Month: May 2024

By FATMA KHALED Associated Press CAIRO (AP) — A leading rights group says attacks by Sudanese paramilitary forces and their allied militias that killed thousands in the western region of Darfur last year constitute a campaign of ethnic cleansing against the area’s non-Arab population. A new report by Human Rights Watch was released on Thursday,

By VASILISA STEPANENKO and ILLIA NOVIKOV Associated Press POKROVSK, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country’s army is facing “a really difficult situation” in eastern regions. That’s where troops are battling to hold at bay an intense Russian push along parts of the front line. Russia has sought to exploit Ukraine’s shortages

By MARIA SHERMAN AP Music Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Country star Cindy Walker will be posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Walker, who wrote countless hits across her six-decade career, was celebrated for her immediate, unpretentious songwriting style. The hall announced the honor Thursday. Walker wrote songs performed by some of the

By PHILIP MARCELO Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Harvey Weinstein returned to court in New York City as authorities consider an extradition request from California to serve his sentence for a 2022 rape conviction. The 16-year sentence Weinstein received for raping a woman at a Los Angeles film festival in 2013 had been on ice

By MARIA SHERMAN AP Music Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Best known as one-half of the country super-duo Florida Georgia Line, Brian Kelley will release a solo album, “Tennessee Truth,” on Friday. It is a collection of 12 anthemic, arena-sized country songs ripe for a road trip and tailgate in equal measure. In 2022, Florida

By ZEN SOO AP Technology Writer HONG KONG (AP) — A top public relations executive from Chinese technology firm Baidu has apologized after she made comments in a series of videos that critics said glorified a culture of overwork. Baidu’s head of communications Qu Jing sparked a public outcry in China after she implied in

By ISABEL DEBRE Associated Press BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina’s biggest trade unions have mounted one of their fiercest challenges to the libertarian government of President Javier Milei. The powerful unions called a mass general strike on Thursday that disrupted key subway and bus lines and led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights.

By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press MALMO, Sweden (AP) — Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators are protesting in Malmo, Sweden against Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. Protesters waving greed, white and red Palestinian flags packed the historic Stortorget square before a planned march through the city. Chanting “from the river to the sea, Palestine will

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) — The World Video Game Hall of Fame has inducted its 10th class of honorees. The games Asteroids, Myst, Resident Evil, SimCity and Ultima were recognized Thursday for their impacts on the video game industry and popular culture. This year’s inductees debuted across decades, advancing technologies along the way and expanding not

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia police have cleared out a homeless encampment in a city neighborhood where drug use has been pervasive for years. But homeless advocates and others have raised concerns about how it was done. The so-called encampment resolution began around 7 a.m. Wednesday in the Kensington neighborhood and was completed by 10 a.m.

By SCOTT McFETRIDGE Associated Press DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Two men who were instrumental in creating a global seed vault designed to safeguard the world’s agricultural diversity will be honored as the 2024 World Food Prize laureates. Officials announced Thursday that the prize will go to Cary Fowler and Geoffrey Hawtin. Fowler is the

By ASHOK SHARMA Associated Press NEW DELHI (AP) — India says Canada has informed it about the arrest of three Indian men who have been charged with the murder of a Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia last year, but insists no relevant information or evidence about Delhi’s involvement has yet been shared by

By KONSTANTIN TESTORIDES Associated Press SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — The head of a center-right 22-party coalition that emerged victorious in North Macedonia’s parliamentary election has fallen just short of gaining a parliamentary majority, leaving it reliant on entering a partnership with another party to form a government. The “Your Macedonia” coalition led by Hristijan

By ALMA SOLÍS Associated Press Ramón Fonseca, a partner in the Mossack Fonseca law firm at the center of the “Panama Papers” scandal, has died. Lawyer Guillermina McDonald confirmed to The Associated Press in a phone message that Fonseca died late Wednesday. She said he had been hospitalized since two days before last month’s start

By STEVE REED AP Sports Writer CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Charlotte Hornets have named Charles Lee as their next head coach. The 39-year-old Lee joins the Hornets after serving as the Boston Celtics top assistant coach. Lee will complete the Celtics’ playoff run before joining the Hornets on a full-time basis. Lee spent five

By ANNE M. PETERSON AP Soccer Writer The Philadelphia Union have formally announced that they have signed 14-year-old academy prospect Cavan Sullivan to a Homegrown contract that will eventually land him with Manchester City. The long-rumored deal — said to be the richest Homegrown signing in Major League Soccer history, although no details were released

By LYNN BERRY, DIDI TANG, JILL COLVIN and ELLEN KNICKMEYER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Making future military aid to Ukraine contingent on the country participating in peace talks with Russia. Banning Chinese nationals from buying property within a 50-mile radius of U.S. government buildings. Filling the national security sector with acolytes of Donald Trump.

By MATT OTT AP Business Writer The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits jumped to its highest level in more than eight months last week in another sign that the labor market may be softening. The Labor Department reported Thursday that unemployment claims for the week ending May 4 rose by 22,000 to 231,000.

