Month: March 2024

By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr. AP Entertainment Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — A new Hulu documentary takes a look at the legendary street party Freaknik held in Atlanta during the 80s and 90s. Stories abound about nudity, highway debauchery and gridlock traffic. But “Freaknik: The Wildest Story Never Told” looks to deliver a fuller story. The

By GEIR MOULSON Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — German lawmakers have rejected a new call by the opposition for the government to send Taurus long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine, a day after Chancellor Olaf Scholz defended his refusal to supply the weapons. The main center-right opposition bloc has sought to keep up pressure on the

BERLIN (AP) — An 80-year-old former officer with communist East Germany’s secret police, the Stasi, has gone on trial over the killing of a Polish man at a border crossing in divided Berlin 50 years ago. The defendant, whose name hasn’t been released in keeping with German privacy rules, is charged with murder before the

By PAN PYLAS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Organizers of the Glastonbury Festival have announced the line-up so far for arguably the world’s most famous music festival. For the first time, two female acts will be performing the headline spots on the main stage on two of the three nights. British singer Dua Lipa will

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A 1-year-old boy has been fatally bitten by a dog in Connecticut. Police responded just after 3 p.m. Wednesday to a home in East Hartford where the child had been bitten several times by a dog. Police Officer Marc Caruso says emergency responders performed lifesaving measures and took the child

By MARK M. MENGONFIA Associated Press MONROVIA, Liberia (AP) — Liberians are gathering to mark a decade since the country was hit by a devastating Ebola outbreak that killed more than 10,000 people in West Africa, adding to the region’s economic and political troubles. The second Wednesday of March in Liberia, National Decoration Day, is

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Europe’s oldest monarch, King Harald V of Norway, who received a permanent pacemaker earlier this week, has been discharged from the hospital,. The palace said Thursday the 87-year-old monarch “is doing well” but is on sick leave until April 8. The king who fell ill last month during a private holiday

By MIKE CORDER Associated Press THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders says it is unfair and “constitutionally wrong” that he had to sacrifice his leadership aspirations in order to pave the way for a right-wing ruling coalition in the Netherlands after his party won elections in November. Wilders said Wednesday night that

By RAF CASERT Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union is embroiled in a damaging legal standoff between its legislature and its executive Commission over the release of billions in frozen funds to the government of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The funds were released on the eve of a major decision on Ukraine

By JAN M. OLSEN Associated Press COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — The inhabitants of Copenhagen’s freewheeling Christiania neighborhood are planning to dig up the aptly named Pusher Street, in their latest attempt to stop illegal hashish sales which have led to deadly gang turf wars and sometimes violent confrontations with the police. Residents of the hippie

DENVER (AP) — A major snowstorm is hitting Colorado, closing numerous schools and government offices and shutting down sections of highways leading to the Denver area. Meteorologists are warning of difficult to nearly impossible travel. The storm began Wednesday night and wasn’t expected to wind down until Friday. The National Weather Service says the heaviest

By JOSEPH WILSON Associated Press BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spain’s Parliament is set to give its initial approval Thursday to a controversial amnesty bill aimed at forgiving crimes — both proved and alleged — committed by Catalan separatists during a chaotic attempt to hold an independence referendum six years ago. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has

By EMMA BURROWS Associated Press Ukraine fired at least eight missiles at Russia’s Belgorod border region, killing one person and wounding six, local officials said Thursday, as Kyiv’s forces apparently kept up their efforts to rattle the Kremlin on the eve of Russia’s presidential election, a vote that is taking place amid a ruthless crackdown

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN AP Sports Writer BRUSSELS (AP) — The Belgian soccer federation has unveiled new home and away kits for its male and female national teams. The home kit continues with the traditional red color worn by the national team, whose players are nicknamed the Red Devils and Red Flames. But the away kit

By TARA COPP and LISA MASCARO Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. CQ Brown is visiting U.S. weapon factories in Oklahoma and Arkansas to address concerns over billions of dollars being sent to Ukraine and other allies when there are so many needs at home. The Pentagon has framed the $95 billion

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — A unit of about 30 soldiers belonging to Belgium’s armed forces will be dismantled after serious cases of violence and harassment surfaced last year. Speaking at a news conference Thursday, Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder said she was informed of the violence taking place within the Fourth Engineer

