AP National News

By SOPHENG CHEANG and DAVID RISING Associated Press PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — The defense team for the former head of state of Cambodia’s brutal Khmer Rouge regime says his genocide conviction should be overturned. The arguments came during Khieu Samphan’s appeal hearing at the international tribunal’s Supreme Court chamber. French attorney Anta Guissé told

By TERENCE CHEA, ETHAN SWOPE and JOHN ANTCZAK Associated Press GRIZZLY FLATS, Calif. (AP) — Pacific Gas & Electric says it has begun shutting off power to about 51,000 customers in 18 Northern California counties to prevent wildfires. The utility announced Tuesday evening that it has begun enacting the shutoffs as a precaution to prevent

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam says organizations that cross “red lines” and disregard national security should disband, though that wouldn’t protect them if they are found to break the law. Hong Kong authorities are carrying out an ongoing crackdown on dissent, as Beijing seeks to keep Hong Kong in line after

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong will tighten entry restrictions for travelers arriving from the United States and 15 other countries beginning Friday, extending the quarantine period to 21 days. Previously, the 15 countries, which also include Malaysia, Thailand, France and the Netherlands, were classified as medium-risk, with travelers able to serve only 7 days

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia’s king is calling for an end to political bickering as he begins the process of selecting a new prime minister following the resignation of Muhyiddin Yassin. The monarch has ruled out a new election due to the raging pandemic. Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, who was among eight party chiefs summoned

By BRYAN ANDERSON Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Tropical Depression Fred has weakened to a depression and spawned several apparent tornadoes in Georgia as it dumps heavy rains into the Appalachian mountains. It’s on a path that could cause flash floods into upstate New York. Thousands were without power in the Florida Panhandle, where

By BRIAN MELLEY Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — Robert Durst has testified he would lie to get out of trouble and had lied during sworn testimony in the past, but said he told the truth during five days of testimony at his murder trial. The comments Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court threw

By ROBERT BURNS, ELLEN KNICKMEYER and ZEKE MILLER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan says the Taliban have agreed to allow safe passage for civilians trying to leave Afghanistan. Sullivan says a timetable for completing the evacuation of Americans, Afghan allies and others has yet to be worked

By ROBERT BURNS AP National Security Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Built and trained at a two-decade cost of $83 billion, Afghan security forces collapsed so quickly and completely — in some cases without a shot fired — that the ultimate beneficiary of the American investment turns out to be the Taliban. They have grabbed not

By TERENCE CHEA Associated Press FIREBAUGH, Calif. (AP) — A deepening drought threatens California’s $6 billion almond industry, which produces about 80% of the world’s almonds. As water becomes scarce and expensive, some growers have stopped irrigating their orchards and plan to tear them out years earlier than planned. After decades of expansion in California’s

By MARK STEVENSON and EVENS SANON Associated Press LES CAYES, Haiti (AP) — Officials in Haiti have raised the death toll from a powerful weekend earthquake to more than 1,900. The Civil Protection Agency announced the numbers on Tuesday, when strong winds and rains dealt by Tropical Storm Grace forced a temporary halt in rescue

By ZEKE MILLER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. experts are expected to recommend COVID-19 vaccine boosters for all Americans, regardless of age, eight months after they received their second dose of the shot. The goal is to ensure lasting protection against the coronavirus as the delta variant spreads across the country. That’s according to

By DAVID BAUDER AP Media Writer NEW YORK (AP) — CNN’s Chris Cuomo has told viewers that he “tried to do the right thing” when balancing his role as a journalist and brother to outgoing New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who announced his resignation following allegations of sexual harassment. Chris Cuomo returned to the air

By BHARATHA MALLAWARACHI Associated Press COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — When a 51-year-old tutor suffered a heart attack in Sri Lanka’s capital, his friends and family were faced with a difficult problem. The father of three tested positive for COVID-19, which meant he’d need to go to a special ICU for virus patients. All of

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP) — Authorities say the suspect in the fatal shooting of a sheriff’s deputy in southwestern Michigan had been involved in a car chase with another law enforcement agency earlier that day. Michigan State Police on Monday identified the man who was later shot and killed by deputies as 35-year-old Kyle Goidosik of

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico will begin routinely collecting demographic data about sexual orientation and gender identity during government surveys under an executive order signed by Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. The order on Monday responds to growing concerns that basic demographic information about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender populations is being left

By KEN RITTER and SAM METZ Associated Press LAS VEGAS (AP) — Large events like concerts and football games in one of the nation’s entertainment capitals will be able to exempt themselves from mask rules if they require guests to show proof of vaccination. Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak announced Monday that large venues that hold

By ADAM BEAM Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The leader of the California Assembly has ordered all of its employees to receive the coronavirus vaccine. Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon announced the new policy on Monday. Gov. Gavin Newsom last month ordered all state workers to either be vaccinated or submit to weekly testing. But

By DAVID BAUDER AP Media Writer NEW YORK (AP) — News organizations are juggling safety concerns with the demands of a rapidly-changing story on the ground in Afghanistan. The Taliban’s swift takeover of the country has left some journalists and those who worked with them worried about reprisals. The Committee to Protect Journalists is dealing