F.C. Barcelonas liabilities have reached 2.5 billion euros, the result of financial mismanagement and vaulting ambition.

President Nicolas Maduro joins a rally marking the anniversary of the Battle of Santa Ines, which took place during Venezuela's 19th-century Federal War, in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Cristian Hernandez)2026-01-02T01:48:11Z CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) Venezuela is open to negotiating an agreement with the United States to combat drug trafficking, the South American countrys President Nicols Maduro said in a pretaped interview aired Thursday on state television, but he declined to comment on a CIA-led strike last week at a Venezuelan docking area that the Trump administration believed was used by cartels.Maduro, in an interview with Spanish journalist Ignacio Ramonet, reiterated that the U.S. wants to force a government change in Venezuela and gain access to its vast oil reserves through the monthslong pressure campaign that began with a massive military deployment to the Caribbean Sea in August.What are they seeking? It is clear that they seek to impose themselves through threats, intimidation and force, Maduro said, later adding that it is time for both nations to start talking seriously, with data in hand. The U.S. government knows, because weve told many of their spokespeople, that if they want to seriously discuss an agreement to combat drug trafficking, were ready, he said. If they want oil, Venezuela is ready for U.S. investment, like with Chevron, whenever they want it, wherever they want it and however they want it. Chevron Corp. is the only major oil company exporting Venezuelan crude to the U.S. Venezuela has the worlds largest proven oil reserves. The interview was taped on New Years Eve, the same day the U.S. military announced strikes against five alleged drug-smuggling boats. The latest attacks bring the total number of known boat strikes to 35 and the number of people killed to at least 115, according to numbers announced by the Trump administration. Venezuelans are among the victims. President Donald Trump has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and asserted that the U.S. is engaged in an armed conflict with drug cartels. The strikes began off Venezuelas Caribbean coast and later expanded to the eastern Pacific Ocean. Meanwhile, the CIA was behind a drone strike last week at a docking area believed to have been used by Venezuelan drug cartels, according to two people familiar with details of the operation who requested anonymity to discuss the classified matter. It was the first known direct operation on Venezuelan soil since the boat strikes began, a significant escalation in the administrations pressure campaign on Maduro, who has been charged with narco-terrorism in the U.S.Asked about the operation on Venezuelan soil, Maduro said he could talk about it in a few days.___Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani contributed to this report from Washington.

Segev Kalfon, an Israeli hostage who spent two years in captivity in a Hamas tunnel and was released from the Gaza Strip in a ceasefire deal on Oct. 13, looks on at his home in Dimona, southern Israel, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)2026-01-02T05:46:23Z DIMONA, Israel (AP) During the two years he was held captive in Gaza, Segev Kalfon had a recurring dream: slowly walking through a supermarket, browsing each aisle for his favorite foods, taking in the brightly colored packages and smells. Since being released on Oct. 13, his dreams have flipped: Most nights when he closes his eyes, he is back on a dirty piece of foam mattress in the 2-square-meter (22-square-foot) room in a Hamas tunnel where he was kept with five other hostages, counting each tile and crack in the cement to distract himself from severe hunger and near-daily physical torture.I was in the lowest place a person can be before death, the lowest. I had no control over anything, when to eat, when to shower, how much I want to eat, said Kalfon, 27. During the worst parts of captivity, he was so skinny he could count the individual vertebrae jutting from his spine. Now that hes back home in Dimona in southern Israel, Kalfon is trying to piece together a post-captivity life. He spends much of his time juggling appointments with an array of doctors and psychologists.One of the strangest aspects of his release, Kalfon said, is that for two years, his entire life revolved around trying to please his captors, so they might share more food or spare a beating. Now that hes out, everyone is trying to please me, he said. From a family bakery to a Hamas tunnelBefore being taken hostage at the Nova music festival, Kalfon worked at his familys bakery in the town of Arad and was studying finance and investments.When rockets started flying at the start of the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, Kalfon said he and his closest friend tried to help others at the festival escape. Kalfon remembers pleading with a group of people who had taken cover in a yellow dumpster, telling them to come with him, that they were in a death trap. For two years, Kalfon wondered what happened to them. After his release, he learned they were all killed. Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages during their cross-border assault that day. Israels ensuing offensive has killed more than 71,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to Gazas Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government and maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts.While in captivity, every moment felt like an eternity, Kalfon said. The only thing that broke up the monotony was a meager portion of food and water once a day. There were so many times he felt close to death: during frequent bombardment by the Israeli military, going through COVID and other illnesses with no medicine, enduring starvation and frequent physical torture. He said his captors used bicycle chains as whips and pummeled the hostages while wearing large rings to leave painful welts. We didnt even have energy to yell out, because no one hears you, he said. Youre in a tunnel 30 meters underground; no one knows whats going on.The worst part was the last three months of his captivity, Kalfon said, when he was kept in isolation and felt like he was losing his sanity. In the darkest places, faith brings a ray of lightBoth Kalfon and his family, advocating in Israel for his release, further turned to their Jewish faith to get through the dark times. Kalfons family filled their homes with additional Jewish books, ritual objects and prayers from senior rabbis. Kalfon and the other five hostages made a tradition of marking the start of Jewish holidays or the Sabbath by saying prayers over a bit of water and moldy pita. The hostages used a square of precious toilet paper, where one roll had to last six people for two months, for the ritual skullcap that Jewish men traditionally wear during prayers. A radio the captors had given to the hostages in hopes of converting them to Islam through recordings of the Quran sometimes allowed them to capture signals from Israeli news. Once, when Kalfon was at his lowest and considering an escape attempt, which likely would have led to his death, he turned on the radio and heard his mothers voice. He said it felt like a divine message to hold on for a little longer. I was living in the body of a dead person, living in a grave, Kalfon said. To get out of this grave, its nothing else if not a miracle.Kalfon was released along with 19 other living hostages as part of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire. He considers U.S. President Donald Trump a messenger from God, sure that no one else could have halted the fighting. His family has hung nearly a dozen American flags around the house in recognition of the U.S. contribution to his return. War is starting with my soulSince his return, Kalfon is getting used to a new life, one where he is famous after his name and face were broadcast across Israel during the fight to release the hostages.Everyone wants to support me and say, Youre such a hero, Kalfon said. I dont feel like a hero. Every person would want to survive. Kalfon knows he has a long journey to recovery after his years in captivity and a post-traumatic stress disorder diagnosis from before he was taken hostage.Although the war in Gaza is over, now my war is starting with my soul, to try to deal with thoughts that are very difficult, he said.He tries to keep his schedule busy to distract himself. But every night when Im alone, it comes up, Kalfon said. Even a small noise can startle him awake and thrust him into a terrifying flashback, so he barely sleeps.For the immediate future, he wants to share his story more widely. He said he has been shocked by the rise in global antisemitism and anti-Israel fervor since he was captured and wants to make sure people hear his story, especially those who tore down posters of the hostages or accuse Israel of lying. Im proof that it happened, he said. I felt it with my body. I saw it with my own eyes. ___Associated Press writer Sam Mednick contributed from Tel Aviv, Israel. MELANIE LIDMAN Lidman is an Associated Press reporter based in Tel Aviv, Israel. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

