Month: October 2023

By MUNIR AHMED Associated Press ISLAMABAD (AP) — A court in Pakistan has granted several days of protection from arrest to former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in graft cases, clearing the way for him to return home from self-imposed exile in London, where he went in 2019 for medical treatment. The decision by the Islamabad

HELSINKI (AP) — Telecom gear maker Nokia says it’s planning to cut up to 14,000 jobs worldwide, or 16% of its workforce, as part of a push to reduce costs following a plunge in third-quarter sales and profit. The Finnish wireless and fixed-network equipment provider said Thursday that the planned measures are aimed at reducing

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s state-owned railway operator, Deutsche Bahn, says it has agreed to sell its European public transport subsidiary, Arriva, to U.S.-based infrastructure investor I Squared Capital. Deutsche Bahn didn’t disclose the value of the planned sale in Thursday’s announcement. It said the transaction should be completed next year. The company is selling Arriva

By NAJIB JOBAIN, SAMYA KULLAB and RAVI NESSMAN Associated Press KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli airstrikes pounded locations across the Gaza Strip early Thursday, including parts of the south that Israel had declared safe zones, heightening fears among more than 2 million Palestinians trapped in the territory that nowhere was safe. In the

A Russian-American journalist working for a U.S. government-funded media company has been detained in Russia and charged with failing to register as a foreign agent. Radio Free Europe-Radio Liberty editor Alsu Kurmasheva is the second U.S. journalist to be detained in Russia this year. Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was arrested for alleged spying

By NINIEK KARMINI and EDNA TARIGAN Associated Press JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Thousands of noisy, flag-waving political supporters have created a celebratory atmosphere outside Indonesia’s election commission as candidates started registering for next year’s elections. The world’s third-largest democracy is holding legislative and presidential elections on Feb. 14, 2024. Anies Baswedan, an opposition candidate and

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union interior ministers are debating how to manage the impact of the war between Israel and Hamas on the bloc. Thursday’s meeting in Luxembourg comes a day after a firebomb assault on a Berlin synagogue as well as recent killings in Belgium and France by suspected Islamist extremists. Sweden hosted a

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — Shares tumbled in Asia on Thursday following a retreat on Wall Street after big U.S. companies delivered mixed profit reports and Treasury yields added pressure on stocks. Worries about war in the Middle East also are dragging on markets. Benchmarks in Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seoul

By MUNIR AHMED Associated Press ISLAMABAD (AP) — A group of former U.S. diplomats and representatives of resettlement organizations has asked Pakistan not to deport thousands of Afghans who have been waiting for U.S. visas under an American program that relocates at-risk Afghan refugees fleeing Taliban rule. The appeal in an open letter on Wednesday

TOKYO (AP) — Japan has reported its exports climbed 4.3% in September from a year earlier while imports sank 16.3%, leaving a positive balance of 62.4 trillion yen ($410 billion), the first monthly trade surplus in three months. Provisional customs data released Thursday showed strong exports of vehicles and machinery. In Japan’s fiscal first half,

By The Associated Press The foreign ministers of Russia and North Korea met Thursday in Pyongyang for talks expected to focus on how to boost their military ties, days after the United States accused the North of sending fresh shipments of munitions to Russia to support its war efforts in Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey

PRAGUE (AP) — The Czech coalition government has survived a parliamentary no-confidence vote over opposition claims that it is mishandling the economy and immigration. Only 85 opposition lawmakers in the 200-seat lower house of Parliament voted on Thursday to dismiss the five-party government led by conservative Prime Minister Petr Fiala. The main opposition centrist ANO party

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — San Francisco police are set to release new details and video of an incident earlier this month in which a man crashed a car into the Chinese Consulate before he was shot and killed by police. A virtual town hall is scheduled Thursday afternoon to update people on the investigation into

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Beth Holloway was after one thing for 18 years: answers about what happened to her missing daughter. She got them Wednesday when Joran van der Sloot, long considered the chief suspect in her daughter’s 2005 disappearance in Aruba, admitted in submitted court filings to bludgeoning Natalee Holloway to death on a

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (AP) — A Marine has been killed in a homicide at Camp Lejeune and a second Marine is being held on suspicion of being involved. According to a statement from the North Carolina base, authorities took the Marine into custody at about 10:15 p.m. Wednesday after an incident that occurred in a

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican court employees say they will go on a five-day strike starting Thursday to protest proposed funding cuts, threatening an already creaky court system. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has proposed eliminating funds for the judicial branch, arguing that judges made too much money and often protect criminals. The court employees’

