News

By The Associated Press Texas and Washington will meet in the Sugar Bowl for a chance to play in the national championship game. The unbeaten and second-seeded Huskies are Pac-12 champions and led by Heisman Trophy runner-up Michael Penix Jr. at quarterback. Quarterback Quinn Ewers and the Longhorns won the Big 12 title. The two

MILAN (AP) — The Italian city of Venice announced new limits Saturday on the size of tourist groups, the latest move to reduce the pressure of mass tourism on the famed canal city. Starting in June, groups will be limited to 25 people, or roughly half the capacity of a tourist bus, and the use

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Russia will not provide any explanations about an unidentified object that briefly entered Poland’s airspace until it receives evidence that shows the object was a Russian missile, Russia’s top diplomat in Poland said Saturday. Poland’s defense forces said an unknown object traveled 40 kilometers (24 miles) into the country’s airspace Friday

BERLIN (AP) — The Austrian government says that it is giving the country’s world-famous Vienna Boys Choir 800,000 euros ($884,000) to help it out of severe financial difficulties. Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said Saturday that “it goes without saying that we will rescue them from their financial plight.” The choir had been struggling with rising

By The Associated Press Shelling in the center of the Russian border city of Belgorod killed 10 people and injured 45 more on Saturday, emergency services said. Russian officials accused Kyiv of carrying out the attack, which took place the day after an 18-hour aerial Russian barrage across Ukraine killed at least 39 civilians. Images

By WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS AP Business Writer The New Year is almost upon us. And as the world prepares to ring in 2024, many are winding down from the holidays and getting back into their regular routines (give or take some fresh resolutions). If you’re planning on grabbing groceries or doing some other shopping to kick

Associated Press The tradition of Watch Night services in the United States dates back to Dec. 31, 1862, when many Black Americans gathered in churches and other venues, waiting for President Abraham Lincoln to sign the Emancipation Proclamation into law, and thus free those still enslaved in the Confederacy. It’s still being observed each New

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistani election officials have rejected former Prime Minister Imran Khan as a candidate in the country’s February parliamentary election. His lawyers have said they will appeal. Khan is the country’s most popular opposition figure but he’s in prison serving a three-year sentence for corruption. That disqualifies him from running for national

BY AYANNA ALEXANDER and GARY FIELDS Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — This year’s elections in Louisiana didn’t go the way that voting rights advocate Ashley Shelton had hoped, with the far-right conservative attorney general replacing a term-limited Democratic governor and consolidating Republican control in the state. Turnout was just 37%, despite the efforts of activists

By LLAZAR SEMINI Associated Press TIRANA, Albania (AP) — A court in Albania on Saturday ordered house arrest for former Prime Minister Sali Berisha, who leads the opposition Democratic Party and is being investigated for possible corruption. Judge Irena Gjoka of the First Instance Special Court on Corruption and Organized Crime, which covers cases involving

By MATTHEW PERRONE AP Health Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal officials are seizing more shipments of unauthorized electronic cigarettes at U.S. ports, but thousands of new flavored products continue pouring into the country from China, according to government and industry data reviewed by The Associated Press. The figures underscore the chaotic state of the nation’s

By The Associated Press Russian officials on Saturday accused Ukrainian forces of shelling the Russian border city of Belgorod, a day after an 18-hour aerial Russian barrage across Ukraine killed at least 39 civilians. Two children were killed in Belgorod, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said in a statement on social media. He also said that

By JOVANA GEC Associated Press BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Thousands of people rallied in Serbia’s capital on Saturday, chanting “Thieves!” and accusing the populist authorities of President Aleksandar Vucic of orchestrating a fraud during a recent general election. The big rally in central Belgrade capped nearly two weeks of street protests against reported widespread irregularities

By SIMINA MISTREANU Associated Press TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan’s presidential candidates expressed desire for peaceful relations with Beijing, which has described Jan. 13 elections on the self-ruled island as a choice between war and peace and stepped up harassment of the territory that China claims as its own. William Lai, the front-runner and currently

By SYLVIA HUI Associated Press LONDON (AP) — The holiday travel plans of hundreds of people were upended Saturday after Eurostar canceled train services to and from London because a tunnel under the River Thames became flooded. Large crowds of travelers trying to get across the English Channel were stranded at London’s St. Pancras International

AMSTERDAM (AP) — Climate activists have blocked part of the main highway around Amsterdam near the former headquarters of ING bank. They’re protesting the bank’s financing of fossil fuels. Amsterdam Municipality says that traffic authorities closed part of the road early Saturday afternoon and diverted traffic “to prevent a life-threatening situation.” It’s the latest road

By The Associated Press Thirty-two Ukrainian drones were shot down over Russia on Saturday, Moscow officials reported, a day after an 18-hour aerial barrage across Ukraine killed at least 39 civilians. Drones were seen in the skies over Russia’s Moscow, Bryansk, Oryol, and Kursk regions, the country’s defense ministry said in a statement. It said

By MOGOMOTSI MAGOME Associated Press JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Flash floods killed over a dozen people in the small town of Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal province, South African officials said Saturday. “As of Friday, 29 December 2023, a total of 21 bodies have been recovered,” said police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda. The floods hit the town on

By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA and KAREEM CHEHAYEB Associated Press BAGHDAD (AP) — Three overnight airstrikes on eastern Syria near a strategic border crossing with Iraq killed six Iran-backed militants Saturday, two members of Iraqi militia groups told The Associated Press. The strikes on the border region of Boukamal came hours after an umbrella group of Iran-backed