A board game born in Mexican prisons is bringing together people from all walks of life
Associated Press MEXICO CITY (AP) — A board game with ancient roots that established a foothold nearly a century ago in Mexican prisons is…
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It’s the holidays in Zimbabwe. Time to celebrate by unveiling a family tombstone
Associated Press HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Some of the most festive times of Zimbabwe’s holiday season occur around the unveiling of tombstones…
Continue ReadingFormer Israeli spies describe attack using exploding electronic devices against Hezbollah
Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Two recently retired senior Israeli intelligence agents are sharing details about a deadly clandestine operation…
Continue ReadingA Holy Year is about to start in Rome. Here’s what you need to know
Associated Press VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis on Tuesday formally inaugurates the 2025 Holy Year, reviving an ancient church tradition…
Continue ReadingTrauma lingers on for survivors of the deadly tsunami that hit Thailand 20 years ago
Associated Press BAN NAM KHEM, Thailand (AP) — The 20-year-old freshman student was still asleep that Sunday morning at the family’s house on…
Continue ReadingNebraska governor hospitalized after he is bucked off a horse
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen was injured after being bucked off a horse and is expected to be hospitalized for several days. Pillen,…
Continue ReadingTakeaways from Trump’s 1st rally speech as president-elect
Associated Press PHOENIX (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump came to Arizona on Sunday for his first rally speech since winning the November…
Continue ReadingSanta braves the sticky heat of the Amazon jungle to bring gifts to children in Brazilian village
CATALAO, Brazil (AP) — Santa Claus braved the sticky heat of the Amazon rainforest this weekend, taking two boats to bring gifts to children in a…
Continue ReadingJayden Daniels throws for 5 TDs as the Commanders end the Eagles’ winning streak at 10
AP Sports Writer LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Jayden Daniels threw his fifth touchdown pass of the game with 6 seconds left to give the Washington…
Continue Reading174 Colorado skiers and snowboarders rescued after a lift cracks
WINTER PARK, Colo. (AP) — Officials were investigating Sunday what caused a crack in a Colorado ski lift that forced the evacuation of over 170…
Continue ReadingTrump threatens to try to take back the Panama Canal. Panama’s president balks at the suggestion
Associated Press PHOENIX (AP) — Donald Trump suggested Sunday that his new administration could try to regain control of the Panama Canal that the…
Continue ReadingAlbanian prime minister says TikTok ban was not a ‘rushed reaction to a single incident’
Associated Press TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albania’s prime minister says the ban on TikTok his government announced was “not a rushed reaction to…
Continue ReadingNew York City police apprehend suspect in the death of a woman found on fire in a subway car
Associated Press New York City police announced Sunday they have in custody a “person of interest” in the early morning death of a woman who they…
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Party City to close its stores as company files for bankruptcy
AP Technology Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — For nearly 40 years, customers flocked to Party City for Halloween costumes, favors for children’s…
Continue ReadingRome’s iconic Trevi Fountain reopens after renovation work in time for the Jubilee Holy Year
ROME (AP) — Rome’s iconic Trevi Fountain reopened Sunday after three months of renovations on the 18th-century monument that’s one of the…
Continue ReadingTiger’s son comes up aces in PNC Championship with a hole-in-one
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Tiger Woods isn’t the only member of his family who can produce big moments. His 15-year-old son Charlie made his first…
Continue Reading‘Sonic 3’ bests ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ at the box office
AP Film Writer NEW YORK (AP) — In the holiday season battle of big-budget family movies, Paramount Pictures’ “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” sped past…
Continue ReadingLouisiana often holds inmates past their release date, DOJ lawsuit claims
Associated Press/Report for America Louisiana’s prison system routinely holds people weeks and months after they have completed their sentences.…
Continue ReadingAt least 10 are killed as a small plane crashes into a Brazilian town popular with tourists
Brazil’s Civil Defense Agency says a small plane has crashed into a Brazilian town that’s popular with tourists and killed all 10 passengers…
Continue ReadingRussia’s Putin holds talks with Slovakian PM Fico, in a rare visit to Moscow by an EU leader
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday hosted Slovakia’s prime minister, Robert Fico, in a rare visit to the Kremlin by an EU leader since…
Continue ReadingSecret passage that Florence’s Medici used to move safely reopens to public after 8-year renovation
Associated Press FLORENCE, Italy (AP) — For centuries, Florence’s 16th-century Vasari Corridor was only accessible to dukes and lords.…
Continue ReadingA million taxpayers will soon receive up to $1,400 from the IRS. Who are they and why now?
Associated Press Approximately 1 million taxpayers will automatically receive special payments of up to $1,400 from the IRS in the coming weeks. The…
Continue ReadingColombia’s ELN rebels announce Christmas truce
BOGOTÁ, Colombia (AP) — Colombia’s largest remaining rebel group has announced a unilateral truce to last until Jan. 3, the first since the…
Continue ReadingWhy did at least 67 people die in Christmas charity stampedes in struggling Nigeria?
