Month: November 2023

NYON, Switzerland (AP) — The display of hundreds of Palestinian flags at a Champions League game by fans of Scottish club Celtic cost the team a UEFA fine of $19,000. The fans of the Scottish champions have long publicly supported the Palestinian cause and defied requests from the club not to do so on Oct.

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — EU lawmakers have rejected a proposal from the bloc’s executive arm to set legally binding targets to reduce the use of chemical pesticides by 50% by 2030 and a ban on all pesticide use in areas such public parks, playgrounds and schools. After a series of amendments

BALTIMORE (AP) — A federal judge has denied a compassionate release request filed by a former Baltimore police officer convicted in 2018 as part of the department’s Gun Trace Task Force corruption scandal. Daniel Hersl was sentenced to 18 years behind bars after a jury found him guilty of racketeering and robbery. The 53-year-old ex-detective

By KONSTANTIN TESTORIDES Associated Press SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has urged NATO to further boost its military forces in Kosovo and secure the country’s borders with Serbia. He has warned that recent ethnic violence in Kosovo could potentially trigger a wider Balkan conflict. Rama said Wednesday after an informal

By EMMANUEL IGUNZA Associated Press NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenyan authorities have issued a warning about the sale of counterfeit HIV prevention drugs in the country, saying their “safety, quality and efficacy cannot be assured.” The Pharmacy and Poisons Board said the drugs were in two batches falsely labeled as Truvada, a commonly used HIV

By MICHAEL BIESECKER Associated Press ___ EDITOR’S NOTE: The Associated Press is publishing an updated visual analysis of the Oct. 17 explosion at Gaza’s Al-Ahli Hospital. The AP initially assessed that the explosion was likely caused by a rocket launched from within Gaza that misfired, and that assessment has not changed. However, new images that

By ALICIA RANCILIO Associated Press Sometimes inspiration can be unexpected. Just ask comedian Heather McMahan. She began posting witty observations and comedy bits with characters to social media after her father died in 2015 of pancreatic cancer. That’s led to a weekly podcast, a successful stand-up tour and TV development deal. McMahan also self-produced a

By LINDSEY BAHR AP Film Writer Impossible is often just a starting point on a Christopher Nolan film and “Oppenheimer,” about the father of the atomic bomb, was no exception. Producer Emma Thomas tells The Associated Press: “There’s nothing film crews can’t do.” That’s part of the reason why top craftspeople, like production designer Ruth

By WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — If you didn’t already guess it from a barrage of sales ads in your inbox, the holiday shopping season is upon us. And Black Friday is right around the corner. While Black Friday may no longer look like the crowd-filled, in-person mayhem that it was

By STEPHANIE LIECHTENSTEIN Associated Press VIENNA (AP) — The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency says that Iran’s decision in September to bar several experienced U.N. inspectors from monitoring its disputed nuclear program is constituting “a very serious blow” to the agency’s ability to do its job “to the best possible level.” IAEA Director-General

By ASHOK SHARMA Associated Press NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed a cease-fire in Gaza that’s expected to enable the release of dozens of hostages taken by Hamas. He also urged leaders of the top rich and developing nations to work together to ensure the Israel-Hamas war doesn’t expand. Hosting a

By The Associated Press Russia’s parliament has approved a federal budget that increases spending by around 25% in 2024-2026 and devotes a record amount to defense. The budget was passed unanimously Wednesday by the Federation Council — the upper chamber of the Russian parliament — and will be sent to President Vladimir Putin to sign

By MICHAEL PHILLIS Associated Press President Joe Biden declared an emergency over lead-in-water contamination in the U.S. Virgin Islands earlier this week after tests on St. Croix revealed levels more than 100 times the limits set by the Environmental Protection Agency – among the worst results a U.S. community has seen in decades. But experts

LONDON (AP) — King Charles III has paid tribute to K-pop band Blackpink. The U.K. monarch has given them honorary gongs for their work fighting climate change by raising awareness among young people. South Korea’s president looked on Wednesday as Charles made Jennie Kim, Jisoo Kim and Lalisa Manoban honorary Members of the Order of

By PAUL WISEMAN AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell sharply last week, a sign that U.S. job market remains resilient despite higher interest rates. The Labor Department reported Wednesday that jobless claims were dropped by 24,000 to 209,000. The four-week moving average of claims, which smooths

By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer Maybe the reason Tiger Woods is returning to competition next week in the Bahamas is to prepare for what really matters: The father-son appearance in the PNC Championship. Woods and 14-year-old Charlie are confirmed to be play the PNC Championship for the fourth straight year. It’s the only tournament

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s new parliament is debating the reinstatement of government funding for in vitro fertilization as its first legislation following elections in which the conservative party that had banned it lost control of the legislature. Members of the new centrist majority said in parliament Wednesday that it was symbolic to begin their

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti’s law enforcement authorities say a member of a violent gang accused of kidnapping four U.S. citizens has been extradited to the U.S. Haiti’s National Police on Tuesday identified the individual as Jhon Peter Fleronvil who is affiliated with the gang known as “Kokorat San Ras,” roughly translated to mean “Cohorts

By PETER SMITH Associated Press Jehovah’s Witnesses are well-known for proselytizing door-to-door and handing out their literature on city streets. Less known to the general public, their adherents have been required for the past century to make regular reports to their congregation’s leaders on how many hours they put into such ministry. Those hourly reports

By FRANCISCO GUZMAN Associated Press Black Friday is almost upon us, when retailers kick off the holiday season with offers meant to get customers in the shopping mood. The term “Black Friday” in relation to shopping the day after Thanksgiving is most often traced to Philadelphia where police had to deal with large crowds who

