AP-National

PHOENIX (AP) — Authorities say the theft of an inexpensive gold-chain necklace may have led to the fatal beating of a teenage boy during a Halloween party last year in a Phoenix, Arizona, suburb. Four men ranging in age from 18 to 20 and three 17-year-old male juveniles were taken into custody Thursday and Friday

By AAMER MADHANI, TIA GOLDENBERG and ZEKE MILLER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has stepped up public pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, warning he’s “hurting Israel” and speaking candidly about “come to Jesus” conversations with the leader over the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Despite Biden’s increased displays of

Associated Press MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Backers of an effort to oust Wisconsin Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos from office over his opposition to former President Donald Trump say they’ve collected enough signatures to force a recall vote. Supporters of the recall campaign plan to present signatures Monday to the Wisconsin Election Commission. They say

By COLLEEN BARRY Associated Press MILAN (AP) — Just before an opera-ballet set in conflict, La Scala’s principal dancer Roberto Bolle, general manager Dominique Meyer and other members of the dance company, orchestra and stage crew faced the audience as the curtain rose. It revealed a banner with the imperative: “Cease fire.” The sentiment received

By MICHAEL WEISSENSTEIN Associated Press Former U.N. diplomat Giandomenico Picco, whose negotiating skills helped resolve some of the thorniest crises of the 1980s and 1990s, including the Iran-Iraq war and the kidnappings of Westerners by Hezbollah in Lebanon, has died. Picco passed away peacefully Sunday after a long illness, his son, Giacomo Picco, said. He

By BRIAN MELLEY Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Nearly three dozen bodies were removed from a funeral home in northern England, and a man and woman were arrested Sunday on suspicion of fraud and preventing a lawful burial, police said. Humberside Police announced the developments after five days of investigation at three branches of Legacy

LA GRULLA, Texas (AP) — A National Guard soldier from New York who was seriously injured in the crash of a helicopter flying over the U.S.-Mexico border remained hospitalized Sunday while authorities released the names of the two National Guard soldiers and a Border Patrol agent onboard who were killed. The three killed Friday in

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — A record-setting rain storm has flooded parts of Charleston, South Carolina, requiring emergency responders to help some people get out of high waters. The National Weather Service in Charleston reported that 3.63 inches of rain doused downtown Charleston on Saturday, shattering the one-day record of 1.43 inches from 1948. The Charleston

LONDON (AP) — The wail of the shofar was mournful, loud and lasted nearly two minutes as dozens of Jews in London blew on rams’ horns to wake up others to the plight of the estimated 100 hostages still held in Gaza. Demonstrators standing in the rain Sunday outside a London mosque blew on the

THESSAOLONIKI, Greece (AP) — Nine people have been jailed and will be tried Monday over accusations of harassing and threatening two 21-year-old transgender persons in the northern city of Thessaloniki. The nine were remanded after appearing before a prosecutor Sunday. Twelve other people, all minors, were released provisionally pending trial on the same charges before

By JAKE COYLE AP Film Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — As Universal Pictures prepared for a big night at the Academy Awards with “Oppenheimer,” the studio also celebrated the No. 1 debut of “Kung Fu Panda 4,” which collected $58.3 million in domestic theaters over the weekend, according to estimates Sunday. “Kung Fu Panda 4,”

By EMILIO MORENATTI Associated Press BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — A religious procession in downtown Barcelona has celebrated the appearance of long-awaited rain after nine days of praying for relief from a severe drought. Around 100 local people took part in the Catholic ceremony on a rainy Saturday evening. They carried the figure of the Holy

BERLIN (AP) — Berlin police say an 83-year-old driver in Berlin drove into a woman visiting from Belgium and her 4-year-old son, killing them both. The 41-year-old mother died Saturday shortly afterwards in a hospital, and the child died the same evening after an emergency operation. Two relatives witnessed the accident and had to be

OLIVETTE, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri man has been charged with shooting and killing his mother as she tried to enter the back door of their home. Jaylen Johnson’s attorney, William Goldstein, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that Johnson believed his mother was an intruder when she tried to enter the home in the St.

LONDON (AP) — London police say they have arrested a driver who plowed a car into the gates of Buckingham Palace. The Metropolitan Police force said Sunday that the crash wasn’t considered terrorism-related and no one was injured. The driver was arrested early Saturday on suspicion of criminal damage. He was held under the Mental

By EVENS SANON Associated Press PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — The U.S. military said Sunday that it had flown in forces to beef up security at the U.S. Embassy in Haiti and allow nonessential personnel to leave. The aircraft flew to the embassy compound, the U.S. Southern Command said, meaning that the effort involved helicopters. It

VENICE, Fla. (AP) — Authorities were seeking to assist a beached sperm whale stranded on a sandbar off Florida’s Gulf Coast on Sunday, but said conditions in the water were too dangerous for crews to safely approach and administer a sedative. The Venice Police Department said in posts on Facebook that the whale was alive

By JON GAMBRELL Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Officials in Saudi Arabia have declared the start of the fasting month of Ramadan after sighting the crescent moon Sunday night. The announcement marks the beginning of Ramadan for many of the world’s 1.8 billion Muslims. Saudi Arabia is home to the holiest sites

By ADRIANA MORGA AND COLLIN BINKLEY Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — More than 7.5 million student loan borrowers have enrolled in the U.S. government’s newest repayment plan since it launched in August. President Joe Biden recently announced that he was canceling federal student loans for nearly 153,000 borrowers enrolled in the plan, known as

By The Associated Press Muslims around the world are welcoming the arrival of Ramadan, a month of dawn-to-dusk fasting, intense prayer, charity and feasts. They will savor the traditions of their own diverse communities that include holiday treats and evening diversions. But the tribulations faced by fellow Muslims are never far from anyone’s mind. War