AP-National

By ILLIA NOVIKOV Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Six Ukrainian deputy defense ministers have been fired following the dismissal two weeks ago of the defense minister in a corruption scandal, as heavy fighting against Russian forces continues in the east. A government official provided no explanation of the firings. The new defense minister, Rustem

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — The International Committee of the Red Cross says it shipped badly needed flour and medical supplies to an ethnic Armenian region within Azerbaijan suffering under a road blockade since late last year. The region, Nagorno-Karabakh, has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces, backed by Armenia since 1994 which marked

MIAMI (AP) — A rapidly intensifying storm in the Atlantic has developed into a hurricane. The National Hurricane Center in Miami says Nigel is a fast-spaced storm that is expected to strengthen into a major hurricane on Tuesday. It poses no immediate threat to land. At 11 a.m. EDT, Hurricane Nigel was about 875 miles

GENEVA (AP) — The rights situation in Russia has “significantly deteriorated” since President Vladimir Putin launched his war against Ukraine in February last year, an expert commissioned by the U.N.’s top human rights body said in her first report on the country on Monday. Mariana Katzarova, the special rapporteur on Russia’s rights situation mandated by

By OMAR FARUK Associated Press MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — The second phase of the African Union troop withdrawal from Somalia has begun, under a timeline for the handover of security to the country’s authorities. The African Union troops are to fully hand over security to Somali forces at the end of 2024. The mission is

SANFORD, Maine (AP) — A man from Maine who was reported missing was found after being trapped for two days in his pickup truck in a muddy, wooded area in New Hampshire, authorities said. Robert Brown, 65, of Sanford, Maine, drove his wife to work about 15 miles (24.1 kilometers) away in Rochester, New Hampshire,

By MOGOMOTSI MAGOME Associated Press JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A head-on collision between a truck and a bus ferrying workers to a mine in South Africa’s northern Limpopo province has left 20 people dead. Construction company Murray & Roberts Cementation says 17 of its workers, who were being transported to the Venetia mine in Musina close

By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — British police said Monday that they had received a sexual assault allegation after media outlets published claims by several women against Russell Brand. Promoters postponed the remaining dates in a string of live gigs by the comedian, who denies the allegations. A talent agency and a publisher

By PAOLO SANTALUCIA and NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press VATICAN CITY (AP) — Russia’s new ambassador to the Vatican is meeting with Pope Francis for a protocol visit to present his diplomatic credentials. He’s meeting the pontiff as signs emerge that the Vatican’s Ukraine peace ambassador could soon be undertaking a second mission to Moscow. In

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s leading Roma and Sinti group has presented its first report on discrimination and racism against the minority community. It warned that increasing nationalism and right-wing extremism are contributing to violence against Germany’s minorities. The Central Council of German Sinti and Roma said that of the 621 incidents recorded, most were cases

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkish state media says underwater teams are trying to recover a helicopter that crashed in a lake, killing three crew members, while fighting a forest fire in western Turkey. Four crew members were aboard the firefighting aircraft when it fell into the waters of the Tahtali dam while battling a blaze in

By JON GAMBRELL, LUJAIN JO and MATTHEW LEE Associated Press DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Five Americans detained for years in Iran walked off a plane and into freedom Monday, most arm-in-arm, as part of a politically risky deal that saw President Joe Biden agree to the release of nearly $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets

By SHEIKH SAALIQ Associated Press NEW DELHI (AP) — Indian lawmakers are sitting in the last session before moving to a new Parliament building after responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call that saw him lauding the recently concluded G20 summit. Major opposition parties in May boycotted the inauguration of the new Parliament, calling it

MORGANTOWN, Pa. (AP) — Nine teenagers who escaped from a detention center in Pennsylvania after overpowering staff and crawling under a fence were captured less than 12 hours later, state police said Monday. “It probably was planned, but poorly planned,” said Pennsylvania State Police Trooper David Beohm. Beohm said the first four were taken into

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on Elon Musk, the head of electric carmaker Tesla, to establish a factory in Turkey. Erdogan’s office says the request came during a meeting in New York, where Erdogan is attending the U.N. General Assembly. The statement from Erdogan’s office also says the two discussed

By MIKE CORDER Associated Press THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Russia is calling a Ukrainian case alleging that Moscow abused the Genocide Convention to justify its invasion last year an “abuse of process.” The comment came Monday as lawyers for Moscow sought to have judges at the United Nation’s highest court throw out Kyiv’s case.

By CLAIRE RUSH and LINDSAY WHITEHURST Associated Press/Report for America PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — An Oregon judge will decide whether a gun control law approved by voters last year is lawful under the state constitution. Measure 114 requires a permit, criminal background check and training course to buy a gun while also banning high-capacity magazines.

By RIAZAT BUTT Associated Press ISLAMABAD (AP) — Two years after the Taliban banned girls from school beyond sixth grade, Afghanistan is the only country in the world with restrictions on female education. Now, the rights of Afghan women and children are on the agenda of the United Nations General Assembly Monday in New York.

MOSCOW (AP) — China’s top diplomat is in Russia for security talks after two days of meetings with U.S. President Joe Biden’s national security adviser over the weekend in Malta. Foreign Minister Wang Yi began talks Monday with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov and will meet other Russian officials during his visit that will last

ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) — The Chevron Corp. says a liquefied natural gas plant in Australia has resumed full production after a fault cut output by one-fifth for three days. A turbine at the Wheatstone LNG plant in Western Australia state tripped last Thursday as around 500 unionized Chevron staff escalated strike action over pay and