AP National

KAHULUI, Hawaii (AP) — United Airlines has confirmed that a body was found in the wheel well of one of its planes after landing in Maui. Maui police say they’re investigating the discovery of the dead body. In an emailed statement, United said the body was found after flight 202 arrived at Kahului Airport from

PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Kosovo’s election appeals authority has cancelled a ban on the main party of the ethnic Serb minority, allowing it to field candidates in the upcoming parliamentary election. The Electoral Panel for Complaints and Appeals decided that the party, Srpska Lista, or Serb List, overturned a decision Monday by the Central Election

AP Pro Football Writer Beyoncé provided more excitement than either game during Netflix’s NFL debut on Christmas Day. Riding into her halftime appearance on a white horse, the 32-time Grammy winner rocked her hometown Houston crowd with a nearly 13-minute performance on Wednesday. She surprised fans by bringing out Shaboozey to perform “Sweet Honey Buckiin”

Associated Press Annabell Whelan woke up Tuesday and frantically checked on her holiday overnight guest — Nowl the snowy owl, who she rescued from the grille of a car the day before. Whelan was out with her boyfriend’s family Monday in Duluth, Minnesota, when she saw the owl “just hanging out there, literally” after car

Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — A Japanese government panel has largely supported a draft energy policy calling for bolstering renewables up to half of Japanese electricity needs by 2040. It also recommends maximizing the use of nuclear power to accommodate the growing demand for power in the era of AI while meeting decarbonization targets. Cabinet

Hang onto those stocking-stuffer lottery tickets. The Mega Millions jackpot has surpassed $1 billion after no ticket matched all six numbers drawn on Christmas Eve. That means the estimated jackpot for Friday’s drawing is $1.15 billion, potentially the fifth-largest jackpot in the game’s history. “We know that many people will likely receive tickets to Friday’s

A pair of Saturday NFL games drew a larger viewing audience than college football for the rollout of the sport’s 12-team playoff. The playoff game between SMU and Penn State averaged 6.4 million viewers on TNT networks, compared with the Texans-Chiefs game on NBC, which averaged 15.5 million viewers. Later, Clemson-Texas drew 8.6 million viewers

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The organizer of a Christmas fair in southern Mexico has been assassinated at his city’s holiday event. Authorities in the southern state of Guerrero said gunmen killed the organizer of the annual Christmas fair in the state capital of Chilpancingo, as well as another person. Prosecutors said another person in the

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbia’s striking university students on Wednesday rallied outside the chief prosecutor’s office to demand justice over a concrete canopy collapse that killed 15 people last month in the country’s north. Serbia’s universities have been blocked for weeks as part of a wider movement demanding accountability over the Nov. 1 tragedy in

Edmunds Edmunds highlights five dream-worthy vehicles for holiday wish lists, focusing on models that are luxurious yet somewhat attainable. The lineup includes the Ford F-150 Raptor R, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, Cadillac Escalade V and Lucid Air Sapphire, with prices ranging from $112,825 to $250,500. Even if you can’t afford any of these vehicles,

MOSCOW (AP) — A Russian court has sentenced a Dutch citizen to three years in prison after he was found guilty of punching a police officer. Harry Johannes van Wurden was arrested and placed under house arrest following an altercation with a police officer in central Moscow in October. Russia media said that van Wurden

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The fate of President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet is still unclear after Republican senators spent much of December carefully dodging questions about Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ’s views on vaccines, accusations of sexual misconduct against Pete Hegseth and Tulsi Gabbard’s 2017 meeting with then-President Bashar Assad of Syria. While some GOP

Associated Press VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis in his traditional Christmas message has urged “all people of all nations” to find courage during this Holy Year “to silence the sounds of arms and overcome divisions” plaguing the world, from the Holy Land to Ukraine, Africa to Asia.  The pontiff’s “Urbi et Orbi” — “To

Associated Press MODIIN, Israel (AP) — For more than 400 days after being critically wounded during Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, Yona Brief tried to recover. But after losing both legs and enduring medically induced comas, the combat medic died in late November. The dual Israeli-American citizen has come to symbolize the

Associated Press An Azerbaijani airliner with 67 people onboard crashed Wednesday near the Kazakhstani city of Aktau, killing 38 people and leaving 29 survivors, a Kazakh official said. Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbaev disclosed the figures while meeting with Azerbaijani officials, the Russian news agency Interfax reported. The Embraer 190 was en route from the

Associated Press JENIN REFUGEE CAMP, West Bank (AP) — Gunfire has rung out for days from the West Bank’s Jenin refugee camp. But this time, it’s not Israeli forces that are facing off against armed groups. It is the forces of the Palestinian Authority clashing with Palestinian gunmen. The Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of

AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — Shares slipped in Tokyo and Shanghai on Wednesday, two of only a handful of world markets open on Christmas day. Oil prices rose. Japan’s Nikkei 225 index edged 0.1% lower to 38,997.02, while the Shanghai Composite index lost 0.2% to 3,387.41. Thursday will bring a weekly update on U.S.

