Month: March 2024

Associated Press ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) — Algeria will hold its next presidential election on September 7, providing more than five months for first-term President Abdelmajid Tebboune to campaign for a second term to lead the oil-rich north African nation. Tebboune’s office announced the date in a statement on Thursday after meeting with high-ranking members of

By MATTHEW LEE AP Diplomatic Writer CAIRO (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken huddled Thursday with top Arab diplomats in Cairo to discuss post-conflict plans for Gaza as relations between the United States and Israel soured further over Israel’s war against Hamas, notably its intent to mount a major military operation against the

By SETH BORENSTEIN AP Science Writer Federal meteorologists predict that the United States can expect a nice spring break from past too rainy or too dry extremes. Thursday’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s spring outlook calls for a less hectic spring that should be warmer and wetter, but not prone to major flooding and drought

By MICHAEL R. SISAK Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — New York prosecutors have urged a judge to start Donald Trump’s hush money criminal trial April 15, saying defense requests for further delays or dismissal of the case because of a last-minute evidence dump are a “red herring.” Prosecutors said Thursday the majority of evidence

By MIKE SCHNEIDER Associated Press ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Opponents of online sports betting in Florida have lost their latest fight against a Seminole Tribe agreement with the state that permits the gambling. The Florida Supreme Court said in a ruling on Thursday that the type of petition the opponents had filed was the wrong

By ASHOK SHARMA Associated Press NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s anti-corruption crusader Arvind Kejriwal has been arrested by a federal agency that accused his party and ministers of accepting 1 billion rupees in bribes from liquor contractors. Atishi Singh, a leader of Kejriwal’s Aaam Admi Party, or Common People’s Party, said the accusations against her

By DAVID KOENIG AP Airlines Writer The heads of leading U.S. airlines want to meet with Boeing and hear the aircraft manufacturer’s strategy for fixing quality-control problems that have gained attention since a panel blew out of a jetliner in January. A person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Thursday that the

By JENNIFER PELTZ Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump’s lawyers are continuing to press appellate court to excuse him from covering a $454 million civil fraud judgment while he appeals. Trump lawyer Clifford Robert says in a letter to the court Thursday that the requirement is “patently unjust, unreasonable and unconstitutional.”

By BRUCE SHIPKOWSKI and TASSANEE VEJPOGNSA Associated Press A famed battleship was floating down the Delaware River on Thursday as the USS New Jersey left its dock in Camden, New Jersey, on its way to the Philadelphia Navy Yard for extensive maintenance work. The vessel, guided by tugboats, was first headed to the Paulsboro Marine

By JAKE COYLE AP Film Writer “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” George Miller’s eagerly awaited follow-up to “Mad Max: Fury Road,” will make its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May. “Furiosa,” a prequel to “Fury Road” starring Anya Taylor-Joy, will roar down the Croisette nine years after Miller’s previous “Mad Max” film

By ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate climbed back to nearly 7%, just under where it was two weeks ago, pushing up borrowing costs for home shoppers with the spring homebuying season underway. The average rate on a 30-year mortgage rose to 6.87% from 6.74% last

By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A Colorado man who helped other rioters drag a police officer into a mob storming the U.S. Capitol was sentenced to more than five years in prison. On Thursday Jeffrey Sabol expressed remorse for his actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot before U.S. District Judge Rudolph

By STEPHEN GROVES Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A group of Democratic and independent senators are pushing legislation that focuses on immigrants — with permanent legal status or without — who are charged with or convicted of violent crimes. The bill would let the federal government request a court order that local authorities hold such

By KEVIN FREKING Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers introduced a $1.2 trillion spending package Thursday that sets the stage for avoiding a partial government shutdown for several key federal agencies this weekend and allows Congress, nearly six months into the budget year, to complete its work in funding the government through September. Democrats were

By KATHY McCORMACK Associated Press CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought against the state of New Hampshire after government officials removed a historical marker dedicated to a feminist and labor activist who also led the U.S. Communist Party. A judge agreed with the state’s argument, saying the sponsors of the

By LINDSEY BAHR AP Film Writer “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” in theaters everywhere March 29, is a sequel to “Godzilla vs. Kong,” the 2021 showdown between the 393-foot Godzilla and 337-foot Kong. It’s also continuation of Legendary’s Monsterverse that goes back to “Kong: Skull Island.” If there seems to be an inherent stakes

By NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press ROME (AP) — Pope Francis has defrocked a notorious Belgian bishop who admitted 14 years ago that he sexually abused his nephew but faced no Vatican punishment. The case of Roger Vangheluwe, the emeritus bishop of Bruges, long ago became a symbol of the Catholic Church’s hypocrisy and dysfunction in

West Virginia state police say a 15-year-old boy shot and killed his father in self-defense after the man fired a shotgun at the boy’s mother and then pointed the weapon at him. Officers called to the scene in Rock Cave say Maxwell Laham’s wife and one child fled after he fired at her with a

By LORNE COOK Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union leaders are being urged to show the same respect for international law in Gaza as they aim to uphold in Ukraine. The appeal comes as hundreds of thousands of Palestinians face possible famine in Gaza. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres wants the leaders to uphold the

By NOHA ELHENNAWY Associated Press CAIRO (AP) — The U.S. has announced more than $47 million in humanitarian aid for war-torn Sudan and two neighboring countries, to where at least a million people have fled the nearly 1-year-old conflict. The aid package is expected to help alleviate the suffering of nearly 25 million people, including

FLINT, Mich. (AP) — A family member has been arraigned in the fatal shooting of a Michigan congressman’s brother. Timothy J. Kildee is accused of killing his father, Timothy E. Kildee, at a Flint-area home Tuesday. The 57-year-old victim is the brother of U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, a Michigan Democrat. Timothy J. Kildee told a

