AP National News

Associated Press HONG KONG (AP) — A leading Hong Kong media professional group says dozens of journalists, some of their family members and other associates have been harassed in recent months. It’s the latest sign of the city’s worsening media environment. In a news conference Friday, Hong Kong Journalists Association chair Selina Cheng said her

Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — German authorities say an alleged Islamic extremist has been arrested in connection with plotting an attack on German soldiers during their lunch break in Munich, killing as many of them as possible and causing a feeling of insecurity among the larger population. The Munich public prosecutor’s office said the 27-year-old

Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Two men have been charged with burglary over the theft of an artwork by street artist Banksy that was taken in a smash-and-grab raid on a London gallery. The Metropolitan Police force said Friday that Larry Fraser, 47, and James Love, 53, are alleged to have taken “Girl with Balloon”

Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — In a significant show of defiance against the United States, North Korea on Friday provided the outside world with a rare view into a secretive facility built to enrich uranium for nuclear bombs as leader Kim Jong Un called for a rapid expansion of his nuclear weapons program.

TORSBY, Sweden (AP) — David Beckham and former England coach Roy Hodgson are among the soccer dignitaries attending the funeral of Sven-Goran Eriksson in the Swedish manager’s small hometown of Torsby. Eriksson’s wooden coffin was covered in white flowers and surrounded by six tall candles and other floral wreaths as the ceremony began inside the

Associated Press HONG KONG (AP) — Chinese authorities have banned the accounting firm PwC for six months and fined it over $56 million for its involvement in the audit of collapsed local property developer Evergrande. The punishment is the heaviest yet for international accounting firms operating in China. PwC will be banned from signing off

Associated Press SEATTLE (AP) — Blue-collar workers from Boeing walked picket lines in the Pacific Northwest instead of building airplanes on Friday after they overwhelmingly rejected a proposed contract that would have raised their wages by 25% over four years. The strike by 33,000 machinists will not disrupt airline flights anytime soon, but it is

Associated Press MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A Filipino televangelist who calls himself the “anointed son of God” and once claimed to have stopped an earthquake has pleaded not guilty to charges of child abuse and human trafficking. Apollo Carreon Quiboloy and four others appeared in a regional trial court under heavy security Friday and was

Associated Press NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s top court has allowed the release on bail of a prominent opposition leader and chief minister of New Delhi, who was arrested nearly six months ago on charges of receiving bribes from a liquor distributor. Arvind Kejriwal is the leader of the Aam Aadmi Party, or Common Man’s

Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A fake video that ricocheted across the internet claiming tensions between France and the United Arab Emirates after Telegram CEO Pavel Durov’s detention in Paris likely came from Russia, an analysis by The Associated Press shows, despite Moscow’s efforts to maintain crucial ties to the UAE. It

Associated Press Russia on Friday accused six British diplomats of spying and said it decided to expel them. The U.K. said the “completely baseless” move came weeks ago and was linked to its action in May to revoke the credentials of an attaché at the Russian Embassy and limit Moscow’s diplomatic activities in London. The

Associated Press BEIJING (AP) — Starting next year, China will raise its retirement age for workers, which is now among the youngest in the world’s major economies, in an effort to address its shrinking population and aging work force. The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, the country’s legislature, passed the new policy Friday

Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — Firefighters battling three major wildfires in the mountains east of Los Angeles are gaining ground against the blazes. And cooler temperatures are helping. Authorities began scaling back evacuation orders that displaced thousands of people after fire crews increased containment on the blazes. The largest blaze is the Bridge Fire

NEWTON, Mass. (AP) — A pro-Israel rally in the Boston suburb of Newton turned violent when a passerby was shot during a scuffle after confronting the group of demonstrators. Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan says words were exchanged before the passerby rapidly crossed the street and tackled one of the demonstrators Thursday evening. Ryan

Associated Press JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Pravin Gordhan, who was a South African government minister for many years after beginning his political career opposing apartheid, has died. The long-time member of the African National Congress party retired from active politics after the May elections when the ANC lost its parliamentary majority for the first since it

AP Science Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Solar storms may bring faint but visible auroras to the Northern Hemisphere starting late Thursday and extending into early Friday morning. But, experts say, don’t expect power grids and communications to be disrupted much. People in Canada and northern U.S. states including Alaska, Washington, Montana, North Dakota and

AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks closed out their best week of the year with more gains on Friday and climbed to the cusp of their records. The S&P 500 rose 0.5% for a fifth straight gain and is just 0.7% below its all-time high set in July. Rallies for Microsoft, Broadcom

Associated Press HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — The death toll in the aftermath of a typhoon in Vietnam has climbed to 233 as rescue workers recover more bodies from areas hit by landslides and flash floods. Flood waters from the swollen Red River in the capital, Hanoi, were beginning to recede, but many neighborhoods remain inundated.

Associated Press BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Despite a summer of heated anti-immigration debates across the European Union, unauthorized migration to EU countries dropped significantly overall in the first eight months of this year. There was, however, a spike in migrant arrivals to the Canary Islands. The majority of immigrants trying to make irregular crossings do

Associated Press COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — The man who is considered the heir apparent to the powerful Rajapaksa family in Sri Lanka will contest the presidential election next week. Namal Rajapaksa’s bid for presidency is seen by many as an attempt by the powerful but equally controversial political dynasty to regain power over Sri