Month: December 2024

BEIJING (AP) — The Chinese government has placed sanctions on seven companies in response to recent U.S. announcements of military sales and aid to Taiwan, the self-governing island that China claims as part of its territory. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Friday that the sanctions also come in response to the recent approval of the

Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Years before Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Malcolm Koonce was born, his father spent time in prison for an armed robbery conviction that prosecutors now say was tainted by a detective’s lies and “highly suggestive” photo identification techniques. Jeffrey Koonce, now 67, had his conviction vacated and his indictment

Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Osamu Suzuki, the charismatic former boss of Suzuki Motor Corp. who helped turn the Japanese mini-vehicle maker into a globally competitive company, has died, the company said Friday. He was 94. Suzuki was known for his candid remarks and friendliness, calling himself an “old guy from a small to mid-size

Gaza’s Health Ministry says Israeli soldiers stormed and burned a hospital after forcibly removing staff and patients. The Israeli military said Friday the hospital in northern Gaza was being used by Hamas fighters as a base, although it did not provide evidence. Last week, the medical aid group Doctors Without Borders accused Israel of systematically

Associated Press FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Friday ordered parliament dissolved and set new elections for Feb. 23 in the wake of the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition, saying it was the only way to give the country a stable government capable of tackling its problems. Scholz lost a confidence

Associated Press NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights has raised concerns over the rising number of government critics who were apparently abducted, as four people were reported missing over the weekend. That brings the total number of abductions to 82 since the anti-government protests in June. Four social media users

Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s opposition-controlled National Assembly has voted to impeach acting President Han Duck-soo. The assembly approved the impeachment motion in a 192-0 vote on Friday. Governing party lawmakers boycotted the vote. Han, who is also prime minister, had been acting leader after President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached

DALLAS (AP) — Parts of Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas were under severe weather watches early Friday as the National Weather Service predicted a storm system in the Gulf of Mexico could bring high winds, hail and possible tornadoes to the region. “Heavy showers and thunderstorms continue to race across Louisiana and the Gulf waters at

Associated Press FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (AP) — Sierra Leone’s brutal civil war from 1991-2002 created about 28,000 amputees. Now many live on the streets and beg, facing discrimination. They are often regarded as a shameful reminder of the war. One initiative is tackling this by training amputees to farm and strengthen their independence. Despite its

Associated Press Artificial intelligence. Abortion. Guns. Marijuana. Minimum wages. Name a hot topic, and chances are good there’s a new law about it taking effect in 2025 in one state or another. Many of the laws launching in January are a result of legislation passed this year. Others stem from ballot measures approved by voters.

Associated Press ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — Croatia’s left-leaning president, an outspoken critic of Western military support for Ukraine in its war against Russia, is running for reelection this weekend against an array of contenders, including the candidate backed by the conservative government. President Zoran Milanović is seen as a favorite ahead of the presidential election

Associated Press Scientists say human-caused climate change added an average of 41 days of dangerous heat worldwide in 2024. The analysis from World Weather Attribution and Climate Central comes after a year likely to be the world’s hottest on record. The heat scorched everywhere from cities in North America to West Africa to the Acropolis

Associated Press MIAMI (AP) — Florida condominium owners are looking at higher costs from condo associations in the new year. That’s a consequence of a Florida condo safety law passed by state lawmakers in 2022. It requires condo associations to have sufficient reserves to cover major repairs and to conduct a survey of reserves every

Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — The man accused of burning a sleeping woman to death inside a New York City subway train has been indicted on murder and arson charges, prosecutors announced Friday, as authorities continue working to identify the victim. Sebastian Zapeta is accused by prosecutors of lighting the woman on fire on

Associated Press Remember this moment because it probably won’t last: A U.S. lottery jackpot soared above $1 billion, and that’s still a big deal. After three months without anyone winning the top prize, a ticket worth an estimated $1.22 billion was sold in California for the drawing Friday night. The high number evoked headlines and

Associated Press BANGKOK (AP) — China launched a new amphibious assault ship Friday, capable of launching fighter jets and designed to strengthen the navy’s combat ability in distant seas. The Sichuan, the first ship of the 076 type, is China’s largest such ship yet, displacing 40,000 tons and equipped with an electromagnetic catapult which will

Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — The Japanese Cabinet has approved a record 8.7 trillion yen ($55 billion) defense budget plan for 2025 as Japan accelerates building up its strike-back capability with long-range cruise missiles and starts deploying Tomahawks to further fortify the country against growing threat from China, North Korea and Russia. The Cabinet-endorsed draft

Associated Press BANGKOK (AP) — China’s leader Xi Jinping wants the recent spree of mass killings that shocked the country not to happen again. He ordered local governments to prevent future “extreme cases.” The attacks, where drivers mow down people on foot or knife-wielding assailants stab multiple victims, are not new in China, but the

Associated Press GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador (AP) — A probe into the military’s role in the disappearance of four children in Ecuador this month was delayed for almost two weeks, even though police had access to surveillance videos implicating soldiers in the disappearance. The children went missing on Dec. 8 in the coastal city of Guayaquil after

Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Richard Parsons, one of corporate America’s most prominent Black executives who held top posts at Time Warner and Citigroup, has died. He was 76. Parsons died Thursday at his Manhattan home. He was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2015 and cited “unanticipated complications” from the disease for cutting back

AP Health Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration is proposing a rule that cosmetic companies would have to take extra steps to ensure that any products containing talc are free of asbestos. The rule was proposed Thursday and is intended to reassure consumers about the safety of makeup, baby powder and other

Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez asked a federal judge on Thursday to delay his end-of-January sentencing on bribery charges and acting as an agent of the Egyptian government, saying his family would suffer a “tremendous emotional toll” if the New Jersey Democrat were sentenced during his wife’s trial. His

Associated Press HOMS, Syria (AP) — Syria’s new security forces checked IDs and searched cars in the central city of Homs on Thursday, a day after protests by members of the Alawite minority erupted in gunfire and stirred fears that the country’s fragile peace could break down. A tense calm prevailed after checkpoints were set

AP Sports Writer Two sailors on separate boats have died in boom accidents two hours apart on a storm-ravaged first night of the annual Sydney to Hobart race, adding to the event’s long history of deaths at sea. The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in Sydney, which administers the yacht race, said Friday that one