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Sri Lankan lawmaker says disputed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa will resign Saturday to end political crisis

Norwegian skier Aksel Lund Svindal narrowly edged Italian rival Christof Innerhofer to win a World Cup super-G and extend his record to seven career victories in Val Gardena

Spain's government has announced a plan to spend 7.3 billion euros ($8.2 billion) over the next 10 years on improving its military defense capabilities

Serbia says it will seek urgent session of UN Security Council over Kosovo's decision to form an army

Investigators looking into the Strasbourg attack are trying to establish whether the main suspect was helped by accomplices while on the run, Paris prosecutor Remy Heitz says

AP Explains: Sri Lankan crisis continues despite Supreme Court ruling against president

Carnival Cruise Line has announced plans to launch the first cruise ship with a roller coaster on board

Council of Europe legal experts say the Mediterranean island nation of Malta needs better checks and balances, with the prime minister's powers currently eclipsing other institutions

Immigration officials say an autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death of a 7-year-old migrant girl who suffered seizures in custody and later died

Three states resumed executions of death row inmates in 2018 after long breaks, but nationwide, executions remained near historic lows this year

French President Emmanuel Macron will head to Strasbourg on Friday evening, one day after the suspect in Tuesday's attack near the city's famous Christmas market was shot dead in a police operation

President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer says he bought the silence of two women because Trump was "very concerned" about how their stories of alleged affairs with him "would affect the election."

Automaker Volkswagen says it is on track for a new annual sales record despite troubles getting vehicles certified for new European emissions tests

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Myriam Renaud, University of Chicago(THE CONVERSATION) Fully half of Yemen’s population – 14 million people – are on the brink of starvation. Some analysts blame their inability to access basic foodstuff on escalating conflict between two religious factions: the country’s Sunni Muslims and its Houthis. The Houthis belong to the Shiite branch of Islam. Saudi Arabia, which shares a

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Jean Twenge, San Diego State University(THE CONVERSATION) Parents who fear their kids are spending too much time in front of screens now have more reason for concern. New research funded by the National Institutes of Health found brain changes among kids using screens more than seven hours a day and lower cognitive skills among those using screens more than two hours a day. When

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Brian Mittendorf, The Ohio State University(THE CONVERSATION) The National Rifle Association’s political spending fell during the 2018 midterm elections. There’s talk of ending small perks like free coffee at its offices and even employee layoffs.These and other trends indicate that at a time when the NRA’s clout may seem stronger than ever, its financial power may be faltering.As a

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Joseph Harris, Boston University(THE CONVERSATION) The open enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) draws to a close on Dec. 15. Yet, recent assaults on the ACA by the Trump administration stand in marked contrast to efforts to expand access to health care and medicine in the rest of the world. In fact, on Dec. 12, the world observed Universal Coverage Day, a day

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Shashank Priya, Pennsylvania State University(THE CONVERSATION) Though the days of hardwired wall-mounted phones are ending and wireless internet connections are common at home and on the go, people are still dependent on cords to charge their mobile devices. My research, and that of others in the field, is working toward the vision of removing power cords by recharging batteries

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Carolyn Coyne, University of Pittsburgh(THE CONVERSATION) Throughout history, politicians have restricted or outright banned certain areas of scientific or medical research based on moral or ethical grounds. In some cases, these measures were justified and prevented unethicalhuman or animal research. In others, the bans could be seen as misguided and delaying medical advances.The

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Mónica Alejandra Ramírez, Universidad de los Andes ; Manuel Lequerica Tamara, University of Sydney, and Pablo Stevenson, Universidad de los Andes (THE CONVERSATION) Colombia’s Andes Mountains used to be loaded with wildlife, including South America’s sole bear species, the spectacle bear, and the mountain tapir, which lives only in the world’s highest altitudes. You couldn’t walk a