This is a locator map for Iran with its capital, Tehran. (AP Photo)2026-01-02T09:32:42Z DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) U.S. President Donald Trump and a top Iranian security official exchanged dueling threats Friday as widening economic protests swept across parts of the Islamic Republic, further escalating tensions between the countries after America bombed Iranian nuclear sites in June.Trump initially wrote on his Truth Social platform, warning Iran that if it violently kills peaceful protesters, the United States will come to their rescue. At least seven people have been killed so far in violence surrounding demonstrations.We are locked and loaded and ready to go, Trump wrote, without elaborating.Shortly after, Ali Larijani, a former parliament speaker who serves as the secretary of Irans Supreme National Security Council, alleged on the social platform X that Israel and the U.S. were stoking the demonstrations. He offered no evidence to support the allegation, which Iranian officials have repeatedly made during years of protests sweeping the country. Trump should know that intervention by the U.S. in the domestic problem corresponds (to) chaos in the entire region and the destruction of the U.S. interests, Larijani wrote on X, which the Iranian government blocks. The people of the U.S. should know that Trump began the adventurism. They should take care of their own soldiers. Larijanis remarks likely referenced Americas wide military footprint in the region. Iran in June attacked Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar after the U.S. strikes on three nuclear sites during Israels 12-day war on the Islamic Republic. The current protests, now in their sixth day, have become the biggest in Iran since 2022, when the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody triggered nationwide demonstrations. However, the demonstrations have yet to be countrywide and have not been as intense as those surrounding the death of Amini, who was detained over not wearing her hijab, or headscarf, to the liking of authorities. Irans civilian government under reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian has been trying to signal it wants to negotiate with protesters. However, Pezeshkian has acknowledged there is not much he can do as Irans rial currency has rapidly depreciated, with $1 now costing some 1.4 million rials. That sparked the initial protests.The protests, taking root in economic issues, have heard demonstrators chant against Irans theocracy as well. Months after the war, Iran said it was no longer enriching uranium at any site in the country, trying to signal to the West that it remains open to potential negotiations over its atomic program to ease sanctions. However, those talks have yet to happen as Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have warned Tehran against reconstituting its atomic program. JON GAMBRELL Gambrell is the news director for the Gulf and Iran for The Associated Press. He has reported from each of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Iran and other locations across the world since joining the AP in 2006. twitter instagram mailto

