Month: January 2023

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The United States Embassy in the tiny Central American nation of Belize on Sunday confirmed the death of a U.S. citizen there and said it was closely monitoring the local investigation. Belize Police Commissioner Chester Williams told local outlet 7 News Belize on Saturday that two men had been arrested and

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Ten guards and four inmates were killed early Sunday when gunmen in armored vehicles attacked a state prison in Ciudad Juarez across the border from El Paso, Texas, according to state officials. The Chihuahua state prosecutor’s office said in a statement that around 7 a.m. various armored vehicles arrived at the

By MAYSOON KHAN Associated Press/Report for America ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York Governor Kathy Hochul was sworn in for her first elected term on Sunday, making history as the first woman elected to the position in the state. The Democrat, launching her term as the 57th governor of New York, said her goals were

LONDON (AP) — The U.K. division of climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion says its activists would temporarily stop blocking busy roads, gluing themselves to buildings and engaging in other acts of civil disobedience because such methods have not achieved their desired effects. “As we ring in the new year, we make a controversial resolution

By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN Associated Press Democrat Michelle Lujan Grisham has officially started her second term as New Mexico governor. She promised “progress — not paralysis — is in fact our destiny” after taking the oath of office during a public ceremony Sunday in Santa Fe. The day’s festivities included performances by Native American dancers

By JOEY CAPPELLETTI Associated Press LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was sworn in for second term as the state’s 49th governor on Sunday, pushing a message of unity and working together during remarks on the state Capitol steps as Democrats took full control of the state government for the first time in

SUPAI, Ariz. (AP) — President Joe Biden has approved a disaster declaration made by the Havasupai Tribe in northern Arizona, freeing up funds for flood damage as it prepares to re-open for tourists after nearly three years. The Federal Emergency Management Agency confirmed Sunday that federal emergency aid will be given to supplement the tribe’s

NEW YORK (AP) — “Avatar: The Way of Water” is the box office king for a third straight week, and shows no sign of slowing down. James Cameron’s long-awaited sequel to the first “Avatar” film brought in an estimated $63 million over the holiday weekend, roughly the same as the previous week, and now has

By ASTRID SUÁREZ Associated Press BUCARAMANGA, Colombia (AP) — Colombia and Venezuela are opening a key bridge linking the countries that had been closed for almost seven years amid political tensions, launching a new era of improved relations under Colombia’s new leftist president. Construction of the “Tienditas” bridge ended in 2016, but it was never

COOKE CITY, Mont. (AP) — Two people were killed in New Year’s Eve avalanches in Montana and Colorado after heavy snow blanketed much of the West. Forecasters with the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center say two snowmobilers from Washington were headed uphill near Daisy Pass north of Cooke City, Montana, when one of them triggered

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Residents of a Northern California community were ordered to evacuate ahead of imminent flooding, and evacuation warnings were in place elsewhere in rural parts of the region on New Year’s Day after a powerful storm brought drenching rain or heavy snowfall to much of the state, breaching levees, snarling traffic and

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The Illinois Supreme Court has halted provisions of a new law that would eliminate cash bail for criminal defendants, issuing a stay hours before the new policies were set to take effect Sunday. The high court said in Saturday’s order that the stay was needed to “maintain consistent pretrial procedures throughout

NEW YORK (AP) — Jeremiah Green, the founding drummer for the rock band Modest Mouse, has died just days after the band announced he had been diagnosed with cancer. He was 45. Influenced by Talking Heads and XTC among others, Modest Mouse debuted in 1996 with the album “This Is a Long Drive for Someone

ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — The chief of the European Union has visited Croatia to celebrate the “immense achievements” of the newest EU member nation. Croatia switched to using the euro and joined the world’s largest passport-free travel area on New Year’s Day. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met Sunday with leaders of Croatia

By JULIE CARR SMYTH Associated Press COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The election contests of 2022 may have been held and decided, but Ohio’s political maps remain far from settled. It was supposed to be a once-per-decade process for redrawing the state’s U.S. House and Statehouse districts, in order to reflect updated population figures from the

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Nearly 300 domestic and international flights at the Manila airport in the Philippines have been either delayed, canceled or diverted after a power outage hampered air traffic operations. The delays caused misery for over 65,000 passengers during the New Year holiday. Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista in an evening news conference

OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Officials are investigating a fatal police shooting in a Olathe, Kansas, on New Year’s Eve. Olathe police said in a news release that an officer shot and killed a 27-year-old man after being called to a physical disturbance at a home in the Kansas City suburb. Police Sgt. Joel Yeldell says

By JON GAMBRELL Associated Press ROME (AP) — Dubai has ended its 30% tax on alcohol sales in the sheikhdom and made its required liquor licenses free to obtain. The announcement Sunday ends a long-standing source of revenue for its ruling family to apparently further boost tourism to the emirate. It came apparently from a

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press CHRISTIANSTED, U.S. Virgin Islands (AP) — President Joe Biden and top administration officials will open a new year of divided government by fanning out across the country to talk about how the economy is benefiting from his work with Democrats and Republicans. As part of the pitch, Biden and Senate

By SAMY MAGDY Associated Press CAIRO (AP) — Libyan authorities say they have found 18 bodies buried in a mass grave in the central coastal city of Sirte, a former stronghold of the Islamic State group in the conflict-stricken North African nation. The Missing Persons Authority said Sunday in a statement the bodies were unearthed

By RALPH D. RUSSO AP College Football Writer After the best semifinal day in the nine-year history of the College Football Playoff, the title game will match the defending national champion against the closest thing the sport has had in years to a Cinderella team. It will be No. 1 Georgia (14-0) looking for its

JERUSALEM (AP) — The tourism minister of Israel’s new hardline government has promised to invest in the West Bank, calling the occupied area “our local Tuscany.” Haim Katz made the comments days after the new government took office. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s new coalition has promised to make West Bank settlement construction a top priority.

By MARIA TERESA HERNÁNDEZ Associated Press RAPA NUI, Chile (AP) — Rapa Nui – the remote Chilean territory in the mid-Pacific widely known as Easter Island – is home to a Catholic church featuring artwork that reflects that islanders’ ancestral culture as well as Christian beliefs. Among the eye-catching works are stained glass windows —

By NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press VATICAN CITY (AP) — There was no tolling of the bells of St. Peter’s Basilica, no solemn announcement by a Vatican monsignor to the faithful in the square. A fisherman’s ring did not get smashed and the diplomatic corps were not mobilized to send official delegations to Rome. The death

By MAURICIO SAVARESE AP Sports Writer SANTOS, Brazil (AP) — Pelé. Santos, Brazil. Over decades, adoring fans around the world mailed thousands of letters, postcards and packages to the sports legend without his address or full name. Almost without fail, they reached the office of Edson Arantes do Nascimento in the port city he made