Bill Belichick's debut season at North Carolina ended with a blowout loss to rival NC State, capping a 4-8 campaign filled with struggles for the Tar Heels.

President Donald Trumps Department of Justice has accused lesbian federal Judge Ana Reyes of misconduct for alleged bias during her questioning of a DOJ lawyer on Trumps anti-transgender military ban last week. DOJ Chief of Staff Chad Mizelle sent a letter complaining about Reyes to Chief Judge Sri Srinivasan of the U.S. Court of Appeals for D.C. Circuit. Srinivasan, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, will decide whether to dismiss the complaint or appoint a committee of judges to investigate, Bloomberg News reported.In a letter, Mizelle alleges that Reyes engaged in hostile and egregious misconduct that compromised the dignity of the proceedings and demonstrated potential bias. Mizelle alleges that Reyes broke the Code of Conduct for U.S. Judges when she questioned DOJ attorney Jason Lynch about whether Jesus would approve of discrimination against trans people and then [used Lynch] as a physical prop in her courtroom theatrics while trying to demonstrate the concept of animus (unfair hostility towards a group). Related Federal judge mocks Donald Trumps frankly ridiculous trans military ban During questioning, Reyes pointed out that Trumps executive order banning trans military members referred to them as selfish, dishonorable, deceitful, undisciplined, and a threat to military readiness and lethality or, as Reyes put it, as liars because they do not adhere to the Trump administrations belief that there are only two sexes: male and female. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today While Judge Reyes was not sure exactly how many sexes there were, she hypothesized that could be anywhere near about 30 different intersex examples,' Mizelles letter states, referring to Reyes comment during questioning, which pointed out that Trumps gender binary ignores the existence of intersex people. She later alluded to the fact that Trumps executive orders require homeless shelters to refuse to house trans people according to their gender identity. During questioning, Reyes told Lynch, What do you think Jesus would say to telling a group of people that they are so worthless, so worthless that were not going to allow them into homeless shelters? Do you think Jesus would be, Sounds right to me? Or do you think Jesus would say, WTF? Of course, let them in?Mizelle said the question had no relevance to the legal analysis of military policy and placed DOJ counsel in anuntenable position of either appearing unresponsive or speculating about an incoherent hypothetical. Mizelle also said that Lynchs use of the slang WTF (an initialism for what the f**k) sheds light on the severity of the judges lack of professional decorum. Mizelle wrote that Reyes attempted to embarrass [Lynch] by physically directing him as part of a rhetorical exercise in front of other attorneys, court personnel, and members of the public and press. This alleged attempt occurred, Mizelle claims, after Reyes said that Trumps order had banned trans military members without any support that has been given by anyone, adding, How is that anything other than showing animus?After making her comment, Reyes claimed to have made a change to her courts rules so that no graduates from the University of Virginia (UVA), where Lynch graduated, can appear before her. So, I need you to sit down, please, she told Lynch. I need you to sit down. When Lynch did, she said that UVA graduates could no longer appear before her because theyre all liars and lack integrity. She asked him if her new rules were an example of animus.Judge Reyes actions diminished respect for counsel and created an intimidating atmosphere inconsistent with the proper administration of justice, Mizelle said, asking Judge Srinivasan to investigate Reyes and take appropriate action to ensure that future proceedings in this court are conducted with the dignity and impartiality the public has a right to expect. Reyes was questioning Lynch while trying to decide whether to place an injunction on Trumps ban while legal challenges to it continue in other federal courts. Reyes said she would let the ban proceed and would hold an additional hearing on March 3, after Trumps 60-day deadline for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to write details explaining how the military should implement Trumps ban. During questioning, Reyes called the orders assertion that trans pronoun use undermines troop effectiveness frankly ridiculous, telling Lynch, If you want to get me an officer of the U.S. military who is willing to get on the stand and say that because of pronoun usage, the U.S. military is less prepared I will be the first to give you a box of cigars.The ban will affect an estimated 8,000 to 15,000 trans soldiers. Two legal challenges have been filed against Trumps ban:The firstwas filed at the end of January, andthe secondwas filed near the start of February. The second lawsuit says that the Trump administration discriminated against trans people based purely on sex without even a legitimate justification, let alone the important, exceedingly persuasive, or compelling one required. The lawsuit additionally says the ban burdens and chills the plaintiffs exercise of free speech, making them deny their trans identity in their professional and private lives, even though the military allowed out trans people to serve at least twice in the past. It also says the ban has unfairly destabilized their families lives and finances.A 2016 study by the RAND Corporation found that the cost of trans-related medical care is exceedingly small relative to the Department of Defenses overall healthcare costs, that trans people do not harm military readiness, and that foreign militaries have successfully enlisted trans military service members without any negative effects on effectiveness, readiness, or unit cohesion.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

The Golden State Warriors will sign veteran guard Seth Curry to a contract for the remainder of the season Monday, sources told ESPN.

Nobody advanced or cherished the English language more than Stoppard, Tim Curry noted. Colleagues and fans agreed.

Four years ago, my husband and I made an increasingly common choice: We hugged, apologized for our shortcomings and freed each other.

The playwright, who learned about his Jewish heritage late in life, addressed it in the Tony Award-winning drama Leopoldstadt.

President Trump has put a spotlight on Honduras as voters head to the polls. Their choices include the left-wing party in power and a candidate endorsed by Mr. Trump.

In works like Travesties and Arcadia, the playwright embraced the really big questions and wrestled words into coherent, exhilarating shape.

Including a sleeper armchair thats perfect for small spaces.READ MORE...

