AP-National

By JIM GOMEZ Associated Press MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine officials say Chinese coast guard ships backed by a military helicopter tried unsuccessfully to block two Philippine government vessels carrying scientists from reaching two sandbars in the disputed South China Sea. They say Chinese coast guard personnel blew the horn on one of their ships

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A strong and shallow undersea earthquake has shaken the eastern side of Indonesia’s main island of Java, causing some damage but no immediate reports of casualties. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake Friday measured 6.4 and struck at a depth of 5.2 miles north of Paciran in East Java province.

By NOHA ELHENNAWY Associated Press CAIRO (AP) — The Egyptian government has raised fuel prices in a move that is bound to exacerbate inflationary pressures on an already-struggling population. The new prices came into effect Friday morning. The Egyptian economy has been hit hard by years of government austerity, the coronavirus pandemic, the fallout from Russia’s invasion of

By JUSTIN SPIKE Associated Press BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungary’s populist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has congratulated Russian President Vladimir Putin on his victory in an election whose outcome was never in doubt after systematic crackdowns on dissent. Orbán, widely seen as Putin’s closest ally in the European Union, sent the letter of congratulations on

BEIJING (AP) — A former executive at Yoozoo Games has been sentenced to death in the poisoning of the founder of the high-profile Chinese gaming company. A court says Xu Yao poisoned the food of company founder Lin Qi in December 2020 because of a dispute over the running of the business. Lin died about

By JSARH NGARNDEY ULRICH and JESSICA DONATI Associated Press METCHE CAMP, Chad (AP) — Overcrowded refugee camps in eastern Chad are set to run out of money soon, exacerbating a dire humanitarian situation caused by the spillover from the conflict in Sudan. Over a million people in Chad, including many refugees from Sudan, face losing

By HANNA ARHIROVA and JIM HEINTZ Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia unleashed one of its most devastating attacks against Ukraine’s electric sector, an aerial assault it said was retaliation for recent strikes inside Russia. It could signal an escalation of the war just days after President Vladimir Putin cemented his grip on power

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine officials say a former Filipino congressman accused of masterminding the killings of a provincial governor and several others has been arrested in East Timor and will be deported. The Department of Justice said Friday that Arnolfo Teves Jr. was arrested while playing at a golf driving range Thursday. Teves is

By DAMIAN J. TROISE AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks closed their best of the year so far with a quiet finish on Friday, remaining near their records. The S&P 500 slipped 7.35 points, or 0.1%, from its all-time high to close at 5,234.18. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 305.47, or

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for a deadly bombing that targeted people trying to collect their salaries at a bank in southern Afghanistan. The bombing Thursday at a branch of New Kabul Bank in Kandahar city killed three people and wounded 12 others. A Kandahar official said all of the

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A Pakistani court in the eastern city of Lahore has sentenced a Muslim woman to life in prison after finding her guilty of burning pages of Islam’s holy book. Government prosecutor Mohazib Awais said Friday that Aasiya Bibi was arrested in 2021 after residents claimed she desecrated the Quran by burning

By DEVI SHASTRI AP Health Writer Allergy season is here — and it’s earlier and stronger than expected. More than 80 million Americans deal with itchy eyes, runny nose and other symptoms of seasonal allergies, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. The level of misery people will face depends on where they

By SHEIKH SAALIQ and KRUTIKA PATHI Associated Press NEW DELHI (AP) — Supporters of an anti-corruption crusader and one of India’s most consequential politicians of the past decade held protests Friday against his arrest, which opposition parties say is part of a crackdown by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government before national elections. Arvind Kejriwal, who

By KAREL JANICEK Associated Press HUSTOPECE, Czech Republic (AP) — Masses of white and pink blossoms in a rare almond grove in the Czech Republic appeared earlier than usual after one of the warmest winters on record. The almond trees are usually among the first to bloom at the beginning of spring, on the turn

By SHEIKH SAALIQ Associated Press NEW DELHI (AP) — The movie trailer begins with an outline of the iconic glasses worn by Mohandas Gandhi, the leader who helped India win independence from the British colonialists in 1947. In the backdrop of a devotional song that Gandhi loved, the outline slowly morphs into what appears like

By TRÂN NGUYỄN Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California lawmakers are split on how to best address the retail theft cases that have proliferated in the state. Top Democratic leaders reject calls to reform Proposition 47, an initiative approved by voters in 2014 that reduced penalties for certain retail theft and drug offense charges.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A nearly $1 billion Mega Millions jackpot will be up for grabs Friday night, offering the prospect of instant riches for a lucky player after more than three months without a big winner. The numbers will be drawn at 11 p.m. EDT for the estimated $977 million Mega Millions prize.

By EDITH M. LEDERER Associated Press UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Russia and China on Friday vetoed a U.S.-sponsored United Nations resolution supporting “an immediate and sustained cease-fire” in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, calling the measure ambiguous and saying it was not the direct demand to end the fighting that much of the world seeks.

By SAM MEDNICK and MICHAEL BIESECKER Associated Press DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Women slain with babies wrapped against their bodies, lifeless children intertwined together, a 2-month-old face-up on the ground with puppies crawling on his tiny frame. The scenes were horrifying, but the 32-year-old farmer felt he had to document them, as proof of the

By SAM MEDNICK and MICHAEL BIESECKER Associated Press DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Women slain with babies wrapped against their bodies, lifeless children intertwined together, a 2-month-old face-up on the ground with puppies crawling on his tiny frame. The scenes were horrifying, but the 32-year-old farmer felt he had to document them, as proof of the