Flood watch issued for northern Ohio as heavy rain and snow melt could spell trouble

AFP
'Trump' thrills fans at Hong Kong theatre's last hurrah
The crack of a gunshot and the blonde man flinches behind the lectern, clutching his ear."(Sunbeam) carries the energy of veteran actors, as well as the emotions and dreams of many people," said Man Chan, who plays Ivanka Trump.
Associated Press
Reid G. Miller, longtime AP international correspondent and editor, dies at 90
Reid G. Miller, who traveled the planet as an intrepid international correspondent for The Associated Press and developed a reputation as a supportive editor and unswervingly loyal boss during the toughest of breaking-news moments, has died. Miller died early Thursday in his sleep at his home in Sarasota, Florida, where he had been fighting congestive heart failure, said his son, G. Clay Miller of Brooklyn, New York. In his 43-year AP career, he bore witness to and reported on some of the late 20th century's most momentous — and sometimes most violent — events from Washington to Central America, East Africa to South Korea.
Reuters
Analysis-Big but toothless - Italy's unions blamed for wage stagnation
After three decades of wage stagnation, workers in Italy have plenty to protest about, yet strikes over pay are rare and seldom last more than a day, prompting growing questions about the role of the country's trade unions. Italy is the only advanced country where inflation-adjusted wages declined between 1990 and 2020, data from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development shows, leading to weak consumer spending and anaemic growth. Pay has picked up more recently, rising by 9% between the third quarter of 2021 and the second quarter of last year, but it still lagged inflation and wage growth of 14% in Germany and 11% in France, according to German central bank data.
Reuters
UK's tougher immigration policy risks trapping victims in modern slavery
Thousands of victims of modern slavery are being denied support because of Britain's crackdown on illegal migration, according to more than a dozen sources, a decade after the approval of legislation that put the country at the forefront of the global fight against human trafficking. Britain's Modern Slavery Act of 2015 forced large businesses to tackle slavery in their supply chains and strengthened existing protections for victims. But those protections have been eroded by rules introduced in 2023 to curb illegal migration, as the political priority switched to dealing with the tens of thousands of migrants arriving in Britain each year aboard small boats.
Reuters
Trump meets Japan's Ishiba as China trade war simmers
U.S. President Donald Trump meets Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba for the first time on Friday as two allies wary of China's rise work to boost business and security ties while an escalating trade war threatens to rupture the global economy. Trump, whose first three weeks in office have shredded norms and shaken foreign capitals from Ottawa to Bogota, has taken a more conventional approach to Washington's longstanding Asia-Pacific allies, including Japan, South Korea, Australia and the Philippines. But those friendships may be tested as Trump's early fight with China over synthetic opioids and warnings of tariffs against other countries - Japan included - threaten to disrupt commercial relations in Asia and beyond.
CNN
‘Treated like criminals’: Shackling of Indians aboard 40-hour migrant flight sparks new outrage against Trump
US officials kept around 100 deported Indian migrants in shackles for their 40-hour flight home, including during bathroom breaks, in the latest incident to spark anger overseas at President Donald Trump’s migration crackdown.
USA TODAY
Alaska rescue crews search for missing airplane with 10 onboard
The Bering Air Caravan was reported missing at around 4 p.m. local time, according to the Alaska Department of Public Safety.
CNN
Ukraine gets French Mirage fighter jets, more F-16s from the Netherlands
Ukraine’s Air Force got a boost in its fight against Russia on Thursday with the arrival of Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets from France, along with F-16s from the Netherlands.
Associated Press
EV maker Scout Motors wants to sell directly to buyers but can't do it in its home state
Volkswagen-backed Scout Motors is making a massive bet in the electric SUV market with a carefully cultivated experience that will allow some customers to buy the company's vehicle in minutes on an app and then use it to handle everything after from repairs to updates and upgrades. Supporters of the dealership model say the experience allows buyers to compare prices across several businesses. Unlike a pair of pants, where color, style and size are about the only concerns, buying a car involves financing, state registration, taxes, regulations — and often a test drive.
Reuters
Singapore grants house arrest to jailed former transport minister
Singapore's disgraced former transport minister S. Iswaran, jailed last year for obstructing justice and receiving more than $300,000 of gifts, will serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest, the prisons service said on Friday. Iswaran was the first former cabinet member to be jailed in Singapore after a high-profile trial that gripped the wealthy city state, which is famous for its clean governance. He will serve the remaining eight months of his one-year sentence at home under certain conditions, which include curfew monitoring, counselling and use of an electronic tag, the Singapore Prisons Service said in response to a query from Reuters.
Associated Press
Kosovo elections will decide who will lead stalled talks with Serbia and manage a battered economy
Kosovo goes to the polls Sunday in a parliamentary election expected to be a key test for Prime Minister Albin Kurti after his governing party won in a landslide four years ago. Eligible voters, including those of the diaspora, will cast ballots to elect 120 lawmakers among 26 political groupings and one independent candidate in a vote held from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. The Serb minority has 10 secured seats while 10 more are for other minorities. This is the first time since independence in 2008 that Kosovo's parliament has completed a full four-year mandate.
Associated Press
Judge in Boston to consider latest bid to block Trump's birthright citizenship order
A federal judge in Boston on Friday will consider a request from 18 state attorneys general to block President Donald Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship for the children of parents who are in the U.S. illegally. The hearing comes after a federal judge in Seattle blocked the order Thursday and decried what he described as the administration’s treatment of the Constitution, saying Trump was trying to change it with an executive order.
USA TODAY
Federal judge denies Sandy Hook families' settlement in Alex Jones bankruptcy
In addition to denying the proposed deal, a federal judge told the Chapter 7 trustee that he was no longer authorized to sell Infowars' assets.
NBC News
Women detail alleged assaults by real estate star Oren Alexander and his brother
In videos NBC News obtained through a public records request, three women detail their allegations that they were raped and sexually assaulted by luxury real estate star Oren Alexander and his twin brother, Alon.
Associated Press
US aid cutoff poses new challenges to rights groups and independent media from Russia and Belarus
Rights groups, activists and independent media in Russia and Belarus endured increased government scrutiny, repressive laws and even being outlawed and forced to operate from exile abroad. The aid, which came directly from or via the partners of the U.S. Agency for International Development, as well as from other entities funded by the U.S. government, was a source for some of their grant money. “Objectively, it’s a very bad thing,” an activist with Center-T, a prominent Russian trans group, told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity for safety reasons.
Associated Press
US importers stockpile Italian Prosecco as a hedge against possible Trump tariffs
American importers have been stockpiling Italian bubbly Prosecco as a hedge against the possible impact of tariffs threatened by President Donald Trump, wine industry data show. U.S. imports of Italian sparkling wine — 90% of that Prosecco — skyrocketed by 41% in November, after Trump's election, far exceeding consumer demand as importers filled the pipeline for future sales, according to the Union of Italian Wines trade association. “It was quite natural at the end of the year to do extra shipments,” said the trade association president, Lamberto Frescobaldi, given the uncertainty over whether tariffs would hit Italian wines or not — and the likelihood consumers would cut back on such luxuries if tariffs made them too pricey.
AFP
Rubio renews US hard line with Venezuela plane seizure
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday supervised the seizure of a second aircraft belonging to Venezuela's leftist government in less than a year, showing a hard line despite nascent diplomacy.In September, the United States, under then-president Joe Biden, announced the seizure of a first Venezuelan government airplane in the Dominican Republic that had been used to transport Maduro on international trips.
AFP
Hong Kong scientists fight to save fragrant incense trees
Geneticist Zhang Huarong walks through the forest near his Hong Kong research lab, gesturing towards a rotting incense tree stump that is one of over a dozen illegally felled for the valuable wood inside.Environmentalists say illegal incense tree felling is on the rise in Hong Kong, fueled by black market demand.
AFP
Israel orders army to plan to let Palestinians leave Gaza
Israel's defence minister ordered the army on Thursday to prepare for "voluntary" departures from Gaza, as US President Donald Trump ruled out sending American troops to the territory."I have instructed the IDF (military) to prepare a plan to enable voluntary departure for Gaza residents," Katz said, adding they could go "to any country willing to accept them".
NBC News
Trump's sweeping agenda is hitting legal roadblocks
The courts are slamming the brakes on some of President Donald Trump's efforts to quickly trim and transform the federal government.

