By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street is sinking Thursday after a warmer-than-expected report on inflation forced some investors to push back forecasts for when the Federal Reserve could deliver long-sought cuts to interest rates. The S&P 500 was down 0.6% in afternoon trading after erasing an early gain. The
Continue ReadingBy NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press VATICAN CITY (AP) — In the greatest rebuke yet to Pope Francis, the Catholic bishops of Africa and Madagascar have issued a unified statement refusing to follow his declaration allowing priests to offer blessings to same-sex couples. They assert that such unions are “contrary to the will of God.” The
Continue ReadingBy Christian Edwards, CNN (CNN) — South Africa accused Israel of genocide in an unprecedented case at the United Nations’ top court, saying the country’s leadership was “intent on destroying the Palestinians in Gaza” and calling for the court to order a halt to Israel’s military campaign in the enclave. On the first of two days
Continue ReadingWASHINGTON (AP) — First lady Jill Biden says her husband’s age is an “asset,” as President Joe Biden — at 81 already the oldest American leader in history — faces persistent questions from voters about his decision to seek another term. In an interview with MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” released Thursday, Jill Biden responded to those
Continue ReadingBy Arlette Saenz and Donald Judd, CNN (CNN) — First lady Dr. Jill Biden offered rare comments on former President Donald Trump and the House Republicans investigating her son Hunter Biden, ramping up her pushback against critics with the 2024 presidential campaign in full swing. The first lady spoke candidly about how the GOP-led probe into
Continue ReadingCNN By Arlette Saenz and Donald Judd, CNN (CNN) — First lady Dr. Jill Biden offered rare comments on former President Donald Trump and the House Republicans investigating her son Hunter Biden, ramping up her pushback against critics with the 2024 presidential campaign in full swing. The first lady spoke candidly about how the GOP-led probe
Continue ReadingBy JULIA FRANKEL and ALON BERNSTEIN Associated Press KIBBUTZ BE’ERI, Israel (AP) — Relatives of civilians killed at a kibbutz in southern Israel during the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas are demanding the military immediately investigate signs that some may have been killed by Israeli security forces as they battled militants holding hostages. The military
Continue ReadingBy MICHAEL R. SISAK and JENNIFER PELTZ Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Barred from giving his own closing argument, Donald Trump took in his lawyer’s summation as a glowering, arms-folded spectator at the end of his New York civil fraud trial Thursday, hours after authorities responded to a bomb threat at the judge’s house.
Continue ReadingBy STAN CHOE AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street is drifting Thursday after a report showed U.S. inflation is warmer than expected, but maybe not by enough to dash traders’ dreams of lower interest rates later this year. The S&P 500 was down 0.3% in morning trading, though it’s still hanging within
Continue ReadingBy The Associated Press The lawyer of a Russian pro-war activist and critic of President Vladimir Putin says her client has been remanded into custody over alleged terrorism offenses. Sergei Udaltsov heads the Left Front, a group of political parties who oppose Putin and are affiliated with Russia’s Communist Party. He was a prominent during
Continue ReadingWARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s president says he’s started the process to once again pardon two politicians who were arrested earlier this week. The case is at the center of a standoff between Poland’s new government and its populist predecessor. The move Thursday came as thousands of supporters of Poland’s now opposition party Law and
Continue ReadingBy Betsy Klein and Tami Luhby, CNN (CNN) — Congress is quickly approaching the first of two deadlines to fund the government and avert a shutdown. And as negotiators and staff continue to hash out a funding plan, it’s become clear to lawmakers that a short-term solution is needed to buy more time for the
Continue ReadingQUITO (AP) — A fake bomb threat has rattled the capital of Ecuador and sparked the mobilization of an anti-explosives unit to a bustling area. Police said they were forced to evacuate people from Playón de la Marín on Thursday. The event happened a day after explosives placed in five different areas around Quito caused
Continue ReadingBy Lianne Kolirin, CNN (CNN) — A brown and arid scrubland of a lawn is not something many gardeners would brag about. But that is exactly the kind of yard competition organizers in Sweden were looking for when they launched the prize for the “World’s Ugliest Lawn.” People from around the world were invited to
Continue ReadingBy MICHAEL R. SISAK and JENNIFER PELTZ Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump arrived for closing arguments Thursday in his New York civil fraud trial after authorities responded to a bomb threat at the home of the judge who moved this week to prevent the former president from delivering his own closing statements.
Continue ReadingBy JARI TANNER Associated Press HELSINKI (AP) — Finland says it will extend the closure of its border with Russia for another month because it suspects that Moscow is trying to undermine the Nordic country’s security by sending undocumented migrants across the frontier. Finland closed the border late last year after 1,300 migrants without proper
Continue ReadingBy STAN CHOE AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street is drifting near its record Thursday after a report showed U.S. inflation is warmer than expected, but maybe not by enough to dash traders’ dreams of lower interest rates later this year. The S&P 500 was close to flat in early trading at
Continue ReadingBy MATTHEW LEE AP Diplomatic Writer CAIRO (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has wrapped up his latest urgent Mideast tour in talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi. American officials claim modest success in getting regional leaders on board with general planning for construction and governance in Gaza after Israel’s war with
Continue ReadingNEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street is holding relatively steady after a report showed U.S. inflation is warmer than expected, but maybe not by enough to dash traders’ dreams of lower interest rates later this year. The S&P 500 was up 0.3% early Thursday, briefly touching the record high it reached two years ago. The
Continue ReadingBy ELDAR EMRIC Associated Press VISEGRAD, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — Tons of garbage floats down a river at least twice a year and ends up near the eastern Bosnian town of Visegrad behind a barrier installed by a local hydroelectric plant. An environmental activist said “new year, new problems or rather old problems with new garbage
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