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, leader Kim Jong Un, center right, his wife Ri Sol Ju, third left, and their daughter, center, believed to be named Kim Ju Ae, visit Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang, North Korea, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)2026-01-02T05:16:32Z SEOUL, South Korea (AP) The teenage daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made her first known visit to a sacred family mausoleum, a step that experts say bolstered her status as her fathers potential heir.The visit, which occurred on New Years Day on Thursday, even sparked speculation that the girl, reportedly named Kim Ju Ae and aged about 13, could be named a high-level official at the upcoming ruling Workers Party congress.Images carried by North Koreas state media on Friday showed Kim Ju Ae standing in the front row with her parents and deeply bowing at Pyongyangs Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang, where the embalmed bodies of her late grandfather and great-grandfather are on display.The palace is a place that symbolizes legitimacy of the North Korean regime and her visit there ahead of the Workers Party congress is a politically orchestrated move, said Cheong Seong-Chang, deputy head of the private Sejong Institute in South Korea. Kim Jong Un, 41, is the third generation of his family to rule North Korea since the countrys foundation in 1948. He often marks key state anniversaries by visiting the Kumsusan palace and paying respect to his father Kim Jong Il and grandfather Kim Il Sung. Cheong predicted that Kim Jong Un could give his daughter the first secretary post at the Workers Party, the partys No. 2 job, at the congress. Other experts say she is too young to accept such a high-profile post and might be provided with lower-level jobs. Stay up to date with the news and the best of AP by following our WhatsApp channel. Follow on The congress, the first of its kind in five years, is meant to establish new priorities in state policies and reshuffle officials. North Korea hasnt said when it will hold it, but the National Intelligence Service, South Koreas spy agency, said it likely will be held either in January or February. Since first appearing in state media in November 2022, Kim Ju Ae has accompanied her father at a slew of events including military parades and missile launches. In September, Kim Jong Un brought her on his trip to Beijing. During New Years Day celebrations this week, she kissed her father on the cheek, showing their closeness. Im In January 2024, the NIS said it viewed Kim Ju Ae as her fathers likely heir. Some outside experts disagree with that assessment, citing Kim Jong Uns relatively young age and the extremely male-dominated nature of North Koreas power hierarchy. The NIS told lawmakers in November that Kim appeared to have no major health problems.Revealing the young Kim Ju Ae was a surprise to foreign experts because neither Kim Jong Un nor Kim Jong Il were mentioned in North Korean state media before they became adults. Some observers say Kim Jong Un likely aimed to shore up public support for his plan to extend the familys rule by repeatedly disclosing Kim Ju Ae in public events. HYUNG-JIN KIM Hyung-jin is an Associated Press reporter in Seoul, South Korea. He reports on security, political and other general news on the Korean Peninsula. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, leader Kim Jong Un, center right, his wife Ri Sol Ju, third left, and their daughter, center, believed to be named Kim Ju Ae, visit Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang, North Korea, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)2026-01-02T03:26:39Z A woman was killed in a suspected mountain lion attack while she was hiking alone in the mountains of northern Colorado on Thursday, in what would be the first fatal attack by one of the predators in the state in more than 25 years, authorities said.Wildlife officers later in the day located two mountain lions in the area and fatally shot the animals, said Kara Van Hoose with Colorado Parks and Wildlife The attack occurred in the mountains south of the small community of Glen Haven, about 7 miles northeast of Estes Park and considered the gateway to the eastern entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park. Shortly before noon, two hikers encountered a mountain lion near the womans body along a remote section of the Crosier Mountain trail, which is on a national forest.The hikers threw rocks at the animal to scare it from the immediate area so they could try to help the woman, Van Hoose said. One of the hikers was a physician who attended to the victim and did not find a pulse, she said. Details on the womans injuries and cause of death were not immediately released.Van Hoose said the search for other mountain lions in the area was ongoing. She said circumstances would dictate whether any additional lions that are found are killed. Sightings of mountain lions are common in the forested area where the suspected attack occurred, but there have not been any recent documented attacks on humans, Van Hoose said. Stay up to date with the news and the best of AP by following our WhatsApp channel. Follow on This is a very common time of year to take mountain lion sightings and reports and especially in Larimer County, where this is very good mountain lion habitat, she said. Trails in this area are in pretty remote land, so its wooded, its rocky, theres elevation gains and dips. Mountain lion attacks are rare and Colorados last suspected fatal attack was in 1999, when a 3-year-old was killed. Two years before that, a 10-year-old boy was killed by a lion and dragged away while hiking with family members in Rocky Mountain National Park. Last year in Northern California two brothers were stalked and then attacked by a lion that they tried to fight off. One of the brothers was killed.The animals, also known as cougars, catamounts and other names, can weigh 130 pounds (60 kilograms) and grow to more than six feet (1.8meters) long1. They eat primarily deer. Colorado has an estimated 3,800-4,400 of the animals, which are classified as a big game species in the state and can be hunted. MATTHEW BROWN Brown is based in Billings, Montana. He covers breaking news, the environment, politics, energy, crime and more.

