Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — An Irish YouTuber hopes to raise millions of dollars for charity this holiday season — and is using a popular gaming technology to rally his fans around the cause. Seán McLoughlin, also known as Jacksepticeye, is popular for his video game playthroughs and candid mental health content. His annual
Continue ReadingAP Music Writer NEW YORK (AP) — ’Tis the season to unpack Spotify Wrapped. And it should come as no surprise that in 2024, for a second year in a row, Taylor Swift has been named its most-played artist, ranking in more than 26.6 billion streams. She’s followed by The Weeknd, Bad Bunny, Drake and
Continue ReadingAssociated Press BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungary’s foreign minister says a meeting of his counterparts from NATO member countries in Brussels has produced “no consensus” on the prospect of inviting Ukraine to join the transatlantic military alliance. Kyiv sees NATO membership as an essential condition for bringing an end to Russia’s war. But speaking at
Continue ReadingAssociated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Louisiana voters will decide the fates of four proposed amendments to the state constitution, in what will be the final statewide election of 2024. The measures on the ballot Saturday would change how state officials conduct oversight of judges, deliberate spending bills in the Legislature and deal with the properties
Continue ReadingAssociated Press UNITY TOWNSHIP, Pa. (AP) — The search for a woman who is believed to have fallen into a sinkhole in western Pennsylvania has become a recovery effort after two treacherous days of digging through mud and rock produced no signs of life. Pennsylvania State Police spokesperson Trooper Steve Limani said during a news
Continue ReadingAssociated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol shocked the nation in declaring martial law and calling in troops to secure the National Assembly building. His announcement also sent citizens streaming to the streets on a cold December night to call for Yoon to resign and martial law to be
Continue ReadingEdmunds Similar in size and fuel economy, these two hybrid compact sedans differ from there. The 2025 Honda Civic Hybrid boasts much stronger performance and a higher-quality cabin, while the 2025 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid provides more features for the money and better tech. There are advantages for both, but when the Civic is ahead, it’s
Continue ReadingDETROIT (AP) — The poor performance of General Motors’ Chinese joint ventures is forcing the company to write down assets and take a restructuring charge totaling more than $5 billion in the fourth quarter of this year. The Detroit automaker said Wednesday in a regulatory filing that it will cut the value of its equity
Continue ReadingThe European Union has condemned the Taliban for violating human rights and women’s access to education after media reports that the Taliban’s leader has ordered private and public institutions to stop providing medical courses for women and girls in Afghanistan. The Taliban have neither confirmed the order nor responded to the reports. The Public Health
Continue ReadingAssociated Press KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Congolese authorities say extremist rebels linked to the Islamic State group killed at least 9 people, including an 8-month-old baby and a 14-year-old girl, in eastern Congo and kidnapped several others. Rebels with the Allied Democratic Forces attacked civilians in Tenambo village in the North Kivu province on Tuesday
Continue ReadingUnless you happen to be an average-size person with perfectly balanced proportions, the clothing you buy may or may not fit perfectly. A skilled tailor can make a wardrobe seem almost custom-made by taking up a hem, adjusting a cuff, or making a few nips and tucks here and there. The same applies to your
Continue ReadingAssociated Press BEIRUT (AP) — The leader of Syria’s most powerful insurgent group has toured the seized city of Aleppo in a surprise visit, the first since the insurgents captured large parts of the city over the weekend as fierce fighting intensifies in the government-led counter-offensive in northern Hama. Abu Mohammed al-Golani, who heads jihadi
Continue ReadingAssociated Press PARIS (AP) — France’s far-right and left-wing lawmakers joined together Wednesday in a historic no-confidence vote prompted by budget disputes that forces Prime Minister Michel Barnier and his Cabinet members to resign, a first since 1962. The National Assembly approved the motion by 331 votes. A minimum of 288 were needed. President Emmanuel
Continue ReadingVATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francishas met Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the Vatican and discussed with him the war in Ukraine, focusing on the humanitarian situation and efforts to promote peace in the region. Francis also discussed other themes with Orban, including the Hungarian presidency of the Council of the European Union as
Continue ReadingLONDON (AP) — British detectives have questioned nurse Lucy Letby, who is serving life in prison for killing seven babies, over the deaths of several more infants. Cheshire Police said Letby was questioned in prison over baby deaths and “non-fatal collapses” at the Countess of Chester Hospital, where she worked, and Liverpool Women’s Hospital, where she
Continue ReadingBRUSSELS (AP) — Belgian authorities say they have opened a fraud investigation into the former European Union justice chief, just days after his mandate ended. An Schoonjans, a spokesperson for the Brussels prosecutor general’s office, told The Associated Press that an investigation was opened on former EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders in relation to “possible
Continue ReadingAssociated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Many tourists in Seoul seemed largely unfazed by the political turmoil unfolding in the capital as they flocked to the city’s largest palace, local landmarks and shopping streets. Some awoke Wednesday morning to worried text messages from friends and family, who heard the news about President Yoon Suk
Continue ReadingAssociated Press CHIBA, Japan (AP) — A Japanese court sentenced an Australian woman who says she was tricked amphetamines into the country to six years in prison, despite accepting her testimony that she was the victim of an online romance scam. The Chiba District Court found Donna Nelson, from Perth, Australia, guilty of violating the
Continue ReadingCONAKRY, Guinea (AP) — A distraught Kambaly Kouroumah is searching for his teenage brother, Adama, at a local morgue in southern Guinea’s Nzerekore city, where dozens of people died at a crowded stadium after chaos erupted during a soccer game. Kouroumah is one of many bereaved people searching hospitals and mortuaries for missing relatives following
Continue ReadingAssociated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union agreed to delay by a year the introduction of new rules to ban the sale of products that lead to massive deforestation, caving in to demands from several producer nations from across the globe and domestic opposition within the 27-nation bloc. Officials said Wednesday that the EU
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