It may come as a surprise to people living outside of the American South that the majority of LGBTQ+ Americans reside in this region. Ask any LGBTQ+ person living in the coastal U.S. their thoughts about the experiences of queer people in deep red states like Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi, and their reaction is likely to be a combination of fear and sympathy. Sure, some queer people flee the South for more politically and socially progressive states. But others remain and commit themselves to creating a future that is welcoming and affirming of all people, especially Black queer folks who still choose to call the South home. Related Drag is still legal: Activist has an important reminder after court upholds state drag ban Kamilah Kenyatta, Gender/LGBTQ+ Justice Organizer for ACLU Alabama, and TC Caldwell, Executive Director of The Knights Orchid Society (TKO Society), are two of those people. Both Kenyatta and Caldwell served as co-organizers of the inaugural Black Queer Visionaries Summit (BQVS), an offshoot of Black Trans Futures, a five-month, paid organizing and storytelling collaboration between the ACLU of Alabama and TKO Society that provided Black transgender Alabamians with community organizing and storytelling skills to combat anti-trans rhetoric and legislation. BQVS was held in Birmingham over three days in early October. | Tosha Gaines Photography Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today The creation of BQVS was our declaration that we have always been here, and we are here to stay, Kenyatta said. When our communities are forced to defend our very existence, such as fighting legislative attacks on trans healthcare, book bans that erase our stories, and being confronted with the effects of systemic violence, we are not meant to have time to dream.For organizers, BQVS was a tangible, community-first manifestation of each organizations direct investment in Black LGBTQ+ communities.Kamilah Kenyatta, Gender/LGBTQ+ Justice Organizer, ACLU Alabama, addresses attendees during the opening session of the inaugural Black Queer Visionaries Summit on October 3, 2025, at the Embassy Suites in Birmingham, AL. | Tosha Gaines Photography This [BQVS] was not about reacting to struggle, but rather a proactive and intentional gathering that poured directly into the attendees and their lived realities, Kenyatta said. We held space for all of it: the hard conversations, building around and mapping out practices for community care and organizing, the collective processing of grief, the sacred act of archiving our own stories, and most importantly, for radical unapologetic joy. ACLU Alabama and TKO Society selected over 60 Black LGBTQ+ people from across the South for the inaugural BQVS cohort, an all-expenses-paid program. Redefining home as Black queer and transgender Southerners was one of the first visionary assignments facilitators gave to attendees and speakers on day one.During the opening fireside chat, Caldwell, a Black transgender man and Montgomery resident, described home as a place where my nervous system is calm, where I dont have to pick what bathroom I go to, where people witness me but dont perceive me.TC Caldwell, Executive Director, The Knights Orchid Society (TKO Society), speaks during the opening session fireside chat of the inaugural Black Queer Visionaries Summit on October 3, 2025, at the Embassy Suites in Birmingham, AL. | Tosha Gaines PhotographyThe use of bathrooms that align with ones gender identity remains a baseless but relentless priority for conservative Alabama politicians at the expense of the dignity and humanity of transgender Alabamians. It was also an issue organizers had to navigate on-site in real time after being forced to designate an additional hotel room for transgender attendees to use the bathroom without fear of questions or confrontation from other hotel guests who might object to their entry into a bathroom they feel safest in.Why are we still navigating bathroom use? It was a sharp reminder that we still have a long way to go in the South, Caldwell said. Being called to the front desk like children to discuss the bathroom problem really showed me that bodily autonomy is a right many of us may never have if we continue to let things like this happen.The worst part is that we anticipated this, Kenyatta said. Given the current climate, we thought about safety extensively beforehand and had already secured private suites to ensure a comfortable, judgment-free option was available. We fundamentally believe in letting people use the bathroom that aligns best with their identity and needs, and we never wanted to police that. We are so grateful that folks still resonated with the space, but it certainly undermined the sense of belonging we were working so hard to ensure for our attendees.We get to create what home looks like, said Jenice Fountain, executive director of The Yellowhammer Fund. We get to create what healing looks like, and its always gonna look different from any mainstream ideal, she said.Members of the inaugural Black Queer Visionaries Summit present their vision for a future that encompasses full equality for Black LGBTQ people in the South during a breakout session on October 3, 2025, at the Embassy Suites in Birmingham, AL. | Tosha Gaines Photography Home consists of showing up whole, said Daroneshia Duncan-Boyd, founder and executive director of the Birmingham-based TAKE Resource Center (Transgender Advocates Knowledgeable Empowering).People dont understand our courageous identity. We show up with so much courage, Duncan-Boyd told GLAAD in a previous interview. Were gonna do it, no matter how somebody views us or what anyone says about us. We are who we are and will stand true to what we believe in.Nobody has ever loved me or cared for me the way Black queer and trans people have, but nobody has ever hurt me the way Black queer and trans people have, and that tells me that we understand principle struggle and conflict, Caldwell said. We havent healed our sh*t yet because were still healing what our parents couldnt do. Were still healing what their parents couldnt do. And now that we have language and access to these things, its gonna take us a little more time, but my God, were getting there, they said.Drag artists, including 56-year veteran drag performer Bronzie DeMarco (right), slayed the house down during the Black Queer Visionaries Summit drag show on October 4, 2025, at the Embassy Suites in Birmingham, AL. | Tosha Gaines Photograph Throughout the summit, facilitators centered strategy discussions on how to dismantle various forms of oppression, but with a lineup of fierce Black drag performers, including Alabama drag legend Bronzie DeMarco, who recently celebrated her 56th year as a drag performer, organizers also made sure to center Black queer joy, and above all else, rest.Burnout is a real thing, Caldwell said. And these movements cant move when dead bodies are pushing them.For Duncan-Boyd, one of Birminghams most respected and effective Black transgender leaders, creating work/life balance, while necessary, isnt often at the top of the list when the work is personal, and Black LGBTQ organizations consistently lack vital resources.Daroneshia Duncan-Boyd (left), Founder and Executive Director of TAKE Resource Center (Transgender Advocates Knowledgeable Empowering), TC Caldwell (center), and Jenice Fountain (right), Executive Director of The Yellowhammer Fund, speak during the opening session fireside chat on October 3, 2025, at the Embassy Suites in Birmingham, AL. | Darian Aaron If you dont get emotional by doing this work, baby, youre in the wrong field, Duncan-Boyd told the BQVS cohort. Youre not gonna tell me to detach myself from the people that Im serving that look like me, identify like me, and have been where Ive been. Youre gonna tell me to detach from them because its personal? Hell yeah, its personal because I see myself in them.With its inaugural success, Kenyatta says BQVS is proof and a model for what is possible when we stop waiting for permission and start building the futures we deserve, right here in the South.And like every Black and queer person, the cohort remains resilient in the face of increasing attacks on the community.We keep saying the world is on fire, but Lord have mercy, they will not stop us from dancing, Caldwell said. They will not stop us from celebrating or from loving one another. Joy is a part of our lineage and we deserve to be fu**ing happy.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Auburn has reached a six-year deal for South Florida's Alex Golesh to become the Tigers' next football coach, sources told ESPN's Pete Thamel.

Man United and Joshua Zirkzee had a poor first half vs. Crystal Palace, but one moment of magic turned everything around.

A photo is displayed of National Guard member Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, one of two National Guard members who were shot in Washington on Wednesday, in Webster Springs, W.Va., Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Kathleen Batten)2025-11-30T20:25:28Z Mourners gathered at a West Virginia high school this weekend remembered a National Guard member fatally shot last week as a caring and positive person who wanted to help others.U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom died after a Wednesday shooting in Washington, D.C., while her seriously injured colleague, U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, remained in critical condition. In recent days, local vigils in West Virginia have honored the soldiers, including one Saturday evening at Webster County High School, where Beckstrom attended classes.Sarah was the kind of student that teachers hoped for, she carried herself with quiet strength, a contagious smile and a positive energy that lifted people around her, said Jarrod Hankins, the schools principal. She was sweet, caring and always willing to help others.Beckstrom, 20, and Wolfe, 24 were deployed with the West Virginia National Guard as part of President Donald Trumps aggressive crime-fighting plan that federalized the D.C. police force. A 29-year-old Afghan national faces one count of first-degree murder and two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed in the shooting, which prompted the Trump administration to halt all asylum decisions and pause issuing visas for people traveling on Afghan passports. Funeral arrangements had not been finalized for Beckstrom, according to Cathy Pettry, the owner of Dodd & Reed Funeral Home in Webster Springs. Pettry said Saturday that the home has been in contact with Beckstroms family about services. Stay up to date with the news and the best of AP by following our WhatsApp channel. Follow on The hometown crowd, seated in bleachers and folding chairs, lit candles as they heard from clergy and Gov. Patrick Morrisey, who said he had visited Wolfes family earlier in the day. Wolfe, of Martinsburg, entered service in February 2019. He had graduated from Musselman High School in 2019, according to Berkeley County Schools.He remained hospitalized and fighting for his life, Morrisey said the following day during an interview with Fox News Channels The Sunday Briefing. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News Sunday that she also planned to meet with Wolfes family.Morrisey called it a challenging time for the state.Calling Beckstrom a favorite daughter of Webster County, he said he quickly learned about her reputation as someone with a big heart who loved to serve others. Beckstrom, of Summersville, graduated in June 2023 and enlisted that month. She served with distinction as a military police officer, according to the West Virginia National Guard. She had a lot of kindness and she certainly had courage, Morrisey told the crowd during Saturdays vigil. Though her life lasted far too short, she has left a mark thats going to last forever.

