HONG KONG (AP) —Firefighters were workingto bring under control Hong Kong'sdeadliest fire in decadesand were rescuing residents from the high-rise towers in the suburban Tai Po district.
This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Two West VirginiaNational Guard memberswho deployed to the nation's capital were shot Wednesday afternoon just blocks from the White House in a brazen act of violence that the mayor described as a targeted attack.
FBI Director Kash Patel and WashingtonMayor Muriel Bowsersaid they were hospitalized in critical condition.
The rare shooting of National Guard members, on the day before Thanksgiving, comes as the presence of the troops in the nation's capital and other cities around the country has been a flashpoint issue for months, fuelingcourt fightsand a broader public policy debate about the Trump administration's use of the military to combat what officials cast as an out-of-control crime problem.
A suspect who was in custody also was shot and had wounds that were not believed to be life-threatening, according to a law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.
The 29-year-old suspect, an Afghan national, entered the U.S. in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden administration program that evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans after the U.S. withdrawal from the country, officials said.
The initiative brought roughly 76,000 people to the U.S., many of whom had worked alongside U.S. troops and diplomats as interpreters and translators. It has since faced intense scrutiny from Trump and his allies, congressional Republicans and some government watchdogs over gaps in the vetting process and the speed of admissions, even as advocates say it offered a lifeline to people at risk of Taliban reprisals.
The suspect, who has been living in Washington state, has been identified by law enforcement officials as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, but authorities were still working to fully confirm his background, two law enforcement officials and a person familiar with the matter said. The people could not discuss details of an ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
Lakamal arrived in Bellingham, Washington, about 79 miles (127.1 kilometers) north of Seattle, with his wife and five children, said his former landlord Kristina Widman.
Wednesday night, in a video message released on social media, President Donald Trump called for the reinvestigation of all Afghan refugees who entered under the Biden administration.
"If they can't love our country, we don't want them," he said, adding that the shooting was "a crime against our entire nation."
Jeffery Carroll, an executive assistant D.C. police chief, said investigators had no information on a motive. He said the assailant "came around the corner" and immediately started firing at the troops, citing video reviewed by investigators.
"This was a targeted shooting," Bowser said.
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey initially said the troops had died, but he later walked that statement back to say his office was "receiving conflicting reports" about their condition.
The Trump administration quickly ordered 500 more National Guard members to Washington. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Trump asked him to send the troops.
Nearly 2,200 troops currently are assigned to the joint task force operating in the city, according to the government's latest update.
Troops held down the shooter
The shooting happened roughly two blocks northwest of the White House near a metro station. Hearing gunfire, other troops in the area ran over and held down the gunman after he was shot, Carroll said.
"It appears to be a lone gunman that raised a firearm and ambushed these members of the National Guard," Carroll said, adding that it was not clear whether one of the guard members or a law enforcement officer shot the suspect.
"At this point we have no other suspects," Carroll said at a news conference.
At least one of the guard members exchanged gunfire with the shooter, said another law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Social media video shared in the immediate aftermath showed first responders performing CPR on one of the troops and treating the other on a glass-covered sidewalk.
Witnesses saw people fleeing
Stacy Walters said she was in a car when she heard two gunshots and saw people running. Almost instantly, law enforcement swarmed the area. "It's such a beautiful day. Who would do this? And we're getting ready for the holidays?"
Emma McDonald, who exited a metro station just after the shots were fired, said she and a friend sought safety with others in a cafe. McDonald told AP that minutes later she saw first responders rolling a stretcher carrying a National Guard member whose head was covered in blood.
Police tape cordoned off the scene, and fire and police vehicle lights flashed and helicopter blades thudded overhead. Agents from the Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were there, and National Guard troops stood sentry nearby. At least one helicopter landed on the National Mall.
"I think it's a somber reminder that soldiers, whether they're active duty, reserve or National Guard, our soldiers are the sword and the shield of the United States of America," Vice President JD Vance said in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where he delivered a Thanksgiving message to troops.
Gen. Steven Nordhaus, chief of the National Guard Bureau, scrapped plans to spend the holiday with troops at Guantanamo Bay in order to travel to D.C. and be with guard members there instead.
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said on social media that he visited the wounded National Guard members in the hospital and that his "heart breaks for them."
Troops deployed to DC under emergency order
Trump issued anemergency orderin August that federalized the local police force and sent in National Guard troops from eight states and the District of Columbia. The order expired a month later, but the troops remained.
