UN halts aid shipments through Gaza’s main crossing after looting. It blames the crisis on Israel
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees said Sunday it is halting aid deliveries through the main cargo crossing into the war-ravaged Gaza Strip because of the threat of armed gangs who have looted recent convoys. It blamed the breakdown of law and order in large...
Thousands march in Serbia to mark 1 month since a roof collapse killed 15 people
NOVI SAD, Serbia — Thousands joined a protest march on Sunday in the northern Serbian city of Novi Sad that marked one month since a concrete canopy outside of the city’s railway station collapsed, killing 15 people and injuring two. Protesters held a huge banner with a red handprint at...
Canada’s Trudeau returns home after Trump meeting without assurances that tariffs are off the table
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau returned home Saturday after his meeting with Donald Trump without assurances the president-elect will back away from threatened tariffs on all products from the major American trading partner. Trump called the talks “productive” but signaled no retreat from a pledge...
Syrian insurgents are inside Aleppo in major setback for Assad as government forces regroup
BEIRUT — Thousands of Syrian insurgents fanned out inside Aleppo in vehicles with improvised armor and pickups, deploying to landmarks such as the old citadel on Saturday, a day after they entered Syria’s largest city facing little resistance from government troops, according to residents and fighters. Witnesses said two airstrikes...
Israeli strike in Gaza kills workers with World Central Kitchen charity
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — An Israeli airstrike on a car in the Gaza Strip on Saturday killed five people including employees of World Central Kitchen, and the charity said it was “urgently seeking more details” after Israel’s military said it targeted a WCK worker who had been part of...
Russian police raid Moscow nightclubs in LGBTQ+ crackdown
MOSCOW — Russian police raided several bars and nightclubs across Moscow on Saturday as part of the government’s crackdown on “LGBTQ+ propaganda,” state media reported. Smartphones, laptops and video cameras were seized, while clubgoers had their documents inspected by officers, Russia’s Tass news agency said, citing sources in law enforcement....
Trump and Republicans in Congress eye an ambitious 100-day agenda, starting with tax cuts
WASHINGTON — A tax break for millionaires, and almost everyone else. An end to the covid-19-era government subsidies that some Americans have used to purchase health insurance. Limits to food stamps, including for women and children, and other safety net programs. Rollbacks to Biden-era green energy programs. Mass deportations. Government...
As hunt begins, drought may be a factor in size of harvested deer, quality of antlers, meat
Despite being hunted each fall, deer find ways to survive. The months of dry weather likely will not affect hunting, according to state game officials. But processor Melinda Weimer has noticed a difference in the size and quality of antlers and the amount of quality meat Weimer Meats in Loyalhanna...
On the range with Pennsylvania’s professional farm sitters
This story first appeared in PA Local, a weekly newsletter by Spotlight PA taking a fresh, positive look at the incredible people, beautiful places, and delicious food of Pennsylvania. Linda Then and her wife Sandy have a lot of mouths to feed. There’s the Jersey steer, the burly Clydesdale, the...
Lake-effect snow heading for New York state could disrupt travel and football
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Black Friday was giving way to a white weekend in parts of New York state, with the first big snow of the season threatening to bury towns along lakes Erie and Ontario during a hectic holiday travel and shopping weekend. As flakes began flying Friday, forecasters warned...
3 people wounded in Black Friday shooting at mall in Little Rock, Arkansas
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Three people were wounded in a shooting at an Arkansas mall on Black Friday, one of the busiest shopping days of the year, authorities said. Little Rock police called the shooting at Park Plaza an isolated incident rather than an active shooter situation. Chief Heath Helton...
Deputy kills shooter after being fired at in West Virginia, officials say
BOLT, W.Va. — A West Virginia sheriff’s deputy shot and killed a person Friday who fired at him as he was responding to a 911 call, authorities say. The individual who died wasn’t immediately identified by the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office, which released a statement about the shooting on Facebook....
FEMA to Florida cities hit by hurricanes: Rebuild higher or lose flood insurance
MIAMI — The Gulf of Mexico invaded thousands of homes on Florida’s west coast this year, and many will have to be gutted and rebuilt higher — some a full story off the ground. The process makes communities safer the next time a storm comes aground, but it’s expensive and...
