AP National News

BEIJING (AP) — China’s ruling Communist Party has expelled a former vice minister of public security amid a raft of accusations from corruption to abandoning his post amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Sun Lijun was fired after an investigation was opened last year and he will now face prosecution and what is likely to be a

By ROD McGUIRK Associated Press CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — The leader of Australia’s most populous state has quit as premier after an anti-corruption watchdog revealed it is investigating her over a secret relationship with a former lawmaker. New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she was left no option while the Independent Commission Against Corruption

TOKYO (AP) — A powerful typhoon is pounding Japan and some of its eastern islands with gusts and downpours of rain, grounding some domestic flights and halting trains. The Tokyo area was getting heavy rain and blowing wind at midday, but no injuries have been reported. Forecasters said Typhoon Mindulle was near one of the

By LISA MASCARO AP Congressional Correspondent WASHINGTON (AP) — Despite a long night of frantic negotiations, Democrats remain unable to reach an immediate deal to salvage President Joe Biden’s $3.5 trillion government overhaul, forcing leaders to call off promised votes on a related public works bill. Action is to resume Friday. Speaker Nancy Pelosi had

PLAINS, Ga. (AP) — The oldest former U.S. president ever, Jimmy Carter, plans to quietly mark his 97th birthday at home in Georgia on Friday. Carter has been slowed by age in recent years and keeping a low profile during the coronavirus pandemic. An aide says he doesn’t plan to have any public appearances on

By LISA MASCARO AP Congressional Correspondent WASHINGTON (AP) — Despite a long night of frantic negotiations, Democrats remain unable to reach an immediate deal to salvage President Joe Biden’s $3.5 trillion government overhaul, forcing leaders to call off promised votes on a related public works bill. Action is to resume Friday. Speaker Nancy Pelosi had

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Tokyo’s train stations were packed with commuters Friday morning as Japan fully came out of a coronavirus state of emergency for the first time in more than six months. The country has started gradually easing virus measures to help rejuvenate the pandemic-hit economy as infections slowed. Emergency

By ALAN SUDERMAN, FRANK BAJAK and RODNEY MUHUMUZA Associated Press KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Outsiders have long profited from Africa’s riches of gold, diamonds, and even people. Digital resources have proven no different. Millions of internet addresses assigned to Africa have been waylaid, some fraudulently, including through insider machinations linked to a former top employee of

By BHARATHA MALLAWARACHI Associated Press COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka has lifted a six-week national lockdown as COVID-19 cases and deaths decline but movement restrictions remain in place. The lockdown was imposed Aug 20 and then extended three times as Sri Lanka grappled with an unprecedented surge of COVID-19 cases and deaths since

By BETH HARRIS Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — The coronavirus pandemic brought the world to a halt. It also slowed Marie Osmond, but not for long. The entertainer used the time to take her singing career in a different direction. She’s cultivating her childhood love of opera in a new album and upcoming tour

By KEN RITTER Associated Press LAS VEGAS (AP) — People who died, are healing and are struggling will be remembered Friday during the fourth anniversary of the Las Vegas massacre that became the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. A 7 a.m. ceremony at the Clark County Government Center will be shared by live-stream

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO AP Retail Writer EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — If you build it during a pandemic, will they still come? American Dream put that to the test when it opened the new luxury shopping wing of its megamall in September featuring Saks Fifth Avenue, Dolce & Gabbana, Hermes and other luxury stores, along

By REGINA GARCIA CANO and JORGE RUEDA Associated Press CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — A new currency with six fewer zeros is debuting in Venezuela, whose currency has been made nearly worthless by years of the world’s worst inflation. But the new bills were difficult to find Friday in Caracas, where consumers’ fears that prices will

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By PAUL J. WEBER Associated Press AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A federal judge is hearing arguments over whether Texas can leave in place the nation’s most restrictive abortion law. U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman will consider whether to temporarily halt the law that bans abortions once cardiac activity is detected, which is usually around six

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer Shortages of power, computer chips and other parts, soaring shipping costs and shutdowns of factories to battle the pandemic are taking a toll on Asian economies. Data released Thursday showed Japan’s factory output slowed while China’s manufacturing outlook weakened. Japan’s Suzuki Motor Corp. became the latest automaker to idle

By MITCH STACY AP Sports Writer CINCINNATI (AP) — Evan McPherson kicked a 35-yard field goal as time ran out to give the Cincinnati Bengals a 24-21 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday night, spoiling Urban Meyer’s Ohio return. Joe Burrow passed for 348 yards and two touchdowns to help the Bengals (3-1) overcome

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer Asian markets have tumbled on the tail of Wall Street’s worst monthly loss since the beginning of the pandemic. Tokyo skidded 2.3% and Australia’s benchmark sank 2.2%. Markets in Shanghai and Hong Kong were closed for holidays. The S&P 500 ended September down 4.8%, its first monthly drop since

BEIJING (AP) — China’s ruling Communist Party has expelled a former vice minister of public security amid a raft of accusations from corruption to abandoning his post amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Sun Lijun was fired after an investigation was opened last year and he will now face prosecution and what is likely to be a

HONG KONG (AP) — Police in Hong Kong halted a four-person pro-democracy protest on China’s National Day amid a expanding crackdown on free speech and opposition politics. Chanting and carrying a banner, the four members of the opposition party League of Social Democrats had attempted to march to the site where the official National Day