Month: August 2022

GENEVA (AP) — Independent human rights experts working with the United Nations say Spain violated the political rights of members of the Catalan government and parliament by stripping them of their duties prior to any conviction following the illegal independence vote in the region five years ago. The Human Rights Committee, a group of 18

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea plans to challenge a World Bank tribunal’s order to pay $216.5 million plus interest to Texas-based Lone Star Funds in their dispute over the private equity firm’s sale of Korea Exchange Bank. Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon called the ruling unacceptable because there was no fault in the way

By MICHAEL R. SISAK and MICHAEL BALSAMO Associated Press A former California prison chaplain who pleaded guilty to forcing an inmate to have sex with him has been sentenced to seven years in prison. That’s more than double the recommended punishment in federal sentencing guidelines. James Theodore Highhouse is alleged to have abused several women

BERLIN (AP) — German prosecutors have raided the office of JPMorgan Chase & Co. in Frankfurt as part of a broader tax evasion investigation targeting numerous banks in Germany and beyond. Cologne prosecutors said Wednesday that dozens of investigators began searching the offices Tuesday of a Frankfurt-based financial institution and several auditing and tax firms.

By MARK PRATT Associated Press BOSTON (AP) — There is a silver lining to the drought affecting the northeastern U.S. that has frustrated farmers, dried up rivers and reservoirs, and brought water use restrictions and brush fires to the region. The arid conditions have benefited amusement parks, minor league baseball teams, construction contractors and other

By MICHAEL CANTU Edmunds The 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV received a huge discount for the new model year and is one of the most affordable new electric cars. But how does it compare to the Nissan Leaf, the original low-cost EV champ? Edmunds experts find out.

BERLIN (AP) — German lawyer Hans-Christian Stroebele has died at age 83. He defended members of the far-left Red Army Faction and later became the Green party’s first directly elected constituency lawmaker. His attorney said Wednesday that Stroebele died on Aug. 29 after a long illness. Stroebele first rose to prominence in 1970 as one

By KATE ASHFORD of NerdWallet Continuing to work past the traditional retirement age gives many the opportunity to add more money to their nest egg — and delay taking Social Security, which will bump up their eventual benefits check. In May, 21.9% of Americans ages 65 and older were working, compared with 19.5% in May

By DANICA KIRKA Associated Press LONDON (AP) — It was a warm Saturday evening and journalists had gathered at a Paris restaurant to enjoy the last weekend of summer. At sometime past midnight, phones around the table began to ring all at once. News desks were contacting reporters and photographers to alert them that Princess

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Cyprus has lifted the obligatory use of face masks in all indoor areas after the island nation’s top health official said epidemiological data have “significantly improved” amid the coronavirus pandemic. The country’s health minister said Wednesday the mask rule still applies to hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, pharmacies and public transportation. All

PARIS (AP) — France’s Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne has warned that a worst-case scenario this winter could lead to rolling 2-hour power cuts in French homes, amid a broad energy crisis aggravated by the war in Ukraine. Borne’s comments come ahead of a special government meeting Wednesday focusing on energy and climate-related issues. Borne told

By JIM GOMEZ Associated Press MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A psychiatrist who helped fellow Cambodians recover from trauma resulting from the Khmer Rouge’s genocidal rule and a Japanese ophthalmologist who led an effort to treat thousands of Vietnamese villagers are among those selected for this year’s Ramon Magsaysay Awards, regarded as Asia’s version of the

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The Saudi government says it has opened an investigation after videos purportedly showed security forces beating women at an orphanage in the kingdom’s southwest. The governor of Saudi Arabia’s Asir region formed a committee to probe the beatings captured in the online video on Wednesday. It was not immediately

KIBBUTZ REVADIM, Israel (AP) — Israeli archaeologists recently unearthed the titanic tusk of a prehistoric pachyderm near a kibbutz in southern Israel, a remnants of a behemoth once hunted by early people around half a million years ago. The Israel Antiquities Authority announced on Wednesday that the 2.5-meter (yard) long fossil belonging to the long-extinct

By KELVIN CHAN AP Business Writer LONDON (AP) — Inflation in the European countries using the euro currency hit another record in August, fueled by soaring energy prices mainly driven by Russia’s war in Ukraine. Annual inflation in the eurozone’s 19 countries rose to 9.1% in August, up from 8.9% recorded in July. That’s according

