AP National News

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. factory production in July posted the strongest gain in 4 months, reflecting a surge in production at auto plants that are still confronting major supply chain problems. The Federal Reserve reported Tuesday that manufacturing output increased 1.4% in July following a decline of 0.3% in

By RUSS BYNUM Associated Press CALLAHAN, Fla. (AP) — A surge in coronavirus infections and hospitalizations that’s pounding Florida is scaring some skeptics into rethinking their opposition to the vaccines. In rural western Nassau County, newspaper columnist Roger West had written that he didn’t trust the federal government and adamantly opposed the coronavirus shots. Then

SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — North Macedonia’s foreign minister says the country expelled a Russian diplomat last week, the second this year. He didn’t offer any explanation for the decision or reveal the diplomat’s rank and identity, saying Tuesday that information of that nature is confidential. A Russian Embassy spokeswoman confirmed that a diplomat had

MADRID (AP) — Spanish officials are seeking to justify their policy of sending unaccompanied child migrants back to Morocco. Their explanations come Tuesday as 28 human rights organizations write to the Spanish prime minister urging him to end the returns immediately. Hundreds of unaccompanied minors were among a surge of 10,000 people who tried to

By SHAH ABBAS Associated Press SRINAGAR, India (AP) — Police in Indian-controlled Kashmir have fired tear gas and warning shots to disperse Shiite Muslims who attempted to participate in processions marking the Muslim month of Muharram. Dozens of people were detained. Hundreds of Muslims chanting religious and pro-freedom slogans took to the streets in the

By JOSEPH PISANI AP Retail Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Americans cut back on their spending last month as a surge in COVID-19 cases kept people away from stores. Retail sales fell a seasonal adjusted 1.1% in July from the month before, the U.S. Commerce Department said Tuesday. It was a much larger drop than

By YURI KAGEYAMA Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has officially expanded and extended the nation’s coronavirus state of emergency as government advisers recommend legal changes that would allow penalties for violations. The measures, approved by a government task force, add seven prefectures to the six areas already under a state

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s top leader has appointed a new chief for the country’s navy. The report by the official IRNA news agency said Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Tuesday appointed Adm. Shahram Irani as the new navy chief.  He is successor of Adm. Hossein Khanzadi, who held the post since 2017.  Iran’s navy, which operates

By MARK PRATT Associated Press Boston’s Old North Church is getting a $75,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities that will help it better integrate its ties to the American Revolution and its links to the slave trade. The church is famous as the place where in 1775 two lanterns in the steeple

By LORNE COOK and KIRSTEN GRIESHABER Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell says the bloc has no intention of recognizing the Taliban after its sweeping victory in Afghanistan. But he says the EU must talk with the militants to ensure that European citizens and some Afghans can safely leave the

By STEVE LeBLANC Associated Press BOSTON (AP) — With Boston’s preliminary mayoral election just a month off, voters are on the verge of making a historic decision by narrowing the field of five major candidates — all of whom are people of color. The candidates include acting Mayor Kim Janey and fellow city councilors Michelle

By HUIZHONG WU Associated Press TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — A lawyer says Chinese citizen journalist Zhang Zhan who was sentenced to four years in jail after reporting on the original outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic is in ill health. Peng Yonghe says Zhang’s mother sent a message on social media saying her daughter was hospitalized

By SARA RATHNER of NerdWallet Cryptocurrency is all over the news, and you likely know a few people who invest in crypto. But are you missing out if you haven’t invested in it, too? Not necessarily. According to experts, before dabbling in crypto, it helps to get your financial house in order — that means

By WILL WEISSERT and ALAN FRAM Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans are lining up to blister President Joe Biden’s handling of Afghanistan as they try to turn violence and chaos there into political opportunity back home. That’s despite many agreeing that it was ultimately time for U.S. forces to leave that country. Biden’s predecessor,

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland has told the European Union that it will shut down a chamber at its Supreme Court devoted to disciplining judges, an issue that has been at the center of a dispute between Warsaw and Brussels. The Polish government said Tuesday it sent a letter to the European Commission on Monday,

ROME (AP) — Archaeologists have discovered a remarkably well-preserved skeleton during excavations in the ancient city of Pompeii. The discovery of the tomb also sheds light on the cultural life of the city before it was destroyed by a volcanic eruption in AD 79. White hair and part of an ear, along with bones and

MOSCOW (AP) — A prototype military transport plane has crashed while performing a test flight outside Moscow, killing all three crew members on board, Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation said. The new light military transport plane, Il-112V, crashed in a forested area as it was coming in for a landing at the Kubinka airfield 45 kilometers

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The Dutch government’s statistician says there were more job vacancies in the Netherlands in the second quarter of the year than there were people seeking employment. Statistics Netherlands also reported Tuesday that the economy grew by 3.1% compared with the previous quarter. It marks the first time openings have outstripped

BEIJING (AP) — China says it’s willing to hold talks with the U.S. to promote a “soft landing” in Afghanistan, while heavily criticizing Washington and again demanding that the Biden administration halt its attacks on China. A Foreign Ministry statement said that Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in a phone call Monday with U.S. Secretary of

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s national fire chief says a massive wildfire that has consumed a large swath of forest west of Jerusalem has been brought under control. The chief made the announcement on Tuesday after a three-day battle that required over 100 firefighting teams from across the country, more than a dozen firefighting planes and