Robert Blake, the Emmy award-winning performer who went from acclaim for his acting to notoriety when he was tried and acquitted in the killing of his wife, died Thursday at age 89. A statement released on behalf of his niece, Noreen Austin, said Blake died from heart disease, surrounded by...
China President Awarded 3rd Term, Likely to Rule for Life
Chinese leader Xi Jinping was awarded a third five-year term as the nation's president Friday, putting him on track to stay in power for life at a time of severe economic challenges and rising tensions with the U.S. and others. The endorsement of Xi's appointment by the ceremonial National People's...
Iran, Saudi Arabia Agree to Resume Relations After Tensions
Iran and Saudi Arabia on Friday agreed to reestablish diplomatic relations and reopen embassies after years of tensions between the two countries, including a devastating attack on the heart of the kingdom's oil production attributed to Tehran. The deal, struck in Beijing this week amid its ceremonial National People’s Congress,...
La Nina, Which Worsens Western Drought, Is Officially Over
WASHINGTON — After three nasty years, the La Nina weather phenomenon that increases Atlantic hurricane activity and worsens western drought is gone, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Thursday. That’s usually good news for the United States and other parts of the world, including drought-stricken northeast Africa, scientists said. The globe is...
Apology Letter Found After US Citizens Killed in Mexico
A letter claiming to be from the Mexican drug cartel blamed for abducting four Americans and killing two of them condemned the violence and said the gang turned over to authorities its own members who were responsible. In a letter obtained by The Associated Press through a Tamaulipas state law enforcement source,...
Applications for US Jobless Aid Rise by Most in 5 Months
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits last week jumped by the most in five months, but layoffs remain historically low as the labor market continues to be largely unaffected by the Federal Reserve's interest rate hikes. Applications for jobless claims in the U.S. for the week ending March...
Soaring Gas Prices Turbocharged Shell Oil CEO Pay in 2022
The pay package for Shell's CEO jumped by half last year to nearly $12 million, the fossil fuel giant said Thursday, as oil and gas companies made record profits from skyrocketing energy costs that have driven a cost-of-living crisis. London-based Shell paid Ben van Beurden a total of $11.5 million in 2022...
Biden Budget Seeks Big Deficit Cuts in Challenge to GOP
With the government at risk of defaulting, President Joe Biden on Thursday will make his opening offer in a high-stakes debate over federal finances as he proposes a federal budget that would cut deficits by nearly $3 trillion over the next decade. It's part of a broader attempt by the...
Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell Hospitalized After Fall
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell was hospitalized after tripping at a local hotel, a spokesman for the senator said. The Kentucky senator, who's 81, was attending a private dinner in Washington on Wednesday when he tripped. He was admitted to a hospital for treatment, spokesman Doug Andres said. McConnell's office did not...
Israelis Stage ‘Day of Resistance’ Against Netanyahu ‘Dictatorship’ Moves
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had to be airlifted on Thursday to the country's main international airport for an official overseas trip, after throngs of cars and protesters prevented him from driving there. The demonstrations were part of nationwide protests underway for more than two months against Netanyahu and his...