Month: January 2024

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Employees from a Ukrainian arms firm conspired with defense ministry officials to embezzle almost $40 million earmarked to buy 100,000 mortar shells for the war with Russia, Ukraine’s security service reported. The SBU said late Saturday that five people have been charged, with one person detained while trying to cross the

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — An appeals court in Bangladesh has granted bail to Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, who had been sentenced earlier to six months in prison for violating the country’s labor laws. Yunus, who pioneered the use of microcredit to help impoverished people, especially women, filed the appeal seeking bail on Sunday morning before

HELSINKI (AP) — Voters in Finland were electing a new president Sunday at an unprecedented time for the Nordic nation that is now a NATO member with its eastern border with Russia closed — two things almost unthinkable a few years ago. Polls across the country opened at 9 a.m. (0700 GMT) and will close

By JON GAMBRELL Associated Press JERUSALEM (AP) — Iran says it has successfully launched three satellites into space, the latest for a program that the West says improves Tehran’s ballistic missiles. The state-run IRNA news agency reported Sunday that the launch also saw the successful use of Iran’s Simorgh rocket, which has had multiple failures

By NAJIB JOBAIN and WAFAA SHURAFA Associated Press RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The secretary-general of the United Nations on Sunday called on countries to continue funding the main agency providing aid in Gaza after several of its employees were accused of taking part in the Hamas attack on Israel that ignited the war four

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Four people are dead following what police in Los Angeles have characterized as a murder-suicide. The Los Angeles Police Department says officers responded shortly before 7 p.m. Saturday to a report of a shooting in the 11600 block of Lerdo Avenue. A police statement posted on social media says four victims

By JENNIFER PELTZ Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — The 2002 killing of Run-DMC’s Jam Master Jay has stood for years as one of the hip-hop world’s most infamous and elusive crimes. Now the case is going to trial. Opening statements are set for Monday in a Brooklyn federal court. Karl Jordan Jr. and Ronald

By PAUL WISEMAN and MAE ANDERSON AP Business Writers WASHINGTON (AP) — Attacks on ships in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Houthi rebels have unraveled a key global trade route, forcing vessels into longer and more costly journeys around Africa. The disruption has forced car factories in Belgium and Berlin to idle. Spring fashion lines

By COREY WILLIAMS Associated Press DETROIT (AP) — A white officer in suburban Detroit lied to a Black pedestrian by identifying an officer from another force as his supervisor during a 2021 police stop. The officer wasn’t disciplined and his chief says in a deposition in Brian Chaney’s wrongful detention lawsuit that “an officer can

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — A bat descended on the court and delayed play after Victor Wembanyama made a 3-pointer two minutes into the San Antonio Spurs’ 113-112 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night. The Spurs’ mascot, The Coyote, captured the bat with a net after numerous failed attempts, much to the delight of

By AAMER MADHANI and ZEKE MILLER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. negotiators are making progress on a potential agreement under which Israel would pause military operations against Hamas in Gaza for two months in exchange for the release of more than 100 hostages who were captured in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, according

By ZEKE MILLER, COLLEEN LONG and MEG KINNARD Associated Press COLUMBIA, South Carolina (AP) — President Joe Biden is bidding to salvage a border deal in Congress that also would unlock money for Ukraine. He’s offering fresh assurances that he would be willing to close the U.S.-Mexico border if lawmakers would only send him a

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s military says that North Korea has fired several cruise missiles from waters off an eastern military port, in the country’s latest weapons demonstration in the face of deepening tensions with the United States, South Korea and Japan. The South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff didn’t immediately say how many

By JONATHAN J. COOPER and ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON Associated Press LAS VEGAS (AP) — Former President Donald Trump has praised Texas Gov. Greg Abbott for defying the Biden administration over immigration. Texas has restricted U.S. Border Patrol entry to remove razor wire in a popular corridor for migrants illegally entering the U.S. Trump is visiting

By CLAIRE RUSH Associated Press PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — An Oregon weekly newspaper that had to lay off its entire staff after its funds were embezzled will relaunch its print edition next month. The editor of the Eugene Weekly, Camilla Mortensen, says the paper will return to print Feb. 8. The weekly was forced to

By FERNANDO LLANO Associated Press ACULCO, Mexico (AP) — Bullfighting is under siege in many parts of Mexico, and some of its biggest supporters are responding by looking to draw in new fans, particularly younger ones. In recent years, the Mexican Association of Bullfighting has been promoting educational workshops and other events aimed at young

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (AP) — A snowboarder spent 15 hours trapped overnight inside a ski lift gondola amid freezing temperatures at a Lake Tahoe resort, according to officials and media reports. Monica Laso boarded the gondola around 5 p.m. Thursday at Heavenly Ski Resort to ride down the mountain because she was too tired

