Month: December 2023

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s military says it has detected that North Korea has fired at least one ballistic missile toward its eastern waters. It adds to a torrent of weapons tests in recent months that elevated tensions. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff on Sunday didn’t immediately say what type of missile

By GIOVANNA DELL’ORTO and MARÍA TERESA HERNÁNDEZ Associated Press MEXICO CITY (AP) — It’s the fortnight before Christmas and all through the world’s Catholic convents, nuns and monks are extra busy preparing the traditional delicacies they sell to a loyal fan base even in rapidly secularizing countries. For many monastic communities, especially those devoted to

By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — A member of Britain’s House of Lords has acknowledged that she repeatedly lied about her links to a company that was awarded lucrative contracts to supply protective equipment during the coronavirus pandemic. In a BBC interview Sunday, underwear tycoon Michelle Mone said she had made an “error”

ROME (AP) — The Vatican has decided to shut down a Slovenian-based religious community founded by a controversial ex-Jesuit artist. The archdiocese of Ljubljana, Slovenia said in a statement Friday that the Loyola Community would have one year to implement the Oct.20 decree ordering its dissolution. The reason given was because of “serious problems concerning the

By NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press ROME (AP) — Pope Francis is marking a birthday. He turned 87 on Sunday, closing out a year that saw big milestones in his efforts to reform the Catholic Church as well as health scares that raise questions about his future as pope. Francis celebrated his birthday with cake during

Jerusalem (AP) — Some of Israel’s closest European allies pressed for a cease-fire in the war with Hamas on Sunday, underscoring growing international unease with the devastating impact of the conflict on Gaza’s civilian population. The concerted push by top European diplomats comes ahead of a visit to Israel on Monday by U.S. Defense Secretary

By KARL RITTER Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia and Ukraine have launched over a dozen drones at each other’s territory for a second straight day. The Russian Defense Ministry said in a post on the messaging app Telegram that its forces shot down at least 35 Ukrainian drones over three regions in southwestern

By TIA GOLDENBERG Associated Press TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Tantrums, tears, temperature, toilet accidents. These travails of childhood are familiar to any parent. But for Doron Katz Asher, the daily whims of children took on a new, frightening dimension while in Hamas captivity with her two young daughters. If the girls cried, militants would

By EVGENIY MALOLETKA Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — As Russian forces press forward with an attempt to capture the town of Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine, The Associated Press obtained aerial footage that indicates their staggering losses. The bodies of about 150 soldiers — most wearing Russian uniforms — lie scattered as they sought cover

INDEPENDENCE, Ore. (AP) — Police in Oregon say a small plane has crashed into power lines and killed all three people on board. The Independence Police Department says Polk County emergency services received the report of the single engine plane crash in Independence around 4:55 p.m. Saturday. Police say the initial investigation found the collision

By DUSAN STOJANOVIC Associated Press BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbia’s populist President Aleksandar Vucic is looking to further tighten his grip on power in an election that has been marred by reports of major irregularities during a tense campaign. The main contest in the parliamentary and local elections on Sunday is expected to be between

By WAFAA SHURAFA and SAMY MAGDY Associated Press DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel pressed ahead with its Gaza offensive on Sunday after a series of shootings, including of three hostages who were shirtless and waving a white flag, raised questions about its conduct in a 10-week-old war that has brought unprecedented death and

By SAMY MAGDY Associated Press CAIRO (AP) — A boat carrying dozens of Europe-bound migrants capsized off the coast of Libya, leaving more than 60 people — including women and children — dead, the U.N. migration agency said. Saturday’s shipwreck was the latest tragedy in this part of the Mediterranean Sea, a key dangerous route

By JILL COLVIN Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — The top strategist for the embattled super PAC backing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ‘ campaign for the White House resigned Saturday night in the latest sign of trouble for the GOP hopeful less than one month before voting begins with Iowa’s kickoff caucuses. Jeff Roe, the

By CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN Associated Press MEXICO CITY (AP) — Once nearly impenetrable for migrants heading north from Latin America, the jungle between Colombia and Panama this year became a speedy but still treacherous highway for hundreds of thousands of people from around the world. Driven by economic crises, government repression and violence, migrants from China

By ISABELLA VOLMERT Associated Press INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Starting with the new year, Indiana will implement a universal reimbursement rate for a therapy commonly used by children with autism, at a rate significantly less than what healthcare providers received on average in the past. Families worry that clinics offering the critical therapy for children, which

By JACK DURA Associated Press BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota would become the first state to require hand-counting of all election ballots if voters back a proposed ballot measure. The effort would achieve a goal of activists across the country who distrust modern vote counting but has dismayed election officials who say the change

By DEEPTI HAJELA Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — The scene: A crowded shopping center in the weeks before Christmas. Or a warehouse store. Or maybe a packed airport terminal or a commuter train station or another place where large groups gather. There are people — lots of people. But look around, and it’s clear

By MARÍA VERZA and PATRICIA LUNA Associated Press SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Chileans are voting on whether to approve a new constitution that will replace the country’s dictatorship-era charter. In September 2022 voters resoundingly rejected a proposed constitution that had been written by a left-leaning convention. The new document up for approval Sunday was largely

By YURAS KARMANAU Associated Press TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A human rights activist imprisoned for three years in Belarus accused authorities of holding political prisoners in conditions amounting to “torture.” Leanid Sudalenka told The Associated Press that he nearly died from COVID-19 and a lack of medical care. He was also kept in isolation and

By NOREEN NASIR and AARON MORRISON Associated Press A growing number of Black Americans see the struggle of Palestinians reflected in their own struggles for racial equality and civil rights. In recent years, the rise of protest movements against police brutality in the U.S., where structural racism plagues nearly every facet of life, has connected

By NOREEN NASIR and AARON MORRISON Associated Press Cydney Wallace, a Black Jewish community activist, never felt compelled to travel to Israel, though “Next year in Jerusalem” was a constant refrain at her Chicago synagogue. The 39-year-old said she had plenty to focus on at home, where she frequently gives talks on addressing anti-Black sentiment

By LARRY LAGE AP Sports Writer DETROIT (AP) — Jared Goff matched a career high with five touchdown passes, three to rookie tight end Sam LaPorta, and the Detroit Lions routed the Denver Broncos 42-17. The NFC North-leading Lions could clinch a playoff berth for the first time since the 2016 if other results go

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Maury Povich has received the Daytime Emmys Lifetime Achievement Honor from his wife, journalist Connie Chung. The 84-year-old talk show host was honored during the creative arts ceremony on Saturday in downtown Los Angeles. Povich ended his show that began in 1991 last year and retired. Among those paying tribute to

By MICHAEL MAROT AP Sports Writer INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Gardner Minshew threw three touchdown passes and the Indianapolis Colts rushed for 170 yards, improving their playoff prospects with a 30-13 win over the sagging Pittsburgh Steelers. Minshew was 18 of 28 for 215 yards and matched his career high for TD passes while leading a

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Leaders from Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, marking their 50th anniversary of friendship, are meeting at a special summit and expected to adopt a joint vision that places greater emphasis on security cooperation amid growing tensions with China in regional seas. On Saturday, Prime

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — A Canadian youth has been arrested and charged with terrorism-related offenses that allegedly targeted Jewish people. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police say the young person arrested Friday is charged with facilitating terrorist activity by communicating instructional material related to an explosive substance. The youth is further charged with knowingly instructing a

By KANIS LEUNG Associated Press HONG KONG (AP) — The trial of Hong Kong’s most famous activist publisher who was arrested under China’s crackdown on dissidents will start this week after being delayed for over a year. Jimmy Lai broke into the city’s once freewheeling media world about three decades ago, armed with the belief

