AP Science Writer The Geminids are among the few major meteor showers to come from asteroids. This year they peaked on Dec. 13 but will be visible until Dec. 21. The shower often produces meteors with a distinctly more yellow glow than other meteor showers that originate from comet debris. Under ideal viewing conditions, the
Continue ReadingWARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk says his government will protect major television stations in the country, like the U.S.-owned TVN, against hostile purchases, in a move aimed at protecting from any such attempts by Russia. Tusk stressed on Wednesday that the directive to be adopted next week is to safeguard against
Continue ReadingAssociated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Myha’la is best known for playing a steely, manipulative investment banker on HBO‘s “Industry.” And though Harper Stern regularly betrays friends and colleagues for personal gain, Myha’la manages to find the humanity and vulnerability in her character. She has also transferred that skill to film, starring in “Leave the
Continue ReadingDrumroll, please. Seven people who became stars in 2024 have been named The Associated Press’ Breakthrough Entertainers of the Year. Aaron Pierre announced himself in the taut, suspenseful thriller “Rebel Ridge,” Nicholas Alexander Chavez frightened in the one-two punch of “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” and “Grotesquerie,” and GloRilla emerged as one of
Continue ReadingAssociated Press NEW YORK (AP) — As a child, Fred Hechinger dreamed of running away to join the circus. Now as his acting career takes off, he jokes that it feels like he’s finally living that childhood fantasy. Levity suits the 24-year-old, despite his role as the tyrannical Emperor Caracalla in “Gladiator II.” While his
Continue ReadingAssociated Press Nicholas Alexander Chavez starred in two Ryan Murphy shows this fall. He played Lyle Menendez in “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” for Netflix and a priest in FX’s “Grotesquerie.” Chavez’s work in the Murphyverse has made him one of The Associated Press’ Breakthrough Entertainers of 2024. The 25-year-old says he feels
Continue ReadingAP Business Writer Kroger and Albertsons’ plan for the largest U.S. supermarket merger in history crumbled Wednesday, with Albertsons pulling out of the $24.6 billion deal and the two companies accusing each other of not doing enough to push their proposed alliance through. Albertsons said it had filed a lawsuit against Kroger, seeking a $600
Continue ReadingAssociated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — Adria Arjona has transformed from the reserved girl growing up across Latin America to the captivating actor booking multiple scene-stealing roles. She once thought she would be too shy to pursue her dream. Now, she’s starring opposite A-list stars like Diego Luna, Glen Powell and Zoe Saldaña. She is
Continue ReadingAP Entertainment Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — GloRilla went from being a choir girl to a husky-voiced rap queen, climbing the hip-hop ranks so high that she’s earned a trip to the White House. The Memphis-born performer has become one of industry’s most promising voices with her genuine character, rap flow and unmistakable Southern drawl.
Continue ReadingAP Business Writer Regional supermarket chain Stop & Shop is installing kiosks in all of its stores in the Northeast U.S. to make digital-only coupons more accessible. Stop & Shop said on Wednesday that the kiosks will give customers access to digital coupons by scanning a loyalty card or entering a phone number. Digital-only deals
Continue ReadingAssociated Press LONDON (AP) — Britain’s spy agency is celebrating the festive season with a riddle wrapped in an enigma inside a mystery. The cyber-intelligence agency GCHQ on Wednesday published its annual Christmas Challenge, a seasonal greeting card that doubles as a set of fiendishly difficult puzzles. The goal is to excite young minds about
Continue ReadingAssociated Press LONDON (AP) — The father and stepmother of a 10-year-old girl found dead in her home in England were found guilty Wednesday of her murder after what prosecutors called a “campaign of abuse.” They along with an uncle will be sentenced Tuesday in the killing last year of Sara Sharif. Police found her
Continue ReadingAP Diplomatic Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken is returning to the Middle East this week on his 12th visit since the Israel-Hamas war erupted last year. It’ll be his first trip since the ouster of Syrian President Bashar Assad, which has sparked new fears of instability in a region now wracked
Continue ReadingAssociated Press DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Thousands of members of youth and student bodies belonging to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party have marched from the capital toward the country’s eastern border with India to protest an attack on a diplomatic mission and alleged desecration of Bangladeshi flags in India. On Wednesday, they drove in cars to
Continue ReadingEdmunds Midsize three-row SUVs are among today’s primary modes of family movement, but some are roomier than others. We don’t think you can ever have enough room in a family SUV, and the best ones offer ample room to stretch out, especially for adults in the third row. They should also be fuel-efficient and have
Continue ReadingAssociated Press PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti’s main international airport has reopened to commercial flights, one month after gangs opened fire on planes. It was the second closing this year because of gang violence. Soldiers and police along with a U.N.-backed mission have boosted security in the area, and Haiti’s government said a test flight
Continue ReadingAP Business Writer TikTok has challenged a Canadian government order to shut down the Chinese video-sharing app’s business operations in the country that was imposed over national security concerns. The company said Tuesday that it filed an application for a judicial review with the Federal Court in Vancouver on December 5. The application seeks to
Continue ReadingAssociated Press THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A Dutch court has convicted a woman of crimes against humanity for keeping a Yazidi woman as a slave in Syria and sentenced her to 10 years in prison. The Hague District Court found Hasna A. was guilty of multiple offenses for traveling to Syria in 2015 to
Continue ReadingAssociated Press NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Cyprus will depend more on desalination plants to meet its water needs as a string of dry winters has reduced amounts in 108 dams to just a quarter of their capacity. Minister Maria Panayiotou said Wednesday that as part of her ministry’s immediate plans to alleviate water shortages, four
Continue ReadingAssociated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Only about 2 in 10 Americans approve of President Joe Biden’s decision to pardon his son Hunter after earlier promising he would do no such thing, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. That displeasure tracks with the bipartisan uproar in Washington that ignited
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