Associated Press As the U.S. Census Bureau gets public feedback about how it should tally people into new race and ethnicity groups, the agency has released new research reflecting how U.S. residents from different backgrounds regard their racial and ethnic identities. Earlier this year, the U.S. government changed how it categorizes people by race and

Associated Press ISTANBUL (AP) — One-third of Turkey’s children live in poverty, with many forced to work to support their struggling families. Persistently high inflation, exacerbated by economic policies and currency depreciation, has left families unable to afford basic needs such as rent, food and an education. In Istanbul’s Tarlabasi neighborhood, the Sahin family embodies

Associated Press LHOKNGA, Indonesia (AP) — Qurrata Ayuni, a 28-year-old survivor of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated her hometown two decades ago, has transformed her resilience into purpose. Defying Aceh’s male-dominated coffee culture, she runs a café that serves as a welcoming space for everyone, especially women, by employing and empowering them in the

Associated Press HONOLULU (AP) — Honolulu’s medical examiner says a Hawaii crime boss who died in federal detention this month was killed by an opioid overdose. Michael Miske died of “toxicity of fentanyl and para-fluorofentanyl.” The medical examiner says the 50-year-old’s death appears to have been accidental, but the case is still under investigation. An

Associated Press GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador (AP) — Ecuadorian police on Tuesday found an undisclosed number of bodies in an area close to a military base, officials said, and were investigating whether the bodies could be of some of the four children who were last seen taken by men in military uniform earlier this month. The case

AP National Writer Richard Perry, a hitmaking record producer with a flair for both standards and contemporary sounds whose many successes included Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain,” Rod Stewart’s “The Great American Songbook” series and a Ringo Starr album featuring all four Beatles, died Tuesday. He was 82. Perry, a recipient of a Grammys Trustee

Associated Press LONDON (AP) — King Charles III used his annual Christmas message Wednesday to hail the selflessness of those who have cared for him and the Princess of Wales this year, after both were diagnosed with cancer. The 76-year-old monarch said he and his family are “continually” impressed by those who dedicate their lives

Associated Press PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Three Oregon lawmakers say they plan to introduce a bill that would bar utilities from raising rates if they have unresolved wildfire lawsuits for three or more years, describing it as an effort to hold PacifiCorp accountable as the utility faces a series of lawsuits stemming from the deadly

Associated Press SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The conclusion of a criminal case against Alec Baldwin in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer may clear the way for a related civil lawsuit by relatives of the deceased woman and efforts to depose the actor under oath. Attorneys for the parents and sister of deceased cinematographer

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The bald eagle, a symbol of the power and strength of the United States for more than 240 years, earned an overdue honor on Tuesday: It officially became the country’s national bird. President Joe Biden signed into law legislation sent to him by Congress that amends the United States Code

HONOLULU (AP) — One of the world’s most active volcanoes spewed lava into the air for a second straight day on Tuesday. The eruption of Kilauea volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island has stayed within the mountain’s summit caldera inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. No homes were threatened. Molten rock began shooting from the volcano before

Associated Press MADRID (AP) — Spanish King Felipe VI has used his traditional Christmas Eve speech to remember the victims of the catastrophic Valencia flash floods. He also urged the country to remain calm while addressing hot-button issues such as immigration and housing affordability. Felipe acknowledged the frustration of many of the flood victims at

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (AP) — The last group of striking hotel workers in San Francisco has reached a tentative agreement for a new contract with Hilton, bringing an end to a strike that has lasted three months. The union Unite Here Local 2 says workers are voting Tuesday after similar deals were made with Marriott

Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — Record-setting flooding over three days dumped more than a foot of rain on parts of northern California, a fire left thousands under evacuation orders and warnings in Los Angeles County, forecasters issued the first-ever tornado warning in San Francisco and rough seas tore down part of a wharf in

