AP National News

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Taliban have decreed they are banning forced marriage of women in Afghanistan, a move likely meant to address criteria the international community consider a precondition to recognizing their government and restoring aid. The move announced on Friday by the reclusive Taliban chief comes as poverty is surging in Afghanistan, following the

By ABDOULIE JOHN and CARLEY PETESCH Associated Press BANJUL, Gambia (AP) — Gambians vote Saturday in a historic election that will for the first time not have former dictator Yahya Jammeh, who ruled for 22 years, on the ballot.  While the 2016 elections that removed him from power saw Gambians go from fear to elation,

PARKLAND, Fla. (AP) — A South Florida teenager is accused of making a school shooting threat against Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The school in Parkland, Florida has been a focus of national debate and activism over gun violence since a former student killed 17 people there on Valentine’s Day in 2018. Broward Sheriff’s officials

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Dozens of flag-waving demonstrators from a Kurdish organization have broken into the grounds of the global chemical weapons watchdog to protest what they allege is the use of chemical weapons by Turkey’s armed forces. Police arrested about 50 protesters on Friday after they managed to get past security, including a

By LISA MASCARO AP Congressional Correspondent WASHINGTON (AP) — During his confirmation to the Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh assured Sen. Susan Collins a woman’s right to an abortion was “settled law.” But his comments during this week’s landmark Supreme Court hearing over a Mississippi abortion case sounded a different note. Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Bulgaria’s new parliament has convened for its first session following the country’s third parliamentary election of the year. A new anti-corruption party led by two Harvard University graduates emerged as the surprise winner of last month’s snap election, edging out the GERB party of three-time prime minister Boyko Borissov. Under the

BERLIN (AP) — German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle says it is suspending four employees and one freelancer during an investigation into allegations that they expressed anti-Israel and antisemitic views. Munich daily newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung this week quoted social media comments allegedly made by members of DW’s Arabic service that appeared to downplay the Holocaust or

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban have decreed that they are banning the forced marriage of women in the war-torn country, in what appears to be a move to address criteria that developed nations consider a precondition to recognize their government and restore aid. The move announced by Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhunzada came as poverty

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban has decreed that they are banning the forced marriage of women in the war-torn country, in what appears to be a move to address criteria that developed nations consider a precondition to recognize their government and restore aid. The move announced by Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhunzada came as poverty

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — Coronavirus cases in Slovakia have hit a daily record despite the country entering a national lockdown last week. The Health Ministry reported that Slovakia confirmed 15,278 new cases on Thursday, almost 5,000 more than the previous record. The government ordered a two-week lockdown that started Nov. 25. However, the ministry attributed

By BARBARA SURK and JON GAMBRELL Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — France has announced multibillion-euro deals to sell fighter planes and combat helicopters to the United Arab Emirates. The contracts announced Friday aim to boost military cooperation with its top ally in the Persian Gulf amid their shared concerns about Iran. France

BERLIN (AP) — Austrian Interior Minister Karl Nehammer says he will be the acting leader of the conservative People’s Party and will seek to become Austria’s next chancellor. The current chancellor, Alexander Schallenberg, said Thursday that he would step down to make way for someone to take over as both the head of government and

By ZEINA KARAM and SARAH EL DEEB Associated Press BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon’s information minister has resigned in a bid to ease an unprecedented, weekslong diplomatic crisis with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab countries. The minister made the announcement at a press conference on Friday. The crisis erupted in early October, after he made

By FRANK JORDANS Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — A research institute’s analysis has concluded the incoming German government’s plans for curbing greenhouse gas emissions are insufficient to put Germany on course to meet the goals of the 2015 Paris climate accord. The German Institute for Economic Research study released Friday was conducted by leading economists

By YURAS KARMANAU Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s defense minister estimates that Russia has amassed more than 94,000 troops near their borders and says there is a probability of a “large-scale escalation” in late January. Ukrainian and Western officials recently voiced alarm that a Russian troop buildup near Ukraine could herald an invasion.

By YURAS KARMANAU Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s defense minister estimates that Russia has amassed more than 94,000 troops near their borders and says there is a probability of a “large-scale escalation” in late January. Ukrainian and Western officials recently voiced alarm that a Russian troop buildup near Ukraine could herald an invasion.

By JIM GOMEZ Associated Press MANILA, Philippines (AP) — World Health Organization officials say that the measures used to counter the delta variant should remain the foundation for fighting the coronavirus pandemic, even in the face of the new omicron version of the virus. They acknowledged Friday that the travel restrictions imposed by some countries

By SAMYA KULLAB Associated Press RANYA, Iraq (AP) — Iraqi Kurds seem to make up the majority of Middle Eastern migrants seeking to move to Europe these days. Although northern Iraq is more prosperous than the rest of the conflict-scarred country, growing unemployment and frustration over corruption forces many to consider the risky journey. Last

By BABAR DOGAR and MUNIR AHMED Associated Press LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistani police say a Muslim mob descended on a sports equipment factory in eastern Punjab province, killing a Sri Lankan and burning his body over allegations of blasphemy. A police chief in the district of Sialkot, where the killing occurred, said factory workers