Associated Press ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Stampedes during three Christmas charity events across Nigeria have left at least 67 people dead in the past…
Continue ReadingA race is on to clean up shorelines off Crimea after tons of oil spills from damaged Russian ships
Cleanup continues in the Kerch Strait near Russian-occupied Crimea, a week after at least 3,700 tons of low-grade fuel oil spilled out of two…
Continue ReadingCollege playoffs looks for good matchups after snoozy first round of blowouts
AP National Writer The average final score over the first week of the College Football Playoffs: Winners 36, Losers 17. This bold, new experiment was…
Continue ReadingThousands stream into Belgrade square to protest against populist Serbian leadership
The Associated Press BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Tens of thousands streamed into a central square in Serbia’s capital on Sunday for a big rally…
Continue ReadingWhen 2025 arrives, so will the end of the amateur athlete in college sports
AP National Writer When the page turns on 2024, it will be time to say goodbye, once and for all, to the amateur athlete in college sports. In…
Continue ReadingNASA’s Parker Solar Probe aims to fly closer to the sun like never before
AP Science Writer NEW YORK (AP) — A NASA spacecraft aims to fly closer to the sun than any object sent before. The Parker Solar Probe was launched…
Continue ReadingAn architect designed custom clocks for Pennsylvania’s Capitol a century ago. They’re still ticking
Associated Press HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Capitol buildings are almost always an imposing presence. The seat of government, they tend to be elegant…
Continue Reading‘El Gordo’ lottery in Spain spreads Christmas riches worth $2.8 billion
Associated Press MADRID (AP) — Spaniards have been anticipating the arrival of “El Gordo” or “The Fat One” for weeks. That’s the name…
Continue ReadingWhat is a biblically accurate angel? And do you need one to top your Christmas tree?
Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — It was during the pandemic when the Rev. Kira Austin-Young and her puppet-maker husband, Michael…
Continue ReadingPope Francis calls for a ceasefire on all fronts in his prayer ahead of Christmas
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis has called for a ceasefire on all war fronts in his Sunday prayer ahead of Christmas celebrations, condemning the…
Continue ReadingDestructive Cyclone Chido unearths a rift between locals and migrants in France’s Mayotte
Associated Press MAMOUDZOU, Mayotte (AP) — When Cyclone Chido ravaged Mayotte’s fragile infrastructure, it also exposed deep-seated tensions…
Continue ReadingUkrainian drones hit a Russian fuel depot for the second time this month
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian drones have struck a major Russian oil terminal for the second time in just over a week, according to the Russian…
Continue ReadingBluesky finds with growth comes growing pains — and bots
The Associated Press Bluesky has seen its user base soar since the U.S. presidential election, boosted by people seeking refuge from Elon…
Continue ReadingProminent Lebanese figure meets Syrian insurgent who led Assad’s ouster, seeking better relations
Associated Press BEIRUT (AP) — A prominent Lebanese politician has met with the insurgent who led the overthrow of Syrian leader Bashar Assad, and…
Continue Reading4 dead in Turkish ambulance helicopter crash
MUGLA, Turkey (AP) — An ambulance helicopter has crashed in southwestern Turkey, killing all four people on board. Two pilots, one doctor and one…
Continue ReadingStampedes in Nigeria leave at least 32 dead during Christmas food distribution
Associated Press ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — The death toll from stampedes during two Christmas charity events in Nigeria has increased from 13 to 32,…
Continue ReadingGerman authorities received tipoffs last year about the suspect in Christmas market attack
Associated Press MAGDEBURG, Germany (AP) — German authorities said they received tipoffs last year about the suspect in a car attack at a Christmas…
Continue ReadingIsraeli strikes in Gaza kill at least 22 as Vatican envoy visits Christians for pre-Christmas Mass
Associated Press DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip overnight and into Sunday killed at least 22 people,…
Continue ReadingChina says US is ‘playing with fire’ after latest military aid for Taiwan
BEIJING (AP) — The Chinese government is protesting the latest American announcements of military sales and assistance to Taiwan, warning the…
Continue ReadingPHOTO COLLECTION: The iconic and unconventional sides of Christmas in New York
NEW YORK (AP) — The challenge of photographing Christmastime in New York is that there is so much of it. The big tree in Rockefeller Center. Ice…
Continue ReadingIsolated Chicago communities secure money for a coveted transit project before Trump takes office
Associated Press CHICAGO (AP) — Adella Bass dropped her in-person college classes because it was just too hard to get there from the far South Side…
Continue ReadingCaitlin Clark effect hasn’t reversed the decades-long decline in girls basketball participation
Associated Press OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Plunging participation in girls basketball led one of Nebraska’s largest high schools to cancel its…
Continue ReadingWinter is hitting Gaza and many Palestinians have little protection from the cold
Associated Press KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Winter is hitting the Gaza Strip and many of the nearly 2 million Palestinians displaced by the…
Continue ReadingIn Assad’s hometown, few shared in his family’s fortune. They hope they won’t share in his downfall
Associated Press QARDAHA, Syria (AP) — On the walls of the palatial mausoleum built to house the remains of former Syrian President Hafez Assad —…
Continue ReadingAs flooding becomes a yearly disaster in South Sudan, thousands survive on the edge of a canal
Associated Press AYOD, South Sudan (AP) — Long-horned cattle wade through flooded lands and climb a slope along a canal that has become a refuge…
Continue Reading2 US Navy pilots shot down over Red Sea in apparent ‘friendly fire’ incident, US military says
Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Two U.S. Navy pilots were shot down Sunday over the Red Sea in an apparent “friendly fire”…
Continue ReadingCalifornia man beheaded his 1-year-old son with a knife, authorities say
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A man has been arrested on suspicion of beheading his 1-year-old son, Northern California authorities said. The…
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