AP-National

By HILLEL ITALIE AP National Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Book bans and attempted bans continue to hit record highs, according to the American Library Association. And the efforts now extend as much to public libraries as school-based libraries. Through the first eight months of 2023, the ALA tracked 695 challenges to library materials and

By GERALD IMRAY Associated Press CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk has signed a deal with South Africa’s Aspen Pharmacare to produce human insulin specifically for diabetes patients in Africa where there is a dire need for the life-saving treatment. The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention welcomed the

By FARNOUSH AMIRI and LINDSAY WHITEHURST Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans clashed with Attorney General Merrick Garland on Wednesday, accusing him and the Justice Department of the “weaponization” of the department’s work in favor of President Joe Biden ‘s son Hunter. Garland’s appearance before the House Judiciary Committee was his first in two

By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is preparing to water down some of Britain’s environmental commitments, saying the country must fight climate change without penalizing workers and consumers. Sunak says he’ll set out a “proportionate” approach to the environment in a speech this week, which could come as early

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A rescue operation is underway for dozens of migrants on board a yacht reported to be in difficulty off the southwestern coast of Greece. The coast guard says the yacht, believed to be carrying around 90 people, was spotted Wednesday morning about 46 miles west of the small town of Pylos.

By TALES AZZONI AP Sports Writer MADRID (AP) — Most of Spain’s World Cup-winning players ended their boycott of the women’s national team early Wednesday after the government intervened to help shape an agreement that was expected to lead to immediate structural changes at the country’s soccer federation. Only two players, Barcelona teammates Patri Guijarro

By RAHIM FAIEZ Associated Press ISLAMABAD (AP) — The United Nations says it has documented more than 1,600 cases of human rights violations committed by Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities during arrests and detentions of people. It urged the Taliban government to stop torture and protect the rights of detainees. The U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan says

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer Leading Chinese planners have voiced confidence in the outlook for the world’s second-largest economy, holding key interest rates steady amid signs of improvement in some areas such as services. The upbeat tone of officials speaking at a news conference on Wednesday in Beijing is in contrast to forecasts by

By PAN PYLAS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Inflation in Britain fell unexpectedly in August to its lowest level since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which led to sharp rises in energy and food costs. The Office for National Statistics said Wednesday that inflation, as measured by the consumer prices index was 6.7%

By NICOLE WINFIELD, TRISHA THOMAS and SYLVIE CORBET Associated Press VATICAN CITY (AP) — Ten years after Pope Francis made a landmark visit to the Italian island of Lampedusa to show solidarity with migrants, he is joining Catholic bishops from the Mediterranean this weekend in France to make the call more united. The question is

By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks slumped Wednesday after the Federal Reserve said it may not cut interest rates next year by as much as it earlier thought, regardless of how much Wall Street wants it. The S&P 500 fell 41.75, or 0.9%, to 4,402.20. The Dow Jones Industrial

By SYLVIE CORBET Associated Press PARIS (AP) — King Charles III has praised France’s “wonderful welcome” at a grand dinner held in his honor in the sumptuous Hall of Mirrors of the Palace of Versailles. The state visit is meant to highlight the renewed friendship between France and the U.K. Charles and Camilla were greeted

By COLLEEN SLEVIN Associated Press BRIGHTON, Colo. (AP) — Two Denver-area police officers who put Elijah McClain in a neck hold ignored his pleas of “I can’t breathe” before the Black man was injected by paramedics with a powerful sedative and died, prosecutors said Wednesday, as a trial began over the 2019 confrontation that became

By TIA GOLDENBERG Associated Press TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli military operations in the occupied West Bank and unrest in the Gaza Strip have killed six Palestinians, Palestinian health officials said Wednesday, the latest spike in a wave of violence that has roiled the region for more than a year. At least three of

BEIJING (AP) — Two tornadoes within hours killed 10 people and seriously injured four others in eastern China, state media said Wednesday. The first tornado hit parts of Suqian city in Jiangsu province on Tuesday afternoon, state broadcaster CCTV said. It destroyed 137 homes and damaged crop land and pig farms. Five people died and