U.S./World category, Page 355
Palestinian diplomat accuses Israel of apartheid and asks UN court to declare its occupation illegal
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The Palestinian foreign minister on Monday accused Israel of apartheid and urged the United Nations’ top court to declare that Israel’s occupation of lands sought for a Palestinian state is illegal and must end immediately and unconditionally for any hope for a two-state future to survive....
Navalny’s widow vows to continue his fight against Kremlin, punish Putin
The widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny vowed on Monday to continue his fight against the Kremlin while authorities denied his mother access to a morgue where his body is believed to be held after his death last week at an Arctic penal colony. Fighting back tears, Yulia Navalnaya...
EU launches non-military mission to protect cargo ships in Red Sea from Houthi attacks
BRUSSELS — The European Union launched a naval mission Monday to help protect cargo ships in the Red Sea as attacks by Houthi rebels in Yemen continue to threaten maritime traffic, hamper trade and drive up prices. Dubbed Aspides, Greek for “shield,” the mission will be run out of Larissa...
Strike at the Eiffel Tower closes 1 of the world’s most popular monuments to visitors
PARIS — Visitors to the Eiffel Tower were turned away on Monday because of a strike over poor financial management at one of the world’s most-visited sites. A sign was posted at the entrance in English, saying, “Due to strike, the Eiffel Tower is closed. We apologize.” The hugely popular...
American man admits to attacking 2 U.S. tourists, killing 1 near a famous German castle
BERLIN — An American man on Monday admitted to charges of murder and rape after he allegedly pushed two U.S. women down a ravine, fatally injuring one of them near Germany’s Neuschwanstein castle last year. The 31-year-old defendant admitted to the charges during the start of his trial, the German...
Oysters in the Chesapeake Bay are on the rebound. This new report says they can help fight climate change
A new report from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation says efforts to restore oyster populations could have benefits beyond just survival of the species. The report, released last week, outlines strategies for reaping the most benefits from oyster restoration. Allison Colden, Maryland executive director for the foundation, said oysters are “a...
Here’s a look inside Donald Trump’s $355 million civil fraud verdict as an appeals fight loomsVideo
NEW YORK — On the witness stand last year, Donald Trump proclaimed: “I have a lot of cash.” After the eye-popping penalty in his New York civil fraud trial, he’s going to need it — and maybe more. A judge ordered the former president to fork over $355 million of...
Suspect dead amid shooting that claimed lives of 2 officers, 1 first responder in Minnesota
BURNSVILLE, Minn. — A desperate call for help from a home in suburban Minneapolis early Sunday turned deadly for two police officers and a first responder who were shot and killed at the scene, according to officials. The suburban neighborhood in Burnsville, Minnesota, was ringed with police cars that kept...
Over 300 detained in Russia as country mourns the death of Alexei Navalny, Putin’s fiercest foeVideo
Over 300 people were detained in Russia while paying tribute to opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died at a remote Arctic penal colony, a prominent rights group reported Sunday. The sudden death of Navalny, 47, was a crushing blow to many Russians, who had pinned their hopes for the future...
Israel vows to ‘finish the job’ in Gaza as War Cabinet member threatens a Ramadan deadline for Rafah
RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday brushed off growing calls to halt the military offensive in Gaza, vowing to “finish the job” as a member of his War Cabinet threatened to invade the southern city of Rafah if remaining Israeli hostages are not freed by...
Presidents Day: From George Washington’s modest birthdays to big sales and 3-day weekends
NORFOLK, Va. — Like the other Founding Fathers, George Washington was uneasy about the idea of publicly celebrating his life. He was the first leader of a new republic — not a tyrant. And yet the nation will once again commemorate the first U.S. president Monday, 292 years after he...
4.7 magnitude earthquake outside small Texas city among several recently
FALLS CITY, Texas — An earthquake of 4.7 magnitude that struck early Saturday near a small Texas city, one of several that have occurred in the area in recent days, could be felt dozens of miles away, including in San Antonio. There were no immediate reports of major damage or...
