Month: January 2024

QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) — The bodies of nine Pakistani laborers killed by gunmen in Iran have been returned to Pakistan. It was still unclear who was behind the attack Saturday in a home in Iran’s Sistan and Baluchestan province. Three Pakistanis wounded in the attack are still in an Iranian hospital. A government administrator said

By JOSHUA GOODMAN and JIM MUSTIAN Associated Press MIAMI (AP) — It was a plan the United States knew from the start would arguably violate international law. The Associated Press obtained a secret 2018 memo detailing a covert operation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration that sent undercover operatives into Venezuela to surreptitiously record and

By JOSHUA GOODMAN and JIM MUSTIAN Associated Press MIAMI (AP) — A secret memo obtained by The Associated Press details a yearslong covert operation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration that sent undercover operatives into Venezuela to surreptitiously record and build drug-trafficking cases against the country’s leadership – a plan the U.S. acknowledged from the

By MICHAEL R. BLOOD and CHRISTOPHER WEBER Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — The slayings of six men last week at a remote desert crossroads that authorities believe stemmed from a soured illegal cannabis deal spotlighted a longstanding problem in California: a thriving underground marijuana market despite years of legal sales that were expected to

By MARYCLAIRE DALE AP Legal Affairs Writer PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Nearly 3,500 people have been exonerated of crimes in the U.S. since 1989, and $4 billion has been paid in compensation. But it’s rare for anyone to be held accountable for wrongdoing that leads to flawed convictions. A Philadelphia case could change that. District Attorney

By RAF CASERT Associated Press HALLE, Belgium (AP) — European farmers have been taking their anger to the streets before Thursday’s European Union summit. Farmers are warning European Commission Ursula von der Leyen not to ignore their concerns for better prices and less bureaucracy. World War II had spread hunger on a bountiful continent. Western

By KRISTEN GELINEAU Associated Press SYDNEY (AP) — Across a treacherous stretch of water, the Rohingya came by the thousands, then died by the hundreds. And though they know the dangers of fleeing by boat, many among this persecuted people say they will not stop — because the world has left them with no other

By DAVID SHARP Associated Press AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — An independent commission investigating events leading up to the deadliest mass shooting in Maine history is ready to hear the heart-wrenching stories from some of the family members of victims on Thursday. Seven family members were expected to publicly address the panel, putting a human face

By DAVID BAUDER AP Media Writer NEW YORK (AP) — At this moment in the 2024 election cycle, complaining about Fox News — even if for different reasons — may be what unites Donald Trump, Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis the most. At conservative America’s favorite news source, the Republican nomination process is essentially over

By CHRISTINE FERNANDO, EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS and JACK DURA Associated Press Republicans are challenging extended mail ballot deadlines in at least two states in a legal maneuver that could have widespread implications for mail voting ahead of this year’s presidential election. A lawsuit filed last week in Mississippi follows a similar one last year in

By SUZAN FRASER Associated Press ANTAKYA, Turkey (AP) — A massive rebuilding effort is underway as Turkey marks the first anniversary of the devastating earthquake that killed 50,000 people in its southern provinces, plus at least 6,000 in northern Syria. People living in Turkey’s hardest-hit region are grieving deceased family and friends, struggling to rebuild

By ABBY SEWELL and MELANIE LIDMAN Associated Press BEIRUT (AP) — The prospect of a full-scale war between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militia terrifies people on both sides of the border, but some see it as an inevitable fallout from Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza. Such a war could be the most destructive

By JOSH BOAK and EMILY SWANSON Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Stocks are near record highs. Growth was surprisingly strong last year. And once-hot inflation has begun to cool. But so far, U.S. adults are feeling only slightly better about the economy. A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds

By MEGAN JANETSKY Associated Press SAN SALVADOR (AP) — To many, El Salvador President Nayib Bukele is a national hero who took on the country’s violent gangs with an unrelenting hand. To others, the populist is a 21st century autocrat who has committed mass human rights abuses and has altered the rules of the game

By DAVID HAMILTON AP Technology Writer SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Mark Zuckerberg has accumulated a long history of public apologies, often issued in the wake of crisis or when Facebook users rose up against unannounced — and frequently unappreciated — changes in its service. It’s a history that stands in sharp contrast to most of

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — A U.S. district judge in California dismissed a lawsuit Wednesday that sought to force the Biden administration to do all it could to make Israel stop bombing Gaza. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White said he didn’t have jurisdiction over the matter, but he still offered harsh criticism of the administration and

By DAVID RISING Associated Press LUANG PRABANG, Laos (AP) — Landlocked Laos doesn’t have the famous beaches of its Southeast Asian neighbors, so it instead attracts visitors with the pristine beauty of its mountains and rivers and historical sites. The crown jewel is Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage site where all those elements merge.