Last week a federal judge ordered an end to the deployment, but she also put her order on hold for 21 days to allow the administration time to either remove the troops or appeal.
The guard members have patrolled neighborhoods, train stations and other locations, participated in highway checkpoints and been assigned to pick up trash and guard sports events.
More than 300 West Virginia National Guard members were deployed in August. About 160 of them volunteered last week to extend their deployment until the end of the year, while the others returned home just over a week ago.
This story has been updated to correct that the Washington police official's first name is spelled Jeffery, not Jeffrey.
Associated Press journalists Konstantin Toropin, Seung Min Kim, Safiyah Riddle, Matt Brown, Mike Balsamo, Eric Tucker, Jesse Bedayn, Evan Vucci, Nathan Ellgren, John Raby, Hallie Golden, Michael R. Sisak and John Seewer contributed.
A 19-year-old college student who was on her way to surprise her family for Thanksgiving break was detained at a Boston airport and later deported despite a federal judge's order blocking her removal, according to her attorney.
Any Lucia Lopez Belloza, who entered the U.S. from Honduras when she was 8 years old, was about to board her flight to Texas last Friday to visit her parents and siblings when airport authorities told her to step aside, her attorney Todd Pomerleau told ABC News.
Lopez Belloza was detained, informed that she had a removal order and then arrested, her attorney said. Hours after her detainment, court documents obtained by ABC News show that a federal judge ordered the government not to remove the 19-year-old from the U.S. and not to transfer her outside of Massachusetts.
ICE arrests woman with family connection to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt
But according to Pomerleau, Lopez Belloza was transferred that evening to Texas and deported to Honduras the next day.
"She thought she was going to go home, see her family, fly back, take her finals, and now she's sitting in Honduras," Pomerleau said.
In a statement to ABC News' Boston affiliate WCVB, a spokesperson for Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Lopez Belloza had a removal order since 2015 and confirmed her removal.
Thousands of immigrants could be eligible for bond hearings, striking down DHS policy: Judge
ABC News has reached out to ICE and the Department of Homeland Security for a comment.
Pomerleau said that he will seek Lopez Belloza's return to the U.S.
ANCIENT OLYMPIA, Greece (AP) — The Olympic flame began its journey Wednesday to the Milan Cortina Winter Games — missing a little of its usual magic.
Bad weather lashing western Greece forced organizers to move the torch-lighting ceremony indoors, from Olympia's ancient stadium and temples to a nearby museum.
The flame is lit by focusing the sun's rays with a concave mirror. But with skies overcast, officials used a backup flame kindled during a brief spell of sunshine at Monday's rehearsal.
Greek rower Petros Gaidatzis launched the torch relay, which, after reaching Italy, will be carried across the host country by about 10,000 runners before the Feb. 6–22 competition.
The sun ultimately made an appearance over rain-soaked OIympia on Wednesday during the indoor ceremony.
"It's incredibly memorable and a little bit emotional for me to be standing here," said IOC President Kirsty Coventry, who was overseeing her first torch lighting after being elected to the post in March. "It feels like the past and the present are really coming together. We are extremely happy that today's ceremony reminds us what the games stand for."
Italy is hosting its third Winter Games, but preparations have been plagued bycost overrunsandconstruction setbacks.
Organizers say there's plenty for fans to look forward to: a program featuring 116 medal events, the debut of ski mountaineering, higher female participation and the return of NHL players to Olympic hockey.
After a short tour of Greece and a handover on Dec. 4, the flame willbegin a 63-day, 12,000-kilometer relaythrough all 110 Italian provinces, highlighting cultural sites and host venues before reaching Milan's San Siro Stadium for the opening ceremony.
"Over the next few weeks, the Olympic flame will pass through all the Italian provinces, 60 cities, 300 towns, 20 regions and all the UNESCO sites. It will travel from the northern peaks to the southern shores," said Giovanni Malago, head of the Milan Cortina Organizing Committee. Speakers at Wednesday's ceremony urged world leaders to recognize the spirit of the Olympic Truce – an ancient Greek tradition pausing conflicts during the games to allow safe participation.
"Today humanity is going through a time of multiple and parallel crises. Wars proliferate from Europe to the Middle East and from Asia to Africa. So we should honestly admit that a society at war is a failed society," the mayor of Ancient Olympia, Aristidis Panayiotopoulos, said. "The flame allows us to again recall the values that guide humanity, values that were born and forged here."
