Today: September 25, 2024
Today: September 25, 2024

World

World

Idaho sued over law making it a crime to help minors get abortions without parental consent

Two advocacy groups and an attorney who works with sexual assault victims are suing Idaho over a new law that makes it illegal to help minors get an abortion without their parents’ consent. Abortion is already banned in Idaho at all stages of pregnancy. But the law enacted in May — dubbed a “travel ban” by the advocacy groups and an “abortion trafficking ban” by the lawmakers who passed it — seeks to prevent minors who don’t have parental approval from getting abortions in states where the procedure is legal. Violating the law is a felony,

July 11, 2023
Idaho sued over law making it a crime to help minors get abortions without parental consent
World

Larry Nassar was stabbed in his cell and the attack was not seen by prison cameras, AP source says

Investigators probing disgraced former sports doctor Larry Nassar’s stabbing Sunday at a federal penitentiary in Florida are lacking a key piece of evidence: video of the assault. Nassar was attacked inside his cell, a blind spot for prison surveillance cameras that only record common areas and corridors, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. In federal prison parlance, because of the lack of video, it is known as an “unwitnessed event.” It’s the second time Nassar, the former U.S. women’s gymnastics team doctor, has been assaulted in federal custody while he’s serving decades in prison for sexually

July 11, 2023
Larry Nassar was stabbed in his cell and the attack was not seen by prison cameras, AP source says
World

AP Was There: Cult leader Charles Manson and followers convicted for brutal California killings

EDITOR’S NOTE — On Jan. 26, 1971, Charles Manson and three members of his California cult were convicted for the murders of seven people, including pregnant actress Sharon Tate. On Tuesday, one of those three followers, Leslie Van Houten, was released from a California prison after serving more than 50 years for the 1969 killings of Leno LaBianca, a grocer in Los Angeles; and his wife, Rosemary. Van Houten is the only one of Manson’s followers involved in the murders to be let out of prison. The Associated Press is republishing a version of its original

July 11, 2023
AP Was There: Cult leader Charles Manson and followers convicted for brutal California killings
World

North Korea launches ballistic missile toward sea day after making threat over alleged US spy flight

North Korea launched a ballistic missile toward its eastern waters Wednesday, its neighbors said, two days after the North threatened “shocking” consequences to protest what it called a provocative U.S. reconnaissance activity near its territory. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff says the launch was made on Wednesday morning but gave no further details such as how far the weapon flew. Japan’s Defense Ministry said it also detected a possible ballistic missile launch by North Korea. The launch, the North’s first weapons firing in about a month, came after North Korea earlier this week released

July 12, 2023
North Korea launches ballistic missile toward sea day after making threat over alleged US spy flight
World

US inflation is believed to have slowed sharply in June in a further sign of easing price pressures

U.S. inflation is expected to post its lowest level in more than two years in a highly anticipated report being released Wednesday — a slowdown that, if sustained, could lead the Federal Reserve to halt its interest rate hikes later this year. The monthly report from the government will probably show that consumer prices rose just 3.1% in June from 12 months earlier, according to a survey of economists by the data provider FactSet. A figure that low would mark the mildest year-over-year increase since March 2021, when the current bout of painfully high inflation began as

July 12, 2023
US inflation is believed to have slowed sharply in June in a further sign of easing price pressures
World

Northwestern retains assistants after firing coach Pat Fitzgerald following hazing allegations

Northwestern has decided to retain its assistant coaches and support staff for the 2023 season after it fired head coach Pat Fitzgerald amid a hazing scandal. Athletic director Derrick Gragg informed the coaches and staff of the decision during a meeting on Tuesday. There was no announcement by the school when it comes to the leadership of the program after Fitzgerald’s dismissal. The first game of the season is Sept. 3 at Rutgers. The 48-year-old Fitzgerald was fired on Monday by Northwestern President Michael Schill, who wrote in an open letter to the university community that

July 12, 2023
Northwestern retains assistants after firing coach Pat Fitzgerald following hazing allegations
World

