AP National News

Associated Press PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — As the year draws to a close, a remarkable initiative involving “superheroes” clad in unique costumes brings unexpected joy — not only to the sick children but also, perhaps even more deeply, to their parents. For seven children battling leukemia and other grave cancer illnesses in a hospital ward

LONDON (AP) — The three companies building a next generation fighter jet for the U.K., Italy and Japan have revealed that they are forming a joint venture to deliver the aircraft. The agreement was announced Friday. Britain’s BAE Systems, Italy’s Leonardo and Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement will each own a third of the new joint

Associated Press DAMASCUS (AP) — Exuberant Syrians observed the first Friday prayers since the ouster of President Bashar Assad, gathering in the capital’s historic main mosque, its largest square and around the country to celebrate the end of half a century of authoritarian rule. The newly installed interim prime minister delivered the sermon at the

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. has updated a decades-old science and technology agreement with China to reflect their growing rivalry for technological dominance. It now has a narrower scope and additional safeguards to minimize the risk to national security. The new agreement was signed Friday after many months of negotiations. The State Department

Associated Press BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Residents throughout Serbia have stopped in silence for 15 minutes as part of persistent protests against the populist leadership following the collapse last month of a concrete canopy in the country’s north that killed 15 people. Traffic blockades have been held each Friday since Nov. 1 at 11:52 a.m.

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish officials say President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has offered to mediate to resolve tensions with the United Arab Emirates. The offer was made during a phone call Friday with Sudan’s military leader, Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan. It comes just days after Erdogan brokered a deal between Ethiopia and Somalia toward resolving a

Associated Press PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday named centrist ally François Bayrou as prime minister in an effort to address the country’s deep political crisis, after a historic parliamentary vote ousted the previous government last week. Bayrou, 73, a crucial partner in Macron’s centrist alliance, has been a well-known figure in

AP Business Writer Stanley is recalling approximately 2.6 million of its switchback and trigger action stainless steel travel mugs sold in the U.S. because of a potential burn hazard. The company said that the mug’s lid threads can shrink when exposed to heat and torque, causing the lid to detach during use, posing a burn

Associated Press GENEVA (AP) — At least three feminist activists have been detained for vandalising a monument outside the United Nations building in Geneva to protest Russia’s war against Ukraine and what they see as the UN’s failure to stop the conflict. Two topless women with the group FEMEN, which is known for its provocative

Associated Press BASTOGNE, Belgium (AP) — The United States, its European allies and a dwindling number of veterans are marking the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. It was one of the most important and deadly battles in World War II. It stopped Adolf Hitler’s last-ditch offensive and opened the way for the

AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — Chinese leaders met this week to plot economic policy for the coming year and sketched out plans to raise government spending and relax Beijing’s monetary policy. Analysts said the broad-brush plans from the annual Central Economic Work Conference were more of a recap of current policy than ambitious new

Associated Press LONDON (AP) — A suspected Chinese spy with business ties to Prince Andrew has been barred from the U.K. because of concerns he posed a threat to national security. A British immigration tribunal upheld the decision on Thursday in a ruling that revealed the Chinese national had developed such a close relationship with

AP Sports Writer Luke Littler was virtually unknown a year ago. Now he is making millions, transcending his sport and is searched for more often on Google than King Charles and the British Prime Minister. That Littler is a 17-year-old darts player who still lives at home with his parents in northwest England makes his

Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — A Japanese high court has ruled that the refusal to recognize same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, the latest victory for the LGBTQ+ community that adds pressure on the reluctant government. Friday’s decision by the Fukuoka High Court in southern Japan marks the eighth victory out of nine rulings since the first

PARIS (AP) — An ancient relic that many Christians revere as Jesus Christ’s “Crown of Thorns” returned Friday to Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, five years after it was saved from the flames of the medieval monument’s devastating 2019 fire. The crown — a circular band of branches encased in a gilded golden tube —