Month: September 2022

BERLIN (AP) — The influx of Ukrainian refugees to Germany has pushed the country’s population to a new all-time high of more than 84 million. The German Federal Statistical Office reported Tuesday that by the end of June the country’s population increased by 843,000 people, or 1.0%, compared to the end of 2021. In comparison,

NEW YORK (AP) — Howard University, PEN America and Scholastic Book Clubs are among the latest recipients of donations from James Patterson, the bestselling author who has given over $100 million to literary and literacy programs. On Tuesday, Patterson announced $5.3 million in cash awards. They include $2 million to PEN to support the organization’s

By MOGOMOTSI MAGOME Associated Press JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Beleaguered former South African President Jacob Zuma has said he is ready to make a surprise return to politics by standing for a top position when the ruling African National Congress holds a conference in December. Zuma said late Monday he would stand for chairman of the

DETROIT (AP) — Michigan State Police say an undercover trooper was shot and critically wounded early Tuesday as he and other members of a narcotics unit were conducting surveillance in Detroit. State police say the trooper was struck by gunfire around 1:30 a.m. on Detroit’s west side as he and other members of the narcotics

By NICOLE WINFIELD and COLLEEN BARRY Associated Press ROME (AP) — The European Commission has signed off on the next 21-billion-euro ($20.2 billion) tranche of Italy’s pandemic recovery funds. The move on Tuesday is a welcome infusion that comes amid questions about whether the euroskeptic party of Giorgia Meloni will be able to keep the

By DAVID KLEPPER Associated Press Facebook says it has identified and stopped a sprawling network of fake accounts that spread Russian propaganda about the invasion of Ukraine throughout Western Europe. Facebook parent company Meta says the network created more than 60 websites that mimicked legitimate news organizations but parroted Russian talking points about Ukraine. More

By RIAZAT BUTT Associated Press ISLAMABAD (AP) — A senior member of the Taliban-run government has called on the Taliban to reopen schools for girls in Afghanistan beyond the sixth grade, saying there is no valid reason in Islam for the ban. The appeal from Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the Taliban deputy foreign minister, came

BERLIN (AP) — German prosecutors say more than 60 police officers raided a luxury yacht in northern Germany linked to a Russian businessman, in connection with alleged breaches of sanctions and money laundering rules. German weekly Der Spiegel identified him as oligarch Alisher Usmanov, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin. The raid comes the

By JASON DEAREN and GARANCE BURKE Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Civil rights lawyers and Democratic senators are pushing for legislation that would limit U.S. law enforcement agencies’ ability to buy cellphone tracking tools to follow people’s whereabouts, including back years in time, and sometimes without a search warrant. Concerns about police use of

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s health minister says 15 people wounded in a school shooting in central Russia will be taken to Moscow for further treatment a day after a gunman killed 17 people and wounded 24 others. Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said Tuesday that a medical evacuation is planned for 15 of the injured including

By FOSTER KLUG Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — For all the heated arguments ahead of the controversial state funeral of assassinated former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe — both for and against — it was the images of Tuesday’s ceremony that most clearly tell the story of a deeply divided nation still struggling to process

By MICHAEL RUBINKAM Associated Press Cheryl Yewdall spent most of her life at a Philadelphia care home for people with developmental disabilities. It was there, on Jan. 26, that the 50-year-old was found face down on the floor, in a pool of urine, suffocating on a large wad of paper that had been stuffed down

BY THOMAS ADAMSON AP Fashion Writer PARIS (AP) — Paris is the center of the global luxury industry this week with Tuesday marking the first major day of ready-to-wear shows. Powerhouses Saint Laurent and Dior are among some 107 brands showcasing spring-summer 2023 collections at Paris Fashion Week. Here are some highlights so far: DIOR’S

BERLIN (AP) — The head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog says he met with his Iranian counterpart in Vienna for talks about an ongoing investigation into manmade uranium particles found at undeclared sites in Iran. Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, tweeted Monday night that he had met with Mohammad

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Rescuers in northern Bangladesh have found more bodies from an overcrowded boat with Hindu pilgrims that capsized in one of the country’s worst recent river disasters, pushing the death toll to 66. At least 15 more people are still unaccounted for. About 100 pilgrims were crossing the River Karatoa in Boda

