Netanyahu delays judicial overhaul after mass protests
March 27, 2023 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a delay in his judicial overhaul plan Monday, saying he wanted to give time to seek a compromise over the contentious package with his political opponents.
How Netanyahu judicial plan sparked massive unrest in Israel
March 27, 2023 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposed judicial overhaul has unleashed the most intense social unrest in Israel in decades.
Tens of thousands of people have repeatedly taken to the streets against the plan — including spontaneous mass demonstrations that erupted across the country late Sunday after he fired his defense minister for questioning the overhaul.
2 police hurt, 143 people held in Vienna gas talks protest
March 27, 2023 GMTBERLIN (AP) — Two police officers were injured Monday in scuffles that broke out when protesters tried to break through a police cordon during a demonstration against a meeting of oil and gas companies in Vienna.
Anti-government protests in Kenya hit Nairobi for 2nd week
March 27, 2023 GMTNairobi, Kenya (AP) — Thousands of anti-government protesters marched on the streets of Kenya's capital, Nairobi, on Monday despite the government's declaration that the protests are illegal.
Opposition leader Raila Odinga joined protesters on the western side of the capital where his convoy attracted thousands of supporters and he addressed them at various stops calling for electoral justice and reduced prices for food items.
Opposition disrupts Indian Parliament after Gandhi’s ouster
March 27, 2023 GMTNEW DELHI (AP) — Members of opposition parties dressed in black disrupted India's Parliament on Monday and protested in the capital, New Delhi, after Rahul Gandhi, a key opposition leader and fierce critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was expelled from the legislature last week.
Louvre staff block entrances as part of pension protest
March 27, 2023 GMTPARIS (AP) — The Louvre Museum in Paris was closed to the public on Monday when its workers took part in the wave of French protest strikes against the government's unpopular pension reform plans.
Dozens of Louvre employees blocked the entrance, prompting the museum to announce it would be temporarily closed.
Residents protest zipline on Rio’s iconic Sugarloaf Mountain
March 27, 2023 GMTSome 200 protesters gathered beneath Rio de Janeiro's world-famous Sugarloaf Mountain to protest the ongoing construction of ziplines aimed at boosting tourism, alleging it will cause unacceptable impacts.
In Macron’s France, streets and fields seethe with protest
March 27, 2023 GMTPARIS (AP) — A big day has come for French high school student Elisa Fares. At age 17, she is taking part in her first protest.
In a country that taught the world about people power with its revolution of 1789 — and a country again seething with anger against its leaders — graduating from bystander to demonstrator is a generations-old rite of passage.
Myanmar army leader calls for decisive action to crush foes
March 27, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — As Myanmar’s military put on an annual show of strength Monday, its top leader told its assembled ranks they need to take decisive action against those fighting army rule of the country.
Mass protests erupt after Netanyahu fires defense chief
March 27, 2023 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — Tens of thousands of Israelis poured into the streets of cities across the country Sunday night in a spontaneous outburst of anger after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu abruptly fired his defense minister for challenging the Israeli leader's judicial overhaul plan.
Hong Kongers hold first protest in years under strict rules
March 26, 2023 GMTHONG KONG (AP) — Dozens of people on Sunday joined Hong Kong's first authorized protest since the lifting of major COVID-19 restrictions under unprecedentedly strict rules, including wearing a numbered badge around their necks.
Protests erupt in NYC — not for Trump but for ‘The Joker’
March 25, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Throngs of protesters gathered at the courthouse steps, chanting for freedom for their embattled hero. Police kept watch as passions flared and voices roared. Squad cars and television trucks encircled the commotion.
Israeli defense minister calls for halt to judicial overhaul
March 25, 2023 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's defense minister became the first ally in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition to break ranks on Saturday as he called for an immediate halt to the far-right government's contentious plan to overhaul the country's judiciary.
French police, activists injured at anti-reservoir protest
March 25, 2023 GMTPARIS (AP) — French police and environmental activists fought violent pitched battles Saturday around a giant agricultural irrigation reservoir in rural western France.
The interior minister reported more than 30 people injured and said police detonated more than 4,000 non-lethal dispersion grenades as they fended off hundreds of protesters, some armed with machetes, axes and gasoline bombs.
Thai Prime Minister Prayuth kicks off reelection campaign
March 25, 2023 GMTNONTHABURI, Thailand (AP) — Thailand's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha on Saturday officially accepted his party’s nomination as its main candidate to keep the job in the upcoming general election, promising to build a new political climate that does away with decades of conflict.
