AP National

Associated Press UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. organization assisting in investigating the most serious crimes in Syria said Monday the country’s new authorities were “very receptive” to its request for cooperation during a just-concluded visit to Damascus, and it is preparing to deploy. The visit led by Robert Petit, head of the International, Impartial

Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and Gov.-elect Josh Stein have filed another lawsuit against a GOP-inspired law that strips away powers from several incoming Democratic state leaders. The newest suit filed Monday focuses on a key provision in the law that moves state election board appointment powers from the governor

Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — A triptych of criminal charges paints a searing, sometimes disparate portrait of the man accused of ambushing and killing UnitedHealthcare’s CEO Brian Thompson. Filed separately in state courts in New York and Pennsylvania and a federal court in Manhattan and totaling 20 counts, the charges brand Luigi Mangione as

AP Business Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers are facing their latest lobbyists — online influencers from TikTok. The platform is once again bringing influencers to Washington, this time to lobby members of Congress. The company wants lawmakers to reject a fast-moving bill that would force TikTok’s Beijing-based parent company to sell or face a ban

Associated Press ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Attorneys for Adnan Syed, whose legal case was chronicled in the hit podcast “Serial,” are seeking to have his prison sentence reduced. Their court filing on Friday cites a Maryland law that allows people imprisoned for at least 20 years for crimes they committed as minors to have their

Associated Press ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey gambling regulators have handed out $40,000 in fines to two sportsbooks and a tech company for violations that included taking bets on unauthorized events, and on games that had already ended. Information made public Monday says the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement fined DraftKings $20,000.

AP Film Writer The English actor Harris Dickinson has been making waves in Hollywood since his feature film debut seven years ago in the indie “Beach Rats.” But his latest role is getting him more attention than ever as the confident intern who begins a dangerous affair with a married CEO played by Nicole Kidman.

Associated Press Child advocacy centers, recovery housing and diversion programs in West Virginia will receive grants as part of the initial round of $10.4 million distributed by the nonprofit allocating opioid settlement funds. West Virginia is the U.S. state with the highest overdose rate. The West Virginia First Foundation has announced funding for 38 programs

Associated Press Burt, the huge crocodile that rose to fame with a cameo in the movie “Crocodile Dundee” and continued to impress visitors with his fiery temper and commanding presence, has died. Burt died over the weekend, the Crocosaurus Cove reptile aquarium in Darwin, Australia, said. He was at least 90 years old. “Known for

Associated Press President-elect Donald Trump says he wants to revert the name of Alaska’s Denali back to Mount McKinley. Trump’s comments at a Sunday rally in Phoenix wade into a decades-old conflict over the name of North America’s tallest peak. Various tribes of Alaska Natives known as Athabascans have long lived in the mountain’s shadow

The Associated Press/Report For America MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The mother of a 16-year-old who was shot by SWAT police during a no-knock, predawn raid in Alabama, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the police officers involved and the city of Mobile. Randall Adjessom was sleeping in his home when police executed a warrant as

AP Business Writer A five-day strike by Starbucks baristas had closed at least 59 stores as of Monday afternoon, according to the union organizing the workers. The strike began Friday in Los Angeles, Chicago and Starbucks’ hometown of Seattle. By Monday, it had spread to stores in Boston, Dallas and Portland, Ore. Workers are protesting

QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — An Ecuadorian judge has reinstated Vice President Verónica Abad to her role and lifted the five-month suspension imposed against her by the Ministry of Labor for allegedly abandoning her duties. The judge on Monday ruled the sanction unconstitutional. It’s the latest twist in a feud between Abad and President Daniel Noboa

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The Federal Aviation Administration has launched an investigation into why several drones collided and fell from the sky during a holiday show over the weekend in downtown Orlando, Florida. Saturday night’s accident injured a 7-year-old boy when the drones fell into a crowd of thousands of people watching the show at

ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — Hundreds walked in silence in Croatia’s capital on Monday, seeking action after a pupil was killed and three other children were wounded in a knife attack at a school in Zagreb. The march was organized by teachers’ unions and asked authorities do more to ensure that schools in Croatia are safe

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — The United Nations has raised the death toll of a recent massacre in which dozens of older people and Vodou religious leaders were killed by a gang in Haiti. The U.N. called on officials to bring the perpetrators to justice. The U.N. Integrated Office in Haiti said in a report published

AP Film Writer Of all the movie protagonists you might have seen this year, none is quite like Marianne Jean-Baptiste’s Pansy in Mike Leigh’s “Hard Truths.” Pansy, a middle-aged woman in contemporary London, is foul-tempered from beginning to end in Leigh’s film. For everyone, Pansy is a test. She tests the patience and empathy of

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Michael Vick has been introduced as Norfolk State’s football coach, a homecoming for the former NFL star and a splashy, attention-grabbing hire for a program that has struggled in recent years. Vick donned a Norfolk State letterman’s jacket and cap in front of a crowd of supporters that included fellow Hampton

