Month: December 2023

By HILLEL ITALIE AP National Writer NEW YORK (AP) — This year’s winners of the I Love My Librarian Award took on a lot more than selecting books and fighting bans. Winners for 2024 include Diana Haneski at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, who survived the 2018 shooting and is committed

By MUNIR AHMED Associated Press ISLAMABAD (AP) — For the first time, artificial intelligence has been used to deliver a speech by Pakistan’s imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan to supporters. Analysts say the stunning development could help his political party to win upcoming elections. The replicated voice of Pakistan’s most popular opposition figure was

By NOAH TRISTER AP Baseball Writer BALTIMORE (AP) — The Maryland Stadium Authority has approved a lease extension for the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards in one of the final steps formalizing a long-term agreement between the team and the state. The deal is set to go before the state’s Board of Public Works later

By DYLAN LOVAN Associated Press LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Attorneys for a Kentucky woman who filed a lawsuit demanding the right to an abortion have withdrawn the lawsuit after the woman learned her embryo no longer has cardiac activity. Last week, they learned that the woman’s embryo no longer has cardiac activity. In a court filing Sunday,

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union is imposing sanctions on Russia over its war against of Ukraine, targeting the lucrative diamonds industry as well as more than 140 officials and organizations. Monday’s measures will also close loopholes that Moscow has used to bypass previous measures. It’s the 12th round of sanctions that the EU has

By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Leonard Bernstein was a towering figure on Broadway. So it seems only fitting that the new biopic of him leans on the Great White Way to get the story right. Bradley Cooper’s movie “Maestro” is studded with theater stars — 29 of the 38 principal

By DUSAN STOJANOVIC Associated Press BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Aleksandar Vucic likes nothing more than to win. Critics say he cheats, but Serbia’s president argues he just knows how to remain in power. The Balkan nation’s populist leader has ruled Serbia for more than a decade as both prime minister and president. After his populists

By HILLEL ITALIE AP National Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Robert Caro is still busy working on the presumed last volume of his series on Lyndon Johnson. But next year, be prepared to hear a lot about the book which launched his publishing career. “The Power Broker” in 2024 will mark its 50th anniversary. The

By KEN SWEET AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Sebastian Siemiatkowski is a co-founder and CEO of Klarna, the Sweden-based company that’s one of the world’s biggest providers of buy now, pay later services to customers. Klarna started off in Europe and entered the U.S. market in 2015. Siemiatkowski spoke to the AP about

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian authorities added popular detective novelist and dissident Grigory Chkhartishvili, known under the pen name Boris Akunin, to its register of “extremists and terrorists.” It occurred on the same day that Russian state media reported that a criminal case had been opened last week against the Russian-Georgian writer for “discrediting the army.”

PARIS (AP) — The wax figure of actor Gerard Depardieu has been removed from Paris’ most famous wax museum, following negative reactions from visitors over allegations about his conduct with women, the museum said Monday. The decision to remove the figure from the Grevin Museum, the so-called “Pantheon of wax celebrities,” followed a recent report

By ADRIANA MORGA Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — The holidays can be a challenging time if you’re on a budget. This year, millions of people have had to start paying back their student loans, adding to the financial pressure and making gift-giving even more stressful. Experts say that the first step is to acknowledge

By THALIA BEATY Associated Press The longtime president of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Larry Kramer, will step down from his role at the end of 2023. In an interview with The Associated Press, Kramer talks about how Hewlett became the largest climate funder in the world for a decade starting in 2007. He

By RALPH D. RUSSO AP College Football Writer The commissioners from three of the remaining power conferences in college sports appeared together in a crowded convention center ballroom and were asked to ponder what was wrought by three tumultuous years of realignment that culminated in the destruction of a 108-year-old institution. “Obviously, not happy about

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis has formally approved allowing priests to bless same-sex couples. The Vatican issued a new document explaining a radical change in Vatican policy by insisting that people seeking God’s love and mercy shouldn’t be subject to “an exhaustive moral analysis” to receive it. The document from the Vatican’s doctrine office, released

CAIRO (AP) — Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi has won reelection to a third, six-year term in office. The National Election Authority said Monday that el-Sissi recorded a landslide victor of 89.6% of the vote, calling it the highest voting percentage in Egypt’s history. He ran against three virtually unknown opponents. The vote was overshadowed

