Associated Press HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s top court has upheld earlier rulings that favored the granting of subsidized housing benefits and equal inheritance rights to same-sex couples, in a landmark victory for the city’s LGBTQ+ community. The Court of Final Appeal’s dismissal of the government’s appeals ended some years-long legal battles over the
Continue ReadingISTANBUL (AP) — Police have detained dozens of people in Istanbul who tried to join a rally calling for greater protection for women in Turkey, where more than 400 women have been murdered this year. The demonstrators tried to enter the main pedestrian street to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against
Continue ReadingAP Retail Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, is rolling back its diversity, equity and inclusion policies, joining a growing list of major corporations that have done the same after coming under attack by conservative activists. The changes, confirmed by Walmart on Monday, are sweeping and include everything from not renewing
Continue ReadingAP Entertainment Writer Drake alleged in a court filing Monday that Universal Music Group falsely pumped up the popularity on Spotify and other streaming services of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” a song that viciously attacked Drake amid a bitter feud between the two hip-hop superstars. The petition in a New York court by the
Continue ReadingAssociated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — An FBI agent who was acquitted of attempted murder for shooting a man on a train outside Washington, D.C., nearly four years ago has been arrested on sexual assault charges. The FBI says Eduardo Valdivia has been suspended pending the conclusion of a police investigation in Montgomery County, Maryland. Valdivia
Continue ReadingLONDON, Ontario (AP) — Lawyers in the sexual assault case of five members of Canada’s 2018 world junior hockey team began what are expected to be several weeks of legal arguments on Monday, ahead of next year’s trial. Dillon Dube, Carter Hart, Michael McLeod, Cal Foote and Alex Formenton were charged with sexual assault earlier
Continue ReadingAssociated Press PHOENIX (AP) — Top officials in Arizona have certified the state’s election results. That certification Monday includes voters’ approval of a measure that expands abortion access from the current 15-week limit to the point of fetal viability. Reproductive rights groups are now setting sights on other abortion laws on the books that they
Continue ReadingAssociated Press MEXICO CITY (AP) — More than 18,000 people have registered online to run for Supreme Court seats and federal judgeships in Mexico’s contentious new selection process. But officials say a random drawing in the end will determine who gets on the ballot. The ruling party pushed through a constitutional reform in September to
Continue ReadingAssociated Press NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump threatened to impose sweeping new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China as soon as he takes office as part of his effort to crack down on illegal immigration and drugs. He said he would impose a 25% tax on all products entering the country from Canada
Continue ReadingMEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum wants Mexicans to cut back on listening to “narco corridos.” Sheinbaum said Monday she will launch a campaign to promote other, less violent musical styles that aren’t as linked to drug traffickers. The president views the campaign as a way to stop glorifying drug traffickers and reduce
Continue ReadingTORONTO (AP) — Drake has announced that his first tour of Australia in eight years will begin on the same date as rival Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime performance. The Toronto rapper announced the Anita Max Wynn Tour during a livestream Sunday night with Félix Lengyel, a Quebec streamer. Drake says the tour will begin
Continue ReadingAP Entertainment Writer NEW YORK (AP) — A memorial tribute to Broadway star Gavin Creel will be held next Monday in the theater where he starred in “Into the Woods.” The event will be livestreamed to U.S. viewers via MCC Theater’s YouTube channel while the Society of London will provide livestreaming access to U.K. viewers
Continue ReadingAssociated Press COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri court on Monday upheld a new state law that bans some gender-affirming health care for minors, a victory for supporters of the ban as the Supreme Court prepares to hear a case on the issue next week. The state’s Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey says the Monday
Continue ReadingAssociated Press MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Connecticut couple has been charged in Minnesota with being part of a shoplifting ring suspected of stealing around $1 million in goods across the country from the upscale athletic wear retailer Lululemon. Jadion Anthony Richards, 44, and Akwele Nickeisha Lawes-Richards, 45, both of Danbury, Connecticut, were charged this month
Continue ReadingAssociated Press BERLIN (AP) — Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel recalls Vladimir Putin’s “power games” over the years, remembers contrasting meetings with Barack Obama and Donald Trump and says she asked herself whether she could have done more to prevent Brexit. Merkel’s memoirs, titled “Freedom,” were published Tuesday. The 70-year-old appears to have no significant
Continue ReadingAP Medical Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The outgoing head of the nation’s top public health agency is urging the next administration to maintain its focus and funding to keep Americans safe from emerging health threats. Dr. Mandy Cohen is director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but she will be leaving office
Continue ReadingTRIPOLI, Libya (AP) — Libyan military officials say they have apprehended hundreds of migrants traversing the country’s vast desert. The migrants hoped to ultimately cross the Mediterranean Sea in pursuit of a better life in Europe. The 444 Brigade, a powerful militia group that operates under the auspices of the Libyan army, said Monday in
Continue ReadingAssociated Press/Report for America NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A Louisiana judge has halted plans for state agencies to forcibly remove homeless encampments in New Orleans by Thanksgiving. Orleans Parish Civil District Court Judge Ethel Julien issued a temporary restraining order Monday blocking state police and two other agencies from evicting homeless people from their encampments
Continue ReadingBRUNSWICK, Georgia (AP) — Authorities say a car similar to one driven by a wealthy New York couple missing for 44 years has been found in a south Georgia pond. The pond is near the hotel where they were last seen. Police in Georgia say 73-year-old retired oil executive Charles Romer and his 75-year-old wife
Continue ReadingThings are looking a little blue these days for the Blue Man Group. The famous show by nonverbal blue-painted bald men has been known for its intricate percussive rhythms and physical comedy since 1991. The men announced the show’s closing this week in Chicago and New York City. Managing Director Jack Kenn said New York’s
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