AP National News

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A trial for a former college student who randomly killed a Florida couple in their garage six years ago and then chewed on one victim’s face is set to begin. Circuit Judge Sherwood Bauer will begin hearing the case Monday before deciding whether 25-year-old Austin Harrouff goes to prison for

By JOE McDONALD Associated Press BEIJING (AP) — Chinese authorities eased some anti-virus rules but affirmed their severe “zero COVID” strategy Monday after protesters demanded President Xi Jinping resign in the biggest show of opposition to the ruling Communist Party in decades. The government made no comment on the protests or the criticism of Xi,

By LUJAIN JO and SUMAN NAISHADHAM Associated Press MESAIEED, Qatar (AP) — Shaheen stretched out on the sand and closed his eyes, but there was little time to rest for the camel. World Cup fans coming in droves to the desert outside Doha were ready for their perfect Instagram moment: riding a camel on the

By JAMEY KEATEN Associated Press KYIV (AP) — Ukraine prepared for more Russian strikes on Monday and warned of the possibility for a new round of evacuations from the capital during a relative lull from the airstrikes on energy facilities and other key infrastructure in recent weeks. In the West, meanwhile, preparations were stepped up

Associated Press BAGHDAD (AP) — The niece of Iran’s supreme leader is calling for people to pressure their governments to cut ties with Tehran. Farideh Moradkhani, whose uncle is Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, issued the call in a video statement circulated after her Nov. 23 arrest, reported by the U.S.-based rights monitor HRANA. Moradkhani is a

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says first lady Jill Biden drew inspiration from the nation’s founding documents to decorate for the holidays. The first lady’s theme is “We the People.” The White House says the holiday décor represents what unites Americans during the holidays and throughout the year. A

JERUSALEM (AP) — Former Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has struck a coalition deal with a small ultranationalist faction leader known for homophobic rhetoric and disparaging remarks about non-Orthodox Jews, a sign of the incoming government’s hardline makeup. Netanyahu’s Likud party announced Sunday that the deal names Noam faction leader Avi Maoz as a deputy

BERLIN (AP) — Senior members of the smallest party in Germany’s coalition government are seeking to hit the brakes on plans to ease the rules for obtaining German citizenship. They are arguing that the government must first do more to ensure that people who are in the country illegally are deported. Chancellor Olaf Scholz and

By HOPE YEN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is strengthening U.S. policy aimed at stemming sexual violence in war conflict zones, elevating the problem — increasingly documented in Ukraine and elsewhere — to the level of a possible serious human rights abuse that triggers sanctions and other actions against foreign perpetrators. Biden,

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — Law enforcement authorities in six different countries have joined forces to take down a “super cartel” of drugs traffickers controlling about one third of the cocaine trade in Europe, the European Union crime agency said on Monday. Europol said 49 suspects have been arrested during the investigation,

By MICHELLE L. PRICE Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Democrats celebrating a successful effort to keep control of the U.S. Senate this year will soon confront a 2024 campaign that could prove more challenging. The party enters the next cycle defending 23 seats, including two held by independents who caucus with Democrats. That’s compared

By DAKE KANG Associated Press SHANGHAI (AP) — Barely a month after granting himself new powers as China’s potential leader for life, Xi Jinping is facing a wave of public anger of the kind not seen for decades, sparked by his “zero COVID” strategy that will soon enter its fourth year. Demonstrators poured into the

By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ, MICHAEL R. SISAK and MICHAEL BALSAMO Associated Press OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The former warden of an abuse-plagued federal women’s prison known as the “rape club” went on trial Monday. The former warden is accused of molesting inmates and forcing them to pose naked in their cells. Ray J. Garcia retired

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) — The suspect in a triple homicide in Southern California who died in a shootout with police is believed to have driven across the country to meet a teenage girl before killing three members of her family. Police say 28-year-old Austin Lee Edwards also likely set fire to the family’s home in

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s top government spokesperson said Monday that the number of babies born this year is below last year’s record low. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said the low birthrate is a “critical situation.” He pledged comprehensive measures to encourage more marriages and births. The total of 599,636

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — Shares slumped in Europe and Asia on Monday, with Hong Kong briefly dipping more than 4% following weekend protests in various cities over China’s strict zero-COVID lockdowns. U.S. futures were lower and oil prices fell more than $2 a barrel. The unrest in China is the

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — Europol says law enforcement authorities in six different countries have joined forces to take down a “super cartel” of drugs traffickers controlling about one third of the cocaine trade in Europe. The European Union crime agency said on Monday that 49 suspects were arrested during the investigation,

By DANICA KIRKA Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Prince William and the Princess of Wales will be looking to focus attention on their Earthshot Prize for environmental innovators when they make their first visit to the United States in eight years this week, a trip clouded by tensions with William’s brother, Prince Harry, and his

By KANIS LEUNG Associated Press HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s top court has upheld a ruling to let a veteran British lawyer defend pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai at his national security trial this week despite fierce opposition from the pro-Beijing camp. Lai, the 74-year-old founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily, was arrested after