Year: 2024

AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The great inflation spike of the past three years is nearly spent — and economists credit American consumers for helping slay it. Some of America’s largest companies, from Amazon to Disney to Yum Brands, say their customers are increasingly seeking cheaper alternative products and services, searching for bargains or

Associated Press ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A major forest fire has raged into the northern suburbs of Athens, killing one person and triggering evacuations of several areas as swirling winds hampered efforts of hundreds of firefighters and dozens of water-dropping planes. Officials said the situation had slightly improved by late Monday night but Greece remained

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a minivan explosion in the Afghan capital that killed at least one person. The militant group said in a statement that it detonated an explosive device on Sunday targeting a vehicle carrying members of the Shiite minority community, killing and wounding about 13 people. Police

AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks drifted through a quiet Monday to finish mixed, as markets around the world stabilized following a wild week of extreme swings. The S&P 500 finished little changed, edging up by less than 0.01%, after flipping between small gains and losses through the day. The Dow Jones

This week’s new streaming entertainment releases include a country album from Post Malone, Awkwafina playing a struggling actor whose winning lottery ticket has her on the run for her life in “Jackpot!” and the fourth season of “Emily in Paris” drops Thursday. The tearjerker Netflix documentary “Daughters” follows four young girls as they prepare to

AP Entertainment Writer PARIS (AP) — Parisian singer-model Yseult was the final act to perform during the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics on Sunday. In an interview with The Associated Press before the show, Yseult said her goal was to represent her country on the global stage, showcase her upcoming music including her viral

Associated Press WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A man has died after an unauthorized helicopter flight in Queensland, Australia ended in a crash on a hotel roof, prompting the evacuation of hundreds of people from the building as flames engulfed the aircraft. Authorities in the city of Cairns said Monday that they had not confirmed

Associated Press LAS VEGAS (AP) — The murder trial of a Las Vegas-area politician accused of killing an investigative reporter who wrote articles critical of him has begun, with jury selection set to resume for a second day. Questioning of prospective jurors began Monday after the judge rejected defendant Robert Telles’ last request to dismiss

Associated Press High up in the mountains of Maui, residents of one small town have taken their future into their own hands after a fire last year that burned 19 homes. The blaze that hit part of Kula in August was far smaller than the fire that devastated the historic city of Lahaina, on Maui’s

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — At the top of his first speech as her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz turned to Vice President Kamala Harris and declared, “Thank you for bringing back the joy.” The next day, Harris took the theme a step further, branding the Democratic ticket “joyful warriors.” Contrast that with former

Associated Press RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Arianne Risso worked every day to help her patients battle cancer. That made it all the more heart wrenching when her life — along with that of seven other doctors — ended abruptly after a plane tumbled from the sky in Brazil. She boarded the ill-fated flight Friday

Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — As the Olympics close in Paris, Los Angeles has now taken the torch. The city will become the third to host the games three times. The last was in 1984, when Los Angeles was as much a star as Olympians Carl Lewis and Mary Lou Retton. Olympic organizers will

Associated Press MEXICO CITY (AP) — The smell of hairspray clouds Alexa Flores López as she gets the finishing touches of an intricate updo on her thick black hair. When Alexa found out she was going to have a quinceañera — the traditional celebration for a 15th birthday in Mexico — she could barely contain

Associated Press Jannatul Prome hopes to leave Bangladesh to study more or possibly find a job after she finishes her university degree, frustrated by a system that she says doesn’t reward merit and offers little opportunity for young people. “We have very limited scope here,” said the 21-year-old, who would have left sooner if her

Associated Press DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Bangladesh’s Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan has resigned following new protests by students and other demonstrators, as the interim government starts functioning after a mass uprising toppled Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The country’s Law Adviser Asif Nazrul said Saturday that his office received the resignation letter from the chief justice.

Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea and the United States will start their annual joint military exercises next week with a focus on improving their combined capabilities to deter and defend against growing North Korean nuclear threats. North Korea may react with belligerence as it views the drills as rehearsals for an

Associated Press HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s top court has upheld the convictions of seven of Hong Kong’s most prominent pro-democracy activists over their roles in one of the biggest anti-government protests in 2019. Jimmy Lai, founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper; Martin Lee, the founding chairman of the city’s Democratic Party; and

Associatd Press TOKYO (AP) — A slow-moving storm is dumping intense rainfall on northern Japan, causing rivers to swell and sending some residents to shelters. The storm was once Typhoon Maria but has weakened, with winds now blowing up to 45 mph. It made landfall in Iwate prefecture Monday morning and was expected to cut