Month: January 2024

By MICHAEL CASEY Associated Press HANOVER, N.H. (AP) — President Joe Biden’s education chief plans to meet Wednesday with students at Dartmouth College to discuss antisemitism and Islamophobia on college campuses amid the the Israel-Hamas war. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona will hold a roundtable including Jewish and Muslim students as part of recently launched Dartmouth

By MARIA SHERMAN AP Music Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Listened to more music last year? You’re not alone. Luminate’s year-end report finds that the global music industry surpassed 4 trillion streams in 2023. That’s a new single-year record. Global streams are also up 34% from last year, reflective of an increasingly international music marketplace.

By WAYNE PARRY Associated Press UNION, N.J. (AP) — Federal investigators opened several days of hearings into a dockside cargo ship fire that killed two New Jersey firefighters last summer at Port Newark. The Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the July 5 blaze aboard the Grande Costa

By LEANNE ITALIE AP Lifestyles Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The fight against climate change requires the mass cooperation of industries, companies, governments and communities around the globe. But individuals have a role to play, too. In New Year’s resolution season, there are lots of small, easily achievable ways to lead more climate-friendly lives. Start

By ROD McGUIRK Associated Press MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australia’s online safety watchdog says the owner of the social media platform formerly known as Twitter has slashed its global trust and safety staff by 30% including an 80% reduction in the number of safety engineers since billionaire Elon Musk took over in 2022. Australia’s eSafety Commission

By MIKE CORDER Associated Press THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A legal battle over whether Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza amounts to genocide opens Thursday at the United Nations’ top court. Two days of preliminary hearings at the International Court of Justice will examine South Africa’s call for judges to order an immediate suspension

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says he will introduce measures to overturn the convictions of more than 700 post office branch managers who were wrongly accused of theft or fraud because of a faulty computer system. Hundreds of postmasters were wrongly convicted of stealing because a faulty Post Office computer system showed

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Nepal’s star cricket player and former captain of the national team has been sentenced to eight years in prison for rape and ordered to pay a fine. The Kathmandu District Court judge issued the sentence for Sandeep Lamichhane. He has the next 100 days to make an appeal. His attorneys were

By ALEXA ST. JOHN Associated Press DETROIT (AP) — U.S. consumers looking to get a tax credit on an electric vehicle purchase will have fewer models to choose from under new rules that limit the countries where automakers can buy battery parts and minerals. Only 11 of the more than 50 EVs on sale in

By ALEX ROSENBERG of NerdWallet Medicare Supplement Insurance, or Medigap, can fill some potentially pricey “gaps” in Medicare Part A and Part B. For example, before Part A will pay for your hospital stay, you need to pay a deductible of over $1,600 in 2024. With Part B, you’re responsible for 20% of the cost

BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) — ESPN’s early season baseball schedule will be the Sho Show. Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers will be featured on two of ESPN’s first three “Sunday Night Baseball” telecasts this season. The Dodgers’ opening two games of the season were assigned to ESPN as an MLB special event, a two-game

HONG KONG (AP) — A Hong Kong man has been sentenced to three months in prison on sedition charges for wearing a T-shirt with a slogan printed on it. The 26-year-old Chu Kai-pong pleaded guilty to two counts of sedition for the slogan “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times” that was printed on his

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s nuclear safety regulators have told the operator of a nuclear power plant in the area hit by a powerful New Year’s Day quake to study its potential impact. The Nuclear Regulation Authority asked for further investigation even though initial assessments showed its cooling systems and ability

By NICK KURCZEWSKI Edmunds The new 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV is one of the most intriguing electric vehicle debuts this year. With roomy seating and lots of the latest technology features, it could appeal to people looking to go electric with their next SUV purchase. However, it competes against a host of other electric SUVs,

By SHEIKH SAALIQ Associated Press NEW DELHI (AP) — The relationship between India and the Maldives is facing challenges after officials in the tiny island nation made derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s posts that promoted the pristine beaches of India’s Lakshadweep archipelago. In India, government officials, Bollywood stars and cricketers are urging people

By LISA MASCARO and REBECCA SANTANA Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans are marching ahead with impeachment plans targeting Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas as “derelict in his duty” over handling of the U.S.-Mexico border. Speaker Mike Johnson has given his nod to Wednesday’s hearing at the Homeland Security Committee. The committee is launching

By BINAJ GURUBACHARYA Associated Press KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Nepal’s police have arrested a controversial spiritual leader known as “Buddha Boy” on charges of sexually assaulting a minor and involvement in the disappearances of at least four of his followers from his camps. Ram Bahadur Bamjan — believed by some to be the reincarnation of

By MUNIR AHMED Associated Press ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan’s prime minister has called for unified efforts to tackle global infectious diseases like COVID-19 and emergencies caused by climate change, nearly 1 1/2-year after devastating floods killed 1,700 people in his nation. Representatives from 70 countries, the World Health Organization, and other international organizations are attending

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in Lithuania ahead of visits to Estonia and Latvia, as Ukraine seeks more help to bolster its air defenses amid Russia’s intensified missile and drone onslaughts in the latest development of the 22-month war. On his official Telegram channel, Zelenskyy said the trip would focus

By MATTHEW DALY Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A new report says climate-altering pollution from greenhouse gases declined by nearly 2% in the United States in 2023, even as the economy expanded at a faster clip. The report from the Rhodium Group said the decline is a step in the right direction but far below

