AP National

AP National Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Did you have a “Brat summer” this year? Were you “demure,” and were you “mindful”? Did you enter a celebrity look-alike contest? All these were pop culture trends that emerged in 2024. But most of all, it seemed the theme was escapism. Whether it was the yellow brick

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has ducked questions on his decision to break his word and pardon his son Hunter, ignoring calls for him to explain his reversal as he was making his first presidential trip to Angola. Dismissing shouted questions Tuesday with a laugh, Biden said to the Angolan delegation: “Welcome

BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn on Tuesday presided over a parade that saw the queen lead hundreds of military personnel in honor of his 72nd birthday. It was the first such ceremony in Bangkok’s vast Royal Plaza in 16 years. Birthdays celebrated in 12-year cycles are considered especially auspicious in Thai culture. The

Associated Press BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — TikTok took down several networks allegedly trying to meddle in Romania’s elections, executives said Tuesday as they defended the company’s election integrity measures to European Union lawmakers. The video-sharing platform is a focus of controversy in the Eastern European country after far-right outsider Calin Georgescu emerged as the frontrunner

Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Japan has dispatched a surveillance plane and a navy ship after spotting a Russian submarine off the coast of a southwestern island near Taiwan. The Japanese Joint Staff said the Russian Kilo-class submarine was sighted 31 miles south of Yonaguni Island, Japan’s westernmost territory. It said Tuesday that there was

AP Music Writer NEW YORK (AP) — “Not Like Us,” but people sure like him: Kendrick Lamar’s smash topped Apple Music’s global song chart in 2024 as the giant music streamer released year-end lists Tuesday and provided listeners with data on their own most listened-to tunes. “Not Like Us” is Lamar’s first-ever No. 1 on

Associated Press CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — South African President Cyril Ramaphosa says the Group of 20 bloc has sufficient “shock absorbers” to function effectively if a Donald Trump administration promotes an America First policy at the expense of international cooperation. South Africa assumed the rotational leadership of the group of the world’s leading

Associated Press PALMIRA, Colombia (AP) — It’s been three years since Douarleyka Velásquez abandoned her career in human resources. Her new job is not what she had planned for, but still feels rewarding. As a cleaning supervisor at a migrant shelter in Colombia, she gets to comfort Venezuelans who, just like herself, fled their homes

Associated Press GOMA, Congo (AP) — Fighting between the Congolese army and the M23 rebel group has resumed in eastern Congo ahead of potential mediation talks. The army said in a statement it inflicted heavy losses on the rebels in North Kivu province while a rebel spokesperson said the group was also attacked by the

Associated Press HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — A Zimbabwean High Court judge has ruled that provisions of a law that deny abortion services to women raped by their husbands and girls under the age of 18 are unconstitutional. The ruling is significant, given Zimbabwe’s restrictive abortion laws. In his ruling, Judge Maxwell Takuva ruled that because

AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — China announced Tuesday it is banning exports to the United States of gallium, germanium, antimony and other key high-tech materials with potential military applications, as a general principle, lashing back at U.S. limits on semiconductor-related exports. The Chinese Commerce Ministry announced the move after the Washington expanded its list

Associated Press DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — A court in Bangladesh has rescheduled a bail hearing for a prominent Hindu leader who was detained after leading large rallies in the Muslim-majority country demanding better security for minority groups. It comes as tensions spiked following reports of the desecration of the Indian flag across Bangladesh. Krishna Das

Associated Press BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian opposition activists say insurgents have captured four new towns, bringing them closer to the central city of Hama. Meanwhile, government forces retook some territory they lost last week. The latest push is part of a wide offensive by forces opposed to Syrian President Bashar Assad that over the past

Associated Press JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — The remaining five Australians from the Bali Nine group who are serving life sentences for drug smuggling in Indonesia could be repatriated home this month as Indonesia and Australia put finishing touches on a draft proposal for their transfer. The Indonesian government is awaiting Australia’s response to key points

Associated Press PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Thirteen women from the Philippines have been convicted on human trafficking-related charges for acting as surrogates in Cambodia for a ring selling babies to foreigners for cash. They were each sentenced Monday to four years in prison after being found guilty of selling, buying or exchanging a person

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iranian media say authorities have released a government critic and popular hip-hop artist who came to fame over his lyrics about the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini. Toomaj Salehi spent a little over a year in jail and faced a death sentence which was overturned in June. Iranian newspapers

Associated Press KOTA BARU, Malaysia (AP) — Severe floods caused by monsoon rains have killed more than 30 people and displaced tens of thousands in Malaysia and southern Thailand, with both countries preparing shelters and evacuation plans in anticipation of more heavy rain. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says five days of heavy rain that

Associated Press BONNE TERRE, Mo. (AP) — Rowan Ford knew Christopher Collings as “Uncle Chris” after he spent several months living with her family. On Tuesday, Collings was executed for sexually assaulting and killing the child, then dumping her body in a sinkhole outside a small Missouri town. Collings, 49, was put to death with

