Month: May 2024

By HILLEL ITALIE AP National Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch will have a book out this summer on a subject he has commented upon often, the volume of laws in the U.S. Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, announced Wednesday that ”Over Ruled: The Human Toll of Too Much Law”

By PAN PYLAS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been accused of leading a “chaotic” government as another one of his Conservative lawmakers defected to the main opposition Labour Party ahead of a looming general election. In a stunning move Wednesday just ahead of prime minister’s questions, Natalie Elphicke crossed

LONDON (AP) — The pharma giant AstraZeneca has requested that the European authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine be pulled. In an update on the European Medicines Agency’s website Wednesday, the regulator said that the approval for AstraZeneca’s Vaxzevria had been withdrawn at the company’s request. AstraZeneca’s vaccine was first approved by the EMA in January

By NQOBILE NTSHANGASE and GERALD IMRAY Associated Press GEORGE, South Africa (AP) — Rescue teams are continuing to search for dozens of construction workers who are believed to be buried in the rubble of an unfinished five-story apartment building that collapsed in South Africa on Monday. Seven workers have been confirmed dead, while authorities in

Associated Press BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spanish state prosecutors recommended Wednesday that an investigating judge shelve a probe into another alleged case of tax fraud by pop star Shakira. The Colombian singer is under investigation for the alleged evasion of 6.7 million euros ($7.2 million) in taxes on her 2018 income via an offshore company.

By EVELYNE MUSAMBI Associated Press NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenya’s President William Ruto has declared Friday a public holiday to mourn the 238 people who have died due to ongoing flooding. The president on Wednesday said the day will be observed by national tree planting activities to help mitigate the effects of climate change. Kenya, along

By BABA AHMED Associated Press BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Human Rights Watch says an extremist group linked to al-Qaida carried out mass killings in two villages in central Mali in January. The watchdog said in a report that the group known as JNIM killed at least 32 people, including three children, during attacks on Jan.

By ASHRAF KHALIL Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Police have begun to clear a Pro-Palestinian tent encampment at George Washington University, hours after dozens of protesters left the site and marched to President Ellen Granberg’s home. GW Hatchet, the university’s student-run newspaper, says officers gave a third and final warning to demonstrators at about 3:30

By NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press ROME (AP) — Italy’s aviation authority has barred humanitarian migrant rescue groups from using a Sicilian airport to launch search and rescue flights over the Mediterranean.An ordinance from ENAC’s western Sicilian office said the flights interfered with the Italian coast guard’s exclusive role in coordinating search and rescue efforts and

By COLLEEN LONG and SEUNG MIN KIM Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is racing into yet another battleground state. Biden on Wednesday is traveling to Racine, Wisconsin, where he’ll highlight a decision by Microsoft to build a $3.3 billion data center that is expected to create roughly 2,000 jobs. It’s also the

By SOPHENG CHEANG and DAVID RISING Associated Press PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia’s Defense Ministry is insisting that the months-long presence of two Chinese warships at a strategically important naval base that is being expanded with funding from Beijing does not constitute a permanent deployment of the Chinese military in the country. Questions had

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Europeans focus more on curbing immigration than on climate change and few of those interviewed across the globe consider climate to be among the top three priorities for their government. A study commissioned by the Alliance of Democracies Foundation, a Denmark-based think tank, says Germany was in the lead when it

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Taliban has rejected claims of Afghan involvement in recent attacks in Pakistan, calling it “irresponsible and far from the reality.” Pakistan’s military said Tuesday a suicide bombing that killed five Chinese engineers and a Pakistani driver in March was planned in neighboring Afghanistan and that the bomber was an Afghan citizen. Enayatullah Khawarazmi,

By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — A prominent Berlin politician has been violently assaulted and suffered injuries to her head and neck in the latest attack on elected officials that raises concern over rising political violence in Germany. Police say Frankziska Giffey, the city’s top economic official, a former mayor and an ex-federal

