AP National News

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A court in Iran has sentenced Iranian-American journalist Reza Valizadeh to 10 years on prison after finding him guilty of collaborating with a hostile government. Reza Valizadeh is a former journalist for the U.S.-government-funded Voice of America’s Farsi language service and also has worked for Radio Farda, an outlet

Associated Press SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s federal police have arrested Gen. Walter Braga Netto, a member of former President Jair Bolsonaro’s Cabinet, in connection with an alleged coup plot,  the Supreme Court said in a statement. Braga Netto was formally accused by police in November, along with Bolsonaro and 35 other people, of a

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — PEN America has condemned the arrest of Reza Khandan, Iranian activist and husband of leading human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh. Karin Deutsch Karlekar, Director of Writers at Risk at the literary and human rights organization demanded Khandan’s immediate release. The pro-reform Shagh Daily cited Mahmoud Behzadi Rad, an Iranian

AP Fashion Writer PARIS (AP) — The reopening of Notre Dame was a solemn celebration of cultural and spiritual renewal. Yet for some, the historic cathedral’s revival also felt like a meticulously choreographed branding event by LVMH and other luxury conglomerates. Bernard Arnault, the lowkey billionaire behind luxury powerhouse LVMH and a key Notre Dame

Associated Press A woman who accused rappers Jay-Z and Sean “Diddy” Combs of sexually assaulting her when she was 13 at an awards show after-party has acknowledged certain inconsistencies in her story, while her lawyer said he will continue to vet her claims. The unnamed woman described being driven from Rochester, New York, to New

Associated Press BENGALURU, India (AP) — Despite two weeks of U.N.-sponsored talks in Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh, the participating 197 nations failed to agree on a plan to deal with global droughts, made longer and more severe by a warming climate. The biennial talks, known as COP 16 and organized by a UN body that deals

Associated Press TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Former soccer player Mikheil Kavelashvili became president of Georgia on Saturday, as the ruling party tightened its grip in what the opposition calls a blow to the country’s EU aspirations and a victory for former imperial ruler Russia. Kavelashvili, 53, who was the only candidate on the ballot, easily

BANGKOK (AP) — Thai police say two suspects are in custody as authorities investigate a bombing in the north that killed at least three people and injured 48 others. An explosive device was thrown into a crowd during an outdoor performance at an annual festival in Umphang town in Tak province, which borders Myanmar, on

Associated Press Last year, when Lauren Haydel began her first sober holiday season, she wondered how difficult it would be to avoid alcohol at family parties and celebrations with friends. She owns a boutique, Fleurty Girl, in New Orleans’ French Quarter, a neighborhood synonymous with drinking. But few people questioned her choice. “Instead of them

Associated Press DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — Nizam Abazid is gleefully planning his first trip in decades to Syria, where he grew up. Rama Alhoussaini was only 6 years old when her family moved to the U.S., but she’s excited about the prospect of introducing her three kids to relatives they’ve never met in person. They

Associated Press BEIRUT (AP) — A severely hobbled Hezbollah was in no position to help defend former Syrian President Bashar Assad, a longtime ally, from the lightning-fast insurgency that toppled him. With Assad gone, the militant group based in Lebanon is even weaker. Hezbollah was dealt a major blow during 14 months of war with

Associated Press DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Some African Americans are among those are taking advantage of a new law in Benin that grants citizenship to those who can trace their lineage to the slave trade. It’s part of efforts by the West African nation to face up to the role it played. The coastal town

OCHOPEE, Fla. (AP) — Officials say two airboats collided with each other in southwest Florida, injuring more than a dozen people. News outlets reported that the crash Friday afternoon in Ochopee involved two airboats carrying a total of 33 people. Sixteen people were transported to hospitals. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is investigating

Associated Press OKAYA, Japan (AP) — Not long after dawn, Japanese sake brewer Mie Takahashi checks the temperature of the mixture fermenting at her family’s 150-year-old sake brewery, Koten, nestled in the foothills of the Japanese Alps. She stands on an uneven narrow wooden platform over a massive tank containing more than 3,000 liters (800

Associated Press WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Donald Trump is hosting Apple CEO Tim Cook for a Friday evening dinner at the president-elect’s Mar-a-Lago resort. That’s according to a person familiar with the matter who is not authorized to comment publicly. Trump has said he’s recently spoken with Cook about the company’s long-running tax