Texas Tech cornerback Amier Boyd (27) intercepts the ball against West Virginia during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025, in Morgantown, W.Va. (AP Photo/Kathleen Batten)2025-11-30T19:03:30Z Follow live updates on the AP Top 25 poll. Get the AP Top 25 college football poll delivered straight to your inbox every week with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here. Texas A&M fell out of the top five of The Associated Press college football poll for the first time in two months Sunday, Texas Tech notched its highest ranking in 17 years and a season-high four teams from Group of Five conferences are ranked as the top five got a shuffle with a week to go before the postseason bracket is set.No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Indiana, the only remaining unbeatens, are the top two teams for a seventh straight poll heading into their Big Ten title game clash on Saturday. No. 3 Georgia and No. 4 Oregon each moved up a spot, and Texas Techs No. 5 ranking is its best since it spent three weeks at No. 2 in November 2008.Mississippi remained No. 6 and was followed by Texas A&M, which slipped four spots after its 10-point loss at Texas. Oklahoma, Notre Dame and Alabama rounded out the top 10 for the third straight week. The weekend results created two top-10 matchups in conference championship games this Saturday. Besides the Big Ten showdown, Georgia and Alabama will play for the Southeastern Conference crown. The other Top 25 matchup pits Texas Tech against No. 11 BYU in the Big 12. The Atlantic Coast Conference game matches No. 16 Virginia against a Duke team that is 7-5 and received no votes in Sundays poll. No. 12 Miami and No. 13 Vanderbilt traded places in the rankings. The Hurricanes, who finished the regular season with a 31-point road win over Pittsburgh, are the highest-ranked ACC team and hope to receive a College Football Playoff at-large bid. Vanderbilt slipped despite beating Tennessee by 21 points on the road. Think you know who belongs in the Top 25? Now its your turn to vote with the AP Top 25 fan poll. James Madison, which will host Troy for the Sun Belt championship game Friday, moved up one spot to No. 19 and is the highest-ranked Group of Five team. Three teams from the American Conference are behind the Dukes: No. 20 North Texas, No. 21 Tulane and No. 24 Navy.North Texas visits Tulane for the American championship game Friday. Tulane, at No. 24, was the only G5 team in last weeks CFP rankings. In and out No. 22 Arizona is ranked for the first time since September 2024. The Wildcats won 23-7 at Arizona State in the battle for the Territorial Cup and are on a five-game winning streak. No. 23 Navy, which won 28-17 at Memphis, is in the Top 25 for the first time this season and will take its highest ranking since 2019 into the annual showcase game against Army on Dec. 13. No. 25 Missouri beat Arkansas by two touchdowns and returned to the poll after a one-week absence.Tennessee (No. 18), Pittsburgh (No. 24) and SMU (No. 25) dropped out.Poll points Seven straight weeks with the same Nos. 1 and 2 teams is the longest since Georgia and Michigan went 11 weeks in a row as the top two in 2023. The American Conferences three Top 25 teams are its most since Nov. 20, 2022, when the same number were ranked. The league record for ranked teams is four, in 2015 and 2019. The last time there were four Group of Five teams ranked was the final poll of the 2024 season. Tennessees streak of 33 straight poll appearances ended after it dropped to 8-4 with its loss to Vanderbilt. Conference callSEC (8 ranked teams): Nos. 3 Georgia, 6 Mississippi, 7 Texas A&M, 8 Oklahoma, 10 Alabama, 13 Vanderbilt, 14 Texas, 25 Missouri.Big Ten (5): Nos. 1 Ohio State, 2 Indiana, 4 Oregon, 17 Southern California, 18 Michigan.Big 12 (4): Nos. 5 Texas Tech, 11 BYU, 15 Utah, 22 Arizona.ACC (3): Nos. 12 Miami, 16 Virginia, 24 Georgia Tech.American (3): Nos. 20 North Texas, 21 Tulane, 23 Navy.Independent (1): No. 9 Notre Dame.Sun Belt (1): No. 19 James Madison. Ranked vs. rankedNo. 2 Indiana (12-0, 9-0 Big Ten) vs. No. 1 Ohio State (12-0, 9-0), Saturday, at Indianapolis: Its a matchup of Heisman Trophy front-runners in QBs Fernando Mendoza of Indiana and Julian Sayin of Ohio State. Hoosiers are one of two teams to score more than 530 points this season (532). Buckeyes are only team to give up fewer than 100 points (93). No. 4 Georgia (11-1, 7-1 SEC) vs. No. 10 Alabama (10-2, 7-1), Saturday, at Atlanta: This will be the fourth meeting of these teams in a SEC championship game since 2018. Crimson Tide handed Georgia its only loss this season, 24-21 on Sept. 27. Bulldogs have rolled off eight straight wins since. No. 11 BYU (11-1, 8-1 Big 12) vs. No. 5 Texas Tech (11-1, 8-1), Saturday, at Arlington, Texas: Each team will be playing in the Big 12 championship game for the first time. Red Raiders dominated the regular-season meeting in Lubbock, winning 29-7.___Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football ERIC OLSON Olson is an Associated Press college football writer based in Omaha, Nebraska. He also covers the Big Ten, the NCAA, the College Football Playoff alongside local teams Nebraska and Creighton. twitter mailto

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., speaks with reporters about President Donald Trump's foreign policy intentions, with Venezuela in particular, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)2025-11-30T18:49:28Z WASHINGTON (AP) Lawmakers from both parties said Sunday they support congressional reviews of U.S. military strikes against vessels suspected of smuggling drugs in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, citing a published report that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order for all crew members to be killed as part of a Sept. 2 attack.The lawmakers said they did not know whether last weeks Washington Post report was true, and some Republicans were skeptical, but they said attacking survivors of an initial missile strike poses serious legal concerns.This rises to the level of a war crime if its true, said Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va.Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, when asked about a follow-up strike aimed at people no long able to fight, said Congress does not have information that happened. He noted that leaders of the Armed Services Committee in both the House and Senate have opened investigations. Obviously, if that occurred, that would be very serious and I agree that that would be an illegal act, Turner said.Turner said there are concerns in Congress about the attacks on vessels that the Trump administration says are transporting drugs, but the allegations regarding the Sept. 2 attack is completely outside anything that has been discussed with Congress and there is an ongoing investigation. The comments from lawmakers during news show appearance come as the administration escalates a campaign to combat drug trafficking into the U.S. On Saturday, Republican President Donald Trump said the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela should be considered as closed in its entirety, an assertion that raised more questions about the U.S. pressure on Venezuelan leader Nicols Maduro. Maduros government accused Trump of making a colonial threat and seeking to undermine the South American countrys sovereignty. After the Posts report, Hegseth said Friday on X that fake news is delivering more fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory reporting to discredit our incredible warriors fighting to protect the homeland. Our current operations in the Caribbean are lawful under both U.S. and international law, with all actions in compliance with the law of armed conflictand approved by the best military and civilian lawyers, up and down the chain of command, Hegseth wrote.Republican Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and its top Democrat, Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, said in a joint statement late Friday that the committee will be conducting vigorous oversight to determine the facts related to these circumstances.That was followed Saturday with the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Republican Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama, and ranking Democratic member, Washington Rep. Adam Smith, issuing a joint statement saying the panel was committed to providing rigorous oversight of the Department of Defenses military operations in the Caribbean. We take seriously the reports of follow-on strikes on boats alleged to be ferrying narcotics in the SOUTHCOM region and are taking bipartisan action to gather a full accounting of the operation in question, Rogers and Smith said, referring to U.S. Southern Command. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., asked about the Sept. 2 attack, said Hegseth deserves a chance to present his side.We should get to the truth. I dont think he would be foolish enough to make this decision to say, kill everybody, kill the survivors because thats a clear violation of the law of war, Bacon said. So, Im very suspicious that he wouldve done something like that because it would go against common sense.Kaine and Turner appeared on CBS Face the Nation, and Bacon was on ABCs This Week.

