PRAGUE (AP) — Former populist Prime Minister Andrej Babis’ retrial started after an appeals court dismissed a previous ruling acquitting him of fraud charges in a $2 million case involving European Union subsidies. The case centered around a farm known as the Stork’s Nest, which received EU subsidies after its ownership was transferred from the
Continue ReadingBy YURI KAGEYAMA and MATT OTT AP Business Writers Wall Street is poised to bounce back after surprisingly hot U.S. inflation data sent stocks tumbling this week. Futures for the S&P 500 rose 0.5% before the bell and futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.3%. With little in the way of market-moving economic
Continue ReadingBy NINIEK KARMINI and EDNA TARIGAN Associated Press JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto held a commanding lead in early, unofficial tallies of Indonesia’s presidential race Wednesday, potentially putting the former general on a path to claim victory in a three-way race to lead the world’s third-largest democracy. The 72-year-old candidate is a
Continue ReadingBy LOUISE DIXON BERLIN (AP) — The 74th Berlin International Film Festival opens Thursday with the world premiere of “Small Things Like These” starring man of the moment Cillian Murphy. The film explores Ireland’s Magdalene laundries, Catholic-run institutions from the 18th to the late 20th century intended to reform those deemed “fallen women.” Politics is never
Continue ReadingBy MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Activists and members of the LGBTQ+ community have handed out colorful chocolate candy for Valentine’s Day in Tokyo, marking the fifth anniversary of the launch of a legal battle to achieve marriage equality for same-sex couples. Japan is the only member of the Group of Seven nations
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By DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writer In a classic “Saturday Night Live” sketch, a young man hands his girlfriend a Valentine’s Day gift: a bear dressed in a bee costume that he picked up at the drugstore. “When did you get this?” she asks with a strained smile. “One minute ago,” he replies. It has
Continue ReadingBy DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s Valentine’s Day and Jill Biden is again sending her love to Americans through an art display on the White House lawn. The first lady’s “Valentine to the Country” was revealed as the sun rose on Wednesday. The installation features a large wooden red envelope painted in
Continue ReadingNEW DELHI (AP) — Protesting Indian farmers have clashed with police for a second consecutive day as tens of thousands tried to march to the capital to demand guaranteed prices for their produce. Farmers are pressing the government to meet its promise to double their income, waive their loans and withdraw legal cases brought against
Continue ReadingCNN By Victoria Butenko, Christian Edwards and Alex Stambaugh, CNN (CNN) — Ukraine claims it has now disabled a third of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet after its military intelligence said it sank another Russian warship in a sea drone attack off the coast of Crimea on Wednesday. Russia’s landing ship Caesar Kunikov was attacked with
Continue ReadingBy FRANK BAJAK AP Technology Writer BOSTON (AP) — Microsoft says U.S. adversaries — chiefly Iran and North Korea and to a lesser extent Russia and China — are beginning to use generative artificial intelligence in mounting and organizing offensive cyber operations. Techniques that Microsoft says it observed along with partner OpenAI, represent an emerging
Continue ReadingBy KATE ASHFORD of NerdWallet Many people choose Medicare Advantage plans without exploring their options or noticing what changes their plan may have made, according to research. But now that a new year has started, you may realize you picked the wrong plan during Medicare’s fall open enrollment. Maybe your prescription drugs are more expensive
Continue ReadingBRUSSELS (AP) — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says European allies and Canada have ramped up defense spending to record levels. He’s also warning that former U.S. President Donald Trump is undermining their security by calling into question the U.S. commitment to its allies. Stoltenberg said Wednesday that U.S. partners in NATO have spent $600 billion
Continue ReadingSOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — British Foreign Secretary David Cameron has said that nothing is more important now than strong support for Ukraine as it fights off Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggression. Cameron, speaking to reporters in Sofia on Wednesday, said support is not just a matter for European, but also global security. He met in
Continue ReadingBy DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writer In a classic “Saturday Night Live” sketch, a young man hands his girlfriend a Valentine’s Day gift: a bear dressed in a bee costume that he picked up at the drugstore. “When did you get this?” she asks with a strained smile. “One minute ago,” he replies. It has
Continue ReadingBy NICK KURCZEWSKI Edmunds The 2024 Chevrolet Colorado proves how transformative the midsize pickup truck market has suddenly become. In a segment where slow and steady changes are the norm, this generation of Colorado has a bold exterior, a turbocharged four-cylinder in two states of tune, and newly-added rock-crawling trims like the Bison Edition. Seeking
Continue ReadingBy The Associated Press Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law that will allow authorities to confiscate money, valuables and other assets from people convicted of spreading “deliberately false information” about the country’s military. It will apply to people who are convicted of publicly inciting “extremist activities” and calling for actions that would hurt
Continue ReadingBy NINIEK KARMINI and EDNA TARIGAN Associated Press JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto had a strong lead in early, unofficial tallies of Indonesia’s presidential race Wednesday, suggesting the former general may be able to avoid a runoff. The 72-year-old candidate has presented himself as an heir to immensely popular sitting President Joko
Continue ReadingBy SUZAN FRASER Associated Press ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish state media say authorities have detained four people in connection with a massive landslide that engulfed a gold mine in eastern Turkey, leaving at least nine workers missing. The landslide struck the mine in Turkey’s mountainous Erzincan province on Tuesday. Video seemingly shot by a
Continue ReadingBy DAN GELSTON AP Sports Writer DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth forged a deeper friendship bantering on all those punishing bicycle rides than they did as rivals on four wheels over their Hall of Fame NASCAR careers. Johnson gained an understanding of Kenseth’s often unassuming demeanor and the time, the
Continue ReadingBy JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Newly retired NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick will make his full-time debut as a Fox Sports broadcaster with the Daytona 500 this week. Harvick says he is looking forward to it. He also says the transition has been smooth and something of a relief.
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