Month: November 2021

By NASSER KARIMI Associated Press TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — The son of an Iranian war hero burned himself to death last month outside a building where officials who help relatives of veterans had failed to find him a job. The desperate act by the father of three in southern Iran shocked many and threw a

The Associated Press The woman in charge of weapons on the movie set where actor Alec Baldwin fatally shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins said Wednesday night that she had inspected the gun Baldwin shot but doesn’t know how a live bullet ended up inside. “Who put those in there and why is the central question,” Hannah

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — The head of a European Parliament delegation on its first official visit to Taiwan says it’s “high time” for the European Union to step up cooperation with the self-ruled island, which is also claimed by China. Seven lawmakers from the Parliament’s committee on foreign interference in democratic processes met Thursday with

By KEN MORITSUGU Associated Press BEIJING (AP) — A seemingly innocuous government notice encouraging Chinese people to store necessities for a potential emergency sparked panic-buying and online speculation almost immediately: Is China going to war with Taiwan? Probably not, but the attention the advice drew shows how much Chinese people are thinking about the possibility.

By KRUTIKA PATHI Associated Press NEW DELHI (AP) — Indians across the country are celebrating the Diwali festival amid concerns over the coronavirus pandemic and rising air pollution. Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, is typically celebrated by socializing and exchanging gifts with family and friends. Many light oil lamps or candles to symbolize a

By NICK PERRY Associated Press WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A New Zealand couple have unearthed a huge potato that is quite possibly the largest on record. Colin and Donna Craig-Brown were weeding their garden in New Zealand when Colin’s hoe struck something huge just beneath the soil’s surface. The couple weighed the potato at

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — If you find the current economy a bit confusing, don’t worry: So does the nation’s top economic official, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. At a news conference, Powell said the Fed was sticking by its bedrock economic forecast: COVID-19 will eventually fade, which, in turn, will

By WILL WEISSERT and STEVE PEOPLES Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A resounding loss in Virginia and a too-close-for-comfort victory in New Jersey have Democrats fretting about a blowout in next year’s midterm elections. The party’s House members in perennial swing districts are likely to be first line of defense against such an outcome. But

By JILL COLVIN Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Republicans have struggled to deal with Donald Trump since the day he announced his candidacy for president. But after Glenn Youngkin’s stunning victory in the Virginia governor’s race and a close loss in New Jersey’s, party leaders believe they have settled on a model that can

By AAMER MADHANI and COLLEEN LONG Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The hazard lights are blinking for President Joe Biden after Democratic setbacks in this week’s elections, but the president professes to see no reason for panic. In the aftermath of what some on the left saw as a five-alarm fire, Biden is making the

By ERIC TUCKER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. authorities are expecting arrests and criminal charges related to ransomware in the coming weeks. That’s according to Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, who spoke to The Associated Press about the U.S. government’s response to the ransomware threat. She declined to be specific, but said that “in

By EMMA H. TOBIN Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — COVID-19 boosters use the same recipe as the original vaccines, and weren’t tweaked since they still work well against the delta and other variants. The vaccines work by training your body to recognize and fight the spike protein that coats the coronavirus. And despite mutations

By WILL WEISSERT and SARAH RANKIN Associated Press RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey narrowly won reelection in his reliably blue state while a Republican political newcomer delivered a stunning upset in the Virginia governor’s race. That’s sending a warning to Democrats that their grip on power in Washington may

By LISA MASCARO and ALAN FRAM Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats in the House appear on the verge of advancing President Joe Biden’s $1.85 trillion-and-growing domestic policy package. The House scrapped votes late Thursday but will be back at it early Friday. House passage of the big bill would be a crucial step, sending

By AMY FORLITI, TAMMY WEBBER and MICHAEL TARM Associated Press KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) — Witnesses at Kyle Rittenhouse’s murder trial say the first man shot on the streets of Kenosha was “hyperaggressive,” threatened to kill Rittenhouse and another man who were patrolling with guns, and later lunged for Rittenhouse’s gun in an attempt to take