ISTANBUL (AP) — A cargo aircraft has made an emergency landing at Istanbul Airport after its front landing gear failed. A video on social media showed the Boeing 767 belonging to FedEx Express using the back landing gear and then dipping its nose with the front portion of the fuselage. State-run Anadolu Agency says the

By DUSAN STOJANOVIC and JOVANA GEC Associated Press BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Chinese leader Xi Jinping is set to meet Wednesday with Serbian officials and said he hopes his visit will open a new chapter in already friendly relations with the Balkan country, which is seeking entry to the European Union. Xi arrived in Serbia

By ELLIOT SPAGAT Associated Press BOULEVARD, Calif. (AP) — Mexico has begun requiring visas for Peruvians in response to a major influx of migrants from the South American country. The move follows identical ones for Venezuelans, Ecuadorians and Brazilians. It effectively eliminates the option of flying to a Mexican city near the U.S. border. U.S.

By CHRISTOPHER WEBER and KEN RITTER Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — A former top executive at Las Vegas Strip casinos will face a judge in Los Angeles and possible federal prison time after pleading guilty to violating federal anti-money laundering rules. Scott Sibella is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday in Los Angeles. Sibella

By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The California Supreme Court is expected to hear arguments about whether to remove a measure from the November ballot that would make it harder for the state and local governments to raise taxes. The measure is set to be considered Wednesday and would require all

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Disney has received a key approval to expand its Southern California theme parks in its first push to make major changes to its iconic Disneyland in decades. The Anaheim City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve the plan to transform Disney’s 490-acre campus by moving parking and redeveloping a massive lot

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s president says Russia has launched aerial attacks on energy facilities throughout Ukraine, targeting seven regions with more than 50 missiles as well as drones. Officials said the attacks Wednesday morning also damaged the railway station and tracks in the city of Kherson, across the Dnieper River from Russian-held territory, and

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares were mixed on Wednesday after U.S. stocks held relatively steady on Wall Street. U.S. futures and oil prices slipped, while the yen weakened further against the U.S. dollar. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 lost 1.6% to 38,202.37. Nintendo Co.’s share price sank 5.4% after the company’s

By KANIS LEUNG Associated Press HONG KONG (AP) — An appeals court has granted the Hong Kong government’s request to ban a protest song, overturning an earlier ruling and deepening concerns over the erosion of freedoms in the city. “Glory to Hong Kong” was often sung by demonstrators during the huge anti-government protests in 2019.

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Toyota has reported that its profit for the fiscal year that ended in March doubled over a year earlier, as strong vehicles sales and a favorable exchange rate lifted results for Japan’s top automaker. Toyota said Wednesday that its profit in the last fiscal year totaled

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military said Wednesday that it has reopened the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza, a key terminal for the entry of humanitarian aid that was closed nearly three days earlier after a Hamas rocket attack killed four Israeli soldiers nearby. An Israeli tank brigade seized the nearby Rafah crossing between Gaza

By The Associated Press Gaza’s vital Rafah crossing remained closed early Wednesday after an Israeli tank brigade seized it the day before. Associated Press journalists heard sporadic explosions and gunfire in the area overnight, including two large blasts early Wednesday. Rafah has been a vital conduit for humanitarian aid since the start of the war

By SYLVIE CORBET Associated Press MARSEILLE, France (AP) — Paris Games organizers are promising “fantastic” celebrations to welcome the Olympic torch in the southern city of Marseille. The arrival Wednesday of a majestic ship carrying the flame from Greece is expected to draw a huge crowd around Marseille’s Old Port, which is under high security.

