
Starmer took the decision after recalling his cabinet during the summer holidays on Tuesday to discuss a new proposed peace plan being worked on with other European leaders. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 7/29/2025 12:09 PM
The Netherlands banned two high-ranking Israeli officials over the state of affairs in Gaza and allegations of meddling by Israel to influence society. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 7/29/2025 9:26 AM
A "worst-case scenario of famine" is playing out in Gaza as access to food plummets to unprecedented lows, according to the IPC global hunger authority. ... Read full Story
Premier Li Qiang said the heavy rain and flooding in the hard-hit Beijing district of Miyun caused “serious casualties” and called for rescue efforts. ... Read full Story
Trump set a new deadline on Monday of 10 or 12 days for Russia to make progress toward ending the war in Ukraine or face consequences. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 7/29/2025 7:13 AM
Authorities in Beijing's northern suburbs and adjacent provinces were scrambling to reach victims of deadly flooding caused by extreme rainy season downpours. ... Read full Story
Along the border, there were signs of calm with some of the more than 260,000 people displaced by the fighting returning to their homes. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 7/29/2025 5:56 AM
Seoul's Unification Ministry on Tuesday publicly called for Pyongyang to respond to its plan to repatriate the remains of a North Korean national found in June. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 7/29/2025 4:50 AM
Russian forces overnight attacked dozens of Ukrainian cities, killing at least 22 people and injuring 85 others, officials said Tuesday. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 7/29/2025 3:41 AM
Thailand said Tuesday that Cambodia violated their hours-old cease-fire that ended days of fighting between the neighbors over their disputed border. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 7/29/2025 2:48 AM
The sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Tuesday that the relationship with President Donald Trump was "not bad," but rejected nuclear talks. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 7/28/2025 8:03 PM
Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe Vélez was convicted Friday of bribing a witness and procedural fraud, following several hours of sentencing in a case that spanned more than a decade. ... Read full Story
At least four suspects were involved in the shooting on the island of Providenciales at a hookah lounge, but no one has been arrested. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 7/28/2025 3:27 PM
With more than $14.7 billion invested in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2024 China is solidifying its role as one of the region's leading economic players. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 7/28/2025 3:01 PM
Government ministers from more than 100 countries on Monday gathered at the United Nations to consider a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. ... Read full Story
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 2, 2025 is:
palimpsest \PAL-imp-sest\ noun
Palimpsest in its original use refers to writing material (such as a parchment manuscript) used one or more times after earlier writing has been erased; the underlying text is said to be “in palimpsest.” Palimpsest in extended use refers to something that has usually diverse layers or aspects apparent beneath the surface.
// Scholars believe the motive for making palimpsests was often economic—reusing parchment was cheaper than preparing a new skin.
// The ancient city is an architectural palimpsest.
“My aim was to trace the course of … the Aqua Marcia, built between 144 and 140 B.C. by Julius Caesar’s ancestor Quintus Marcius Rex. … The original tuff arches carried the Marcia across a steep ravine. Subsequent retaining walls and buttresses have transformed the bridge into a palimpsest of building styles.” — David Laskin, The New York Times, 24 Apr. 2024
Did you know?
Long ago, writing surfaces were so highly valued that they were often used more than once. Palimpsest in its original use referred to an early form of recycling in which an old document was erased to make room for a new one when parchment ran short. (The word is from the Greek palimpsēstos, meaning “scraped again.”) Fortunately for modern scholars, the erasing process wasn’t completely effective, so the original could often be distinguished under the newer writing. De republica, by Roman statesman and orator Cicero, is one of many documents recovered from a palimpsest. Nowadays, the word palimpsest can refer not only to such a document but to anything that has multiple layers apparent beneath the surface.