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Georgia’s governing party picks former soccer player as presidential candidate

Associated Press TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Georgia’s governing party has picked a former soccer player as its candidate for president following a disputed victory in last month’s parliamentary election that has sparked protests and led to an opposition boycott of parliament. The Georgian Dream party on Wednesday nominated Mikheil Kavelashvili, a 53-year old former national

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Wall Street eyes M&A revival if new Trump administration ushers in lower rates, looser scrutiny

AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street is betting corporate dealmaking could bounce back next year if the new Trump administration ushers in lower interest rates and looser regulatory scrutiny. Mergers and acquisitions have been falling ever since 2021, when the global economy reopened and pent-up demand was released. That could change thanks

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WHO Africa director-elect dies while receiving treatment in India

ARUSHA, Tanzania (AP) — The World Health Organization’s regional director-elect for Africa has died while receiving medical treatment in India. Plans to repatriate the body of Tanzania’s Dr. Faustine Ndugulile, 55, were underway, parliament speaker Tulia Ackson said on Wednesday. She didn’t disclose Ndugulile’s ailment. He was elected as the WHO’s African director in August

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Pakistan ends lockdown of its capital after Imran Khan supporters are dispersed by police

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Authorities reopened roads linking Pakistan’s capital with the rest of the country, ending a four-day lockdown, on Wednesday after using tear gas and firing into the air to disperse supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan who marched to Islamabad to demand his release from prison. “All roads are being reopened,

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After fast start, electric cars need a recharge as range limits, cost leave some drivers skeptical

Associated Press DETROIT (AP) — While sales of electric vehicles surge in China, the spread of more environmentally friendly vehicles is stumbling in the United States and Europe as carmakers and governments struggle to meet years-old promises about affordability and charging stations. And consumers worried more about price and practicality are holding back where first-adopter

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Philippine police file criminal complaints against Sara Duterte and her security aides

Associated Press MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine police officials have filed criminal complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte and her security staff for allegedly assaulting authorities and disobeying orders in a recent altercation in Congress. The criminal complaints filed by the Quezon City police Wednesday are separate from legal action that may arise after she

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Namibia votes and could have its first female leader. But election upsets have shaken the region

WINDHOEK, Namibia (AP) — A woman who joined Namibia’s independence movement in the 1970s is a strong contender to become its first female leader as the country votes in a presidential election. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is the current vice president and the ruling SWAPO party’s candidate for president. She already leads after the results of special

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One person is dead and 13 are hurt after a bus carrying foreign tourists crashed in New Zealand

Associated Press WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — One person is dead and 13 others were rushed to New Zealand hospitals after a bus carrying international tourists collided with two other vehicles on a rural highway on Wednesday, emergency services said. The ambulance service said two people were in a critical condition and four others seriously

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Middle East latest: Displaced people return to south Lebanon as ceasefire appears to hold

Long-displaced residents of south Lebanon have started returning to their homes after a ceasefire between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group took effect early Wednesday morning. The ceasefire has brought relief across the Mediterranean nation, coming after days of some of the most intense airstrikes and clashes since the war began, though many wondered if

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Democrats in Pennsylvania had a horrible 2024 election. They say it’s still a swing state

Associated Press HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The drubbing Democrats took in Pennsylvania has prompted vows to rebound. But there are also lingering doubts about whether it might be leaving the ranks of swing states for a right-leaning existence more like Ohio’s. Democrats in Pennsylvania lost its 19 presidential electoral votes, a U.S. Senate seat, three

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Conservatives love him. Liberals disdain him. For residents of Maine town, it’s more complicated

Associated Press NORTHEAST HARBOR, Maine (AP) — When Donald Trump was elected president earlier this month, Caroline Pryor’s mind turned immediately to the man who lives down the road — Leonard Leo. Few people in America have done more to advance conservative causes than Leo. Years ago, the then-unknown conservative lawyer began executing a plan

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Trump picks Jay Bhattacharya, who backed COVID herd immunity, to lead National Institutes of Health

Associated Press President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to lead the National Institutes of Health. Bhattacharya is a physician and professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, and is a critic of pandemic lockdowns and vaccine mandates. He promoted the idea of herd immunity during the pandemic, arguing that people at low risk

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Turkey reportedly arrested suspects in Israeli-Moldovan rabbi’s killing in UAE as they left airport

Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Turkish security forces reportedly arrested the three Uzbek suspects in the killing of a rabbi in the United Arab Emirates as they left an airport in Istanbul. That’s according to Turkish media reports on Wednesday. The arrests in Turkey of the three Uzbeks suspected of killing Israeli-Moldovan

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Colombia to require visas for British citizens in response to UK visa restrictions

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro says that his country will impose visa requirements on British citizens. The announcement Tuesday comes after the United Kingdom removed Colombia from a list of countries whose nationals can visit Britain without tourist visas. Earlier on Tuesday, the United Kingdom announced that Colombian citizens will no longer

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Trump team says Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire deal brokered by Biden is actually Trump’s win

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration kept President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration closely apprised of its efforts to broker the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah that took effect early Wednesday, according to the outgoing Democratic administration. Trump’s team, meanwhile, was quick to spike the football and claim credit for the rare spot

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A second Massachusetts community reaches a deal with striking teachers

Associated Press BOSTON (AP) — A second Massachusetts community has reached a deal with its striking teachers union, leaving just one city left to hammer out a final agreement. The Marblehead School Committee and the Marblehead Education Association announced Tuesday that they’ve reached tentative agreements, and employees will be returning to work and schools will

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Nebraska judge’s ruling moves the state closer to legalizing medical marijuana

Associated Press OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska has moved closer to allowing medical marijuana. Lancaster County District Judge Susan Strong ruled Tuesday that there weren’t enough questionable signatures to invalidate the petitions that put the question before voters. The decision was a victory for advocates of medical marijuana. Opponents are likely to appeal it to

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Cheap Ozempic? How millions of Americans with obesity may get access to costly weight-loss drugs

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Millions of obese Americans would get access to popular weekly injectables that would help them shed pounds quickly if a $ 35 billion proposal from the Biden administration is blessed by President-elect Donald Trump. The rule, unveiled Tuesday by the Health and Human Services Department, would require Medicare and Medicaid

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Tim Walz accepts turkey presentation as he eases back into his duties as Minnesota’s governor

Associated Press ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Tim Walz has accepted the symbolic presentation of a turkey as he eases back into his duties as Minnesota’s governor following the Harris-Walz ticket’s defeat in the presidential election. Unlike the Minnesota-grown turkeys that President Joe Biden pardoned at the White House on Monday, Walz didn’t pardon this

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Kentucky attorney general targets another big pharmacy benefit manager in opioid-related lawsuit

Associated Press FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky’s attorney general has expanded an opioid-related lawsuit to target another pharmacy benefit manager. Attorney General Russell Coleman says OptumRx contributed to the state’s deadly addiction crisis. OptumRx was added as a defendant in the suit filed two months ago against Express Scripts, another pharmacy benefit manager that remains

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Federal prosecutors seek records from company that deployed AI weapons scanner on NYC subway

Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Federal investigators in New York have requested records from the manufacturer of an AI-powered weapons scanner that was briefly deployed in New York City’s subway system. The tech company Evolv revealed in a public filing that it received what it called “a voluntary document request” from federal prosecutors in

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Trump vows tariffs over immigration. What the numbers say about border crossings, drugs and crime

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — In a Monday evening announcement, President-elect Donald Trump railed against Mexico and Canada, accusing them of allowing thousands of people to enter the U.S. Hitting a familiar theme from the campaign trail and his first term in office, Trump portrayed the country’s borders as insecure and immigrants as contributing to

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Walmart’s DEI rollback signals a profound shift in the wake of Trump’s election victory

AP Business Writers NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart’s sweeping rollback of its diversity policies is the strongest indication yet of a profound shift taking hold at U.S. companies that are re-evaluating the legal and political risks associated with bold programs to bolster historically underrepresented groups. The changes announced by the world’s biggest retailer on Monday

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What to know about the ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah

Associated Press A ceasefire deal that went into effect on Wednesday could end more than a year of cross-border fighting between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group, raising hopes and renewing difficult questions in a region gripped by conflict. The U.S.- and France-brokered deal, approved by Israel late Tuesday, calls for an initial two-month halt

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Ex-FBI informant accused of lying about the Bidens is indicted on federal tax charges

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A former FBI informant who is charged with fabricating a multimillion-dollar bribery scheme involving President Joe Biden’s family has been indicted in a new case on federal tax charges. The tax indictment against Alexander Smirnov was unsealed this week in California federal court, months after his arrest on charges that

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Clemson AD Neff says school will fully fund NCAA settlement and add 150 scholarships in two years

AP Sports Writer CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Clemson athletic director Graham Neff told athletic backers the school will add 150 scholarships in two years and fully participate in NCAA revenue sharing under the House settlement. Neff wrote to supporters to outline the school’s plans that he said would position Clemson to continue its athletic success.

