Month: February 2024

By EDITH M. LEDERER Associated Press UNITED NATIONS (AP) — A new report from United Nations experts says paramilitary forces and their allied militias fighting to take power in Sudan carried out widespread ethnic killings and rapes that may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. The report to the U.N. Security Council, obtained

By HYUNG-JIN KIM Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol lambasted North Korea Friday, for what he called its repressive rule and vowed to achieve a free, unified Korean Peninsula. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol spoke on March 1 Independence Movement Day, a holiday marking a 1919 Korean

FORT EDWARD, N.Y. (AP) — A man who fatally shot a 20-year-old woman when the SUV she was riding in mistakenly pulled into his rural driveway could face decades in prison at his sentencing. Sixty-six-year-old Kevin Monahan of Hebron, New York, faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life for second-degree murder Friday. He

By SCOTT McFETRIDGE Associated Press DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Des Moines arts organization is preparing to rip out a roughly 30-year-old artwork that lines a beloved pond in a historic city park, outraging arts advocates nationally and surprising local residents. The New York artist who created the work says she can’t believe the

By MATTHEW PERRONE AP Health Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — There’s nothing complicated about the latest tobacco product trending online: Zyn is a tiny pouch filled with nicotine and flavoring. But it has stoked a debate among politicians, parents and pundits that reflects an increasingly complex landscape in which Big Tobacco companies aggressively push alternative products

By SCOTT SONNER AND OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ Associated Press RENO, Nev. (AP) — The most powerful Pacific storm of the season is forecast to bring up to 10 feet (3 meters) of snow into the Sierra Nevada by the weekend, forcing residents to take shelter and prompting at least one Lake Tahoe ski resort to

WOODSTOCK, Ga. (AP) — Family, friends and classmates of a nursing student found slain on the University of Georgia campus plan to gather to say farewell. A funeral service for 22-year-old Laken Riley is scheduled for Friday afternoon at Woodstock City Church in suburban Cherokee County north of Atlanta. Riley was enrolled in the Augusta

By COLLEEN SLEVIN and MATTHEW BROWN Associated Press DENVER (AP) — Medical responders across the U.S. are rethinking how they treat people in police custody after a jury last December handed down a rare decision: It convicted two Colorado paramedics for their roles in the 2019 death of Elijah McClain following an overdose of a

By DAVID BAUDER AP Media Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The list of memorable characters and personalities who entered popular culture through cable television is long: Honey Boo Boo. Tony Soprano. Lizzie McGuire. Don Draper. Jon Stewart. Beavis and Butt-Head. Chip and Joanna Gaines. SpongeBob SquarePants. Pick your own favorites. Chances are there won’t be

By MEGAN JANETSKY Associated Press MEXICO CITY (AP) — Campaigning formally starts Friday for Mexico’s biggest election in history. Voters will choose the president, along with the winners of 628 seats in Congress and tens of thousands of local positions. The country of 130 million people has often been marked by its “macho” culture. Now

By SEAN MURPHY and JIM VERTUNO Associated Press STINNETT, Texas (AP) — As the largest wildfire in Texas history engulfed his town, Danny Phillips was left helpless. “We had to watch from a few miles away as our neighborhood burned,” he said, his voice trembling with emotion. In his hard-hit town of Stinnett, population roughly

By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — If an ancient prophecy is right, Michael “Barney” Chandler has just got the most important job in England. The 56-year-old former Royal Marine is the new ravenmaster at the Tower of London, responsible for looking after the feathered protectors of the 1,000-year-old fortress. According to legend, if

By KATE BRUMBACK Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — The judge in the Georgia election interference case against former President Donald Trump is set to hear arguments over whether Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis should be removed from the prosecution over a romantic relationship. The arguments set for Friday follow a dayslong hearing during which

By ERIC TUCKER, ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON and FREIDA FRISARO Associated Press FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) — The federal judge overseeing the classified documents prosecution of Donald Trump is expected to set a trial date. It’s a crucial decision that could affect whether the former president and leading Republican candidate faces a jury this year on

By SYLVIE CORBET Associated Press PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron appears isolated on the European stage after saying he could not rule out the possibility of Western troops being sent to Ukraine. Faced with a backlash from other European leaders, French officials sought to clarify Macron’s remarks and insisted on the need to

By KATIE MARIE DAVIES Associated Press Relatives and supporters of Alexei Navalny are bidding farewell to the opposition leader at a funeral in southeastern Moscow, following a battle with authorities over the release of his body after his still-unexplained death in an Arctic penal colony. Several Moscow churches refused to hold the service before Navalny’s

