Month: September 2023

STRASBOURG, France (AP) — The European Union is promising Greece more than 2 billion euros ($2.15 billion) in financial support in the wake of massive summer wildfires and ongoing floods that have caused extensive damage across central Greece. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said 2.25 billion euros could be made available in the

By TAIWO ADEBAYO Associated Press ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — The mining of minerals critical to electric vehicle batteries and other green technologies in Congo has led to human rights abuses, including forced evictions and physical assault. That’s according to a report Tuesday from Amnesty International and another rights group. Congo is by the world’s largest

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Authorities in an isolated ethnic Armenian region of Azerbaijan have allowed entry of a humanitarian aid shipment in a step toward easing a dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan that had blocked transport to the region since late last year. The region, Nagorno-Karabakh, has suffered severe food shortages since Azerbaijan blocked the

By JARI TANNER Associated Press HELSINKI (AP) — Latvia is growing worried over the increasing number of migrants attempting to cross over into the Baltic nation through the border with Belarus and has called up the military to assist border guards. Latvia’s State Border Guard says 103 people were stopped in the 24 hours to

By VANESSA GERA Associated Press WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A report says Poland is losing large numbers of Ukrainian refugees from its workforce as they travel to Germany to seek higher wages and government benefits in the rich Western economy. Although the refugees are not economic migrants, they are increasingly taking on work as the

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban are rejecting Pakistani government accusations they’re to blame for the closure of a key border crossing. Pakistan closed the vital commercial artery of Torkham last week after guards from the two sides exchanged fire. A Foreign Ministry spokesman in Islamabad accused the Taliban of building unlawful structures and indiscriminate

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama families with transgender children asked an appellate court Monday to review a decision that will let the state enforce a ban on treating minors with gender-affirming hormones and puberty blockers. The families asked the full 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to review a three-judge panel decision that will let

By JOSEPH WILSON Associated Press BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — The former president of Spain’s soccer federation been ordered to give testimony to a Spanish judge investigating his kiss of a player at the Women’s World Cup. Judge Francisco de Jorge ordered Luis Rubiales to answer his questions on Friday at Spain’s National Court in Madrid.

PARALIMNI, Cyprus (AP) — A Cyprus court extended the detention of five Israelis for another six days after a British woman accused them of gang-raping her in a hotel room during a pool party in the coastal resort town of Ayia Napa .Famagusta District Court Judge Petros Theophilou ruled Tuesday there’s “reasonable suspicion” that the

MADRID (AP) — Spain is stripping deceased former Chilean leader Gen. Augusto Pinochet of a Spanish military honor bestowed on him more than 40 years ago by the country’s former dictator, Gen. Francisco Franco. The Cabinet of Spain’s acting government announced Tuesday that the Cross of Military Merit, an award for gallantry or merit granted

By DAVID CRARY AP National Writer Ahead of the High Holidays that begin this week, a network of Jewish security experts and religious leaders hosted several webinars to help prepare for the season. Among the topics: How to respond to an “active threat” targeting the Jewish community, and how to stop severe bleeding. The holidays,

By BABAR DOGAR Associated Press LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A Pakistani court has ordered the five siblings of a 10-year-old girl who was found dead with multiple injuries near London put into a children’s protection center after they were located by police. The police are continuing their search for the girl’s father and stepmother in

The Associated Press Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year, starts at sundown on Friday, Sept. 15, and continues through the evening of Sunday, Sept. 17. It marks the start of the Jewish High Holidays, a 10-day season that ends with Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. This year, Yom Kippur will be observed from around

STRASBOURG, France (AP) — European Union lawmakers endorsed a deal Tuesday to raise the share of renewables in the bloc’s energy mix, another step to accelerate its green transition away from fossil fuels. The bill, adopted by a large majority — 470 lawmakers voted in favor, 120 against and 40 abstained — foresees an updated

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Hurricane Lee is whirling north of Puerto Rico as a very large Category 3 storm, with forecasters noting it would remain in open waters through this week while on a path toward Atlantic Canada. The storm was located some 535 miles south of Bermuda on Tuesday. It had winds

By JAMEY KEATEN Associated Press GENEVA (AP) — A sweeping study of sex abuse by priests and others within the Roman Catholic Church in Switzerland has turned up more than 1,000 cases since the mid-20th century. The study published Tuesday involves 510 people accused of misconduct and over 900 victims affected. The report, commissioned by

By MARYCLAIRE DALE and MARC LEVY Associated Press POTTSTOWN, Pa. (AP) — Escaped murderer Danelo Souza Cavalcante stole a rifle from a garage and fled from a homeowner’s gunfire, authorities said Tuesday, as heavily armed police descended on a rural stretch of southeastern Pennsylvania, closing roads and telling residents to lock their doors in the

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Fans cheered Germany’s basketball team on its return home after winning the World Cup for the first time. The team went direct from a long-haul flight from the Philippines to an event Tuesday morning at a sponsor’s headquarters in Frankfurt. Tournament MVP Dennis Schröder says he hopes the World Cup win

By MICHAEL CASEY and KATHY McCORMACK Associated Press LEOMINSTER, Mass. (AP) — Heavy rainfall has flooded parts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, with two communities declaring a state of emergency as water poured into homes, creating moats around their foundations and leading to boat rescues of residents. Leominster, Massachusetts, Mayor Dean Mazzarella urged people not