American woman says she thought she would die when New Zealand volcano erupted

An American woman said she told her new husband she loved him and was certain they would die when a New Zealand volcano erupted in 2019 killing 22 people. Lauren, 35, and Matt Urey, 39, returned to New Zealand from their home in Richmond, Virginia, to testify in the Auckland District Court on Wednesday in the trial of three tourism companies and three directors charged with safety breaches over the White Island disaster on Dec. 9. The honeymoon couple were among 47 people on White Island, the tip of an undersea volcano also known by its Indigenous Maori name, Whakaari,

July 12, 2023
American woman says she thought she would die when New Zealand volcano erupted
World

National League snaps All-Star Game losing streak, tops AL 3-2 behind Elias Díaz homer

Elias Díaz hit a two-run homer off Félix Bautista in the eighth inning, and the National League snapped a nine-game losing streak in the All-Star Game with a 3-2 win over the American League on Tuesday night. The NL won for the first time since an 8-0 victory in 2012 in Kansas City thanks to Díaz, a catcher who became the first Rockies player to win the All-Star MVP award. Díaz, who was non-tendered by the Pirates at the end of 2019, drove a 2-2 pitch from Baltimore’s hard-throwing closer deep to left to put the NL

July 12, 2023
National League snaps All-Star Game losing streak, tops AL 3-2 behind Elias Díaz homer
World

A Biden plan cuts student loan payments for millions to $0. Will it be the next legal battle?

The Biden administration calls it a “student loan safety net.” Opponents call it a backdoor attempt to make college free. And it could be the next battleground in the legal fight over student loan relief. Starting this summer, millions of Americans with student loans will be able to enroll in a new repayment plan that offers some of the most lenient terms ever. Interest won’t pile up as long as borrowers make regular payments. Millions of people will have monthly payments reduced to $0. And in as little as 10 years, any remaining debt will be canceled.

July 12, 2023
A Biden plan cuts student loan payments for millions to $0. Will it be the next legal battle?
World

Shohei Ohtani takes note of Seattle crowd asking for him to call Northwest home

Shohei Ohtani had an entire stadium asking him in unison to come to Seattle in free agency. “Never experienced anything like that, but I definitely heard it,” the two-position star said through his interpreter. “But I was trying to focus on my at-bat.” Ohtani was the biggest star of the All-Star Game on Tuesday night, even if his appearance was rather uneventful. Ohtani struck out and walked in his two at-bats as the American League saw its nine-game win streak come to an end with a 3-2 loss to the National League. But it was what happened

July 12, 2023
Shohei Ohtani takes note of Seattle crowd asking for him to call Northwest home
World

Vermont slowly turns to recovery after being hit by flood from slow-moving storm

Floodwaters receded in Vermont cities and towns pummeled by a storm that delivered two months of rain in two days, allowing officials to focus on recovering from a disaster that trapped residents in homes, closed roadways and choked streets and businesses with mud and debris. In the capital city of Montpelier, where streets were flooded Tuesday by the swollen Winooski River, officials said that water levels at a dam just upstream appeared to be stable. “It looks like it won’t breach. That is good. That is one less thing we have to have on our front

July 12, 2023
Vermont slowly turns to recovery after being hit by flood from slow-moving storm
World

Chip maker Foxconn exits a semiconductor joint venture with Indian mining company Vedanta

Electronics giant Foxconn backed out of a $19.5 billion semiconductor joint venture with Indian mining conglomerate Vedanta Ltd. due to “external issues unrelated to the project.” Hon Hai Technology, known internationally as Foxconn, and Vedanta Limited announced their joint venture to manufacture chips and display panels in India in February 2022. On Monday, Foxconn announced it mutually agreed to part ways with Vedanta Limited. “This is not a negative. There was recognition from both sides that the project was not moving fast enough, there were challenging gaps we were not able to smoothly overcome, as well

July 12, 2023
Chip maker Foxconn exits a semiconductor joint venture with Indian mining company Vedanta
World

The Manson 'family': A look at key players and victims in the cult leader's killings

In 1969, Charles Manson dispatched a group of disaffected young followers on a two-night killing rampage that terrorized Los Angeles. The killings remain etched in the American consciousness. On Tuesday, Leslie Van Houten was released after spending more than 50 years in prison for two of those murders. She’s the only one of Manson’s followers who participated in the infamous Tate-LaBianca murders to go free. Members of the Manson “family” arrived at the Hollywood Hills home of Sharon Tate on Aug. 8, 1969, where they stabbed, beat and shot to death the young actress and her