The sealed off Le Constellation bar, where a devastating fire left dead and injured during the New Year's celebrations is seen in Crans-Montana, Swiss Alps, Switzerland, Friday morning, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/ Antonio Calanni)2026-01-02T05:50:27Z CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland (AP) Axel Clavier felt like he was suffocating inside the Swiss Alpine bar where moments before hed been ringing in the new year with friends and dozens of other revelers.The 16-year-old from Paris escaped the inferno, which broke out after midnight Thursday, by forcing a window open with a table. But about 40 other partygoers died, including one of Claviers friends, falling victim to one of the worst tragedies in Switzerlands history.The blaze also injured about 115 people, many of them in their teens to mid-20s, as it ripped through the crowded Le Constellation bar at the ski resort of Crans-Montana, police said. Clavier told The Associated Press that two or three of his friends remained missing hours after the disaster. People lay candles near the Le Constellation bar, where a devastating fire left dead and injured during the New Years celebrations in Crans-Montana, Swiss Alps, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/ Antonio Calanni) People lay candles near the Le Constellation bar, where a devastating fire left dead and injured during the New Years celebrations in Crans-Montana, Swiss Alps, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/ Antonio Calanni) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Late Thursday, mourners left candles and flowers in an impromptu memorial near the bar. Hundreds of others prayed for the victims at the nearby Church of Montana-Station.Representatives from France and Italy said their nationals are among the missing. Fires cause remains under investigationValais Canton police commander Frdric Gisler said during a news conference that work is underway to identify the dead and inform their families, adding that the community is devastated.Authorities did not immediately have an exact count of the deceased. Beatrice Pilloud, Valais Canton attorney general, said it was too early to determine the cause of the fire. At no moment is there a question of any kind of attack, Pilloud said.She later said the number of people who were in the bar is unknown, and its maximum capacity will be part of the investigation. For the time being, we dont have any suspects, she added, when asked if anyone had been arrested over the fire. An investigation has been opened, not against anyone, but to better understand the circumstances of this dramatic fire. People lay candles and flowers near the Le Constellation bar, where a devastating fire left dead and injured during the New Years celebrations in Crans-Montana, Swiss Alps, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/ Antonio Calanni) People lay candles and flowers near the Le Constellation bar, where a devastating fire left dead and injured during the New Years celebrations in Crans-Montana, Swiss Alps, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/ Antonio Calanni) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More An evening of celebration turns tragicClavier, the Parisian teenager, said he didnt see the fire start, but did see waitresses arrive with Champagne bottles with burning sparklers. He lost his jacket, shoes, phone and bank card while fleeing, but I am still alive and its just stuff.Im still in shock, he added.Two women told French broadcaster BFMTV they were inside when they saw a male bartender lifting a female bartender on his shoulders as she held a lit candle in a bottle. The flames spread, collapsing the wooden ceiling, they told the broadcaster.One of the women described a crowd surge as people frantically tried to escape from a basement nightclub up a narrow flight of stairs and through a narrow door. People cry at the scene after a fire broke out at the Le Constellation bar and lounge during New Years celebration, in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP) People cry at the scene after a fire broke out at the Le Constellation bar and lounge during New Years celebration, in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Another witness speaking to BFMTV described people smashing windows to escape the blaze, some gravely injured, and panicked parents rushing to the scene in cars to see whether their children were trapped inside. The young man said he saw about 20 people scrambling to get out of the smoke and flames and likened what he saw to a horror movie as he watched from across the street. Crans-Montana is less than 5 kilometers (3 miles) from Sierre, where 28 people, including many children, were killed when a bus from Belgium crashed inside a Swiss tunnel in 2012. A hearse drives past as police officers inspect the area where a fire broke out at the Le Constellation bar and lounge during New Years celebration, in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP) A hearse drives past as police officers inspect the area where a fire broke out at the Le Constellation bar and lounge during New Years celebration, in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Resort town sits in the heart of the AlpsIn a region busy with tourists skiing on the slopes, the authorities have called on the local population to show caution in the coming days to avoid accidents that could further strain the areas already overwhelmed medical resources.With high-altitude ski runs rising around 3,000 meters (nearly 9,850 feet) in the heart of the Valais regions snowy peaks and pine forests, Crans-Montana is one of the top venues on the World Cup circuit. The resort will host the best mens and womens downhill racers, including Lindsey Vonn, for their final events before the Milan-Cortina Olympics in February. The towns Crans-sur-Sierre golf club stages the European Masters each August on a picturesque course.Swiss President Guy Parmelin, speaking on his first day in the largely ceremonial job, said many emergency staff had been confronted by scenes of indescribable violence and distress.Switzerland is a strong country not because it is sheltered from drama, but because it knows how to face them with courage and a spirit of mutual help. ___Dazio reported from Berlin and Leicester reported from Paris. Geir Moulson in Berlin and Graham Dunbar in Geneva contributed to this report. JAMEY KEATEN Keaten is the chief Associated Press reporter in Geneva. He previously was posted in Paris and has reported from Afghanistan, the Middle East, North Africa and across Europe. twitter STEFANIE DAZIO Dazio covers Northern Europe from Berlin for The Associated Press. She previously covered crime and criminal justice from Los Angeles.

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In this photo provided by Ukraine's 65th Mechanized Brigade press service, recruits perform drills at a training ground in the Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (Andriy Andriyenko/Ukraine's 65th Mechanized Brigade via AP)2026-01-02T10:35:39Z Russian authorities said Friday that the death toll from a Ukrainian drone strike they said struck a caf in a Russian-occupied village in Ukraines Kherson region rose to 27 people. Kyiv denied attacking civilian targets.Svetlana Petrenko, spokeswoman of Russias main criminal investigation agency, the Investigative Committee, said in a statement that a Ukrainian drone strike on a caf and hotel in the village of Khorly, where at least 100 civilians were celebrating New Years Eve overnight into Thursday, killed 27 people, including two minors. A total of 31, including five minors, were hospitalized with injuries. A criminal probe on the charges of carrying out an act of terrorism has been opened, Petrenko said. Kyiv denied attacking civilians. Spokesman of Ukraines General Staff, Dmytro Lykhovii, told Ukraines public broadcaster Suspilne on Thursday that Ukrainian forces adhere to the norms of international humanitarian law and carry out strikes exclusively against Russian military targets, facilities of the Russian fuel and energy sector, and other lawful targets. Lykhovii said that General Staff has published an explicit list of targets that the Ukrainian army struck on the night of New Years Eve. The list did not include strikes on occupied parts of the Kherson region. Lykhovii noted that Russia has repeatedly used disinformation and false statements to disrupt the ongoing peace negotiations. The Associated Press could not independently verify claims made about the attack. Russias accusations against Ukraine come amid a U.S.-led diplomatic push to end the nearly four-year war in Ukraine. Earlier this week, Moscow alleged that Kyiv launched a long-range drone attack against a residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin in northwestern Russia overnight from Sunday to Monday. Kyiv has called the allegations of an attack on Putins residence a ruse to derail ongoing peace negotiations, which have ramped up in recent weeks on both sides of the Atlantic. In his New Years address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that a peace deal was 90% ready but warned that the remaining 10%, believed to include key sticking points such as territory, would determine the fate of peace, the fate of Ukraine and Europe, how people will live. Trumps special envoy Steve Witkoff said Wednesday that he, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trumps son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner had a productive call with the national security advisers of Britain, France, Germany and Ukraine to discuss advancing the next steps in the European peace process.Elsewhere in Ukraine, Russia conducted what local authorities called one of the most massive drone attacks at Zaporizhzhia overnight. At least nine Russian drones struck the city, damaging dozens of residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure, head of the regional administration, Ivan Fedorov, wrote on Telegram on Friday. There were no casualties, the official said. Overall, Russia fired 116 long-range drones at Ukraine last night, according to Ukraines Air Force, which said that 86 drones were intercepted, while 27 more have reached their targets. The Russian Defense Ministry reported Friday that its air defenses intercepted 64 Ukrainian drones overnight over multiple Russian regions.Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of Russias Belgorod region on the border with Ukraine, on Friday also accused Ukrainian forces of carrying out a missile strike on the city of Belgorod. Two women were hospitalized with injuries, Gladkov said. The strike shattered windows in multiple residential buildings and damaged an unspecified commercial facility and a number of cars, according to the official.

