AP-National

OCALA, Fla. (AP) — A man died in a shooting at a shopping mall in central Florida two days before Christmas in which the victim was “targeted” for the attack, police said. Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken told reporters Saturday evening that the man was killed after he was shot multiple times in a common

By MAYSOON KHAN Associated Press/Report for America ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has struck down a bill days before Christmas that would have made it easier for people who have pleaded guilty to crimes to challenge their convictions after the measure came under fierce opposition by prosecutors. This year marks the

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The city of Tampa, Florida, has reached an agreement with the federal government to resolve a discrimination lawsuit alleging that male workers didn’t receive the same parental leave time as female workers. Under the proposed settlement reached Thursday, Tampa will pay $300,000 and credit 240 hours of additional leave time to

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A woman who was shot in the head while she was a passenger in a car fleeing from police has filed a federal lawsuit against a state-run department in Mississippi’s capital city. Sherita Harris was shot in the head during an August 2022 pursuit that began after a traffic stop in

By MOHAMMED ZAATARI and ABBY SEWELL Associated Press AIN EBEL, Lebanon (AP) — Christians in the border villages of south Lebanon are preparing for a subdued Christmas under the shadow of the ongoing war in Gaza and its spillover in Lebanon. While in Beirut, restaurants are packed and hundreds flocked to Christmas markets in the

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s president says he intends to veto a spending bill which includes money for public media and raises for teachers, dealing a blow to the new pro-European Union government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk. President Andrzej Duda said he would veto the bill that includes 3 billion zlotys ($762 million) for

Associated Press Wildlife officials in Colorado have released an additional five gray wolves in the state, bringing the total so far under a voter-approved reintroduction program to 10. Colorado Parks and Wildlife says its team has completed an agreement to capture 10 gray wolves in Oregon for release in Colorado as part of an effort

By ELOGE WILLY KANEZA Associated Press NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Burundi’s government says at least 20 people have been killed following an attack by a rebel group based in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo. The government says in a statement that 12 children were among the dead, along with three women, two of whom

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) — Six Turkish soldiers have been killed in clashes with Kurdish militants in northern Iraq, a day after another six were also killed. Turkish Defense Ministry said the six soldiers slain on Saturday died in a firefight when militants attempted to infiltrate a Turkish base. The statement said 13 militants had been

NEW YORK (AP) — Rapper Travell “G. Dep” Coleman, who walked into a New York police precinct in 2010 and admitted to committing a nearly two-decade-old cold case murder to clear his conscience, has been granted clemency by Gov. Kathy Hochul. Now 49, Coleman has served 13 of a 15-year-to-life sentence. With his sentence being

LONDON (AP) — A man suspected of stealing an artwork by Banksy of a stop sign adorned with three military drones, was arrested Saturday, London police said. A man in his 20s was in custody on suspicion of theft and criminal damage, the Metropolitan police said. The sign was taken less than an hour after

By ELLEN KNICKMEYER Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Fadi Sckak has already lost his father to the violence in Gaza. He wants to help his mother escape that fate. “I just want to see my mother again, that’s the goal,” said Sckak, a university student in Sunnyvale, California. The 25-year-old is one of the

By EDDIE PELLS AP National Writer COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — The journey from nowhere to an Olympic gold medal is a tale as old as time. Just as well-worn, but far less explored, are the stories about great athletes who realize they can’t make it anywhere unless they have a way to bankroll the

NEW DELHI (AP) — A maritime intelligence company says a drone has hit an Israeli-affiliated merchant vessel off the coast of India in the Arabian Sea. The British firm Ambrey said the attack on Saturday damaged the vessel but caused no casualties. The incident on the Liberian-flagged tanker occurred 120 miles southwest of the Indian

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian politician Yekaterina Duntsova hit a roadblock in her presidential campaign Saturday, when Russia’s Central Election Commission refused to accept her initial nomination by a group of supporters, citing errors in the documents submitted. Duntsova calls for peace in Ukraine and hopes to challenge Russian President Vladimir Putin. She said she would

LONDON (AP) — The English Premier League has its first female referee. Rebecca Welch controlled Burnley’s 2-0 win at Fulham. Burnley manager Vincent Kompany called it a “milestone moment.” She was applauded by spectators as she emerged from the tunnel at Craven Cottage. Welch has already worked as the fourth official in the Premier League,

ROME (AP) — The Vatican next year will publish a collection of never-before-seen homilies delivered by the late Pope Benedict XVI during his private Sunday Masses, most of them penned during his 10-year retirement, officials said Saturday. The consecrated women who tended to Benedict during his pontificate and retirement recorded the homilies as he delivered