Georgia activist killed by troopers shot first, officers say
March 24, 2023 GMTATLANTA (AP) — Georgia authorities allege that state troopers in January fatally shot an environmental protester who had fired at authorities after a trooper shot pepper balls into the protester’s tent, according to incident reports obtained Friday by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Human rights groups criticize Cuba’s new criminal code
March 24, 2023 GMTHAVANA (AP) — Cuba enacted a new penal code this week that activists and human rights organizations warned Friday could further limit free expression and snuff out protests at a time of deepening discontent on the island.
Protesters in Suriname demand president resign
March 24, 2023 GMTPARAMARIBO, Suriname (AP) — A few hundred protesters gathered in Suriname’s capital on Friday to demand that the president of the South American country resign.
They accused the administration of President Chan Santokhi of trying to postpone the 2025 general election, which can’t be organized until legislators amend an electoral law as required by a court ruling last year that aims to create a fairer voting system.
Amid massive demonstrations, Macron delays Charles’ visit
March 24, 2023 GMTPARIS (AP) — Ongoing unrest across France and calls for a new round of demonstrations against President Emmanuel Macron's pension plan persuaded officials to postpone a planned state visit next week by Britain's King Charles III.
Rare anti-Houthi protests in Yemen after activist’s death
March 24, 2023 GMTKHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) — Rare protests have erupted against Yemen’s Houthi rebels following the funeral of a popular critic found dead after he was detained by the group.
Videos posted on social media showed hundreds of angry demonstrators carrying the body of Hamdi Abdul Razaq through the streets of Ibb province on Thursday.
King Charles’ state visit deflated as France leg canceled
March 24, 2023 GMTLONDON (AP) — King Charles III’s international debut was deflated Friday when his trip to France was postponed indefinitely because of protests that threatened to mar events at high profile venues such as the Arc de Triomphe and the Palace of Versailles.
Protesters greet Netanyahu as he meets UK leader in London
March 24, 2023 GMTLONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak held talks with Benjamin Netanyahu in London on Friday as protesters shouting “Shame!” in Hebrew demonstrated against the Israeli leader’s right-wing policies and his plans to overhaul the country’s judiciary.
AP PHOTOS: New dangers as violence surges at French protests
March 24, 2023 GMTPARIS (AP) — Armed with Molotov cocktails or paving stones, black-clad radicals are increasingly invading large, peaceful protest marches against pension reforms in France, attacking police in spiraling violence.
Serbian right-wing opposition protests West’s Kosovo plan
March 24, 2023 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Supporters of Serbian right-wing opposition parties on Friday demanded that populist President Aleksandar Vucic and his government resign over a Western-backed plan for normalizing relations with neighboring Kosovo.
Corruption, deep disparity mark Iraq’s oil legacy post-2003
March 24, 2023 GMTNAHRAN OMAR, Iraq (AP) — The oil is pumped 24 hours a day several meters from Raghed Jasim’s home in Iraq’s crude-rich southern heartland. Gas flares from the field light the night sky bright orange, spewing acrid smoke; when the wind picks up, the 40-year old’s clothes are coated black.
Artwork that secretly honored Hong Kong dissidents removed
March 24, 2023 GMTHONG KONG (AP) — A Hong Kong department store took down a digital artwork that contained hidden references to jailed dissidents, in an incident the artist says is evidence of erosion of free speech in the semi-autonomous Chinese city.
Violent French pension protests erupt as 1M demonstrate
March 24, 2023 GMTPARIS (AP) — More than 1 million people demonstrated across France on Thursday against unpopular pension reforms, and violence erupted in some places as unions called for new nationwide strikes and protests next week, coinciding with King Charles III's planned visit to France.
Netanyahu vows to unite Israel but opponents dismiss pledge
March 24, 2023 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday vowed to “mend the rift” in a nation deeply divided over his proposed overhaul of the country’s judiciary. But he offered no details on how he intends to do so and gave no indication that he would slow down the plan.
No red carpet? French unrest impacts King Charles III’s trip
March 23, 2023 GMTPARIS (AP) — Unrest in France is tarnishing the sheen of King Charles III's first overseas trip as U.K.
Democrats, marchers press gun violence debate at Pa. Capitol
March 23, 2023 GMTHARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Anti-gun violence advocates rallied Thursday and packed into a friendly legislative hearing in Pennsylvania, where a politically divided government has fought firearms policy to a virtual standstill for decades, and rising gun violence has gripped the state’s largest city.
