Debate over surfing in German park gets gnarly after city removes wave-creating device
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Surf's not up in Munich. Workers in the German city on Sunday removed a beam used to recreate a surfable wave in the city's landmark English Garden park. The wave had been a hot spot for years but disappeared after the river bed was cleaned of debris. City officials and the surfing community have been talking about how to restore the wave. But the city wasn't moving fast enough to suit some of the surfers it seems. Unknown individuals installed the beam on Christmas for some holiday surfing in wet suits. The city is urging patience.
Kyrgios beats Sabalenka in latest 'Battle of the Sexes' in tennis
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Nick Kyrgios has won the latest version of the “Battle of the Sexes” in tennis. He beat top-ranked women’s player Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 6-3 in an exhibition match that represented light entertainment rather than another landmark moment for gender equality. There was laughing and joking between the players, some under-arm serves, over-the-top grunting on shots, and even some dancing from Sabalenka during a timeout to entertain the crowd at the 17,000-seat Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai. The “Battle of the Sexes” name was borrowed from the 1973 match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, which King won in straight sets. That took place amid King’s efforts to start a female tour and get equal pay in tennis.
'The best gift ever': Baby is born after the rarest of pregnancies, defying all odds
Doctors say just 1 in 30,000 pregnancies occur in the abdomen instead of the uterus. And Ryu Lopez is among the rare cases. He developed outside his mom’s womb, hidden by a basketball-sized ovarian cyst. It's a dangerous situation so uncommon that his doctors at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles are planning to write about the case for a medical journal. Ryu was born in August, weighing in at 8 pounds. Doctors removed the cyst during the same surgery. Ryu's parents say they feel blessed that their son defied all odds.
Pop culture in 2025: A ring for Taylor, an ill-timed KissCam ... and whatever ‘6-7’ means
In a year of pop culture moments, some things were old and some things were very new. What does the term “6-7” mean? Dictionary.com designated it the word of 2025 but even they couldn't define it. People were talking about “KPop Demon Hunters,” and especially singing its songs. They were talking about the Coldplay KissCam, and how adorable the capybara was. But then there were two names that have dominated our pop culture for years now. Taylor Swift kept making records with her album sales, and got engaged. And Beyoncé finally won her overdue Grammy for album of the year.
What to know about the Christmas Eve Powerball jackpot in Arkansas worth $1.8 billion
Christmas came early for someone who purchased a Powerball ticket worth more than $1.8 billion at a gas station outside Little Rock, Arkansas. The lone winner in Wednesday’s Christmas Eve drawing matched all five winning numbers and the Powerball to capture the second-largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history. Under Arkansas law, the winner has 180 days to claim their prize. The ticket was purchased at a Murphy USA gas station in the Little Rock suburb of Cabot. The mayor says the entire community is buzzing about who the potential winner might be, although since the gas station is on a major interstate, it's possible they're from out of town.
NORAD continues decades-long tradition of tracking Santa's trip around the world
PETERSON SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. (AP) — For the 70th year in a row, people of all ages will be able to get updates on Santa's journey around the world from the North American Aerospace Defense Command in Colorado. For the first time, those who want an update from NORAD will be also be able to place a call through the program’s website, which will make it easier for people outside North America to call one of 1,000 volunteers providing Santa updates. Last year, the NORAD Tracks Santa operation center received about 380,000 phone calls. NORAD is a joint United States and Canadian operation charged with monitoring the skies for threats since the Cold War.
Mystery as YouTube creator's finance livestream appears on White House website
WASHINGTON (AP) — A YouTube content creator whose livestream talking about investments mysteriously appeared to take over a White House website says he has no idea how it happened. The livestream appeared for at least eight minutes late Thursday on whitehouse.gov/live, raising questions about whether the site was hacked. The site is where the White House usually streams live video of the president speaking. It's unclear if the website was breached or the video was linked accidentally by someone in the government. The YouTube content creator says he doesn't know what happened but hopes Trump and his youngest son are watching his streams and "taking advice.” The White House says it's "looking into what happened.”
A mysterious fedora, a thieving cat and other stories that made us smile in 2025
The past year wasn't all doom and gloom; there was plenty to smile about, too. In November, a mysterious “Fedora Man” in an Associated Press photo captured attention after the French crown jewels were stolen from the Louvre. He turned out to be a 15-year-old boy with a flair for historical fashion. In September, scientists solved an art mystery by identifying the blue in a Jackson Pollock painting. Meanwhile, a New Zealand cat named Leonardo da Pinchy spent a year stealing laundry. In February, a kayaker survived being briefly swallowed by a whale in Chile. And in May, a 115-year-old woman shared her secret to longevity: never arguing.
Harvard morgue manager who sold body parts like 'baubles' gets 8-year prison term
A former manager of the Harvard Medical School morgue in Boston has been sentenced to eight years in prison for stealing and selling body parts. A prosecutor says Cedric Lodge treated the parts “as if they were baubles.” Authorities say Lodge was at the center of a ghoulish scheme in which he shipped brains, skin, hands and faces to buyers in Pennsylvania and elsewhere after cadavers donated to Harvard were no longer needed. His wife, Denise Lodge, was sentenced to just over a year in prison for assisting him. They appeared Tuesday in federal court in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
British baker’s criticism of Mexican 'ugly' bread triggers social media outrage
MEXICO CITY (AP) — A British baker's critique of Mexican bread has sparked outrage on social media, leading to a public apology. Richard Hart, co-founder of Green Rhino bakery in Mexico City, said Mexicans lack a bread culture, calling their rolls "ugly" and "cheap." His comments ignited a debate over food identity and foreign influence in Mexico. Social media users defended Mexican bread, highlighting staples like bolillos and conchas. Hart later apologized, acknowledging he underestimated the cultural importance of bread in Mexico. The incident has fueled discussions about cultural authority and the role of foreigners in critiquing Mexican traditions.
