AP-National

By BINAJ GURUBACHARYA Associated Press KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — A gay couple in Nepal on Wednesday became the first in the nation to receive official same-sex marriage status. The Himalayan nation is one of the first in Asia to allow it. “After 23 years of struggle we got this historic achievement, and finally Maya and

Associated Press BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Mali’s military government has announced an investigation into the Tuareg rebel leaders who signed a peace agreement in 2015 and now accuse the government of failing to comply with it. Experts worry that the deal crucial to establishing a measure of stability in the country’s north is collapsing. The

By TIFFANY STANLEY and LEA SKENE Associated Press BALTIMORE (AP) — As Charles Richardson gradually lost his eyesight to complications from diabetes, certain childhood memories haunted him even more. The Catholic priest appeared vividly in his mind’s eye — the one who promised him a spot on a travel basketball team, took him out for

By MARIA SHERMAN AP Music Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — It’s her, hi — Taylor Swift is Spotify’s 2023 most-played artist. According to Spotify Wrapped, Swift was 2023’s most-streamed artist globally, raking in more than 26.1 billion streams since January 1. That means the pop powerhouse has dethroned Puerto Rican reggaetón star Bad Bunny, who

By TIFFANY STANLEY and LEA SKENE Associated Press BALTIMORE (AP) — As Charles Richardson gradually lost his eyesight to complications from diabetes, certain childhood memories haunted him even more. The Catholic priest appeared vividly in his mind’s eye — the one who promised him a spot on a travel basketball team, took him out for

By DANIEL POLITI Associated Press BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina’s President-elect Javier Milei says he’s chosen Luis Caputo, a former finance minister and Central Bank chief who is known as an expert in markets, to lead the Economy Ministry when the right-wing leader takes office on Dec. 10. The pick confirms that Milei, a

By NICK KURCZEWSKI Edmunds Hands-free driver assistance technology has seemingly gone from a sci-fi fantasy to everyday driving reality in a very short time. However, as these systems increase in availability and consumer acceptance, so does confusion over the benefits (and limitations) each of these driving aids has to offer. The automotive experts at Edmunds

By MATTHEW LEE AP Diplomatic Writer BRUSSELS (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the Biden administration would like to see a new extension of the cease-fire agreement in Israel’s war with Hamas after the current one expires. The aim is to secure the release of additional hostages held by the militant group

By JON GAMBRELL and MALAK HARB Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The Emirati president-designate for the upcoming United Nations COP28 climate talks has forcefully denied a report alleging his nation planned to use the summit to strike oil and gas deals, a day before the summit was due to begin. Sultan al-Jaber,

By CHINEDU ASADU Associated Press ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — At least 40 civilians were killed last weekend by al-Qaida-linked rebels trying to take control of a besieged town in Burkina Faso’s hard-hit northern region, the United Nations’ rights office said, calling the attack a war crime. In one of the largest clashes in recent years

By LARRY NEUMEISTER and ASHOK SHARMA Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — American authorities say an Indian government official directed a plot to assassinate a prominent Sikh separatist leader in New York City after he advocated for a sovereign state for Sikhs. They also announced murder-for-hire charges were unsealed in Manhattan federal court against a

By FATIMA HUSSEIN and CHRIS MEGERIAN Associated Press PUEBLO, Colo. (AP) — In Colorado, President Joe Biden has said Rep. Lauren Boebert was wrong to describe his policies as “a massive failure.” During a visit to her congressional district. Biden toured CS Wind, a company that manufactures wind towers and is expanding its workforce with

By PAUL WISEMAN AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The global economy, which has proved surprisingly resilient this year, is expected to falter next year under the strain of wars, still-elevated inflation and continued high interest rates. The Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development estimated Wednesday that international growth will slow to 2.7% in

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Toyota is selling a part of its stake in components maker Denso to raise cash for its drive toward electric vehicles and other innovations. Japan’s top automaker said Wednesday that the move is estimated to raise about 290 billion yen, or $2 billion, given recent share

By FRANCES D’EMILIO Associated Press VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican says Pope Francis is stable but is still having trouble breathing as a result of a lung inflammation that forced him to cancel a weekend trip to Dubai. Francis told his general audience Wednesday morning that he still didn’t feel well and that his voice

By JON GAMBRELL Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The ruling emir of oil-rich Kuwait has been hospitalized “due to an emergency health problem” but later was in stable condition. That’s according to a report Wednesday by the state-run KUNA news agency. The report did not elaborate on the problem faced by 86-year-old

By WAFAA SHURAFA, JACK JEFFERY and MELANIE LIDMAN Associated Press JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel and Hamas on Thursday agreed to extend a temporary truce by another day minutes before it was set to expire, said Qatar, which has been mediating between the two sides. Negotiations on extending it came down to the wire, with last-minute