July 12, 2023
The Manson 'family': A look at key players and victims in the cult leader's killings
World

Rockies' Elias Díaz becomes unlikely All-Star MVP, 3 1/2 years after cut loose by Pirates

Elias Díaz may be the most unlikely All-Star MVP. Just 3 1/2 years after Pittsburgh failed to offer a contract and allowed him to become a free agent, Diaz hit a go-ahead, two-run homer off Félix Bautista in the eighth inning to lift the National League over the American 3-2 on Tuesday night. A first-time All-Star at age 32, the Colorado catcher put his name on an award won by Willie Mays, Joe Morgan, Frank and Brooks Robinson, both Ken Griffeys and Mike Trout. “I honestly can’t believe that my name is going to be next to

July 12, 2023
Rockies' Elias Díaz becomes unlikely All-Star MVP, 3 1/2 years after cut loose by Pirates
World

After half a century, Israel moves to evict squatter from his cave home on the beach

Over half a century, Nissim Kahlon has transformed a tiny cave on a Mediterranean beach into an elaborate underground labyrinth filled with chiseled tunnels, detailed mosaic floors and a network of staircases and chambers. He lives in the one-of-a-kind artistic creation, which is a popular destination for local curiosity seekers, and Kahlon, 77, is quick to welcome visitors into his subterranean home. Now, Israel’s government wants him out. Fifty years after Kahlon moved into the home, Israel’s Environmental Protection Ministry has served him an eviction notice, saying the structure is illegal and threatens Israel’s coastline. “Instead

July 12, 2023
After half a century, Israel moves to evict squatter from his cave home on the beach
World

Thailand's Election Commission says top candidate for prime minister may have broken election law

Thailand’s state Election Commission said Wednesday it concluded there is evidence that the top candidate to become the country’s next prime minister, Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat, violated election law and referred his case to the Constitutional Court for a ruling. The commission’s decision, announced in a press release, means the court could order Pita to be suspended from his duties as a Member of Parliament until the ruling is issued. In theory it does not rule out him being nominated to become prime minister by Parliament on Thursday, because the post does not have to

July 12, 2023
Thailand's Election Commission says top candidate for prime minister may have broken election law
World

Iran's president begins a rare visit to Africa 'to promote economic diplomacy'

Iran’s president has begun a rare visit to Africa as his country, which is under heavy U.S. economic sanctions, seeks to deepen partnerships around the world. President Ebrahim Raisi’s visit to Kenya on Wednesday is the first to the African continent by an Iranian leader in more than a decade. He is also expected to visit Uganda and Zimbabwe and meet with the presidents there. Africa is a “continent of opportunities” and a great platform for Iranian products, Raisi told journalists in a briefing. He didn’t take questions. “None of us is satisfied with the current

July 12, 2023
Iran's president begins a rare visit to Africa 'to promote economic diplomacy'
World

Russia's threat to pull out of Ukraine grain deal raises fears about global food security

Concerns are growing that Russia will not extend a United Nations-brokered deal that allows grain to flow from Ukraine to parts of the world struggling with hunger, with ships no longer heading to the war-torn country’s Black Sea ports and food exports dwindling. Turkey and the U.N. negotiated the breakthrough accord last summer to ease a global food crisis, along with a separate agreement with Russia to facilitate shipments of its food and fertilizer. Moscow insists it’s still facing hurdles, though data shows it has been exporting record amounts of wheat. Russian officials repeatedly say there are

July 12, 2023
Russia's threat to pull out of Ukraine grain deal raises fears about global food security
World

Thai diplomat meets with Suu Kyi in detention in Myanmar and says she wants to join talks on crisis

Thailand’s top diplomat said Wednesday that he met ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi in detention over the weekend and she conveyed her openness to engage in talks to resolve the crisis in her strife-torn nation. Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai is the only government official outside of Myanmar to have met Suu Kyi since she was detained with other officials when the army seized power from her elected government on Feb. 1, 2021. He told his counterparts in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, who are meeting in Indonesia’s capital, that Suu Kyi was

