Month: January 2023

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek authorities say a strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 has struck off the coast of the southeastern Greek island of Rhodes. There have been no immediate reports of damage or injuries. Wednesday’s quake was also felt in nearby Turkish provinces, with the Turkish emergency management agency saying it

By CALVIN WOODWARD and CHRIS MEGERIAN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats responded with aggrieved fury when former President Donald Trump was found in possession of classified documents that should have been turned over to the government when he left office. Then disclosures that President Joe Biden also mishandled secret papers set loose a Republican

By KELVIN CHAN Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Amazon warehouse workers went on strike for the first time in Britain on Wednesday because of a dispute over pay and working conditions, adding to a wave of industrial labor action across the country fueled by the soaring cost of living. Union members voted to walk off

BEIRUT (AP) — U.S.-backed Kurdish-led fighters in northeastern Syria have launched an operation against suspected Islamic State militants in the area in retaliation for an attack by the extremist group there last month, according to a statement. Syrian Democratic Forces said they raided “dozens of potential points and hideouts” in the city Raqqa and the

By NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis has shed light on the Catholic Church’s handling of sex abuse allegations against East Timor’s Nobel Peace Prize-winning independence hero. He suggested that the man was indeed allowed to retire early rather than face prosecution or punishment. Francis made the revelation in a wide-ranging

By ANDREW MELDRUM Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian forces say they have conducted an organized retreat from a town in the eastern region of the Donbas, handing the Kremlin’s forces a rare but modest battlefield triumph after a series of setbacks in the invasion that began almost 11 months ago. A Ukrainian military

By DAVID McHUGH AP Business Writer FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The economic outlook has brightened in Europe’s largest economy. The German government on Wednesday raised its estimate for growth next year to an 0.2% expansion from a 0.4% contraction as the country manages its energy divorce from Russia and shells out support for consumers and

NEW YORK (AP) — Rupert Murdoch has pulled the plug on a proposal to merge his News Corp. and Fox Corp. In statements Tuesday, the companies said their boards received letters from Murdoch withdrawing the plan. They say the letters indicated that “a combination is not optimal for shareholders of News Corp. and Fox at

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — Slovakia’s parliament has amended the country’s constitution to make it possible to hold early elections. Ninety-two lawmakers voted on Wednesday in favor of an amendment that allows a snap vote if it is approved by a three-fifths majority in the 150-seat National Council of the Slovak Republic. The Constitution of Slovakia

By KATE ASHFORD of NerdWallet In 2022, 48% of Medicare beneficiaries were enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans instead of original Medicare, and experts predict the number will be higher in 2023. Medicare Advantage plans are offered by private insurers and bundle Medicare benefits in a way many people find appealing — but they also limit

By KAREEM CHEHAYEB Associated Press BEIRUT (AP) — The United States is rerouting $72 million of America’s assistance to Lebanon to help the cash-strapped government boost wages of its soldiers and police officers. Washington is a key donor of the Lebanese Army and its 80,000 members, providing over $3 billion in military aid since 2006.

By KRISTIN V. SHAW Edmunds Auto manufacturers are applying more computer and software-based features to their vehicles. While electric vehicle companies like Tesla and Lucid have been all in from the start, legacy manufacturers are ramping up quickly to stay both relevant. Software-defined vehicles are a step beyond simply adding technology to a car; the

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis says there’s a risk that a reform process in the German church could become “ideological.”  Francis spoke in an interview with The Associated Press at the Vatican on Tuesday. He was asked about Germany, where Catholic bishops and representatives of an influential lay organization are engaged in a process

By NOAH TRISTER AP Baseball Writer Scott Rolen is headed to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Next year, make way for another star third baseman. Adrián Beltré highlights the first-time eligibles for 2024. Rolen’s election Tuesday capped an impressive six-year rise in his vote total. But Beltré has a good chance to go in on

