AP-National

By MICHAEL R. SISAK, JENNIFER PELTZ, JAKE OFFENHARTZ and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — The judge in Donald Trump’s hush money trial cleared the courtroom of reporters Monday and then threatened to remove the defense’s witness from the trial altogether because of his behavior on the stand, which included making comments

By JINTAMAS SAKSORNCHAI Associated Press BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand has officially begun the selection of new set of senators, a process that has become part of the ongoing war between progressive forces hoping for democratic political reforms and conservatives seeking to keep the status quo. Hopeful candidates headed to district offices across the country on

By GERALD IMRAY Associated Press CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Former South African President Jacob Zuma was disqualified Monday from running for a Parliament seat in next week’s national election because of a previous criminal conviction. The decision by the country’s highest court is certain to raise political tensions ahead of a pivotal vote

By FADI TAWIL Associated Press BEIRUT (AP) — Ireland’s top diplomat has expressed concerns about the slow progress of criminal proceedings against several Lebanese men charged with the killing of an Irish peacekeeper in Lebanon. Irish Foreign Minister and Defense Minister Micheál Martin told journalists during a visit to Lebanon on Monday that Ireland is

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Nepal’s prime minister will continue leading his shaky governing coalition after winning his fourth vote of confidence in two years on Monday. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal called the vote in Nepal’s lower house of parliament after a small party in his coalition split up and withdrew support. Dahal won the

By JON GAMBRELL Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s first Vice President Mohammad Mokhber has been appointed acting president of the Islamic Republic after the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash. The 68-year-old has largely been in the shadows compared to other politicians in Iran’s Shiite theocracy. Raisi’s death

By JOSEPH KRAUSS Associated Press JERUSALEM (AP) — The helicopter crash in which Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the country’s foreign minister and other officials were killed is likely to reverberate across the Middle East, where Iran’s influence runs wide and deep. That’s because Iran has spent decades supporting armed groups and militants in Lebanon, Syria,

By BRIAN MELLEY and JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange can appeal an extradition order to the United States on espionage charges, a London court ruled Monday — a decision likely to further drag out an already long legal saga. High Court judges Victoria Sharp and Jeremy Johnson ruled for

By RAHIM FAIEZ Associated Press ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attack on foreigners in central Afghanistan last week in which three Spanish citizens and three Afghans were killed. An interior ministry spokesperson said seven people were wounded in the attack in Bamiyan province on Friday. A local Taliban

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares mostly fell Tuesday, even as most U.S. stock indexes finished higher, especially technology issues like Nvidia. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 0.2% in early trading to 39,141.08. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.2% to 7,851.90. South Korea’s Kospi fell 0.4% to 2,732.26. Hong Kong’s Hang

By BARAA ANWER Associated Press RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Leaning into the microphone in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Nora let loose a primal scream. Guitars wailed and drums throbbed behind her as part of a set with her bandmates during a recent show. The performance by Seera, an all-women psychedelic rock band that blends traditional

By JEROME PUGMIRE AP Sports Writer PARIS (AP) — With 100 days until the Paralympics begin, Paris organizers are delivering a message from the athletes in a bid to boost ticket sales: I am not missing anything, except you. The countdown campaign for the Aug 28-Sept. 8 Paralympic Games begins Monday. It features three Paralympic

By JON GAMBRELL Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Hossein Amirabdollahian, Iran’s foreign minister and a hard-liner close to the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard who confronted the West while also overseeing indirect talks with the U.S. over the country’s nuclear program, died in the helicopter crash that also killed the country’s president, state media

By JON GAMBRELL Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, a hard-line protege of the country’s supreme leader who helped oversee the mass executions of thousands in 1988 and later led the country as it enriched uranium near weapons-grade levels, launched a major attack on Israel and experienced mass protests,

By PIYUSH NAGPAL and BISWAJEET BANERJEE Associated Press AYODHYA, India (AP) — Millions of Indians across 49 constituencies are casting ballots as the country’s six-week-long election enters its final stages. Voting is also happening in northern Ayodhya city, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened a controversial Hindu temple on the site of a razed mosque.

By AMANDA SEITZ and ALLEN G. BREED Associated Press WILLIAMSTON, N.C. (AP) — After one North Carolina city’s only hospital closed, residents there say they’re not only worried about their health but they’ve lost trust in politicians. Williamston, North Carolina’s struggle to reopen its only emergency room could signal trouble for President Joe Biden’s reelection

By REBECCA SANTANA Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Exploring the cosmos makes for happy employees, federal workers like to work from home like everyone else, and an agency that has struggled with low morale is showing improvement. Those are some of the highlights of a survey released Monday of more than a million federal workers.

By STEVE PEOPLES, MEG KINNARD and THOMAS BEAUMONT Associated Press COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Nikki Haley is perhaps the highest-profile Republican in the nation who has refused to fall in line and endorse Donald Trump’s presidential bid. It’s unclear how long that might last. Some allies believe she may be forced to endorse him before

By JOSH BOAK Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Numbers show that the economy during Donald Trump’s presidency has never lived up to his own hype. But polling shows Americans are more confident about his economic leadership than that of President Joe Biden. The question of who can best steer the U.S. economy could be a

By DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writer Van Leeuwen Ice Cream usually draws customers with gourmet takes on classics like vanilla and pistachio. But occasionally, the artisanal ice cream maker headquartered in New York slips in what it calls a “shock flavor,” like Hidden Valley Ranch or pizza. Surprising flavor combinations – think gravy-flavored Jones Soda