Month: June 2023

By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Critics accuse the British administration of running “government by WhatsApp” due to the popularity of the messaging app with politicians and officials. So it feels inevitable that a tussle over WhatsApp messages is at the heart of Britain’s official inquiry into how the country handled the COVID-19

LONDON (AP) — The British government has appointed a new acting chair for the BBC five weeks after the resignation of Richard Sharp. Sharp resigned after he was found to have failed to disclose a potential conflict of interest over his role in arranging a loan for then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer

By SEUNG MIN KIM, STEPHEN GROVES and FARNOUSH AMIRI Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — It was advice that Mitch McConnell had offered to Joe Biden once already: To resolve the debt limit standoff, he needed to strike a deal with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy — and McCarthy alone. But after the first meeting of the

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation’s employers stepped up their hiring in May, adding a robust 339,000 jobs, well above expectations and evidence of strength in an economy that the Federal Reserve is desperately trying to cool. The unemployment rate rose to 3.7%, from a five-decade low of 3.4% in

DETROIT (AP) — Ford is telling owners of more than 140,000 SUVs in the U.S. to park them outside because they can catch fire even when the engines are turned off. The company is recalling certain Lincoln MKC SUVs from the 2015 to 2019 model years. Ford says a short-circuit can develop in the 12-volt

By LUIS ANDRES HENAO Associated Press LIBERTA, Antigua (AP) — On the same ground where their enslaved ancestors were forced to plant sugar cane, Rastafari on this small island nation are now legally growing and ritualistically smoking marijuana. For Rastafari, the practice brings them closer to the divine. But for decades, many have been jailed

BERLIN (AP) — The United Nations has warned that far too little aid is reaching cyclone-hit areas of Myanmar and the country could face a major food crisis soon if farmers are unable to plant crops. Cyclone Mocha struck the western state of Rakhine and nearby regions last month, killing hundreds of people and damaging

By YURI KAGEYAMA Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Ten-year-old Maholo Terajima Ghnassia is breaking conventions as one of the biggest emerging stars in Japan’s Kabuki theater tradition. Kabuki is passed from father to son and Japanese men typically play every role. Debuting with the stage name Maholo Onoe in a monthlong run in Tokyo, the

By SUSIE BLANN and MATTHEW LEE Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday that there can be no cease-fire in the war in Ukraine unless it is part of a “just and lasting” peace deal that includes Russia’s military withdrawal. Blinken said that “a cease-fire that simply freezes

By GRAHAM DUNBAR AP Sports Writer GENEVA (AP) — Champions League final referee Szymon Marciniak has support from Poland’s government as UEFA considers removing him from the match because he spoke at a business event run by a far-right politician. Polish media reported that he had been dropped from officiating the match between Manchester City

By AAMER MADHANI Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is ready to have talks with Russia without preconditions about a future arms control framework as the last treaty between the two nuclear powers has faltered. Two senior Biden administration officials say White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan will speak of the administration’s

By BEN NUCKOLS Associated Press OXON HILL, Md. (AP) — Fifteen months ago, Dev Shah spent a miserable five hours spelling outdoors in chilly, windy, damp conditions at a supersize regional competition in Orlando, Florida, only to fall short of his dream of returning to the Scripps National Spelling Bee. “Despondent is the right word,”

BERLIN (AP) — Prominent members of German mainstream parties have expressed alarm at a new poll released showing support for the far-right Alternative for Germany at a record high. The latest DeutschlandTrend survey was released Thursday. It’s conducted monthly by infratest dimap for public broadcaster ARD. The poll puts voter support for Alternative for Germany