Latest National News

5 protesters dead in violence over key Baghdad squares

BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi security forces fired live ammunition and tear gas in renewed clashes with anti-government protesters in central Baghdad on Friday, killing three people, while Iraq’s top Shiite religious leader warned its government to heed calls for sweeping political reforms.11/15/2019 1:30 pm

Sweden rejects Chinese criticism of press freedom prize

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Sweden’s culture minister on Friday awarded the annual Tucholsky literary prize to a Chinese author despite a threat from the Chinese ambassador to ban her from entering the country.11/15/2019 1:28 pm

Indictments: Ex-electric co-op chairman got free power, work

ST. MATTHEWS, S.C. (AP) — The former chairman of an electric cooperative in South Carolina broke the law by getting more than $23,000 in free electricity and hundreds of thousands of dollars in free utility work, according to indictments filed Friday.11/15/2019 1:28 pm

The Latest: Yovanovitch testifies for 5 hours in House probe

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump and House impeachment hearings (all times local):11/15/2019 1:24 pm

Suspected Neo-Nazi charged with gun crime in Texas

POST, Texas (AP) — Federal prosecutors say a suspected neo-Nazi has been charged with a gun crime following an investigation by the FBI.11/15/2019 1:23 pm

S Carolina TV reporter: Frat members yelled sexist remarks

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The University of South Carolina is investigating members of a fraternity who a television reporter says made sexist and offensive remarks to her while she was working.11/15/2019 1:23 pm

Border wall fundraiser claims new construction in Texas

HOUSTON (AP) — Claims that a private group has started building its own border wall in South Texas were questioned this week by some longtime residents worried that the construction could cause flooding and violate treaty obligations between the U.S. and Mexico.11/15/2019 1:23 pm

The Latest: Stone convicted in 7 count indictment

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on Roger Stone’s conviction on witness tampering and other charges (all times local):11/15/2019 1:22 pm

Report: Helicopter had fuel issue on day of crash

LAS VEGAS (AP) — U.S. crash investigators say a rented helicopter that crashed near Las Vegas, killing two men, was found to have sediment in its fuel tanks just hours before the flight.11/15/2019 1:22 pm

High tides surge through Venice, locals rush to protect art

VENICE, Italy (AP) — Exceptionally high tidal waters rolled relentlessly through Venice again on Friday, forcing the closure of St. Mark’s Square to the public and flooding most of the lagoon city’s already devastated center before easing.11/15/2019 1:22 pm

Latest World News

Fired Ukraine ambassador calls out ‘crisis’ in US diplomacy

WASHINGTON (AP) — The fired U.S. ambassador to Ukraine sounded an alarm Friday about the denigration of American diplomacy and the hollowing out of the State Department under President Donald Trump as she recounted how she became an early casualty of the behind-the-scenes negotiations that led to the impeachment inquiry.11/15/2019 11:00 am

Amid Gaza fighting, Israel could face questions on tactics

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Residents say the airstrike came without warning: With fighting raging between Israel and Islamic Jihad militants throughout Gaza, two loud blasts shook the night, destroying the Abu Malhous home and killing eight members of the family in a split second.11/14/2019 9:49 pm

The Latest: Israel resumes strikes on Gaza after rocket fire

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Latest on the escalation between Gaza’s militant Islamic Jihad group and Israel (all times local):11/14/2019 3:34 pm

AP source: Second US official in Kyiv heard Trump call

WASHINGTON (AP) — A second U.S. Embassy staffer in Kyiv overheard a cellphone call between President Donald Trump and his ambassador to the European Union discussing a need for Ukrainian officials to pursue “investigations,” The Associated Press has learned.11/14/2019 1:37 pm

BRICS back Paris agreement, oppose Syria military solution

BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Members of the BRICS group of nations said Thursday that they are committed to implementing the Paris climate agreement and there cannot be a military solution to Syria’s conflict.11/14/2019 9:44 am

As rockets rain down, Israel intensifies its strikes in Gaza

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli aircraft struck Islamic Jihad targets throughout the Gaza Strip on Wednesday while the militant group rained scores of rockets into Israel for a second straight day as the heaviest round of fighting in months showed no signs of ending. The death toll rose to 32 Palestinians, including a 7-year-old boy and two other minors.11/13/2019 6:03 pm

Economy in mind, Bolsonaro changes tack and cozies up to Xi

BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — What a difference a year makes.11/13/2019 2:47 pm

Esper: US could alter military drills to boost NKorea talks

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. (AP) — Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Wednesday that he is open to the possibility of altering American military activities in South Korea if it would help advance a diplomatic deal with North Korea to eliminate its nuclear program.11/13/2019 11:23 am

Saudi Arabia, Yemen’s Houthi rebels in indirect peace talks

SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Iran-backed rebels are holding indirect, behind-the-scenes talks to end the devastating five-year war in Yemen, officials from both sides have told The Associated Press.11/13/2019 9:51 am

Lebanon protests sliding into violence amid impasse

BEIRUT (AP) — A man opened fire with a shotgun over the heads of protesters in a town north of Beirut on Wednesday. It was the second shooting incident in as many days amid nationwide protests and as tensions rose in Lebanon between supporters and opponents of President Michel Aoun.11/13/2019 8:26 am