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SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A North Korean soldier defected to South Korea across the rivals’ heavily fortified border on Sunday, South Korea’s military said.The military took the custody of the soldier who crossed the central portion of the land border, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. It said the soldier expressed a desire to resettle in South Korea. It was the first reported defection by a North Korean soldier since a North Korean staff sergeant fled to South Korea via the border’s eastern section in August 2024.Despite the two border crossings, it isn’t common for…

PARIS (AP) — In a minutes-long strike Sunday inside the world’s most-visited museum, thieves rode a basket lift to the Louvre, forced a window into the Galerie d’Apollon — while tourists pressed shoulder-to-shoulder in the corridors — smashed display cases and fled with priceless Napoleonic jewels, officials said. It was among the highest-profile museum thefts in recent memory and comes as Louvre employees have complained of worker and security understaffing.One object was later found outside the museum, according to Culture Minister Rachida Dati. French daily Le Parisien reported it was the emerald-studded crown of Napoleon III’s wife Empress Eugénie —…

MUNICH (AP) — Germany’s Munich Airport was temporarily closed Saturday night following reports of drones that authorities were unable to verify, federal police said.The airport, one of Germany’s largest, reopened before midnight, federal police said. Air traffic was operating normally Sunday morning, the airport said.“Suspicious observations” were reported by several people, including security officials and airport employees, federal police and the airport said. The sightings occurred around 10 p.m. local time Saturday for roughly 30 minutes and again around 11 p.m. for another half-hour.The impact on flights and passengers was minor, the airport said Sunday. Three flights were diverted —…

Europe’s banks take center stage this week as earnings season gets underway, but with heavy losses across the sector on Friday, credit concerns appear to be making their way across the Atlantic at a particularly tricky time for the region’s lenders.Stock Chart IconStock chart iconCredit concerns hit European banksLast week, the biggest names in American finance battled it out to make the most alarming quote of the week. The contenders: JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, Citi Group CEO Jane Fraser and Apollo boss Marc Rowan.Dimon started the week with a stark warning about the private credit market, saying “when you see…

More companies are announcing AI-driven layoffs from Salesforce to Accenture.Twenty20From tech to airlines, large global companies have been slashing staff as the real-world impact of artificial intelligence plays out, spooking employees. But critics say AI has become an easy excuse for firms looking to downsize.Last month, tech consultancy firm Accenture announced a restructuring plan that includes quick exits for workers that aren’t first able to reskill on AI. Days later, Lufthansa said it was going to eliminate 4,000 jobs by 2030 as it leans on AI to increase efficiency.Salesforce also laid off 4,000 customer support roles in September, saying that…

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Afghanistan and Pakistan, embroiled in fighting that has killed dozens of people and injured hundreds, pledged on Sunday to respect a ceasefire.The truce, mediated by Qatar and Turkey, came into effect immediately and is intended to pause hostilities.Violence has escalated between the neighbors since earlier this month, with each country saying they were responding to aggression from the other. Afghanistan denies harboring militants who carry out attacks in border areas.Pakistan is grappling with militancy that has surged since 2021, when the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan and returned to power.The Taliban government’s chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, gave…

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Amid the joy of being released after 20 months of suffering in Israeli prisons, Mohammed Abu Moussa could tell something was wrong.Descending from the bus that brought him and other released Palestinian detainees to Gaza last week, the 45-year-old medical technician was reunited with his wife and two young children. But when he asked about his mother, his brother wouldn’t look him the eye.Finally they sat him down and told him: His mother, his younger sister Aya, Aya’s children and his aunt and uncle had all been killed by an Israeli airstrike that hit…

NITEROI, Brazil (AP) — Performers twisted and twirled above the sand on a beach across the bay from Rio de Janeiro in an aerial circus show that sought to draw attention to the widespread problem of violence against women in Brazil. Six women and two men performed the piece titled “Alone we are petals, together we are roses” for the first time on Saturday in Niteroi city with Rio’s famed landmarks — the Christ the Redeemer statue and Sugarloaf Mountain — in the background.At the beginning, a woman in a pink bodysuit and with an attitude struts around on stilts.…

Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi struck a hat trick on the final day of MLS’ regular season Saturday to all but clinch the 2025 MLS Golden Boot award.Messi’s three goals, along with an assist, helped Miami to a 5-2 win at Nashville SC and took the Argentina forward to 29 goals in just 28 regular-season matches.The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner is now almost certain to finish as MLS’ top scorer for the first time since joining Inter Miami in July 2023.- Messi tracker: All goals, assists, key momentsHis nearest challenger, LAFC’s Denis Bouanga, is five goals back and would need…

LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — Bolivia holds a runoff presidential election on Sunday, and the race is in a dead heat as voters decide which conservative and capitalist candidate can better address the country’s economic crisis, after almost two decades of rule by the Movement Toward Socialism party. Since 2023, the Andean nation has been crippled by a shortage of U.S. dollars that has locked Bolivians out of their own savings and hampered imports. The value of a boliviano on the black market is half the official exchange rate. Year-on-year inflation soared to 23% last month, the highest rate since…