World

Containers sit at the Balboa terminal, run by CK Hutchison's Panama Ports Co., after Panama's government ordered the occupation of the port following a Supreme Court ruling that the concession was unconstitutional, in Panama City, Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

2 Panama Canal ports have dragged Panama into a tussle between superpowers

Alma Solís, The Associated Press 5 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 1:29 PM CST

PANAMA CITY (AP) — Two ports run for years by a Hong Kong-based company at either end of the Panama Canal have thrust Panama into a geopolitical tug-of-war between the United States and China.

Even before taking office for his second term, U.S. President Donald Trump complained that China was running the Panama Canal, because of concerns over the Hong Kong-based parent of the company running the ports on either side.

The Panamanian government, which operates the canal, strongly denied any Chinese control over the waterway. But in late January, Panama’s Supreme Court ruled that the concession made to a local subsidiary of Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison was unconstitutional. Panama has maintained it is acting only in accordance with the law, but China has alleged that the court case is a reaction to “hegemonic” pressure.

This week, the Panamanian government occupied the two ports and designated two other companies to keep them running until the concession can be rebid. And on Thursday, investigators removed boxes of documents from Panama Ports Co.

Advertise With Us

Weather

WEATHER ALERT Feb. 28, 6 AM: -30°c Partly cloudy Feb. 28, 12 PM: -21°c Cloudy

Winnipeg MB

-21°C, Snow

Full Forecast

Pentagon to cut ties with Columbia, Yale, Brown and others Hegseth accuses of ‘wokeness’

Collin Binkley, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Pentagon to cut ties with Columbia, Yale, Brown and others Hegseth accuses of ‘wokeness’

Collin Binkley, The Associated Press 4 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 4:20 PM CST

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon will forbid members of the military from attending Columbia, Yale, Brown and other universities starting next school year amid a campaign to cut ties with institutions that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called “factories of anti-American resentment.”

Hegseth announced the policy in a video posted to social media on Friday, three weeks after he said the military was cutting ties with Harvard University. Without citing evidence, Hegseth said the universities have become “breeding grounds of toxic indoctrination” that undermine military values.

“For decades, the Ivy League and similar institutions have gorged themselves on a trust fund of American taxpayer dollars, only to become factories of anti-American resentment and military disdain,” he said. “They’ve replaced the study of victory and pragmatic realism with the promotion of wokeness and weakness.”

Hegseth said the ban applies to Columbia, Princeton, Brown, Yale, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and “many others” without elaborating. He called for “complete and immediate cancellation of all Department of War attendance,” though it was not clear how broadly it would be applied.

Read

Updated: Yesterday at 4:20 PM CST

FILE - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks at Mar-a-Lag, Jan. 3, 2026, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrives in India to repair a strained relationship

The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrives in India to repair a strained relationship

The Associated Press 2 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 1:02 PM CST

NEW DELHI (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in Mumbai on Friday for his first official visit to India, seeking to reset relations and deepen trade cooperation with New Delhi after ties deteriorated in recent years under his predecessor.

During his four-day trip, Carney is set to hold talks with business leaders and will meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Monday.

India’s foreign ministry said in a statement Thursday that the meeting between the two leaders would offer an opportunity to reaffirm “the positive momentum and shared vision” for a forward-looking partnership. Talks between Modi and Carney are expected to cover cooperation in trade and investment, energy, critical minerals and technology, the ministry said.

Carney will also visit Australia and Japan next week, part of his effort to diversify trade away from the United States. Carney has set a goal for Canada to double its non-U.S. exports in the next decade, saying American tariffs are causing a chill in investment

Read

Updated: Yesterday at 1:02 PM CST

In this photo provided by Indian Prime Minister's Office, India Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks during the AI Summit in New Delhi, India, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (Indian Prime Minister's Office via AP)

Police video shows chaotic aftermath of Rhode Island ice rink shooting

Hallie Golden, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Police video shows chaotic aftermath of Rhode Island ice rink shooting

Hallie Golden, The Associated Press 3 minute read 12:10 AM CST

Newly released video of the aftermath of a deadly shooting at a Rhode Island ice rink last week shows a chaotic scene of bystanders and law enforcement rushing to help victims and initial confusion over which person was the shooter.

“My dad shot my brother,” a woman tells an officer outside the arena, police body camera video obtained by The Boston Globe on Friday shows.

The officer quickly races into the arena, the more than 21-minute video released by the Pawtucket Police Department shows. The video has been almost completely blurred except for the outside of the building and images of the stands.