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Magdi Abu Al-Khair bids farewell to his mother, Amal Abu Al-Khair, after she and her grandchild, Saud, were killed when their tent caught fire overnight at the Yarmouk displacement camp, at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)2026-01-02T13:27:08Z DEIR AL BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) A grandmother and her 5-year-old grandson burned to death in Gaza when their tent caught fire, as thousands of Palestinians battle harrowing winter conditions in flimsy makeshift housing and the humanitarian crisis deepens.The nylon tent in Yarmouk caught fire Thursday night from cooking, a neighbor said. As 2026 begins, the shaky 12-week-old ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has largely ended large-scale Israeli bombardment of Gaza. But Palestinians are still being killed almost daily by Israeli fire, and the humanitarian crisis shows no signs of abating. Over past weeks, cold winter rains have repeatedly lashed the sprawling tent cities, causing flooding, turning Gazas dirt roads into mud and causing buildings damaged in Israeli bombardment to collapse. UNICEF says at least six children have now died of weather-related causes, including a 4-year-old who died in a building collapse. At least three children have died of hypothermia, according to Gazas Health Ministry. Aid groups say not enough shelter materials are getting into Gaza during the truce. Figures recently released by Israels military suggest it hasnt met the ceasefire stipulation of allowing 600 trucks of aid into Gaza a day, though Israel disputes that finding. There is also concern that Israels recent suspension of more than three dozen international aid groups from operating in Gaza will make it even harder to get supplies like tents in. Palestinians have long called for mobile homes and caravans to be allowed in to protect them against living in impractical and worn out tents. In Yarmouk people live in nylon tents near a garbage dump.Ashraf al-Suwair said he woke up to the sound of screaming as his neighbors shouted fire! fire! He said the nylon is like fuel, easy to ignite. We need a good place that suits the people and the children of Gaza, instead of burning to death, he said. Foreign ministers say Gaza isnt getting the help it needsOn Friday the foreign ministers of Arab and Muslim countries, including Egypt, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, expressed concern about Gazas deteriorating humanitarian situation.The situation has been compounded by the continued lack of sufficient humanitarian access, acute shortages of essential life-saving supplies, and the slow pace of the entry of essential materials, said the joint statement. Since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas began, 414 people have been killed and 1,142 wounded in Gaza, according to the Health Ministry. The overall Palestinian death toll from the war is at least 71,266. The ministry, which does not distinguish between militants and civilians in its count, is staffed by medical professionals and maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by the international community.The Israel-Hamas war began with the Hamas-led attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, that killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage, Israel carries out more West Bank raids and arrestsMeanwhile, Israel continues operating in the occupied West Bank. On Friday the Palestinian Prisoners media office said Israel carried out wide scale raids across the territory including Ramallah and Hebron. Nearly 50 people were detained. Israels military said there were arrests made of people involved in terrorist activity.This follows the arrest of at least 50 other Palestinians on Thursday, most of those occurred in the Ramallah area. The Palestinian Prisoners Society says that Israel has arrested 7,000 Palestinians in the West Bank and Jerusalem this year, and 21,000 since the war began Oct. 7, 2023. The number arrested from Gaza is not made public by Israel.Violence in the West Bank has surged during the war in Gaza, with the Israeli military carrying out large-scale operations targeting militants that have killed hundreds of Palestinians and displaced tens of thousands. There has also been a rise in Israeli settler violence and Palestinian attacks on Israelis.___Find more of APs Israel-Hamas coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war.

