AP-National

By YURAS KARMANAU Associated Press TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A Belarusian journalist has gone on trial on charges linked to his professional work covering protests. It is latest move in a relentless government crackdown on dissent. Photojournalist Alyaksandr Zyankou faces up to six years in prison if convicted on charges of “participation in an extremist

By BRUCE SCHREINER Associated Press FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — For weary parents rolling up their sleeves for around-the-clock diaper duty, a bill with bipartisan support in Kentucky would deliver tax relief when purchasing a necessity that adds up to a hefty expense. The measure would exempt diapers from the state’s 6% sales tax. Senators from

By FRANCES D’EMILIO Associated Press ROME (AP) — Italy’s justice minister has rejected Argentina’s bid to extradite an Italian priest sought on charges of murder, kidnapping and torture during the South American country’s last military dictatorship. Minister Carlo Nordio signed off on the decision on Thursday, according to human rights advocates. The advocates said on

By LISA MASCARO and KEVIN FREKING Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Mike Johnson insisted Friday he is sticking with the bipartisan spending deal he struck with the other congressional leaders, but offered no clear path for overcoming hard-right opposition within his own party to prevent a partial government shutdown next week. Johnson emerged

By BRIAN MELLEY Associated Press LONDON (AP) — An unlikely refugee from the war in Ukraine — a rare Asiatic black bear — arrived at his new home in Scotland on Friday and quickly took to a meal of cucumbers and watermelon. The 12-year-old Yampil was named for a village in the Donetsk region where

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Deforestation has surged in Brazil’s Cerrado region, a vast tropical savanna, up nearly 45% compared to 2022 levels. Full December data released Friday by the National Institute for Space Research show that 7.852 km2 (3.000 mi2) of vegetation were lost in the Cerrado biome between January and December 2023. This

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The first ever 15-day Australian Open ended with Jannik Sinner winning his first Grand Slam title with a comeback from two sets down to beat Daniil Medvedev for the championship on the third Sunday of the tournament. Aryna Sabalenka successfully defended her title with a straight-sets win over Zheng Qinwen in

By ROB MAADDI AP Sports Writer Christian McCaffrey, Tyreek Hill and Fred Warner are unanimous choices for The Associated Press 2023 NFL All-Pro Team. The 49ers’ McCaffrey and Warner and the Dolphins’ Hill received first-team votes from all 50 members of a nationwide panel of media members who regularly cover the league. “No freakin’ way,”

By ED WHITE Associated Press The state of Michigan has agreed to pay $1.75 million to an innocent man who spent 35 years in prison after being wrongly convicted of sexual assault. Louis Wright was released in November after authorities said DNA tests ruled him out as the perpetrator. The attack on an 11-year-old girl

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A grand jury has cleared three Austin, Texas, police officers who fatally shot a man who had killed another officer and two other people. The Travis County District Attorney says the grand jury declined to indict the SWAT officers in the November shooting death of Ahmed Mohamed Nassar. Police say Nassar

By HOLLY RAMER Associated Press MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) — Iowa and New Hampshire are about to kick off the 2024 presidential nominating process, but Sen. Joe Manchin says the path for a potential third-party candidate won’t become clear until Super Tuesday in March. The West Virginia Democrat has previously considered a presidential run. He’s visiting

By GEROLD ROZENBLAD Associated Press PARAMARIBO, Suriname (AP) — Former Suriname dictator Desi Bouterse, who was sentenced last month to 20 years in prison for the killings of 15 political opponents, has vanished after not turning himself in to authorities as planned. His wife, Ingrid Bouterse-Waldring, told reporters Friday that she did not know where

By TOM ODULA Associated Press NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Dozens of Kenyan lawyers have demonstrated peacefully in Nairobi, protesting what they say is judicial interference by President William Ruto. Ruto has said he will disregard court orders from allegedly corrupt judges blocking his key development projects. In recent days, Ruto has also repeatedly threatened to

ISTANBUL (AP) — The son of Somalia’s president has testified at an Istanbul court about the death of a motorcycle courier in the city.  An arrest warrant had been issued after a diplomatic car he was driving allegedly hit the courier on an Istanbul highway in November. The private Demiroren News Agency says the court

By SETH BORENSTEIN AP Science Writer The latest calculations from several science agencies showing Earth obliterated global heat records last year may seem scary. But scientists worry that what’s behind those numbers could be even worse. The Associated Press asked more than three dozen scientists what these smashed records mean. Most said they fear acceleration

PRAGUE (AP) — František Janouch, a Czech nuclear physicist who set up a foundation in Sweden while in exile to support the dissident movement in his communist homeland at the time, has died. He was 92. The Charter 77 Foundation said Janouch died on Friday morning in Sweden’s capital, Stockholm, where he had lived since

By JAKE OFFENHARTZ Associated Press New York (AP) — A years-long effort to erase Donald Trump’s surname from a New York City golf course is now complete. On Thursday, a “Bally Links” sign was unveiled at the Bronx golf club where the giant “Trump Links” sign had long greeted motorists passing over the Whitestone Bridge.

BEIRUT (AP) — Syria’s government is giving the United Nations permission for another six months to use a major border crossing with Turkey to bring aid into the country’s rebel-held northwest. Syria’s mission to the U.N. said in a statement that permission to use the Bab al-Hawa crossing will last until mid-July. Rebel-held parts of

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Brunei’s Prince Abdul Mateen, one of Asia’s most popular royal figures, has married his fiancee in an elaborate 10-day ceremony. The 32-year-old prince, once dubbed one of Asia’s most eligible bachelors, married Anisha Rosnah Isa-Kalebic, 29, in a ceremony that began on Jan. 7 and will end on Tuesday. A

By The Associated Press A Moscow court has ruled that a left-wing opposition activist who had criticized the Kremlin but backed the war in Ukraine should remain in custody pending trial on charges linked to his online comment. The district court ruled Friday to keep Sergei Udaltsov in custody until Feb. 15 on charges of