DENVER (AP) — Firefighters in the Denver metro area responded to the second large fire at an Aurora construction site in three days on Saturday. Officials have not yet determined the cause for either fire and have not suggested that they were related, but both are under investigation. Saturday’s five-alarm fire was reported a bit

By ELLEN KNICKMEYER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — An Israeli airstrike has killed a U.S. Agency for International Development contractor in Gaza. The man’s U.S.-based employer, Global Communities, announced the death in a statement Saturday. Thirty-three-year-old Hani Jnena was killed Nov. 5 along with his wife, their 2-year-old and 4-year-old daughters, and her family. The

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s Maya Train rail project has opened partially to the general public with hours-long delays and huge cost overruns. Passengers waiting for the twice-daily train to leave the resort of Cancun on Saturday were left waiting on the platform for about four hours before being able to board. Officials apologized for

By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — British teenager Alex Batty has come back to the U.K, six years after he left home on what was meant to be a two-week family vacation in Spain. Batty never returned to his grandmother and guardian in Oldham, near Manchester. Her frantic appeals found no trace of

SEATTLE (AP) — A Washington state man in jail awaiting trial in one murder case has been charged with three more killings, and prosecutors say he lured all four victims by asking them to help dig up buried gold. Richard Bradley Jr., 40, was charged in May 2021 with first-degree murder in the death of

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — A Confederate memorial’s days at Arlington National Cemetery are numbered. A cemetery official says the memorial is to be removed from the northern Virginia cemetery in the coming days. It’s part of the push to remove symbols that commemorate the Confederacy from military facilities. The decision ignores a demand from some

By MITCH STACY AP Sports Writer CINCINNATI (AP) — Tee Higgins made a savvy goal-line move to score a touchdown and force overtime and Evan McPherson made a 29-yard field goal to seal a 27-24 victory Saturday for Cincinnati over the Minnesota Vikings, keeping the Bengals playoff hopes alive without their star quarterback. Higgins caught

By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Associated Press The stunning $148 million judgment against Rudy Giuliani over his lies about two Georgia election workers marks a new low point for the man once lauded as “America’s mayor.” Giuliani’s advocacy of Donald Trump’s false election claims has led to criminal charges and hefty legal bills. Friday’s verdict may

NEW YORK (AP) — A British man has pleaded not guilty in New York in connection with an alleged $99 million fraud involving high-priced wine and duped investors. U.S. Attorney Breon Peace’s office says Stephen Burton was extradited Friday to New York from Morocco, where he was arrested in 2022. Burton pleaded not guilty Saturday

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is having surgery for a broken hip after falling at a concert in Los Angeles. The NBA Hall of Famer was attending a show Friday night when he was injured. Paramedics at the undisclosed venue responded and the 76-year-old was taken to a hospital. His business partner, Deborah Morales,

By ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Activision Blizzard has agreed to pay about $54 million to settle discrimination claims brought by California’s civil rights agency on behalf of women employed by the video game maker. The California Civil Rights Department announced Friday that the settlement resolves allegations that the maker of

By HOLLY RAMER and BILL BARROW Associated Press DURHAM, N.H. (AP) — Donald Trump has asked New Hampshire voters to help him secure the Republican nomination before any rivals find their footing with the campaign’s opening contest just weeks away. His appearance Saturday in Durham is part of a swing taking the former president through

Associated Press The rock band AC/DC has confirmed on social media that its original drummer Colin Burgess has died. He was 77. The Australian rocker was an original member of AC/DC when it formed in November 1973. The band fired him in February 1974 for being drunk on stage. He later said someone had spiked

CANTON, Ohio (AP) — A 13-year-old Ohio boy accused of planning a mass shooting at a local synagogue has been ordered to spend a year on probation. The Canton Repository reports that the Plain Township boy pleaded true, the juvenile equivalent of guilty, on Friday to misdemeanor counts of inducing panic and disorderly conduct. Authorities