Month: August 2023

By K.M. CHAUDHRY and MUNIR AHMED Associated Press JARANWALA, Pakistan (AP) — Police in eastern Pakistan have arrested 129 Muslims after a mob angered over an alleged desecration of a Quran by two men attacked more than a dozen churches and homes of minority Christians. Authorities sent in soldiers to restore order. Police have also

By CHONCHUI NGASHANGVA and SIBI ARASU Associated Press NEW DELHI (AP) — Days of relentless rain in India’s Himalayan region have killed at least 72 people this week, a government official said Thursday, as a heavy monsoon triggered landslides and flash floods that have submerged roads, washed away buildings and left residents scrambling for safety.

By TAIWO ADEBAYO Associated Press OMO FOREST RESERVE, Nigeria (AP) — Sunday Abiodun, carrying a sword in one hand and balancing a musket over his other shoulder, cleared weeds on a footpath leading to a cluster of new trees. Until recently, it had been a spot to grow cocoa, one of several plots that Abiodun

By ISABEL DEBRE Associated Press JIFTLIK, West Bank (AP) — Across the dusty villages of the occupied West Bank, where Israeli water pipes don’t reach, date palms have been left to die. Greenhouses are empty and deserted. Palestinians say they can barely get enough water to bathe their children and wash their clothes — let

By TIA GOLDENBERG and WAFAA SHURAFA Associated Press TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli forces raided a home above a bakery in a militant stronghold in the occupied West Bank, killing a Palestinian militant in a gunbattle. The raid happened Thursday in Jenin, a city that has seen some of the worst bloodshed in the

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Japan suffered a trade deficit last month as exports sank for the first time in two years and five months, dragged down by a slowdown overseas. The Finance Ministry says exports from the world’s third largest economy shrank most markedly for the rest of Asia, especially

By HANNA ARHIROVA Associated Press RIVNE, Ukraine (AP) — An organization in Ukraine is helping former soldiers who lost their vision in combat against Russia to reclaim a sense of autonomy. Along a bustling city street, a 34-year-old man takes his first independent steps since a mine exploded behind him more than a year ago.

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares mostly slipped Friday as rising yields in the bond market on Wall Street set off expectations that high interest rates would continue in the U.S. Japan’s inflation data showed consumer prices rose 3.1% from a year earlier in July, down from 3.3% in June.

By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ and HAVEN DALEY Associated Press PARADISE, Calif. (AP) — California residents driven from their homes by one of the deadliest wildfires in recent history had one request before they would rebuild in the small mountain town of Paradise: warning sirens to bolster town emergency systems that failed some people before the

By CLAIRE RUSH Associated Press KIHEI, Hawaii (AP) — Many survivors of the wildfire that consumed Lahaina are experiencing depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder even while still living in mass shelters filled with grim reminders of their escape. Counselors and nurses are helping the wildfire refugees with breathing exercises, counseling and stress relief, but

By JOE McDONALD AP Business Writer BEIJING (AP) — China’s government is trying to reassure jittery homebuyers after a major real estate developer missed a payment on its multibillion-dollar debt, reviving fears about the industry’s shaky finances and their impact on the struggling Chinese economy. There is no indication Country Garden’s problems might spread beyond

By ROD McGUIRK Associated Press CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston was ruled not guilty Thursday of an Australian charge of concealing his father’s child sex crimes. Houston, 69, was the Sydney-based church’s senior global pastor when police charged him two years ago with concealing a serious indictable offense. He resigned from

By BOBBY CAINA CALVAN, JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER and CHRISTOPHER WEBER Associated Press LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — The head of the Maui Emergency Management Agency has resigned after facing criticism for not activating disaster sirens during last week’s deadly wildfires that killed at least 111 people. The County of Maui announced Thursday on Facebook that Mayor

By JOHN PYE AP Sports Writer SYDNEY (AP) — Nine of 10 people who watched commercial television in Australia on Wednesday night tuned in to see the Matildas play England in the Women’s World Cup semifinals. It reflected an immense shift in the Australian public’s sporting consciousness as Matildas mania swept the nation. A visibly

By ANDREW DALTON and RYAN PEARSON AP Entertainment Writers LOS ANGELES (AP) — Britney Spears and her husband Sam Asghari separated nearly three weeks ago, and he is seeking spousal support and attorneys’ fees in their divorce, according to his divorce filing. Asghari, 29, filed his petition to dissolve his 14-month-old marriage to the 41-year-old

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will host the leaders of Japan and South Korea at Camp David to encourage the U.S. allies, who have been thawing their frosty relationship, to cooperate more given their shared concerns about aggression from China and North Korea. Taking place this weekend, it will

By JOSH BOAK and EMILY SWANSON Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has devoted the past several weeks to promoting the positive impacts of his policies — but his efforts have yet to meaningfully register with the public. Only 36% of U.S. adults approve of Biden’s handling of the economy, slightly lower than

By BECKY BOHRER Associated Press JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A U.S. Army soldier has been accused of killing his wife in Alaska after a night out celebrating his 21st birthday, according to court records. Zarrius Ray Hildabrand faces murder and evidence tampering charges in the death of his wife, Saria Hildabrand, of Utah, whose body

YELLOWKNIFE, Northwest Territories (AP) — Residents in the capital of Canada’s Northwest Territories were ordered to evacuate Wednesday night as wildfires neared the city of 20,000 people. People in the four areas of Yellowknife at highest risk should leave as soon as possible and residents in other areas have until noon Friday to leave, the