President Barack Obama, from right, Vice President Joe Biden, House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich walk on the first green during a round of golf at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., June 18, 2011. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)2026-01-02T13:04:54Z WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) President Donald Trump has spent much of his two-week vacation in Florida golfing. But when he gets back to the White House, theres a military golf course that hes never played that hes eyeing for a major construction project.Long a favored getaway for presidents seeking a few hours solace from the stress of running the free world, the Courses at Andrews inside the secure confines of Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) from the White House are known as the presidents golf course. Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Joe Biden have spent time there, and Barack Obama played it more frequently than any president, roughly 110 times in eight years. Trump has always preferred the golf courses his family owns spending about one of every four days of his second term at one of them. But hes now enlisted golf champion Jack Nicklaus as the architect to overhaul the Courses at Andrews. Its amazing that an individual has time to take a couple hours away from the world crises. And theyre people like everybody else, said Michael Thomas, the former general manager of the course, who has golfed with many of the presidents visiting Andrews over the years. Andrews, better known as the home of Air Force One, has two 18-hole courses and a 9-hole one. Its facilities have undergone renovations in the past, including in 2018, when Congress approved funding to replace aging presidential aircraft and to build a new hanger and support facilities. That project was close enough to the courses that they had to be altered then, too. Trump toured the base by helicopter before Thanksgiving with Nicklaus, who has designed top courses the world over. The president called Andrews a great place, thats been destroyed over the years, through lack of maintenance.Other golfers, though, describe Andrews grounds as in good shape, despite some dry patches. Online reviews praise the courses mature trees, tricky roughs, and ponds and streams that serve as water hazards. The courses are mostly flat, but afford views of the surrounding base. They all like to drive the cartThe first president to golf at Andrews was Ford in 1974. Thomas began working there a couple years later, and was general manager from 1981 until he retired in 2019.He said the Secret Service over the years used as many as 28 golf carts as well as the presidents usual 30-car motorcade to keep the perimeter secure.Its a Cecil B. DeMille production every time, said Thomas, who had the opportunity to play rounds with four different presidents, and with Biden when he was vice president.He said the commanders in chief generally enjoyed their time out on the course in their own unique ways, but they all like to drive the cart because they never get an opportunity to drive. Its like getting your drivers license all over again, Thomas laughed. Trump golfs most weekends, and as of Jan. 1, has spent an estimated 92 days of his second term doing so, according to an Associated Press analysis of his schedules. That tally includes days when Trump was playing courses his family owns in Virginia, around 30 miles (48 kilometers) from the White House, and near his Florida estate Mar-a-Lago, where hes spending the winter holidays. It also includes 10 days Trump spent staying at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, where his schedule allowed time for rounds of golf.Trump has visited Andrews in the past, but the White House and base have no record of him playing the courses.Another of Trump construction projectsAndrews military history dates to the Civil War, when Union troops used a church near Camp Springs, Maryland, as sleeping quarters. Its golf course opened in 1960.The White House said the renovation will be the most significant in the history of Andrews. The courses and clubhouse need improvements due to age and wear, it said, and there are discussions about including a multifunctional event center as part of the project. President Trump is a champion-level golfer with an extraordinary eye for detail and design, White House spokesman Davis Ingle said in a statement. His vision to renovate and beautify Joint Base Andrews golf courses will bring much-needed improvements that servicemembers and their families will be able to enjoy for generations to come. Plans are in the very early stages, and the cost of and funding for the project havent been determined, the White House said. Trump has said only that it will require very little money. The Andrews improvements join a bevy of Trump construction projects, including demolishing the White Houses East Wing for a sprawling ballroom now expected to cost $400 million, redoing the bathroom attached to the Lincoln bedroom and replacing the Rose Gardens lawn with a Mar-a-Lago-like patio area. Outside the White House, Trump has led building projects at the Kennedy Center and wants to erect a Paris-style arch near the Lincoln Memorial, and has said he wants to rebuild Dulles International Airport in northern Virginia. On Wednesday, meanwhile, the Trump administration ended a lease agreement with a non-profit for three public golf courses in Washington which could allow the president to further shape golfing in the nations capital. The White House, however, said that move isnt related to the plans for Andrews. Presidential perks of golfing at AndrewsWhen the president is golfing, Andrews officials block off nine holes at a time so no one plays in front of him, allowing for extra security while also ensuring consistent speed-of-play, Thomas said. Thats relatively easily done given that the courses arent open to the public. Theyre usually reserved for active or retired members of the military and their families, as well as some Defense Department-linked federal employees.Thomas remembers playing a round with the older President Bush, a World Golf Hall of Fame inductee known for fast play, while first lady Barbara Bush walked with Millie, the first couples English Springer Spaniel. George W. Bush also played fast, Thomas said, and got additional exercise by frequently riding his mountain bike before golfing. When he wasnt golfing at Andrews, Obama tried to recreate at least part of the experience back home. He had a White House golf simulator installed after then-first lady Michelle Obama asked Thomas how they might acquire a model that the president had seen advertised on the Golf Channel. Thomas gave her a contact at the network.Obama famously cut short a round at Andrews after nine holes in 2011 to hustle back to the White House for what turned out to be a top-secret review of final preparations for a Navy Seal raid on the compound of Osama Bin Laden.But, while Thomas was golfing with presidents, he said he never witnessed play interrupted by an important call or any major emergency that forced them off the course mid-hole. There also were never any rain-outs.If there was rain coming, theyd get the weather forecast before we would, Thomas said. They would cancel quick on that. WILL WEISSERT Weissert covers the White House for The Associated Press. He is based in Washington. twitter mailto