By HYUNG-JIN KIM, KIM TONG-HYUNG and JON GAMBRELL Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Hamas fighters likely fired North Korean weapons during their Oct. 7 assault on Israel, a militant video and weapons seized by Israel show, despite Pyongyang’s denials that it sells arms to the militant group. The video was analyzed by two

By JEFFREY COLLINS Associated Press A 79-year-old South Carolina man likely faces life in prison when he is sentenced for killing two police officers and wounding five more in a 2018 ambush he set up after detectives told him they were coming to serve a search warrant on his son. Investigators say Frederick Hopkins was

By JOSEPH WILSON Associated Press BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona accountant Oriol Calvo ran afoul of the law when he was arrested in 2019 during a mass protest by supporters of Catalonia’s independence from Spain that turned violent. A court found him guilty of public disorder and of aggressive behavior toward a police officer —

By ED KOMENDA and AUDREY McAVOY Associated Press LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — After the deadly wildfire that destroyed the historic town of Lahaina this summer, people across the world focused their attention on the green leaves sprouting from a scorched, 150-year-old banyan tree as a symbol of hope. Teams rushed to save it. But arborists

By LISA MASCARO, FARNOUSH AMIRI and STEPHEN GROVES Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Refusing to drop out, Republican Rep. Jim Jordan has brought the House speaker’s race to a stalemate — the hard-fighting ally of Donald Trump has been unable to win the gavel but he and his far-right allies won’t step aside for a

By BRIAN SLODYSKO Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump is crushing his Republican presidential rivals in the contest to raise campaign cash, putting the other White House hopefuls in an unenviable position before the first votes are cast in January. Those who have amassed a nest egg will have the resources to last for

By NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press VATICAN CITY (AP) — Two Vatican trials are coming to a head this week. They are posing uncomfortable questions for the Holy See. They both underscore Pope Francis’ absolute power and the legal, financial and reputational problems that can arise when he wields it. One involves the Vatican’s auditor, who

By ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON and LINLEY SANDERS Associated Press MIAMI (AP) — Most Americans see southern neighbor Mexico as having at least a friendly relationship with the U.S., with a sizable majority also saying both countries should be responsible for stopping drug trafficking. A new poll from the Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution

By DANIEL SHAILER Associated Press MEXICO CITY (AP) — The reservoirs that provide Mexico City with much of its water are distressingly low after persistent drought through the summer. And the situation is even more worrisome because Mexico’s rainy season is almost over — and when it’s gone, so will be any realistic chance for

By MAURA TURCOTTE of The Post and Courier Racial achievement gaps in math have worsened in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and its disruptions to learning. Some schools have tried to bridge those gaps through detracking, or getting rid of classes that separate students by level. The goal is to level the playing field

By ANDREA RODRÍGUEZ Associated Press HAVANA (AP) — The housing situation in Cuba is critical, with buildings partially or completely collapsing under the weight of storms, lack of maintenance and years of neglect. It is estimated that nearly 40% of the island’s 3.9 million houses are in only fair or poor condition. One of them

By ANDREW DALTON AP Entertainment Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Oscar-nominated actor Burt Young has died. Young played Paulie, the angry, grumbling best friend and brother-in-law of Sylvester Stallone in six “Rocky” movies. His daughter, Anne Morea Steingieser, tells the New York Times Young died Oct. 8 in Los Angeles at age 83. Young appeared

By ROD McGUIRK Associated Press CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s failed referendum on the Indigenous Voice has set back the government’s plans to cut the nation’s constitutional ties to Britain’s King Charles III. Australians last week overwhelmingly rejected the referendum that would have enshrined in the constitution an Indigenous advisory body to Parliament. Minister Matt

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Nicaragua has released 12 Roman Catholic priests jailed on a variety of charges and sent them to Italy following an agreement reached with the Vatican. The Nicaraguan government said in a statement late Wednesday that the priests had been flown to Rome following productive talks with the Vatican. Bishop Rolando Álvarez

By DOUG FEINBERG AP Basketball Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The Las Vegas Aces became the first team in 21 years to win back-to-back WNBA championships, getting 24 points and 16 rebounds from A’ja Wilson and a defensive stop in the closing seconds to beat the New York Liberty 70-69 in Game 4 of the

By KEN RITTER Associated Press LAS VEGAS (AP) — A man charged with killing Tupac Shakur in 1996 will make his next court appearance with a lawyer from one of the best-known political families in Las Vegas. Ross Goodman tells The Associated Press Wednesday he’ll appear with Duane “Keffe D” Davis but will seek two