Muddy clothes? ‘Cop City’ activists question police evidence
March 23, 2023 GMTATLANTA (AP) — When police stormed an Atlanta-area music festival two days after a rainstorm, they were looking for suspects wearing muddy clothing.
Mozambicans vow to keep marching for deceased protest rapper
March 23, 2023 GMTMAPUTO, Mozambique (AP) — Mozambican fans of deceased protest rapper Azagaia have vowed to keep marching in his honor, even though police violently dispersed demonstrations in Maputo and other cities last week.
Starbucks workers protest before annual shareholder meeting
March 23, 2023 GMTSEATTLE (AP) — Starbucks workers and labor activists rallied outside the company’s Seattle headquarters Wednesday to protest what they describe as union-busting efforts by executives.
Organizers said employees also walked off the job at more than 100 stores in 40 U.S.
Macron wants French pension plan implemented by end of year
March 22, 2023 GMTPARIS (AP) — President Emmanuel Macron is stubbornly resisting growing discontent on the streets of France, saying on Wednesday that the pension bill he pushed through without a vote in parliament to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 must be implemented by the end of the year.
Wisconsin Assembly approves tougher felony riot penalties
March 22, 2023 GMTMADISON, Wis. (AP) — Anyone who encourages a riot or engages in violence during a riot would face felony charges under a bill Wisconsin's Assembly approved Wednesday.
The Republican-backed measure would make urging, promoting or organizing a riot a felony punishable by up to three years and six months in prison.
Report: 119K people hurt by riot-control weapons since 2015
March 22, 2023 GMTSALEM, Ore. (AP) — More than 119,000 people have been injured by tear gas and other chemical irritants around the world since 2015 and some 2,000 suffered injuries from “less lethal” impact projectiles, according to a report released Wednesday.
Tear gas, clashes as Lebanon protesters try to storm govt HQ
March 22, 2023 GMTBEIRUT (AP) — Lebanese security forces Wednesday fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of protesters, mainly retired soldiers, who tried to break through the fence leading to the government headquarters in downtown Beirut.
AP PHOTOS: Marseille carnival melds resistance with revelry
March 22, 2023 GMTMARSEILLE, France (AP) — On a sunny afternoon in the center of Marseille in southern France, traffic was stopped as the sound of drumming and a swarm of rollicking beasts filled the streets.
Los Angeles schools shut down as staff strike for better pay
March 22, 2023 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — Thousands of service workers backed by teachers began a three-day strike against the Los Angeles Unified School District on Tuesday, shutting down education for a half-million students in the nation's second-largest school system.
Crime becomes flash point in Kentucky GOP race for governor
March 21, 2023 GMTFRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Dozens of law enforcement officials in Kentucky came to Attorney General Daniel Cameron's aid on Tuesday, pushing back against a new attack aimed at his record on combating crime as the contest for the Republican gubernatorial nomination becomes increasingly testy.
Israel repeals 2005 act on West Bank settlement pullout
March 21, 2023 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli lawmakers on Tuesday repealed a 2005 act that saw four Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank dismantled at the same time as Israeli forces withdrew from the Gaza Strip.
DC braces for ‘robust oversight’ after criminal code fiasco
March 21, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden's signature on a bill nullifying an overhaul of the District of Columbia criminal code ended a public fight between Congress and local lawmakers.
Trump waits out grand jury as New York braces for protests
March 21, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Facing the possibility of criminal charges, Donald Trump waited it out in Florida on Tuesday as New York braced for disruptions that could follow an indictment.
French protests drag on after Macron’s pension plan push
March 21, 2023 GMTPARIS (AP) — French garbage collectors, refinery workers and others were striking again on Tuesday against President Emmanuel Macron's decision to force the divisive bill raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 through without a vote in parliament.
Kenya police say 1 killed in opposition-led protests
March 21, 2023 GMTNAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenyan police said Tuesday that one person died, 31 officers were injured and more than 200 protesters were arrested in anti-government protests led by opposition leader Raila Odinga the previous day.
Top Israeli minister: ‘No such thing’ as Palestinian people
March 21, 2023 GMTTEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — A firebrand Israeli minister claimed there’s “no such thing” as a Palestinian people as Israel's new coalition government, its most hard-line ever, plowed ahead on Monday with a part of its plan to overhaul the judiciary.
Some Trump supporters ambivalent on calls for protests
March 21, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Donald Trump’s calls for protests before his anticipated indictment in New York have generated mostly muted reactions from supporters, with even some of his most ardent loyalists dismissing the idea as a waste of time or a law enforcement trap.
