U.S./World category, Page 225
Man who smashed door moments before officer killed Capitol rioter gets 8 years in prison
WASHINGTON — A man who stormed the U.S. Capitol and smashed glass panels on a door — moments before a police officer fatally shot another rioter climbing through the opening — was sentenced on Thursday to eight years in prison. Zachary Alam was one of the first rioters sentenced since...
Racist text messages referencing slavery raise alarms in multiple states and prompt investigations
WASHINGTON — Racist text messages invoking slavery raised alarm across the country this week after they were sent to Black men, women and students, including middle schoolers, prompting inquiries by the FBI and other agencies. The messages, sent anonymously, were reported in several states, including New York, Alabama, California, Ohio,...
43 monkeys escape from a South Carolina medical lab. Police say there is no serious dangerVideo
Forty-three monkeys escaped from a compound used for medical research in South Carolina but the nearby police chief said there is “almost no danger” to the public. “They are not infected with any disease whatsoever. They are harmless and a little skittish,” Yemassee Police Chief Gregory Alexander said Thursday morning....
Defiant Giuliani says he’s a victim of ‘political persecution’ as he’s told again to give up assets
NEW YORK — A defiant Rudy Giuliani was ordered Thursday to quickly turn over prized assets including a car and a watch given to him by his grandfather as part of a $148 million defamation judgment, leading the former New York City mayor to emerge from court saying he expects...
Slightly more Americans apply for unemployment benefits last week, but layoffs remain at low levels
The number of Americans applying for jobless aid ticked up last week but layoffs remain at historically low levels. The Labor Department reported Thursday that jobless claim applications rose by 3,000 to 221,000 for the week of Nov. 2. That’s fewer than the 227,000 analysts forecast. The four-week average of...
An 8-hour Russian drone barrage keeps Kyiv on edge as the war in Ukraine nears 1,000 days
KYIV, Ukraine — Dozens of Russian drones targeted Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, in an eight-hour nighttime attack, authorities said Thursday as Russia kept up its relentless pounding of Ukraine after almost 1,000 days of war. Lone Russian drones and also swarms of drones entered Ukrainian airspace from various directions and...
Germany’s coalition collapses dramatically. Scholz plans to lead with a minority government
BERLIN — After Germany’s government coalition collapsed in a dramatic fashion when Chancellor Olaf Scholz fired Finance Minister Christian Lindner of the pro-business Free Democrats, Scholz said he would lead the country with a minority government, despite calls from opposition leaders on Thursday for early elections. The chancellor said the...
European climate agency says this will likely be the hottest year on record — again
CHICAGO — For the second year in a row, Earth will almost certainly be the hottest it’s ever been. And for the first time, the globe this year reached more than 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) of warming compared to the pre-industrial average, the European climate agency Copernicus said...
Special counsel evaluating how to wind down 2 federal cases against Trump after presidential win
WASHINGTON — Special counsel Jack Smith is evaluating how to wind down the two federal cases against Donald Trump before the president-elect takes office in light of longstanding Justice Department policy that says sitting presidents cannot be prosecuted, a person familiar with the matter said Wednesday. Smith charged Trump last...
Hundreds flee homes as powerful wind feeds wildfires in Southern CaliforniaVideo
MOORPARK, Calif. — California was lashed by powerful wind Wednesday that fed one fast-moving wildfire near multimillion-dollar properties along the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu while hundreds of residents fled another fire farther north as forecasters warned of the potential for “extreme and life-threatening” blazes. Los Angeles County Fire Department...
Hurricane Rafael makes landfall in Cuba as a Category 3 storm after knocking out power on the islandVideo
HAVANA — Hurricane Rafael made landfall in Cuba on Wednesday as a powerful Category 3 hurricane, shortly after powerful winds knocked out the country’s power grid. Forecasters warned Rafael could bring “life-threatening” storm surges, winds and flash floods to western swaths of the island after it knocked out power and...
Divided reactions erupt on social media as Trump reclaims presidency
America woke Wednesday morning to news that Donald Trump is heading back to the White House — leaving some ecstatic and others distraught. The AP finally called it. Ring the bell. It’s over. #ElectionDay #RedWave2024 #PresidentTrump2024 pic.twitter.com/zgVyMuCiUl— The Chad (@ChadPrim3) November 6, 2024 Trump’s presidential victory elicited a slew of...
