AP-National

By JIWON SONG Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Oscar-winning “Parasite” director Bong Joon-ho and other artists in South Korea have called for a thorough investigation into the death of popular actor Lee Sun-kyun. Lee was found dead in his car on Dec. 27 in what is widely seen as a suicide following an

By MICHELLE L. PRICE and STEVE PEOPLES Associated Press DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A man in Iowa stood up at a recent town hall and told Ron DeSantis he had an “easy” question: How would the Florida governor address abortion when it’s sure to be a big issue in the coming 2024 presidential election?

BEIJING (AP) — Myanmar’s military says it has reached a cease-fire agreement with an alliance of three ethnic minority guerrilla groups that it has been battling in the north. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in Beijing on Friday that the agreement had been brokered at talks mediated by China on Wednesday and Thursday in

By SAMYA KULLAB and HANNA ARHIROVA Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak unveiled new military funding for Ukraine on Friday during a visit to Kyiv aimed at reassuring the country that the West is still providing support nearly 23 months after Russia’s invasion. The package, worth 2.5 billion pounds ($3.2

By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street closed its 10th winning week in the last 11 with a mixed finish Friday following an encouraging report on inflation. The S&P 500 edged up by 0.1% after earnings reporting season kicked off with mixed results from Delta Air Lines, JPMorgan Chase and

By SIMINA MISTREANU Associated Press TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan is holding its presidential election on Saturday, a race that China has called a choice between war and peace. China considers the self-ruled island about 160 kilometers (100 miles) off its east coast a breakaway province and has threatened to take control over it, by

By CHRISTOPHER BODEEN and SIMINA MISTREANU Associated Press TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwanese are preparing to elect a new president and legislature Saturday in what many see as a test of control with China which claims the self-governing island republic as its own. The presidential race pits Vice President Lai Ching-te against Hou Yu-ih of

By HYUNG-JIN KIM Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Russian tourists going on a ski trip will be the first international travelers to visit North Korea since the country’s borders closed in 2020 amid the global pandemic lockdown. A report on Russia’s state-run Tass news agency said an unspecified number of tourists from the

By ZEN SOO AP Business Writer HONG KONG (AP) — China has reported that its exports grew slightly for a second consecutive month in December even as deflationary pressures continued. Official data released Friday underscored the uneven nature of the country’s economic recovery from the pandemic. Exports rose 2.3% year-on-year in December to $303.6 billion.

MULLAN, Idaho (AP) — Two men were rescued after being caught in an avalanche in the Idaho backcountry, while a third man was believed to be dead. The Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office says a rescue began shortly before 3 p.m. Thursday when law enforcement received a GPS alert of a possible fatality in an avalanche

By DIDI TANG Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington’s relationship with Beijing will face its biggest test since the leaders of the two countries met in November, as the United States seeks to keep the Taiwan Straits calm after Taiwanese v oters select a new president this weekend. At stake is the peace and stability

By JINTAMAS SAKSORNCHAI Associated Press BANGKOK (AP) — Pita Limjaroenrat shook up Thai politics eight months ago by leading his progressive Move Forward party to a stunning first-place finish in the 2023 general election. Pita’s win also put him in a good position to be named the country’s next prime minister. But he had a

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Japan has successfully launched a rocket carrying a government intelligence-gathering satellite on a mission to watch movements at military sites in North Korea and improve natural disaster response. The H2A rocket, launched by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, blasted off from the Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan on

CORONADO, Calif. (AP) — A U.S. Navy helicopter has crashed into a Southern California bay during a training exercise. Authorities say all six crewmembers survived. A Navy spokesperson says the MH-60R Seahawk crashed in the waters of San Diego Bay shortly after 6:30 p.m. Thursday. A safety boat was on hand and the crewmembers were

By MIKE CORDER and RAF CASERT Associated Press THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Accused of committing genocide against Palestinians, Israel insisted at the United Nations’ highest court Friday that its war in Gaza was a legitimate defense of its people and that it was Hamas militants who were guilty of genocide. Israel described the allegations

By CAROLYN THOMPSON Associated Press BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Federal prosecutors said Friday that they will seek the death penalty against a white supremacist who killed 10 Black people at a Buffalo supermarket. Payton Gendron, 20, is already serving a sentence of life in prison with no chance of parole after he pleaded guilty to

By JAN M. OLSEN Associated Press COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Queen Margrethe II, Denmark’s monarch for more than half a century, stunned her country when she announced on New Year’s Eve that she will hand over the throne to her eldest son, Crown Prince Frederik. Her abdication on Sunday will be the first time a

By JAN M. OLSEN Associated Press COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — As a teenager, Denmark’s Crown Prince Frederik felt uncomfortable being in the spotlight and wondered whether there was any way he could avoid becoming king. Such doubts have been swept aside as the 55-year-old takes over the crown on Sunday from his mother, Queen Margrethe

By JIM SALTER and CLAIRE RUSH Associated Press ST. LOUIS (AP) — A dangerous winter storm swept the northern U.S. on Friday, with blinding snow in some places, freezing rain in others, and bitter cold temperatures and whipping winds across several states. The massive storm continues a week of strong winter weather for much of