Dancers in a bull-shaped costume perform to celebrate the opening for the 2026 trading year outside of the Korea Exchange in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)2026-01-02T04:39:12Z BANGKOK (AP) World markets began 2026 with gains, with benchmarks in Britain and South Korea hitting records as optimism over the future of artificial intelligence carried over into the new year.In early European trading, the FTSE 100 in London jumped 1% to an intraday record of 10,033.94. It was the first time the FTSE had surpassed 10,000, supported by heavy buying of precious metals miners such as Fresnillo, which gained 5.7%, and Anglo American, which was up 1.5%. Miners have rallied due to recent gains in the prices of gold, silver and copper. Germanys DAX added 0.5% to 24,619.41, while the CAC 40 in Paris surged 0.8% to 8,213.59.The future for the S&P 500 was up 0.6% while that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.2%. Expectations that AI will spur demand for computer chips and other items needed to build out data centers and the other infrastructure it requires boosted buying of tech-related shares. South Koreas Kospi picked up 2.3% to 4,309.63 as the markets biggest heavyweight, Samsung Electronics, shot up 7.2%. SK Hynix, which makes computer chips used for AI and has partnered with Nvidia, gained 4%. Hong Kongs Hang Seng jumped 2.8% to 26,338.47 on a strong rally in tech shares. Stay up to date with the news and the best of AP by following our WhatsApp channel. Follow on E-commerce giant Alibaba climbed 4.3% and Baidu, maker of the Ernie chatbot, jumped 9.4% after it said it plans to spin off its artificial intelligence computer chip unit Kunlunxin, which would list shares in Hong Kong early 2027. The plan is subject to regulatory approvals. Markets were closed in Tokyo, Shanghai, Thailand and New Zealand.The S&P/ASX 200 in Australia edged 0.2% higher, to 8,727.30. Taiwans Taiex was up 1.3% and the Sensex in India added 0.6%. Recent manufacturing data for much of the region has been relatively weak, though trade has remained resilient.Exports from most countries have surged in recent months, and we think the near-term outlook for Asias export-oriented manufacturing sectors remains favorable, Shivaan Tandon of Capital Economics said in a report. U.S. stocks finished 2025 with a fourth day of losses, despite strong gains for the year. The S&P 500 gave up 0.7% and the Dow fell 0.6%. The Nasdaq composite closed 0.8% lower. The S&P 500 set 39 record highs in 2025 and closed 16.4% higher for the year. The Nasdaq gained 20.4% and the Dow finished 13% higher.Wall Streets 2025 gains came as investors embraced the optimism surrounding artificial intelligence and its potential for boosting profits across almost all sectors. But the market had no shortage of turbulence along the way. President Donald Trump eventually put his on-again, off-again tariffs on imported goods worldwide on pause while negotiating trade deals, helping to calm frayed nerves. Strong corporate profits and three cuts to interest rates by the Federal Reserve also helped drive markets higher.Wall Street is betting that the Fed will hold interest rates steady at its next meeting in January.In other dealings early Friday, silver gained 4.8% after giving back 9.4% on Wednesday. It gained more than 140% in 2025. Gold picked up 1.4%. It closed out the year with a 63.7% gain.U.S. benchmark crude handed back early gains, falling 12 cents to $57.30 per barrel. The price of Brent crude, the international standard, fell 13 cents to $60.72 per barrel. The U.S. dollar rose to 156.85 Japanese yen from 156.75 yen. The euro fell to $1.1733 from $1.1746. ELAINE KURTENBACH Based in Bangkok, Kurtenbach is the APs business editor for Asia, helping to improve and expand our coverage of regional economies, climate change and the transition toward carbon-free energy. She has been covering economic, social, environmental and political trends in China, Japan and Southeast Asia throughout her career. twitter mailto

Noa Bersier went to Le Constellation with friends on a whim. An hour later, he was caught in one of Switzerlands worst tragedies.

Catherine Almonte Da Costa was part of a photo shoot on the mayor-elects inner circle. The next day she resigned amid an uproar over antisemitic statements she had posted on social media years earlier.

Gynecologists long viewed bacterial vaginosis as solely a womens issue until a study that treated their male partners, too, proved otherwise.

Now that the condition is known to spread sexually, there are steps you and your partner can take to prevent it.

WASHINGTONAccording to a nationwidecrimestudy by the FBIs National Incident-Based Reporting System, just over 93% of all murder cases solved by local, state, and federal police in the past 10 years were resolved by consulting the victims beloved pet parrot. In some cases, the break is simple and the bird will squawk the killers name and a plea to put down the gun, said FBI press office spokesperson Dana Whittle, explaining that the bureau has now formally instructed agents to treat interviews with a murder victims tropical pet bird as the standard first step in any homicide investigation. Just this week, we solved a cold case in Arizona after realizing that the victims pet cockatiel, Percy, had been rattling off the exact code to a safety deposit box where the victim had hidden letters implicating her killer. In fact, weve had over 50 cases in 2025 alone where we successfully tracked down a suspect after realizing that the nonsense word the parrot had been repeating all week had, in fact, been the vanity plate on the murderers car.Parrotsare highly intelligent birds, and those that have been trained to identify different colors were instrumental in solving nearly 100 cases attributed to the HVAC repairman with the maroon birthmark. At press time, the FBI had encouraged all Americans to invest in a bird capable of mimicking human speech to deter future homicides.The post Study Finds 93% Of Murders Solved By Consulting Victims Pet Parrot appeared first on The Onion.