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How Trump’s bet on voters electing him managed to silence some of his legal woes

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — One year after the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack, Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Justice Department was committed to holding accountable all perpetrators “at any level” for “the assault on our democracy.” That bold declaration won’t apply to at least one person: Donald Trump. Special counsel Jack Smith’s

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After delay, Trump signs agreement with Biden White House to begin formal transition handoff

AP White House Correspondent WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday reached a required agreement with President Joe Biden’s White House to allow his transition staff to coordinate with the existing federal workforce before taking office on Jan. 20. The congressionally mandated agreement allows transition aides to work with federal agencies and access non-public

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Federal Reserve officials signal cautious path for rate cuts amid still-high inflation

AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — With inflation still elevated, Federal Reserve officials expressed caution at their last meeting about cutting interest rates too quickly, adding to uncertainty about their next moves. Even if inflation continued declining to the Fed’s 2% target, officials said, “it would likely be appropriate to move gradually” in lowering rates,

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Brazil’s Bolsonaro planned and participated in a 2022 coup plot, an unsealed police report alleges

Associated Press SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro was fully aware of and actively participated in a coup plot to remain in office after his defeat in the 2022 election, according to a Federal Police report unsealed Tuesday. Federal Police last Thursday formally accused Bolsonaro and 36 other people of attempting

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Jurors end 1st day of deliberations without a verdict in the YSL gang and racketeering trial

Associated Press/Report for America ATLANTA (AP) — Deliberations are underway in Atlanta after a year of testimony in the gang and racketeering trial that originally included the rapper Young Thug. Jurors are considering whether to convict Shannon Stillwell and Deamonte Kendrick, who raps as Yak Gotti, on gang, murder, drug and gun charges. The original

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Biden’s public lands director named to lead environmental group

Associated Press BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A senior official in President Joe Biden’s administration who oversaw its contentious efforts to address climate change by curbing oil exploration on federal lands has been named the next president of a prominent environmental group. The Wilderness Society announced Tuesday that U.S. Bureau of Land Management Director Tracy Stone-Manning

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Harris’ campaign leaders say there was a ‘price to be paid’ for shortened campaign against Trump

AP National Political Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The leaders of Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign say they simply didn’t have enough time to execute a winning strategy against Donald Trump. Speaking on a “Pod Save America” podcast that aired on Tuesday, they pointed to “ferocious” political headwinds that were ultimately too much to overcome in

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Maine, Justice Department enter settlement to improve services for children with disabilities

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Officials with the U.S. Department of Justice and the state of Maine say they have entered into a settlement that requires the state to increase community-based behavioral health services for children. The settlement stems from a lawsuit the Justice Department filed earlier this year that said Maine unnecessarily segregates children with

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Takeaways from AP’s report on a study into extremism in the military that used old data

Associated Press The Associated Press has found that a Pentagon-funded study that looked into extremism in the military relied on old data, included misleading analyses and ignored evidence that could have led to a different conclusion. Here are takeaways from the AP’s reporting. What was the study? After the Jan. 6 insurrection, when military leadership

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Chilean prosecutors probe harassment complaint against President Boric, who says he’s a victim

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Chile’s prosecutor’s office say President Gabriel Boric is under investigation for sexual harassment in connection with a case in which the president says he was systematically harassed via email by a woman over a decade ago. The announcement on Tuesday came after Boric’s personal lawyer revealed the woman’s accusations and sought

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Louisville police officer alleges discrimination over his opinion on Breonna Taylor’s killing

Associated Press LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A Kentucky police officer shot during 2020 protests over Breonna Taylor’s death is suing his department for discrimination. Louisville Officer Robinson Desroches says in a lawsuit filed Monday that his superiors discriminated against him for expressing his opinion about Taylor’s shooting. He says Black officers “who discuss race or

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Court rejects request to sideline San Jose State volleyball player on grounds she’s transgender

Associated Press A federal appeals court upheld a ruling Tuesday that allows a San Jose State women’s volleyball team member to play in this week’s Mountain West Conference tournament after a legal complaint said she should be ineligible on grounds that she is transgender and thus stronger, posing a safety risk to teammates and opponents.

