Month: January 2024

By BASSEM MROUE, WAFAA SHURAFA and JACK JEFFERY Associated Press BEIRUT (AP) — An Israeli airstrike killed an elite Hezbollah commander Monday in southern Lebanon, the latest in an escalating exchange of strikes across the border that have raised fears of another Mideast war even as the fighting in Gaza exacts a mounting toll on

BELLINZONA, Switzerland (AP) — A former interior minister of Gambia is going on trial in Switzerland on charges including crimes against humanity for his alleged role in years of repression by the west African country’s security forces against opponents of its longtime dictator. Advocacy groups hailed the trial of Ousman Sonko, who held the post

By JOCELYN NOVECK AP National Writer They may not have had lukewarm chardonnay on the tables, as nominee Jennifer Lawrence had predicted. But the 81st Golden Globes had a bit of everything else: Some silliness, some seriousness, a bit of history, a few good jokes and many bad ones, loads of stars — and one

By ILLIA NOVIKOV Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia launched its latest barrage of hypersonic and cruise missiles against Ukrainian targets early Monday, striking near the front lines of fighting in the east as well as in central and western parts of the country, officials said. At least four civilians were reported killed and

By GEIR MOULSON Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — Farmers are blocking highway access roads in parts of Germany and snarling traffic elsewhere, launching a week of protests against a government plan to scrap tax breaks on diesel used in agriculture. Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s unpopular three-party coalition infuriated farmers last month by drawing up plans to

By KRUTIKA PATHI Associated Press DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has swept to power for a fourth consecutive term in Bangladesh. Sunday’s election was boycotted by opposition parties and marked by protests and international scrutiny. Hasina’s Awami League party won 222 seats out of 299, cementing a majority in Parliament and extending

By MARCIA DUNN AP Aerospace Writer CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The first U.S. moon landing attempt in more than 50 years appeared to be doomed after a private company’s spacecraft developed a “critical” fuel leak just hours after Monday’s launch. Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic Technology managed to orient its lander toward the sun so the solar

By ANWARULLAH KHAN Associated Press KHAR, Pakistan (AP) — A roadside bomb has exploded near a van carrying police assigned to protect workers in an anti-polio immunization campaign in restive northwestern Pakistan, killing at least six officers and wounding 10 others. Officials say the attack happened in a former Pakistani Taliban stronghold bordering Afghanistan. Police

NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s top court has restored life prison sentences for 11 Hindu men who raped a Muslim woman during deadly religious rioting two decades ago. The Supreme Court in its judgement Monday asked the released convicts to surrender to authorities within two weeks. The men were convicted in 2008 of gang raping

By JOSEPH KRAUSS Associated Press In the last week alone, an Israeli airstrike has killed a Hezbollah commander in Lebanon, Hezbollah struck a sensitive Israeli base with rockets and Israel killed a senior Hamas militant with an airstrike in Beirut. Each strike and counterstrike increases the risk of the catastrophic war in Gaza spilling across

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Hundreds of people were ordered to evacuate their homes on Monday after parts of Victoria state were inundated by flooding as wild weather continues to batter Australia’s southeast. The order was issued for parts of small regional towns north of Melbourne. Residents and tourists were told to leave immediately as floodwaters

By JEFF AMY Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia’s General Assembly has begun its 2024 regular session. The top intrigue is whether Republicans may agree to a further expansion of health care under the state’s Medicaid program. Another key issue is whether the state will create new educational vouchers. It’s an election year for all

By LINDSEY BAHR AP Film Writer BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — The Golden Globe Awards likes to think of itself as the party of the year, but instead of a debauched, champagne-fueled romp, it can sometimes feel more like a strange high school reunion for the extremely famous. Some are catching up with old friends

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — The electric vehicle unit of troubled Chinese property developer China Evergrande says its vice chairman has been detained by police on “suspicion of illegal crimes.” China Evergrande New Energy Vehicle announced that Liu Yongzhuo had been detained in a notice Monday to the Hong Kong Stock

By BRENDAN FARRINGTON Associated Press TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The Republican Party of Florida has ousted Chairman Christian Ziegler and has replaced him with a new leader as police investigate a rape accusation against him. The turmoil preceding Monday’s vote was an unwelcome distraction for the state’s top Republican, Gov. Ron DeSantis. DeSantis has been

By JACK DURA Associated Press South Dakota’s Republican-controlled Legislature convenes Tuesday in Pierre for its annual session, expected to last into early March. Second-term GOP Gov. Kristi Noem gave her budget address in December. She pitched a nearly $7.3 billion budget for fiscal year 2025 and advocated tighter spending to lawmakers, with 4% increases for

By MORGAN LEE Associated Press SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Advocates for gun rights are urging the New Mexico Supreme Court to block emergency orders by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham restricting people from carrying guns at public parks and playgrounds in the state’s largest metro area and address gun violence as a public health crisis.

By JACQUES BILLEAUD and ANITA SNOW Associated Press PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs has vowed to bring accountability to a school voucher program that’s expected to top $900 million this year and update laws that allow for the nearly unfettered use of groundwater in rural areas of the drought-stricken state. The Democratic governor,

By STEVE PEOPLES and THOMAS BEAUMONT Associated Press NORTH LIBERTY, Iowa (AP) — When Donald Trump launched his 2024 presidential campaign after a disappointing midterm election for Republicans, his trajectory was something of a mystery. But seven days before Iowa’s kick-off caucuses, his standing among the GOP faithful is hardly in doubt. Voters, campaign operatives

Associated Press LAS VEGAS (AP) — A defendant who was captured in courtroom video leaping over a judge’s bench and attacking her, touching off a bloody brawl, is scheduled to appear before her again Monday morning. In his Jan. 3 appearance before Clark County District Court Judge Mary Kay Holthus, Deobra Redden, who was facing

By BRIAN MELLEY Associated Press LONDON (AP) — England’s 1,000-year-old legal system — still steeped in traditions that include wearing wigs and robes — has taken a cautious step into the future by giving judges permission to use artificial intelligence to help produce rulings. The Courts and Tribunals Judiciary last month said AI could help

By STEVE PEOPLES and THOMAS BEAUMONT Associated Press NORTH LIBERTY, Iowa (AP) — When Donald Trump launched his 2024 presidential campaign after a disappointing midterm election for Republicans, his trajectory was something of a mystery. But seven days before Iowa’s kick-off caucuses, his standing among the GOP faithful is hardly in doubt. Voters, campaign operatives

By ALANIS THAMES AP Sports Writer MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Josh Allen walked toward the thousands of Bills fans who made their way to South Florida for the weekend, waving his arms as they showered him with postgame cheers. It felt like home. And that’s where surging Buffalo will be next weekend. The Bills

By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr. AP Entertainment Writer BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — When Lily Gladstone took the stage Sunday night to accept her first Golden Globe, she spoke to the live TV audience in the Blackfeet language. “This is a historic win,” she said, becoming the Globes’ first Indigenous winner of best actress in a

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — Asian shares advanced Tuesday after Wall Street rallied to claw back almost all the losses from its slow start to the year. U.S. futures fell while oil prices saw modest gains. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index gained 1.4%, to 33,858.63, as the market reopened from a holiday

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Flights have resumed on a repaired runway at Tokyo’s Haneda airport a week after a collision between a Japan Airlines plane and a coast guard aircraft. The coastal runway is one of four at Haneda and its reopening Monday means the airport is near returning to normal