Month: March 2023

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — The head of Syria’s civil aviation says flights at the international airport in Aleppo have resumed, three days after it was put out of service by a suspected Israeli airstrike. The official told a pro-government radio station that flights to and from the airport of Syria’s largest city resumed Friday morning

By MARI YAMAGUCHI and STEPHEN WADE Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida threw out the first pitch for the World Baseball Classic game between Japan and South Korea. He bounced a ball that was scooped up by Japan manager Hideki Kuriyama as the designated catcher. Kishida had the credentials to make

BEIJING (AP) — China has accused Canada of smearing its reputation over allegations China is secretly operating two overseas Chinese police stations in Quebec. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Friday that Canada should “stop sensationalizing and hyping the matter and stop attacks and smears on China,” but did not deny the existence of the

Georgian lawmakers have voted to drop a controversial bill that opponents — and thousands of protesters gathered in the capital — warned could stifle dissent and curtail media freedoms. The bill, which according to its critics was modeled on a Russian law, would have required media and NGOs that receive more than 20% of their

By LOLITA C. BALDOR Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Reported sexual assaults at the U.S. military academies shot up during the 2021-22 school year. the Pentagon said. And, one in five female students surveyed said they experienced unwanted sexual contact. A Pentagon report on assaults at the Army, Navy and Air Force academies shows an

By KARL RITTER and MSTYSLAV CHERNOV Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s capital had most of its power supply restored Friday, officials said, as the country again responded swiftly and defiantly to the latest Russian missile and drone barrage targeting critical infrastructure. In what has become a familiar Russian tactic since early October, the

LONDON (AP) — Trains have been canceled, schools shut and drivers stuck for hours as a blast of snow and wind hits Britain for the second time in a week. The worst-hit area Friday was northern England and north Wales, where 50 mph (80 kph) wind gusts were accompanied by up to a foot (30

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union member countries and negotiators from the EU Parliament have agreed on a provisional deal aimed at reducing energy consumption across the 27-nation bloc. Under the agreement, EU countries must achieve the goal collectively, to ensure a reduction of consumption of at least 11.7% compared with the forecasts for 2030 that

By JOCELYN NOVECK AP National Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Decamping from her usual base in Milan to show her wares in Los Angeles — only three days before the Oscars — Donatella Versace says she was inspired by the energy, glamour and power of Hollywood. She needed one more thing to make it all

ARE, Sweden (AP) — Moments after winning her record-tying 86th World Cup race, Mikaela Shiffrin was asked by a Swedish broadcaster to directly address Ingemar Stenmark, the skiing standout who had promised to watch at home on television. From one great to another, the 27-year-old American spoke to the 66-year-old Swede of her respect for

By ALFIAN KARTONO and EDNA TARIGAN Associated Press JAYAPURA, Indonesia (AP) — Separatist rebels in Indonesia’s Papua province released more photos and videos Friday appearing to show the New Zealand pilot they took hostage last month alive. On Feb. 6, the armed wing of the Free Papua Movement, the West Papua Liberation Army, stormed Philip

By The Associated Press After Russia invaded Ukraine, guerrillas from Belarus began carrying out acts of sabotage on their country’s railways, including blowing up track equipment to paralyze the rails that Russian forces used to get troops and weapons into Ukraine. In the most recent sabotage to make international headlines, they attacked a Russian warplane

BRUSSELS (AP) — A nationwide strike by Belgium’s public sector is slowing rush-hour traffic and affecting everything from garbage collection to childcare. Trade unions are protesting investment and employment cuts and demand that pension reforms be cut back. Train service was paralyzed in large parts of the nations and buses and subways were running on

MIAMI (AP) — Police in Miami say five suspects were taken into custody in connection with a shooting that wounded an officer on Wednesday. WTVJ-TV reports that Miami-Dade Police Director Alfredo Ramirez says the officer was conducting a narcotics investigation and was ambushed from behind while approaching another suspect. Ramirez says the shot grazed the

By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA and ABBY SEWELL Associated Press BAGHDAD (AP) — Only a few months into its term, Iraq’s government is suddenly enforcing a long-dormant law banning alcohol imports and arresting people over social media content deemed morally offensive. The crackdown has raised alarm among religious minorities and rights activists. Some see the measures as

By WANJOHI KABUKURU Associated Press MOMBASA, Kenya (AP) — Surrounded by miles of dried land and what remains of his famished livestock, Daniel Lepaine is a worried man. Dozens of his goats in Ngong, a town in southern Kenya, have died after three years of harrowing drought in the east and Horn of Africa. The

MONTEREY, Calif. (AP) — The man convicted of killing Kristin Smart, who vanished from a California college campus in 1996, has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. A judge in Monterey County sentenced Paul Flores on Friday, calling him “a cancer to society.” The judge also rejected requests from the defense to

By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Fear rattled Wall Street Friday, and stocks tumbled on worries about what’s next to break under the weight of rising interest rates following the biggest U.S. bank failure in nearly 15 years. The S&P 500 fell 1.4%, capping its worst week since September. That’s despite

By JULIE WATSON Associated Press SAN DIEGO (AP) — When U.S. officials at the U.S.-Mexico border stamped the Ukrainian passports of Mariia and her daughter last April and gave them permission to stay for a year, she figured she would return home within months. Now with that year almost up and the war that caused

By HUIZHONG WU Associated Press TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — With Chinese leader Xi Jinping receiving a norms-breaking third five-year term as president, the other six men who serve with him on the ruling Communist Party’s all-powerful Politburo Standing Committee are taking up their new portfolios. Chief among them, the party’s second-in-command Li Qiang is widely

By LISA MASCARO and JOSH BOAK Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s federal budget is a statement of his values. It’s a governing philosophy that believes the wealthy and large corporations should pay more taxes to help stem deficits and lift Americans toward middle class stability. For his chief critics, led by House

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A second volcano in remote Alaska is experiencing elevated earthquake activity, signaling an increased potential for eruption. The U.S. Geological Survey said Thursday that earthquake activity near Takawangha Volcano elevated in the previous 48 hours. That volcano is west of Anchorage in the western Aleutian islands and about 5 miles from

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s parliament has approved the central bank’s appointment of Kazuo Ueda as its new chief. He’ll be tasked with the challenge of steering the world’s third-largest economy through inflation and other looming risks. The nomination of Ueda and his deputies was approved Friday by the upper

By NICK PERRY Associated Press WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Fiji’s former leader Frank Bainimarama has been released on bail after pleading not guilty to abusing his power as prime minister by stopping a police investigation. Both Bainimarama and the nation’s suspended police commissioner had spent the night in jail after they were arrested Thursday.

BEIJING (AP) — Xi Jinping has been awarded a third five-year term as China’s president, adding to signs he might stay in power for life at a time of severe economic challenges and rising tensions with the U.S. and others. Xi’s unanimous endorsement Friday by the ceremonial National People’s Congress was a foregone conclusion. During