Month: February 2023

By NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (AP) — Pope Francis accused some of his critics Sunday of taking advantage of retired Pope Benedict XVI’s death to score ideological points in the latest salvo in the partisan divide of the Catholic Church. During an airborne news conference returning from South Sudan, Francis was

By NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (AP) — Pope Francis said Sunday he is planning to visit India next year and is studying a possible trip to Mongolia later in 2023 in what would be a first for a pope. Francis outlined his upcoming travel schedule during his flight back to Rome

NEW YORK (AP) — A manhunt is underway for a gunman who critically wounded an off-duty New York Police Department officer. Police on Sunday were looking for the man who announced a robbery Saturday night when the officer showed up at a  Brooklyn street address to buy a car. Authorities say an exchange of gunfire

By NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (AP) — Pope Francis was backed by the ceremonial head of the Anglican Communion and top Presbyterian minister in calling for gays to be welcomed by their churches as he again decried laws that criminalize homosexuality as unjust. The three Christian leaders spoke on LGBTQ rights

MITCHELL, Ind. (AP) — Police say two southern Indiana law enforcement officers were shot and wounded early Sunday during an exchange of gunfire with a suspect who fled a traffic stop on foot and fired at officers before he was fatally shot. Sgt. John Perrine of Indiana State Police says both officers were flown to

By ANDREA RODRÍGUEZ Associated Press HAVANA (AP) — In barely a week, 25-year-old engineer Marcos Marzo went from riding his small electric motorcycle past the low buildings of Havana’s Vedado district to traveling the mega-highways of Florida, amazed by the towering high-rises and giant supermarkets. A close relative told Marzo on Jan. 21 that he

By BRIAN WITTE Associated Press ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Maryland officials are preparing for as many as 80,000 residents who could no longer qualify for Medicaid coverage this spring, as the federal government reinstates a requirement that existed before the COVID-19 pandemic for states to verify the eligibility of recipients. Michele Eberle, the executive director

By JEFFREY COLLINS Associated Press Two weeks into the double murder trial of South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh, prosecutors haven’t presented any direct evidence that he killed his wife and son at their home in June 2021. There is no confession, no surveillance camera footage, no recording of the victims’ final moments. If found guilty

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Grammys have evolved from their humble beginnings handing out 29 awards into a daylong feast of music. This Sunday’s 65th edition could see Beyoncé become the most decorated artist in Grammys history and will feature musical performances from Bad Bunny, Mary J. Blige, Sam Smith, Lizzo as well tributes to

By JOSHUA GOODMAN Associated Press CUSCO, Peru (AP) — The Peruvian city of Cusco is normally a bustling mecca for international tourists. But its picturesque streets are silent these days as deadly demonstrations keep many foreigners away. The protests have followed interim President Pedro Castillo’s impeachment and arrest in December for trying to close Congress.

By ALI ABDUL-HASSAN and SALAR SALIM Associated Press DIWANIYAH, Iraq (AP) — Dozens of Iraqi protesters gathered Sunday to decry the so-called “honor killing” of a 22-year-old YouTube star who was allegedly strangled by her father, adding fuel to calls for legal reforms protecting women. Interior Ministry spokesman Saad Maan on Friday announced that Tiba

By DEMETRIS NELLAS Associated Press ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Authorities say four children and a woman died when a boat carrying at least 41 migrants crashed on a rocky coast on the Greek island of Leros. The Coast Guard was alerted by a person who saw a body floating at sea. One boy found unconscious

By DAVID McHUGH AP Business Writer FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Europe imposed a ban Sunday on Russian diesel fuel and other refined oil products, slashing energy dependency on Moscow and seeking to further crimp the Kremlin’s fossil fuel earnings as punishment for invading Ukraine. The ban comes along with a price cap agreed by the

By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr. AP Entertainment Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Cardi B paid homage to Atlantic Records executives Julie Greenwald and Craig Kallman in a pre-Grammy event. The rapper gave high praise to both Greenwald and Kallman who were honored with the  2023 Industry Icons Award at the star-studded Clive Davis pre-Grammys gala in

By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Former British Prime Minister Liz Truss says her failure wasn’t her fault. Truss on Sunday blamed a “powerful economic establishment” and internal Conservative Party opposition for the rapid collapse of her government, and said she still believes her tax-cutting policies were the right ones. Britain’s shortest-serving prime

By JON GAMBRELL Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s supreme leader reportedly has ordered an amnesty or reduction in prison sentences for “tens of thousands” of people detained amid the nationwide protests shaking the country. The decision Sunday for the first time acknowledges the scale of the crackdown. The decree by Ayatollah

By MENELAOS HADJICOSTIS Associated Press NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Official voting results show that a center-right former foreign minister and a career diplomat backed by a communist-rooted party appear poised to battle it out for the presidency of ethnically divided Cyprus in a Feb. 12 runoff. With 100% of votes counted in the first round

By NICOLE WINFIELD and DENG MACHOL Associated Press JUBA, South Sudan (AP) — Pope Francis made a final appeal for peace in South Sudan on Sunday as he celebrated Mass before tens of thousands of people to close out an unusual mission by Christian religious leaders to nudge forward the country’s recovery from civil war.

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey’s official news agency says 15 people have been arrested for alleged links to the extremist Islamic State group following days of security warnings by Western consulates. Anadolu news agency, sourcing an Istanbul police statement, said the group was detained for purportedly planning attacks on the Swedish and Dutch Consulates in Istanbul,

By TIA GOLDENBERG Associated Press TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — A former Israeli prime minister who served briefly as a mediator at the start of Russia’s war with Ukraine says he drew a promise from the Russian president not to kill his Ukrainian counterpart. Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett emerged as an unlikely intermediary in

By JON GAMBRELL and MUNIR AHMED Associated Press ISLAMABAD (AP) — Gen. Pervez Musharraf, who seized power in a bloodless coup and later led a reluctant Pakistan into aiding the U.S. war in Afghanistan against the Taliban, has died, officials said Sunday. He was 79. Musharraf, a former special forces commando, became president through the

By The Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — Follow along for real-time, on-the-carpet and behind-the-scenes updates on the 2023 Grammy Awards from The Associated Press. Live updates — any times Pacific — are brought to you by AP journalists at the show in Los Angeles and around the country. ___ OUTRO The show closed a

By JOHN HANNA and GEOFF MULVIHILL Associated Press LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The U.S. abortion debate is shifting to funding as states take control of policymaking. Liberal cities and states are funding efforts to provide access to abortion, while Republican-led states are seeking new ways to financially support anti-abortion centers. Just months after Kansas voters

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean coast guard vessels and aircraft on Sunday were searching for nine fishermen who disappeared after their boat capsized off the country’s southwestern coast. The coast guard from the southwestern port city of Mokpo said that three crew members were rescued by a nearby commercial vessel following the accident

By SIBI ARASU Associated Press BENGALURU, India (AP) — Over 500 energy industry heavyweights will descend on the southern Indian city of Bengaluru on Monday to discuss the future of renewables and fossil fuels at India Energy Week — the first big ticket event of the country’s presidency of the Group of 20 leading economies.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Federal Aviation Administration says a FedEx cargo airplane attempting to land at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport had to change course after a second plane was cleared to depart from the same runway. The agency says the Boeing 767 airplane was several miles from the Texas airport Saturday when it was cleared