Associated Press ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Members of Greece’s former royal family have expressed “deep emotion” after being granted Greek citizenship, ending a decades-old dispute with the country’s government. Ten descendants of the late King Constantine II, who died last year aged 82, adopted the surname “De Grece” — French for “of Greece.” They formally

AP Basketball Writer Tennessee and Auburn remained Nos. 1-2 atop The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll. It’s a fitting spot for a pair of Southeastern Conference teams considering the league put 10 teams into Monday’s AP Top 25. The Volunteers (11-0) and Tigers (11-1) spent a third straight week in the same position, and

Associated Press TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albania’s main opposition party has blocked the capital Tirana’s main intersections in an anti-government protest calling for a technocratic caretaker cabinet. Hundreds of activists from the main center-right Democratic Party on Monday defied the cold and rain to block traffic at Tirana’s five main intersections. The protesters accuse the

PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron’s office announced a new government Monday, after the previous Cabinet collapsed in a historic vote prompted by fighting over the country’s budget. Newly named Prime Minister Francois Bayrou put together the government that includes members of the outgoing conservative-dominated team and some new figures from centrist or left-leaning

AP Pro Football Writer The 49ers, Cowboys and Cardinals are out of the playoff race. The Falcons took control of their hopes and the Colts, Dolphins and Bengals kept slim chances alive. The NFL’s playoff picture became clearer Sunday. With two weeks remaining, three of eight division titles are secured, eight teams have wrapped up

AP Basketball Writer Southern California jumped to No. 4 in The Associated Press women’s college basketball poll on Monday after edging UConn. The Trojans moved up three spots after beating the then-No. 4 Huskies 72-70 in a rematch of last season’s Elite Eight game that UConn won. UCLA, South Carolina and Notre Dame remained the

Associated Press A third endangered whale has been spotted entangled in fishing gear off the East Coast, marking an alarming end to the year for a species threatened with extinction. The whales are North Atlantic right whales, which number fewer than 400 and are vulnerable to ship collisions and entanglement in gear. The National Oceanic

Associated Press PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — A Cambodian real estate entrepreneur, whose killing of a young couple sparked public outrage, has been sentenced to the maximum 31 years in prison. Srey Sina shot dead 27-year-old Long Lysong and his 25-year-old fiancée Khin Kanchana in June while intervening in a property dispute between neighbors. The

Associated Press GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador (AP) — Surveillance videos have emerged from the Ecuadorian coastal city of Guayaquil, showing men in military uniform grabbing two boys and driving them away. It was the last time they and two other children were seen in a case that’s now roiling the government of President Daniel Noboa. His government

Associated Press AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued the NCAA to block the participation of transgender athletes in women’s sports, arguing that it tricks and misleads fans. The lawsuit filed in state district court argues the NCAA violates the Texas Trade Practices Act. The law is designed to protect consumers

Associated Press KOSCIUSKO, Miss. (AP) — A new historical marker has been unveiled in the hometown of civil rights icon James Meredith. He is a Black man who fought white supremacy by integrating the University of Mississippi in 1962. Meredith is now 91 years old, and he watched the ceremony in Kosciusko from a pickup

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A retired police officer in the nation’s capital has been convicted of lying to authorities about leaking confidential information to the leader of the Proud Boys extremist group. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson on Monday convicted former Metropolitan Police Department Lt. Shane Lamond of obstructing justice and making false

NEW YORK (AP) — The man accused in the death of a woman who burned to death on a New York subway train has been indicted on murder and arson charges. Sebastian Zapeta was indicted on Thursday and lawyers appeared on his behalf Friday. Police say surveillance video from last Sunday showed a man approach

Associated Press A man is facing murder and arson charges in New York City for allegedly setting a woman on fire inside a subway train and then watching her die after she was engulfed in flames, police said Monday. The suspect, identified by police as Sebastian Zapeta, was taken into custody hours after the woman

Associated Press MAPUTO, Mozambique. (AP) — Mozambique’s highest court has upheld the governing party’s win in the October presidential election following weeks of opposition protests in which more than 100 people have died. The court on Monday said irregularities in the election “did not substantially influence the results” and that Daniel Chapo with the governing

Government safety regulators are closing an investigation into two previous recalls of the Ford Focus after determining that Ford Motor Co. has satisfied its concerns. Ford recalled around 1.5 million Ford Focus sedans from the 2012-2018 model years in 2018 because they could lose power. The issue was a malfunctioning canister purge valve and software

Associated Press MILAN (AP) — Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni’s government has vowed to open controversial migrant processing centers in Albania that have remained dormant after Italian courts refused to validate the transfer of the first two groups of migrants. A government statement that confirmed Italy’s intention to reopen the centers did not give a timeline.

