Month: February 2024

By The Associated Press A Moscow court has remanded a German citizen into custody after his arrest for possession of cannabis gummies and accusations of smuggling drugs. Russian state news agency Tass said Wednesday Patrick Schobel was detained at Pulkovo airport in St. Petersburg last month and will remain in custody until at least March

By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The mild-mannered Franklin — the first Black character in the “Peanuts” comic strip — gets to shine in his own animated Apple TV+ special this month in a story about friendship. Franklin is a newcomer who bonds with Charlie Brown and is welcomed to the

By DAVID SHARP Associated Press PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The tradition of red hearts mysteriously appearing overnight across Maine’s largest city has continued despite the death last spring of its beloved Valentine’s Day Bandit. Hundreds of red hearts appeared Wednesday on Portland storefronts, mailboxes and even trash bins. It marked a passing of the torch

By TARA COPP Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A day after his latest hospital stay, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has hosted a virtual meeting on Ukraine  to help replenish urgently needed ammunition and artillery for Kyiv, as its ammunition stocks run low in its fight against Russia. Austin hosted the virtual session of the Ukraine

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — A Scandinavian Airlines plane struck a fence at the Oslo airport on Wednesday, causing minor damage to the aircraft and no injuries, the airline said. It was the third mishap in two weeks reported at Norway’s main airport. The plane bound for Stockholm was leaving the gate at the airport in

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Three police officers were shot trying to make an animal cruelty arrest that touched off an hourslong standoff in the nation’s capitol on Wednesday. It ended late at night with the arrest of 46-year-old Julius James. The officers were hospitalized and expected to recover from gunshot wounds,

By TERRY SPENCER Associated Press PARKLAND, Fla. (AP) — The family of a teen murdered at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School is launching a campaign where re-created voices of gun violence victims will call federal lawmakers. The parents of 17-year-old Joaquin Oliver launched the project on Wednesday, the massacre’s sixth anniversary. Oliver and 16

By HUIZHONG WU Associated Press BANGKOK (AP) — Taiwan’s Coast Guard says two Chinese fishermen have drowned while being chased by the coast guard off the coast of Taiwan’s Kinmen archipelago. The coast guard says the vessel had been trespassing about one nautical mile off the coast. An official says four fishermen fell into the

By The Associated Press Travis Kelce is already making moves in Hollywood. The Super Bowl champ has his first executive producer credit on a new film that will have its world premiere in March at the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas. “My Dead Friend Zoe” is described as a darkly comedic drama

By SAMY MAGDY Associated Press CAIRO (AP) — Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Edrogan held talks in Cairo with his Egyptian counterpart in efforts to rally support for growing demands that Israel halt its war against Hamas in Gaza. Erdogan’s visit comes as ties between Ankara and Cairo are back on track after years of tensions

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A South Korean court has convicted three former police officers of destroying internal files and other evidence in an attempted cover-up after a Halloween crowd crush that killed nearly 160 people in 2022. These were the first convictions over the deaths. The high death toll was largely blamed on official

PRAGUE (AP) — A Prague court has acquitted for the second time former Prime Minister Andrej Babis of fraud charges in a $2 million case involving European Union subsidies. Babis had pleaded not guilty. The prosecution can still appeal the verdict. It had requested a three-year suspended sentence and a fine to be paid by

By LOUISE DIXON BERLIN (AP) — The 74th Berlin International Film Festival opens Thursday with the world premiere of “Small Things Like These” starring man of the moment Cillian Murphy. The film explores Ireland’s Magdalene laundries, Catholic-run institutions from the 18th to the late 20th century intended to reform those deemed “fallen women.” Politics is never

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Activists and members of the LGBTQ+ community have handed out colorful chocolate candy for Valentine’s Day in Tokyo, marking the fifth anniversary of the launch of a legal battle to achieve marriage equality for same-sex couples. Japan is the only member of the Group of Seven nations

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s Valentine’s Day and Jill Biden is again sending her love to Americans through an art display on the White House lawn. The first lady’s “Valentine to the Country” was revealed as the sun rose on Wednesday. The installation features a large wooden red envelope painted in

NEW DELHI (AP) — Protesting Indian farmers have clashed with police for a second consecutive day as tens of thousands tried to march to the capital to demand guaranteed prices for their produce. Farmers are pressing the government to meet its promise to double their income, waive their loans and withdraw legal cases brought against

By FRANK BAJAK AP Technology Writer BOSTON (AP) — Microsoft says U.S. adversaries — chiefly Iran and North Korea and to a lesser extent Russia and China — are beginning to use generative artificial intelligence in mounting and organizing offensive cyber operations. Techniques that Microsoft says it observed along with partner OpenAI, represent an emerging

By KATE ASHFORD of NerdWallet Many people choose Medicare Advantage plans without exploring their options or noticing what changes their plan may have made, according to research. But now that a new year has started, you may realize you picked the wrong plan during Medicare’s fall open enrollment. Maybe your prescription drugs are more expensive

By LORNE COOK and MATTHEW LEE Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday that its European members and Canada have ramped up defense spending to record levels, as he warned that former U.S. President Donald Trump was undermining their security by calling into question the U.S. commitment to its allies. Stoltenberg

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — British Foreign Secretary David Cameron has said that nothing is more important now than strong support for Ukraine as it fights off Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggression. Cameron, speaking to reporters in Sofia on Wednesday, said support is not just a matter for European, but also global security. He met in

By NICK KURCZEWSKI Edmunds The 2024 Chevrolet Colorado proves how transformative the midsize pickup truck market has suddenly become. In a segment where slow and steady changes are the norm, this generation of Colorado has a bold exterior, a turbocharged four-cylinder in two states of tune, and newly-added rock-crawling trims like the Bison Edition. Seeking

By The Associated Press Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law that will allow authorities to confiscate money, valuables and other assets from people convicted of spreading “deliberately false information” about the country’s military. It will apply to people who are convicted of publicly inciting “extremist activities” and calling for actions that would hurt

By JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Newly retired NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick  will make his full-time debut as a Fox Sports broadcaster with the Daytona 500 this week. Harvick says he is looking forward to it. He also says the transition has been smooth and something of a relief.