By MUNIR AHMED Associated Press ISLAMABAD (AP) — Officials in Pakistan raised concern Wednesday over the spread of waterborne diseases among thousands of flood victims as waters from powerful monsoon rains began to recede in many parts of the country. Massive flooding from the rains since mid-June has killed at least 1,162 people, a phenomenon

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV Associated Press MOSCOW (AP) — The Kremlin treaded carefully Wednesday reacting to Mikhail Gorbachev’s death, praising his prominent role in reshaping 20th-century history but noting his “romantic” view of the West. The Kremlin’s ambivalence was reflected in the uncertainty about funeral arrangements. An iconic central venue chosen for Saturday’s farewell ceremony has

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Canadian businessman Geoff Cumming has promised $172 million over 20 years to fight the next pandemic in Australia’s largest ever donation to medical research. The donation on Wednesday to Melbourne’s The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, also known as the Doherty Institute, will go toward creating the Cumming Global

MADRID (AP) — Officials say a 20-month old baby girl has died after being hit by a massive hailstone during a fierce storm in the northeastern Spanish town of La Bisbal d’Empordà. Town mayor Carme Vall told Spanish National Television the baby was with her parents when she was hit by the hailstone Tuesday. She

By LORNE COOK Associated Press PRAGUE (AP) — European Union countries have agreed on the need to make it harder for Russian citizens to enter the 27-nation bloc. But the EU failed Wednesday to find any consensus on imposing an outright tourist ban in response to Russia’s war on Ukraine. EU foreign policy chief Josep

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Two-time former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has been hospitalized after testing positive for COVID-19. His office says 97-year-old Mahathir was admitted to the National Heart Institute for observation for a few days as advised by his medical team. It didn’t provide further details on his condition. Once the world’s

By JADE LE DELEY and NICOLAS GARRIGA Associated Press PARIS (AP) — Tourism came back with a vengeance to France this summer, sending revenues over pre-pandemic levels. That’s according to government data released this week. Crowds packed Paris landmarks and Riviera beaches, notably thanks to an influx of Americans benefiting from the weak euro. There

GENEVA (AP) — The U.N. weather agency is predicting that the phenomenon known as La Nina is poised to last through the end of this year, a mysterious “triple dip” — the first this century — caused by three straight years of its effect on climate patterns like drought and flooding worldwide. The World Meteorological

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenya’s Supreme Court has started hearing arguments in challenges to the presidential election. Losing opposition candidate Raila Odinga is among those challenging the results and alleging a range of problems with the election process. Deputy President William Ruto was declared the winner earlier this month with just over 50% of votes.

By ISABEL DEBRE Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A Saudi court has sentenced a woman 45 years in prison for allegedly damaging the kingdom through social media. The decision marks the second such sentence that has drawn scrutiny of Saudi Arabia this month. An official charge sheet seen by The Associated Press

By DEREK GATOPOULOS Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A team of U.N. inspectors made its way toward Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant Wednesday on a perilous, long-sought mission to safeguard the site and prevent a catastrophe from the fighting raging around it. Underscoring the danger, Kyiv and Moscow again accused each other of shelling

By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — The families of 11 Israeli athletes killed by Palestinian attackers at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich and the German government have reached a deal over the long-disputed amount of compensation. Chancellor Olaf Scholz’ office said Wednesday that “the German government welcomes the fact that it has

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — The wife of jailed Malaysian ex-Prime Minister Najib Razak has sought to remove the judge set to deliver a verdict in her graft trial Thursday. The filing by Rosmah Mansor cites a loss of confidence after an alleged guilty judgment against her was leaked online. Rosmah Mansor faces three charges

BEKASI, Indonesia (AP) — A truck transporting iron on the outskirts of Indonesia’s capital has crashed at a bus stop in front of a school and killed at least 10 people, most of them elementary students. The students were waiting for a ride home after finishing classes when the truck smashed at a bus stop

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Toyota is investing 730 billion yen ($5.6 billion) in Japan and the U.S. to boost production of batteries for electric vehicles. The Japanese automaker says production is set to start between 2024 and 2026. It’s investing 400 billion yen, or $3 billion, in Japan and 325