By Jennifer Hansler, CNN (CNN) — In the final hours as the United States closed in on a controversial but historic deal to bring five Americans deemed wrongfully detained in Iran home, Iranian officials threw up roadblocks, attempted to force the US government to make last minute concessions and even stalled the process minutes before
Continue ReadingKUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Singapore police say they have uncovered more luxury watches, gold bars and other assets from a massive money laundering scheme that was busted last month, bringing the total amount of assets seized or frozen to $1.75 billion. The police said Wednesday they are continuing to investigate the scheme in which
Continue ReadingBy HYUNG-JIN KIM Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea says leader Kim Jong Un has ordered unspecified steps to further develop his nation’s relations with Russia after his recent visit. Experts have speculated the two nations discussed banned arms transfer deals and other cooperation measures during Kim’s visit. The U.S. and South
Continue ReadingBy ROD McGUIRK Associated Press CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s government has reported a $14.2 billion budget surplus for the last fiscal year. It’s the first time the nation’s books have been balanced in 15 years, with the government citing low unemployment and high prices for the country’s commodities, including iron ore, coal and gas.
Continue ReadingBy ROB GILLIES Associated Press TORONTO (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will address the Canadian Parliament on Friday as he continues his efforts to shore up support from Western allies for Ukraine’s war against the Russian invasion. Zelenskyy is scheduled to arrive at Ottawa’s airport late Thursday after meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden
Continue ReadingROME (AP) — An ancient Roman imperial palazzo atop the city’s Palatine Hill was reopened to tourists on Thursday, nearly 50 years after its closure for restoration. The nearly 2,000-year-old Domus Tiberiana was home to rulers in the ancient city’s Imperial period. The sprawling palace allows for sweeping views of the Roman Forum below. The
Continue ReadingBy Amy Simonson and Jared Formanek, CNN (CNN) — Tommy Wayne Boyd, a convicted child sex offender serving a 30-year prison sentence, has been captured several hours after walking out of a hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, authorities said. After sparking a manhunt that involved federal, state and local authorities Boyd, 45, was “taken into
Continue ReadingBy EDITH M. LEDERER Associated Press UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Azerbaijan regained control of its breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh in a deadly two-day military offensive and held initial talks with representatives of its ethnic Armenian population on reintegrating the area into the mainly Muslim country. That’s according to Azerbaijan’s top diplomat, who spoke Thursday at
Continue ReadingBy MORGAN LEE Associated Press SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Two firearms charges have been dismissed amid preparations for a trial against an extended family arrested in a 2018 law enforcement raid on a ramshackle desert compound in northern New Mexico and the discovery of a young boy’s decomposed body. The changes Thursday narrow the
Continue ReadingLOS ANGELES (AP) — Hollywood studios and striking screenwriters spent Thursday in talks that could potentially put an end to the nearly five-month dispute that has brought many film and television productions to a halt. The Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the industry’s studios, streaming
Continue ReadingBy Mindy Weisberger, CNN (CNN) — Hundreds of millions of years ago, jawless fishes swam Earth’s seas, their brains protected on the outside by armored skin, and on the inside by plates made of cartilage. Scientists are still piecing together how modern vertebrates’ skulls evolved from these ancient fish ancestors, which were the first animals
Continue ReadingSAO PAULO (AP) — Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is denying a report claiming he consulted with top military leaders on staging a coup to stop Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from assuming the presidency last January. Three members of Bolsonaro’s legal team said in a statement posted on social media channels Thursday that the
Continue ReadingBy DIANE JEANTET and ELÉONORE HUGHES Associated Press RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Indigenous people in Brazil are celebrating after the country’s Supreme Court ruled to enshrine their land rights. The decision Thursday removed the immindent threat those proections could be rolled back. The ruling came in a lawsuit brought by Santa Catarina state, backed
Continue ReadingBy KEN RITTER Associated Press LAS VEGAS (AP) — Two teenagers made very brief initial appearances Thursday in adult court in Las Vegas where a prosecutor said they will face murder, attempted murder and other charges after allegedly capturing themselves on video intentionally crashing a stolen car into a bicyclist pedaling along the side of
Continue ReadingBy KEN RITTER Associated Press LAS VEGAS (AP) — Two teenagers made very brief initial appearances Thursday in adult court in Las Vegas where a prosecutor said they will face murder, attempted murder and other charges after allegedly capturing themselves on video intentionally crashing a stolen car into a bicyclist pedaling along the side of
Continue ReadingBy David Wright, Gregory Krieg and Kaanita Iyer, CNN (CNN) — Pennsylvania Republican Dave McCormick officially kicked off his 2024 US Senate campaign at a rally in Pittsburgh Thursday evening, castigating incumbent Democratic Sen. Bob Casey as President Joe Biden’s “rubber stamp” and saying that “both parties need to be shaken up.” “Today, I’m announcing
Continue ReadingBy Rhea Mogul, CNN (CNN) — India’s parliament passed a landmark bill Thursday that will reserve a third of its seats in the lower house and state assemblies for women, in a major win for rights groups that have for decades campaigned for better gender representation in politics. The bill received cross-party support and was
Continue ReadingBy EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS Associated Press JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The Mississippi Supreme Court has struck down part of a state law that would have allowed some circuit court judges to be appointed rather than elected in the capital city of Jackson and the surrounding county, which are both majority-Black. Critics said the law was
Continue ReadingBy JACQUES BILLEAUD and TERRY TANG Associated Press PHOENIX (AP) — An election official and lobbyists were among the witnesses brought by Maricopa County attorneys on the first day of a trial Thursday in another lawsuit filed by Kari Lake, the defeated Republican in last year’s Arizona governor’s race, to deny her request to see
Continue ReadingBy ROB GILLIES Associated Press TORONTO (AP) — The allegation of India’s involvement in the killing of a Sikh Canadian is based on surveillance of Indian diplomats in Canada, including intelligence provided by a major ally, a Canadian official told The Associated Press on Thursday. The official said the communications involved Indian officials and Indian
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