AP Sports Writer Netflix will have one of its biggest days Wednesday since the site launched in 1998 when it airs two NFL games for the first time. “NFL Christmas Gameday on Netflix” begins with a two-hour pregame show at 11 a.m., before Pittsburgh hosts Kansas City. Baltimore faces Houston in the second game. The

Associated Press If you’re feeling too overwhelmed to cook during the holidays, maybe a new book by Margaret Eby can help. It’s called “You Gotta Eat: Real-Life Strategies for Feeding Yourself When Cooking Feels Impossible.” It’s more of a funny guide to raiding the pantry than a traditional cookbook. But it’s filled with practical tips

Associated Press As it passed above the Niger Delta in 2021, a satellite took an image. It showed acres of land, scraped bare. The site, outside the city of Port Harcourt, was on a cleanup list kept by the United Nations Environment Programme, supposed to be restored to green farmland as the Delta was before

AP Sports Writer Hockey player Matt Petgrave has called the death of Adam Johnson “a tragic accident” in a public appeal for donations to his legal costs. Johnson, who had briefly played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, died after his neck was cut by Petgrave’s skate in a collision between the two opponents in a game

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Ethics Committee on Monday accused Matt Gaetz of “regularly” paying for sex, including once with a 17-year-old girl, and purchasing and using illicit drugs as a member of Congress, as lawmakers released the conclusions of a nearly four-year investigation that helped sink his nomination for attorney general. The

Associated Press SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazilian police say that that at least two people have been killed and a dozen others are missing after the collapse of a bridge that linked two northern states. Footage obtained by local residents showed cars and trucks were crossing the bridge on Sunday when large sections crumbled into

Afghanistan has welcomed the reopening of Saudi Arabia’s Embassy in Kabul for the first time since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. On Sunday, the Saudi Embassy in Kabul said on X that it was resuming the mission’s activities “based on the government’s keenness to provide all services to the brotherly Afghan people.” A

AP Health Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The most popular nasal decongestant on U.S. pharmacy shelves may not be there much longer. The Food and Drug Administration recently announced plans to phase out phenylephrine, the key ingredient some cold and allergy pills. It’s a win for skeptical researchers, who have long questioned the drug’s effectiveness. For

AP Sports Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani is keeping elite company. The Japanese superstar caps 2024 by winning The Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year for the third time, tying him with basketball great Michael Jordan. He trails only four-time winners Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods and LeBron James. “I’m very honored,” Ohtani

Associated Press DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Bangladesh has sent a formal request to India to extradite ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. She fled in August amid the student-led protests that ended her 15 years in power. Bangladesh’s foreign affairs adviser told reporters Monday that the country has sent a diplomatic note to India’s Foreign Ministry,

AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump won a return to the White House in part by promising big changes in economic policy — more tax cuts, huge tariffs on imports, mass deportations of immigrants working in the United States illegally. In some ways, his victory marked a repudiation of President Joe Biden’s

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The economic and technological rivalry between the United States and China has come to the drone market, where Chinese-made flying devices are a dominant player. Lawmakers in Washington are seeking to ban new sales of drones from two dominant Chinese manufacturers, arguing they could be used to spy on Americans

Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — The immigration officers sat in their vehicles before dawn near a two-story building. A New York subway line rumbled overhead, then an officer’s voice crackled over the radio. After watching for about two hours, he said, “I think that’s Tango,” using a term for target. “Gray hoodie. Backpack. Walking

Associated Press BANGKOK (AP) — A Chinese court issued a suspended death sentence to a man for driving his car into a crowd of elementary school students and parents in southern Hunan province last month. Huang Wen was arrested on site after wounding about 30, 18 of them children, according to the court’s statement on

Associated Press KANGPOKPI, India (AP) — Phalneivah Khonsai ran for her life when violence struck her neighborhood in India’s restive northeast, carrying just the bare essentials in the hope that she and her family could return soon. Khonsai, her husband and three children left behind their house, which was torched by a mob, and made

Associated Press NEWCASTLE, Australia (AP) — Former U.S. Marine Corps pilot Daniel Duggan will be extradited from Australia to the United States over allegations that he illegally trained Chinese aviators. Australia’s Attorney General Mark Dreyfus approved the extradition on Monday, ending the Boston-born 55-year-old’s nearly two-year attempt to avoid being returned to the U.S. Duggan,

Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — The man accused of fatally shooting the CEO of UnitedHealthcare pleaded not guilty on Monday to state murder and terror charges while his attorney complained that comments coming from New York’s mayor would make it tough to receive a fair trial. Luigi Mangione, 26, was shackled and seated in

Associated Press CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow might be enough to brighten some homes this holiday season. But others are adorned with thousands of blinking lights synched to blasting music, drawing crowds and bolstering both holiday and community spirit. In a cul-de-sac in Mesa, Arizona, 14 homeowners have been