AP-National

BEIJING (AP) — China has appointed a new defense minister after months of uncertainty following the firing of his predecessor for reasons that have yet to be explained. The official Xinhua News Agency announced Friday that former navy commander Dong Jun will serve in the largely ceremonial role, but offered no comment on the reasons

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s state-run news agency says security forces have detained 32 people suspected of links to the Islamic State extremist group. The suspects were allegedly planning to carry out attacks on synagogues and churches as well as the Iraqi Embassy in Turkey. Anadolu Agency said the suspects were detained in raids carried

By HYUNG-JIN KIM Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s Defense Minister Shin Wonsik has said that a light-water reactor at North Korea’s main nuclear complex will likely be formally operational by next summer. Shin told local reporters that his country had also spotted similar cooling system-related activities associated with the reactor last

PARIS (AP) — Britain’s Foreign Office says an avalanche in an off-piste area of a French ski resort swept two British skiers to their deaths. The statement on Friday said the pair are reportedly a 54-year-old mother and her 22-year-old son. Another skier, reportedly an instructor, has been left injured and a hiker was killed

By NAJIB JOBAIN, SAMY MAGDY and JACK JEFFERY Associated Press RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Tens of thousands of Palestinians streamed into an already crowded town at the southernmost end of Gaza in recent days, fleeing Israel’s bombardment of the center of the strip, as a senior U.N. official on Friday criticized Israel for continuing

By ILLIA NOVIKOV and HANNA ARHIROVA Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia launched 122 missiles and dozens of drones against Ukrainian targets, officials said Friday, killing at least 30 civilians across the country in what an air force official called the biggest aerial barrage of the war. At least 144 people were wounded and

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranian media says four people were executed and several others sentenced to prison for having alleged links with Israel’s Mossad security service. Mizan, the news website affiliated with the country’s judiciary, said three men and one woman were executed Friday morning. The four were charged with kidnapping several Iranian security forces

Associated Pres NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock futures are little changed Friday as the market puts the wraps on a year of surprisingly robust gains. The benchmark S&P 500 index is just 0.3% from an all-time high after a gain of 24.6% in 2023. The Dow Jones Industrial Average sits at a record 37,710.10.

By JOHN LEICESTER Associated Press PARIS (AP) — With a name that doesn’t ring old-school French like Jean, Pierre or Jacques, and a home address in a tough suburb of Paris where riots flared, Salah Benkadmir is discovering how hard it can be to make prospective employers in France see beyond their prejudices. Despite having

By KANIS LEUNG Associated Press HONG KONG (AP) — An activist who advocated for Hong Kong independence and was imprisoned under its sweeping national security law has fled to Britain to seek political asylum. Tony Chung was among the first people convicted under the Beijing-imposed law introduced after the 2019 pro-democracy protests. He was found

By COLLEEN SLEVIN Associated Press DENVER (AP) — Police were still searching Friday for a Colorado woman suspected of killing her two young children and wounding a third after police initially responded to a report of a burglary in their home. Kimberlee Singler, 35, was cooperative at first with police investigating the Dec. 19 deaths

By TARA COPP Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A large pool of dark liquid festering on the floor. No fresh air. Computer displays that would overheat and ooze out a fishy-smelling gel that nauseated the crew. Asbestos readings 50 times higher than the Environmental Protection Agency’s safety standards. These are just some of the past

DAVIS, Calif. (AP) — A former college student accused of stabbing two people to death in Northern California has been found competent to stand trial. The Sacramento Bee reports Carlos Reales Dominguez will return to court on Jan. 5 to face charges that he killed a homeless man and a University of California, Davis student

By GARY FIELDS Associated Press ALEXANDRIA, La. (AP) — Alfred King was lying in the parking lot of a small apartment building, mortally wounded when police in Alexandria, Louisiana, got to the intersection of 12th and Magnolia streets shortly before 1:30 a.m., Jan. 20. The 34-year-old was the first fatal shooting of 2023 in the

By HANNAH SCHOENBAUM Associated Press CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Four days of waiting under the flickering fluorescent lights of UNC Hospitals’ emergency room left Callum Bradford desperate for an answer to one key question. The transgender teen from Chapel Hill needed mental health care after overdosing on prescription drugs. He was about to be

By AUDREY McAVOY Associated Press LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — The restaurant where Katie Austin was a server burned in the wildfire that devastated Hawaii’s historic town of Lahaina this summer. Two months later, as travelers began to trickle back to nearby beach resorts, she went to work at a different eatery. But she soon quit,

By SOPHIE AUSTIN, TRÂN NGUYỄN and ADAM BEAM Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Doctors in California who mail abortion pills to patients in other states will be protected from prosecution. Workers will receive more paid sick leave on the heels of a big year for labor. And companies can’t fire employees for using marijuana

By JOE REEDY AP Sports Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Alabama is covering every angle when it comes to preparing for Monday’s College Football Playoff semifinal game against Michigan at the Rose Bowl. That includes making sure their equipment and films do not get hacked in the wake of the Wolverines’ sign-stealing allegations from earlier

By JIMMY GOLEN AP Sports Writer BOSTON (AP) — Hoping to avoid a 28th straight loss that would match the longest losing streak in NBA history, the Detroit Pistons forced overtime against the league-best Celtics before Boston recovered to win 128-122. Despite making it to overtime for the first time in the skid, Detroit matched