BRUSSELS (AP) — Farmers have disrupted traffic around Europe’s second biggest port of Antwerp and two other Belgian harbors during yet another demonstration to protest against what they say is excessive environmental rulemaking. Dozens of tractors disrupted morning rush hour traffic to and from the harbor facilities. But all shied away from a full blockade

By RALPH D. RUSSO and LINLEY SANDERS Associated Press More than half of Americans say they are against college athletes unionizing, though younger respondents were more supportive than older, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The survey found that 55% of adults believe NCAA athletes should not

By JON GAMBRELL Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Yemen’s Houthi rebels claim to have a new, hypersonic missile in their arsenal. That’s according to a Russian state media report on Thursday. That potentially raises the stakes in their ongoing attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and surrounding waterways amid Israel’s war

By RONALD BLUM AP Baseball Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Tommy John surgery, like baseball itself, is evolving to increase success and sometimes speed return. Dr. Jeffrey R. Dugas developed a procedure that cut recovery time to as little as nine months for some pitchers with torn elbow ligaments. He envisions more innovations within five-to-seven

By KANIS LEUNG Associated Press HONG KONG (AP) — Three former organizers of Hong Kong’s annual vigil in remembrance of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown on pro-democracy protests have lost their bid to overturn their conviction over their refusal to provide authorities with information on the group under a national security law. Chow Hang-tung, Tang

By NINIEK KARMINI Associated Press JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — The camps of the two presidential candidates who appear to have lost in Indonesia’s election last month say they plan to challenge the official results at the Constitutional Court with allegations of widespread fraud. Indonesians voted on Feb. 14 for a successor to popular President Joko

By JOSH BOAK Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is coming out in opposition to the planned sale of U.S. Steel to Nippon Steel of Japan. Biden says in a statement obtained by The Associated Press ahead of its public release Thursday that the U.S. needs “strong American steel companies powered by American

By HILLEL ITALIE AP National Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Bannings and attempted bannings of books continue to hit record highs. That’s according to a new report from the American Library Association. On Thursday, the ALA announced that 4,240 works in schools and libraries had been targeted. It’s a substantial hike from the 2,571 books

PODGORICA, Montenegro (AP) — A moderately strong earthquake has shaken Montenegro and neighboring countries, but there are no reports of casualties or serious damage. The U.S. Geological Survey says the magnitude 5.4 earthquake hit an uninhabited border area between Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina early Thursday. It was followed by a series of aftershocks. The earthquake was

LONDON (AP) — The British government on Thursday published an official definition of “extremism.” Groups that get the label will be barred from receiving government funding. It’s unclear who will be on the list, and critics say branding nonviolent groups as extremist could undermine freedom of speech. The government defines extremism as “the promotion or

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — A Japanese high court has ruled that denying same-sex marriage is unconstitutional and called for urgent government action to address the lack of any law allowing for such unions. The court does not have the power to overturn the current marriage law, which has been interpreted to

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares are mixed Thursday in lackluster trading. Japan’s Nikkei 225 reversed course from earlier losses and finished at 38,807.38, up 0.3%. Nissan Motor Co. stock jumped 2.2% after an unconfirmed Japanese media report that the automaker behind the Leaf electric car was about to enter

By RISHI LEKHI and ASHOK SHARMA Associated Press NEW DELHI (AP) — Indian farmers are protesting in the Indian capital to press their demand for new legislation that would guarantee minimum profitable prices for their crops. They came in trains and buses instead of their tractors, which authorities had blocked from reaching New Delhi by

By CURT ANDERSON Associated Press Math enthusiasts around the world, from college kids to rocket scientists, celebrate Pi Day on Thursday, which is March 14 or 3/14 — the first three digits of an infinite number with many practical uses. Around the world many people will mark the day with a slice of pie —

By SIMINA MISTREANU Associated Press TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — City officials in eastern China have apologized to local journalists after authorities were shown pushing them and trying to obstruct reporting from the site of a deadly explosion, in a rare acknowledgment of state aggression against journalists. The city of Sanhe, near Beijing, issued a public

By JULIA FRANKEL Associated Press JERUSALEM (AP) — A brother contemplated suicide. A sister stopped going to school. A father barely speaks. With each passing day, the relatives of hostages held in Gaza since Oct. 7 face a deepening despair. Their hopes were raised that a cease-fire deal was near to bring some of their