July 12, 2023
Thai diplomat meets with Suu Kyi in detention in Myanmar and says she wants to join talks on crisis
World

Stock market today: Asian shares are mixed ahead of an update on US consumer prices

Asian shares were mixed Wednesday after stocks advanced on Wall Street ahead of an update on U.S. inflation that investors hope will show a smaller increase in pain for everyone. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index jumped 0.9% to 18,827.66 and the S&P/ASX 200 in Australia added 0.4% to 7,135.70. In Seoul, the Kospi rose 0.5% to 2,574.72. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 dropped 0.8% to 31,943.93 after North Korea launched a long-range ballistic missile toward its eastern waters Wednesday, two days after the North threatened “shocking” consequences to protest what it called provocative U.S. reconnaissance activity near its territory.

July 12, 2023
Stock market today: Asian shares are mixed ahead of an update on US consumer prices
World

Bank of England says UK banks are resilient enough to offer struggling households support

The Bank of England warned Wednesday that households across the U.K. are facing increasing problems from the sharp increase in interest rates but found that the country’s biggest banks are resilient enough to offer more help than they were able to before the global financial crisis 15 years ago.. In its regular health check of the economy, the central bank said British households are facing higher debt burdens as a result of rising interest rates, particularly those whose fixed-rate mortgage deals have come to an end or soon will be. However, it said there are several factors

July 12, 2023
Bank of England says UK banks are resilient enough to offer struggling households support
World

China-based hackers breached Western European government email accounts, Microsoft says

A China-based hacking group has breached email accounts linked to government agencies in Western Europe, Microsoft Corp. says. In a blog post published Tuesday, Microsoft said the group, which it identified as Storm-0558, focuses on acts such as espionage and data theft. The group gained access to email accounts affecting about 25 organizations including government agencies and to accounts of individuals linked to these organizations, and had gone undetected for about a month until customers complained to Microsoft about abnormal mail activity. “We assess this adversary is focused on espionage, such as gaining access to email

July 12, 2023
China-based hackers breached Western European government email accounts, Microsoft says
World

Traces of explosives were found in a yacht in the Nord Stream sabotage investigation, diplomats say

Investigators found traces of subsea explosives in samples taken from a yacht that has been one aspect of a probe into the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines under the Baltic Sea last year, European diplomats have told the United Nations Security Council. They say that the investigation hasn’t yet established who the perpetrators were and whether a state was involved. Denmark, Sweden and Germany have been investigating the Sept. 26 attack, and the Danish Foreign Ministry tweeted a letter Tuesday from the three countries’ U.N. ambassadors to the president of the Security Council with information

July 12, 2023
Traces of explosives were found in a yacht in the Nord Stream sabotage investigation, diplomats say
World

France's anti-immigration far right gets boost from riots over police killing of teen

Widespread riots in France sparked by the police killing of a teenager with North African roots have revealed the depth of discontent roiling poor neighborhoods — and given a new platform to the increasingly emboldened far right. The far right’s anti-immigration mantra is seeping through a once ironclad political divide between it and mainstream politics. More voices are now embracing a hard line against immigration and blaming immigrants not only for the car burnings and other violence that followed the June 27 killing of 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk, but for France’s social problems as well. “We know the

July 12, 2023
France's anti-immigration far right gets boost from riots over police killing of teen
World

US forward Christian Pulisic arrives in Italy for expected transfer to AC Milan

United States forward Christian Pulisic arrived in Italy on Wednesday for a medical with AC Milan before an expected transfer from Chelsea. The 24-year-old Pulisic, who has one year left on his contract at Chelsea, is expected to sign a four-year deal with the Rossoneri and become the third American to play for the club after Oguchi Onyewu and Sergiño Dest. “I’m very happy to be here. I’m excited. I’m excited to start with this historic club,” Pulisic told reporters waiting for him at Milan’s Malpensa airport. “It’s legendary and I’m really excited to come here and

July 12, 2023
US forward Christian Pulisic arrives in Italy for expected transfer to AC Milan

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