DHAKA,Bangladesh (AP) — A court in Bangladesh’s capital has denied a bail request from a top opposition leader who was jailed after an October anti-government protest that turned violent.  A magistrate made the ruling during a Chief Metropolitan Court hearing where Bangladesh Nationalist Party Secretary-General,Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir appeared on Monday. The same court also

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — The head of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said Monday he is “very concerned” about increased joint military actions by China and Russia in the region. Adm. John C. Aquilino spoke in Tokyo as another regional concern, North Korea, conducted its latest intercontinental ballistic missile test. Aquilino is

By COURTNEY BONNELL AP Business Writer LONDON (AP) — Oil and natural gas giant BP has joined the growing list of companies that have halted their shipments through the Red Sea because of the risk of attack from Yemen’s Houthi rebels. London-based BP said Monday that it has “decided to temporarily pause all transits through

NEW YORK (AP) — Heavy rain and high winds swept through the Northeast on Monday for the second time in a week, spurring flood warnings, electricity outages, flight cancelations and school closings. The National Weather Service predicted up to 5 inches (13 centimeters) of rain in some parts of the region. More than 245,000 power

By REZA SAIFULLAH and EDNA TARIGAN Associated Press SABANG, Indonesia (AP) — More than 200 people have protested against the continued arrival of Rohingya refugees by boat on an island in Indonesia. Over 1,500 Rohingya who fled violent attacks in Myanmar and are leaving camps in Bangladesh have arrived in Aceh off the tip of

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s central bank says the country’s economy is likely to shrink again slightly in the current fourth quarter. Also on Monday, a survey showed business confidence in Europe’s biggest economy retreating unexpectedly. The economy contracted by 0.1% in the third quarter after growing by the same amount in the previous three-month period,

By ILLIA NOVIKOV Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s military chief says a covert listening device was found in one of the offices where he works and he is hinting that other bugs were detected in other locations. Army Cmdr. Valeriy Zaluzhnyi commented to local media about Sunday’s revelation by Ukraine’s Security Service that

LONDON (AP) — European Union authorities are looking into whether Elon Musk’s online platform X breached tough new social media regulations, in the first such investigation since the rules designed to make online content less toxic took effect. The investigation will look into whether X, formerly known as Twitter, failed to do enough to curb

Associated Press BANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar’s Supreme Court has rejected a special appeal by the country’s ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi against her conviction in a case in which she was charged with corruption for allegedly receiving gold and thousands of dollars as a bribe from a former political colleague, a legal official said.

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN AP Business Writer U.S. Steel, the Pittsburgh steel producer that played a key role in the nation’s industrialization, is being acquired by Nippon Steel in an all-cash deal valued at approximately $14.1 billion. The transaction is worth about $14.9 billion when including the assumption of debt. Nippon, which will pay $55 per

By KIMBERLY PALMER of NerdWallet Making returns will be more difficult this holiday season because more retailers are charging return fees, but there are ways to avoid them. Reviewing stores’ return policies before buying can mean fewer unpleasant surprises later. In some cases, joining a loyalty program can allow shoppers to avoid return fees while

By LLAZAR SEMINI Associated Press TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Supporters of Albania’s opposition Democratic Party are protesting while a parliamentary commission discusses whether to lift the immunity from prosecution of the party’s leader. Prosecutors asked lawmakers last week to strip former Prime Minister Sali Berisha of his parliamentary immunity because he did not abide by

By PAN PYLAS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — The British government has announced plans to charge a carbon levy on imported raw materials such as aluminum, iron, steel and cement from 2027, in an attempt to prevent firms being undercut by overseas producers. However, the plan has come under criticism from the body representing British

By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA Associated Press BAGHDAD (AP) — Baghdad’s streets are nearly empty on Monday, the main day of polling in the country’s first provincial elections in a decade. The vote has been boycotted by an influential political bloc and marred by scattered and allegations of election violations. The vote to select new provincial council

By EMMA BURROWS Associated Press Allies of the imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny say they are searching for him for a 13th day after he failed to appear in court. Navalny’s spokesperson wrote on social media that that Navalny had multiple hearings scheduled Monday. She says some of which were suspended after the politician

BERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says he has tested positive for COVID-19. The government says a visit by Slovakia’s prime minister had to be canceled as a result. Scholz wrote on the social media platform X that he was experiencing few symptoms on Monday and “counting on a mild case.” His spokesperson says

By BOUBACAR DIALLO Associated Press CONAKRY, Guinea (AP) — An explosion and inferno at Guinea’s main fuel depot in the capital of Conakry has left several people dead or injured. Guinea’s presidency says the fire broke out at the Guinean Petroleum Company depot shortly after a massive explosion past midnight Sunday. The area in the

