KYIV, Ukraine — Russia on Wednesday accused Ukraine’s Western allies of helping plan and conduct last week’s missile strike on the Black Sea Fleet’s headquarters on the annexed Crimean Peninsula. “There is no doubt that the attack had been planned in advance using Western intelligence means, NATO satellite assets and reconnaissance planes...
Late-Night TV Shows Announce Their Return After Hollywood Writers Strike Ends
NEW YORK — TV's late-night hosts planned to return to their evening sketches and monologues by next week, reinstating the flow of topical humor silenced for five months by the newly-ended Hollywood’s writers strike. Bill Maher led the charge back to work by announcing early Wednesday that his HBO show...
US Sen. Bob Menendez Pleads Not Guilty to Pocketing Bribes in a Wide-Ranging Corruption Case
NEW YORK — U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to federal charges accusing him of pocketing bribes of cash and gold bars in exchange for wielding his political influence to secretly advance Egyptian interests and do favors for local businessmen. Menendez led his wife, who also...
Video Shows Teen Mobs Ransacking Stores, Fleeing With Armloads of Merchandise in Philly
PHILADELPHIA — Groups of teenagers swarmed into stores in several areas of Philadelphia in an apparently coordinated effort, stuffing plastic bags with merchandise and fleeing, authorities said. Police arrested 15 to 20 people. The flash mob-style ransacking Tuesday night at stores including Foot Locker, Lululemon and Apple came after a...
Las Vegas Hospitality Workers Overwhelmingly Permit Union to Call Strike Against Hotels, Casinos
LAS VEGAS — Tens of thousands of Las Vegas hospitality workers fighting for new union contracts voted Tuesday to authorize a strike that could impact more than three dozen casinos and hotels, the city’s economic backbone. The Culinary Workers Union hasn’t gone on strike in more than three decades. The...
Iran Says It Has Successfully Launched an Imaging Satellite Into Orbit Amid Tensions With the West
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran claimed on Wednesday that it successfully launched an imaging satellite into space, a move that could further ratchet up tensions with Western nations that fear its space technology could be used to develop nuclear weapons. Iran's Communication Minister Isa Zarepour said the Noor-3 satellite...
McCarthy Dismisses Bipartisan Senate Plan to Avoid Government Shutdown
WASHINGTON — The Congress is starkly divided over very different paths to preventing a federal shutdown — the Senate charging ahead with a bipartisan package to temporarily fund the government but the House slogging through a longshot effort with no real chance of finishing by Saturday's deadline. With days remaining before...
Azerbaijan Arrests the Former Head of Separatist Government After Recapturing Nagorno-Karabakh
YEREVAN, Armenia — Azerbaijan said it arrested the former head of Nagorno-Karabakh’s separatist government as he tried to cross into Armenia on Wednesday, following Azerbaijan’s 24-hour blitz last week to reclaim control of the enclave. The arrest of Ruben Vardanyan was announced by Azerbaijan’s border guard service. It appears to...
Brooks Robinson, Orioles Third Baseman with 16 Gold Gloves, Has Died. He Was 86
BALTIMORE — Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson, whose deft glovework and folksy manner made him one of the most beloved and accomplished athletes in Baltimore history, has died. He was 86. The Orioles announced his death in a joint statement with Robinson's family Tuesday. The statement did not...
Amazon Sued by FTC and 17 States Over Allegations It Inflates Online Prices and Overcharges Sellers
U.S. regulators and 17 states are suing Amazon over allegations the e-commerce behemoth abuses its position in the marketplace to inflate prices on and off its platform, overcharge sellers and stifle competition. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in federal court in Amazon's home state of Washington, is the result of a...