By KENYA HUNTER AP Health Writer About 21 million children are likely to receive food benefits this summer through a newly permanent federal program. Thirty-five states, all five U.S. territories and four tribes opted into the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer, known as Summer EBT. Families at or below 185% of the federal poverty line will

By KELVIN CHAN AP Business Writer LONDON (AP) — The World Economic Forum says false and misleading information supercharged with cutting-edge artificial intelligence is the top immediate risk to the global economy. In its latest Global Risks Report, the organization says misinformation and disinformation as the most severe risk over the next two years. The

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek authorities say two migrants have been killed and eight others rescued in Greece after a dinghy crashed into rocks in high winds on the island of Lesbos. The incident occurred near the resort town of Thermi on the east of the island, facing the nearby coast of Turkey. A search

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Japanese authorities have resumed landfill work at the planned new site of the U.S. military base on Okinawa despite protests by island residents that it tramples on their rights. The site for the base on the eastern coast of Okinawa has been at the center of a

By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — A union representing many of Germany’s train drivers has started a nearly three-day strike in a rancorous dispute with the country’s state-owned main railway operator over working hours and pay. Train travel across the country and in many cities came to a near standstill early Wednesday with

By MATTHEW LEE, NAJIB JOBAIN AND SAMY MAGDY Associated Press TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken will seek governance reforms when he meets with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday as part of U.S. efforts to rally the region behind postwar plans for Gaza that also include concrete steps toward a

By ZIMO ZHONG Associated Press HONG KONG (AP) — Asian shares retreated Wednesday after a lackluster session on Wall Street, though Tokyo broke ranks, gaining more than 2% as a weaker yen lifted stock prices for export manufacturers. U.S. futures declined while oil prices gained. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 is trading near a 34-year high, gaining

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for a minivan explosion in the Afghan capital that killed at least three people. The militant group said it detonated an explosive on a vehicle belonging to employees of Afghanistan’s main prison in Kabul, killing and wounding about 10 people, according to a statement released

By SCOTT McFETRIDGE and KATHY McCORMACK Associated Press DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Winter storms have been walloping the U.S. with blizzards, tornadoes and flood threats and are now plowing through the Northeast with high winds and heavy rain. The National Weather Service is warning of possible major flooding Wednesday morning in portions of Long

By LEAH WILLINGHAM and JOHN RABY Associated Press CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice is bringing a close to one avenue for his quirky speeches with his final State of the State address. He’ll deliver the speech Wednesday night. The popular two-term Republican governor is running for Democrat Joe Manchin’s U.S. Senate

By CHRISTOPHER BODEEN and JOHNSON LAI Associated Press TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China is being accused of using military threats, diplomatic pressure and fake news in a broad strategy to influence voters in Taiwan’s elections to pick candidates who favor unification. China’s ultimate goal is to take control of the self-governing island democracy. Beijing has

BEIJING (AP) — China’s space agency says its latest lunar explorer has arrived at the launch site in preparation for a mission to the moon in the first half of this year. Wednesday’s announcement came a day after a U.S. company abandoned a lunar landing planned for Feb. 23 because of a fuel leak that

By FARNOUSH AMIRI Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans are taking the first step toward holding Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress. The House Oversight and Judiciary committees will each vote Wednesday on contempt resolutions against President Joe Biden’s son for defying a congressional subpoena. Republicans subpoenaed Hunter Biden to testify behind closed doors in

By SEUNG MIN KIM and ZEKE MILLER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s administration pledged from day one to restore truth and transparency to the federal government. But now the administration is facing criticism and credibility questions after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s hospitalization was kept secret for days — even from the White

By YURI KAGEYAMA Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — As of Wednesday, 203 deaths were reported following the 7.6 magnitude quake that slammed the western coastline of Japan on New Year’s. Seven of them were at evacuation centers, where rescued people died from injuries and sickness. Such deaths weren’t directly caused by the damage from the

By RIAZ KHAN Associated Press PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistani police say militants attacked a police checkpoint on a highway in the country’s northwest, killing three police officers and a civilian. A police official says the pre-dawn attack on Wednesday took place in Kohat, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. No one immediately claimed responsibility

By HANNAH FINGERHUT Associated Press WAUKEE, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Republicans will likely confront temperatures dipping below zero degrees Fahrenheit next week when they kick off the 2024 election cycle. The record-breaking forecast could complicate candidates’ hopes of making their own history in the state’s leadoff presidential caucuses. The candidates are publicly expressing optimism that

By STEVE PEOPLES AP National Political Writer DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Just two Republican presidential candidates, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, will meet on the debate stage Wednesday night. The seventh official debate of the 2024 campaign comes just five days before the Iowa caucus. The big front-runner,

By JULIA FRANKEL Associated Press BEIT RIMA, West Bank (AP) — Security camera video from a West Bank village shows a young man standing in a central square when he is suddenly shot and drops to the ground. Two others rushing to his aid are also hit, leaving a 17-year-old dead, moments before Israeli military

By MEG KINNARD Associated Press WAUKEE, Iowa (AP) — Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis will be alone on the debate stage Wednesday for the first time. The two have spent much of the Republican presidential primary flanked by lower-polling rivals. The stakes are high for both Haley, the former U.N. ambassador, and DeSantis, the Florida

By DÁNICA COTO Associated Press SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Cesareans are surging in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, which has one of the world’s highest rates. More than half of babies born in the territory are now delivered via surgery compared with only 32% on the U.S. mainland. That’s according to a