Flood watch issued for northern Ohio as heavy rain and snow melt could spell trouble

Here is the 7-day forecast:

Latest Stories

'Trump' thrills fans at Hong Kong theatre's last hurrah

Reid G. Miller, longtime AP international correspondent and editor, dies at 90

Analysis-Big but toothless - Italy's unions blamed for wage stagnation

UK's tougher immigration policy risks trapping victims in modern slavery

Trump meets Japan's Ishiba as China trade war simmers

‘Treated like criminals’: Shackling of Indians aboard 40-hour migrant flight sparks new outrage against Trump

Alaska rescue crews search for missing airplane with 10 onboard

Ukraine gets French Mirage fighter jets, more F-16s from the Netherlands

EV maker Scout Motors wants to sell directly to buyers but can't do it in its home state

Singapore grants house arrest to jailed former transport minister

Kosovo elections will decide who will lead stalled talks with Serbia and manage a battered economy

Judge in Boston to consider latest bid to block Trump's birthright citizenship order

Federal judge denies Sandy Hook families' settlement in Alex Jones bankruptcy

Women detail alleged assaults by real estate star Oren Alexander and his brother

US aid cutoff poses new challenges to rights groups and independent media from Russia and Belarus

US importers stockpile Italian Prosecco as a hedge against possible Trump tariffs

Rubio renews US hard line with Venezuela plane seizure

Hong Kong scientists fight to save fragrant incense trees

Israel orders army to plan to let Palestinians leave Gaza

Trump's sweeping agenda is hitting legal roadblocks