By LISA LEFF Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Thousands of Taylor Swift fans are following her across the pond after missing out on her U.S. concert tour last year or being put off by marked-up ticket prices. Swift is kicking off the 18-city Europe leg of her Eras Tour on Thursday. The Paris arena where

By JAMIE STENGLE Associated Press DALLAS (AP) — The decision by Boy Scouts of America to rebrand after 114 years and become Scouting America marks another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change. With flagging membership numbers, the Texas-based organization is leaning into a more inclusive message as it emerges from a

By KONSTANTIN TESTORIDES Associated Press SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — Voters in North Macedonia are casting ballots in a parliamentary election and a presidential runoff. The issues dominating the election are the country’s path toward European Union membership, corruption and the economy. The center-right opposition is expected to win both the presidency and a parliamentary

By ED WHITE, ALEXA ST. JOHN and SEAN MURPHY Associated Press DETROIT (AP) — Severe storms have battered parts of the Midwest, unleashing a curtain of heavy rain, gusty winds and tornadoes in the region. Tuesday’s severe weather outbreak came a day after a deadly twister ripped through a small Oklahoma town and killed at

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Representatives from 22 Western Hemisphere countries gathered in Guatemala have renewed their commitment to continue offering legal pathways to enter their countries, to provide aid to communities most affected by migration and to coordinate their response to manage immigration flows. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken noted Tuesday that progress had

By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Paintbrush in hand, Anastasiya Sereda is working on a painting of a chubby-faced panda in the uniform of a Ukrainian soldier. Propped on her easel is the reason why – a photo of her boyfriend Bohdan, a burly serviceman with a gentle smile. “He looks like

By MORGAN LEE Associated Press ESPANOLA, N.M. (AP) — A settlement has been reached in a civil lawsuit seeking damages from a 23-year-old man and his parents in the shooting of a Native American activist in northern New Mexico amid confrontations about a statue of a Spanish conquistador and aborted plans to reinstall it in

By ANNIE MA Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The leaders of three large public school systems will appear before Congress to answer questions about how they have handled incidents of antisemitism on their school campuses. The witnesses scheduled to testify Wednesday before a House Education and Workforce subcommittee represent New York City Public Schools, the

By ROD McGUIRK Associated Press MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says China’s account blaming Australia for a dangerous clash between their military aircraft in international airspace over the Yellow Sea failed to undermine Australian objections. The Chinese and Australians lodged official protests and blamed each other for a Chinese warplane’s extraordinary

By JILL COLVIN, LISA MASCARO and ANDREW DeMILLO Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — As former President Donald Trump remains stuck in the courtroom listening to salacious details of an affair he denies, another spectacle is playing out in the background as his vice presidential tryouts get underway. The dynamic was on full display over

By CURT ANDERSON Associated Press ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The future of the Tampa Bay Rays is about to come into clearer focus as the St. Petersburg City Council begins discussions about the team’s planned $1.3 billion ballpark. The stadium would be the anchor of a much larger project to transform downtown with affordable

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — The trial has begun for a former University of Arizona graduate student accused of fatally shooting a professor in 2022 after he was banned from campus because of harassment complaints. A jury was seated Tuesday in Pima County Superior Court. Murad Dervish has been charged with seven felony charges including first-degree

By ELLEN KNICKMEYER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is due to deliver a first-of-its-kind formal verdict on whether Israel’s conduct of its war in Gaza complies with international and U.S. laws. The decision is due from the administration on Wednesday. However, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller has said that deadline may slip.

By EDITH M. LEDERER Associated Press UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Italy’s president says Russia’s invasion of Ukraine can’t be solved by rewarding its aggression and peace can only come when Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are restored. Sergio Mattarella told the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday that Italy and many international partners have come to

By EDNA TARIGAN and KRISTEN GELINEAU Associated Press MEULABOH, Indonesia (AP) — Huddled on board the boat, the 12-year-old girl quaked with fear. The captain and crew who she says had tortured her and three other women and girls were not finished. And the punishment for disobedience, the men warned, would be death. It was

JIM GOMEZ AND AARON FAVILA LAOAG, Philippines (AP) — Military force from the United States, Australian and the Philippines launched a barrage of high-precision rockets, artillery fire and airstrikes to sink a ship Wednesday as part of largescale war drills in waters facing the disputed South China Sea that have antagonized Beijing. Military officials and

By EDNA TARIGAN and KRISTEN GELINEAU Associated Press MEULABOH, Indonesia (AP) — The boat glided across waters that were dark and still, under a night sky that was cloudless and calm. But on board, the 12-year-old girl quaked with fear. The captain and crew who she says had tortured her and three other women and