By ED WHITE Associated Press PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) — A jury in Michigan is set to resume deliberations in a trial that will determine whether another parent will be held responsible for a mass school shooting committed by a son. The jury heard closing arguments in a suburban Detroit court Wednesday. James Crumbley is the

By ALI SWENSON and KELVIN CHAN Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Artificial intelligence is supercharging the threat of election disinformation worldwide, making it easy for anyone with a smartphone and a devious imagination to create fake – but convincing – content aimed at fooling voters. It marks a quantum leap from a few years ago,

By JIM HEINTZ Associated Press TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — As Vladimir Putin heads for another six-year term as Russia’s president, there’s little electoral drama in the race. What he does after he crosses the finish line, however, is what’s drawing attention and, for many observers, provoking anxiety. The voting that concludes on Sunday is all

BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand’s paroled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has launched a series of public appearances with an early morning visit to a holy shrine in the capital Bangkok before flying to his home province of Chiang Mai in the country’s north. The controversial billionaire former leader, who was toppled in a coup in

By MIKE SCHNEIDER Associated Press ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — More people moved to a county rich with citrus groves located between two of Florida’s most populous metros than in any other county in the U.S. last year. That’s according to estimates released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau. More than 29,300 people moved to Polk

By JOEY CAPPELLETTI Associated Press SAGINAW, Mich. (AP) — President Joe Biden will travel to Michigan’s premier bellwether county of Saginaw as he looks to shore up support in the key battleground state ahead of November. Biden will be looking to energize Black and union-affiliated voters in his trip Thursday as his campaign faces challenges

By JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER Associated Press KANEOHE, Hawaii (AP) — A pinky and thumb extended with the remaining fingers curled down: That’s the “shaka” in Hawaii. It’s sometimes known outside the islands as the “hang loose” sign associated with surf culture. But in Hawaii, where it originated, it’s a more common and nuanced gesture. A

By SEAN MURPHY Associated Press WILSON, Okla. (AP) — Before Oklahoma became one of the last places in the U.S. to outlaw cockfighting in 2002, it wasn’t uncommon to see the bloodsport draw hundreds of spectators. Now, more than 20 years later, some worry Oklahoma is starting to waver. A proposal to weaken cockfighting penalties

By ASTRID SUÁREZ Associated Press COSCUEZ, Colombia (AP) — Deep inside mountain tunnels where the heat is so intense it causes headaches, women with power tools are chipping away at boulders in search of gems. They have opened a difficult path for themselves in Colombia’s emerald industry, a sector long dominated by men. The lack

By ERIC TUCKER, ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and TERRY SPENCER Associated Press FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) — A federal judge will hear arguments Thursday on whether to dismiss the classified documents prosecution of Donald Trump, with his attorneys asserting that the former president was entitled to keep the sensitive records with him when he left the

By MARK THIESSEN Associated Press ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — For the past five years, Alaska’s annual Iditarod sled dog race has gone off mostly free of controversy, as teams of dogs and their masters braved the elements in the 1,000-mile test of endurance across the frozen wilderness. This year the deaths of three dogs during

By DIDI TANG Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Since its inception, TikTok has been intended only for non-Chinese markets, unavailable in mainland China. It pulled out of Hong Kong in 2020 when Beijing imposed a national security law on the territory to curtail speech. And as data security concerns rose in the U.S., TikTok sought

SYDNEY (AP) — Rescuers say falling rocks inside a gold mine in Australia killed one worker and left another with life-threatening injuries. Another 29 workers inside the mine when the collapse happened Wednesday took refuge in a safety pod and later returned to the surface. It happened almost 2 miles underground in the Ballarat Gold

By SOPHIA TAREEN Associated Press CHICAGO (AP) — An open seat to lead the nation’s second-largest prosecutor’s office has become one of the most spirited races in the Illinois primary. The Democratic matchup is between a tough-on-crime judge and an attorney with union and establishment backing. The Cook County state’s attorney primary features Eileen O’Neill

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris plans to tour a clinic in Minnesota that performs abortions and provides other reproductive care. The visit Thursday is part of her election-year focus on the rollback of abortion rights across the United States. It’s an emotional issue that Democrats hope will spur