Associated Press MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A judge has scheduled a trial for April for three former Memphis police officers charged with murder in the beating of Tyre Nichols. A Shelby County judge on Friday scheduled their trial in state court for April 28. Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith have pleaded not guilty
Continue ReadingAssociated Press ROME (AP) — More than a dozen humanitarian organizations that provide health care to migrants have denounced Italy’s migration deal with Albania as a violation of the code of medical ethics. The deal calls for some male migrants rescued at sea to have their asylum cases processed while they are detained at two
Continue ReadingAssociated Press BERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin leader’s first publicly announced conversation with the sitting head of a major Western power in nearly two years. Scholz urged Putin to be open to negotiations with Ukraine, his office said. The Kremlin leader responded that any
Continue ReadingAP Entertainment Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Country comes naturally to Ringo Starr. It’s been a low-key part of his of his career since his Beatle beginnings, so it was not a serious swerve for him to make a whole country album, the forthcoming “Look Up,” a collaboration with the modern maestro of classic country
Continue ReadingBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Residents in northern Serbia have stopped traffic and stood in silence to commemorate the 14 victims of a railway roof collapse two weeks ago and demand accountability for the tragedy. Dozens of protesters held a large black banner and blocked crossroads outside the central railway station in the city of Novi
Continue ReadingOSLO, Norway (AP) — Norwegian police say the driver of a tram that derailed and crashed into a store last month in downtown Oslo, causing minor injuries to four people, told them he lost consciousness and doesn’t remember the accident. Police said Friday that they had questioned the driver, who was not identified. There were
Continue ReadingWARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland says it is reactivating its embassy in the capital of North Korea, becoming the second Western nation after Sweden to resume operations that were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The move opens a channel of communication between NATO-member Poland with Pyongyang, a close ally of Russia that has sent
Continue ReadingAP Business Writers WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans stepped up their spending at retailers last month in the latest sign that healthy consumer spending is driving the economy’s steady growth. Retail sales rose 0.4% from September to October, a solid increase though less than the previous month’s robust 0.8% gain. A 1.6% jump in sales at
Continue ReadingAssociated Press PARIS (AP) — A French student detained for weeks in Tunisia has returned to Paris after weeks of top-level diplomatic discussions. The 27-year-old Victor Dupont who is Ph.D. student arrived at Charles de Gaulle Airport on Friday afternoon. Dupont was one of four French nationals arrested on Oct. 19. Tunisian authorities in recent
Continue ReadingAP Entertainment Writer NEW YORK (AP) — A year after turning to comedian Jimmy Kimmel for the second time to host their big show, the Academy Awards will pivot to another familiar TV funnyman — Conan O’Brien. “America demanded it and now it’s happening: Taco Bell’s new Cheesy Chalupa Supreme. In other news, I’m hosting
Continue ReadingAssociated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans ages 18 to 29 swung toward President-elect Donald Trump in this year’s election, but they came to his coalition with sharply different views and interests than older conservatives or most top Republican leaders. Trump won nearly half of voters in the age group, compared with about one-third in 2020,
Continue ReadingAssociated Press BEIRUT (AP) — When Sara first arrived at her rescuers’ home, she was sick, tired, and was covered in ringworms and signs of abuse all over her little furry body. After spending two months in a small Beirut apartment with an animal rights group, the four-and-half-month-old lion cub arrived Friday at a wildlife
Continue ReadingAssociated Press LAS VEGAS (AP) — Hundreds of hospitality workers at a casino near the Las Vegas Strip walked off the job just before dawn Friday amid a long and highly contentious fight for a new contract. The work stoppage at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas marks the first open-ended strike in 22 years for the
Continue ReadingAP National Writer Election victories for Donald Trump and other candidates whose campaigns demeaned transgender people reinforced a widespread backlash against trans rights. For America’s LGBTQ-rights movement, it adds up to one of the most sustained setbacks in its history. For transgender Americans, it’s personal. There is palpable fear of potential Trump administration steps to
Continue ReadingAssociated Press A career archaeologist with the U.S. Forest Service says managers have been engaging in irresponsible and illegal behavior that has resulted in damage to Native American sites across the forested slopes of North Carolina. Scott Ashcraft says his whistleblower case has brought to light the lack of guardrails more broadly to keep the
Continue ReadingAssociated Press FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The economy of the European Union is headed for only modest growth in coming months as consumers regain some of the purchasing power they lost to inflation, the bloc’s executive commission said Friday. Growth is forecast to come in next year at 1.3% for the 20 countries that use
Continue ReadingAssociated Press LIMA, Peru (AP) — President Joe Biden praised the cooperation between South Korea, Japan and the U.S. at countering what he described as North Korea’s “dangerous and destabilizing cooperation with Russia.” Biden spoke at the start of a meeting Friday in Peru with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
Continue ReadingTORONTO (AP) — Workers at Canada’s national postal service are on strike after failing to reach a negotiated agreement with Canada Post. Canadian Union of Postal Workers says approximately 55,000 workers are striking, claiming little progress has been made in the bargaining process. The Canadian Union of Postal Workers issued a 72-hour strike notice earlier
Continue ReadingTBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Protesters opposing a measure allowing Russians to buy property in the Georgian territory of Abkhazia stormed the separatist republic’s parliament building and presidential office and clashed with police. News reports said eight people were injured in the melee in the regional capital of Sukhumi. Protesters rammed a gate with a truck
Continue ReadingAssociated Press ROME (AP) — The manager of a small hotel in northern Italy has refused a reservation made by a couple of Israeli tourists and accused Israeli people of being “responsible for genocide.” Jewish groups decried the incident as an example of antisemitism. The couple had booked two nights for the beginning of November
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