Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Panto is as much a part of Christmas in Britain as turkey, tinsel and mince pies. Pantos is short for pantomimes. They are stage musicals that play at theaters big and small across the U.K. each winter. They mix a fairy-tale plot with topical references, slapstick, song, dance and double
Continue Reading MOSCOW (AP) — The lower house of Russia’s parliament has approved a bill that would set the stage for Moscow to remove the designation of the Taliban in Afghanistan as a terrorist group. Under the bill, the official terrorist designation of an organization could be suspended by a court. The legislation still needs to be
Continue Reading NEW YORK (AP) — “Bluey” is heading to the big screen. The Walt Disney Co. and BBC Studios announced Tuesday that a film based on the hit Australian animated series will arrive in theaters in 2027. The movie will be written and directed by series creator Joe Brumm, with a voice cast led by the
Continue Reading Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — Leading contenders in Germany’s upcoming election have presented their programs, setting out contrasting visions of how to put new vigor into Europe’s biggest economy and tackle other issues such as migration. Chancellor Olaf Scholz, a center-left Social Democrat, will seek a second term in the parliamentary election expected on Feb.
Continue Reading AP Music Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Here are some of The Associated Press’ favorite music documentaries of the year — in no particular order — along with where to find them. AP Music Writer Maria Sherman selections include: “Stax: Soulsville U.S.A.,” “The Beach Boys,” “Taylor Swift vs. Scooter Braun: Bad Blood,” “Road Diary: Bruce
Continue Reading AP Music Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Who are the top reggaeton musicians in the world? Or throughout history? Does Bad Bunny come to mind? Daddy Yankee? For years, urbano music has been defined solely by its male superstars. But that’s not the case, and certainly not in recent history. A crop of newer talent
Continue Reading AP Soccer Writer MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Organizers of a breakaway European Super League have revealed new plans to create a rival to the Champions League. The Unify League is the latest incarnation of a proposed elite competition for the biggest soccer clubs in Europe. It comes after the launch of a Super League in
Continue Reading DETROIT (AP) — A company that sells replacement winter tires is recalling more than 541,000 of them in the U.S. because they don’t have enough snow traction to meet North American standards. Prinx Chengshan Tire North America is recalling certain Fortune Tormenta and Prinx Hicountry tires with three-peak mountain snowflake symbols on the sidewalls. The
Continue Reading By Brian Stelter, Katelyn Polantz, Hadas Gold and Paula Reid, CNN New York (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump is escalating his legal campaign against media outlets by suing renowned pollster J. Ann Selzer, her polling firm, The Des Moines Register newspaper and its parent company Gannett. Unlike many of Trump’s legal actions against the press,
Continue Reading AP Business Writers WASHINGTON (AP) — Consumers stepped up their spending at retail stores last month, providing a boost to the economy in the early phases of the winter holiday shopping season. The Commerce Department said Tuesday that retail sales rose 0.7% in November. That’s a solid increase and higher than October’s 0.5% gain. The
Continue Reading MILAN (AP) — Rescue officials say the operation to transport an injured spelunker out of a cave in northern Italy has cleared a difficult passage Tuesday. The officials say they have left the uncharted part of the Bueno Fonteno cave and entered the main tunnel. The operation is in its fourth day and is expected
Continue Reading AP Medical Writer NEW YORK (AP) — An Alabama woman is recovering well after a pig kidney transplant last month that freed her from eight years of dialysis, the latest effort to save human lives with animal organs. Towana Looney is the fifth American given a gene-edited pig organ — and notably, she isn’t as
Continue Reading Associated Press LONDON (AP) — The father and stepmother of a severely abused 10-year-old girl found dead in her home in England have been sentenced to life in prison for murder. Urfan Sharif and Beinash Batool were sentenced Tuesday after being convicted of murder in what prosecutors called a “campaign of abuse.” The girl’s uncle,
Continue Reading AP Sports Writer Record numbers of basketball fans filled arenas to watch the rookie seasons of Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese unfold. Simone Biles captivated the world at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Coco Gauff made women’s tennis history. It was all part of a pivotal year for women in sports, both financially and culturally, and
Continue Reading Associated Press BETHLEHEM, Pa. (AP) — On Christmas Eve in 1741, Moravian settlers named this Pennsylvania city after the biblical birthplace of Jesus. Nearly 300 years later, Moravians continue celebrating their Christmas season traditions in Bethlehem. They include the “putz,” a Nativity scene that tells the story of Christ’s birth with miniature wooden figurines, the
Continue Reading By Nell Lewis, CNN (CNN) — The world’s oceans are under threat from rising sea temperatures, marine pollution and overfishing. The effects are visible in shallow ecosystems suffering from coral bleaching, but less is known about the impact on deeper areas of the ocean such as the mesophotic or “twilight” zone, which lies between 30
Continue Reading LONDON (AP) — The world’s most famous fictional Top Gun is now a decorated naval hero. Tom Cruise was awarded the U.S. Navy’s top civilian honor on Tuesday for “outstanding contributions to the Navy and the Marine Corps” with “Top Gun” and other films. Cruise, who has been working in the U.K., was given the
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TODAY: Tuesday is mostly dry, and mild. South winds bring temperatures into the 50s by the afternoon. Scattered light showers return around the dinner hour and exit by morning. TONIGHT: Scattered rain will bring a few hundredths of an inch of rain at most, and wrap up shortly after midnight. Temperatures likely remain int the
Continue Reading Associated Press BOSTON (AP) — Boston is planning to renovate a crumbling stadium in one of the city’s most diverse neighborhoods for its new professional women’s soccer team. The nearly $200 million project is expected to start in the coming weeks and has the support of Mayor Michelle Wu. She argues the public-private partnership —
Continue Reading Associated Press LONDON (AP) — A lawyer accused of trying to interfere in British politics on behalf of China has lost a legal challenge against the U.K.‘s domestic intelligence agency. Britain’s MI5 security service issued an alert to all lawmakers in January 2022 warning that London-based lawyer Christine Lee was knowingly engaged in “political interference
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