Skip to Content

National-World

NATO will step up Baltic Sea patrols as Finland probes the possible sabotage of undersea cables

Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte says the military alliance will step up patrols in the Baltic Sea area as Finnish investigators work to establish whether a ship linked to Russia sabotaged undersea cables there this week. Finnish authorities seized control of the ship, the Eagle S, on Thursday. They’re trying to

Continue Reading

Customs agents seize 22,000 fake Pennsylvania vehicle inspection stickers shipped from Israel

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency said it has seized more than 20,000 counterfeit Pennsylvania vehicle inspection stickers that were shipped from Israel to an address in Philadelphia. Customs officers found the stickers in two different shipments that arrived on two different days, Nov. 26 and Dec. 9, and confirmed

Continue Reading

Court rules Georgia lawmakers can subpoena Fani Willis for information related to her Trump case

Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — A judge has ruled that the Georgia state Senate can subpoena Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis as part of a inquiry into whether she has engaged in misconduct during her prosecution of President-elect Donald Trump but is giving Willis the chance to contest whether lawmakers’ demands are overly broad.

Continue Reading

Senegal says it’s closing ‘all foreign military bases,’ a move aimed at French troops in the country

Associated Press DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Senegal’s prime minister has announced the closure of “all foreign military bases” in the country, a statement essentially aimed at France, the African nation’s former colonial ruler. Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko did not set out a timeline for the exit of troops in making the announcement on Friday, during

Continue Reading

What to know about South Korean acting President Han’s impeachment

Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The impeachment of South Korea’s acting President Han Duck-soo has plunged the country into further political turmoil, coming less than two weeks after lawmakers impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol. The successive impeachments that suspended the country’s top two officials are unprecedented, and the deputy prime minister and finance

Continue Reading

Student marches, traffic blockades in Serbia as protests persist over concrete canopy fall

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbian university students have left piles of old school books outside the education ministry building as part of daily street protests demanding accountability over the collapse nearly two months ago of a concrete canopy that killed 15 people in the country’s north. Scattered traffic blockades were also held at various locations

Continue Reading

Q&A: Avicii documentary director on celebrating the late, ‘timeless’ DJ without exploiting his death

AP Music Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Avicii, the groundbreaking Swedish DJ-producer, died six years ago. He was 28. It was a tragedy that reverberated around the world — much like his music, which brought unexpected genres and collaborators into his melodic EDM through forward-thinking, chart-topping hits like “Wake Me Up!” and “Hey Brother.” On

Continue Reading

Azerbaijan Airlines says plane crashed after ‘external interference’ as questions mount over possible Russian involvement

By Catherine Nicholls, Darya Tarasova, Hassan Tayir and Oren Liebermann, CNN (CNN) — Azerbaijan Airlines says the jet that crashed in Kazakhstan on Christmas Day experienced “physical and technical external interference,” according to an early investigation, as questions swirled about Russia’s possible involvement in the disaster. At least 38 of the 67 people on board

Continue Reading

Most Americans blame insurance profits and denials alongside the killer in UHC CEO death, poll finds

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Most Americans believe health insurance profits and coverage denials share responsibility for the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO — although not as much as the person who pulled the trigger, according to a new poll. In the survey from NORC at the University of Chicago, about 8 in 10 U.S. adults

Continue Reading

Azerbaijani and U.S. officials suggest plane that crashed may have been hit by weapons fire

Russian air defense systems may have brought down an Azerbaijani airliner this week, a U.S. official said Friday after an Azerbaijani minister also suggested the plane was hit by a weapon, citing expert analysis and survivor accounts. Friday’s assessments by Rashan Nabiyev and White House national security spokesman John Kirby echoed those made by outside

Continue Reading

Father of Raiders star Malcolm Koonce has 1983 conviction tossed after DA says it was tainted

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

Continue Reading

Suzuki Motor former boss Osamu Suzuki, who turned the minicar maker into a global player, dies at 94

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

Continue Reading

Several North Korean soldiers captured by Ukraine die from injuries, Zelensky says

By Gawon Bae, Victoria Butenko, Edward Szekeres and Kostyantyn Hak, CNN (CNN) — Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday that several “seriously wounded” North Korean soldiers died from their injuries after being captured by Ukrainian forces. “Our soldiers managed to take them prisoner. But they were very seriously wounded and could not be resuscitated,” Zelensky

Continue Reading

Taiwan’s presidential office runs first ‘tabletop’ simulation of Chinese military escalation

By Eric Cheung, CNN Taipei, Taiwan (CNN) — Taiwan’s presidential office held a “tabletop” exercise on Thursday simulating military escalations by China, a first-of-its-kind drill involving government agencies beyond the armed forces that highlights Taipei’s urgency in ensuring preparedness against an increasingly assertive Beijing. The simulation involved central and local government units and civil groups,

Continue Reading

Black boxes of downed Azerbaijani jet recovered as questions mount over Russian involvement. Here’s what we know

CNN By Catherine Nicholls, Aruzhan Zeinulla, Hassan Tayir and Oren Liebermann, CNN (CNN) — Early indications suggest a Russian anti-aircraft system may have downed the passenger jet that crashed in Kazakhstan on Christmas Day, a US official told CNN, as authorities recovered a second black box that they hope will shed light on the cause