ROCHESTER, Minn. (AP) — Three people in a hot air balloon in Minnesota escaped largely unscathed after their basket clipped a power line, fell to the ground and caused a brush fire. A Minnesota Department of Transportation traffic camera captured the accident on video. It happened around 6:50 p.m. Wednesday in Rochester. Police said preliminary

By GRANT PECK Associated Press BANGKOK (AP) — A dramatic story of survival and rescue off the western coast of Indonesia’s Aceh province has put the spotlight again on the plight of ethnic Rohingya Muslim refugees from Myanmar who make extremely dangerous voyages across the Indian Ocean to seek better lives. Desperate survivors were pulled

By MICHELLE L. PRICE Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump’s fundraising picked up last month but his political operation is still struggling to catch up to President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party. Trump’s campaign and his Save America political action committee, two key committees in his political operation, reported raising

By ELENA BECATOROS and LEFTERIS PITARAKIS Associated Press ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek authorities have presented new plans for tackling wildfires which often ravage the country during its hot, dry summers, including changes in the deployment of firefighting aircraft and increased staffing in specialized units. The new plans come after massive fires last year killed

PARIS (AP) — France’s sports minister says that more than 300 French coaches, teachers and sports officials have been accused of sexual abuse or of covering up such wrongdoing in 2023. France launched a nationwide effort to uncover and combat sexual violence in sports four years ago when 10-time French skating champion Sarah Abitbol said

By LISA RATHKE Associated Press The owner of a firearms training center in Vermont has been taken into custody after a struggle and faces charges of resisting arrest and aggravated assault. Daniel Banyai is expected to be arraigned Thursday. Police say Banyai was a passenger in a vehicle that a Pawlet town constable pulled over

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A Minnesota police officer will not be charged for fatally shooting a 65-year-old man who was armed with a knife. The offices of the Minnesota Attorney General and the Ramsey County Attorney announced Wednesday that Officer Abdirahmin Dahir’s use of force to kill Yia Xiong in February 2023 was “objectively

RABAT, Morocco (AP) — A legal adviser to the European Union’s top court has recommended that it annul Europe’s fishing agreement with Morocco, which would have allowed European boats to fish for valuable catch off the coast of the disputed Western Sahara. Advocate General Tamara Capeta recommended Thursday that the court reject appeals challenging Europe’s

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE, LINDSAY WHITEHURST and MIKE BALSAMO Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has announced a sweeping antitrust lawsuit against Apple, accusing the tech giant of engineering an illegal monopoly in smartphones that boxes out competitors and stifles innovation. The lawsuit was filed Thursday in federal court in New Jersey. The suit

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union leaders are set to agree on the opening of membership negotiations with Bosnia-Herzegovina,  even though the Western Balkan country must still do a lot of work before talks can begin. The 27 leaders are expected to give the green light on Thursday following a positive

LURAY, Va. (AP) — Officials say crews are battling scores of wildfires around Virginia, including a fire affecting hundreds of acres at Shenandoah National Park. Virginia Department of Forestry spokesperson Cory Swift said Thursday that more than 100 new fires popped up Wednesday and they’re affecting more than 1,600 acres across the state. Swift says

By STEPHEN WADE and TONG-HYUNG KIM Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Shohei Ohtani is referred to in Japan as “kanpeki no hito” — the perfect person — because of his manners and impeccable behavior. That image may have taken a hit when the Dodgers fired his good friend and interpreter Ippei Mizuhara on

By MIKE SCHNEIDER Associated Press ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Attorneys for the Walt Disney World governing district taken over last year by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ supporters don’t want the governor’s appointees answering questions under oath as part of a lawsuit against Disney. The attorneys on Monday filed a motion for protective order that would stop

By YURAS KARMANAU Associated Press TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — In an open letter, 27 Nobel laureates have demanded the release of all political prisoners in Belarus including Ales Bialiatski, the winner of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel laureates said the situation in Belarus is a “humanitarian catastrophe” and called for an immediate end

By PETER SMITH and TIFFANY STANLEY Associated Press Since the start of his political career, Donald Trump has played on stereotypes about Jews and politics. He told the Republican Jewish Coalition in 2015 that “you want to control your politicians” and suggested the audience used money to exert control. In the White House, he said

By JOHN CARUCCI Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Sir Elton John and lyricist Bernie Taupin were honored with the prestigious Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song on Wednesday as part of a starry tribute. The evening’s entertainment was a range of musical styles by a collection of renowned performers that included Garth Brooks,

By MIKE STOBBE AP Medical Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Doctors in Boston say they have transplanted a genetically modified pig kidney into a 62-year-old patient. Massachusetts General Hospital said Thursday it’s the first time a pig kidney has been transplanted into a living person. Previously pig kidneys have been temporarily transplanted into brain-dead donors.

By COLLIN BINKLEY AP Education Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Another 78,000 Americans are getting their federal student loans canceled through a program that helps teachers, nurses and other public servants. The Education Department is canceling the borrowers’ loans because they reached 10 years of payments while working in public service, making them eligible for relief

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s Roscosmos space agency has aborted the launch of three astronauts to the International Space Station about 20 seconds before they were scheduled to lift off. Officials say the crew is safe. The Russian Soyuz rocket was to carry NASA astronaut Tracy Dyson, Oleg Novitsky of Roscosmos and Marina Vasilevskaya of Belarus

By LEA SKENE Associated Press RIDGELY, Md. (AP) — The small town of Ridgely on Maryland’s Eastern Shore has suspended its entire police force pending the results of an investigation by state prosecutors. The largely unexplained decision has left residents skeptical and on edge. Officials declined to say what prompted the investigation, which has brought