Authorities say shooter Robert Dorgan, 56, targeted family members during a youth hockey game. Dorgan's ex-wife Rhonda Dorgan, adult son Aidan Dorgan, and Rhonda Dorgan's father, Gerald Dorgan, were killed. Rhonda Dorgan's mother Linda Dorgan and a family friend, Thomas Geruso, were wounded.

Read

12:10 AM CST

Police and ATF agents stand near the Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, R.I., after a shooting at the ice rink, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)

Electrolyte supplements are everywhere. Who benefits from them and when?

Travis Loller, The Associated Press 6 minute read Preview

Electrolyte supplements are everywhere. Who benefits from them and when?

Travis Loller, The Associated Press 6 minute read Yesterday at 11:02 PM CST

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Social media is filled with influencers rating electrolyte supplements or even telling followers how to make their own. But experts say many of the claims about the health benefits of these drinks need to be taken with a grain of salt.

Electrolytes are electrically charged substances that help regulate chemical reactions in the body. In the context of hydration, they balance fluid levels inside and outside of cells, said Julia Zumpano, a registered dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic.

We lose some electrolytes through sweat, primarily sodium chloride — which is what is in table salt. Drinking too much plain water when sweating very heavily can dilute the salt in your body even further, throwing things out of balance. Electrolyte drinks and powders are meant to hydrate and replace the lost salt. They often contain other electrolytes like potassium and magnesium. Many also contain some form of sugar.

In general, the kidneys in a healthy person do an excellent job of keeping our electrolytes in balance. Extras simply come out in your urine, said Vanderbilt University nephrologist Hunter Huston, who also consults for a UK-based company that provides electrolyte replacement plans for endurance athletes.

Read

Yesterday at 11:02 PM CST

Electrolyte supplements are poured into glass of water Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Trump raises the possibility of a ‘friendly takeover of Cuba’ coming out of talks with Havana

Will Weissert, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Trump raises the possibility of a ‘friendly takeover of Cuba’ coming out of talks with Havana

Will Weissert, The Associated Press 4 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 4:22 PM CST

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Friday that the U.S. is in talks with Havana and raised the possibility of a “friendly takeover of Cuba” without offering any details on what he meant.

Speaking to reporters outside the White House as he left for a trip to Texas, Trump said Secretary of State Marco Rubio was in discussions with Cuban leaders “at a very high level.”

“The Cuban government is talking with us,” the president said. “They have no money. They have no anything right now. But they’re talking to us, and maybe we’ll have a friendly takeover of Cuba.”

He added: “We could very well end up having a friendly takeover of Cuba.”

Read

Updated: Yesterday at 4:22 PM CST

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before departing on Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Tom Brenner)

Actor Tessa Thompson, Sen. Adam Schiff and more sound off on Paramount eying Warner Bros. Discovery

The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Actor Tessa Thompson, Sen. Adam Schiff and more sound off on Paramount eying Warner Bros. Discovery

The Associated Press 3 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 3:36 PM CST

LOS ANGELES (AP) — With Paramount in a position to take over Warner Bros. Discovery’s studio and streaming business, elected officials and Hollywood figures have strong opinions. Sen. Adam Schiff of California is calling for the potential deal to be subject to the “highest levels of scrutiny” while actor Mark Ruffalo fears it could hurt competition. Many Democrats have come out against the merger.

Here's what some are saying, in their own words:

Tessa Thompson

“It’s worrisome. I would lie if I said — as someone that’s making work and producing work — that it isn’t worrisome. But I think the North Star always has to be: Do you have a story to tell? Is it important to tell it?” — the actor, in an interview with The Associated Press.

Read

Updated: Yesterday at 3:36 PM CST

FILE - Vehicles enter Paramount Pictures in Los Angeles on Dec. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

Neil Sedaka, the singer-songwriter behind dozens of hits of the 1960s and ’70s, dies at age 86

Leanne Italie, The Associated Press 7 minute read Preview

Neil Sedaka, the singer-songwriter behind dozens of hits of the 1960s and ’70s, dies at age 86

Leanne Italie, The Associated Press 7 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 6:32 PM CST

NEW YORK (AP) — Neil Sedaka, the hit-making singer-songwriter whose boyish soprano and bright melodies made him a top act in the early years of rock ‘n' roll and led to a second run of success in the 1970s, has died.

Sedaka, whose hits included “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do” and “Laughter in the Rain,” died Friday at age 86.