China releases 3 Americans it imprisoned for years, and Beijing says US returned 4 people to China
WASHINGTON — Three American citizens imprisoned for years by China arrived back in the United States late Wednesday. Their release, announced earlier by the White House, was the result of a rare diplomatic agreement with Beijing in the final months of the Biden administration. The Chinese government also announced Thursday...
Israelis are wary of returning to the north because they don’t trust the ceasefire with Hezbollah
KIBBUTZ MALKIYA, Israel — Dean Sweetland casts his gaze over a forlorn street in the Israeli community of Kibbutz Malkiya. Perched on a hill overlooking the border with Lebanon, the town stands mostly empty after being abandoned a year ago. The daycare is closed. The homes are unkempt. Parts of...
Wisconsin officials certify Trump’s victory in back-to-the-routine teleconference
MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin’s election commission leader quietly certified Donald Trump ‘s victory on Friday, moving past the chaos that surrounded the 2020 election results in the battleground state. Commission Chair Ann Jacobs certified results that show Trump won the state with 1,697,626 votes compared to Democrat Kamala Harris’ 1,668,229...
As Trump’s lead in popular vote shrinks, does he really have a ‘mandate’?
In his Nov. 6 victory speech, President-elect Donald Trump claimed Americans had given him an ” unprecedented and powerful mandate.” It’s a message his transition team has echoed in the past three weeks, referring to his “MAGA Mandate” and a “historic mandate for his agenda.” But given that Trump’s lead...
Police: Armed man dies after being shot by Akron officer on Thanksgiving night
AKRON, Ohio — A police officer in Akron shot and killed an armed man after hearing gunshots on Thanksgiving night, authorities said. Police said in a news release that two patrol officers were in a parked police cruiser in the Sherbondy Hill neighborhood as they worked on a report from...
Notre Dame Cathedral 5 years later: World gets first look of renovations after devastating fire
PARIS — Five years after a catastrophic fire reduced Notre Dame Cathedral to a smoldering shell, The Associated Press entered the Gothic masterpiece for a first glimpse of its fully restored interiors during a visit with French President Emmanuel Macron that was broadcast to the public. The transformation is nothing...
Atlantic hurricane season comes to an end, leaving widespread damage in its wake
The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season comes to a close Saturday, bringing to an end a season that saw 11 hurricanes compared to the average seven, and death and destruction hundreds of miles from where storms came ashore on the U.S. Gulf Coast. Meteorologists called it a ” crazy busy ”...
Supreme Court will hear arguments over Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors
WASHINGTON — Advocates for transgender rights are turning to a conservative-dominated Supreme Court after a presidential election in which Donald Trump and his allies promised to roll back protections for transgender people. The justices on Wednesday are taking up the issue of gender-affirming care for transgender minors, which has been...
British lawmakers give initial approval to a bill to allow terminally ill adults to end their lives
LONDON — British lawmakers gave initial approval Friday to a bill to help terminally ill adults end their lives in England and Wales following an impassioned debate that saw personal stories of loss and suffering shared. Members of Parliament approved the assisted dying bill by a vote of 330 to...
U.K. transport secretary quits over decade-old cellphone fraud case
LONDON — British Transport Minister Louise Haigh resigned on Friday over a decade-old fraud conviction for claiming her cellphone had been stolen. In a letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Haigh said, “I remain totally committed to our political project, but I now believe it will be best served by...
Thousands of workers march across Italy in general strike demanding better pay and services
MILAN — Thousands of teachers, health care workers, trash collectors and others walked off their jobs across Italy on Friday to protest a decline in spending power, persistently low salaries and government policies they say have weakened public services. Italy’s most powerful trade unions called the eight-hour strike and mobilized...
Australian Parliament bans social media for under-16s
MELBOURNE, Australia — A social media ban for children under 16 passed the Australian Parliament on Friday in a world-first law. The law will make platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram liable for fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars ($33 million) for systemic failures to...