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A shallow undersea earthquake has shaken part of eastern Indonesia but no serious damage or casualties have been reported so far. The U.S. Geological Survey says the 5.7-magnitude quake struck off the coast of an island in North Maluku province. The Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency said the quake was

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Cars already know how to park themselves, warn drowsy drivers, steer back into the right lanes and propose map routes to destinations. The cars Mazda has in the works for next year in Japan know when drivers have a stroke or heart attack. By 2025, the

By FELICIA FONSECA Associated Press FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — An iconic Western starring Clint Eastwood has been dubbed in the Navajo language. The movie, “A Fistful of Dollars,” or “Béeso Dah Yiníłjaa’” in Navajo, will be screened on or near the reservation this month. A premiere for the cast and crew is scheduled Nov. 16

By ROD McGUIRK Associated Press CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Four-year-old Cleo Smith is back to her laughing, bubbly self as she plays in the backyard of her Australian west coast family home after being abducted from a camping tent more than two weeks ago. A 36-year-old stranger was charged Thursday with her abduction. Police visited

HAMMOND, Ind. (AP) — A man has been charged with murder after shots were fired at a group of trick-or-treaters on Halloween, killing a 13-year-old boy and wounding another 13-year-old in northwestern Indiana. The (Northwest Indiana) Times reports that 23-year-old Desmond Crews is also charged with attempted murder in connection with the death of Thomas

By W.G. RAMIREZ Associated Press HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Las Vegas quarterback Derek Carr says Henry Ruggs III needs to be loved right now and needs to know he has people in his corner. Raiders interim coach Rich Bisaccia says it’s important to keep the focus on the fact 23-year-old Tina O. Tintor was killed

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The U.S. ambassador to Mexico says his country has “serious concerns” about the Mexican government’s attempts to limit competition in the electrical power sector.  Ambassador Ken Salazar said Wednesday that he met with Mexican officials to discuss a proposed constitutional change to restrict the market share of private power generators and

By GENE JOHNSON Associated Press SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle’s downtown business community is celebrating as the moderate candidates it backed take commanding leads in the races for mayor, city attorney and a key council race over liberals who had called to defund the police. Tuesday’s election was vastly different from city contests two years ago,

By SARA CLINE Associated Press/Report for America PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A year after Portland’s police department underwent massive budget cuts — amid demands to defund the police — Mayor Ted Wheeler announced on Wednesday that he is seeking more than $5 million this fall for police investments, including hiring more officers and buying body-worn

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has confirmed Thomas R. Nides of Minnesota to serve as the next U.S. ambassador to Israel. Nides is the managing director and vice chairman of Morgan Stanley. He previously served as deputy secretary of state for management and resources under Hillary Clinton from 2011 to 2013. Nides’ nomination is among

Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — The spiritual leader of Eastern Orthodox Christians is staying overnight in a New York City hospital after having a stent placement. The procedure came at the conclusion of his U.S. visit, according to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, 81, of Constantinople underwent the procedure at

By SETH BORENSTEIN AP Science Writer GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Global carbon pollution this year has bounced back to almost 2019 levels, after a drop during pandemic lockdowns. A new study by climate scientists at Global Carbon Project finds that the world is on track to put 36.4 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide into

NEW YORK (AP) — World Series television ratings rebounded following the record low set last year. The Atlanta Braves’ six-game victory over the Houston Astros averaged 11,750,000 viewers on Fox. That was up 20% from the 9,785,000 for the Los Angeles Dodgers’ six-game victory last year over the Tampa Bay Rays, which was played at

Associated Press LONDON (AP) — The life and legacy of Indian independence movement leader Mahatma Gandhi will be commemorated on a British special collectors’ coin for the first time. U.K. Treasury Chief Rishi Sunak announced Thursday that “as a practicing Hindu” he was proud to unveil the coin during the Hindu festival of Diwali. The

By COLLEEN LONG and AAMER MADHANI Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden says the Democrats’ setbacks in Tuesday’s elections underscore that the party needs to “produce for the American people.” But he’s pushing back against the notion that the off-year election results were a repudiation of his presidency. Biden insisted Wednesday that his