“Our family is devastated by the sudden passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather, Neil Sedaka,” his family said in a statement. “A true rock and roll legend, an inspiration to millions, but most importantly, at least to those of us who were lucky enough to know him, an incredible human being who will be deeply missed.”

No other details of his death were immediately available.

Read

Updated: Yesterday at 6:32 PM CST

FILE - Recording artist Neil Sedaka poses for a portrait Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2010 in New York. (AP Photo/Jeff Christensen, File)

New York woman who duped investors and funneled money to Trump fundraiser gets 9 years in prison

The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

New York woman who duped investors and funneled money to Trump fundraiser gets 9 years in prison

The Associated Press 3 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 3:44 PM CST

CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. (AP) — A New York businesswoman was sentenced Friday to nine years in federal prison over a financial scheme that ripped off more than $30 million from foreign investors and funneled some of the stolen money into U.S. political campaigns, including a fundraiser for President Donald Trump.

Sherry Xue Li was also ordered to forfeit $31.5 million, as well as property at three locations, and to make restitution to her victims.

The 54-year-old Oyster Bay resident, who has been detained since her arrest in 2022, pleaded guilty last year to money laundering conspiracy and conspiracy to defraud the U.S. by obstructing the Federal Election Commission’s administration of campaign finance laws.

Her co-defendant, Lianbo Wang, also pleaded guilty to similar charges and was sentenced to five years in prison.

Read

Updated: Yesterday at 3:44 PM CST

FILE - The complaint and affidavit in support of an arrest warrant against Sherry Xue Li and Lianbo

In their own words: Texans vote under redrawn maps ordered by Trump

Jamie Stengle, John Hanna And Jonathan J. Cooper, The Associated Press 6 minute read Preview

In their own words: Texans vote under redrawn maps ordered by Trump

Jamie Stengle, John Hanna And Jonathan J. Cooper, The Associated Press 6 minute read Yesterday at 11:04 PM CST

Texas' primary elections on Tuesday are among the first in the nation this year, and for millions of voters, their choices for Congress are different than last time.

Months after Texas set off a nationwide scramble to redraw U.S. House maps ahead of November's midterm elections, voters are casting ballots under the new boundaries. President Donald Trump last year pressured Republican-led states to alter congressional districts with the goal of blunting Democrats' chances to reclaim power.

In Texas, where one of the nation's biggest U.S. Senate races is also unfolding, the new maps are engineered to help Republicans win five additional House seats. The changes fused liberal Dallas neighborhoods with conservative pockets of East Texas and shifted lines along the U.S.-Mexico border to seize on GOP gains with Hispanic voters.

The redrawn boundaries for partisan gain worry some Democratic voters about representation. Republican supporters see a fairer reflection of the state's conservative politics. And in corners of Houston, outright confusion persists.

Read

Yesterday at 11:04 PM CST

Angela Juergens poses for a photo at her home, Monday, Aug. 25, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

The end of Hollywood or a brighter future? What a Paramount-owned Warner Bros. means for the movies

Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press 7 minute read Preview

The end of Hollywood or a brighter future? What a Paramount-owned Warner Bros. means for the movies

Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press 7 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 4:10 PM CST

Two of Hollywood’s oldest studios may be consolidating into one. In a shocking twist after a monthslong bidding war, Paramount has emerged as the apparent victor in the fight to acquire Warner Bros.

Netflix, who backed away from the deal Thursday, had hoped to win the movie studio and its vast film library. Paramount wants it all: Movies, cable networks and news.

Almost 10 years ago, Hollywood's big six became the big five when Disney bought most of 20th Century Fox. Now the big five looks like it's destined to become the big four, including Universal and Sony, and the business of Hollywood moviemaking is one again in a time of profound transition.

Here’s what we know, what we don’t and some burning questions.

Read

Updated: Yesterday at 4:10 PM CST

FILE - The Paramount Pictures water tower is seen in Los Angeles, Dec. 18, 2025, with the Hollywood sign in the distance. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

Exiled activist Anna Kwok vows to keep fighting after Hong Kong jails her father

The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Exiled activist Anna Kwok vows to keep fighting after Hong Kong jails her father

The Associated Press 4 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 9:40 PM CST

WASHINGTON (AP) — A prominent Hong Kong activist in exile in the U.S. said a court ruling back in Hong Kong to imprison her father for eight months has only made her more determined to fight for the territory and its people.