Continue Reading

South Korea’s opposition-controlled National Assembly votes to impeach acting President Han

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

Continue Reading

Leaders and politicians pay homage to India’s former prime minister, Manmohan Singh

Associated Press NEW DELHI (AP) — Authorities in India have declared a seven-day mourning period to honor Manmohan Singh, officials said Friday, as politicians and public paid tributes to the country’s former prime minister widely regarded as the architect of India’s economic reform program. Officials canceled all cultural and entertainment events for the week, with

Continue Reading

‘We fall and we rise’: Some amputees in Sierra Leone turn to farming to combat discrimination

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

Continue Reading

Croatia’s outspoken president is seeking reelection. He faces several contenders in Sunday’s vote

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

Continue Reading

Japan Cabinet OKs record defense budget as it pushes strike-back capability to deter regional threat

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

Continue Reading

China probes personal disputes after mass killings. Many fear further infringement on freedoms

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

Continue Reading

Canadian ministers head to Palm Beach for talks with incoming Trump administration

Associated Press TORONTO (AP) — Two top Canadian Cabinet ministers are visiting Palm Beach to talk border security and trade with officials in the incoming Donald Trump administration as Trump threatens tariffs on all Canadian products. New Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly will be in Palm Beach, Florida on Thursday for

Continue Reading

Investigation of disappearance of children in Ecuador was delayed for days despite video evidence

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

Continue Reading

Israel’s attorney general orders probe into Netanyahu’s wife on suspicion of witness harassment

Eugenia Yosef and Mohammed Tawfeeq Israel (CNN) — Israel’s Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has ordered an investigation into Sara Netanyahu, the wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after a report alleged that she had harassed opponents. “An investigation should be opened into suspicions of witness harassment and obstruction of justice regarding the findings of

Continue Reading

Ex-Sen. Bob Menendez, citing ’emotional toll,’ seeks sentencing delay in wake of wife’s trial

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

Continue Reading

Israeli attorney general orders probe into report that alleged Netanyahu’s wife harassed opponents

Associated Press JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s attorney general has ordered police to open an investigation into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s wife on suspicion of harassing political opponents and witnesses in the Israeli leader’s corruption trial. The Israeli Justice Ministry made the announcement in a terse message late Thursday., saying the investigation would focus on the

Continue Reading

Haiti’s health minister loses his job after a deadly gang attack on a hospital in the capital

Associated Press PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti’s health minister has been removed from his post following a deadly gang attack on the largest public hospital in the capital, Port-au-Prince. In a statement published on Thursday afternoon, Haiti’s transitional council named Justice Minister Patrick Pelissier as interim Health Minister until a replacement is found for the

Continue Reading

An altercation erupts at a high-level meeting of a Russia-dominated economic union

MOSCOW (AP) — A meeting of the Russia-dominated economic alliance of former Soviet nations has plunged into disarray when two of the leaders started bickering during a live broadcast. Russian President Vladimir Putin and other heads of states attended the meeting of the Eurasian Economic Union, which includes Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Armenian

Continue Reading

India’s former prime minister Manmohan Singh, architect of economic reforms, dies at 92

Associated Press NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, widely regarded as the architect of India’s economic reform program and a landmark nuclear deal with the United States, has died. He was 92. Singh was admitted to New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences late Thursday after his health deteriorated due

Continue Reading

Texas man arrested for allegedly threatening ‘to show up at’ a Capital One ‘with a machete and gasoline’ over debt issues

By Hanna Park, CNN (CNN) — A Texas man was arrested Friday for allegedly sending threatening messages to an unnamed debt collection agency over email, in which he expressed frustration over a disputed debt, according to court documents. Taylor Bullard, 34, claimed he was wrongfully contacted for collections of $543 and lashed out at a

Continue Reading

The US says it pushed retraction of a famine warning for north Gaza. Aid groups express concern

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A lead organization monitoring for food crises around the world withdrew a new report this week warning of imminent famine in north Gaza under what it called Israel’s “near-total blockade,” after the U.S. asked for its retraction, U.S. officials told The Associated Press. The move follows public criticism of the

Continue Reading

Ukraine’s military intelligence says North Korean troops are suffering heavy battlefield losses

Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — North Korean troops are suffering heavy losses in the fighting in Russia’s Kursk region and facing logistical difficulties as a result of Ukrainian attacks, Ukraine’s military intelligence said Thursday. The intelligence agency, known under its acronym GUR, said Ukrainian strikes near Novoivanovka inflicted heavy casualties on North Korean units.

Continue Reading

Pakistan military raids insurgent strongholds in the restive northwest, killing 13 fighters

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistan’s military says troops have faced off with insurgents in three separate shootouts in the restive northwest bordering Afghanistan, killing 13 militants. In a statement Thursday, it said the security forces killed 11 insurgents in two separate raids in the North and South Waziristan districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Another two

Continue Reading

Hwang Dong-hyuk on killing off his ‘Squid Game’ characters and wanting to work with Jake Gyllenhaal

Associated Press Viewers may gasp, cringe or cry out watching characters die on Netflix’s “Squid Game,” but those simulated deaths have a different effect on its creator, writer and director. Instead, Hwang Dong-hyuk feels happiness seeing them go. The show has a huge cast and Hwang says it was “really difficult” to manage everyone on

Continue Reading