Negotiators vow to enforce cease-fire in eastern Ukraine

MINSK, Belarus (AP) – Negotiators at the Ukraine peace talks have promised to make new efforts to enforce a shaky cease-fire in eastern Ukraine, an envoy said Wednesday. Boris Gryzlov, a former speaker of the Russian parliament who has been named a Russian envoy, made the offer during peace talks Wednesday in the Belarusian capital […]

Avalanche in French Alps hits high school ski group, kills 3

PARIS (AP) – A deadly avalanche hit a high school group skiing in the French Alps on Wednesday, killing two students and a Ukrainian skier and seriously injuring three others, officials said. French President Francois Hollande said mountain emergency services with sniffer dogs and a helicopter were engaged in a rescue operation at the Deux […]

Florida Senate passes disabled children bill; moves to House

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – The Florida Senate on Wednesday passed legislation expanding aid for students with intellectual disabilities and named the program for Senate President Andy Gardiner, who has made what he calls “people with unique abilities” the signature issue of his tenure as president. The bill (SB 672) increases funding from $55 million to […]

Treasury to track some real estate deals in NY and Miami

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Treasury Department will begin tracking sales of high-end real estate in two of the country’s most expensive markets – Miami and Manhattan – to try to crack down on money laundering. The department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network said Wednesday that it will temporarily require certain title companies to identify individuals behind […]

Investigators return to dead US woman’s flat in Florence

MILAN (AP) – Crime scene investigators returned Wednesday to the Florence apartment where a 35-year-old American woman was found strangled to death over the weekend, searching for clues to identify her killer. Ashley Olsen was found nude on her bed in her rented apartment on Saturday after her boyfriend had the owner open the door, […]

New trial for Ocala woman accused of luring ex to his death

OCALA, Fla. (AP) – A new first-degree murder trial is underway for a north Florida teen accused of luring her ex-boyfriend to a home where he was beaten, shot and burned to death. The Ocala Star-Banner (http://bit.ly/1ZiTvUU ) reports that the trial of 19-year-old Amber Wright began Tuesday in Ocala. Wright is among a group […]

ATV riders challenge longtime bans on use of public roads

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – When she crashed on an all-terrain vehicle, Megan Cratsley was hurt so badly that doctors had to amputate much of her right arm, a life-altering surgery that launched the teenager on a personal mission to change New York traffic laws to protect other ATV riders. The buzzy, open-air vehicles are […]

Florida bill would limit the number, cost of Lottery scratch games

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – A bill that would limit the number of Florida Lottery scratch-off games and cap ticket prices at $5 was overwhelmingly approved by a House committee Wednesday after lawmakers criticized the department for using the games to prey on the state’s poorest residents. The House Government Operations Subcommittee voted 12-1 in favor […]

House approves greater oversight of Iran nuclear deal

WASHINGTON (AP) – Less than 24 hours after Iran’s detention and release of U.S. sailors, the House approved GOP-backed legislation that amplifies Republican distrust of Tehran and would give Congress greater oversight of the landmark nuclear agreement. Lawmakers voted 191-106 Wednesday to approve the Iran Terror Finance Transparency Act, spurning a veto threat from President […]

US turns to UN to screen refugees from Central America

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Obama administration is planning to expand a program to let would-be migrants from Central America apply for refugee status before they attempt to come to the U.S., Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday. The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees will now conduct initial screenings to see […]