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BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon’s government says it will start paying cash assistance next month to hundreds of thousands of poor families in U.S. dollars as the small nation sinks deeper in its economic crisis. Minister of social affairs said Thursday that some 500,000 families will start receiving $20 a month for every family member up

CAIRO (AP) — The Suez Canal authorities say a bulk carrier vessel became wedged and briefly blocked traffic in one lane of the crucial global waterway. Egyptian officials said the Panama-flagged Coral Crystal ran aground Thursday in a double-lane stretch of the canal. The brief blockage forced authorities to redirect other vessels in the convoy

By DIANE JEANTET and DAVID BILLER Associated Press RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Protesting truckers snarled traffic along highways in many Brazilian states on Thursday as President Jair Bolsonaro asked them to stand down and later published an unusual statement backpedaling his comments that inflamed political tensions. Bolsonaro rallied supporters on Tuesday to coincide with

ROME (AP) — The Italian Coast Guard has rescued 125 migrants who took refuge on the rocky edge of a tiny uninhabited isle after one of their boats sank near Lampedusa island. The coast guard said the migrants, including 20 minors, were “in a clear state of shock” when they were spotted on Isola dei

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell sharply last week to 310,000, a pandemic low and a sign that the surge in COVID-19 cases caused by the delta variant has yet to lead to widespread layoffs. Thursday’s report from the Labor Department showed that jobless

By WAYNE PARRY Associated Press Imagine a giant all-you-can-eat buffet, row after row of hot, steaming offerings. The thing is, there are only 12 items on the menu, cooked by 53 different chefs. That, in a nutshell, is what you’ll get with “The Metallica Blacklist” a box set of covers of the 1991 Metallica self

By MEG KINNARD Associated Press Twenty Democratic attorneys general have voiced their support for a lawsuit challenging South Carolina’s new abortion law. The prosecutors argue in a brief filed in federal court Wednesday that the restrictive measure could harm their states by taxing resources if women cross borders to seek care. South Carolina’s law restricts

By MIKE BALSAMO and ALEXANDRA JAFFE Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House will withdraw the nomination of a gun-control advocate to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives after David Chipman ran into bipartisan opposition in the Senate. He won praise from advocates for his work pushing for greater regulation and

By ZEKE MILLER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has announced sweeping new federal vaccine requirements affecting as many as 100 million Americans in an all-out effort to curb the surging COVID-19 delta variant. The government’s expansive new rules, announced Thursday, mandate that all employers with more than 100 workers require them to

By KIM TONG-HYUNG Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — In an unusual North Korean parade that showcased military animals and virus workers in hazmat suits instead of ballistic missiles, leader Kim Jong Un still managed to seize the spotlight by looking thinner and more energetic than he has in years. Experts say Kim’s weight

By FRANCES D’EMILIO Associated Press ROME (AP) — Italian authorities say anti-terrorism police have raided the homes of eight people allegedly advocating violence, particularly against journalists, in upcoming protests against the government’s COVID-19 vaccine requirements. The raids were carried out on Thursday in Rome and five northern cities, including Bergamo, which has been particularly hard

BANGKOK (AP) — Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has sacked two Cabinet members, including one who was widely reported to have unsuccessfully plotted for him to lose a parliamentary no-confidence vote last week. Deputy Agriculture Minister Thammanat Prompao was deeply controversial even before the alleged mutiny attempt for being imprisoned for four years in Australia

By ED WHITE Associated Press DETROIT (AP) — The University of Michigan is being sued by 10 people who say they were sexually assaulted by a campus doctor. The school is accused of violating Michigan law by limiting the number of people who can speak at public meetings held by its governing board. Victims of