Analysis: Aid to Ukraine hinges on House Speaker Johnson
WASHINGTON — When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with congressional leaders in Washington late last year, he told them privately what is now public: With U.S. weapons, they could win the war against Russia, but, without them, Russian President Vladimir Putin would be victorious. In a subsequent meeting with new...
Trump avoids ‘corporate death penalty’ in civil fraud case, but his business will still get slammed
NEW YORK — Donald Trump won’t face the corporate death penalty after all. A New York judge on Friday spared the ex-president that worst case punishment as he ruled in a civil case alleging Trump fraudulently misrepresented financial figures to get cheaper loans and other benefits. Still, Trump got slammed...
U.S. envoy says Israel has not presented evidence that Hamas diverted U.N. aid deliveries in Gaza
RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Israel has not presented specific evidence that Hamas is diverting U.N. aid and its recent targeted killings of Gaza police commanders safeguarding truck convoys have made it “virtually impossible” to distribute the goods safely, a top U.S. envoy said in rare public criticism of Israel. With...
Christian-nation idea fuels U.S. conservative causes, but historians say it misreads founders’ intent
The U.S. Constitution doesn’t mention Christianity or any specific religion. The Declaration of Independence famously proclaims that people’s rights come from a “Creator” and “Nature’s God” — but doesn’t specify who that is. Yet large numbers of Americans believe the founders intended the U.S. to be a Christian nation, and...
Explosion at Virginia home kills 1 firefighter and injures 11 others, including 9 firefighters
STERLING, Va. — One firefighter was killed and nine others were injured when an explosion in a Washington, D.C., suburb on Friday leveled a home where they were investigating a gas leak. Two other people were also injured. The firefighters were called to the home in Sterling, Virginia, by a...
Alexei Navalny’s team confirms his death and says his mother is searching for his body
Alexei Navalny’s spokesperson confirmed Saturday that the Russian opposition leader had died at a remote Arctic penal colony and said he was “murdered” but it was unclear where his body was as his family and friends searched for answers. Navalny’s death at age 47 has deprived the Russian opposition of...
Japan’s flagship H3 rocket reached planned trajectory in key 2nd test
TOKYO — A new Japanese flagship H3 rocket lifted off from a space station in southwestern Japan on Saturday, successfully reaching a planned trajectory and releasing one of the two payloads in a key second test flight a year after its failed debut launch. The H3 rocket blasted off from...
‘No evidence’ Russia has decided what to do with emerging anti-satellite weapon, Biden says
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden said Friday there was no sign Russia has decided to go ahead and deploy an emerging anti-satellite weapon, the disclosure of which has rattled Washington this week. The White House has confirmed that U.S. intelligence officials have information indicating Russia has obtained such a capability,...
Ukraine withdrawing from Avdiivka, where outnumbered defenders held out for 4 months
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine’s military chief said early Saturday that he’s withdrawing troops from the city of Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine, where outnumbered defenders battled a Russian assault for four months. The timing is critical as Russia is looking for a morale boost ahead of the second anniversary Feb. 24...
Texas will build camp for National Guard members in border city of Eagle Pass
McALLEN, Texas — Texas will build an operations base for up to 1,800 National Guard members in Eagle Pass, expanding the presence of soldiers in the border city where the state has clashed with the Biden administration over immigration enforcement, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott announced Friday. The 80-acre property along...
A $355 million penalty and business ban: Takeaways from Trump’s New York civil fraud verdict
NEW YORK — Donald Trump suffered a big blow Friday as a New York judge ordered the former president and his companies to pay $355 million in penalties for what the judge described as a scheme to deceive banks and insurers by exaggerating Trump’s wealth on his annual financial statements....
Donald Trump fraud verdict: $364 million penalty in civil fraud case
NEW YORK — A New York judge ruled Friday against Donald Trump, imposing a $364 million penalty over what the judge ruled was a yearslong scheme to dupe banks and others with financial statements that inflated the former president’s wealth. Trump also was barred from serving as an officer or...
2 juveniles charged in mass shooting at Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Two juveniles have been charged with crimes connected to the shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl rally, authorities said Friday. A news release from the Jackson County Family Court said the juveniles are being detained in the county’s Juvenile Detention Center “on gun-related and...