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Surveillance tech advances by Biden could aid in Trump’s promised crackdown on immigration

Associated Press President-elect Donald Trump will return to power next year with a raft of technological tools at his disposal that would help deliver his campaign promise of cracking down on immigration — among them, surveillance and artificial intelligence technology that the Biden administration already uses to help make crucial decisions in tracking, detaining and

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Police say FBI agent sexually assaulted 2 women after promise of free tattoos, modeling

Associated Press GAITHERSBURG, Md. (AP) — Police say an FBI agent charged in Maryland with sexually assaulting two women contacted his alleged victims through social media with a promise to give them free tattoos and modeling work. Montgomery County police said Tuesday that Eduardo Valdivia used aliases as he contacted the women through an Instagram

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Albanian opposition supporters block the capital’s streets in an anti-government rally

Associated Press TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albanian opposition lawmakers and their supporters have blocked the capital’s main streets for hours accusing the government of corruption and demanding it be replaced by a technocratic caretaker Cabinet until 2025 parliamentary elections. Hundreds of opposition supporters blocked traffic Tuesday at Tirana’s main intersection accusing the Socialist Party of Prime

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Canadian officials blast Trump’s tariff threat and one calls Mexico comparison an insult

Associated Press TORONTO (AP) — Canadian officials are blasting President-elect Donald’s Trump’s threat to impose sweeping tariffs. The leader of Canada’s most populous province on Tuesday called Trump’s comparison of Canada to Mexico “the most insulting thing I’ve ever heard.” Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on products from Canada, Mexico and China as soon

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Traffic citations against Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill dismissed after officers no-show at hearing

MIAMI (AP) — Traffic citations issued to Miami Dolphins star wide receiver Tyreek Hill after a September altercation with police have been dismissed after the charging officers didn’t attend a court hearing. Hill’s tickets for careless driving and failing to wear a seat belt were dismissed after the Miami-Dade Police officers failed to show up

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North Carolina’s governor has vetoed a GOP bill that would weaken his successor and other Democrats

Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper has vetoed Republican-backed legislation that weakens the powers of several Democrats slated to hold statewide offices next year. Republicans will try to override the veto next month, but it’s unclear whether they’ll have enough votes to do so. The bill would move appointments to the

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Trump’s latest tariff plan aims at multiple countries. What does it mean for the US?

AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has identified what he sees as an all-purpose fix for what ails America: Slap huge new tariffs on foreign goods entering the United States. On Monday, Trump sent shockwaves across the nation’s northern and southern borders, vowing sweeping new tariffs on Mexico, Canada, as well as

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UN investigates sexual exploitation allegations against aid workers in Chad following AP story

Associated Press DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — The United Nations in Chad has launched an internal investigation, following an Associated Press report on allegations of sexual exploitation of Sudanese refugees, including by aid workers. The statement, written days after the AP published the story last week, was seen on Tuesday. It said the seriousness of the

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Tank containing oil drilling byproducts explodes and catches fire near GM facility in Michigan

BRIGHTON Mich. (AP) — A tank containing byproducts from oil drilling operations exploded and caught fire Tuesday near the General Motors Proving Ground in southeastern Michigan, damaging two nearby homes but causing no injuries, a fire chief said. Fire crews were dispatched to the site about 6:40 a.m. after the tank exploded, rocking the area

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Opposition parties ask South Africa’s top court to revive impeachment hearings for the president

Associated Press CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Two South African opposition parties have asked the country’s top court to revive impeachment proceedings against President Cyril Ramaphosa over a scandal where more than half a million dollars in cash was stashed in a couch at his ranch and then stolen. The leftist Economic Freedom Fighters

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Mali cuts TV news station’s signal over broadcast criticizing Burkina Faso’s ruling junta

Associated Press BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Mali’s junta has taken popular news broadcaster Joliba TV News off air after it broadcast a politician’s critical remarks about a close ally of the military regime, a journalist for the channel said Tuesday. Earlier this month, Malian authorities arrested and jailed Issa Kaou N’Djim after he claimed on

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