Tag Archives: associated press

North Macedonia elects first woman president as center-left incumbents suffer historic losses

North Macedonia elected its first woman president Wednesday as the governing Social Democrats suffered historic losses in twin presidential and parliamentary elections. Conservative-backed Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, a 70-year-old law professor, was declared the winner after receiving nearly 65% support with more than two-thirds of the vote counted in a presidential runoff. “Is there a bigger change than electing a woman as …

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3 men get life in prison for killing Washington family over drugs, money

Three men found guilty of killing a family in Washington state in 2017 over alleged drugs and money were sentenced to life in prison without without the possibility of parole. Superior Court Judge Kevin Hull on Tuesday sentenced Danie Kelly Jr., 45, Robert Watson III, 52, and Watson’s brother Johnny Watson, 50, after the victims’ family members spoke in court, …

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Gambling bill stalls in Alabama Legislature during session's final hours

Gambling legislation remains stalled in the Alabama Senate with members expressing doubt that it will get another vote in the closing hours of the legislative session. The session ends Thursday and supporters have been unable to break a stalemate in the state Senate after the measure initially failed by one vote last week. Supporters had hoped to get the bill …

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Kosovo 'unconditionally supports' Ukraine, though Kyiv does not formally recognize country's independence

Kosovo’s foreign minister said Wednesday that her country is convinced that Russia must lose the war in Ukraine for conflict not to spread further in Europe. She said her young nation’s support for Ukraine is unconditional even though Kyiv has not recognized Kosovo’s independence. Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz, who is both foreign minister and deputy prime minister, said her small Balkan nation, …

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Taylor Swift fans follow singer to Europe after finding Eras Tour tickets less costly there

Thousands of ride-or-die Taylor Swift fans who missed out on her U.S. concert tour last year or didn’t want to buy exorbitantly priced tickets to see her again found an out-of-the-way solution: Fly to Europe. The pop star is scheduled to kick off the 18-city Europe leg of her record-setting Eras Tour in Paris on Thursday, and planeloads of Swifties …

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Olympic torch arrives in Marseille on famous ship amid celebration, tight security

Excitement is building in the southern French city of Marseille, where a majestic three-mast ship carrying the Olympic torch arrived from Greece ahead of a welcoming ceremony at sunset Wednesday. Paris Games organizers have promised “fantastic” celebrations in the city, where the Old Port has been placed under high security. The torch was lit in Greece last month before it …

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Music Midtown, popular Atlanta music festival, canceled this year

A music festival that draws tens of thousands of people to Atlanta’s Piedmont Park will not take place this year. MUSIC MIDTOWN FESTIVAL CANCELED IN ATLANTA REPORTEDLY DUE TO GEORGIA STATE GUN LAWS Posts Wednesday on the Instagram page and website of Music Midtown, a longtime fixture for pop music lovers, says the festival is “going on hiatus this year.” …

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Pakistani forces kill 6 militants in volatile Afghan border region

Pakistani security forces killed six militants in twin raids Wednesday targeting their hideouts in the country’s volatile northwest region bordering Afghanistan, the military said. SUICIDE ATTACK THAT KILLED 5 CHINESE NATIONALS WAS PLANNED IN AFGHANISTAN, PAKISTAN’S MILITARY SAYS Five militants were killed in the first raid in Dera Ismail Khan district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military said in a …

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Pennsylvania House passes bill aimed at regulating social media platforms' interactions with underage users

Pennsylvania’s state House of Representatives on Wednesday approved legislation aimed at regulating how online social media platforms interact with children, although its provisions are similar to those in state laws being blocked in federal courts or in a case before the U.S. Supreme Court. The bill passed nearly along party lines, 105-95, with 10 Republicans voting with most Democrats for …

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Nicaragua cancels a controversial Chinese interoceanic canal concession after nearly a decade

After nearly a decade, Nicaragua’s congress finally canceled on Wednesday a controversial canal concession granted to a Chinese businessman that critics said endangered the environment and threatened to displace rural communities. Despite a symbolic “groundbreaking” in 2014, no work was done on the canal that was to link Nicaragua’s Atlantic and Pacific coasts. At one point, crews broke ground on …

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