By JOSH DUBOW AP Pro Football Writer Patrick Mahomes will be the old man among the starting quarterbacks in the conference title games. The 27-year-old All-Pro for Kansas City is the oldest member of one of the youngest groups of starting quarterbacks to make it to this round. The other three scheduled starting QBs on

ASHOK SHARMA Associated Press NEW DELHI (AP) — India and Egypt have agreed to increase trade during a visit by the Egyptian president that underscores Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts to build ties with other emerging economies. Modi and President Abdel Fattah El-Sissi agreed on measures to increase two-way trade within five years to $12

LONDON (AP) — Microsoft said it’s seeing some improvement to problems with its online services including the Teams messaging platform and Outlook email system after users around the world reported outages Wednesday. In a status update, the tech company reported “service degradation” for a number of its Microsoft 365 services. Thousands of users reported problems

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Jill Biden’s Inauguration Day outfits are now at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. She says the two dresses — one blue, one white — with matching coats and face masks were her “voice” on one of the most important days of her life. First ladies

By REBECCA SANTANA Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — As the nation reels from a week of high-profile shootings, a new report on mass attacks calls for communities to intervene early when they see warning signs of violence, encourages businesses to consider workplace violence prevention plans and highlights the connection between domestic violence, misogyny and mass

By JUSTIN SPIKE Associated Press BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungary is hosting a conference in May of mainly U.S. and European conservatives as its right-wing populist government seeks allies abroad. The American Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, will host its second event in Europe under the motto “Together we are strong,” according to organizers.

By SHEIKH SAALIQ and KRUTIKA PATHI Associated Press NEW DELHI (AP) — Days after India banned a BBC documentary that examines Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s role during 2002 anti-Muslim riots, authorities are scrambling to halt screenings of the program in colleges and universities and restricting clips of it on social media. Critics have decried the

BERLIN (AP) — Berlin airport has canceled all flights after ground staff went on strike to press their demands for higher pay. The walk-out on Wednesday affects about 300 flights to and from Germany’s capital. Labor union Verdi said its members are seeking a raise of 500 euros ($544) per month. German news agency dpa

By KIM TONG-HYUNG and MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Frigid winter weather gripped East Asia for the second straight day on Wednesday, causing several deaths and multiple injuries in Japan and a scramble for flights out of South Korea’s resort island of Jeju following delays by snowstorms. Heavy snow and record

By MIKE CORDER Associated Press THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A Jewish group that commissioned a survey on Holocaust awareness in the Netherlands says the results show “a disturbing lack of awareness of key historical facts about the Holocaust.” The finding has promped calls for better education in the nation that was home to diarist

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Saying “we must walk patiently in China,” Pope Francis views continued dialogue with Beijing as the guiding principle in his efforts to safeguard his flock, who are a small minority in that Asian nation. The Associated Press, in an exclusive interview on Tuesday with Pope Francis at the Vatican, asked what

By NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis says he hasn’t even considered issuing norms to regulate future papal resignations and plans to continue for as long as he can as bishop of Rome, despite a wave of attacks by some top-ranking cardinals and bishops. In his first interview since the Dec.

By NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis criticized laws that criminalize homosexuality as “unjust,” saying God loves all his children just as they are and called on Catholic bishops who support the laws to welcome LGBTQ people into the church. “Being homosexual isn’t a crime,” Francis said during an interview Tuesday

By MUNIR AHMED Associated Press ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistani police have arrested a senior leader from former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s political party on charges of threatening the chief of the elections overseeing body and other government officials. The arrest on Wednesday of Fawad Chaudhry was quickly condemned by his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, which demanded

By JOE McDONALD AP Business Writer BEIJING (AP) — Asian stock markets were mixed Thursday amid hopes Western economies can avoid a recession despite higher interest rates to cool inflation. Hong Kong and Seoul advanced. Tokyo declined. Markets in China, India and Australia were closed for holidays. Wall Street ended Wednesday little changed after recovering