Pope Leo XIV waves as he arrives for a welcoming ceremony at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025.(AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)2025-11-30T04:04:19Z BEIRUT (AP) Pope Leo XIV challenged Lebanons political leaders on Sunday to be true peacemakers and put their differences aside, as he sought to give Lebanons long-suffering people a message of hope and bolster a crucial Christian community in the Middle East.Leo arrived in Beirut from Istanbul on the second leg of his maiden voyage as pope. He came to encourage the Lebanese people to persevere at a precarious moment for the small Mediterranean country as it faces economic uncertainty, deep political divisions and fears of a new war with Israel.Leo is fulfilling a promise of his predecessor, Pope Francis, who had wanted to visit Lebanon for years but was unable to because of its many crises and as his health worsened.Lebanons political system, based on sectarian power-sharing, has been prone to deadlock with lengthy power vacuums and regular stalemates over controversial issues, including the investigation into the deadly 2020 Beirut port explosion. Most recently, the country has been deeply split over calls for Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group and political party, to disarm after fighting a war with Israel last year that left the country deeply damaged. Leo didnt directly reference the recent war or the debate over weapons in his speech at the presidential palace. But he acknowledged the hardships the Lebanese people have endured.You have suffered greatly from the consequences of an economy that kills, from global instability that has devastating repercussions also in the Levant, and from the radicalization of identities and conflicts, Leo said. But you have always wanted, and known how, to start again. He told Lebanese leaders to seek the truth and engage in a process of reconciliation with those who have suffered wrongs and injustice if they truly want to be considered peacemakers.A culture of reconciliation, he said, must come from the top with leaders willing to put their personal interests aside and recognize the common good as superior to the particular. The highlight of Leos Lebanese visit will come on Tuesday, his last day, when he spends time in silent prayer at the site of the Aug. 4, 2020, port blast, which killed more than 200 people and did billions of dollars in damage.For many people, Leos mere presence was a message.It shows that Lebanon is not forgotten, said Bishop George, archbishop of the Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Beirut.Heavy security for popes arrivalAt the Beirut airport, where his plane landed with a Lebanese military jet escort, Leo was greeted first by President Joseph Aoun, then by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. He moved through the streets of the Lebanese capital in a closed popemobile, a return to the past after Pope Francis eschewed closed popemobiles. Lebanese troops deployed on both sides of the road and a helicopter flew overhead.The Vatican spokesman, Matteo Bruni, had declined to discuss the types of vehicles Leo would use in Lebanon, and whether they would be bulletproofed. The visit came just a week after an Israeli strike in Beirut killed five people, including a top Hezbollah official.As the convoy reached the entrance of the presidential palace, a dance troupe performed dabke, a traditional Arab folk dance, under heavy rain. A visit meant to give hopeIn Turkey, Leo marked an important Christian anniversary. )In Lebanon, Leo was seeking to encourage Lebanese who believe their leaders have failed them, and to call on Lebanese Christians to stay or, if they have already moved abroad, to come home.A Muslim-majority country where about a third of the population is Christian, Lebanon has always been a priority for the Vatican, a bulwark for Christians throughout the region. After years of conflict, Christian communities that date from the time of the Apostles have shrunk as families have moved abroad for safety and better lives.In his welcome speech, Leo said much good can come from the Lebanese diaspora. However, we must not forget that remaining in our homeland and working day by day to develop a civilization of love and peace remains something very valuable, he said. Aoun, Lebanons Maronite Christian president, vowed that Christians will remain.Lebanon is a homeland of freedom for every human being, Aoun said. Your Holiness, tell the world that we will not die. We will not leave, we will not despair, and we will not surrender. Lebanons ongoing conflict with IsraelDespite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire last year that nominally ended a two-month war between Israel and Hezbollah, Israel continues to launch near-daily airstrikes that it says aim to stop the militant group from rebuilding. The war killed more than 4,000 people in Lebanon and caused widespread destruction.The pope is coming to bless us and for the sake of peace, said Farah Saadeh, a Beirut resident walking on the citys seaside promenade. We hope nothing is going to happen after his departure.Before Leos arrival, Hezbollah urged the pope to express his rejection to injustice and aggression that the country is being subjected to, referring to the Israeli strikes. The group also urged its supporters to line up along the papal convoy route. Hundreds of them did so, waving the flags of Lebanon and the Vatican.Mounir Younes, the leader of a Hezbollah-affiliated scout troupe, said they aimed to send a message about the importance of coexistence and national unity.Muslim-Christian coexistence is a great wealth that we must hold onto, he said.Hezbollah a primarily Shiite group has allied with several Christian political groups in the country, including the Free Patriotic Movement and Marada Movement. However, the Christian party with the largest parliamentary bloc, the Lebanese Forces, is an opponent of Hezbollah and has criticized the group for pulling the country into a war with Israel. The country is now deeply divided over calls for the group to disarm.Syrian Christians comingIn neighboring Syria, hundreds of thousands of Christians fled during the countrys 14 years of civil war. A delegation of some 300 Syrian Christians traveled to Lebanon to join a meeting between Leo and youth groups and pray in a public mass on Beiruts waterfront.We are in need of someone like the pope to come and give us hope as Christians at a time of fear of an unknown future, said 24-year-old Dima Awwad, one of the delegation members. We wish that the pope would come to visit Syria as he visited Lebanon, to reassure the people and to feel that we are present as eastern Christians and that we need to be in this place.___Associated Press writers Kareem Chehayeb, Bassem Mroue and Ali Sharafeddine in Beirut contributed to this report.___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. NICOLE WINFIELD Winfield has been on the Vatican beat since 2001, covering the papacies of St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI and the Francis pontificate and traveling the world with them. ABBY SEWELL Sewell is the Associated Press news director for Lebanon, Syria and Iraq. She joined the AP in 2022 but has been based in the region since 2016, reporting and guiding coverage on some of its most significant news stories. twitter mailto