By AAMER MADHANI and COLLEEN BARRY Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is set to host Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni for talks at the White House. The leaders will meet Friday as Biden struggles to persuade House Republicans to pass legislation that would replenish aid to Ukraine. Biden has sought to assure European

By The Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran has begun voting in its first parliamentary elections since the mass 2022 protests over its mandatory hijab laws after the death of Mahsa Amini. Questions loom over just how many people will turn out for the poll Friday. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

By MORGAN LEE Associated Press SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Courtroom testimony from an assistant director in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by Alec Baldwin is providing new details about a final safety check on a revolver and exactly who handed the gun to the actor. Assistant director and movie safety coordinator David Halls

By SAM MEDNICK Associated Press MOANDA, Congo (AP) — The central African nation of Congo is looking to expand oil and gas drilling by auctioning off 30 sites around the country. But the prospect concerns environmentalists and some of the people who live near the drilling that has so far been limited to a small

By SAM MEDNICK Associated Press MOANDA, Congo (AP) — The central African nation of Congo is known for its mineral riches. Now the country is looking to expand the oil drilling that so far has taken place only in its far west and off its Atlantic coastline. Its government is auctioning off 30 oil and

By FARNOUSH AMIRI and LISA MASCARO Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The transcript of the congressional deposition of Hunter Biden has been released. It reveals the contentious testimony that took place Wednesday as Republicans scrambled to advance an impeachment inquiry on the brink of collapse. The nearly 230 pages of back-and-forth questioning lay bare the

EL CAJON, Calif. (AP) — Police say they are seeking an “armed and dangerous” suspect following a shooting in Southern California that left at least three people injured. Media reports say the shooting occurred at a dental office in El Cajon. That’s about 15 miles northeast of downtown San Diego. Police have identified the suspect

By JAKE OFFENHARTZ Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Several New York City police chiefs are facing criticism from the state’s court system after misidentifying a judge in a controversial social media post that accused her of letting a “predator” loose on the city’s streets. The episode marked an unusually public dispute between court officials

By ADAM BEAM Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom is denying a news report that he pushed for an exception to the state’s fast food minimum wage law that benefits a donor. The law requires most fast-food restaurants to pay workers a minimum wage of $20 per hour. It exempts restaurants

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Tourist operators of a New Zealand island where a volcanic eruption killed 22 people have been ordered to pay nearly $7.8 million in fines and reparations. Those penalized in Friday’s ruling were the holding company of the island’s owners, a boat tour operator and three companies that operated helicopter tours.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee police say a third person has died from injuries sustained in a shooting earlier this week that claimed four victims. Police said that a 39-year-old person died Thursday in a hospital from the shooting Sunday in which several people opened fire on each other. The person’s name and gender haven’t been

By JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER Associated Press HONOLULU (AP) — A tourist driving in the early morning dark on the southern tip of Hawaii’s Big Island accidentally drove his rented Jeep off a cliff. But the man was able to swim to shore until firefighters pulled him up with a rope and helicopter. The Hawaii County

By KATE BRUMBACK Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — Text messages obtained by The Associated Press show that a former law partner of a special prosecutor in the Georgia election case against Donald Trump was sharing information with an attorney for one of Trump’s co-defendants. Terrence Bradley fed attorney Ashleigh Merchant information over a period of

BABYLON, N.Y. (AP) — A girl walking to school on Long Island found a severed arm on the side of the road, and then police searching the area uncovered a disembodied leg buried under a pile of leaves nearby. Suffolk County Police said the girl spotted the arm along a road near the popular Southards

By PETER SMITH and MARK SCOLFORO Associated Press SPARTANSBURG, Pa. (AP) — Search warrant filings for the Pennsylvania home where a pregnant Amish woman was killed this week say she appeared to have suffered cutting wounds to her neck and head. The body of 23-year-old Rebekah Byler was found in the living room of her

By JEFF AMY Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Republicans are voting to protect religious rights from state and local governments. But Democrats warn the measure opens the door for people and groups to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people in the name of religion. The Senate voted 33-19 on Thursday for a state-level Religious Freedom Restoration

By HANNAH SCHOENBAUM Associated Press SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah faith leaders who learn about ongoing child abuse from a perpetrator during a religious confession will be able to alert police without fear of legal ramifications under a bill that received final legislative approval Thursday in the state Senate. The measure extends to clergy