By MIKE CORDER Associated Press THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A defense lawyer for an alleged Central African Republic rebel has told International Criminal Court judges that evidence that led to him being charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes is unreliable. Lawyer Jennifer Naouri made her claims Tuesday on the second day of

By SCOTT BAUER Associated Press MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson is leaning into controversy as he runs for his third term. The Republican has called for the end of guaranteed money for Medicare and Social Security. He’s also trafficked in conspiracy theories about the 2020 election and dabbled in pseudoscience around the

By COLLEEN LONG and ASHRAF KHALIL Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has an ambitious goal for America: ending hunger in the U.S. by 2030. The administration’s plan includes expanding monthly benefits that help low-income Americans buy food. It also seeks to promote healthy eating and physical activity so that fewer people are

By The Associated Press MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Asian Development Bank says it is devoting at least $14 billion through 2025 to help ease a worsening food crisis in the Asia-Pacific. The development lender said it plans a comprehensive program of support to help the 1.1 billion people in the region who lack healthy

PRAGUE (AP) — The Czech government has decided to renew checks at its border with Slovakia amid a new wave of migration. The new measure becomes effective on Thursday at 27 border crossings between the two European Union countries that belong to Europe’s visa-free Schengen zone. A total of 560 police and customs officers will

By YURI KAGEYAMA Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Bribery allegations against a former Tokyo Olympics organizing committee member have ensnared a third company that sponsored the Games. Japanese prosecutors “re-arrested” Haruyuki Takahashi for the third time in a widening case involving dubious payments. Tokyo prosecutors say the latest allegations center on 15 million yen, or

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer The San Antonio Spurs are planning a trip to Uvalde, Texas next month. The Golden State Warriors and Washington Wizards are going to Japan. The Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks are going to Abu Dhabi. The next three weeks around the NBA will be busy with training camps now

By The Associated Press Pro-Moscow officials say residents in one of the four occupied areas of Ukraine voted to join Russia in Kremlin-orchestrated referendums. According to Russia-installed election officials in Zaporizhzhia, 93.11% of the ballots cast in the vote were in support of the annexation. Results from three other Ukrainian regions were expected to follow

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s interior minister says two suspected Kurdish militants opened fire on police in southern Turkey and later killed themselves by detonating bombs. One police officer was killed in the attack that occurred late on Monday, while a second officer and a civilian were wounded. Minister Suleyman Soylu said the attack was

By MUNIR AHMED Associated Press ISLAMABAD (AP) — The United States is boosting aid for Pakistan’s flood relief efforts with $10 million, in addition to the already announced assistance of $56.1 million. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that the announcement followed a meeting the previous day between the country’s foreign minister,

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Vietnam imposed a curfew and evacuated over 800,000 people as a powerful typhoon that had flooded villages and left at least eight dead in the Philippines aimed Tuesday for the country’s central region. People living near the coast where Typhoon Noru was expected to slam early Wednesday had been ordered to

By ADAM SCHRECK and JON GAMBRELL Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The Kremlin paved the way Tuesday to annex more of Ukraine and escalate the war by claiming that residents of a large swath overwhelmingly supported joining with Russia in stage-managed referendums the U.S. and its Western allies have dismissed as illegitimate. Pro-Moscow officials

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares tumbled Wednesday after a wobbly day ended with mixed results on Wall Street as markets churn over the prospect of a possible recession. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index sank 2.2% to 25,984.51 while the Kospi in Seoul lost 2.8% to 2,161.86. In Sydney, the S&P/ASX

By GIADA ZAMPANO Associated Press ROME (AP) — Just in time to celebrate his 86th birthday, former Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi is making his return to Italy’s parliament, winning a seat in the Senate nearly a decade after being banned from holding public office over a tax fraud conviction. Berlusconi, who has made personal comebacks

By MONIKA SCISLOWSKA, JAN M. OLSEN and DAVID KEYTON Associated Press WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Denmark believes “deliberate actions” caused big leaks in two natural gas pipelines running under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany, and seismologists said powerful explosions preceded the leaks. European leaders and experts pointed to possible sabotage amid the energy

By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer The Pro Bowl got a major makeover. The NFL has eliminated its full-contact all-star game and is replacing it with weeklong skills competitions and a flag football game. The new event will be renamed “The Pro Bowl Games” and will feature AFC and NFC players showcasing their football