Windows smashed at India consulates in London, San Francisco
March 20, 2023 GMTLONDON (AP) — Windows at India's High Commission in London and at the Consulate General of India in San Francisco were smashed during separate demonstrations by Sikh protesters, police in both cities said Monday.
Biden pays tribute to Iranian women at Nowruz celebration
March 20, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden used a White House event to mark Persian New Year on Monday to pay tribute to Iranian women and girls who took to the streets of Iran to protest following the death last year of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini and vowed to keep pressure on Tehran.
$9.25 million settlement announced in 2020 protest lawsuits
March 20, 2023 GMTPHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia officials announced a $9.25 million settlement Monday with hundreds of people over several lawsuits challenging the police response to the protests and civil disorder in 2020 after George Floyd's death at the hands of Minneapolis police.
Arrests as Kenya opposition leads anti-government protests
March 20, 2023 GMTNAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — At least three Kenyan legislators and several protesters have been arrested and then released for participating in protests in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, in which opposition supporters demanded the resignation of President William Ruto.
South Africans demonstrate and call for president to resign
March 20, 2023 GMTJOHANNESBURG (AP) — South African police on Monday monitored protests by the country’s leftist Economic Freedom Fighters party, which is demanding the resignation of President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The party urged all South Africans to participate in a national shutdown but there was limited response in most of the country’s major cities.
EU targets top Iran body, 8 officials over rights abuses
March 20, 2023 GMTBRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union on Monday imposed sanctions on Iran’s Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution and 8 officials, including judges, lawmakers and clerics accused of links to the security crackdown on protesters.
Dozens in Indonesia protest Israel’s presence at U-20 Cup
March 20, 2023 GMTJAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Dozens of conservative Muslims marched in Indonesia's capital on Monday to protests Israel's first-ever participation in the FIFA World Cup Under-20 in Indonesia.
The world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation is hosting the U-20 World Cup from May 20 to June 11 in Indonesia’s six major cities.
Former Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou will visit China
March 20, 2023 GMTTAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou will visit China next week in what a spokesman called a bid to ease tensions between the self-ruled island and the mainland.
Ma presided over a period of warm ties with Beijing, but left office under a cloud after a trade deal with the mainland failed to win approval amid the island's largest protests since the 1990s.
Biden calls Israel’s Netanyahu with judicial plan ‘concern’
March 19, 2023 GMTWILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — President Joe Biden spoke Sunday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to express "concern” over his government’s planned overhaul of the country’s judicial system that has sparked widespread protests across Israel and to encourage compromise.
Macron’s leadership at risk amid tensions over pension plan
March 19, 2023 GMTPARIS (AP) — A parody photo appearing on protest signs and online in France shows President Emmanuel Macron sitting on piles of garbage. It's both a reference to the trash going uncollected with Paris sanitation workers on strike — and to what many French people think about their leader.
Vandals attack French politician’s office over pensions row
March 19, 2023 GMTPARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron pledged Sunday to protect lawmakers facing threats for supporting his push to raise the retirement age, amid sustained strikes and protests over the pension bill ahead of high-stakes votes in parliament Monday.
DA leading Trump case says rhetoric won’t intimidate office
March 19, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is standing firm against Donald Trump’s increasingly hostile rhetoric, telling his staff that the office won’t be intimidated or deterred as it nears a decision on charging the former president.
Trump says he expects to be arrested, calls for protest
March 19, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump claimed on Saturday that his arrest is imminent and issued an extraordinary call for his supporters to protest as a New York grand jury investigates hush money payments to women who alleged sexual encounters with the former president.
French protesters march past garbage piles, resisting Macron
March 18, 2023 GMTPARIS (AP) — A smattering of protests against President Emmanuel Macron’s plan to raise France's retirement age from 62 to 64 took place Saturday in Paris and beyond, as uncollected garbage reeked in the streets of the French capital amid a strike by sanitation workers.
Israelis protest legal overhaul plans for 11th week
March 18, 2023 GMTTEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israelis on Saturday took to the streets in protests, now in their 11th week, against plans by Benjamin Netanyahu’s hard-line government to overhaul the country’s legal system.
Italy’s Democratic head blasts limit on LGBTQ parent rights
March 18, 2023 GMTROME (AP) — The head of Italy’s opposition Democratic Party blasted a bureaucratic crackdown on LGBTQ families as ideological, cruel and discriminatory and vowed Saturday to push through legislation to better recognize and protect their rights.
