Albert Wagner 
NEW YORK – Hollywood closed out an up-and-down 2023 with “Wonka” regaining No. 1 at the box office, strong sales for “The Color Purple” and an overall US$9 billion in ticket sales that improved on 2022’s grosses but fell about US$2 billion shy of pre-pandemic norms. The New Year’s weekend box office this … Read more
NAIROBI, Kenya – Two men were arrested in connection with the killing of Ugandan Olympic runner Benjamim Kiplagat, who was found fatally stabbed in a car in Kenya on New Year’s Eve, police said Monday. A knife suspected of being used in the killing of the 34-year-old Kiplagat was found on one of … Read more
NEW YORK – It’s an annual end-of-year exercise in futility for many. But a clean slate awaits at the stroke of midnight for the next round of resolutions. From the first spray of fireworks to the closing chorus of “Auld Lang Syne” 366 days into the future — 2024 is a leap year … Read more
BRISBANE, Australia – Naomi Osaka’s first win at the elite level since becoming a mother didn’t come easily. It did come on Day 1 of the year, though. So that was two items Osaka checked off the list Monday for her comeback to professional tennis. The four-time major winner was broken while serving … Read more
Gloria Knowlan never dreamt of boldly going where no one had gone before and was content to leave the journey to the “Star Trek” actors she came to love, but 12 years after her death, her family has ensured the final frontier will be her ultimate resting place. It seemed a fitting tribute … Read more
SEOUL – A tsunami measuring under one metre reached South Korea’s east coast in the wake of a massive earthquake that hit Japan on Monday, South Korea’s meteorological agency said, which added there may be more and larger waves in the next hours. The first tsunami to reach South Korea’s coast was 67 … Read more
The disgraced Tory peer Michelle Mone and her husband are being investigated by the UK’s National Crime Agency, the couple have confirmed in a statement in which they claimed they were being “hung out to dry” over the government’s Covid-19 PPE failings. Mone’s husband, Doug Barrowman, accused the government of using the NCA “to threaten … Read more
TOKYO – Japan issued tsunami alerts and ordered evacuations following a series of earthquakes on Monday that started a fire and trapped people under rubble on the west coast of its main island. The Japan Meterological Agency reported more than a dozen quakes off the coast of Ishikawa and nearby prefectures shortly after … Read more
Over the past three years, the world’s oldest democracy has been tested in ways not seen in decades. A sitting president tried to overturn an election and his supporters stormed the Capitol to stop the winner from taking power. Supporters of that attack launched a campaign against local election offices, chasing out veteran … Read more
DETROIT – Four people died and two others were injured Saturday in a Michigan house explosion that could be heard miles away, police said. The explosion happened before 4 p.m. in Northfield Township, about 45 miles (72.4 kilometers) west of Detroit. The structure was destroyed, leaving only the basement, Northfield Township Police Lt. … Read more
