By WAFAA SHURAFA and KAREEM CHEHAYEB Associated Press DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — An agreement for a four-day cease-fire in Gaza and the release of dozens of hostages held by militants and Palestinians imprisoned by Israel appeared to have hit a last-minute snag. A senior Israeli official said it would not take effect until
Continue ReadingBy AIJAZ HUSSAIN Associated Press SRINAGAR, India (AP) — Indian military officials say five soldiers and two suspected rebels were killed in gunbattles in disputed Kashmir. The fighting started Wednesday after Indian troops started searching for suspected militants in dense forests and intermittent firing continued all day. Troops continued searching on Thursday near the highly
Continue ReadingBy ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — World shares were mixed on Thursday after a modest advance on Wall Street that kept the market on track for a fourth straight weekly gain. Markets in Japan and the U.S. are closed for holidays. Oil prices initially fell about $1 a barrel after OPEC postponed
Continue ReadingBy HYUNG-JIN KIM Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s spy agency has told lawmakers that Russian support likely enabled North Korea to put a spy satellite into orbit for the first time this week. The South’s defense minister says it should be clear by early next week whether the satellite is functioning
Continue ReadingBy MIKE CORDER and RAF CASERT Associated Press THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Anti-Islam populist Geert Wilders said Thursday he is ready to join the next Dutch coalition government after he surged to a huge election victory that marked a stunning lurch to the far right for a nation once famed as a beacon of
Continue ReadingBy John Miller, Elizabeth Wolfe and Celina Tebor, CNN (CNN) — Investigators have identified the married couple killed Wednesday in a fiery explosion near the US-Canadian border that prompted a massive law enforcement response. Kurt P. Villani and his wife Monica Villani, both 53, died in the car crash on the US side of the
Continue ReadingBy KIRSTEN GRIESHABER Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — Hundreds of police officers searched the properties of Hamas members and followers in Germany on Thursday morning following a formal ban on any activity by or in support of the militant group. The German government implemented the ban on Nov. 2 and dissolved Samidoun, a group that
Continue ReadingSAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. (AP) — Kevin Cross scored 27 points and Tulane edged California 84-81 to claim third place in the SoCal Challenge Surf Division on Wednesday night. The Green Wave trailed by as many as 11 points midway through the second half, but Sion James hit a turnaround jumper, Kolby King scored off
Continue ReadingBy MIKE CORDER and RAF CASERT Associated Press THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Anti-Islam populist Geert Wilders won a huge victory in Dutch elections, according to a near complete count of the vote early Thursday, in a stunning lurch to the far right for a nation once famed as a beacon of tolerance. The result
Continue ReadingBy KALANI TAKASE Associated Press HONOLULU (AP) — Anton Watson scored a career-high 32 points on nearly perfect shooting and No. 11 Gonzaga held off UCLA 69-65 Wednesday night in the fifth-place game at the Maui Invitational. The Bulldogs (4-1) led by 13 in the first half before staving off a late charge from the
Continue ReadingBy AIJAZ HUSSAIN Associated Press SRINAGAR, India (AP) — Four Indian soldiers and a suspected rebel were killed in a gunbattle in disputed Kashmir. The fighting started Wednesday after Indian troops started searching in the forests and intermittent firing continued all day. Troops continued their search Thursday in Rajouri district near the highly militarized Line
Continue ReadingHENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Devin Tillis had 24 points in UC Irvine’s 77-71 win over Toledo in a second-round game at the BallDawgs Classic tournament in Henderson, Nevada on Wednesday. Tillis was 8 of 8 shooting, including 4 for 4 from 3-point range, and went 4 for 5 from the line for the Anteaters (5-1).
Continue ReadingBy ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — Shares were mixed in Asia on Thursday after a modest advance on Wall Street that kept the market on track for a fourth straight weekly gain. Markets in Japan and the U.S. are closed for holidays. Oil prices fell about $1 a barrel after OPEC postponed
Continue ReadingNEW DELHI (AP) — The rescue of 41 construction workers trapped for nearly two weeks in a collapsed tunnel in India is in the final stretch of digging. The work was delayed for about six hours Thursday because the drill was damaged by a metal object in the debris, but the work has resumed. The
Continue ReadingBy JUSTIN SPIKE Associated Press BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — A countrywide billboard campaign that flooded the streets of Hungary this week takes aim at the head of the European Union’s executive, Ursula von der Leyen. It’s the start of an election campaign that marks an escalation of tensions between the country’s right-wing government and the
Continue ReadingBy DAVID BRANDT AP Sports Writer PHOENIX (AP) — The Phoenix Suns slogged through a technical-filled game that nearly ended in a turnover-filled nightmare. In the end, it counted as their fifth straight win. Kevin Durant scored 32 points and Devin Booker added 25, which was enough for the Suns, who nearly blew a 23-point
Continue ReadingBy WAFAA SHURAFA and KAREEM CHEHAYEB Associated Press DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — An agreement for a four-day cease-fire in Gaza and the release of dozens of Hamas-held hostages and Palestinians imprisoned by Israel appeared to have hit a last-minute snag when a senior Israeli official said it would not take effect until Friday,
Continue ReadingBy AIJAZ HUSSAIN Associated Press SRINAGAR, India (AP) — Four Indian soldiers were killed in a gunbattle with rebels fighting against New Delhi’s rule in disputed Kashmir. The fighting started Wednesday after Indian troops started searching in the forests and intermittent firing continued all day. Troops continued their search Thursday in Rajouri district near the
Continue ReadingBy The Associated Press SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. (AP) — Connor Hickman scored 16 points as unbeaten Bradley beat UTEP 63-59 on Wednesday to claim the SoCal Challenge Surf Division championship. Hickman shot 5 for 12 (2 for 6 from 3-point range) and 4 of 4 from the free throw line for the Braves (5-0).
Continue ReadingBy Brad Lendon and Gawon Bae, CNN Seoul, South Korea (CNN) — North Korea said Thursday it will deploy new military hardware along the military demarcation line that separates it from the South after Seoul partially pulled back from a 2018 agreement designed to ease tensions along the border, state-run media reported. North Korea acted
Continue Reading