AP National News

BEIJING (AP) — The prime minister of Laos has ridden the first run of a $5.9 billion Chinese-built train connecting his isolated, mountainous country with southern China. The two governments tout the line as a boost to economic growth. But it leaves a debt that foreign experts say Laos might struggle to repay. The railway

By SUZAN FRASER Associated Press ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Europe’s democracy and human rights-promoting body says it is initiating a disciplinary process against Turkey after it failed to comply with a court’s ruling to release a jailed businessman and philanthropist. A Turkish court extended Osman Kavala’s imprisonment last week, defying the European Court of Human

By ROB HARRIS AP Global Soccer Writer LONDON (AP) — An investigation into the disorder at the European Championship final says aggression by England fans exposed an “embarrassing” part of the national culture that endangered lives and should lead to fans being barred from stadiums if they are chanting abuse and under the influence of

By FRANK JORDANS Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s health minister says more than 1% of the population is currently infected with the coronavirus, and has called on citizens who haven’t done so yet to get vaccinated. Figures published by the country’s disease control agency on Friday showed 74,352 newly confirmed daily cases and 390

By BARBARA SURK Associated Press NICE, France (AP) — France says the United Arab Emirates has purchased 80 French-made Rafale warplanes for 16 billion euros. There was no immediate confirmation of the deal from Emirati officials. The French Defense Ministry described the deal as France’s largest-ever weapons contract for export. French President Emmanuel Macron is

IRBIL, Iraq (AP) — Iraqi Kurdish media says an attack by Islamic State militants on a village in northern Iraq has killed at least 12 people, including a number of Kurdish forces. Private broadcaster Rudaw says the attack took place late Thursday in a village in the Makhmour region, triggering a confrontation with Kurdish peshmerga

COTABATO, Philippines (AP) — Philippine troops have killed an Islamic rebel leader and four of his men in fighting in the volatile south in the latest setback for insurgent forces aligned with the Islamic State group. Army troops gunned down Asim Karinda and four others, just over a month after he took over the armed

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s governing Conservative Party has held onto a seat in Parliament in a special election triggered by a lawmaker’s death. But the party saw its margin of victory slashed after weeks of headlines about politicians’ ethics breaches and an uncertain coronavirus picture. Conservative candidate Louie French was elected for the district of

By OMER FAROOQ Associated Press HYDERABAD, India (AP) — Indian authorities have issued an alert, shut schools and canceled trains in parts of the country as rescue teams brace for a tropical storm brewing in the Bay of Bengal. The storm is expected to hit the coastline of the southern state of Andhra Pradesh on

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — Stocks are mostly higher in Europe and Asia after a broad rally on Wall Street as investors keep an eye on the spread of the new coronavirus variant and measures governments are taking to restrain it. Markets are watching for U.S. employment and other data due

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — Bosnian police say they have arrested seven people suspected of war crimes against civilians during the 1992-95 conflict in the Balkan country. The security agency on Friday said in a statement that the group were apprehended in the areas of the eastern towns of Bijeljina and Sokolac. Prosecutors say they are

By MENELAOS HADJICOSTIS and NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Pope Francis is lamenting centuries of hostility and prejudice that have divided Catholics and Orthodox. Francis met Friday with the leader of Cyprus’ Greek Orthodox Church and pointed to works of charity as a means to help heal the rift between Catholic West

BEIJING (AP) — A Chinese real estate developer has warned it might not be able to pay a $400 million bond due next week, adding to financial strain in an industry that is struggling to avoid defaults on billions of dollars of debt. Kaisa Group Holdings Ltd., headquartered in Hong Kong, said an attempt to

By BARBARA SURK Associated Press NICE, France (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron is visiting the energy-rich Persian Gulf, hoping to seal a major arms sale after the fall’s Australian submarine deal debacle and to strengthen France’s regional role. The two-day visit starting Friday to the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia comes a

By SUZAN FRASER Associated Press ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s beleaguered currency has been plunging to all-time lows against the U.S. dollar and the euro in recent months as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan presses ahead with a widely criticized effort to cut interest rates despite surging consumer prices. As a result, families are struggling to

By ZEINA KARAM Associated Press BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon’s information minister says he will announce his resignation in a bid to ease an unprecedented diplomatic crisis with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries. Minister George Kordahi has told local TV stations that he intended to step down Friday, weeks after televised comments he made that

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — Stocks are mostly higher in Asia after a broad rally on Wall Street as investors keep an eye on the spread of the new coronavirus variant and measures governments are taking to restrain it. Tokyo gained 1% and most other regional markets edged higher. Hong Kong

By MENELAOS HADJICOSTIS Associated Press NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Pope Francis is meeting with the leader of Cyprus’ Greek Orthodox Church with the aim of further mending an ideological and political rift between the Catholic West and the Orthodox East. Francis and Archbishop Chrysostomos II met Friday, the second day of the pope’s three-day Cyprus

By NICK PERRY Associated Press WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Bars, restaurants and gyms have reopened in Auckland as the last major parts of a lockdown that lasted more than 100 days ended. New Zealand has begun a new phase in its coronavirus response in which there won’t be lockdowns but people will be required

By BRETT MARTEL AP Sports Writer NEW ORLEANS (AP) — CeeDee Lamb had 122 yards from scrimmage, Tony Pollard had a 58-yard touchdown run and the Dallas defense produced timely sacks and turnovers in the Cowboys’ 27-17 win over the New Orleans Saints. The Cowboys intercepted Saints quarterback Taysom Hill three times in the final