U.S. Border Patrol agents look on, Monday, Nov. 17, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)2025-11-30T14:03:45Z NEW ORLEANS (AP) Around 250 federal border agents are expected to launch a monthslong immigration crackdown on Monday in southeast Louisiana and into Mississippi dubbed Swamp Sweep. The deployment, which aims to arrest 5,000 people, is centered in liberal New Orleans and is the latest federal immigration enforcement operation to target a Democratic-run city as President Donald Trumps administration pursues its mass deportation agenda.Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, who has led aggressive operations in Chicago, Los Angeles and Charlotte, North Carolina, is expected to helm the campaign.Many in the greater New Orleans area, particularly in Latino communities, have been on edge since the planned operations were reported earlier this month, even as Republican Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said he welcomes the federal agents.Heres what to know about Swamp Sweep. Border Patrol accused of aggressive tactics in blue citiesBovino has become the Trump administrations go-to operative for leading large-scale, high-profile immigration enforcement campaigns. During his operation in Chicago, federal agents rappelled from a helicopter into a residential apartment complex and fired pepper balls and tear gas at protesters.Federal agents arrested more than 3,200 immigrants during a surge in the Chicago area in recent months, but have not provided many details. Court documents on roughly 600 recent arrests showed that only a handful had criminal records representing a high public safety risk, according to federal government data. Stay up to date with the news and the best of AP by following our WhatsApp channel. Follow on Border Patrol, which does not typically operate in dense urban areas or in situations with protesters, has been accused of heavy-handed tactics, prompting several lawsuits. Earlier this month, a federal judge in Chicago accused Bovino of lying and rebuked him for deploying chemical irritants against protesters. Bovino has doubled down on the efficacy of his agencys operations.Were finding and arresting illegal aliens, making these communities safer for the Americans who live there, he said in a post on X. Louisiana has strict immigration enforcement lawsThe Department of Justice has accused New Orleans of undermining federal immigration enforcement and included it on a list of 18 so-called sanctuary cities. The citys jail, which has been under longstanding oversight from a federal judge, does not cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement under most circumstances, and its police department views immigration enforcement as a civil matter outside its jurisdiction.However, Louisianas Republican-dominated Legislature has passed laws to compel New Orleans agencies to align with the Trump administrations hard-line immigration stance. One such law makes it a crime to knowingly do something intended to hinder, delay, prevent, or otherwise interfere with or thwart federal immigration enforcement efforts. Anyone who violates the law could face fines and up to a year of jail time.Additionally, lawmakers expanded the crime of malfeasance in office, which is punishable by up to 10 years in jail, for government officials who refuse to comply with requests from agencies like ICE. It also prohibits police and judges from releasing from their custody anyone who illegally entered or unlawfully remained in the U.S. without providing advance notice to ICE. New Orleans awaits federal agentsIn and around New Orleans, some immigration lawyers say they have been inundated with calls from people trying to prepare for the upcoming operation. One immigration lawyer, Miguel Elias, says his firm is conducting many consultations virtually or by telephone because people are too afraid to come in person.He likens the steps many in the immigrant community are taking to what people do to prepare for a hurricane hunker down or evacuate. Families are stocking up on groceries and making arrangements for friends to take their children to school to limit how frequently they leave the house, he said.In the days leading up to Border Patrols planned operations, businesses have posted signs barring federal agents from entry and grassroots advocacy groups have offered rights-related trainings and workshops on documenting the planned crackdown. While New Orleans is famous for its blend of cultures, only around 6.7% of its population of nearly 400,000 is foreign-born, though that rises to almost 10% in neighboring metro areas. Thats still well below the national average of 14.3%, according to U.S. census data.The citys Hispanic population ballooned during rebuilding efforts following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and now makes up around 14% of the population, according to census data compiled by New Orleans-based Data Center.The Pew Research Center estimates 110,000 immigrants who lack permanent legal status were living in Louisiana as of 2023, comprising approximately 2.4% of the states population. Most of them are from Honduras.Amanda Toups, who owns local restaurant Toups Meatery and runs a nonprofit to help feed neighbors in need, said she expects the federal operations to negatively impact the citys tourism-dependent economy, which supports the rest of Louisiana. If youre scaring off even 5% of tourism, thats devastating, she said. Youre brown and walking around in town somewhere and you could get tackled by ICE and youre an American citizen? Does that make you want to travel to New Orleans?___Santana reported from Washington, D.C. and Cline reported from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.___Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. JACK BROOK Brook covers Louisiana government, infrastructure and environmental issues from New Orleans. He is a Report for America corps member. twitter mailto REBECCA SANTANA Santana covers the Department of Homeland Security for The Associated Press. She has extensive experience reporting in such places as Russia, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. twitter mailto

Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson repeatedly pressured transphobic British media figure Piers Morgan to say f**got on the November 27 installment of Carlsons broadcast.During the segment, Carlson claimed that police arrested a female viewer who used the anti-gay slur against a man who then assaulted her. Carlson expressed outrage over the alleged incident, but provided no proof that it actually happened. Related Pete Buttigieg responds to Tucker Carlsons invite to discuss specific questions about gay sex Youre allowed to be homophobic if you want, Carlson said. In a free country, you can have any view you want. But no, because she used the word f**got, shes arrested, and the guy who punched her in the face is not. That story tells you everything.Carlson then asked Morgan if he would repeat the anti-gay slur on camera. When Morgan refused, Carlson asked if it was because he feared being arrested under the UKs hate speech laws. Morgan explained, I dont believe in needlessly sneering or insulting anybody. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today My issue with the whole trans debate, for example, is you dont need to slide into actually saying derogatory stuff about trans people to make the point that womens rights should be protected, Morgan added.When Morgan asked Carlson if he would ever use the word on camera, Carlson then repeated it several times and explained that he did so because he is not allowed to. Carlson also claimed that opposition to the slur creates a chilling effect on his self-expression, and added, I can use any freaking word I want. TUCKER: Would you say the word 'f*ggot' on camera?PIERS MORGAN (UK): No.TUCKER: You don't want to get arrested, do you?PIERS: Would you use it?TUCKER: F*ggot? I just did. F*ggot, f*ggot, f*ggot.PIERS: OK, why?TUCKER: Because you're not allowed to!PIERS: I am pic.twitter.com/mCSXRHNHFo Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) November 27, 2025 Carlsons 1991 Trinity College yearbook lists him as a member of the Dan White Society and the Jesse Helms Foundation.White is the person who assassinated Harvey Milk, the groundbreaking out politician who urged gay people to come out. Helms, the late Republican senator from North Carolina, was notoriously racistand viciously anti-gay.In 1990, Carlson wrote in his college newspaper thathomosexuality wasunnatural and unhealthy.In 2007, Carlson went onMSNBC Liveto brag about the time he beat up a gay man in a bathroom.Morgan recently released a new book entitled Woke Is Dead: How Common Sense Triumphed in an Age of Total Madness in which he defends the transphobic views of millionaire author J.K. Rowling.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Ariana Grande recently spoke about her late grandmothers hilarious response to her older brother Frankie coming out as gay.The Wicked: For Good star joined Amy Poehler on the November 18 edition of her Good Hang podcast, where the Parks and Recreation star asked Grande about her Nonna, who passed away in June. Related Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo celebrate the Wicked film as beautifully queer Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today She was amazing. She was so funny, Grande said. My favorite Nonna story is Frankie coming out to her.As he told Attitude in 2016, Frankie came out to his little sister when she was just 11 years old, and her first request was to meet his boyfriend.On Good Hang, Ariana confirmed her brothers account of the moment.He came out to us, and, you know, my first question was like, Do you have a boyfriend? Who is he? I want to meet him!But she said it took their Nonna slightly longer to wrap her head around Frankies revelation. Nonna was just trying to figure it out, Grande told Poehler. She was very accepting, very loving, very celebratory. But she was just trying to figure it out. Because she couldnt believe it. You know, in her mind, he had plenty of girlfriends.So, she goes, Frankie, have you seen a pair of breasts? Grande continued, imitating her grandmothers Brooklyn accent. And he was like, Yeah. Yeah, Nonna, Ive seen breasts, yeah. And she goes, Didnt do anything for you? He was like, No, Nonna. No. And shes like, Well, youre gay. The Grande siblings grandfather was similarly accepting.When Frankie came out to him, he was like, What the hell? Who cares? What? Are we gonna love him any less? We got dinner reservations at Positano. Lets go! Grande recalled.Poehler noted that all kids should experience that kind of instant acceptance.We need it now more than ever, Grande agreed. I wish that for all the kids.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