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Former Philadelphia Eagles running back Wendell Smallwood Jr. is facing sentencing after he pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges. The plea agreement was approved Friday by a federal judge in Delaware. Smallwood, of New Jersey, was accused of submitting fraudulent tax returns and applications for hundreds of thousands of dollars in

Associated Press PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Two reporters were killed and several were wounded Tuesday in a gang attack in Haiti on the reopening of Port-au-Prince’s biggest public hospital, the country’s online media association said. A police officer was also killed in the attack. Street gangs forced the closure of the General Hospital early this

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A boat explosion at a South Florida marina has left one person dead and five others injured. Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue says the explosion occurred Monday night at the Lauderdale Marina. Officials say rescue workers transported five people to local hospitals, three with traumatic injuries. A sixth person was found

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A judge has struck down parts of a Missouri law requiring redactions of many court records, including the names of all witnesses and victims involved in lawsuits and criminal proceedings. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that a Moniteau County associate circuit judge has ruled Friday provisions of the 2023 law

AP Sports Writer OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Games on Christmas aren’t new to the NFL. The Miami Dolphins famously beat the Kansas City Chiefs in a playoff game on Dec. 25, 1971 — a double-overtime classic that still holds the record for the NFL’s longest game. In 2020, New Orleans running back Alvin Kamara

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s government says it has lifted a ban on access to WhatsApp and Google Play after more than two years. That’s according to the official IRNA news agency. The report on Tuesday said the country’s Supreme Council of Cyber Space made the decision in a meeting led by reformist President Masoud

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A Russian ballistic missile struck a residential building Tuesday in the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih and at least one person was killed, local authorities said. Gov. Serhii Lysak said at least 11 other people were injured and more people could be trapped beneath the rubble of the four-story apartment block.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Bill Clinton was discharged from a Washington hospital on Tuesday and will be home for Christmas after he was admitted the day before with a fever. Clinton is being treated for the flu, Angel Urena, Clinton’s deputy chief of staff, said in a statement about his release. “He and his

Associated Press If she has the voice of an angel, and the face of an angel, she must be an Angel. Angel Blue, that is. The American soprano, one of the most admired singers of her generation, is headlining the Metropolitan Opera’s first new production of Verdi’s “Aida” in 36 years. Blue, now 40, debuted

Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Prosecutors say a man accused of burning a woman to death inside a New York City subway train used a shirt to fan the flames, causing her to become engulfed. The suspect, identified by police as Sebastian Zapeta, was arraigned in Brooklyn criminal court on Tuesday. He faces murder

AP Business Writer A survey shows small business owners are feeling more optimistic about the economy following the election. The National Federation of Independent Businesses’ Small Business Optimism Index rose by eight points in November to 101.7, its highest reading since June 2021. The Uncertainty Index declined 12 points in November to 98, following October’s

AP Basketball Writer Caitlin Clark raised the profile of women’s basketball to unprecedented levels in both the college ranks and the WNBA, and Tuesday she was named the AP Female Athlete of the Year for her impact on and off the court. After leading Iowa to the national championship game, Clark was the top pick

Associated Press MADRID (AP) — Spain’s maritime rescue agency and the Russian Foreign Ministry say a Russian cargo ship sank in the Mediterranean Sea between Spain and Algeria. Two crew members are missing. Spanish authorities rescued 14 of the Ursa Major’s crew from a lifeboat and transferred them to southeastern Spain. The Russian ministry said

Associated Press QAMISHLI, Syria (AP) — Kurdish-led fighters in Syria, known as the Syrian Democratic Forces, say they have launched a counter-offensive against the Ankara-backed Syrian National Army to take back areas near Syria’s northern border with Turkey. The Kurdish-led force is Washington’s critical ally in Syria, targeting sleeper cells of the extremist Islamic State

AP Business Writers WASHINGTON (AP) — American Airlines briefly grounded flights nationwide Tuesday because of a technical problem just as the Christmas travel season kicked into overdrive and winter weather threatened more potential problems for those planning to fly or drive. Government regulators cleared American flights to get airborne about an hour after the Federal

Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba says strengthening his country’s alliance with the United States is key to regional security and expressed his desire to meet with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. This comes amid worries about China’s increasingly assertive military activity and North Korea’s repeated test-firings of ballistic missiles as part

Associated Press PARIS (AP) — France’s president and prime minister managed to form a new government just in time for the holidays. Now comes the hard part. Crushing debt, intensifying pressure from the nationalist far right, wars in Europe and the Mideast: Challenges abound for President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Francois Bayrou after an

Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper leaves his job next week after eight years. It’s a span in which the southern Democrat picked his moments against a Republican-dominated legislature to win big on expanding Medicaid and on requiring cleaner energy. State law barred Cooper from seeking a third consecutive term.

