AP National News

ISLAMABAD (AP) — U.N. experts are warning that Taliban restrictions on Afghan women and girls may amount to femicide if they are not reversed. The Taliban have barred women from most employment and girls can’t go to school beyond the sixth grade. Woman are also banned from public spaces and must cover themselves from head

By REBECCA SANTANA Associated Press BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) — U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas says authorities face “extremely challenging” circumstances along the border with Mexico days before pandemic-related asylum restrictions end. A surge of Venezuelan migrants through South Texas has occurred over the last two weeks for reasons that Mayorkas says are unclear. Mayorkas

By BRENDAN FARRINGTON Associated Press TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — After 60 tumultuous days fighting about abortion, immigration, LGBTQ+ issues, guns and teaching sexuality in schools, Florida lawmakers have unanimously passed a $117 billion state budget. In addition to passing the budget Friday, lawmakers this session passed legislation on several issues that feed into Gov. Ron

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Former North Carolina U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn pleaded guilty Friday to a misdemeanor after his loaded gun was found last year in his carry-on luggage at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Mecklenburg County District Court Judge Cecilia Oseguera ordered a $250 fine but allowed Cawthorn to keep the 9 mm handgun that

PHOENIX (AP) — Maricopa County officials have chosen not to send expelled Republican lawmaker Liz Harris back to the Arizona House of Representatives. Instead, the board of supervisors selected Republican Julie Willoughby on Friday to replace her, despite Republican precinct committee members giving Harris the most votes. Supervisors say they had to give weight to

By JEAN-YVES KAMALE Associated Press KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — A local official in Congo says that more than 100 people have been killed in flooding and landslides brought on by torrential overnight rains in eastern Congo’s South Kivu province. The regional government official gave the estimate Friday after overseeing recovery efforts in the affected territory

By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN Associated Press ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Native Americans whose relatives have gone missing or been killed wore red on Friday, a color synonymous with raising awareness about the disproportionate number of Indigenous people who have been victims of violence. Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples Awareness Day is held on May 5

OLD BRIDGE, N.J. (AP) — Authorities in a central New Jersey town say they are no longer noodling over the mystery of how hundreds of pounds of pasta were dumped near a stream. Old Bridge Mayor Owen Henry said Friday that the spaghetti, noodles and macaroni was cleaned up last week by public works crews,

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden celebrated Cinco de Mayo on Friday by stepping out for quesadilla and tacos at a food hall in Washington. His unannounced visit prompted one onlooker to remark, “This is the most D.C. thing that’s ever happened to me.” Biden was joined by Vice President Kamala Harris at Taqueria Habanero.

By KATHY McCORMACK Associated Press CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A historical marker dedicated to a New Hampshire labor activist who championed women’s rights and was a founder of the American Civil Liberties Union — but who also joined the Communist Party and was sent to prison — has draw objections from Republican officials and scrutiny

Associated Press DAVIS, Calif. (AP) — Northern California prosecutors have filed two murder charges against a 21-year-old former university student in connection to two fatal stabbings in the college community of Davis. The Yolo County District Attorney’s office said Friday Carlos Dominguez has also been charged with one count of attempted murder. Dominguez is scheduled

By MARIA CHENG AP Medical Writer LONDON (AP) — The World Health Organization downgraded its assessment of the coronavirus pandemic on Friday, saying it no longer qualifies as a global emergency. The action reverses a declaration that was first made on January 30, 2020, when the disease had not even been named COVID-19 and when

By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Apple is leading a rally Friday after Wall Street’s most influential stock reported a better profit than feared. Stocks of beaten-down banks are also leaping to recover a smidgen of their sharp losses from a brutal week. The S&P 500 was 1.5% higher in afternoon

By KRUTIKA PATHI Associated Press PANAJI, India (AP) — Foreign ministers from a group of nations led by China and Russia have criticized the ability of world institutions to resolve geopolitical problems, including the coronavirus pandemic, and said their organization should do more to address such challenges. India’s foreign minister said in remarks at a

BERLIN (AP) — German police say a 51-year-old man who was left tied up in the woods when a sex game went awry had a lucky escape after a cyclist and a hunter heard his screams for help. Police said the man was discovered fully dressed but firmly bound with ropes and a pantyhose over

By DAVID BAUDER AP Media Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The popular television western “Yellowstone” with Kevin Costner will end this fall and be replaced almost immediately by a sequel. But like any good drama, there’s some mystery involved. The sequel, still untitled, will premiere December on the Paramount cable network, which also televises “Yellowstone,”

By TARA COPP and LOLITA C. BALDOR Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is expected to announce Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr. to serve as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Brown is a history-making fighter pilot with years of experience in shaping U.S. defenses to meet China’s rise.

PARIS (AP) — Lionel Messi and Paris Saint-Germain will have discussions about the Argentine player’s immediate future at the club when he returns from suspension. The World Cup champion was suspended by the club this week after he skipped practice to make a promotional trip to Saudi Arabia. Messi is not expected to extend his

By VANESSA GERA Associated Press WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s Foreign Ministry has summoned the Russian ambassador in protest after a former Russian official suggested that it would be acceptable to assassinate Poland’s ambassador to Russia. Pavel Astakhov, Russia’s children’s ombudsman from 2009 to 2016, argued that murdering an ambassador in retaliation “for unfriendly actions