A Republican congressional staffer has been charged with conspiracy and making false statements to law enforcement after she claimed she was assaulted at gunpoint and her attackers wrote Trump Whore on her body.Natalie Greene, 26, a former aide to Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ), told police and the FBI in July that she and a friend were taking a late-night hike through a nature preserve in New Jersey when three unidentified men attacked her, binding her hands and feet with zip ties. Related Donald Trumps lawyer claims hes a protected class after he rejected making LGBTQ a protected class She told the cops one of the men had a gun.Greenes companion on the walk, an unnamed co-conspirator in the case, called 911. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today They were attacking her she told the operator. They were like talking about politics and stuff. They were like calling her names.They were like calling her like racist, calling her a whore, she added.Police found Greene writhing on the ground screaming, with her shirt pulled over her head. Cuts and lacerations covered her head, neck, chest, and shoulders, and the words Trump Whore were written across her stomach in black marker. Van Drew is Racist was written on her back.Greene said the three guys addressed her by name, with one threatening to kill her if she made any noise.The men held her down and cut into her, Greene claimed.The episode, it turns out, was a hoax, authorities determined.Investigators learned that Greene had visited a body modification/scarification artist to deliberately cut the lacerations on her body, based on a pattern that shed provided herself, prosecutors said.Law enforcement officers also recovered black zip ties in Greenes car on the night of the alleged attack, similar to those used to bind the womans arms and feet. Two days earlier, investigators learned, Greenes co-conspirator had used her cell phone to search for zip ties near me.Greene made her first appearance in federal court last week and faces a maximum five years imprisonment and $250,000 fine for conspiracy to convey false statements and hoaxes, and the same for making false statements to law enforcement. She was released on a $200,000 bond.We are deeply saddened by todays news, and while Natalie is no longer associated with the Congressmans government office, our thoughts and prayers are with her, Paxton Antonucci, a spokesperson for Van Drews office told The Hill. We hope shes getting the care she needs. Donald Trumps pick to run the U.S. Attorneys Office in New Jersey, Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba, announced the charges on Wednesday.Habba, Trumps former personal lawyer, was appointed acting head of the office in March to avoid a confirmation fight, but shes continued in the temporary post despite a 120-day limit. The Justice Department added Habbas Special Attorney title in an effort to keep her in the role as she faces legal challenges to step down.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

A look at the new Top 25 after Week 14.

How sportsbooks are evaluating Ole Miss and the College Football Playoff race, and more on NFL underdogs winning big on Thanksgiving.

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert on Sunday suffered a break in his left hand during his team's 31-14 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, and though it will require surgery, he expects to play in his next game Dec. 8.

Undefeated Nebraska earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA women's volleyball tournament bracket released Sunday.

Kentucky is expected to fire football coach Mark Stoops, sources told ESPN's Pete Thamel on Sunday, with the process set to formally play out Monday.

The playwright won an Academy Award for Shakespeare in Love. But he was also a prolific script doctor who worked with filmmakers like Steven Spielberg.

Spinning off Shakespeare, waltzing through Imperial Russia, bantering about literature or diving deeply into history, Stoppard shared his gifts on the screen.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other U.S. officials met with a Ukrainian delegation that was without Andriy Yermak, who resigned as chief of staff to Ukraines president on Friday.

Top Republicans have joined Democrats in demanding answers about the escalating military campaign the Trump administration says is aimed at targeting drug traffickers.

Any Lucia Lpez Belloza, 19, was detained by immigration agents at the Boston airport before a flight to surprise her family in Texas for Thanksgiving. She is now in Honduras.

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A snowplow sets out in Lowville, N.Y., on Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Cara Anna)2025-11-30T17:17:18Z Utility crews worked to restore power Sunday to thousands of people in Wisconsin, the consequence of a weekend storm in the Great Lakes region that brought down power lines, while a wintry mix of rain and snow developed in the Northeast.The airport in Des Moines, Iowa, remained closed Sunday morning, a major travel day at the end of the Thanksgiving holiday. A Delta Connection flight from Detroit slid off an icy runway Saturday night. Authorities said no injuries were reported, and passengers were transported to the terminal by bus.Hundreds of churches in western Michigan told worshippers to stay home or watch services online. Up to 12 inches (about 30 centimeters) of snow has fallen since Saturday in areas close to Lake Michigan.Elsewhere in Iowa, gusty winds Saturday were blowing snow back onto roads, extending hazardous travel conditions, the National Weather Service said. In Wisconsin, We Energies reported more than 6,000 power outages, with more than half in Milwaukee and South Milwaukee. Mark Paladino said on Facebook that he was shoveling snow Sunday when his apartment complex lost power in Fredonia. Others said power lines were sagging under heavy, wet snow. The weather service said the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast would see a mix of rain and snow, though significant accumulations would likely be limited to higher elevations. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Police remove what appears to be a body bag from the site of a deadly Wednesday fire at Wang Fuk Court, a residential estate in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong's New Territories on Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)2025-11-30T04:45:02Z HONG KONG (AP) The death toll in Hong Kongs apartment complex blaze rose to 146 on Sunday as investigators discovered more bodies in the burned-out buildings. A steady stream of people placed bouquets of flowers at an ever-growing makeshift memorial at the scene of the disaster, among the worst in the citys history.The Hong Kong police Disaster Victim Identification Unit has been going through the buildings of the Wang Fuk Court complex meticulously and has found bodies both in apartment units and on the roofs, said the officer in charge, Cheng Ka-chun. The buildings remain structurally sound, but the search has been slow, he told reporters, still wearing his white coveralls with his hard hat and respiratory mask at his side. It is so dark inside, and because of the low light, it is very difficult to do the work, especially in places away from the windows. So far the team has examined four of the seven blocks, Cheng said.The latest searches turned up another 30 bodies, including 12 that had already been discovered by firefighters but hadnt been recovered, said Tsang Shuk-yin, the head of the Hong Kong police casualty unit. A further 100 people are unaccounted for and 79 have been injured, Tsang said. Stay up to date with the news and the best of AP by following our WhatsApp channel. Follow on At the scene, well-wishers bowed and said short prayers, or left handwritten notes among the flowers. This really serves as a wake-up call for everyone, especially with these super high-rise buildings, said Lian Shuzheng, who waited in a line of hundreds of people to add her flowers to the growing cluster. People have also donated supplies to those who lost everything in the blaze, which started Wednesday and took until Friday to fully extinguish. The eight buildings of the Wang Fuk Court complex in the suburb of Tai Po had all been clad in bamboo scaffolding draped with nylon netting for renovations, with windows covered by polystyrene panels. Authorities were investigating whether fire codes were violated. Other constructions by the same builder are halted Hong Kong officials announced late Saturday they had ordered the immediate suspension of work on 28 building projects undertaken by the same contractor, the Prestige Construction & Engineering Company, for safety audits. The five alarm fire at Wang Fuk Court, Tai Po, exposed serious deficiencies of PC&E in site safety management, including the extensive use of foam boards to block up windows during building repairs, the government said in a statement.The company did not answer calls for comment Sunday. Three men the directors and an engineering consultant of a construction company were arrested the day after the fire broke out on suspicion of manslaughter, and police said company leaders were suspected of gross negligence. Police did not identify the firm by name.Those three were released on bail but then rearrested by Hong Kongs anti-corruption authorities, who have also arrested a further eight suspects including scaffolding subcontractors, directors of an engineering consulting company and the renovation project managers.In recent days, multiple petitions have been started online calling for a proper investigation of what went wrong at the apartment complex. But Chinas national security authority also issued a warning Saturday, saying it would support Hong Kong in taking a hard stance against any disruptive actions linked to the disaster.We warn those anti-China elements ... no matter what methods they use, theyll be held accountable by the Hong Kong National Security Law and National Security Ordinance. Faulty fire alarms and foam panels under investigation The apartment complex of eight, 31-story buildings in Tai Po, a suburb near Hong Kongs border with mainland China, was built in the 1980s. It had almost 2,000 apartments and more than 4,600 residents.Many are now housed in short-term emergency shelters or city hotels, and authorities are working on longer-term solutions. Its heartbreaking, said Jeffery Chan, a civil servant who came to pay his respects on Sunday.As a Hong Konger, seeing people in the place where we live lose their families, lose everything in just one night if you put yourself in their shoes, it is unbearable. They need encouragement, support and help from the people of Hong Kong, he said. Preliminary investigations showed the fire started Wednesday afternoon on a lower-level scaffolding net of one of the buildings, and then spread rapidly inside as the foam panels caught fire and blew out windows, according to Chris Tang, Hong Kongs secretary for security. Winds helped the flames jump from building to building and soon seven of the eight were engulfed. First responders found that some fire alarms in the complex, which housed many older people, did not sound when tested, according to Andy Yeung, the director of Hong Kong Fire Services. The dead included seven Indonesian migrant workers, and several dozen are still unaccounted for, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry said. One Filipina domestic helper was also killed and 12 others remain unaccounted for, according to the Philippines Consulate General in Hong Kong. On Sunday afternoon, several hundred Filipinos packed a pedestrian street in central Hong Kong, saying prayers and singing hymns in tribute to the fire victims. In Beijing, the Ministry of Emergency Management announced a nationwide inspection of high-rise buildings to identify and remove fire hazards.Bamboo scaffolding, non-flame-retardant safety nets ... and firefighting facilities and equipment such as fire hydrant systems, automatic sprinkler systems and automatic fire alarm systems, will be among the main items to be inspected, the ministry said.The Wang Fuk Court fire is the worst on record since a warehouse blaze in 1948 killed 176 people. The deadliest fire in Hong Kongs recorded history was the 1918 Race Course Fire, in which more than 600 people were killed, according to the citys Antiquities and Monuments Office. _____AP video journalist Ayaka McGill contributed to this report. DAVID RISING Rising covers regional Asia-Pacific stories for The Associated Press. He has worked around the world, including covering the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Ukraine, and was based for nearly 20 years in Berlin before moving to Bangkok. twitter mailto

