Associated Press MANASSAS, Va. (AP) — A judge ruled that a Virginia man accused of killing his wife, whose body has still not been found, will go trial in September. Thirty-seven-year-old Naresh Bhatt of Manassas Park was indicted earlier this week on charges of murder and defiling the body of his wife, Mamta Kafle Bhatt.
Continue ReadingAssociated Press TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Georgian police have raided the offices of an opposition party and arrested its leader in an apparent attempt to squelch a wave of mass protests over the decision to suspend negotiations on joining the European Union. During the past six nights, riot police used water cannons and tear gas
Continue ReadingAssociated Press IZVORANI, Romania (AP) — Presidential front-runner and far-right populist Calin Georgescu says Romania’s Western alliances remain secure providing they “serve the sovereignty of the country and nothing else.” Georgescu unexpectedly topped the polls in the first round of the Romanian presidential vote on Nov. 24, despite being a huge outsider, plunging the European
Continue ReadingAssociated Press It was a history-making event: In a chapel at Fort Liberty, North Carolina, 2nd Lt. Khady Ndiaye stood proudly — wearing a hijab – as she became the first Muslim woman commissioned by the U.S. Army as a chaplain candidate. Presiding over the ceremony in June was Maj. Gen. Bill Green, the Army’s
Continue ReadingAssociated Press ATLANTA (AP) — The Venezuelan man convicted of murder in the killing of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley and sentenced to serve life in prison without parole is asking for a new trial. Athens-Clarke County Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard found Jose Ibarra guilty of all 10 counts against him in the
Continue ReadingAssociated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — After more than 150 shows across five continents over nearly two years, the global phenomenon that is Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is coming to an end. There is no simple way to encapsulate the effects of Swift’s decision to put on a 3 ½-hour concert, showcasing 44 songs representing
Continue ReadingAssociated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Spotify Wrapped is back. Spotify users can now view their recap of users’ listening habits and year in audio, including their top artists, songs, genres, albums and podcasts. Starting Dec. 4, Spotify will prompt users to view their interactive data roundup on their smartphone or desktop app, or Spotify’s
Continue ReadingAssociated Press DETROIT (AP) — Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, a longtime Democrat, says he’ll run for Michigan governor in 2026 as an independent because “there are a lot of people in this country who are tired of both” the Democratic and Republican parties. Duggan made the announcement on Wednesday. The decision comes amid a reckoning
Continue Reading
Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A defiant Pete Hegseth fought to save his nomination to be Donald Trump’s defense secretary Wednesday as the president-elect considered possible replacements in the face of growing questions about the former Fox News host’s personal conduct and ability to win Senate confirmation. Hegseth met with legislators on Capitol Hill, conducted
Continue ReadingMEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico has decided to increase its still strikingly low daily minimum wage by 12% next year. But because the Mexican peso has dropped by 18% in value over the last year, the increase actually marks a slight drop in constant dollar terms. The three-party minimum wage commission, made up of government,
Continue ReadingAssociated Press NEW YORK (AP) — A gunman killed UnitedHealthcare’s CEO on Wednesday in a “brazen, targeted attack” outside a Manhattan hotel where the health insurer was holding its investor conference, police said, setting off a massive search for the fleeing assailant hours before the annual Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting nearby. Brian Thompson, 50,
Continue ReadingMEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican soldiers and marines have seized over a ton of fentanyl pills in two raids in the north in what officials are calling the biggest catch of the synthetic opioid in the country’s history. The raids came after a sharp drop in fentanyl seizures in Mexico earlier this year, and days
Continue ReadingAssociated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is leading a fresh push for European countries to ramp up defense spending. It’s a shortcoming that President-elect Donald Trump used to berate U.S. allies during his first term in office, severely damaging trust. Since Russia launched its full-fledged invasion almost three years ago, NATO’s 32
Continue ReadingAssociated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi has been temporarily released from prison in Iran after undergoing complex surgery that saw part of a bone in her right leg removed over cancer fears. A campaign on Mohammadi’s behalf says she will be free for 21 days but will
Continue ReadingLONDON (AP) — Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi will face no formal action from the English Football Association despite defying its rules for a second time by writing a religious message on his uniform during a Premier League campaign celebrating LGBTQ+ inclusion. Guehi and Palace were contacted by the FA and reminded of English soccer’s
Continue ReadingAP Auto Racing Writer The Associated Press has learned that two longtime NASCAR executives have been introduced at Andretti Global as part of the restructuring now that Michael Andretti has stepped aside. Doug Duchardt, who has served multiple roles with race teams and with General Motors, was named chief performance officer of motorsports at TWG
Continue ReadingAP Business Writer The District of Columbia is alleging in a lawsuit that Amazon secretly stopped providing its fastest delivery service to residents of two predominantly Black neighborhoods in the city. The district says the online retailer still charged residents of two ZIP codes millions of dollars for a service that provides speedy deliveries. The
Continue ReadingBANGKOK (AP) — More than 2,000 people have taken part in a procession to escort a relic of the Buddha, lent by China, to a shrine in Bangkok to honor the birthday of Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn and to celebrate half a century of diplomatic relations between Thailand and China. The tooth relic, considered sacred
Continue ReadingAssociated Press Secret Santa gift exchanges among friends, family or co-workers can be a fun way to get in the holiday spirit. Or they can be just another seasonal stressor. Maybe you don’t know or like the person you’ve been assigned to buy a present for. Maybe you’re struggling to find a gift that the
Continue ReadingAssociated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The lead-up to the 2024 election was all about cat owners. But in the end, the dogs had their day. President-elect Donald Trump won slightly more than half of voters who own either cats or dogs, with a big assist from dog owners, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of
Continue Reading