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Two men walk outside a hospital as a helicopter takes off in Sion, Switzerland, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, following the fire at the "Le Constellation" bar and lounge in Crans-Montana, Switzerland during the New Year celebration. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)2026-01-02T13:42:49Z SION, Switzerland (AP) The hospital that initially took in the majority of injured victims from a fire at a Swiss bar is no stranger to emergencies: In the heart of the Alps, it is used to treating winter sports enthusiasts who have accidents on the slopes.But the flood of young and severely burned survivors from the blaze that tore through Le Constellation in Crans-Montana during New Years Eve revelry was something else.Eric Bonvin, general director of the regional hospital in Sion that took in several dozen injured people, said those with severe burns face months of treatment but expressed hope that their youth will speed their recovery. The injured were teenagers and young adults, roughly 20 years old on average, he told The Associated Press inside the hospital, which is about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the resort by air. Survivors have described seeing their fellow revelers struggling to escape the inferno, some with severe burns. Bonvin recounted how hospital staff scrambled to determine the extent of peoples injuries aided by colleagues who had not been scheduled to work but rushed in to lend a hand. Its a very particular situation because at the beginning burns are not necessarily apparent, the nerve endings are burnt so feelings are lost and the person is most of all in a state of shock, he said. At those moments, every minute counts. Injured survivors suffered burns to varying degrees, not just to their skin but also to their airways.There were inhalations of both smoke and also of heat that for some probably led to internal burns. Thats a really catastrophic situation, as you can imagine, Bonvin said.The hospital was well staffed, despite the holiday, because the end of year festivities are so busy in the Alpine Valais region, attracting crowds to its mountains but also leading to ski accidents and other medical emergencies. Our population doubles in a week, he said. Every year its a period of intense stress for our emergency unit.But many people (staffers) came spontaneously, even those who were on holiday or having a night out, he said. That worked well.Still the hospital, which doesnt have a specialized burn unit, quickly hit full capacity, authorities said, as the hospital took in about 80 seriously injured people in just three hours, straining intensive care facilities. All of the hospitals surgical operating rooms were opened. As of Friday, the hospital still had about 30 seriously injured patients in its care after many were transferred to other hospitals.Some medical workers treated the injured without knowing whether their loved ones might be among them.It was hard to live through for everyone. Also probably because everyone was asking themselves, Was my child, my cousin, someone from the region at this party? This place was very well known as somewhere to celebrate the new year, Bonvin said. Also, seeing young people arrive thats always traumatic.The road to recovery for the gravely injured will likely be long and arduous, he cautioned.For those with serious burns, intensive care treatment lasts several months, he said.But its not without hope, he added. They are young and that means they still have a lot of vitality.

Two men walk outside a hospital as a helicopter takes off in Sion, Switzerland, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, following the fire at the "Le Constellation" bar and lounge in Crans-Montana, Switzerland during the New Year celebration. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)2026-01-02T14:18:28Z MEXICO CITY (AP) A strong earthquake rattled southern and central Mexico on Friday, interrupting President Claudia Sheinbaums first press briefing of the new year as seismic alarms sounded.The earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.5 and its epicenter was near the town of San Marcos in the southern state of Guerrero near the Pacific coast resort of Acapulco, according to Mexicos national seismological agency.There were no immediate report of damage or casualties.

The Tesla logo is displayed at a Tesla dealership Thursday, Mar. 13, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)2026-01-02T14:19:15Z NEW YORK (AP) Tesla lost its crown as the worlds bestselling electric vehicle maker on Friday as a customer revolt over Elon Musks right-wing politics and stiff overseas competition pushed sales down for a second year in a row.Tesla said that it delivered 1.64 million vehicles in 2025, down 9% from a year earlier.Chinese rival BYD, which sold 2.26 vehicles last year, is now the biggest EV maker.For the fourth quarter, sales totaled 418,227, falling short of the 440,000 that analysts polled by FactSet expected. The sales total may likely have been impacted by the expiration of a $7,500 tax credit that was phased out by the Trump administration at the end of September.Even with multiple issues buffeting the company, the stock finished 2025 with a gain of approximately 11%, as investors hope Tesla CEO Musk can deliver on his ambitions to make Tesla a leader in robotaxi service and get consumers to embrace humanoid robots that can perform basic tasks in homes and offices.Shares of Tesla rose almost 2% before the opening bell Friday.

As the largest maker of electric vehicles in the United States, Tesla suffered more than other carmakers from the elimination of federal incentives.

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The Saudi-backed government in Yemen said it would send forces to reclaim territory from a group that the United Arab Emirates supports.

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Problems with a 25-year-old landmark paper on the safety of Roundups active ingredient, glyphosate, have led to calls for the E.P.A. to reassess the widely used chemical.

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2026-01-02T17:11:23Z CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) The FBI said Friday it had disrupted a plot to attack a North Carolina grocery store on New Years Eve, arresting a man who officials said was inspired by the Islamic State group and had pledged loyalty to the extremist militants.Christian Sturdivant, 18, was charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terror organization. Sturdivant was arrested by federal agents on Wednesday. He remained held following an appearance before U.S. District Judge Susan Rodriguez on Friday morning, pending a hearing on Jan. 7. The lawyer representing Sturdivant in federal court on Friday didnt immediately respond to an email seeking comment. An FBI affidavit filed in the case said Sturdivant came under investigation last month following information that an account that officials say was later connected to Sturdivant had made social media posts supportive of IS.The affidavit says Sturdivant had been on the FBIs radar in January 2022, when he was a minor, after officials learned that he had been in contact with an IS member in Europe and had received instructions to dress in all black and commit attacks with a hammer.