Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Via AP news wire

AP News Digest 2 p.m.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Here are the AP’s latest coverage plans, top stories and promotable content. All times EST. For up-to-the minute information on AP’s coverage, visit Coverage Plan at https://newsroom.ap.org.

—————————

TOP STORIES

—————————

RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-KYIV-CLINGS ON — The hard realities of Ukraine’s capital are that a once comfortably livable city of 3 million people is now becoming a tough place to live. But Kyiv has hope, resilience and defiance in abundance. And perhaps more so now than at any time since Russia invaded Ukraine nine months ago. By John Leicester. SENT: 1,050 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-CHINA — Protesters pushed to the brink by China’s strict COVID measures in Shanghai have called for the removal of the country’s all-powerful leader and clashed with police. That came as crowds took to the streets in several cities Sunday in an astounding challenge to the government. By Dake Kang and Huizhong Wu. SENT: 1,130 words, photos.

ELECTION 2022-SENATE-GEORGIA — Ads with the candidates’ ex-wives. Cries of “liar” flying in both directions. Stories of a squalid apartment building and abortions under pressure. Questioning an opponent’s independence. His intellect. His mental stability. Or his religious faith. The final chapter of the 2022 midterms has gotten decidedly personal in Georgia. By Bill Barrow. SENT: 1,220 words, photos.

REL-SWASTIKA-SYMBOL-COMPLEX-LEGACY — In much of the world, the swastika is often equated to Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany – a symbol of hate that evokes the trauma of the Holocaust and the horrors of Nazi rule. Yet in other variations, the swastika is a millennia-old sacred symbol in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, representing peace and good fortune. In recent years, as the Asian diaspora grew in North America, the call to reclaim the swastika as a sacred symbol has become louder. Some Jewish leaders empathize with the campaign; others say the swastika is beyond redemption. SENT: 1,975 words, photos. This is the Monday Spotlight.

CANADA-MEXICAN ASYLUM SEEKERS — There has been a surge in the number of Mexicans seeking asylum in Canada this year. The reasons for the big jump include the relative ease for Mexicans to obtain refugee status in Canada compared to the U.S., visa-free travel between Mexico and Canada, and the threat of violence back home. By Zachary Kamel. SENT: 1,060 words, photo.

SOC-WCUP-IRAN-US-EMBLEM GONE — The U.S. Soccer Federation briefly displayed Iran’s national flag on social media without the emblem of the Islamic Republic. The federation described the move as a show of support for protesters in Iran ahead of the two nations’ World Cup match Tuesday. By Jon Gambrell. SENT: 785 words, photos.

————————————————

MORE ON WORLD CUP

————————————————

SOC-WCUP-BELGIUM-BRUSSELS-RIOT — Police have sealed off parts of the center of Brussels and moved in with water cannons to disperse crowds following violence in the wake of Morocco’s 2-0 upset win over Belgium at the World Cup. SENT: 195 words, photos. With: WCUP-BELGIUM-MOROCCO — Morocco pulled off yet another World Cup shock on Sunday, and Belgium’s aging “Golden Generation” took the hit this time (sent).

SOC-WCUP-QATAR-DAILY-LIFE-PHOTO-GALLERY — The 1.2 million visitors expected during the World Cup in energy-rich Qatar can sample the daily life of the 350,000 residents through a variety of tourist attractions and everyday activities. SENT: 300 words, photos.

SOC-WCUP-SAUDI-STREAMING-BLOCKED — World Cup viewers in Saudi Arabia say the government has blocked a Qatari-owned streaming service that was supposed to broadcast matches in the kingdom. SENT: 415 words, photo.

SOC-WCUP-ENGLAND-US RATINGS — The United States’ 0-0 draw against England in the World Cup drew 19.98 million viewers for English- and Spanish-language broadcasts. SENT: 245 words, photo.

————————————————————————————

MORE ON RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR

————————————————————————————

RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR — Officials say shelling by Russian forces has hit several areas in eastern and southern Ukraine overnight as utility crews continue a scramble to restore power, water and heating from widespread strikes in recent weeks. SENT: 540 words, photos.

———————

TRENDING

———————

ALBANIA-DUA LIPA — Albania’s president has granted citizenship to British pop star of Albanian origin Dua Lipa. SENT: 235 words, photo.

THAILAND-MONKEY-FESTIVAL — A meal fit for monkeys was served on Sunday at the annual Monkey Feast Festival in central Thailand. SENT: 380 words, photos.

BRITAIN-LAWMAKER-REALITY-TV — Matt Hancock, the U.K’s scandal-prone former health secretary, is seeking an unlikely form of redemption: attempting to win “I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here” — a grueling, often gruesome reality TV show set in the Australian jungle. SENT: 500 words, photo.

——————————————————————

WASHINGTON/POLITICS

——————————————————————

WHITE HOUSE-STATE DINNER — Musician Jon Batiste is on tap to perform at President Joe Biden’s first White House state dinner on Thursday, highlighting long-standing ties between the United States and France and honoring President Emmanuel Macron. SENT: 135 words, photo.