“I think obviously the (Hong Kong) government wants to use guilt, wants to use a lot of emotions to weight me down, but I've found my way to really find my calling in activism for Hong Kong,” said Anna Kwok, who is wanted by the Hong Kong government for her pro-democracy activism.

“So I’m not going to back down. I’m just going to be more strategic with more long-term thinking and be more dedicated to the Hong Kong cause,” she said.

Kwok spoke with The Associated Press on Friday, one day after a Hong Kong court jailed her 69-year-old father, Kwok Yin-sang, for attempting to withdraw roughly $11,000 from her insurance policy.

Read

Updated: Yesterday at 9:40 PM CST

Hong Kong activist in exile Anna Kwok speaks in Washington, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. (AP Photo)

2 trans men sue Kansas over a law invalidating their driver’s licenses and about 1,700 others

John Hanna, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

2 trans men sue Kansas over a law invalidating their driver’s licenses and about 1,700 others

John Hanna, The Associated Press 3 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 4:56 PM CST

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Two transgender men are suing Kansas over a new law that invalidated their driver's licenses and about 1,700 others for reflecting people's gender identities and not their sex assigned at birth, arguing that the measure is “dehumanizing.”

The men filed their case Thursday, the same day the law took effect, and argue that it violates rights to privacy, personal autonomy and due legal process guaranteed by the Kansas Constitution. The men also are challenging the law's tough, new enforcement provisions for the state's 3-year-old policy of barring transgender people from using public restrooms or other single-sex facilities associated with their gender identities.

The men want to block the law, which also invalidated roughly 1,800 transgender people's birth certificates. They filed their case in district court in Douglas County, where they live, which is home to the main University of Kansas campus and is a liberal bastion in a red-leaning state.

“The Kansas Constitution prohibits the Kansas Legislature's targeting of transgender individuals for this discriminatory and dehumanizing treatment,” the lawsuit says.

Read

Updated: Yesterday at 4:56 PM CST

February 28, 2026

2 Panama Canal ports have dragged Panama into a tussle between superpowers

Weather

Pentagon to cut ties with Columbia, Yale, Brown and others Hegseth accuses of ‘wokeness’

Pentagon to cut ties with Columbia, Yale, Brown and others Hegseth accuses of ‘wokeness’

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrives in India to repair a strained relationship

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrives in India to repair a strained relationship

Police video shows chaotic aftermath of Rhode Island ice rink shooting

Police video shows chaotic aftermath of Rhode Island ice rink shooting

Electrolyte supplements are everywhere. Who benefits from them and when?

Electrolyte supplements are everywhere. Who benefits from them and when?

Trump raises the possibility of a ‘friendly takeover of Cuba’ coming out of talks with Havana

Trump raises the possibility of a ‘friendly takeover of Cuba’ coming out of talks with Havana

Actor Tessa Thompson, Sen. Adam Schiff and more sound off on Paramount eying Warner Bros. Discovery

Actor Tessa Thompson, Sen. Adam Schiff and more sound off on Paramount eying Warner Bros. Discovery

Featured

Mise en Scene's latest project takes a trip on the road to growing up

Nothing mysterious about Hood & Dagger’s motives

What’s up: Philharmonic Choir; films of Sylvia Hamilton and Claire Prieto; storytime; Emily Austin; French Class

MbTech Week event addresses risks organizations must navigate while unlocking AI potential

Hellebuyck to be first hockey player to receive Presidential Medal of Freedom

Carruthers calls it a career

Neil Sedaka, the singer-songwriter behind dozens of hits of the 1960s and ’70s, dies at age 86

Neil Sedaka, the singer-songwriter behind dozens of hits of the 1960s and ’70s, dies at age 86

New York woman who duped investors and funneled money to Trump fundraiser gets 9 years in prison

New York woman who duped investors and funneled money to Trump fundraiser gets 9 years in prison

In their own words: Texans vote under redrawn maps ordered by Trump

In their own words: Texans vote under redrawn maps ordered by Trump

The end of Hollywood or a brighter future? What a Paramount-owned Warner Bros. means for the movies

The end of Hollywood or a brighter future? What a Paramount-owned Warner Bros. means for the movies

Exiled activist Anna Kwok vows to keep fighting after Hong Kong jails her father

Exiled activist Anna Kwok vows to keep fighting after Hong Kong jails her father

2 trans men sue Kansas over a law invalidating their driver’s licenses and about 1,700 others

2 trans men sue Kansas over a law invalidating their driver’s licenses and about 1,700 others

February 28, 2026

Notification Settings

Breaking News

Recommended Reads