Month: December 2024

Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s military intelligence agency and the Pentagon said Monday that some North Korean troops have been killed during combat against Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk border region. These are the first reported casualties since the U.S. and Ukraine announced that North Korea had sent 10,000 to 12,000 troops to

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s government has approved the sale of Royal Mail’s parent company to a Czech billionaire, paving the way for the postal service to pass into foreign ownership for the first time in its 500-year history. Authorities confirmed Monday that the 3.6 billion-pound ($4.6 billion) takeover of Royal Mail’s owner, International Distribution Services,

Associated Press BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Amnesty International says Serbia’s secret service and police have been spying on journalists and opposition activists by installing spyware on their mobile phones. The report published Monday is backed by testimonies of those who claim their phones have been hacked in recent months. Amnesty says the spy software was

Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union nations have set out conditions for lifting sanctions on Syria. They want guarantees from Syria’s new leaders that they are preparing for a peaceful political future where extremism and former allies Russia and Iran can play no role. The new leadership has yet to lay out a clear

Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s biggest bank has apologized after an employee allegedly stole more than 1 billion yen ($6.6 million) from customers’ safe deposit boxes. The bank, MUFG, said Monday that it was investigating and that “several billion yen” might have been taken. The thefts occurred at two Tokyo branches of the bank,

PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Kosovo’s Special Prosecutor’s Office has summoned Prime Minister Albin Kurti to testify in a case that remains unclear, with his supporters saying it’s a politically driven move as the country gears up for election. According to the spokeswoman for the prosecutor’s office, Kurti was on a trip abroad Monday and that

MILAN (AP) — A major rescue operation is underway in a cave northeast of the Italian city of Bergamo to free a woman who was injured in a fall and became trapped while exploring with eight other people. Ottavia Piana, 32,  remained blocked deep inside the Bueno Fonteno cave, where the temperatures were ranging from

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has signed a proclamation establishing a national monument honoring the late FDR-era Labor Secretary Frances Perkins. Perkins was the first woman to serve in a presidential Cabinet and was a driving force behind Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal programs that followed the Great Depression. Biden made the

Associated Press LONDON (AP) — The archbishop who is due to take temporary charge of the Church of England is facing calls to resign over his handling of the case of a priest accused of sexual misconduct. The BBC reported Monday that Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell let a priest remain in his post despite

NEW DELHI (AP) — Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake was hosted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his first overseas visit since assuming office that focused on shoring up ties as concerns grew over China’s influence in the region. Modi said Monday that India and Sri Lanka will establish electricity grid connectivity and

Associated Press DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — More than 45,000 Palestinians have now been killed in the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas militants, health officials in the embattled territory said Monday, as often-stalled ceasefire negotiations appeared to be gaining ground. Qatar, Egypt and the United States have renewed efforts to broker a

AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans hoping for lower borrowing costs for homes, credit cards and cars may be disappointed after this week’s Federal Reserve meeting. The Fed’s policymakers are likely to signal fewer interest rate cuts next year than were previously expected. The officials are set to reduce their benchmark rate, which affects

Ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad says he had no plans to leave the country after the fall of Damascus a week ago but the Russian military evacuated him from their base in western Syria after it came under attack. “I did not leave the country as part of a plan as it was reported earlier,”

Associated Press SIHANOUKVILLE, Cambodia (AP) — A U.S. Navy warship has arrived in Cambodia, the first such visit in eight years to a nation that is China’s close ally in Southeast Asia. Cambodia’s government has suggested the port call reflects an upgrade in often-strained relations. The USS Savannah, carrying a crew of about 100, docked

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Officials say Pakistan has begun its last nationwide vaccination campaign for the year to protect 45 million children from polio after a surge in new cases hampered efforts to stop the disease. Since January, Pakistan has reported 63 confirmed cases of polio.  The prime minister’s adviser for the polio eradication program said

AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes drifted amid mixed trading Monday, ahead of this week’s upcoming meeting by the Federal Reserve that could set Wall Street’s direction into next year. The S&P 500 rose 0.4%, coming off its first losing week in the last four. The Nasdaq composite climbed 1.2% to

TORONTO (AP) — Canada Post said operations will resume at the national postal service on Tuesday after the nearly monthlong work stoppage. Workers went on strike after failing to reach a negotiated agreement over key issues, including wages and job security. The labor minister announced Friday referring the dispute to an independent administrative tribunal that

Associated Press BOISE, Idaho (AP) — For decades, a little-known Christian sect has dealt with its abusive ministers and spiritual elders mostly in secret, shunning legal action in favor of urging victims to forgive the predators in their midst. Forgiveness, however, was far from a cure: The abusers were often sent to live with other

AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — Chinese retail sales slowed in November and housing prices fell, with demand still lackluster despite a flurry of stimulus measures over the past few months. The government reported Monday that retail sales rose 3% year-on-year, down from 4.8% in October, as s consumers refrained from splashing out on non-essentials

Associated Press BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Nearly every detail about the religious group Lisa Webb’s family belonged to was hidden from the outside world. Its followers met in homes rather than churches. Its leadership structure was hard to discern, its finances opaque. It didn’t even have an official name. But for decades, no secret was

Associated Press CHICAGO (AP) — Ismael El-Amin was driving his daughter to school when a chance encounter gave him an idea for a new way to carpool. On the way across Chicago, El-Amin’s daughter spotted a classmate riding with her own dad as they drove to their selective public school on the city’s North Side.

Associated Press HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The new year will usher in the bitcoin-friendly administration of President-elect Donald Trump and an expanding lobbying effort in statehouses that, together, could push states to become more open to crypto and for public pension funds and treasuries to buy into it. Proponents of the uniquely volatile commodity argue

Associated Press MILAN (AP) — Shoppers laden with bags from Fendi, Loewe, Prada and other designer labels clog the narrow sidewalks of Milan’s swankiest shopping street, bringing joy to the purveyors of high-end luxury goods this, and every, holiday season. There’s even more to celebrate this year: a commercial real estate company has crowned Via

Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — A former FBI informant pleaded guilty on Monday to lying about a phony bribery scheme involving President Joe Biden and his son Hunter that became central to the Republican impeachment inquiry in Congress. Alexander Smirnov entered his plea to a felony charge in connection with the bogus story, along

Associated Press SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras (AP) — As dozens of deported migrants pack into a sweltering airport facility in San Pedro Sula, Norma sits under fluorescent lights clutching a foam cup of coffee and a small plate of eggs – all that was waiting for her in Honduras. The 69-year-old Honduran mother had never

Associated Press NEW DELHI (AP) — Zakir Hussain, one of India’s most accomplished classical musicians who defied genres and introduced tabla to global audiences, died on Sunday. He was 73. The Indian classical music icon died from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a chronic lung disease, at a hospital in San Francisco, his family said in a

Associated Press YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A Filipina who was on death row in Indonesia and was nearly executed by firing squad in 2015 will return home this week under an arrangement between the countries. Mary Jane Veloso, who spent almost 15 years in an Indonesian prison for drug trafficking, won a last-minute reprieve that

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday thanked deep-pocketed Democratic donors who raised record sums in last month’s election loss to President-elect Donald Trump and urged them not to lose hope and to remain politically engaged. Biden and Harris, along with their spouses, in remarks at the

Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol dodged requests by investigative agencies to appear for questioning over his short-lived martial law decree, as the Constitutional Court began its first meeting Monday on Yoon’s case to determine whether to formally unseat or reinstate him. A joint investigative team involving

AP Sports Writer A French league soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon was briefly interrupted Sunday because of homophobic chanting by PSG fans. Referee Benoît Bastien stopped play in the 53rd minute at the Parc des Princes with host PSG leading 2-1 after the chants were heard. PSG captain Achraf Hakimi approached fans in

Associated Press SERREKUNDA, Gambia (AP) — West Africa’s regional bloc ECOWAS has approved setting up a special court Sunday to try crimes committed in Gambia during its military dictatorship. The landmark decision was announced at the summit of regional heads of state in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja .The court will cover alleged crimes committed under military

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The California Department of Motor Vehicles has apologized for an “unacceptable and disturbing” personalized truck license plate that the agency said displayed hate speech related to the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. But a relative of the vehicle’s owner said the whole controversy was an unfortunate misunderstanding. A photo posted on

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — Jamie Foxx required stitches after getting hit in the face with a glass while celebrating his birthday at a restaurant in Beverly Hills, California, a representative for the actor told the Los Angeles Times. It wasn’t immediately clear what prompted the incident Friday night at the celebrity hotspot Mr. Chow.

AP Basketball Writer LAS VEGAS (AP) — Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers has heard and seen enough. He’s convinced there will be an NBA team in Las Vegas. It’s no secret that when NBA expansion happens — nobody has revealed exactly when that will be — Las Vegas will be at the front of the list

HOUSTON (AP) — Police in Houston say two teens were killed and four were injured — including a 13-year-old girl — in a shooting at a makeshift club. Assistant Chief Luis Menendez-Sierra says that officers arriving at the site late Saturday night found “a very hectic scene” with “a large crowd of people running out