Here are the AP's top stories and promotable content. All times U.S. Eastern. For up-to-the minute information on AP's coverage, visit AP Newsroom’s Coverage Plan.
…
Join our family of readers for as little as $14.99 per month and support local, unbiased journalism.
Already a member? Log in to continue. Otherwise, follow the link below to join.
Please log in to continue |
Here are the AP's top stories and promotable content. All times U.S. Eastern. For up-to-the minute information on AP's coverage, visit AP Newsroom’s Coverage Plan.
—————————----—
NATIONAL
———----———————
A winter storm threatens to bring blizzards and ice to parts of the U.S., hampering holiday travel
SUMMARY: A powerful winter storm driven by a rapidly intensifying cyclone was sweeping east from the Plains on Sunday, bringing heavy snow, ice, rain and severe weather expected to affect much of the country. Forecasters warned of possible blizzard conditions and whiteouts in parts of the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes, where snowfall could exceed a foot and reach 2 feet near Lake Superior. The system is expected to deliver freezing rain in New England, thunderstorms across the South and East, and widespread strong winds. The storm follows some flight disruptions during the busy holiday travel period.
WORDS: 503 - MOVED: 12/28/2025 2:34 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSWinterWeatherndLdWritethru/1dc6429f0b3e2ff4a52e351eeeae23cc/text___
—————————----—
WASHINGTON/POLITICS
———----———————
Zelenskyy to meet with Trump as efforts to end Russia-Ukraine war remain elusive
SUMMARY: President Donald Trump will host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to try to close out a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia that would end nearly four years of war. Zelenskyy arrived Sunday in Florida, where Trump is spending the holidays. The two men will meet in the afternoon. Trump said he had a “good and very productive” call with Russian President Vladimir Putin before the meeting. Russia intensified its attacks on Ukraine’s capital in the days before the meeting.
WORDS: 1136 - MOVED: 12/28/2025 5:02 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSRussiaUkraineWarthLdWritethru/42c38dbb3eecc22dd80271d504308337/text___
—————————----—
INTERNATIONAL
———----———————
Thai and Cambodian top diplomats meet in China to solidify ceasefire
SUMMARY: Top diplomats from Thailand and Cambodia have started talks in China to address their border dispute. The meeting comes after a new ceasefire was signed, halting weeks of fighting that killed over 100 people and displaced more than half a million. The talks, mediated by China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi, aim to ensure a lasting peace. China, along with the U.S. and Malaysia, seeks to mediate the crisis. U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to withhold trade privileges unless a ceasefire is maintained. China has also announced emergency aid for Cambodia and expressed readiness to support ongoing dialogue.
WORDS: 541 - MOVED: 12/28/2025 11:13 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APASChinaThailandCambodiastLdWritethru/02d9339ec101b8d5f3f6c097764c9ba8/text___
Winter rain floods Gaza camps as Netanyahu heads for US meeting
SUMMARY: Winter rain has lashed the Gaza Strip, flooding camps with ankle-deep puddles as Palestinians displaced by war try to stay dry in fraying tents. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is traveling for an expected meeting on Monday with U.S. President Donald Trump about the second phase of the ceasefire. The first phase that took effect on Oct. 10 was meant to bring a surge in humanitarian aid for Gaza, including shelter. Though the ceasefire agreement has mostly held, its progress has slowed. Its second phase is expected to be even more challenging, with issues including Gaza's security and governance.
WORDS: 762 - MOVED: 12/28/2025 2:17 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APMLMideastWarsGazaWeatherstLdWritethru/03427b994adfb84a6d5f4a49d440d5ae/text___
Myanmar holds first election since military seized power but critics say the vote is a sham
SUMMARY: Voters in Myanmar have voted in the first phase of the country’s general election. The polls are being held under military rule amid a civil war. Final results will not be known until after two more rounds of voting are completed in January. The first phase was held on Sunday. It's widely expected that Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing will assume the presidency. The general led the ouster of the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021. Critics argue the election is a facade to legitimize military control under the pretense of civilian rule. The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party is the heavy favorite to take power.
