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CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — English phrases once bothered Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro so much that he urged his State of the Union address audience to phase out words like skatepark and fashion. But as the White House now ponders whether the U.S. military should strike Venezuela, Maduro is embracing English, singing John Lennon’s Imagine, advocating for peace and dancing to a remix of his latest English catchphrase, “No War, Yes Peace.” While his turnaround is seen as a sign of desperation by supporters of Venezuela’s political opposition, whose leaders have repeatedly told their backers in Washington that the threat of…

TEL AVIV (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday asked the country’s president to grant him a pardon from corruption charges, seeking to end a long-running trial that has bitterly divided the nation.Netanyahu, who has been at war against Israel’s legal system over the charges, said the request would help unify the country at a time of momentous change in the region. But it immediately triggered denunciations from opponents, who said a pardon would weaken democratic institutions and send a dangerous message that he’s above the rule of law.Netanyahu had submitted a request for a pardon to the…

And just like that… December is upon us. It’s been a volatile handover from November with U.S. major indices underperforming, dragged down by steep declines for the Nasdaq. Europe’s Stoxx 600 managed to hold onto gains, making November the fifth positive month in a row. But tech stocks also suffered, as concerns over AI valuations and spending plans played out across global stock markets.So what does this mean for December — can stocks stage a seasonal Santa Rally, or will it be more ‘bah humbug’ in the final trading month of the year? Macy’s Santa Claus is greeted by traders…

ISTANBUL (AP) — The Turkish government has condemned Ukrainian drone attacks on two Russian “shadow fleet” oil tankers in the Black Sea.Foreign Ministry spokesman Oncu Keceli said the attacks on the Kairos and Virat vessels happened inside Turkey’s exclusive economic zone and “have posed serious risks to navigation, life, property and environmental safety in the region.”In a social media post late Saturday, Keceli added that Turkey is carrying out talks with “the relevant parties” to prevent the spread of the war in Ukraine across the Black Sea and to protect Turkey’s economic interests.Ukraine has said it used naval drones to…

CZĘSTOCHOWA, Poland (AP) — If you could design a bauble for your own Christmas tree, what would it be — a teddy bear dressed as a ballerina, a hummingbird, or a crimson phoenix?The workers at GlitterLab, a company producing Christmas decorations in southern Poland, vow to turn those fantasies into reality.Calling themselves “the magicians of glass,” their clients have included Swarovski, the French chain Galeries Lafayette, and Harrods, the iconic London department store.“We have the ability to create shapes and designs that glass will not normally take,” the company promises on its website.And the whole production process, “our closely guarded…

MILAN (AP) — The last person to get their hands on a painting attributed to Leonardo da Vinci shelled out more than $450 million at auction. Now, Italian cultural officials are making it possible to purchase a limited edition, certified digital copy of the Renaissance genius’ “Lady with Disheveled Hair’’ for roughly the price of a Lamborghini.The Italian nonprofit Save the Artistic Heritage with its technical partner Cinello are providing well-heeled collectors the possibility of owning a literal projection of original Italian masterpieces, sized and framed to match the museum experience. Participating museums sign a certificate of authenticity, and in…

Polls opened in the Central Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan on Sunday in a snap parliamentary election amid the arrests of opposition figures and the closure of independent media outlets.It is expected to cement the grip of President Sadyr Zhaparov, who has sought to suppress dissent in what was once Central Asia’s most democratic country.The vote is being held a year earlier than scheduled, a move that officials have justified by arguing that the parliamentary elections would otherwise fall too close to the 2027 presidential elections.There have also been sweeping changes to Kyrgyzstan’s electoral system, with 30 constituencies electing three lawmakers…

MEDAN, Indonesia (AP) — Some residents of the flood-hit Indonesian island of Sumatra have resorted to stealing food and water to survive, authorities said Sunday, while Sri Lankan officials said deaths from floods and mudslides in that island nation have risen to 193.The floods, which hit Indonesia nearly a week ago, have killed 316 people — with the number expected to rise as more bodies are recovered — and displaced thousands. The deluges triggered landslides, damaged roads, cut off parts of the island, and downed communication lines. The challenging weather conditons and the lack of heavy equipment also hampered rescue…

GENEVA (AP) — Swiss voters are casting ballots to decide whether women, like men, must do national service in the military, civil protection teams or in other forms.Supporters of the “citizen service initiative” in the referendum ending Sunday hope it will boost social cohesion by adding jobs in areas like environmental prevention, food security and elderly care. Parliament overwhelmingly opposes the idea, mainly for cost reasons and out of concern that it could crimp the economy by taking tens of thousands of young people out of the workforce.The vote gives an indication of how a European populace views mandatory national…

Inter Miami CF clinched a spot in MLS Cup for the first time in club history on Saturday night with a commanding 5-1 victory against New York City FC at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.As Herons captain Lionel Messi lifted the Eastern Conference’s trophy, Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas reiterated the team’s “one more game” message, aiming for glory in next Saturday’s final.”This [trophy] is for you, Miami, our fans, ‘La Familia.’ The club made an amazing effort, and it was a great result,” Mas said. “But more importantly, this is one down, one to go. One more.”Inter Miami…