Month: February 2024

By REBECCA SANTANA Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Supporters of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas says he brings a prosecutor’s tenacity and a personal understanding of the immigrant experience in America to the job of running the sprawling agency. But to his detractors, Mayorkas personifies everything that’s gone wrong at the U.S.-Mexico border. And if

By GIADA ZAMPANO Associated Press ROME (AP) — Prince Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy, son of Italy’s last king, Umberto II, has died. He was 86. The Savoy Royal House said in a statement that he died on Saturday in Geneva. Vittorio Emanuele was obliged to leave Italy for exile when he was only 9, after

By The Associated Press EU leaders on Thursday sealed a deal to provide Ukraine with 50 billion euros ($54 million) to shore up its economy ravaged by a nearly two-year-old war with Russia, The aid package, which was approved after Hungary dropped weeks of threats to veto it is not intended to fund arms and

By TOM ODULA Associated Press NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenya’s president says corruption and officials’ incompetence allowed a liquid petroleum plant to operate in one of Nairobi’s most crowded residential neighborhoods, where its explosion and fire killed three people and injured more than 280 others. President William Ruto says the officials who gave licenses to

By ANDI JATMIKO and NINIEK KARMINI Associated Press JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Tens of thousands of Indonesians have flocked to presidential campaign rallies to air their concerns over the state of democracy in the country. President Joko Widodo is facing mounting criticism over his lack of neutrality after he threw his support behind frontrunner Prabowo

By BRIAN MELLEY Associated Press LONDON (AP) — An Irish nationalist is set to make history by becoming Northern Ireland’s first minister. Sinn Fein Vice President Michelle O’Neill is expected to be chosen as first minister as the government returns to work after a two-year boycott by unionists. Under the terms of the 1998 Good

By YURI KAGEYAMA Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Taylor Swift, who is holding concerts in Japan through Feb. 10, will make it in time for the Super Bowl to see her partner and football superstar Travis Kelce play. To make sure all her fans know, the Japanese Embassy has sent a message on X, formerly

By MARK SHERMAN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A case with the potential to disrupt Donald Trump’s drive to return to the White House is putting the Supreme Court uncomfortably at the center of the 2024 presidential campaign. The justices will hear arguments Thursday in a Colorado case about whether the former president can be

By MATTHEW PERRONE AP Health Writer Money is pouring into the fledgling psychedelic medicine industry, with dozens of startup companies vying to be among the first to sell mind-expanding drugs for depression, addiction and other mental health conditions. While psychedelics are still illegal under federal law, companies are jostling to try and patent key ingredients

By ABDULRAHMAN ZEYAD and ALI JABAR Associated Press BAGHDAD (AP) — An Iraqi militia official on Saturday hinted at a desire to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East following retaliatory strikes launched by the United States against dozens of sites in Iraq and Syria used by Iranian-backed militias and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. Hussein al-Mosawi,

By DUSAN STOJANOVIC Associated Press BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Media rights groups and opposition campaigners have condemned a Serbian appeals court ruling that acquitted four former intelligence officers who were jailed for the killing of a prominent editor and newspaper publisher. Slavko Curuvija was shot dead at the entrance to his Belgrade apartment during the 1999 NATO bombing of

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A Pakistani court has convicted and sentenced former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife to seven years in prison on a charge that their 2018 marriage violated the law. The verdict follows another case in which Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were sentenced to 14 years in prison on Wednesday

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Blockbuster job growth in the past several months has coincided with high-profile layoff announcements by a number of large companies. So, how are both occurring at the same time? It’s not as contradictory as it might seem. Recent job cuts have been concentrated mainly in just

ISTANBUL (AP) — The governor of Turkey’s central bank has resigned only months after taking office amid allegations of improper use of power and family interference in the workings of the financial institutions. Hafize Gaye Erkan was the bank’s first female chief. She announced her resignation on social media late Friday, saying she was a

By NAJIB JOBAIN and SAMY MAGDY Associated Press RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hamas has begun deploying police forces and making partial salary payments to some of its civil servants in Gaza City in recent days, resurfacing in areas from which Israel had withdrawn the bulk of its troops a month ago, four residents and