WORDS: 983 - MOVED: 12/27/2025 11:36 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APASMyanmarElectionthLdWritethru/f361d4962d30b9c5c4741110bb1271ef/text___
A building collapse in South Africa kills three people, including a 1-year-old
SUMMARY: Three people, including a child, have died after a two-story building collapsed in Soweto, South Africa. The incident happened early Sunday morning. Authorities say emergency personnel have rescued three others trapped under the rubble and that those people are receiving treatment for their injuries at a local hospital. The incident has been handed over to the relevant authorities for further investigation. In a similar incident on December 12, five people died when a multistory building collapsed at the site of a Hindu temple in Durban.
WORDS: 192 - MOVED: 12/28/2025 11:15 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APAFSouthAfricaBuildingCollapse/66df10b356572c092dc132f293e57181/text___
Guinea votes in first election since 2021 coup with junta leader expected to win
SUMMARY: Guineans are voting to elect a new president in the country’s first election since a 2021 coup. The election on Sunday features a weakened opposition with a total of nine candidates. Analysts have predicted a likely win for junta leader Gen. Mamadi Doumbouya. The election in Guinea is the latest such vote among African countries that have seen a surge in coups in recent years. Doumbouya’s closest challenger is the little-known Yero Baldé of the Democratic Front of Guinea party, who was education minister under ousted President Alpha Condé. More than half of Guinea’s 15 million people are experiencing record levels of poverty and food insecurity despite its rich mineral resources — including as the world’s biggest exporter of bauxite, used to make aluminum.
WORDS: 800 - MOVED: 12/28/2025 7:35 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APAFGuineaElectionrdLdWritethru/9c51dff8b5d244b5c5f2157be6eaf1d2/text___
Thailand and Cambodia sign a new ceasefire agreement to end border fighting
SUMMARY: Thailand and Cambodia have signed a ceasefire agreement to end weeks of fighting over border disputes. The agreement, effective Saturday at noon, halts military movements and airspace violations. Thailand had conducted airstrikes in Cambodia as recently as Saturday morning. The deal includes the repatriation of 18 Cambodian soldiers held by Thailand after 72 hours of ceasefire. Both countries have suffered civilian and military casualties. The ceasefire aims to allow displaced civilians to return home. The agreement also addresses land mine concerns and calls for joint demining operations. Malaysia's Prime Minister praised the agreement, emphasizing restraint for civilian safety.
WORDS: 990 - MOVED: 12/27/2025 5:37 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APASThailandCambodiathLdWritethru/0019310e1c062cd211f9f5398b3bc463/text___
Chilly Gaza braces for more winter rain and word of any progress in ceasefire talks
SUMMARY: Barefoot children played on chilly sand as Gaza’s thousands of displaced people prepared threadbare tents for another round of winter rain. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to visit Washington in the coming days as negotiators and others discuss the second stage of the ceasefire that took effect on Oct. 10. Though the agreement has mostly held, its progress has slowed. Meanwhile, Israel’s defense minister on Saturday said a military operation continued in a town in the Israeli-occupied West Bank a day after police said a Palestinian killed two people in northern Israel.
WORDS: 811 - MOVED: 12/27/2025 6:25 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APMLMideastWarsstLdWritethru/ebf60136f5ff1dadf56222cde4cd8e52/text___
Russia strikes Ukraine's capital and kills at least 1 person a day before Zelenskyy-Trump meeting
SUMMARY: Russia struck Ukraine's capital with missiles and drones in an attack that killed at least one person. The barrage came a day before the leaders of Ukraine and the United States meet. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the attack “really shows that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin doesn’t want peace.” Authorities said that Saturday's assault hit residential buildings and energy infrastructure in Kyiv. Moscow said the strike was in response to Ukraine’s attacks on “civilian objects” in Russia. Poland scrambled fighter jets and closed airports in Lublin and Rzeszow near the border with Ukraine for several hours during the Russian attacks but there was no violation of Polish airspace.
WORDS: 1074 - MOVED: 12/27/2025 7:15 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APEURussiaUkraineWarthLdWritethru/67c576b92273cc0953de64590572e159/text___
Brazilian judge puts coup plot convicts under house arrest after former police commander flees
SUMMARY: A Brazilian judge has issued house arrest orders for 10 people involved in a plot to keep former President Jair Bolsonaro in power after his 2022 election loss. The decision on Saturday came after Paraguay arrested and extradited a former police commander linked to the plot. The individuals under house arrest had previously faced measures like ankle monitors. Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 years in prison in September for attempting a coup. The trials have been closely watched in Brazil. The U.S. initially criticized the proceedings. But Washington has since softened its stance by lifting sanctions and lowering tariffs on Brazilian exports.