MOSCOW (AP) — The 50,000-year-old remains of a baby mammoth uncovered by melting permafrost have been unveiled to the public by researchers in Russia’s Siberia region. They call it the best-preserved mammoth body ever found. The female mammoth nicknamed Yana weighs more than 220 pounds and is 47 inches tall. Her remains are one of

Associated Press CAIRO (AP) — Famine is spreading in Sudan due to a war between the military and a notorious paramilitary group that has devastated the country and created the world’s largest displacement crisis, a global hunger monitoring group said Tuesday. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC, said it detected famine in five

MOSCOW (AP) — A Russian-born U.S. citizen already imprisoned in Russia on a bribery conviction has been handed a second 15-year jail term for espionage, Russian news agencies reported. A Moscow court brought espionage charges against Gene Spector in August 2023, although details surrounding the case were not made public. Spector, formerly an executive at

Associated Press HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong police have announced a fresh round of arrest warrants for six activists based overseas, with bounties set at $1 million Hong Kong dollars for information leading to their arrests. According to the warrants, the six individuals are wanted for national security offences such as secession, subversion, and

ISTANBUL (AP) — An explosion at an ammunition factory in northwest Turkey left 11 dead and five injured Tuesday morning. The blast occurred in Balikesir province, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency. The factory is in a rural area away from population centers. Balikesir Governor Ismail Ustaoglu said the explosion collapsed the capsule production building

Associated Press NEW DELHI (AP) — Shyam Benegal, a renowned Indian filmmaker known for pioneering a cinema movement that tackled social issues in the 1970s, has died after chronic kidney disease. He was 90. His contribution to cinema was recognized as a director, editor and screenwriter. He came into the limelight with films that challenged

Associated Press PERTH, Australia (AP) — Tonga’s parliament has elected Aisake Eke as the country’s new prime minister. The vote came in a special session of the house on Christmas Eve. Eke’s predecessor quit earlier this month just ahead of a no-confidence vote by lawmakers. Eke — who assumes office less than a year before

Associated Press LEAVENWORTH, Wash. (AP) — The scent of bratwurst and pretzels filled the air as horses clopped down the main street, hauling a carriage full of tourists. Nestled in her mother’s arms, a baby reached out to touch a shop window display, peering toward the sequin-covered reindeer behind it, as colorful ornaments twirled nearby.

Associated Press BOSTON (AP) — Straddling the scaffolding high up in a historic Boston church, murals conservator Gianfranco Pocobene is working to uncover eight angels that were hidden under layers of paint for more than a century. The painted angels — with round childlike faces and wings — once were among the defining features of

Associated Press HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — In Southern Africa, where democracy remains relatively stable, elections held in 2024 saw long-governing liberation parties struggling to survive. Across Africa, power struggles involving military governments, coup attempts and armed conflict are common, but the southern region has largely been more stable and elections in some countries brought joy

Associated Press KURUKKAL MADAM, Sri Lanka (AP) — Pulled from the mud as an infant after the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, and reunited with his parents following an emotional court battle, the boy once known as “Baby 81” is now a 20-year-old dreaming of higher education. Jayarasa Abilash’s story symbolized that of the

AP Business Writer Technology stocks led a broad rally on Wall Street Tuesday during a holiday-shortened trading session ahead of Christmas. The S&P 500 rose 1.1% for its third-straight gain. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.9%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite climbed 1.3%. While Big Tech companies, including Apple, Amazon and chip company Broadcom

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A powerful government panel has failed to reach consensus on the possible national security risks of a nearly $15 billion proposed deal for Nippon Steel of Japan to purchase U.S. Steel. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States on Monday sent its long-awaited report to President Joe Biden,

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has signed the annual defense authorization bill into law despite his objections to language banning transgender health care for military children. The legislation Biden signed Monday also aims to counter China’s growing power, authorizes significant pay raises for junior enlisted service members and boosts overall military spending