———————————

NATIONAL

———————————

BIRD-FLU-NEBRASKA — Nebraska agriculture officials say another 1.8 million chickens must be killed after bird flu was found on a farm. It’s the latest sign that the outbreak has kept spreading after having already prompted the slaughter of more than 50 million birds nationwide. SENT: 355 words, photo.

WALMART SHOOTING VICTIMS — Six families are mourning loved ones who were killed in the mass shooting at a Walmart in Chesapeake, Virginia. The victims include Fernando “Jesus” Chavez-Barron, an 11th-grade honors student who took a part time job to help his family. SENT: 1,050 words, photos.

HAWAII-GOVERNOR — Crisis response is one way to sum up Hawaii Gov. David Ige’s eight years in office. He faced a volcanic eruption that destroyed 700 homes, protests blocking construction of a cutting-edge multibillion-dollar telescope and a false alert about an incoming ballistic missile. During the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism shut down and Hawaii’s unemployment rate soared above 22%. Ige looks back at his eight years in office. SENT: 1,035 words, photos.

CHILDREN-FATAL-STABBING-BRONX — Police say two small children died of stab wounds after their mother was taken into custody for observation in New York City. SENT: 300 words, photo.

———————————

INTERNATIONAL

———————————

ITALY-LANDSLIDE — Search teams have pulled the body of a young girl from her family home as they dig through mud for a second day in the search for people still missing after an enormous landslide on the Italian resort island of Ischia. SENT: 560 words, photos.

NORTH-KOREA-KIM'S DAUGHTER — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s daughter made a public appearance again, this time with missile scientists and more honorific titles as her father’s “most beloved” or “precious” child. She’s only about 10, but her new, bold photos are deepening the debate over whether she’s being primed as a successor. SENT: 1,145 words, photos.

SOMALIA-HOTEL ATTACK — The extremist group al-Shabab has claimed responsibility for an unfolding armed attack on a hotel in the Somali capital. SENT: 110 words.

CONGO-GOMA-SALONS-PHOTO GALLERY — On the highway leading north out of Goma, the lakeside capital of eastern Congo, the many colorful storefronts of hair salons hide interiors full of customers, mostly women who are ready to spend their entire day getting the perfect hairstyles, butterfly or tribal braids, even curly hair twists. SENT: 200 words, photos.

CUBA-INTERNET-ONLINE-MARKET — Ever-widening access to the internet is offering a new opportunity for Cubans looking for hard-to-obtain basic goods: online shopping. Tens of thousands of people have starting buying and selling everything from chicken and milk to medicine and pregnancy tests on myriad apps that have provided digital access to the country’s not-very-clandestine black market. SENT: 1,185 words, photo.

ETHIOPIA-TIGRAY CRISIS — Eyewitnesses and aid workers say that allies of Ethiopia’s federal military are looting property and carrying out mass detentions in Tigray. The accounts raise fresh concern about alleged atrocities after the warring parties signed a truce more than three weeks ago. SENT: 950 words, photos.

PAKISTAN-SENATOR-ARRESTED — Colleagues from Azam Khan Swati’s political party say federal police in Pakistan have arrested the senator for comments critical of top military officers. It was the second time he was taken into custody in as many months. SENT: 415 words, photo.

AUSTRIA-TRAIN-STRIKE — Railway workers in Austria are set to hold a one-day strike on Monday after a failed round of talks in pay negotiations. SENT: 160 words.

———————————————-

ENTERTAINMENT

———————————————-

FILM-BOX OFFICE — Thanksgiving often serves up a feast of new family movies at the box office, but the Walt Disney Co.’s animated offering “Strange World” fizzled with audiences out of the gates. The production, which carried a reported $180 million budget, grossed just $18.6 million in ticket sales in its first five days and $11.9 million over the weekend in North American theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.

BRITAIN-PRINCESS-DIANA'S DRESS — This is a dress with a story, and Elizabeth Emanuel wants to tell it. Shocking pink with a plunging, ruffled neckline and body-hugging shape, the gown was designed by Emanuel for Diana to wear at a party at Buckingham Palace a few days before her marriage to Prince Charles in 1981. Emanuel doesn’t even know where the dress is, or even if it still exists. So she has re-created it. SENT: 990 words, photos.

———————

SPORTS

———————

FBC—T25-COLLEGE-FOOTBALL POLL — Michigan moved up to No. 2 in The Associated Press college football poll, with TCU at No. 3 and Southern California at No. 4 behind top-ranked Georgia after four top-10 teams lost on the final day of regular-season games. SENT: 650 words, with photos.

————————————————

HOW TO REACH US

———————————————-

The Nerve Center can be reached at 800-845-8450 (ext. 1600). For photos, ext. 1900. For graphics and interactives, ext. 7636. Expanded AP content can be obtained from http://newsroom.ap.org. For access to AP Newsroom and other technical issues, contact apcustomersupport@ap.org or call 844-777-2006.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.