AP-National

By LINDSEY BAHR AP Film Writer Hugh Grant learned some years ago that if a filmmaker doesn’t make something from the heart, it shows. The films that work best, and are most loved, he’s found, are the ones that the directors really meant. It applied to his romantic comedies with Richard Curtis as well as

By HILLEL ITALIE AP National Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Her book is called ‘My Name is Barbra’ and it runs nearly 1,000 pages. You expected less from Barbra Streisand? Streisand spent the past decade working on one of the epic narratives in modern show business — her uncompromising rise from working class Brooklyn in

NEW YORK (AP) — An upcoming biography of the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis will draw upon hundreds of interviews, along with the civil rights activist’s FBI files and materials from a planned book that was never completed. Historian David Greenberg’s Lewis biography is scheduled for release next fall, Simon & Schuster announced Tuesday. Greenberg,

By COLLEEN BARRY Associated Press MILAN (AP) — The father of a young woman whose murder galvanized Italian outrage against violence targeting women implored men to be agents of change to a culture that often “undervalues the lives of women.” Gino Cecchettin was speaking Tuesday at the funeral Mass in the northern city of Padua

By THANASSIS STAVRAKIS and DEREK GATOPOULOS Associated Press ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece’s Acropolis Museum has launched an exhibition that includes a renowned ancient Greek water jug from 420 B.C. on loan from the British Museum. The exhibit comes during a dispute between the countries over Greek demands for the return of sculptures from the

By MATTHEW BARAKAT and BEN FINLEY Associated Press ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — The owner of a Virginia house that exploded as police tried to execute a search warrant is believed to have died in the blast, officials said Tuesday, as details emerged about numerous grievances he expressed against neighbors and others on social media and

By JENNIFER McDERMOTT Associated Press The United States will work with other governments to speed up efforts to make nuclear fusion a new source of carbon-free energy, U.S. Climate Envoy John Kerry said Tuesday, while in Dubai for U.N. climate talks. Nuclear fusion melds two hydrogen atoms together to produce a helium atom and a

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Norway’s government has made a deal with two large opposition parties to open the Arctic Ocean to seabed mineral exploration despite warnings by environmental groups that it would threaten the region’s biodiversity. Norway said in June it wanted to open parts of the Norwegian continental shelf for commercial deep sea mining

By DALIA RAMIREZ of NerdWallet The Social Security Administration adjusts its benefits payments each year to reflect changes in the cost of living. The new year will bring a 3.2% increase, much smaller than last year’s 8.7% raise. Even if you’re decades away from retirement, the annual cost of living adjustment can help you predict

By WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Remember what you searched for in 2023? Well, Wikipedia has the receipts. English Wikipedia raked in more than 84 billion views this year. That’s according to numbers collected by the Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit behind the free, publicly edited online encyclopedia. And the most popular

By CHINEDU ASADU Associated Press ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Officials in Nigeria say at least 85 civilians were killed when a military drone mistakenly targeted a religious gathering in the country’s northwest. At least 66 people were injured in the attack Sunday in Kaduna state. Nigeria’s army chief visited the affected village Tuesday and apologized

By ZEN SOO AP Business Writer HONG KONG (AP) — Credit rating agency Moody’s has downgraded its outlook for Chinese sovereign bonds to negative, citing risks from a slowing economy and a crisis in its property sector. Moody’s said the change reflects risks from financing troubles of local and regional governments and state-owned enterprises. It

By SAMYA KULLAB and HANNA ARHIROVA Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The Dutch government says it has allocated 2.5 billion euros to support Ukraine in 2024. Foreign Minister Hanke Bruins Slot announced it during a visit to Ukraine. The 21-month war is entering another winter and concerns are growing that Kyiv’s war effort may

By JAN M. OLSEN Associated Press COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — The conflict against Tesla in Sweden is spreading to neighboring Denmark. Transport workers there say they will take industrial action in solidarity with workers in Sweden against the Texas-based automaker. Tesla is non-unionized globally, but the Swedish workers are demanding that the carmaker sign a collective bargaining

By COLLIN BINKLEY AP Education Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Students around the world suffered historic setbacks in reading and math during the COVID-19 pandemic, with declines in test scores so widespread that the United States climbed in global rankings simply by falling behind less sharply, a new study finds. The state of global education was

By LORNE COOK Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — Europe faces a “huge risk of terrorist attacks” over the Christmas holiday period due to the fallout from the war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, the European Union’s home affairs commissioner warned Tuesday. The warning came as French investigators probe a fatal weekend attack

MOSCOW (AP) — The Kremlin says that Russian President Vladimir Putin will make a one-day trip to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia focused on the Israeli-Hamas war and also host the Iranian president in Moscow this week. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says Putin will visit both countries Wednesday. Peskov said the talks will

By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — The interior ministers of Britain and Rwanda have signed a treaty that aims to revive a plan to send asylum-seekers to the East African country that has been blocked by U.K. courts. British Home Secretary James Cleverly said the legally binding agreement signed on Tuesday with his

PARIS (AP) — France’s National Assembly has unanimously approved a bill to ban single-use, disposable electronic cigarettes, in an attempt to protect young people drawn to their flavors and mitigate the environmental impacts of the disposable products known as “puffs.” Lawmakers adopted the bill by 104 votes in favor, zero against. It will then move

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape says he will sign a bilateral security pact with Australia during a visit this week. Marape said Tuesday that the agreement to be signed with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese on Thursday will involve Australian police officers working under the command of Papua New