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A federal appeals court on Monday ruled that most of Idaho’s first-in-the-nation law that makes it illegal to help minors get an abortion without the consent of their parents can take effect while a lawsuit challenging its constitutionality continues. The decision by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the

Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump will attend the reopening celebration for Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris this weekend, his first foreign trip since the election. The cathedral is set to reopen Saturday after more than five years of reconstruction following a devastating fire in 2019 that engulfed and nearly destroyed the

Associated Press The U.S. Postal Service says nearly 100% of completed mail ballots were returned to election offices within a week during this year’s presidential contest. That’s despite hurricanes, some misdirected election mail and delivery concerns raised by state officials. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said postal workers processed more than 99 million general election ballots.

Associated Press BOSTON (AP) — A judge has set a date of Oct. 20, 2025, for the trial of a Massachusetts man charged with killing his wife. Brian Walshe faces first-degree murder and other charges in the death of his Ana Walshe whose body has never been recovered. He’s pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Matías Tarnopolsky will become president and CEO of the New York Philharmonic on Jan. 1, after six years heading the Philadelphia Orchestra. Tarnopolsky has a long friendship with incoming music director Gustavo Dudamel The 54-year-old, who has American, British and Argentine citizenship, fills a void created when Gary Ginstling

Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina legislative Republicans are closing in on enacting a measure that would erode powers of the incoming governor and other statewide Democratic officials who got elected last month. The GOP-dominated state Senate voted successfully on Monday to override Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of a bill. The bill

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has named billionaire investment banker Warren Stephens as his envoy to Britain, a prestigious posting for the Republican donor whose contributions this year included $2 million to a Trump-backing super PAC. Trump, in a post on his Truth Social site Monday evening, announced he was selecting Stephens to be

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (AP) — The Inter-American Court of Human Rights has ruled that the Venezuelan government violated the political rights of former opposition presidential candidate Henrique Capriles. The court, based in Costa Rica’s capital, said in a statement that the government violated his freedom of expression, his right to equality under the law

Associated Press BEIRUT (AP) — Syria’s long civil war has reclaimed global attention after insurgents seized most of its largest city and dozens of nearby towns and villages. The stunning advance on Aleppo by rebel forces came as several key players in the conflict have been distracted or weakened, triggering the heaviest clashes since a

AP Basketball Writer TCU has grabbed its best ranking ever in The Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll on Monday after a convincing win over Notre Dame as the rankings got a shakeup following a holiday tournament week marked by key losses. The Horned Frogs climbed eight spots to No. 9, the first time

Associated Press TORONTO (AP) — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Donald Trump that Americans would also suffer if the president-elect follows through on a plan to impose sweeping tariffs on Canadian products, a Canadian minister who attended their recent dinner said Monday. Trump threatened to impose tariffs on products from Canada and Mexico if they

AP Sports Writer PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Rocky Balboa fans are ready to go the distance — by bus, by ice skates, by 72 steps — to honor Philly’s favorite fictional fighter almost 50 years after the first movie launched the enduring series of an underdog boxer persevering despite the odds. Yo, Adrian, Philly finally did

AP Basketball Writer Kansas held off Auburn for the No. 1 ranking in The Associated Press Top 25 men’s college basketball poll on Monday as Southeastern Conference teams grabbed three of the top four spots and two-time reigning national champion UConn nearly fell out entirely after an 0-3 week at the Maui Invitational. The Jayhawks

Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Republicans are suing to try to force a rerun of a state House race where the incumbent Democrat won by 14 votes but investigators concluded that election workers probably destroyed 20 valid absentee ballots after failing to count them. It’s a race that could determine the balance of power

Associated Press MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin public worker and teachers unions have scored a major legal victory with a ruling that restores collective bargaining rights they lost under a 2011 state law. That law effectively ended the ability of most public employees to bargain for wage increases and other issues and forced them to

AP Technology Writer Antitrust enforcers with the Federal Trade Commission have opened a wide-ranging investigation into Microsoft’s business practices, starting off a big legal project that an incoming Trump administration must take up or abandon. The FTC is investigating Microsoft’s cloud computing business and related product lines such as artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, according to

AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — A top Federal Reserve official said Monday that he is leaning toward supporting an interest rate cut when the Fed meets in two weeks but that evidence of persistent inflation before then could cause him to change that view. Speaking at George Washington University, Christopher Waller, a key member

Associated Press PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The FBI says it is offering a reward of up to $15,000 for information leading to the return of a northern Maine teenager whose disappearance earlier in the fall has attracted international attention. Fourteen-year-old Stefanie Damron of New Sweden, Maine, was reported missing by her family on Sept. 24,

Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is demanding the immediate release of Israeli hostages still being held in Gaza, saying that if they are not freed before he is sworn into office for a second term there will be “HELL TO PAY.” “Please let this TRUTH serve to represent that if the

Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — The creator of the widely debunked film “2000 Mules” has issued a statement saying “inaccurate information” was provided to him about ballot box surveillance videos featured in the film. He also apologized to a Georgia man seen in one of those videos and falsely accused of ballot fraud during the

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The ACC has fined N.C. State, North Carolina, Virginia and Virginia Tech for scuffles during their rivalry games. The league announced the penalties Monday, although it did not disclose the amount of the fines. It said the amounts would be the maximum allowed by league bylaws. The Wolfpack and Tar Heels

Associated Press DETROIT (AP) — A program that provides federal funds to groups in Detroit working to cut down the numbers of homicides and shootings is showing reductions of 83%, 73% and 61% in some of the city’s most violent areas. The city says the numbers come as Detroit is on pace to continue setting

AP Entertainment Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The Golden Globes are raising a glass to former “Cheers” star Ted Danson by naming him the Carol Burnett Award honoree for 2025. Danson, a three-time Globes winner, has been a fixture on TV since he broke out as Boston bartender Sam Malone on NBC’s comedy “Cheers.” His

Associated Press PARIS (AP) — French Prime Minister Michel Barnier is bracing for a no-confidence vote this week, a political reckoning poised to topple his fragile government and send shockwaves across the eurozone. Barnier on Monday invoked a rarely used constitutional mechanism to push through the contentious 2025 budget without parliamentary approval, arguing it was

HONOLULU (AP) — Authorities say a Hawaii crime boss who was convicted of racketeering charges last summer has died in prison. The Bureau of Prisons said in a news release Monday that 50-year-old Michael Miske was found unresponsive Sunday morning at the Federal Detention Center Honolulu and that life-saving efforts failed to save him. His

Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — Already reeling from their November defeats, Democrats now are grappling with President Joe Biden’s pardoning of his son for federal crimes after the party spent years slamming Donald Trump as a threat to democracy who disregarded the law. The president pardoned Hunter Biden late Sunday evening, reversing his previous pledges

Associated Press BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — A top Romanian court has validated the first round of a presidential race in which a far-right outsider emerged as the frontrunner, plunging the country into a week of turmoil amid allegations of electoral violations and Russian meddling. The Constitutional Court’s decision Monday came after it asked the Central

DAUPHIN ISLAND, Ala. (AP) — The Coast Guard recovered the bodies of two boaters off the Alabama coast but suspended the search for a missing 7-year-old boy after combing the area over the weekend. Searchers were unable to find Hunter Slezak. He was on a boat that went missing Friday. Searchers on Saturday found a

Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — A critically endangered species of leopard has died at age 21 in a Southern California zoo. Officials at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert say Amur leopard Zoya died of old age last Tuesday after over a decade there. She was one of the oldest leopards

Associated Press TAPACHULA, Mexico (AP) — A small migrant caravan has set out from southern Mexico, heading north, but is unlikely to reach the U.S. border after authorities broke up two other small caravans headed to the United States over the weekend. About 1,500 migrants — mostly from Venezuela, Cuba, Haiti, Colombia, Guatemala and Honduras

Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Established nonprofits, everyday individuals and mutual aid groups all want your dollars to make a difference. But with so many worthy causes and the rise of new giving technologies, how should you donate? The choices can be immobilizing. Many value conventional charities. But others like to crowdfund by pooling

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombian officials said Monday that most of the victims of a bus crash in Southern France, in which two people were killed and dozens were injured, are citizens of the South American country, who reside in Spain. Colombia’s Ambassador to France,  Alfonso Prada, said the bus that crashed on Sunday evening

BANGOR, Maine (AP) — Stephen King’s rock ‘n’ roll radio station is going silent at year’s end. King, a 77-year-old rocker who used to perform with the Rock Bottom Remainders, a band that featured literary icons, said Monday that it’s time to say farewell to his rock station and two others that have been bleeding

Associated Press KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — A military spokesperson says at least 10 people were killed and an unspecified number of others were abducted in eastern Congo by extremist rebels linked to the Islamic State group. He says the rebels with the Allied Democratic Forces, an IS-affiliate in the region, attacked the area of Batangi-Mbau

TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Georgia is convulsed by political upheaval again after its pro-Moscow government, fresh off parliamentary elections denounced as rigged by its critics, decided to suspend negotiations for the small former Soviet republic to join the European Union. The small but ancient Caucasus country has long inhabited a crossroads between Slavic, Turkish and

Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Ireland’s election is over but the country faces weeks of coalition talks before it gets a new government. With all seats filled in the 174-seat legislature on Monday, center-right party Fianna Fail had won 48 seats and fellow center-right party Fine Gael 38. The two parties will now hold talks

Associated Press SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — A Georgia judge has thrown out a lawsuit challenging a Savannah city ordinance that imposes fines or even jail time for people who leave guns in unlocked cars. Chatham County Superior Court Judge Benjamin Karpf dismissed the case Nov. 22. He ruled that Georgia gun owner Clarence Belt lacked