By LORNE COOK Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union is worried about reports that the Israeli military intends to take its battle against Hamas to the town of Rafah at Gaza’s border with Egypt. Over 1 million Palestinians have escaped the fighting in Rafah. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Saturday that

By BETH HARRIS Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — New Jersey was front and center in Los Angeles two nights before the Grammy Awards. Native sons Jon Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen teamed up to perform as Bon Jovi was honored as MusiCares Person of the Year. They traded guitar licks on Bon Jovi’s hit

By MOHAMED SHARUHAN Associated Press MALE, Maldives (AP) — The Maldives government says it has asked for clarification of why the Indian coast guard boarded three Maldivian fishing vessels within its economic zone earlier this week without consultation. The defense ministry said in a statement Friday that its military was informed on Wednesday that personnel

PARIS (AP) — An assailant has injured three people in a stabbing attack at the Gare de Lyon train station in Paris Saturday, the Olympic Games host city this year, Paris police said. Police have detained the attacker. One of the people injured is in a serious condition, police said. The attacker was armed with

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A 5.1 magnitude earthquake has shaken an area near Oklahoma City. The U.S. Geological Survey reports the earthquake hit at 11:24 p.m. Friday and was centered 4.9 miles northwest of Prague, Oklahoma. Prague is about 57 miles east of Oklahoma City, where residents reported feeling the shaking. KFOR-TV reports Shawnee, Stillwater

By NINIEK KARMINI Associated Press JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Separatist rebels in Indonesia’s restive Papua region are asking for the immediate release of a New Zealand pilot who’s been held hostage for almost a year. That’s according to a statement from Sebby Sambom, spokesperson of the West Papua Liberation Army, the armed wing of the

By CARLOS MUREITHI Associated Press ABERDARE RANGE, Kenya (AP) — Following pressure from Kenyan President William Ruto, Kenya’s national environment authority has issued a license for the construction of a 32-mile tarmac road through the Aberdare forest and mountain range to connect two counties. Supporters of the project say it will bring economic development and

By AYANNA ALEXANDER Associated Press CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — President Joe Biden is getting his first test of the 2024 campaign during the Democrats’ first presidential primary. Saturday’s contest in South Carolina holds no surprises, since Biden faces only token opposition. What is most important for the Biden campaign is the level of support he

By AYANNA ALEXANDER Associated Press CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — President Joe Biden is getting his first test of the 2024 campaign during the Democrats’ first presidential primary. Saturday’s contest in South Carolina holds no surprises, since Biden faces only token opposition. What is most important for the Biden campaign is the level of support he

By SOPHIE AUSTIN and TRÂN NGUYỄN Associated Press/Report for America SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A California lawmaker whose family has an agricultural background is stepping into the state Senate’s top leadership post. State Sen. Mike McGuire is taking over from Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins. Policy advocates and fellow lawmakers say McGuire is honest

By WILL WEISSERT and MEG KINNARD Associated Press COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — President Joe Biden is looking for an easy win in South Carolina’s Democratic primary that officially kicks off his party’s nominating process on Saturday, validating a new lineup he championed to better empower Black voters who helped revive his once-foundering 2020 campaign. Biden

By MATTHEW BROWN Associated Press COOKE CITY, Mont. (AP) — As Wesley Mlaskoch motored his snowmobile across a mountain in the Montana backcountry, the slope above him collapsed into a thick slab and began rushing down the hillside. He had triggered an avalanche. Within seconds, the fury of accelerating snow flipped the snowmobile on top

By THOMAS BEAUMONT and BRIAN SLODYSKO Associated Press LAS VEGAS, Nevada (AP) — Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel is calling for the party to unite behind the goal of defeating President Joe Biden. That’s as the party faces a cash shortage compared to national Democrats and growing criticism from a faction of far-right conservatives.

