AP National News

By JEFFREY COLLINS Associated Press A lawyer testifying in Alex Murdaugh’s double murder trial in South Carolina said he trusted Murdaugh even though the disgraced lawyer suggested an unusual way to split fees from a case the two had worked on together. Attorney Chris Wilson said he had no reason to be suspicious when Murdaugh

By AL-HADJI KUDRA MALIRO and MARIA CHENG Associated Press KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — A woman who says she was victimized by a World Health Organization doctor during a recent Ebola outbreak in Congo says she is shocked that no senior officials were punished for the sexual abuse and exploitation claims affecting dozens of women in

By HILLEL ITALIE AP National Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Burt Bacharach, the singularly gifted and popular composer who delighted millions with the quirky arrangements and unforgettable melodies of “Walk on By,” “Do You Know the Way to San Jose” and dozens of other hits, has died at 94. The Grammy, Oscar and Tony-winning Bacharach

DENVER (AP) — Police are investigating a car theft and the fatal shooting of a 12-year-old boy found inside by the car’s owner after an exchange of gun shots over the weekend. Police said Thursday that no arrests have been made and that it’s still not known who stole the vehicle. They say that the

By JIM SALTER Associated Press The attorney for a man who was executed this week is calling for an investigation, accusing Missouri officials of moving ahead with the lethal injection while federal appeals were pending. Raheem Taylor was executed Tuesday night for the 2004 deaths of his girlfriend and her three children in suburban St.

By DANICA KIRKA Associated Press LONDON (AP) — The Church of England’s national assembly on Thursday voted to let priests bless same-sex marriages and civil partnerships, while continuing to ban church weddings for the same couples. Bishops proposed the compromise measure after five years of discussions about the church’s position on sexuality. It was approved

By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are drifting on Wall Street Thursday following another mixed batch of earnings reports. The S&P 500 was 0.2% lower in midday trading after giving up an early gain of 0.9%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 64 points, or 0.2%, at 33,884, as

By GABRIELA SELSER and AAMER MADHANI Associated Press MEXICO CITY (AP) — President Joe Biden says he is happy 222 Nicaraguan prisoners sent to the U.S. have been released, but time will tell if the move signifies a real change in Nicaraguan policies. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said after the prisoners’ plane landed

By DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writer Chick-fil-A is jumping on the plant-based bandwagon. The Atlanta chain said Thursday that it’s testing its first plant-based entrée __ a breaded cauliflower sandwich __ at restaurants in Denver; Charleston, South Carolina; and the Greensboro, North Carolina, area. The test begins Feb. 13. Chick-fil-A said its culinary team spent

By GERALD IMRAY AP Sports Writer Ghana international soccer player Christian Atsu is missing after the earthquake in Turkey, his club and agent said Thursday, following earlier reports he was rescued from the rubble of a collapsed building and taken to a hospital. Atsu’s well-being and whereabouts were unknown. Aydin Toksoz, the deputy head of

By KAREEM CHEHAYEB, FAY ABUELGASIM and OMAR ALBAM Associated Press BAB AL-HAWA, Syria (AP) — A small convoy has crossed from Turkey into Syria’s rebel-held northwest with desperately needed medicines, blankets, tents and U.N. shelter kits, the first aid to reach the enclave, three days after the devastating earthquake struck the region, killing thousands. Before

By MATTHEW LEE and ERIC TUCKER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration says the China balloon shot down by the U.S. was equipped to collect intelligence signals as part of a huge, military-linked aerial spy program that has targeted more than 40 countries. In a statement Thursday, the administration cited imagery of the

By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Eugene Lee, the six-time Emmy Award-winning production designer for “Saturday Night Live” who won three Tony Awards for his Broadway sets, including the complicated, greenified Emerald City of “Wicked,” has died. He was 83. Lee died Tuesday in Providence, Rhode Island, said Trinity Repertory Company,

By TASSANEE VEJPONGSA Associated Press Bangkok (AP) — Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says his government is committed to helping Thailand solve a Muslim insurgency in its far south but does not condone the use of violence to end the conflict. Anwar spoke after meeting with his Thai counterpart, Prayuth Chan-ocha, in his first visit

By BRIAN MAHONEY AP Basketball Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Kevin Durant’s time in Brooklyn ended early Thursday when the Nets agreed to trade him to the Phoenix Suns, a person with knowledge of the details said. The Suns will send Cam Johnson, Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, four first-round picks and additional draft compensation to

By MAE ANDERSON AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Big name advertisers from T-Mobile to Google are paying as much as $7 million for a 30-second spot during the Super Bowl on Sunday. In order to get as much as a return on investment for those millions, most advertisers release their ads in the

By GABRIELA SELSER and AAMER MADHANI Associated Press MEXICO CITY (AP) — A senior Biden administration official says 222 inmates considered by many as political prisoners of the government of President Daniel Ortega are on their way to Washington. The official said Thursday that The government of Nicaragua decided “unilaterally” to release 222 individuals whom

By BRUCE SCHREINER and JIM SALTER Associated Press LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Producers of spirits have new bragging rights in the age-old whiskey vs. beer barroom debate. New figures show that spirits surpassed beer for U.S. market-share supremacy, based on supplier revenues, a spirit industry group announced Thursday. The rise to the top for spirit-makers

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Sweden’s central bank has raised a key interest rate and 0.5 percentage points to 3% to combat inflation, saying it “is far too high and has continued to rise.” Riksbanken said Thursday when announcing the hike that “for inflation to fall and stabilize around the target within a reasonable time. In Sweden,

By JENNIFER O’MAHONY and JOSEF FEDERMAN Associated Press MADRID (AP) — The mayor of Barcelona has severed her city’s official ties with Israel, accusing the country of “the crime of apartheid against the Palestinian people.” Wednesday’s decision by Mayor Ada Colau has little practical impact – with the most concrete effect being a halt in