News

NATICK, Mass. (AP) — The Wegmans supermarket chain is closing one of its largest and most unusual stores because it has not attracted enough business, the company said. The Natick, Massachusetts store will close on an undetermined date this summer, the Rochester, New York-based company said in a statement on Thursday. “Making these decisions is

MILWAUKEE (AP) — A school bus in Milwaukee was engulfed in flames moments after the pregnant driver safely evacuated 37 students. The bus was just blocks from its destination at the Milwaukee Academy of Science and had kindergarteners to high schoolers on board when Imunek Williams smelled something burning. She told WISN-TV on Thursday that

By MUHAMMAD FAROOQ Associated Press KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — Dozens of protesters are holding a rally in Pakistan’s biggest city of Karachi to demand the release of a top rights lawyer, after he was abducted by armed men the previous day. The lawyer’s family said Jibran Nasir was snatched from his car by more than

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia (AP) — Rain and a rainy forecast for the weekend have fire officials hopeful they can get the largest wildfire ever recorded in Canada’s Atlantic Coast province of Nova Scotia under control. That wildfire and three others in the province have prompted air quality warnings in U.S. regions as far south as

By BASSEM MROUE Associated Press BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon’s Hezbollah has lashed out at a Lebanese judge for alleging members of the militant group were behind the killing of a U.N. peacekeeper last year. Hezbollah’s chief spokesman said Friday that the powerful militant group “had absolutely no relation to the incident.” The comments by Hezbollah

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation’s employers stepped up their hiring in May, adding a robust 339,000 jobs, well above expectations and evidence of enduring strength in an economy that the Federal Reserve is desperately trying to cool. Friday’s report from the government reflected the job market’s resilience after more

By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Critics accuse the British administration of running “government by WhatsApp” due to the popularity of the messaging app with politicians and officials. So it feels inevitable that a tussle over WhatsApp messages is at the heart of Britain’s official inquiry into how the country handled the COVID-19

LONDON (AP) — The British government has appointed a new acting chair for the BBC five weeks after the resignation of Richard Sharp. Sharp resigned after he was found to have failed to disclose a potential conflict of interest over his role in arranging a loan for then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer

By SEUNG MIN KIM, STEPHEN GROVES and FARNOUSH AMIRI Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — It was advice that Mitch McConnell had offered to Joe Biden once already: To resolve the debt limit standoff, he needed to strike a deal with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy — and McCarthy alone. But after the first meeting of the

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation’s employers stepped up their hiring in May, adding a robust 339,000 jobs, well above expectations and evidence of strength in an economy that the Federal Reserve is desperately trying to cool. The unemployment rate rose to 3.7%, from a five-decade low of 3.4% in

DETROIT (AP) — Ford is telling owners of more than 140,000 SUVs in the U.S. to park them outside because they can catch fire even when the engines are turned off. The company is recalling certain Lincoln MKC SUVs from the 2015 to 2019 model years. Ford says a short-circuit can develop in the 12-volt

By LUIS ANDRES HENAO Associated Press LIBERTA, Antigua (AP) — On the same ground where their enslaved ancestors were forced to plant sugar cane, Rastafari on this small island nation are now legally growing and ritualistically smoking marijuana. For Rastafari, the practice brings them closer to the divine. But for decades, many have been jailed

BERLIN (AP) — The United Nations has warned that far too little aid is reaching cyclone-hit areas of Myanmar and the country could face a major food crisis soon if farmers are unable to plant crops. Cyclone Mocha struck the western state of Rakhine and nearby regions last month, killing hundreds of people and damaging

By YURI KAGEYAMA Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Ten-year-old Maholo Terajima Ghnassia is breaking conventions as one of the biggest emerging stars in Japan’s Kabuki theater tradition. Kabuki is passed from father to son and Japanese men typically play every role. Debuting with the stage name Maholo Onoe in a monthlong run in Tokyo, the

By SUSIE BLANN and MATTHEW LEE Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday that there can be no cease-fire in the war in Ukraine unless it is part of a “just and lasting” peace deal that includes Russia’s military withdrawal. Blinken said that “a cease-fire that simply freezes