A soldier guards a polling station during general elections in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)2025-11-30T05:00:59Z TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) Hondurans began casting ballots Sunday to elect a new president only days after U.S. President Donald Trump intervened in a close race with an endorsement of one candidate and announced that he would pardon a former president.At a voting site in the capital, the countrys major parties were present outside with tables, banners, flags and music. Several dozen people lined up outside the gate to the neighborhood school and were allowed in about 30 minutes after the official start of voting.In addition to a new president, voters will elect a new Congress, as well as hundreds of local positions. Main candidatesAmong the five presidential candidates on the ballot, polls indicated three had a chance to win and were finishing in close competition. They are: 1. Rixi Moncada who served as finance and later as defense secretary in the current administration of President Xiomara Castro and is running for the social democrat LIBRE or Liberty and Re-foundation party.2. Salvador Nasralla, who is making his fourth bid for the presidency, this time as the candidate for the conservative Liberal Party. 3. Former Tegucigalpa Mayor Nasry Tito Asfura, who carries the mantle of the also conservative National Party.Moncada promises to democratize an economy still defined by extreme wealth and poverty. Nasralla casts himself as the outsider who can clean up the countrys endemic corruption. And Asfura is trying to restore the National Party as a pro-business force tarnished by previous bouts of presidential corruption. Campaign issuesHonduras security situation has improved in recent years as homicides across the region continue to fall, but it still has Central Americas highest homicide rate. Hondurans say security and jobs remain their top priorities, despite an economy that has strengthened during Castros administration.The presidential contest had mostly focused on candidates trading accusations of plans to manipulate the vote until this past week when Trump endorsed Asfura while attacking his opponents, the latest signal of the United States renewed interest in Latin America. U.S. presidents interventionThen Trump shocked Hondurans by announcing Friday that he would pardon ex-President Juan Orlando Hernndez, who was serving a 45-year sentence in a U.S. prison for helping drug traffickers moving cocaine to the United States.It was unclear what impact Trump would have on the election, but it was the latest show of the U.S. governments willingness to directly involve itself in the region and came at a time of already heightened tensions because of the U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean and Trumps threats against Venezuela President Nicols Maduro.Hondurans were left unnerved by the sudden U.S. attention, and hoping at a minimum for a peaceful election. Walking by a polling site in the capital, Ruben Daro Molina, a 55-year-old security guard, said that he wouldnt vote Sunday because he had to work. But he had choice words for Trump, whose administration deported him back to his native Honduras a month ago after 20 years living in the United States. He had worked in landscaping in Miami, but was picked up by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, one day in the street, separating him from his U.S. citizen wife and son.I dont believe in politicians, he said. Politicians are garbage. They use you like a ladder (to move up).Divergent viewsCristian Zelaya, a 42-year-old systems engineer, said that his priority in the voting booth was to try to rescue the country from a future like Venezuela. He said that he wanted to get the Communists out, in reference to the governing social democrat LIBRE party, which he said made big promises, but didnt deliver.He praised Trumps decision to pardon Hernndez, who he considered a good president, but said it had no impact on his decision.In another part of the capital, Carlos Alberto Figueroa, a 71-year-old retiree, said that he wanted Moncada to continue President Castros work, which he said had already resulted in development, a better economy and security. But he too discounted Trumps impact, saying the Honduran people would decide.Nancy Serrano, 20, was voting for the first time and top of mind for her was enough with corruption.Serrano is studying to be a teacher and she worries that the high prevalence of corruption limits opportunities for the youth and eats away at the economy.Election detailsIn announcing the start of voting Sunday, National Electoral Council President Ana Paola Hall called on the candidates to respect the rules to not declare victory before the council confirms a winner. Polls are due to close at 5 p.m. local time (2300 GMT) Sunday. The council planned to provide preliminary results at 9 p.m. (0300 GMT Monday), but has up to 30 days to officially announce the final result.More than 4,000 Honduran and foreign election observers had fanned out to the nearly 6,000 polling places across the country.___This story has been corrected to show that Moncada made the comment about promising to democratize the economy, not Castro.