By NICK KURCZEWSKI Edmunds Pricing for the average new car continues to rise, with the latest reports pegging the average new vehicle transaction price around $48,000. While buying used is always an option for shoppers on a tight budget, there are some great new cars out there that are still affordably priced. The automotive experts

By WHITNEY VANDIVER of NerdWallet identitySummary: A recent uptick in scams targeting older adults has seniors wondering who’s really calling them. As the most common type of reported Social Security scam, imposters fool beneficiaries into thinking they are providing information to the agency. But they soon discover they’ve handed over personal information like Social Security

PRAGUE (AP) — Czech President Petr Pavel has signed into law an economic package of dozens of measures introducing budget cuts and increased taxes designed to keep the ballooning budget deficit under control. Pavel’s signature on Wednesday was the last step before the government proposal — which was approved by parliament — turned into law

Associated Press Holiday travelers are starting their final sprint. About 2.7 million people were expected to board flights on Wednesday, and Sunday is expected to set an all-time record of 2.9 million. Many millions of other Americans will drive to Thanksgiving celebrations. Airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration say they are prepared for the onslaught.

BERLIN (AP) — Germany will extradite an Italian man suspected in the killing of a 22-year-old woman to Italy. According to German news agency dpa, the Higher Regional Court in Naumburg, in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt announced on Wednesday that it had ordered the extradition of the 21-year-old man. The suspect, Filippo Turetta,

By EDDIE PELLS AP National Writer Former Saints tight end Boo Williams needs surgery, medicine and doctors to make the pain in his injured neck subside. But he can’t afford any of it. The 44-year-old was recently awarded $5,000 a month by the NFL’s disability benefit plan. But Williams tells The Associated Press the plan

By EDDIE PELLS AP National Writer Former Saints tight end Boo Williams needs surgery, medicine and doctors to make the pain in his injured neck subside. But he can’t afford any of it. The 44-year-old was recently awarded $5,000 a month by the NFL’s disability benefit plan. But Williams tells The Associated Press the plan

By CORA LEWIS Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Consumers are expected to use “buy now, pay later” payment plans heavily this holiday season, a forecast that bodes well for retailers but that has credit experts again sounding alarm bells. The short-term loans often come with consumer-friendly interest rates and allow shoppers to make an

By KRUTIKA PATHI Associated Press NEW DELHI (AP) — India has restored electronic visa services for Canadian nationals, an Indian foreign ministry official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, two months after Canada alleged the South Asian nation was involved in the assassination of a Sikh separatist in Canada. A diplomatic spat erupted

PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Police in Kosovo say a hand grenade has exploded in an animal market in a southern city and nine people are injured. Three suspects are at large following the explosion Wednesday in Prizren, south of the capital Pristina. The injured were hospitalized but their condition is not life-threatening. An investigation is

VATICAN CITY By NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press (AP) — Pope Francis has met separately with relatives of Israeli hostages in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners in Israel. He held the meetings before his weekly general audience Wednesday. There, he begged for peace and an end to what he called terrorism and “the passions that are killing

SAN JOSE, California (AP) — Computer chip and software maker Broadcom says it has cleared all regulatory hurdles and plans to complete its $69 billion acquisition of cloud technology company VMware on Wednesday. The company announced the plan after China joined the list of countries that had given a go-ahead for the acquisition. Broadcom wants

By TIA GOLDENBERG Associated Press TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel and Hamas have agreed to a deal that is to trigger a four-day halt in their devastating war. That’s in exchange for the release of dozens of hostages taken captive by militants on Oct. 7, when Israeli communities were overrun and some 240 abducted.

By EILEEN NG Associated Press KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — A Malaysian minister said organizers of a Coldplay concert are able to stop Wednesday’s show if the British rock band misbehaves. Muslim conservatives have protested the concert over Coldplay’s support for the LGBTQ+ community. Recently, they also pushed for the concert to be halted in

By EMMANUEL IGUNZA Associated Press NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — An American man convicted of sexual offences in Kenya nine years ago has been denied bail on new charges of defilement, months after he was mysteriously released from prison where he was serving a 50-year sentence. Terry Ray Krieger, 68, was arraigned on Tuesday evening in

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — Shares slipped in Asia on Wednesday, tracking a decline on Wall Street a day after stocks there hit their highest level since the start of August. Tokyo and Mumbai advanced while most other major markets declined. U.S. futures were little changed and oil prices edged lower.

By MATT O’BRIEN AP Technology Writer The ousted leader of ChatGPT-maker OpenAI is returning to the company that fired him late last week, the latest in a saga that has shocked the artificial intelligence industry. San Francisco-based OpenAI said in a statement late Tuesday: “We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam Altman to

By JOSEF FEDERMAN, TIA GOLDENBERG and SAMY MAGDY Associated Press JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel and Hamas have reached an agreement for a four-day halt to the devastating war in Gaza, accompanied by the release of dozens of hostages held by the militant group in return for Palestinian prisoners jailed by Israel, mediators said Wednesday. The

By DAVID RISING Associated Press BANGKOK (AP) — The United States and the Philippines are conducting joint air and maritime patrols in the South China Sea, which come as the two countries step up cooperation in the face of growingly aggressive Chinese activity in the area. The Philippine Air Force said Wednesday its aircraft had

By MIKE CORDER Associated Press THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — No fewer than 26 political parties are seeking a share of the 150 seats in the lower house of parliament in the Netherlands’ general election Wednesday. Only a few stand a realistic chance of providing the candidate who will succeed Mark Rutte as prime minister.