Tougher riot penalties becoming NC law with no Cooper veto
March 18, 2023 GMTRALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Increased punishments for rioting in North Carolina will become law later this year as Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper announced on Friday he wouldn't use his veto stamp on legislation that's similar to a bill he successfully blocked in 2021.
Farmworkers use Florida march to pressure other companies
March 18, 2023 GMTFarmworkers were leading a five-day, 45-mile (72-kilometer) trek on foot this week from one of the poorest communities in Florida to a mansion-lined, oceanfront town that is one of the richest in an effort to pressure retailers to leverage their purchasing power for better worker pay and working conditions.
Violent protests in France over Macron’s retirement age push
March 17, 2023 GMTPARIS (AP) — Angry protesters took to the streets in Paris and other cities for a second day on Friday, trying to pressure lawmakers to bring down French President Emmanuel Macron's government and doom the unpopular retirement age increase he's trying to impose without a vote in the National Assembly.
Italy’s far-right premier addresses country’s oldest union
March 17, 2023 GMTMILAN (AP) — Premier Giorgia Meloni on Friday became the first Italian leader in nearly 30 years to address the annual meeting of the nation’s largest, oldest and most left-wing CGIL union confederation.
Elite officers in Israel’s military plan Sunday walkout
March 17, 2023 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — Hundreds of elite officers in Israel’s military reserves say they will not show up for duty starting on Sunday in protest over the government's plans to overhaul the judicial system.
Mozambicans march to honor protest rapper after his death
March 17, 2023 GMTMAPUTO, Mozambique (AP) — Mozambicans are planning marches across the country to honor Azagaia, a popular protest rapper and fierce government critic, who died last week.
Memorial marches are planned in every major city on Saturday for the musician who died after an epileptic seizure at the age of 38.
In Israel, TV’s dystopian ‘Handmaids’ is protest fixture
March 17, 2023 GMTTEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — It's become an ominous fixture of the mass anti-government protests roiling Israel: a coil of women in crimson robes and white caps, walking heads bowed and hands clasped. They are dressed as characters from Margaret Atwood's dystopian novel, “The Handmaid's Tale,” and the eponymous TV series.
Former Israeli premier urges world leaders to shun Netanyahu
March 17, 2023 GMTTEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel’s former prime minister on Thursday urged world leaders to shun Israel’s current prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, as he presses ahead with a plan to overhaul the country's justice system.
Nurses, paramedics reach pay deal to end England strikes
March 16, 2023 GMTLONDON (AP) — Unions representing more than a million health care workers in England, including nurses and paramedics — but not doctors — reached a deal Thursday to resolve months of disruptive strikes for higher wages.
Sonko court appearance sparks unrest in Senegal’s capital
March 16, 2023 GMTDAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Authorities forcibly removed Senegalese opposition leader Ousmane Sonko from his car Thursday and escorted him to a court appearance, blocking his supporters from following him and sparking unrest in parts of the capital.
Iranians facing economic crisis find little New Year’s cheer
March 16, 2023 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran's bazaars are packed ahead of the Persian New Year next week, but there's little holiday cheer as customers survey the soaring prices of meat and holiday treats, wondering if they can afford either.
Strikes, protests and clashes over deadly Greek rail crash
March 16, 2023 GMTATHENS, Greece (AP) — Clashes broke out in Athens Thursday during a general strike in Greece that was called in response to a rail disaster last month.
Students call for education reform in Hungary protest march
March 16, 2023 GMTBUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Thousands of students and other opponents of Hungary's government marched in the capital Budapest on Wednesday to demand educational reforms and a change in the Central European country's political culture.
UN warns gangs consuming Haiti despite help for police
March 15, 2023 GMTSAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The U.N.’s special envoy to Haiti warned Wednesday that the ongoing training and resources the international community is providing to Haiti’s national police force is not enough to fight increasingly violent gangs.
Powerful boss of casino union leaving post in Atlantic City
March 15, 2023 GMTATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — He's led Atlantic City casino workers through three strikes, been arrested at protests nearly 10 times, and won workers including housekeepers, cocktail servers and others the best contract they had ever had.
Iran says 110 arrested over suspected schoolgirl poisonings
March 15, 2023 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iranian police said Wednesday that 110 suspects have been arrested in connection with the suspected poisoning of thousands of girls in schools across the country.
Videos show scattered protests during Iran’s fire festival
March 15, 2023 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iranians have held scattered anti-government protests during an annual fire festival with ancient roots, according to videos circulating online.
The videos appeared to show protesters in different cities chanting against the country's ruling clerics and hurling firecrackers at security forces during celebrations of Chaharshanbe Soori, which took place on Tuesday.