Mexico says a drug cartel kidnapped 14 people from towns where angry residents killed 10 gunmen (apnews.com)
A cargo ship picking up Ukrainian grain hits a Russian floating mine in the Black Sea, officials say (apnews.com)
World population up 75 million this year, standing at 8 billion on Jan. 1 (apnews.com)
The world population grew by 75 million people over the past year and on New Year’s Day it will stand at more than 8 billion people, according to figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Thursday....
Indonesia's navy pushes a boat suspected of carrying Rohingya refugees out of its waters (apnews.com)
Indonesia's navy pushes a boat suspected of carrying Rohingya refugees out of its waters (apnews.com)
China's Alibaba must face a US toymaker's lawsuit over sales of allegedly fake Squishmallows (apnews.com)
A judge in New York has ruled that Alibaba must face a lawsuit by a U.S. toymaker alleging that the Chinese ecommerce giant’s online platforms were used to sell counterfeit Squishmallows....
The New York Times sues OpenAI and Microsoft for using its stories to train chatbots (apnews.com)
The New York Times is striking back against the threat that artificial intelligence poses to the news industry, filing a federal lawsuit Wednesday against OpenAI and Microsoft seeking to end the practice of using its stories to train chatbots....
Comedian Tom Smothers, one-half of the Smothers Brothers, dies at 86 (apnews.com)
Tom Smothers, half of the Smothers Brothers and the co-host of one of the most socially conscious and groundbreaking television shows in the history of the medium, has died at 86....
Trump ballot ban appealed to US Supreme Court by Colorado Republicans (apnews.com)
Apple seeks a path to getting 2 of its best watches back on shelves during a bitter patent dispute (apnews.com)
The saga continues…
The New York Times sues OpenAI and Microsoft for using its stories to train chatbots (apnews.com)
I wondered how long this would take, and now we know.
Israel bombards urban refugee camps in central Gaza (apnews.com)
China sanctions a US research firm and 2 individuals over reports on human rights abuses in Xinjiang (apnews.com)
China says it is banning a United States research company and two analysts who have reported extensively on claims of human rights abuses committed against Uyghurs and other Muslim minority groups native to the country’s far northwestern region of Xinjiang....
Deported by US, arrested in Venezuela: One family's saga highlights Biden's migration challenge (apnews.com)
Pedro Naranjo idolized his father growing up and followed him into the Venezuelan air force to fly helicopters. So deep was their bond that when the older Naranjo feared being jailed for plotting against Nicolás Maduro’s socialist government, father and son fled to the United States together....
Americans ramped up spending during the holidays despite some financial anxiety and higher costs (apnews.com)
Holiday sales rose this year and spending remained resilient during the shopping season even with Americans wrestling with higher prices in some areas and other financial worries, according to the latest measure....
Sweden moves one step closer to NATO membership after a Turkish parliamentary committee gives approval (apnews.com)
Baltimore's new approach to police training looks at the effects of trauma, importance of empathy (apnews.com)
A three-minute viral video shows an irate Baltimore police officer berating a teenager because he ignored orders to stop skateboarding and called the officer “dude.”...
The right to protest is under threat in Britain, undermining a pillar of democracy (apnews.com)
Mexico's president is willing to help with border migrant surge but wants US to open talks with Cuba (apnews.com)
Ukraine says it shot down Russian fighter jets and drones as the country officially marks Christmas (apnews.com)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday hailed the shooting down of two Russian fighter jets on Christmas Eve and said “this Christmas sets the right mood for the entire year ahead.”...
Biden orders strike on Iranian-aligned group after 3 US troops injured in drone attack in Iraq (apnews.com)
President Joe Biden ordered the U.S. military to carry out retaliatory strikes against Iranian-backed militia groups after three U.S. servicemembers were injured in a drone attack in northern Iraq....
Contrary to politicians' claims, offshore wind farms don't kill whales. Here's what to know. (apnews.com)
Unfounded claims about offshore wind threatening whales have surfaced as a flashpoint in the fight over the future of renewable energy....
The secret life of gift cards: Here's what happens to the billions that go unspent each year (apnews.com)
Gift cards make great stocking stuffers — just as long as you don’t stuff them in a drawer and forget about them after the holidays....
Afghan schoolgirls are finishing sixth grade in tears. Under Taliban rule, their education is over (apnews.com)
As conflicts rage abroad, a fractured Congress tries to rally support for historic global challenges (apnews.com)