By JOSH FUNK Associated Press OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The major freight railroads all promised safety improvements after the fiery derailment in eastern Ohio a year ago, but they have yet to make meaningful safety improvements and reform efforts have stalled in Congress. A few key measures in the latest Federal Railroad Administration statistics, including

By JULIA FRANKEL Associated Press JERUSALEM (AP) — Hamas’ demand that Israel release Marwan Barghouti brings new attention to a man many Palestinians see as their Nelson Mandela. Barghouti is a prime candidate to become Palestinian president in the future, and he’s the highest-profile prisoner held by Israel. He plays a central role in Palestinian

By GRAHAM LEE BREWER Associated Press For decades, the University of Pennsylvania has held hundreds of skulls that were once used to promote white supremacy through racist scientific research. As part of a growing effort among museums to reevaluate the curation of human remains, the Ivy League school laid some of the remains to rest

NEWTON, Mass. (AP) — An 11-day strike by teachers in a Boston suburb has ended after their union and the school district tentatively agreed on a new contract. The Newton Teachers Association announced the deal Friday night and it is expected to be ratified this weekend by union members and the Newton Public Schools board.

By BROOKE LEFFERTS Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Actor Daisy Ridley doesn’t want audiences to be misled by the title of her new film, “Sometimes I Think About Dying.” Her character, Fran, is, actually, quite funny. The dark comedy in theaters now is directed by Rachel Lambert and co-stars comedian Dave Merheje and several

By JADE LE DELEY Associated Press BOUSSY-SAINT-ANTOINE, France (AP) — French shoppers understand that farmers are struggling and many want to support local food producers. But many stores only stock imported produce, and when French-grown food is available, not everyone can afford it. Farmer protests across Europe this week have highlighted how farmers and households

By VALERIE GONZALEZ Associated Press EAGLE PASS, Texas (AP) — A Texas border city has gained an unsolicited spotlight in an extraordinary showdown between the state’s Republican governor and Democratic White House over border security. Mayor Rolando Salinas says Eagle Pass is about “more than just the immigration crisis,” but that message is hard to

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations says members of an armed group fired on a U.N. helicopter in eastern Congo, injuring two South African peacekeepers, one seriously. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric says the U.N. peacekeeping department assumes the attack early Friday was carried out by members of the M23 rebel group in the Karuba

By KIM TONG-HYUNG Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said it has tested cruise missiles outfitted with new “super-large” warheads and a new type of anti-aircraft missile, extending a streak in weapons demonstrations that has rival South Korea worried. The report Saturday by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency came a

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Federal officials say a second defendant has pleaded guilty to federal charges in connection with a series of drive-by shootings at the homes of state and local lawmakers in Albuquerque after the 2022 election. The FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office in Albuquerque on Friday announced the guilty pleas by Demetrio

By STEVE LeBLANC BOSTON CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — Harvard University’s Hasty Pudding Theatricals roasted Barry Keoghan, best known for his roles in “Dunkirk,” “The Killing of a Sacred Deer,” and “The Banshees of Inisherin,” as its 2024 Man of the Year Friday. Keoghan, who also starred in the thriller “Saltburn,” was presented with a pudding

BAY CITY, Mich. (AP) — A federal judge has dismissed a criminal case against a northern Michigan man accused of threatening President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. The Detroit News reports that after a preliminary examination Friday in Bay City, U.S. Magistrate Judge Patricia Morris concluded that there was no probable cause and

By ANDREW DeMILLO Associated Press LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — The chair of Arkansas’ parole board has resigned after personnel records revealed he was fired from a local police department for lying to investigators about having sex with a minor. Jamol Jones stepped down Friday, a week after Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders named him chair.

STOCKTON, Calif. (AP) — A California judge has ordered Tesla Inc. to pay $1.5 million as part of a settlement of a civil case alleging the company mishandled hazardous waste at its car service centers, energy centers and a factory. The settlement was announced Friday by several of 25 county district attorneys involved in the

By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — A major work by surrealist painter René Magritte that hasn’t been shown in public for a quarter century could fetch $64 million at auction next month. Christie’s auction house says it will offer “L’ami intime,” or The Intimate Friend, at a March 7 sale in London. The

COLUMBIA FALLS, Maine (AP) — A family with an audacious plan to build the world’s tallest flagpole as a centerpiece for a billion-dollar project honoring veterans is abandoning the idea. An attorney said Friday that the Worcester family won’t pursue the flagpole project in Washington County or elsewhere. Instead they will look for other ways

WASHINGTON (AP) — ABC’s “This Week” — House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.; Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio. ___ NBC’s “Meet the Press” — House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.; Gov. Wes Moore, D-Md. ___ CBS’ “Face the Nation” — Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz.; Reps. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, and Jim Himes, D-Conn.; International Monetary Fund Managing Director