Month: December 2021

By JERRY SCHWARTZ Associated Press Tom Jory, an editor who played a vital role in one of The Associated Press’ most crucial functions — counting the vote for U.S. elections — has died. He was 77. Samantha Deutsch, Jory’s daughter, said he died Monday at Manhattan’s Lenox Hill Hospital of complications after surgery for a

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — The body of a Sri Lankan factory manager who was tortured and set on fire by a mob in Pakistan for alleged blasphemy has been buried in his native village with state honors. Buddhist clergy performed religious rites at the home of Priyantha Kumara before police led a procession in

REFORM, Ala. (AP) — Alabama authorities are investigating after former NFL player Glenn Foster Jr. died in custody following a high-speed chase that resulted in his arrest and then a scuffle involving officers in the jail where he was being held. Authorities say the death of the former New Orleans Saints player was reported Monday

By DAVID RISING Associated Press BANGKOK (AP) — A U.S.-based private cybersecurity company says it has uncovered evidence Chinese hackers, likely state-sponsored, have been broadly targeting government and private-sector organizations across Southeast Asia, including those closely involved with Beijing on infrastructure development projects. Specific targets included the Thai prime minister’s office and the Thai army,

By LOLITA C. BALDOR Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Navy says that a SEAL commander has died from injuries he got during a training accident in Virginia. Naval Special Warfare Command said Wednesday that Cmdr. Brian Bourgeois was injured Saturday. The 43-year-old fell while fast-roping down from a helicopter. The cause of his

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Polish police say the body of a migrant believed to be from Nigeria was found in a forest near the Polish border with Belarus. It was the latest death resulting from the standoff at the European Union’s eastern border. The death raises to over 15 the number of migrants and refugees

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The heir to the Dutch throne has taken part in a ceremonial meeting of the government’s chief advisory body in a symbolic step into the royal limelight a day after she turned 18. Princess Amalia, the eldest of Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima’s three daughters, was formally welcomed Wednesday

CAIRO (AP) — Egyptian authorities have released a rights activist after he spent nearly two years in jail in a case that has drawn significant international attention. Patrick George Zaki walked free on Wednesday from a police station in the Nile Delta city of Mansoura, a day after a court there ordered his release pending

By MARCY GORDON and BARBARA ORTUTAY AP Business Writers WASHINGTON (AP) — The head of Instagram, appearing before a Senate panel, met with deep skepticism over new measures the platform is adopting to protect young users nd the company’s commitment to transparency. Adam Mosseri faced off with senators angry over revelations of how the photo-sharing

By LINDSEY BAHR and JAKE COYLE AP Film Writers Associated Press Film Writers Lindsey Bahr and Jake Coyle have named their picks for the best movies of 2021. Bahr’s No. 1 film is Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Elena Ferrante adaptation “The Lost Daughter,” a Netflix release starring Olivia Colman. Coyle’s top choice is Joachim Trier’s Danish 30-something

By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — Austria’s new chancellor says the country’s fourth national lockdown will end on Sunday but that lockdown restrictions will remain in place for the unvaccinated. Chancellor Karl Nehammer said Wednesday the end of the lockdown will be a “opening with a seatbelt,” meaning some measures, such as an

KILLEEN, Texas (AP) — Police in Texas are searching for a man who opened fire inside a shopping mall, wounding one person. Killeen Police Chief Charles Kimble says officers responded to the Killeen Mall at about 7:15 p.m. Tuesday after shots were fired. One person was shot multiple times and was taken by helicopter to

By LORNE COOK Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union wants to set up a system of trade sanctions that it could impose on any foreign power it accuses of trying to coerce the 27-country bloc for economic or political gain. The EU’s executive branch, the European Commission, wants to be able to react

By PATRICK WHITTLE Associated Press PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Deqa Dhalac is the first Somali immigrant to become the mayor of a U.S. city. The 53-year-old became mayor of South Portland, the fourth largest city in Maine, on Monday. She describes her rise in local politics as very old fashioned with her election coming after

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A South Florida judge declared a mistrial in a murder case after jurors failed to agree on a verdict following more than five days of deliberations. The jury had delivered a manslaughter verdict against 27-year-old Dayonte Resiles on Tuesday evening. But the decision was rescinded moments later when a juror

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says no U.K. government minister will attend the Beijing Winter Olympics, calling it “effectively” a diplomatic boycott. The announcement came after the White House and the Australian government confirmed diplomatic boycotts of the Winter Olympics in February to protest Chinese human rights abuses. China has vowed to

NEW YORK (AP) — Police say a man is facing charges including arson for setting fire to a 50-foot Christmas tree in front of Fox News headquarters in midtown Manhattan. The artificial tree outside of the News Corp. building that houses Fox News, The Wall Street Journal and the New York Post caught fire shortly

By DAVID CRARY AP National Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The Rev. Craig Duke has been a Methodist minister for three decades, building a reputation as a staunch advocate of LGBTQ inclusion. His pastoral duties have now been terminated — the result of a bitter rift surfacing in his Indiana church. The divisions flared after

By LAURAN NEERGAARD AP Medical Writer Pfizer says a booster dose of its COVID-19 vaccine appears to offer important protection against the new omicron variant. Pfizer and its partner BioNTech tested how well vaccine-produced antibodies could neutralize omicron in lab dishes. They found significant weakening after the standard two doses. But a booster dose increased

MILES BRANMAN Edmunds (AP) — One of the perks of buying a new vehicle is that it offers features that promise a safer and more convenient driving experience. Some technologies have trickled down from luxury to mainstream segments, while others have been introduced quickly across the market. But which features are essential? In this week’s

GENEVA (AP) — The World Health Organization’s European region has recorded a slight drop in both COVID-19 cases and deaths last week after facing a string of weekly increases. The U.N. health agency also noted figures showing that all the 212 confirmed cases of the omicron variant so far identified in 18 European Union countries

By BUSABA SIVASOMBOON Associated Press BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand’s Supreme Court has affirmed a three-year, two-month prison sentence for a top construction tycoon in connection with a poaching incident in a wildlife sanctuary in which a black panther was shot and cooked over a campfire. Premchai Karnasuta is president of Italian-Thai Development PLC, one of

By BASSEM MROUE Associated Press BEIRUT (AP) — The lawyer of a freelance American journalist who was detained in Beirut last month says she has been released. This came just hours after two international human rights groups called her detention arbitrary and demanded that she be set free. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International said

By AMANDA BARROSO of NerdWallet It’s easy to go overboard on gifts for your kids for the holidays, but the result could be a drained bank account and an overstuffed toy bin come January. Money and child development experts point out that setting a holiday spending budget keeps your finances in check and could help

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — The Norwegian government is introducing a 10-person limit for gatherings at private homes to counter an uptick in COVID-19 cases, although the number will be increased to 20 on Christmas and New Year’s eves. It also is capping attendance at public events without assigned seating at 50. In addition, the government

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he is open to improved relations with Israel but the country must first display “more sensitive” policies toward Palestinians. Erdogan was also quoted as saying on Wednesday that better ties with Israel would be beneficial for regional peace. Israel and Turkey were once close allies.