Trump promises to bring lasting peace to a tumultuous Middle East. But fixing it won’t be easy
TEL AVIV, Israel — Donald Trump will return to the U.S. presidency at a time of unprecedented conflict and uncertainty in the Middle East. He has vowed to fix it. But Trump’s history of strong support for Israel coupled with his insistence during the campaign that the war in Gaza...
On Ukraine’s front and in Kyiv, hope and pragmatism compete when it comes to Trump’s election
KYIV, Ukraine — Soldiers in a Ukrainian artillery battery on the front lines of the country’s east were only vaguely aware of American election results pointing to Donald Trump’s victory Wednesday — but firm in their hopes for the next president of the United States. Their entrenched artillery battery fires...
Stocks, bitcoin jump after Trump’s victory. So do worries about inflation as Dow surges 1,500
NEW YORK — The U.S. stock market, Elon Musk’s Tesla, banks and bitcoin all stormed higher Wednesday as investors made bets on what Donald Trump’s return to the White House will mean for the economy and the world. Among the losers the market sees: the renewable-energy industry and potentially anyone...
It’s not official yet but Mount Fuji gets its trademark snowcap after the longest delay in 130 years
TOKYO — Japan’s Mount Fuji finally got its trademark snowcap early on Wednesday, more than a month after it normally would and after setting a record for the most-delayed snowfall in 130 years. The first snowfall on Mt. Fuji, a UNESCO World Heritage site, could be seen from the southwestern...
‘Fat Leonard,’ Navy contractor behind one of the military’s biggest scandals, sentenced to 15 years
SAN DIEGO — Former military defense contractor Leonard “Fat Leonard” Francis was sentenced Tuesday to 15 years in prison for masterminding a decade-long bribery scheme that swept up dozens of U.S. Navy officers, federal prosecutors said. U.S. District Judge Janis L. Sammartino also ordered Francis to pay $20 million in...
Hurricane Rafael expected to rapidly intensify as it barrels toward Cuba
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Hurricane Rafael swirled past the Cayman Islands and was expected to rapidly intensify until making landfall on Wednesday in western Cuba, where it’s forecast to hit as a Category 2 hurricane. It was another stroke of bad news for Cuba, which has been struggling with...
Election Day voting unfolds generally smoothly with some scattered issues and delays
WASHINGTON — Election Day voting unfolded largely smoothly across the nation Tuesday with only scattered reports of delays from extreme weather, ballot printing errors and technical problems. Most of the hiccups occurring by midday were “largely expected routine and planned-for events,” said Cait Conley, senior adviser to the director of...
Western officials suspect Russia was behind plot to put incendiary packages on cargo planes
WARSAW, Poland — Western security officials suspect Russian intelligence was behind a plot to put incendiary devices in packages on cargo planes headed to North America, including one that caught fire at a courier hub in Germany and another that ignited in a warehouse in England. Poland said last month...
Ukrainian troops have engaged with North Korean units for the 1st time in Russia, an official says
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian troops have for the first time engaged with North Korean units that were recently deployed to help Russia in the war with its neighbor, Ukraine’s defense minister said Tuesday. Another Kyiv official said Ukraine’s army fired artillery at North Korean soldiers in Russia’s Kursk border region....
UK introduces a bill that would eventually make the purchase of cigarettes illegal
LONDON — Legislation intended to ban today’s British children from ever legally being able to smoke began its journey through Parliament on Tuesday. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill would also bar smoking and vaping in some outdoor spaces such as playgrounds and the entrances to schools and hospitals. But a...
Mount Fuji is still without its iconic snowcap in November for the first time in 130 years
TOKYO — Japan’s iconic Mount Fuji, known for its snowcap forming around this time of the year, is still snowless in November for the first time in 130 years, presumably because of the unusually warm temperatures in the past few weeks. The lack of snow on Mt. Fuji, a UNESCO...
Israeli airstrike kills 20 people in northern Gaza, Palestinian officials say
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — An Israeli airstrike in northern Gaza has killed at least 20 people, mostly women and children, Palestinian officials said Tuesday, as Israel wages a nearly monthlong air and ground operation in what was already the most isolated and heavily destroyed part of the territory. The...
What to know about the unprecedented floods that killed more than 200 in Spain
VALENCIA, Spain — In a matter of minutes, flash floods caused by heavy downpours in eastern Spain swept away almost everything in their path. With no time to react, people were trapped in vehicles, homes and businesses. Many died and thousands of livelihoods were shattered. A week later, authorities have...