By ERIC TUCKER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal prosecutors are requesting a July 8 trial for Donald Trump on charges that he illegally retained and concealed classified documents. The former president’s lawyers say no trial should be conducted this year but have proposed August 12 as an alternative possibility. The dueling proposals were submitted

By JACQUES BILLEAUD Associated Press Three former Arizona Department of Education employees were indicted on conspiracy and money laundering charges in what prosecutors say was a scheme to defraud more than $600,000 from an education voucher program. The program has drawn criticism for its skyrocketing costs and lax regulation by the state. Prosecutors say the

By HANK KURZ Jr. AP Sports Writer Iowa star Caitlin Clark says she will leave the Hawkeyes after this season and enter the WNBA draft. Clark made the announcement Thursday on social media. She is 18 points away from passing LSU’s Pete Maravich for the all-time NCAA Division I record for men or women with

DHAKA,Bangladesh (AP) — Bangladesh’s health minister says a fire in a six-story commercial complex in the nation’s capital, Dhaka, has killed at least 43 people and injured dozens of others. Health Minister Samanta Lal Sen said the fire  broke out on Thursday night in the building in Dhaka’s Bailey Road area, and that firefighters rescued

By BECKY BOHRER Associated Press JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Alaska Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy has threatened to veto an education package overwhelmingly passed by lawmakers. He says it lacks provisions he favors, such as a pilot program to pay bonuses to attract and keep teachers. Some key lawmakers say the package was a compromise and

By MATTHEW DALY Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday it is delaying planned rules for existing natural gas plants that emit harmful air pollutants and contribute to global warming. The agency said it is still on track to finalize rules for coal-fired power plants and new gas plants that have

By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and ERIC TUCKER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has held veteran investigative reporter Catherine Herridge in civil contempt for refusing to divulge her source for a series of stories during her time at Fox News about a Chinese American scientist who was investigated by the FBI but never

By MARCIA DUNN AP Aerospace Writer CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The first U.S. spacecraft to land on the moon since the Apollo astronauts fell silent Thursday, a week after breaking a leg at touchdown and tipping over near the lunar south pole. Intuitive Machines’ lander, Odysseus, lasted longer than the company anticipated after it

By JIM SALTER and JOHN HANNA Associated Press ST. LOUIS (AP) — Missouri’s attorney general has filed a lawsuit accusing Planned Parenthood of illegally taking minors into Kansas to obtain abortions without parental consent. The lawsuit filed Thursday in state district court by Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey is based on a video from a

TORONTO (AP) — Former prime minister Brian Mulroney is dead at the age of 84. His daughter Caroline confirmed it in a social media post Thursday. The country’s 18th prime minister died peacefully and surrounded by family, she said in a post on X, formerly known as twitter. Mulroney’s family says last summer he was

By ELLEN KNICKMEYER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. senators have declined to block the sale of F-16s to Turkey. The vote on Thursday gives the Senate’s OK to an unofficial U.S. bargain with Turkey after it stopped blocking Sweden’s accession to NATO. Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul had introduced the resolution to try to

By JONATHAN MATTISE and KIMBERLEE KRUESI Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A group of Democratic Tennessee lawmakers is asking the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate how the state has further restricted the process for people with felony records to get their voting rights back. According to the letter, 22 Democratic lawmakers argue Tennessee’s

By JEFFREY SCHAEFFER and MASHA MACPHERSON Associated Press PARIS (AP) — French actor Judith Godrèche is urging lawmakers to establish a commission to investigate sex crimes and sexism in France’s cinema industry. Godrèche gave a dramatic speech at France’s version of the Oscars last week calling on the French film world to “face the truth”

By ELÉONORE HUGHES Associated Press RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil’s finance minister told his peers during a G20 meeting in Sao Paulo that countries should implement a global tax on the super-rich in an effort to tackle rampant tax evasion. Fernando Haddad said Thursday that tax evasion can be resolved through international cooperation so

By EVENS SANON and DÁNICA COTO Associated Press PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Heavy gunfire has paralyzed Haiti’s capital as a powerful gang leader announced he will try to capture the country’s police chief and government ministers. The move comes with the prime minister in Kenya looking to finalize details for the deployment of a foreign

By BRIAN WITTE Associated Press ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — The Maryland State House is locked down for an undisclosed security threat. An aide to Maryland House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones told reporters with officers on the ground floor of the building to lock their doors shortly after 5 p.m. Thursday. Police later escorted reporters out