By KANIS LEUNG Associated Press HONG KONG (AP) — A Hong Kong court has convicted four people for rioting over the storming of the city’s legislative council building at the height of the anti-government protests more than four years ago. The break-in on July 1 in 2019  — the 22nd anniversary of the former British

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Ambitious online news site The Messenger has abruptly shut down after only eight months in operation. Founder Jimmy Finkelstein sent an email to stunned employees Wednesday night announcing the immediate shutdown. The outlet had billed itself as a nonpartisan digital outlet and spent some $50 million ratcheting up its

By ISABELLA VOLMERT Associated Press INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A video taken by a high school student shows Indiana state Rep. Jim Lucas flash a holstered gun to students who were visiting the statehouse to talk to lawmakers about gun control. Five students from Burris Laboratory School were at the Capitol as part of a day

By ERIC OLSON AP Sports Writer The agency that oversees the enforcement of Iowa’s gambling laws issued a statement defending its investigation into sports wagering by athletes at Iowa and Iowa State. Defense attorneys for three former or current Iowa State athletes wrote in court documents last week that there was no probable cause for

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Multiple people have been hurt after a building collapsed Wednesday in Boise, Idaho, fire officials said. Emergency responders were at scene of the reported building collapse near the Boise Airport at West Rickenbacker and Luke streets, the Boise Fire Department said in a post on X Wednesday afternoon. Search and rescue

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis has announced the nomination of a new Chinese bishop, the third in less than a week. Bishop Peter Wu Yishun was consecrated bishop of Minbei in southeast China. The Vatican says all three nominations took place “within the framework” of the 2018 Vatican-China accord. The 2018 deal aimed to unite

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV Associated Press MOSCOW (AP) — President Vladimir Putin has vowed to drive Ukrainian forces back to reduce the threat of attacks on Russian territory as he met with activists running his campaign ahead of the March presidential election that he’s all but certain to win. Asked Wednesday about plans for the military

MEXICO CITY (AP) — A panel of Supreme Court justices in Mexico has ruled against President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s rules that favored the state-owned electrical power company over private power companies. The five-judge panel approved a resolution Wednesday saying the president’s approach violates constitutional guarantees of free competition in the power sector. Previously, power

By FLORENT BAJRAMI and LLAZAR SEMINI Associated Press PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Kosovo authorities say they will impose the use of the country’s currency, the euro, and abolish the use of neighboring Serbia’s dinar in the north where most of the ethnic Serb minority lives. Kosovo’s Central Bank Governor says new rules on local transactions

By HALELUYA HADERO and ALI SWENSON Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — A graphic video from a Pennsylvania man accused of beheading his father that circulated for hours on YouTube has put a spotlight yet again on gaps in social media companies’ ability to prevent horrific postings from spreading across the web. Police said Wednesday

By MARGERY A. BECK Associated Press LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska lawmaker behind a new law that allows public money to go to private school tuition is now targeting the petition referendum process that could see it repealed. Omaha Sen. Lou Ann Linehan’s new bill would allow people who sign a referendum petition to

By JACK DURA Associated Press South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem says her administration is considering boosting its support for Texas’ efforts to deter immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border. In a speech to a joint session of the Legislature on Wednesday, she mentioned sending more razor wire and exploring legal and personnel options for the border

By BRUCE SCHREINER Associated Press FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The Kentucky House has passed a bill instructing public schools to set aside time for a moment of silence at the start of each school day. The measure easily cleared the House on Wednesday. It moves on to the Senate. The moment of silence would last

By KEN RITTER Associated Press LAS VEGAS (AP) — Nevada’s attorney general has launched a go-it-alone legal fight accusing TikTok, Snapchat and Meta of creating what one lawsuit calls “an addiction machine” that exploits children too young to have self-control. Three lawsuits filed Tuesday in state court allege the platforms put children at risk of

By SARA CLINE Associated Press BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry has hinted that the state may explore expanding its methods of executing people on death row. He says he is committed to upholding “contractual obligations” between the state and victims’ families after a death sentenced has been handed down in court.

By MORGAN LEE Associated Press SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Actor Alec Baldwin has pleaded not guilty to an involuntary manslaughter charge in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer during a rehearsal on a Western movie set in New Mexico. Court documents filed Wednesday show Baldwin entered the plea in state district court in Santa

By STEVE LeBLANC Associated Press BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu toured a recreational complex Wednesday hours ahead of its opening as a temporary shelter site for families experiencing homelessness, including migrants. Healey says about 75 individuals are expected to arrive at the center on Wednesday. The complex can

By JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER Associated Press The University of Idaho said Wednesday it would move forward with its planned acquisition of the for-profit University of Phoenix for nearly $700 million after a judge dismissed the state attorney general’s lawsuit alleging the deal was done in violation of an open meetings law. Attorney General Raúl Labrador

By SCOTT BAUER Associated Press MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Elections Commission argues that Democratic presidential candidate Dean Phillips’ challenge to being left off of Wisconsin’s ballot is too late and the state Supreme Court should reject his lawsuit. Phillips last week asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court to order that he be put on

MIAMI (AP) — Records show the parents of a social media model charged with fatally stabbing her live-in boyfriend in South Florida have been arrested in Texas on charges related to the case. Jail records show that Kim and Deborah Clenney were taken into custody Tuesday in Austin, Texas. A Miami-Dade circuit judge had signed

By DAVID KLEPPER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Conspiracy theories seem to be everywhere these days. They’re found in American politics and on people’s social media feeds. The Associated Press has examined the role that conspiracy theories such as QAnon are playing in politics, culture and the world. The AP interviewed dozens of past and

By STAN CHOE and TOM KRISHER AP Business Writers Even when compared with other CEOs, who routinely get paid roughly 200 times more than their typical employees, Elon Musk’s pay package was eye-opening. A judge in Delaware on Tuesday struck down the package that Tesla established for Musk in 2018, ruling that the process was

LONDON (AP) — British police are hunting for a suspect after several people were injured with a corrosive substance in London. The Metropolitan Police force said nine people were injured, including a woman and two children, in the incident Wednesday in the Clapham area. Detective Superintendent Alexander Castle said nine people had been taken to

By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS Associated Press JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi could start providing Medicaid coverage earlier in pregnancy in a bid to improve health outcomes for moms and babies. The state is poor and has the worst rate of infant mortality in the nation. House Bill 539 passed the House with wide bipartisan support