Year: 2024

AP National Writer MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — USA Gymnastics was a house afire five years ago, the massive fallout surrounding the Larry Nassar sexual abuse scandal rendering one of the U.S. Olympic movement’s marquee programs radioactive. Lawsuits. Bankruptcy. Potential decertification. A revolving door at the top as CEOs incapable or unwilling to find a path forward

Associated Press ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Defense chiefs of West Africa on Thursday proposed an ambitious plan to deploy a 5,000-strong “standby force” to fight the region’s worsening security crises, a measure that analysts say might not work due to challenges of funding and division within the regional bloc. The plan, which will cost $2.6

PRAGUE (AP) — The Czech Republic’s central bank has cut its key interest rate for the fifth straight time as inflation remains low and the economy shows signs of recovery. The cut by a half-percentage point brought the interest rate down to 4.75%. The cut, which had been predicted by analysts, brought the interest rate

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — A fire has broken out on top of a building housing Denmark’s taxation ministry, leading to the evacuation of the offices and adjacent houses. There was no word on casualties, but the authorities said the blaze was quickly brought under control. Huge billows of black smoke rose from the six-story building

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — Slovakia’s Parliament has approved a package of legislation meant to boost security for leading politicians and others following an assassination attempt on populist Prime Minister Robert Fico. The measures Thursday, which were approved by the coalition government on June 12, are set to take effect July 15 after expected approval by President Peter Pellegrini, Fico’s close

BERLIN (AP) — Another 400,000 people formally have left the Catholic Church in Germany last year. But the number was down from a record set in 2022 as church leaders struggle to put a long-running scandal over abuse by clergy behind them and tackle calls for reform. The German Bishops’ Conference said Thursday that 402,694

Associated Press LONDON (AP) — An attorney for the publisher of The Sun tabloid has accused Prince Harry of destroying evidence it was seeking in his lawsuit claiming the newspaper violated his privacy. Attorney Anthony Hudson said at High Court on Thursday that the Duke of Sussex had deliberately destroyed text messages with the ghostwriter

AP Tennis Writer An outside review of the U.S. Tennis Association’s safeguarding system makes 19 specific recommendations for how the group that oversees the sport in the country and runs the U.S. Open Grand Slam tournament can do more to protect players from abuse such as sexual misconduct. A 62-page report written by two lawyers

Associated Press LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — Bolivian President Luis Arce on Thursday angrily called accusations that he was behind an attempted coup against his government “lies,” saying the general who apparently led it acted on his own and vowing that he would face justice. Arce’s comments, his first to the press since Wednesday’s failed

AP Business Writer Boeing is being sanctioned by U.S. investigators for sharing information about the 737 Max 9 door plug investigation. The National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday that Boeing “blatantly violated” the agency’s investigative regulations as well as a signed agreement by providing non-public investigative information to the media and speculating about possible causes

Associated Press BANGKOK (AP) — Hundreds of people have attended the funeral of a senior monk who was fatally shot by soldiers in an incident that could undermine the cozy relationship Myanmar’s military government has tried to maintain with the country’s Buddhist clergy. The killing of the 78-year-old monk drew outrage, especially because the military

Associated Press DENPASAR, Indonesia (AP) — Prosecutors in Indonesia have demanded an eight-month medical rehabilitation for an Australian man charged with possessing methamphetamine on the tourist island of Bali, after his earlier charge of drug trafficking was dropped which would have carried the death penalty. Troy Andrew Smith, from Port Lincoln in South Australia, was

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Swedish police are looking into the unexplained deaths of three men who died within a short period after working at a local electric vehicle battery plant in the Arctic. Officers said Thursday that they wanted to find out whether the tragedies are linked, a crime has been committed or if they

Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — A raspy and sometimes halting President Joe Biden tried repeatedly to confront Donald Trump in their first debate ahead of the November election, as his Republican rival countered Biden’s criticism by leaning into falsehoods about the economy, illegal immigration and his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection. Biden’s