By JON GAMBRELL Associated Press The award-winning Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof has been sentenced to eight years in prison and lashings ahead of his planned trip to the Cannes film festival, his lawyer tells The Associated Press. Rasoulof is known for his film “There Is No Evil.” He has become the latest artist targeted in
Continue ReadingBy DANICA KIRKA Associated Press LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is calling for an end to “antisemitic abuse” at U.K. universities as protests against the war in Gaza expand and the government tries to prevent the type of unrest seen on American campuses in recent weeks. Sunak and his education secretary are
Continue ReadingWARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s defense minister says it is strengthening the metal barrier along its border with Belarus to deter illegal migration and plans to also reinforce its border with Russia. He says the increased presence of Polish and allied military forces in regions close to the border is also helping to tighten the
Continue ReadingBy ZIMO ZHONG and MATT OTT Associated Press Wall Street’s lull threatened to stretch into a second day Thursday as more corporate earnings are released ahead of the government’s weekly layoffs data. Futures for the S&P 500 ticked down 0.1% and futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell less than 0.2%. Airbnb tumbled 9.6%
Continue ReadingBy JESSICA DONATI Associated Press DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — A Boeing 737 plane carrying 85 people has caught fire and skidded off a runway at the airport in Dakar, Senegal’s capital, injuring 10 people. Senegal’s transport minister says the Air Sénégal flight operated by TransAir was headed to Bamako, in neighboring Mali, late Wednesday with
Continue ReadingBy MICHELLE CHAPMAN AP Business Writer TikTok says it’s going to start automatically labeling content that’s made by artificial intelligence when it’s uploaded from certain platforms. TikTok says its efforts are an attempt to combat misinformation from being spread on its social media platform. TikTok’s policy in the past has been to encourage users to
Continue ReadingBy WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer Simone Biles is bringing back her Gold Over America Tour this fall, with a twist. This time, the guys are invited too. The decision to include the men on the 30-city tour that starts in Southern California on Sept. 17 and ends in Detroit on Nov. 3 was intentional.
Continue ReadingMADRID (AP) — A Spanish investigative magistrate on Thursday provisionally shelved the latest probe into an alleged case of tax fraud by pop star Shakira following recommendations by prosecutors. The Colombian singer had been under investigation for the alleged evasion of 6.7 million euros ($7.2 million) in taxes on her 2018 income via an offshore
Continue ReadingMOSCOW (AP) — Russia wrapped itself in patriotic pageantry for Victory Day, as President Vladimir Putin celebrated the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II by hailing his forces in Ukraine and blasting the West for fueling conflicts around the world. Putin has turned the holiday into a pillar of his nearly quarter-century in
Continue ReadingBy PAN PYLAS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — The Bank of England is keeping its main U.K. interest rate at a 16-year high of 5.25% though it gave a broad hint that a reduction could be on the cards as soon as June as inflation is forecast to fall below target. In a statement Thursday,
Continue ReadingANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Officials in Turkey say 190 passengers and crew have been safely evacuated from a plane after a tire burst during landing at an airport near the southern town of Alanya. No one was hurt. The Boeing 737-800 belonging to the Turkey-based Corendon Airlines stopped safely on the runway at Gazipasa airport,
Continue ReadingBy GEORGE WALKER IV, JOEY CAPPELLETTI and ED WHITE Associated Press COLUMBIA, Tenn. (AP) — Forecasters warned a wave of dangerous storms in the U.S. could wash over parts of the South early Thursday, a day after severe weather with damaging tornadoes and large hail killed at least three people in the region. The storms
Continue ReadingBANGKOK (AP) — At least one person has been killed and four others were injured after a huge fire broke out at chemical storage tanks in an industrial area in eastern Thailand on Thursday. The fire in Mab Ta Phut Industrial Estate was first reported in the morning. It was contained more than six hours
Continue ReadingBy KONSTANTIN TESTORIDES Associated Press SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — The head of a center-right 22-party coalition that emerged victorious in North Macedonia’s parliamentary election has fallen just short of gaining a parliamentary majority, leaving it reliant on entering a partnership with another party to form a government. The “Your Macedonia” coalition led by Hristijan
Continue ReadingBy MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — A Japanese defense aircraft carrying eight people made an emergency landing at a commercial airport in central Japan after a cockpit window inadvertently slid open during its training flight. No damage or injuries were reported. The Japan Air Self-Defense Force said its C-2 transport aircraft from the
Continue ReadingBy The Associated Press The first shipment of humanitarian aid to a newly built U.S.-built floating pier off Gaza has left a port in Cyprus. Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos says the U.S. vessel departed from Larnaca port with the aim of transferring as much badly needed aid to Gaza by sea as possible. U.S. President
Continue ReadingBy JILL LAWLESS Associated Press MALMO, Sweden (AP) — Scores of musicians, hundreds of journalists and thousands of music fans are gathering in the Swedish city of Malmo for the exuberant, glitter-drenched final of the Eurovision Song Contest. Thirty-seven countries are participating in the contest, whose motto is “united by music.” The favorites include Swiss
Continue ReadingBy PAN PYLAS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — The Bank of England is keeping its main U.K. interest rate at a 16-year high of 5.25% with several policymakers still worrying about some key inflation measures. In a statement Thursday, the bank’s nine-member Monetary Policy Committee voted 7-2 to keep rates unchanged, with the 2 dissenters
Continue ReadingKABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban are warning journalists and experts against working with Afghanistan International TV. It’s the first time they have told people not to cooperate with a specific media outlet. Afghanistan International TV, which is headquartered in London, is accessible through satellite, cable and social media. A spokesman for the Taliban-controlled Ministry
Continue ReadingBy BELA SZANDELSZKY Associated Press BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping has received a ceremonial welcome in Hungary’s capital ahead of a day of talks with Hungarian officials expected to result in further Chinese investments in the Central European country. Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok received Xi on Thursday in an opulent courtyard of
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