By Yoonjung Seo and Brad Lendon, CNN Seoul, South Korea (CNN) — Trash-laden North Korean balloons were found on the grounds of South Korea’s presidential office compound, officials said Wednesday, the latest in a series of incidents that have raised tensions and rhetoric on the Korean Peninsula. More than 3,000 North Korean balloons, often filled
Continue ReadingAssociated Press NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Farmers in Africa are blaming chemical fertilizers for increasingly acidic soils that have led to production decline. Experts say a return to traditional agricultural practices can save dying soils. About 63% of arable land in Kenya is acidic and has been recording a decline in production of staples such
Continue ReadingAssociated Press WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand is the latest country to confront cruel, systemic and commonplace abuse of children and vulnerable adults in state and faith-based care institutions. A six-year independent inquiry has just been presented to Parliament. The authors said it is the widest-ranging exploration of abuse and neglect of people
Continue ReadingAssociated Press BERLIN (AP) — The German government has banned an organization accused of being an “outpost” of Iran’s theocracy, promoting the ideology of its leadership and supporting Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group. Police raided 53 properties around the country on Wednesday, including a prominent mosque in Hamburg. The ban of the Islamic Center Hamburg, or
Continue ReadingAssociated Press BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — In the crush of anti-government protests paralyzing downtown Buenos Aires in the last months, some Argentines saw a traffic-induced headache. Others saw a reaction to President Javier Milei’s brutal austerity measures. Alejandra, a street vendor, saw people with nowhere to urinate. Plazas provided no privacy and cafes insisted
Continue ReadingAP Science Writer DELAWARE SEASHORE STATE PARK, Del. (AP) — Fireflies once seemed plentiful and cool, easy to catch and watch, and they served as an introduction to the world of nature around us. Entomologists keep hearing anecdotal reports of fewer fireflies, leading to fears that the summer flash was fading. It’s due to habitat
Continue ReadingBy Mariya Knight and Kathleen Magramo, CNN (CNN) — Authorities in the city of Moscow are offering a record signing-on bonus for new recruits to fight in Ukraine, in the latest sign of a scramble to boost Russian troop numbers. The financial sweetener comes as President Vladimir Putin struggles to recruit soldiers for his army as Russia’s
Continue ReadingAssociated Press TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s government says it has protested against Russia’s announcement that it is permanently banning 13 Japanese citizens, mostly business leaders of prominent companies including Toyota Motor Corp., in retaliation for Tokyo’s sanctions over the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said the ban limits Japanese companies’ activities
Continue ReadingBy Lex Harvey, CNN (CNN) — A reality show contestant who killed and ate a protected bird has been let off with a warning after New Zealand wildlife officials said cast members were tired, hungry and placed in a “unique” situation. Spencer “Corry” Jones, an American white water river guide, killed and ate the large, flightless weka during
Continue ReadingMEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican officials say an explosion and fire erupted inside a tequila factory, killing at least five workers and injuring two others at the site in the liquor’s namesake town in Jalisco state. The state Civil Protection agency announced late Tuesday that five people were confirmed dead and two people were injured,
Continue ReadingAssociated Press DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) — The first few runners of an ultramarathon that steps off in desolate Death Valley hit the finish line early Wednesday, a little more than 24 hours after they began this year’s Badwater 135, billed as the world’s toughest foot race. Ninety-seven runners launched the 48-hour race
Continue ReadingAssociated Press HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Vietnam has passed a decree radically loosening the Communist Party-ruled state’s control on how electricity is sold to private companies. This means companies that need a lot of energy can buy clean energy directly from solar or wind farms. It’s an important change for companies like Samsung, Vietnam’s largest
Continue ReadingAssociated Press CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Donald Trump unleashed a barrage of attack lines Wednesday against his likely new opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, whom he called his “new victim to defeat” and accused of deceiving the public about President Joe Biden ‘s ability to run for a second term. The rally in Charlotte, North
Continue ReadingAssociated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The gunman in the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump is believed to have done a Google search one week before the shooting of “How far away was Oswald from Kennedy?” FBI Director Christopher Wray said Wednesday, revealing new details about a suspect he said had taken a keen
Continue ReadingAssociated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Even though President Joe Biden won’t be on the ballot i n November, voters still will be weighing his legacy. As Vice President Kamala Harris moves to take his place as the Democratic standard-bearer, Biden’s accomplishments remain very much at risk should Republican Donald Trump prevail. How Biden’s single term
Continue ReadingAssociated Press ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A 103-year-old World War II veteran who’s been paying his medical bills out-of-pocket is finally getting his veterans benefits from the U.S. government after 78 years. Louis Gigliotti’s caretaker says the former U.S. Army medical technician has a card from the Veteran Administration but he never realized he could
Continue ReadingAssociated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden might not often use the word “abortion” when he talks about the overturning of Roe v. Wade. But Vice President Kamala Harris does. Harris also toured a Minnesota Planned Parenthood clinic where abortions are performed and routinely links the fall of Roe to the larger issue of
Continue ReadingBy Helen Regan, Taylor Ward, Eric Cheung and Isaac Yee, CNN Taipei, Taiwan (CNN) — A powerful typhoon made landfall in northeastern Taiwan early on Thursday, killing at least two people and injuring hundreds of others as authorities closed financial markets, schools and offices. Conditions in Taiwan worsened as Typhoon Gaemi brought heavy rainfall, gusty
Continue ReadingAssociated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Thousands of protesters against the war in Gaza converged on Washington on Wednesday to condemn Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit, chanting “Free, free Palestine” as they marched toward the Capitol before police deployed pepper spray on some in the crowd. Demonstrators calling for an end to the war that
Continue ReadingAssociated Press CHOCTAW, Miss. (AP) — As the drummers walk onto the field, the players behind them smack their hickory sticks to the beat. The rhythm envelops the stands and a palpable sense of anticipation flows through the crowd. Indigenous peoples have been playing stickball for hundreds of years, and every summer since 1975, teams
Continue Reading