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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Qatar has announced Oct. 2 as its date for the country’s first election to vote for members of its top advisory panel, known as the Shura Council. The date was announced Sunday by royal decree. The Shura Council election aims to give the country’s citizens more say on how

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s national Holocaust memorial has a new director. Israel’s government on Sunday approved the appointment of Dani Dayan as the new leader of Yad Vashem. The 65-year-old Dayan until recently was Israel’s consul general in New York. Before that, he led the Yesha council, an umbrella organization representing Israeli settlers in the

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — Palestinian police say they have arrested 24 people protesting the government’s response to the death of a prominent political activist in police custody. The demonstrators had planned to call for accountability in the death of Nizar Banat. Banat was an outspoken critic of the Palestinian Authority who died in custody

By DARIA LITVINOVA Associated Press MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed hope that the Kremlin’s United Russia party will continue its dominance in parliament after the September election. The Sept. 19 vote is widely seen as an important part of Putin’s efforts to cement his rule before the next presidential election in

By BEN FINLEY Associated Press VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) — Just a few years ago, Virginia was considered a civic embarrassment for its staggering eviction rate. A 2018 report from Princeton University ranked five Virginia cities in the national top 10 for ousting renters. But the state is now offering stronger tenant protections during the

By JONATHAN J. COOPER Associated Press PHOENIX (AP) — A cybersecurity firm plucked from relative obscurity to conduct an unprecedented review of ballots in Arizona’s largest country is readying to present its findings to Republican lawmakers. Experts say there should be little anticipation about the revelations from the Maricopa County audit, and that whatever those

By WILL WEISSERT Associated Press NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Republicans and Democrats have something in common when it comes to recruiting candidates they hope will deliver majorities in Congress after the 2022 election, and that’s their pursuit of military veterans. Both parties anticipate a significant number of races where veterans will be opposing each other.

PARIS (AP) — Plans are underway to reinter the remains of American-born singer and dancer Josephine Baker at the Pantheon monument in Paris. The late entertainer who is a World War II hero in France will be the first Black woman to get the country’s highest honor. Le Parisien newspaper reported Sunday that French President

By BRUCE SCHREINER Associated Press FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Top Republican leaders in Kentucky are promising to work with Gov. Andy Beshear to fight COVID-19. Their vow comes after the state’s high court cleared the way for new limits on the Democratic governor’s emergency powers. Beshear’s allies say they’ll be watching to see if his

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia’s new prime minister has struck a conciliatory tone in his first national address. A day after being sworn in, Ismail Sabri Yaakob said he will embrace the opposition in an effort to tackle the runaway pandemic and revive a slumping economy. Ismail said Sunday the political battles that led

By YURAS KARMANAU and GEIR MOULSON Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — German Chancellor Angela Merkel has sought to move forward stalled peace efforts in eastern Ukraine and stressed Germany’s commitment not to let Russia use a new gas pipeline as a “weapon.” She spoke Sunday on what is likely her last visit to the

By PAN PYLAS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — The former British prime minister who deployed troops to Afghanistan 20 years ago says the U.S. decision to withdraw from the country has “every Jihadist group round the world cheering.” Tony Blair said the sudden pullout put at risk everything Western forces achieved in Afghanistan, including advances

By ILAN BEN ZION Associated Press JERUSALEM (AP) — An Israeli government commission investigating a deadly accident at a holy site in April has held its first day of hearings, almost four months after the stampede at Mount Meron left 45 people dead. A panel headed by former Supreme Court justice Miriam Naor began proceedings

By JOHN CARUCCI Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — This time, Barry Manilow didn’t make it through the rain. Unlike the Grammy-winning recording artist’s 1980 hit, a superstar-laden concert in New York City’s in Central Park was canceled because of dangerous weather as Hurricane Henri approached the Northeast on Saturday. Manilow began performing “Can’t Smile

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranian media are reporting that Iran’s president has met with Japan’s foreign minister in Tehran and the two discussed the de-escalation of tensions in the region. A report Sunday said Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi discussed bilateral, regional and international issues with Ebrahim Raisi. The two-day visit is the first by

BERLIN (AP) — An iconic modern art museum in Berlin designed by Bauhaus pioneer Ludwig Mies van der Rohe has reopened to the public after a six-year refurbishment. Mies van der Rohe was the last director of the Bauhaus school of art and design, which was forced to shut down soon after the Nazis came