By JOSEPH KRAUSS Associated Press JERUSALEM (AP) — One major land crossing into Gaza was shut down after a Hamas rocket attack, another by an Israeli incursion. And only a trickle of aid is entering through a third crossing that just opened in recent weeks. The latest developments threaten to worsen the humanitarian catastrophe in

By DAVID FISCHER Associated Press MIAMI (AP) — The family of a Black U.S. Air Force airman fatally shot by Florida sheriff’s deputies at his off-base apartment will join civil rights attorney Ben Crump for a news conference calling for transparency in the investigation. Crump will speak at a news conference in Fort Walton Beach,

By JON GAMBRELL Associated Press The award-winning Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof has been sentenced to eight years in prison and lashings ahead of his planned trip to the Cannes film festival, his lawyer tells The Associated Press. Rasoulof is known for his film “There Is No Evil.” He has become the latest artist targeted in

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s defense minister says it is strengthening the metal barrier along its border with Belarus to deter illegal migration and plans to also reinforce its border with Russia. He says the increased presence of Polish and allied military forces in regions close to the border is also helping to tighten the

NEW YORK (AP) — TikTok says it’s going to start automatically labeling content that’s made by artificial intelligence when it’s uploaded from certain platforms. TikTok says its efforts are an attempt to combat misinformation from being spread on its social media platform. TikTok’s policy in the past has been to encourage users to label content

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Loaves of bread have been taken off store shelves in Japan after the remains of “a small animal” believed to be a rat were found. Production was halted at a Tokyo factory, with 104,000 packages being recalled, according to Pasco Shikishima Corp. The company apologized and

MADRID (AP) — A Spanish investigative magistrate on Thursday provisionally shelved the latest probe into an alleged case of tax fraud by pop star Shakira following recommendations by prosecutors. The Colombian singer had been under investigation for the alleged evasion of 6.7 million euros ($7.2 million) in taxes on her 2018 income via an offshore

BANGKOK (AP) — At least one person has been killed and four others were injured after a huge fire broke out at chemical storage tanks in an industrial area in eastern Thailand on Thursday. The fire in Mab Ta Phut Industrial Estate was first reported in the morning. It was contained more than six hours

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — A Japanese defense aircraft carrying eight people made an emergency landing at a commercial airport in central Japan after a cockpit window inadvertently slid open during its training flight. No damage or injuries were reported. The Japan Air Self-Defense Force said its C-2 transport aircraft from the

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban are warning journalists and experts against working with Afghanistan International TV. It’s the first time they have told people not to cooperate with a specific media outlet. Afghanistan International TV, which is headquartered in London, is accessible through satellite, cable and social media. A spokesman for the Taliban-controlled Ministry

By BELA SZANDELSZKY Associated Press BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping has received a ceremonial welcome in Hungary’s capital ahead of a day of talks with Hungarian officials expected to result in further Chinese investments in the Central European country. Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok received Xi on Thursday in an opulent courtyard of

By PAN PYLAS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — The Bank of England is keeping its main U.K. interest rate at a 16-year high of 5.25% with several policymakers still worrying about some key inflation measures. In a statement Thursday, the bank’s nine-member Monetary Policy Committee voted 7-2 to keep rates unchanged, with the 2 dissenters

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — A shipment of humanitarian aid has left a port in Cyprus and is on its way to the U.S-built pier in Gaza, the first delivery to the newly built ramp, Cyprus’ foreign minister said Thursday. The U.S. vessel, loaded with much needed humanitarian assistance, departed from the Larnaca port with the

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Officials in Turkey say 190 passengers and crew have been safely evacuated from a plane after a tire burst during landing at an airport near the southern town of Alanya. No one was hurt. The Boeing 737 belonging to the Turkey-based Corendon Airlines landed on its nose at Gazipasa airport, HaberTurk

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — A Boeing 737 plane carrying 85 people skidded off a runway at the airport in Dakar, Senegal’s capital, injuring 10 people. Senegal’s transport minister says the Air Sénégal flight operated by TransAir was headed to Bamako late Wednesday with 79 passengers, two pilots and four cabin crew. The injured were being

By TOM KRISHER AP Auto Writer DETROIT (AP) — Federal investigators say they have “significant safety concerns” about a Ford SUV recall repair that doesn’t fix gasoline leaks that can cause engine fires. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is demanding volumes of information from the automaker as it investigates the fix in a

By ASHOK SHARMA Associated Press NEW DELHI (AP) — India has urged pro-China Maldives to ease tensions and improve their strained relationship. The foreign ministers of India and Maldives met in New Delhi on Thursday, a day ahead of a deadline set by the Maldives’ new president for India to withdraw dozens of its soldiers

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The rate of guns stolen from cars in the U.S. has tripled over the last decade, making them the largest source of stolen guns in the country. That’s according to an analysis of FBI data by the gun safety group Everytown. The rate

NEW YORK (AP) — Stormy Daniels is expected to return to the witness stand in Donald Trump’s hush money trial for a second day of questioning. Daniels spent hours Tuesday detailing for jurors their alleged sexual encounter and the money she was paid to keep quiet about it. The defense in response attacked Daniels’ credibility,

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Nissan’s profit for the fiscal year through March has jumped 92% to 426.6 billion yen, or $2.7 billion, as the Japanese automaker’s sales grew in all major global markets except China. Nissan reported Thursday annual sales surged nearly 20%. Quarterly profit edged down slightly, while quarterly

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s Fisheries Agency has proposed a plan to allow catching fin whales in addition to three smaller whale species currently permitted under the country’s commercial whaling around its coasts. The proposal comes five years after Japan resumed commercial whaling around its coasts after withdrawing from the International

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Air Vanuatu has cancelled international flights for four days and is considering bankruptcy protection for the South Pacific state-owned carrier. Air Vanuatu said international flights were cancelled until Sunday and flights after that day were “under review.” The Vanuatu government says it is now considering placing the airline, the country’s national

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Islamic State group says it is responsible for a bombing that killed officers involved in an anti-poppy crop campaign in Afghanistan’s northeast. A motorcycle was booby-trapped and exploded, targeting a Taliban patrol in Badakhshan province. The group says the bomb killed or wounded 12 members of the patrol and destroyed a