Amazon's generative AI-powered shopping assistant, Rufus, appears on a computer monitor, Dec. 1, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan, File)2025-11-30T10:05:08Z NEW YORK (AP) Major retail chains and tech companies are offering new or updated artificial intelligence tools in time for the holiday shopping season, hoping to give consumers an easier gift-buying experience and themselves an augmented share of online spending. Although AI-powered purchases are in early stages, the shopping assistants and agents rolled out by the likes of Walmart, Amazon and Google can do more than the chatbots of holidays past. The latest versions were designed to provide personalized product recommendations, track prices and to place some orders through unscripted conversations with customers.Those features are on top of shopping updates from AI platforms like OpenAIs ChatGPT and Google Gemini. In one of the seasons most talked-about launches, Google this month introduced an AI agent that can be instructed to call local stores to ask if a desired product is in stock. San Francisco software company Salesforce estimated that AI would influence $73 billion, or 22%, of all global sales in one way or another from the Tuesday before Thanksgiving through Monday after the holiday, according to Caila Schwartz, Salesforces director of consumer insights. The figure, which stood at $60 billion a year ago, encompasses everything from a ChatGPT query to AI-supplied gift suggestions on a retailers website, Schwartz said.Despite the advancements, AIs impact on holiday shopping will be relatively limited this year since not every shopping site has useful tools and not every shopper is willing to try them, said Brad Jashinsky, a senior retail industry analyst at information technology research and consulting firm Gartner. The more retailers that launch these tools, the better they get, and the more that consumers get comfortable and start to seek them out, Jashinsky said. But customer behavior takes a long time to change.Here are three ways the technology is poised to influence holiday shopping habits in 2025: Bypassing the search barAIs potential to simplify the search for the perfect present is most apparent so far in tools that promise to give shoppers faster and more detailed results than a web browser with a lot fewer clicks. OpenAI upgraded ChatGPT with a shopping research feature that provides personalized buyers guides. The information comes from product pages, reviews. prices and a users previous interactions with the chatbot. The tool works best for complicated products like electronics and appliances, or for detail-heavy items like beauty or sporting goods, OpenAI said.Then theres Rufus, the shopping assistant that Amazon rolled out last year. It now remembers information customers previously fed it, like having four children that all like board games, for example. A users browsing and purchase history and reviews are used to personalize recommendations.Google upgraded its AI Mode search tool to provide answers to detailed questions composed in natural language. For example, users can tell the agent they want to buy a casual sweater to wear with skirt or jeans in New York in January that goes with a skirt or jeans, Responses are pulled from Googles 50 billion product listings. The tool can also produce charts with side-by-side comparisons of prices, features, reviews and other factors. Previously, shoppers had to use keywords, filters and product links to find the information they needed.This is an expansionary moment, I think, for all of technology and for commerce, Lilian Rincon, vice president of product, consumer shopping at Google, recently told The Associated Press.Meanwhile, Walmarts AI shopping assistant, Sparky, offers occasion-based recommendations and synthesizes reviews. An AI-powered gift finder on Targets app exclusively for the holidays responds to prompts such as the age and special hobbies of the recipient. New pricing tools and alertsTools for tracking online prices have been around for years, including CamelCamelCamel, a third-party service for Amazon prices, as well as Paypals Honey browser extension for monitoring thousands of online shops. This holiday season, shoppers have new options.Amazon launched a 90-day pricing history tracker this month for virtually everything it sells. Shoppers also now can set up alerts to receive notifications when prices on specific items fall within their budgets.Google, which for years had a basic price tracker, launched a more advanced version that lets users refine their requests with details like a garments size and color. Microsofts Copilot also launched a price tracker this year.Jason Goldberg, chief commerce strategy officer at Publicis Groupe, said he thinks the new pricing tools will add more pressure on retailers to make sure their prices are competitive.A lot of consumers that werent even looking for price alerts are going to discover price alerts for the first time, Goldberg predicted. New ways to buy Amazon, OpenAI and Google are racing to create tools that would allow for seamless AI-powered shopping by taking consumers from browsing to buying within the same program instead of having to go to a retailers website to complete a purchase. OpenAI launched a new instant checkout feature that lets users buy products suggested by ChatGPT without leaving the app. Users can order merchandise from Etsy sellers and from some brands that use Shopify, including Glossier, Skims and Spanx.OpenAI and Walmart announced a similar deal in October, saying the partnership would allow ChatGPT members to use the instant checkout feature to shop for nearly everything available on Walmarts website except for fresh food. For now, however, the feature only supports buying one item at a time.A different deal Target struck with OpenAI lets shoppers put multiple items in a cart on ChatGPT, including fresh food products. But when customers are ready to pay for their orders, they are directed away from the chatbot to the Target app.New tools from Amazon and Google will give shoppers a taste of having autonomous AI assistants do the buying for them. While the services still are limited, agentic AI is intended to be more independent and advanced than the generative AI chatbots that excel at research and writing, experts say.Amazon is now letting Rufus automatically purchase items for customers who click an auto buy button while setting up price alerts. Once a products price drops to the desired level, customers receive notice of their completed orders and have a limited window to cancel, the company said. The e-commerce giant also started allowing shoppers to use Rufus searches for brand-name products on the Amazon app as a gateway to other retailers. If Amazon doesnt carry a desired item in its store, a Shop Direct button will take them to the website of a place that does.Googles AI Mode price tracker also includes a buy for me option that automatically makes a customers purchase through Google Pay when the price is right. The feature is available for products sold by Wayfair, Chewy, Quince and some Shopify merchants, and Google expects to keep adding more stores, the company said. sellers. Google also expanded its web browser with an automated AI call feature that phones local businesses on behalf of customers looking for information or specific products. Googles program discloses to the store that its an AI caller, and stores can choose not to participate, the company said. Google said its applying the feature initially to specific product categories: toys, health and beauty, and electronics. Target and Walmart declined to comment on whether this type of service would be part of their future plans. ANNE DINNOCENZIO DInnocenzio writes about retail, trends, the consumer economy and hourly workers for The Associated Press. twitter mailto

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses lawmakers in the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem, Monday, Nov. 10 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)2025-11-30T16:37:31Z JERUSALEM (AP) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has requested a pardon from the president during his trial on corruption charges that has long divided the country. The request was met with indignation Sunday by opposition politicians and government watchdogs, but some Israelis signaled support and indicated it is time to move on.The presidents office called the request extraordinary, with significant implications. At stake is the reputation of Israels justice system as well as Netanyahus hold on power.Heres what to know. The chargesNetanyahu is the only sitting prime minister in Israels history to stand trial. He is charged with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate cases accusing him of exchanging favors with wealthy political supporters including a telecom company, a Hollywood producer and a newspaper publisher.The Justice Ministry announced the indictments in the three cases in 2019, after years of investigations, and the trial began in May 2020.Netanyahu rejects the allegations and has described the case as a witch hunt orchestrated by the media, police and judiciary.He has not been convicted of anything. Netanyahu has repeatedly requested postponements of his testimony, citing diplomatic engagements or security issues around Israels wars in the past two years with Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran.Earlier delays in the trial were caused in part by years of political crisis that gridlocked Israel, with Netanyahu returning to office in late 2022.The delays have angered many Israelis, including some parents of hostages long held in Gaza who accused Netanyahu of drawing out the war with Hamas as part of efforts to stay in office. Netanyahus argumentThe prime minister has portrayed himself in the trial as the victim of a deep state conspiracy trying to oust him.He said his pardon request would help unify Israel at a time of momentous change in the Middle East, and asserted that an immediate conclusion of the trial would greatly help to lower the flames and promote the broad reconciliation that our country so desperately needs.Some government ministers, including Defense Minister Israel Katz, expressed support for his request.Just weeks ago, U.S. President Donald Trump urged Israel to pardon Netanyahu something the prime minister mentioned in his statement Sunday. Earlier this month, Trump sent a letter to President Isaac Herzog calling the corruption case political, unjustified prosecution.Herzog is a former political rival of Netanyahu, but the men have a good working relationship. Herzog in the past has said he believes the best way to end this legal chapter would be through a settlement between prosecutors and Netanyahus lawyers.Many Israelis are sensitive to issues involving Netanyahu and the law. Shortly after forming his current government in late 2022, the prime minister launched a plan to overhaul the justice system. That sparked huge anti-government protests as opponents accused him of trying to weaken the system of checks and balances and having a conflict of interest at a time when he was on trial.The plan was revived earlier this year after being put on hold after the outbreak of the war in Gaza. The criticismOpponents of the pardon request said it could weaken democratic institutions and send a dangerous message that some people in Israel are above the law.He basically says, Im completely innocent, Im sure that I can prove this innocence, but not for my own interest, for the countrys interest Im requesting this pardon, said Yohanan Plesner, president of The Israel Democracy Institute. So there is no assumption of responsibility whatsoever, and this might project a problematic message to all public figures and to what our public norms might look like. Opposition leader Yair Lapid said Netanyahu cannot be granted a pardon without an admission of guilt, an expression of remorse and an immediate retirement from political life.Legal experts said the pardon request cannot stop the trial. The only way to stop it is to ask the attorney general to withhold the proceedings, said Emi Palmor, former director general of the Justice Ministry. Whats nextThe pardon request will be sent to the Justice Ministry for opinions and then transferred to the legal adviser in the Office of the President, which will formulate additional opinions.Experts said the president has broad discretion to grant one, and oversight is limited.However, as a rule, the president reviews a pardon request only after all legal proceedings have ended. The possibility of a pre-conviction pardon ... is extremely rare, The Israel Democracy Institute wrote earlier this month. A pardon before conviction, while legal proceedings are ongoing, threatens the rule of law and seriously undermines the principle of equality before the law.

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked Israels president to pardon him preemptively, before any verdicts were reached in his corruption cases. Heres what to know about his trial.

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