US President Donald Trump has defied his own administration's advisory that encourages all Americans to wear face masks.
He explained that the guidelines issued by the government's public health advisory agency is "voluntary".
"The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) is advising the use of non-medical cloth face covering as an additional voluntary public health measure," Trump told reporters, before adding, "I don't think I'm going to be doing it."
"Sitting in the Oval Office... I somehow don't see it for myself."
Until now, health authorities in America had advised only the sick to wear masks, but newer studies have shown that covering one's face is important as well.
This comes as the country recorded more than 270,000 infections and over 7,400 deaths.
An official Palestinian tally of direct deaths in the Israel-Hamas war likely undercounted the number of casualties by 41 per cent through the middle of 2024 as the Gaza Strip's healthcare infrastructure unravelled, according to a study published on Thursday.
The US House of Representatives voted on Thursday to sanction the International Criminal Court (ICC) to protest its issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister over Israel's campaign in Gaza.
Elon Musk urged Germans to vote for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in an upcoming election in a conversation with its leader on his social media platform X that highlighted the US billionaire's growing ambition to sway European politics.
Two massive wildfires menacing Los Angeles from the east and west were still burning uncontained on Thursday, but a brief respite from the fierce winds that have fanned the flames for two days allowed crews to slow their explosive spread.
The UAE has taken Abdul Rahman Al-Qaradawi into custody from authorities in Lebanon following an extradition order that was issued after a request submitted by the Central Authority in the UAE, represented by the Ministry of Justice.