By JAKE OFFENHARTZ Associated Press A judge has ordered the Los Angeles Police Department to get rid of photos of legal documents that were allegedly taken during an unannounced raid on the home of an attorney for a Black Lives Matter activist. Attorney Dermot Given said police descended on his townhouse Tuesday. He says officers

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Revelers clad in pirate finery have packed the waterfront in Tampa, Florida, to celebrate the arrival of a flotilla of boats for the annual Gasparilla Pirate Fest. The invading pirates docked on Saturday to make a final demand for the key to the city. Once ashore, the festivities celebrating their yearly

SPRINGDALE, Utah (AP) — A man died of a suspected heart attack while hiking a strenuous trail in Utah’s Zion National Park, authorities said Friday. The 63-year-old man from San Diego, California, was found unresponsive on the West Rim Trail on Friday afternoon, the National Park Service said in a statement. Other hikers on the

CHICAGO (AP) — Authorities have identified two teenage boys who were fatally shot Friday by masked suspects as they and other students were leaving a Chicago high school. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victims as 17-year-old Monterio Williams and 16-year-old Robert Boston. They were among a group of students walking out of

By STEVE KARNOWSKI Associated Press It’s been three weeks since three Kansas City fans joined friends to watch the Chiefs play the Los Angeles Chargers in the final game of the regular season. Their bodies were found in a friend’s backyard two days later. Police still haven’t said how the men died, but affirmed Saturday

PIEDMONT, S.C. (AP) — Authorities in South Carolina are investigating the fatal shooting of a man by sheriff’s deputy. The Greenville County Sheriff’s Office says deputies responded Friday night to a call about a disturbance and a possible assault. The sheriff’s office says deputies encountered two people, and at least one had a gun. One

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — Harvard University’s Hasty Pudding Theatricals has named Barry Keoghan, best known for his roles in “Dunkirk,” “The Killing of a Sacred Deer,” “Eternals,” and “The Banshees of Inisherin,” as the recipient of its 2024 Man of the Year Award. Keoghan recently starred in the comedy psychological thriller “Saltburn” and can be

MARION, Ind. (AP) — A truck hauling zebras and camels for a series of weekend circus performances caught fire early Saturday on a northeastern Indiana highway, prompting a police rescue of the animals. Sgt. Steven Glass with Indiana State Police says the tractor-trailer caught fire about 2 a.m. along Interstate 69 in Grant County about

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — The Russian city of St. Petersburg has marked the 80th anniversary of the end of a nearly 900-day siege by Nazi forces. It was one of the most brutal episodes of World War II and was commemorated on Satuday in a series of memorial events attended by the Kremlin leader

By DAVID B. CARUSO Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — For years, Donald Trump hurled insults at E. Jean Carroll, saying the advice columnist fabricated a sexual assault allegation against him to sell a book. Will Trump keep that up, now that he’s been hit with a $83.3 million defamation judgment? A jury on Friday

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A district attorney in Tennessee has dropped charges against country singer Chris Young stemming from an encounter with Alcoholic Beverage Commission agents who were doing compliance checks. In a statement released Friday, Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk says charges against Young were dismissed “after a review of all the evidence.” Court

LONDON (AP) — Climate activist Greta Thunberg has joined a march in southern England to protest the use of private jets and the expansion of an airport. Hundreds of local residents and activists holding banners and placards that read “Ban Private Jets” marched to Farnborough Airport in Hampshire County. The airport located about 40 miles

BEIJING (AP) — China’s coast guard says its officers ordered a Japanese fishing vessel and several patrol ships in waters surrounding tiny Japanese-controlled islands in the East China Sea to leave. It marked the latest incident pointing to lingering tensions between the sides. China says the islands belong to it and refuses to recognize Japan’s

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — The U.S. government is condemning the decision of Venezuela’s highest court to block the presidential candidacy of opposition leader María Corina Machado. The Biden administration, however, on Saturday remained noncommittal on reimposing economic sanctions against Venezuela as it has threatened to do if the government of Nicolás Maduro fails to level

By EDDIE PELLS AP National Writer ASPEN, Colo. (AP) — Two years after exploding onto the world stage at the Beijing Winter Games, Eileen Gu is more than an Olympic champion. She’s a straight-A student at Stanford and a fashion model who’s as comfortable on a catwalk as a halfpipe. In 2026, the American-born skier

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s train drivers’ union is ending its six-day strike early and is back in talks with the country’s railway operator. German news agency dpa reported Saturday that the strike by the GDL union on passengers trains would end Monday morning at 2 a.m. or 0100 GMT instead of 6 p.m. or 1700

BALTIMORE (AP) — Authorities say crash involving multiple vehicles has closed all lanes on the heavily-traveled U.S. 50 Bay Bridge in Maryland and motorists were advised to expect major delays. The Maryland Transportation Authority said Saturday on social media that the crash on the westbound lanes has closed the bridge. No injuries have been reported.