By JOVANA GEC Associated Press BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — An early official vote count of Serbia’s weekend election has confirmed the triumph of the ruling populist party in a parliamentary vote. An opposition group claims it was robbed of a victory in the capital, Belgrade. Sunday’s tense parliamentary and local election in the Balkan country

By DAVID KOENIG AP Airlines Writer DALLAS (AP) — Southwest Airlines is paying a $35 million fine as part of a $140 million settlement with the government over a meltdown last holiday season. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Monday the settlement shows his department will hold airlines accountable if they fail to treat customers properly.

By MICHAEL PHILLIS and CAMILLE FASSETT Associated Press ST. LOUIS (AP) — Flood risk and climate change are pushing millions of people to move from their homes, according to a new study by the risk analysis firm First Street Foundation. It’s stifling growth in prospering cities and accelerating declines in struggling areas. Local moves are

BERLIN (AP) — The Berlin Zoo has sent the first giant pandas born in Germany to China, dispatching the four-year-olds on a journey that was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Pit and Paule, who also are known by the Chinese names Meng Xiang und Meng Yuan, departed from Berlin on Saturday aboard an Air China

Par RENATA BRITO et FELIPE DANA Associated Press FASS BOYE, Senegal (AP) — Le voyage de Fass Boye, petit village de pêche sénégalaise, jusqu’aux îles Canaries en Espagne, porte d’entrée de l’Union européenne, était censé durer une semaine. Mais plus d’un mois plus tard, le bateau en bois transportant 101 hommes et garçons s’éloignait de

By RENATA BRITO and FELIPE DANA Associated Press FASS BOYE, Senegal (AP) — The voyage from the struggling Senegalese fishing town of Fass Boye to Spain’s Canary Islands, a gateway to the European Union where they hoped to find work, was supposed to take a week. But the wooden boat carrying 101 men and boys

By RENATA BRITO and FELIPE DANA Associated Press FASS BOYE, Senegal (AP) — A month had passed when the first four men decided to jump. Countless cargo ships had navigated past them, yet no one had come to their rescue. Their fuel was finished. The hunger and thirst were overwhelming. Dozens had already died, including

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s state TV says nearly 70% of the nation’s gas pumps are out of service after possible sabotage — a reference to cyberattacks. The report said a “software problem” caused the irregularity. It urged people not to rush to the operational filling stations. Israeli media, including the Times of Israel, blamed

BERLIN (AP) — German farmers are gathering in Berlin to protest against planned cuts to tax breaks for diesel used in agriculture, part of a deal reached by the government to plug a hole in the country’s budget. Leaders of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-party coalition last week agreed on measures to fill a 17 billion-euro

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan says two Chinese balloons flew north of the self-ruled island over the weekend as China increases pressure on Taipei ahead of a presidential election in January. The Defense Ministry says the balloons crossed the sensitive Taiwan Strait separating the island from China and were detected about 110 nautical miles northwest

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO AP Retail Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The promise of self-checkout has meant that customers can avoid long lines by scanning and bagging their own items, workers can be freed of doing those monotonous tasks themselves and retailers can save on labor costs. But it has also meant customers griping about clunky

By MELANIE LIDMAN and SAMY MAGDY Associated Press JERUSALEM (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was expected to press Israel to wind down major combat operations in Gaza. His visit on Monday is the latest test of whether the U.S. can leverage its unwavering support for the offensive to blunt its devastating impact on Palestinian

BANGKOK (AP) — Fifteen suspected drug smugglers have been killed and about 2 million methamphetamine tablets seized in northern Thailand near the Myanmar border after a shootout with Thai soldiers. The acting secretary-general of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board said the clash occurred on Saturday night after the local army received a tip

By SAM MEDNICK Associated Press DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Congo’s president says he has confidence an upcoming vote will be rolled out credibly, as tensions mount that a severe lack of electoral preparation could throw the conflict-riddled nation into disarray. “We must stop scaring people,” President Felix Tshisekedi told The Associated Press in an interview.

By GABE STERN Associated Press/Report for America VIRGINIA CITY, Nev. (AP) — The man who will oversee elections in one rural county in Nevada next year is scheduled to be arraigned Monday along with five fellow Republicans on charges that they submitted false paperwork claiming Donald Trump had won the state in 2020. Jim Hindle