WORDS: 452 - MOVED: 12/27/2025 4:54 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APLTBrazilCoupArrestsrdLdWritethru/5b74f4b78ecf7f802c62434f38f128a3/text___
—————————----—
RELIGION
———----———————
Jeffrey R. Holland, next in line to lead Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, dies at 85
SUMMARY: Jeffrey R. Holland, a senior official in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has died at 85. The church announced his death on Saturday from complications from kidney disease. Holland led the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, a key governing body. He was next in line to become the church's president. Henry B. Eyring is now next in line. Holland had been dealing with health issues and was hospitalized during the Christmas holiday. He previously served as president of Brigham Young University and was known for his work in education and interfaith relations.
WORDS: 610 - MOVED: 12/27/2025 3:01 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSObitJeffreyHollandthLdWritethru/f6c339ddc9688a5dd3523ce79ee8544b/text___
—————————----—
ENTERTAINMENT
———----———————
Brigitte Bardot, 1960s French sex symbol turned militant animal rights activist, dies at 91
SUMMARY: French 1960s sex symbol Brigitte Bardot has died at age 91. Bardot became one of the greatest screen sirens of the 20th century and later a militant animal rights activist. She died on Sunday at her home in southern France. Bardot rocketed to international stardom in the 1956 movie “And God Created Woman.” The film was directed by then husband Roger Vadim. It triggered a scandal with scenes of the long-legged beauty dancing on tables naked. Bardot earned her compatriots’ respect as an animal rights activist. She was awarded the nation’s highest honor. But Bardot later fell from public grace as her animal protection diatribes took on a decidedly extremist tone and her far-right political views sounded racist.
WORDS: 1442 - MOVED: 12/28/2025 10:18 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APEUFranceObitBardotthLdWritethru/397b87b8550dec3d199b2b5754149d7c/text___
Hounded by photographers for years, Bardot identified with the animals she later set out to save
SUMMARY: Brigitte Bardot, who has died at 91, often said that the hounding she received from the world's press in her years as a sex symbol of the 1960s made her identify with hunted and abused animals. So it was that the sultry star of “And God Created Woman” and many other films reinvented herself as a militant animal rights activist, devoting herself to protecting animals across the globe. But while she was initially lauded and honored for her work, she was later repeatedly convicted of inciting racial hatred and several towns removed statues of Marianne — the bare-breasted symbol of the French republic — that were modeled on Bardot.
WORDS: 1289 - MOVED: 12/28/2025 12:09 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APEUFranceObitBardotALife/1477b4fd9ed3a03ca8db01f5bd5d2f7b/text___
—————————----—
LIFESTYLE
———----———————
Foods with healthy-sounding buzzwords could be hiding added sugar in plain sight
SUMMARY: People probably don’t know how much sugar they’re eating. Up to 57 pounds per year, according to the American Heart Association. And the culprit isn’t just glazed pastries and soda. Many products marketed as healthy can have a tablespoon of added sugars per serving. Nicole Avena, a neuroscience and psychiatry professor at Mount Sinai Medical School, says to be wary of marketing terms that aren’t regulated, like “organic,” “made with real fruit,” “all natural” and “superfood.” Healthy grocery buzzwords like those often cover up an unhealthy amount of sugar. Along with saturated fat and salt, eating excess sugar is linked to heart disease, obesity, diabetes and other health risks.
WORDS: 659 - MOVED: 12/28/2025 5:45 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APBeWellHiddenSugars/f1bf6cd53aa3be569e5952b5bc8c773f/text___
—————————----—
SPORTS
———----———————
Texans clinch third consecutive playoff berth with 20-16 win over Chargers
SUMMARY: C.J. Stroud threw two long touchdowns on Houston's first two drives, leading the Texans to a 20-16 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. This win clinched a third consecutive playoff berth for the Texans for the first time in franchise history. The Texans improved to 11-5 and have won eight in a row. It's their longest winning streak since 2018. The Chargers fell to 11-5 and had their four-game winning streak snapped. The loss handed the AFC West title to first-place Denver. The Chargers have the best kicker in the NFL, but Cameron Dicker missed a 32-yard field goal and a point after attempt.
WORDS: 855 - MOVED: 12/28/2025 12:46 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APFBNTexansChargersstLdWritethru/e4d32c2c101f7c8daccb83a9057141b8/text___
<END>