Despite moving indoors, Wednesday's ceremony retained its traditional elements: sculptural dance gestures by performers dressed as priestesses and male kouroi, and invocations in Greek to the ancient gods.
Artemis Ignatiou, the ceremony's artistic director, said the team had prepared for the possibility of bad weather and that, despite the setback, "we gained something special: the energy of the museum and the archaeological space itself."
Speaking to The Associated Press, Ignatiou said dancing among the statues "gave the ceremony a timeless feeling."
A separate flame for the March 6–15 Winter Paralympics will be lit Feb. 24 at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in England, the birthplace of the Paralympic movement.
AP Olympics:https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
NFL games during Thanksgiving weekend are sometimes merely a welcome palate cleanser amidst a sea of turkey and macaroni and cheese: a sprig of parsley or a squeeze of lemon meant only to break up the monotony of a gluttonous few days.
Other times — like this Thursday and Friday — the games are the main dish.
The four NFL matchups Thanksgiving and Black Friday all carry some pretty serious levels of import as we head into the homestretch of the season and teams jockey for playoff position. These aren't games to merely have on in the background while you pretend to care about your cousin's partner's views on the New York mayoral race. These are matchups that feature either a team that's desperate or a team with something to prove.
Here's why every matchup on Thanksgiving and the day after is a significant one.
This rematch of a Week 1 game between NFC North foes is the first game on Thanksgiving, and it's a pivotal one for both clubs.
The Packers won the first round, limiting the Lions to only 13 points in the season opener and kicking off a since-constant conversation about Detroit's offense. Both teams were expected to be Super Bowl contenders before the season, and while both have been good, each has also had its struggles.
Green Bay and Detroit each enter with 3-2 records in their last five games. If the Packers win, they'll have a two-game lead over the Lions in the loss column plus the tiebreaker, which would make it incredibly difficult for Detroit to come back and win the division. If the Lions win, they'll be within one game of the North-leading Chicago Bears at worst — which could be extra important this year as Detroit is on the outside of the NFC playoff picture.
Keep an eye on the star pass rushers in this one as Micah Parsons and Aidan Hutchinson are both capable of swinging a game themselves.
The Chiefs and the Cowboys both pulled out huge comebacks in Week 12, as Kansas City came back from two scores down to beat the Indianapolis Colts in overtime and Dallas erased a 21-0 deficit against the Philadelphia Eagles.
We find these two teams in pretty desperate waters, as both enter Week 13 in 10th place in their conferences. Neither side can afford to lose many more games the rest of the season if it hopes to make the playoffs.
This game has the potential to be a classic quarterback duel. Patrick Mahomes and Dak Prescott are ranked second and third in passing yards this season. Prescott is also second in passing touchdowns, with 23.
The Ravens are one of the hottest teams in the NFL, winners of five straight games to climb out of a 1-5 hole. The headline of this matchup, though, is the return of Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, who is expected to make his first start since Week 2 after he suffered a turf toe injury.
Burrow has lost four straight games against Baltimore, three of which were decided by one score, the last two of which were decided by a total of four points. In two games vs. the Ravens last season, Burrow threw for 820 yards, nine touchdowns and one interception.
A Ravens win could put them in the driver's seat in the AFC North if the Pittsburgh Steelers continue to flounder. A win for Cincinnati could be start of its own run as the Bengals try to get back in the hunt.
Are the Bears for real? There is no better way for Chicago to prove its 8-3 record is legit than by defeating the defending Super Bowl champs on the road.
The Bears, under first-year coach Ben Johnson, have gotten improved play from Caleb Williams this season, as the former No. 1 overall pick has thrown for 2,568 yards, with 16 touchdowns and four interceptions. But six of Chicago's eight wins have come in one-score games, including multiple wins in the final minute. Is the Bears' record in close games sustainable? Or a sign the dam is about to break? Chicago has only one win against teams currently over .500.
The Eagles, meanwhile, are having the 8-3 season from hell. Philadelphia is coming off a dispiriting loss to the Cowboys that ratcheted up the pressure on the struggling offense. A year after they finished seventh in points per game, the Eagles enter Week 13 ranked 17th. Philly's once-vaunted rushing attack has struggled, tumbling from to 179.3 yards per game a season ago to 110.5, 21st in the NFL.
The Eagles need a bounce-back performance to quiet the noise, while the Bears can silence their own doubters with what would be their signature win of the season so far.
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