Month: December 2024

Associated Press SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s federal police have arrested Gen. Walter Braga Netto, a member of former President Jair Bolsonaro’s Cabinet, in connection with an alleged coup plot,  the Supreme Court said in a statement. Braga Netto was formally accused by police in November, along with Bolsonaro and 35 other people, of a

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbia’s president says the United States plans to introduce sanctions against Serbia’s main gas supplier that is controlled by Russia. President Aleksandar Vucic told state RTS broadcaster on Saturday that Serbia has been officially informed that the decision on sanctions will come into force on Jan. 1 but that he has

Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — U.S. Marines have begun a partial transfer from Okinawa to Guam, 12 years after Japan and the United States agreed on their realignment to reduce the heavy burden of American troop presence on the southern Japanese island. The relocation began Saturday with 100 members of III Marine Expeditionary Force stationed

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — PEN America has condemned the arrest of Reza Khandan, Iranian activist and husband of leading human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh. Karin Deutsch Karlekar, Director of Writers at Risk at the literary and human rights organization demanded Khandan’s immediate release. The pro-reform Shagh Daily cited Mahmoud Behzadi Rad, an Iranian

AP Fashion Writer PARIS (AP) — The reopening of Notre Dame was a solemn celebration of cultural and spiritual renewal. Yet for some, the historic cathedral’s revival also felt like a meticulously choreographed branding event by LVMH and other luxury conglomerates. Bernard Arnault, the lowkey billionaire behind luxury powerhouse LVMH and a key Notre Dame

Associated Press A woman who accused rappers Jay-Z and Sean “Diddy” Combs of sexually assaulting her when she was 13 at an awards show after-party has acknowledged certain inconsistencies in her story, while her lawyer said he will continue to vet her claims. The unnamed woman described being driven from Rochester, New York, to New

NEW DELHI (AP) — A popular actor in southern India has been released from jail on bail, a day after he was arrested by police in connection with a stampede that led to the death of a woman at the premiere of his movie earlier this month. A local court on Friday ordered Allu Arjun

Associated Press BENGALURU, India (AP) — Despite two weeks of U.N.-sponsored talks in Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh, the participating 197 nations failed to agree on a plan to deal with global droughts, made longer and more severe by a warming climate. The biennial talks, known as COP 16 and organized by a UN body that deals

Associated Press TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Former soccer player Mikheil Kavelashvili became president of Georgia on Saturday, as the ruling party tightened its grip in what the opposition calls a blow to the country’s EU aspirations and a victory for former imperial ruler Russia. Kavelashvili, 53, who was the only candidate on the ballot, easily

Associated Press/Report for America TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A group of young people in Florida is suing the state agency that regulates public utilities in the hopes of forcing the state’s energy companies to transition toward renewable energy sources. The activists say they believe the Florida Public Service Commission’s continued reliance on fossil fuels is

Associated Press DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Some African Americans are among those are taking advantage of a new law in Benin that grants citizenship to those who can trace their lineage to the slave trade. It’s part of efforts by the West African nation to face up to the role it played. The coastal town

OCHOPEE, Fla. (AP) — Officials say two airboats collided with each other in southwest Florida, injuring more than a dozen people. News outlets reported that the crash Friday afternoon in Ochopee involved two airboats carrying a total of 33 people. Sixteen people were transported to hospitals. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is investigating

Associated Press OKAYA, Japan (AP) — Not long after dawn, Japanese sake brewer Mie Takahashi checks the temperature of the mixture fermenting at her family’s 150-year-old sake brewery, Koten, nestled in the foothills of the Japanese Alps. She stands on an uneven narrow wooden platform over a massive tank containing more than 3,000 liters (800

Associated Press WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Donald Trump is hosting Apple CEO Tim Cook for a Friday evening dinner at the president-elect’s Mar-a-Lago resort. That’s according to a person familiar with the matter who is not authorized to comment publicly. Trump has said he’s recently spoken with Cook about the company’s long-running tax

AP Science Writer The Geminids are among the few major meteor showers to come from asteroids. This year they peaked on Dec. 13 but will be visible until Dec. 21. The shower often produces meteors with a distinctly more yellow glow than other meteor showers that originate from comet debris. Under ideal viewing conditions, the

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — A 6.4 magnitude earthquake has shaken central Chile but there have been no immediate reports of damage and a tsunami had been ruled out. The United States Geological Survey said the quake occurred at 7:38 p.m. local time at a depth of 110 kilometers. Its epicenter was 41 kilometers east-southeast of

Associated Press HONOLULU (AP) — A 100-year-old survivor of the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor has died. Bob Fernandez died on Wednesday in Lodi, California, shortly after deteriorating health prompted him to skip a trip to Hawaii to attend a remembrance ceremony marking the 83rd anniversary of the attack that propelled the U.S. into World

Associated Press McALLEN, Texas (AP) — South Texas residents living on SpaceX property have formally petitioned Cameron County to become an incorporated city. The process would require an election to determine whether the area can become a recognized city. The property is located on the southern tip of Texas at Boca Chica Beach, near the

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A federal jury in Las Vegas has awarded more than $34 million to a woman who served more than 15 years in prison for a 2001 killing she did not commit. Kristin Lobato was arrested at age 18 and wrongly convicted twice. She is now 41 and uses the name Blaise.

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Walmart’s Mexico subsidiary says it plans to appeal a $4.6 million fine for alleged monopolistic practices involving suppliers. Walmart de Mexico said in a statement Friday that it had talked with suppliers to see if there were any concerns. Mexico’s anti-monopoly regulatory agency, which is soon to be eliminated, levied the

Associated Press A judge who helped orchestrate a scheme to send children to for-profit jails in exchange for kickbacks was among the 1,500 people whose sentences were commuted by President Joe Biden this week. Biden’s decision to commute the 17-year prison sentence of Michael Conahan angered many in northeastern Pennsylvania, from the governor to the

Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Senate Republicans are recommending that the state write laws banning transgender girls and women from participating in school and college sports. The recommendation on Friday sets the stage for action in the 2025 legislative session. Republican Lt. Gov. Burt Jones announced almost identical goals at the panel’s first meeting

Associated Press COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Former South Carolina Sen. Kay Patterson, who rose from cleaning offices at the segregated Statehouse to serving as a state legislator for over 30 years died Friday. He was 93. The South Carolina Democratic Party announced Patterson’s death saying he “left an indelible mark on our state. Senator Patterson