By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer NEW YORK (AP) — NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league still needs to hire more minority head coaches. The latest rule change was aimed at increasing opportunities. Owners voted Tuesday to push in-person head coaching interviews back one more week until after all divisional playoff games have

By FATIMA HUSSEIN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States has agreed to temporarily suspend some sanctions on Venezuela’s oil, gas and gold sectors. The move comes in response to Venezuela’s government and a faction of its opposition formally agreeing to work together to reach a series of basic conditions for the next presidential

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — A Silicon Valley executive who lied to investors about inventing technology that tested for allergies and COVID-19 using only a few drops of blood has sentenced to eight years in prison and ordered to pay $24 million in restitution. Mark Schena was sentenced Wednesday. He was convicted last year of

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The November execution of a man on Idaho’s death row was delayed on Wednesday because the state’s parole board has granted a hearing to consider changing his sentence to life in prison. An Idaho judge last week issued a death warrant for Thomas Creech, the state’s longest-serving death row inmate. Creech

By JOSH FUNK AP Business Writer OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Several days before a Norfolk Southern conductor trainee was killed by a metal beam protruding from a parked railcar on an adjacent track, workers at a U.S. Pipe facility noticed the beam was hanging off the top of the car but never told the railroad

SAN BENITO, Texas (AP) — Authorities say a Texas police officer was fatally shot after joining a lengthy chase of two men who fled a traffic stop, switched cars and raced through several cities near the U.S.-Mexico border before they were finally arrested hours later. Authorities say San Benito Lt. Milton Resendez was pronounced dead

By STEVE KARNOWSKI Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A search warrant shows that drug task force officers suspected a Minnesota couple of selling methamphetamine when they raided their house in an operation that left five officers and one resident wounded last week. Gunfire broke out last Thursday when Sherburne County Drug Task Force officers attempted

By STEVE LeBLANC Associated Press BOSTON (AP) — The Massachusetts House has approved a sweeping gun bill aimed at tightening firearm laws, cracking down on unregistered “ghost guns” and strengthening the state’s assault-style weapons ban. The bill passed Wednesday would prohibit individuals from carrying a gun into a person’s home without their permission and require

By GARY D. ROBERTSON and HANNAH SCHOENBAUM Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Republicans have pitched new maps for the state’s congressional districts starting in 2024 that appear to threaten the reelection of at least three current Democratic U.S. House members. Senate redistricting committee leaders introduced two proposals on Wednesday that would rework

By DAVID KOENIG AP Airlines Writer Delta Air Lines will move more slowly in tweaking its frequent-flyer program after customers complained loudly about changes the airline announced back in September. On Wednesday, Delta said it dialed back some of the spending thresholds it announced last month for reaching elite status. Delta outlined the revisions in

PUEBLO, Colo. (AP) — Interstate 25 in southern Colorado is expected to reopen Thursday, four days after the main north-south route through the state was shut down when a train derailment collapsed a railroad bridge onto the highway and killed a truck driver. Gov. Jared Polis announced the timeline Wednesday while touring the damage with

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — New Orleans police say the father of three children who died in an overnight house fire has been arrested and faces three counts of second-degree murder. The arrest of Joseph Washington was announced at a Wednesday news conference where police chief Anne Kirkpatrick lamented what she called a “horrific” incident of

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Officials say a man who twice brought guns to the Wisconsin state Capitol demanding to see Gov. Tony Evers has been arrested again on suspicion of a concealed carry violation. Joshua Pleasnick was arrested Oct. 4 after he allegedly entered the Capitol with a pistol demanding to see Evers. Prosecutors say

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE AP Technology Writer SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Netflix has disclosed summertime subscriber gains that surpassed analysts’ projections, signaling the video streaming service’s crackdown on password sharing is converting former freeloaders into paying customers. In an effort to bring in even more revenue, Netflix also announced it’s raising the price for its most

MIAMI (AP) — Forecasters say Tropical Storm Tammy has formed in the Atlantic, triggering tropical storm watches in several island territories. Tammy emerged in the central tropical portion of the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday afternoon and had top sustained winds of 40 mph. The National Hurricane Center in Miami said the storm is headed west

By GENE JOHNSON Associated Press SEATTLE (AP) — Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s long-running legal case against the thrift store chain Savers Value Village turned out to be no bargain, as the state has been ordered to pay the company nearly $4.3 million in legal fees. King County Superior Court Judge David Whedbee issued the

By DIANE JEANTET Associated Press RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A Brazilian congressional panel has accused former President Jair Bolsonaro of instigating the country’s Jan. 8 riots and recommended that he be charged with attempting to stage a coup. The inquiry has been conducted by a panel of lawmakers mostly allied with the current leftist