AP National News

Associated Press MULTAN, Pakistan (AP) — The family of a doctor accused of blasphemy says he was killed by police while in custody in southern Pakistan after he voluntarily surrendered following assurances that he would be given a chance to prove his innocence, denying a police account that he was accidentally killed in a shootout.

AP National Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Two reports released Monday provide a mixed but compelling outlook on the wave of book removals and challenges as the annual Banned Books Week begins for schools, stores and libraries nationwide. The American Library Association found a substantial drop in 2024 so far in complaints about books stocked

Associated Press THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Ukraine has accused Russia of seeking to illegally seize control of the strategically important Sea of Azov and Kerch Strait. The claim came at hearings Monday in a high-stakes arbitration case between Kyiv and Moscow. The hearings at the Permanent Court of Arbitration are the latest in a

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece’s coast guard says four people have died and five others were rescued after a boat carrying migrants sank off the island of Samos. The coast guard said Monday it was unclear how many people had been on the boat or what exactly had occurred. An extensive search and rescue operation

Associated Press CAIRO (AP) — Sudanese health authorities say cholera has killed at least 388 people and sickened about 13,000 others over the past two months. The Health Ministry said in a report Sunday that the casualties from cholera included six dead and about 400 sickened over the weekend. It said the disease was detected

Associated Press TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Rescuers have recovered the bodies of more workers killed in an explosion at a coal mine in eastern Iran. The recoveries brought the death toll in the disaster to at least 38. Another 14 miners are still believed to be trapped below ground. The blast struck a coal mine

Associated Press LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — British Treasury chief Rachel Reeves has promised not to return to an era of public spending cuts despite the dire state of the U.K.’s national finances. She tried to inject a dose of optimism after weeks of negative headlines for the country’s new Labour Party government. Reeves used a

Associated Press VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican has confirmed that plans remain in place for Pope Francis to go to Belgium and Luxembourg. That follows the cancellation of all of his audiences on Monday because of a “slight flu-like state.” Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni says the cancellation only concerned Monday’s events. Francis is to

AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — With its larger-than-usual half-point cut to its key interest rate last week, the Federal Reserve underscored its belief that it’s all but conquered inflation after three long years. The public at large? Not so much. Consumer surveys show that most Americans remain unhappy with the economy, still bruised by

Associated Press PUERTO ESCONDIDO, Mexico (AP) — Hurricane John struck Mexico’s southern Pacific coast Monday night with fierce winds and heavy rainfall after strengthening from a tropical storm to major hurricane in a matter of hours. John’s rapid intensification caught authorities off guard as they scrambled to update their guidance to residents and keep pace

Associated Press MARJAYOUN, Lebanon (AP) — Israeli strikes Monday on Lebanon killed more than 490 people, including more than 90 women and children, Lebanese authorities said, in the deadliest barrage since the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war. The Israeli military warned residents in southern and eastern Lebanon to evacuate ahead of its widening air campaign against Hezbollah.

Associated Press ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Pakistani Taliban have denied involvement in a bombing attack on a police convoy that was escorting foreign ambassadors in the restive northwest. Authorities said Monday they were still trying to determine who was behind it. The ambassadors and senior envoys were traveling Sunday to the Swat Valley, a former

Associated Press COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Marxist politician Anura Kumara Dissanayake was sworn in as Sri Lanka’s president on Monday after an election that saw voters reject an old guard accused of leading the country into economic crisis. Dissanayake, 55, who ran as head of the Marxist-leaning National People’s Power coalition, defeated President Ranil

Associated Press TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — While tensions remain high between the U.S. and Iran, there’s at least one American that state radio in Tehran invites on the air each week for its millions of listeners. It’s just that he’s a fictional insurance fraud detective who’s been on the case since 1949. “Yours Truly, Johnny

Associated Press SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — At only 6 years old, Esai Reed has endured three emergency evacuations from orphanages across Haiti as gangs pillage and plunder their way through once peaceful communities. He is now in northern Haiti under the care of a U.S. organization after the director of Esai’s last orphanage

Israel has launched hundreds of airstrikes in southern and eastern Lebanon, killing more than 492 people. The Israeli military called on residents to immediately evacuate places where it claimed the Hezbollah militant group stores weapons. Thousands of people fled southern Lebanon, jamming the main highway to Beirut. More than 1,645 people were wounded in the

Associated Press MUNICH (AP) — The head brewmaster for Weihenstephan, the world’s oldest brewery, has a secret: He really likes alcohol-free beer. Even though he’s quick to say he obviously enjoys real beer more, Tobias Zollo says he savors alcohol-free beer when he’s working or eating lunch. It has the same taste but fewer calories