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SYDNEY (AP) — A judge in a civil case says a decorated Australian veteran unlawfully killed prisoners and committed other war crimes in Afghanistan. The judge dismissed claims by Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith that he was defamed by media who published articles about the allegations in 2018. The allegations included that Roberts-Smith killed a

By The Associated Press QOM, Iran (AP) — It’s rare these days for a turbaned cleric in Iran to attract a large following of adoring young fans on Instagram, but Sayed Mahdi Tabatabaei has done it by rescuing street dogs in defiance of a local taboo. Tabatabaei posts regularly — to his more than 80,000

By SYAWALLUDIN ZAIN and DAVID RISING Associated Press SINGAPORE (AP) — China and Singapore have laid the groundwork for a hotline between the two countries that would establish a high-level communications link between Beijing and a close American partner in Asia at a time when Chinese tensions with Washington are high and dialogue has stalled.

By KRISHAN FRANCIS Associated Press COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka’s Central Bank has reduced its interest rates for the first time since the island nation declared bankruptcy last year. Stern fiscal controls, improved foreign currency income and help from an International Monetary Fund program has resulted in inflation slowing faster than expected. The

By ANNIE MA and THALIA BEATY Associated Press Historically Black colleges and universities, which had seen giving from foundations decline in recent decades, have seen an increase in gifts particularly from corporations and corporate foundations over the last several years. In their pitches, HBCUs have been emphasizing their ability to deliver returns on the investment

By DAVID HAMILTON AP Business Writer SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The hottest thing in technology is an unprepossessing sliver of silicon closely related to the chips that power video game graphics. It’s an artificial intelligence chip, designed specifically to make building AI systems such as ChatGPT faster and cheaper. Such chips have suddenly taken center

By ISABEL DEBRE Associated Press AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — The future king of Jordan and an architect from Saudi Arabia linked to her country’s own monarchy are getting married on Thursday in a palace celebration that introduces him to the world and emphasizes continuity in an Arab state prized for its longstanding stability. The union

By YURI KAGEYAMA Associated Press OYAMA, Japan (AP) — In a sprawling circuit near Mount Fuji, a humble Corolla running on liquid hydrogen has made its racing debut, part of a move to bring the futuristic technology into the racing world and to demonstrate Toyota’s resolve to develop green vehicles. Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda, resplendent

By MIKE SCHNEIDER Associated Press ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Tens of thousands of LGBTQ+ people are flocking to central Florida this weekend to go on theme park rides, mingle with costumed performers, dance at all-night parties and lounge poolside at hotels during Gay Days, a decades-long tradition. Even though Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida lawmakers

By CHRIS MEGERIAN and MATTHEW DALY Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Despite weeks of negotiations, the White House and House Republicans were unable to reach a comprehensive agreement to overhaul environmental regulations and streamline federal permitting as part of their budget deal. Although the measure falls short of the comprehensive overhaul that the White House

By FATIMA HUSSEIN and KEVIN FREKING Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — While Republicans seek to make good on campaign promises to cut IRS funding through the proposed debt ceiling and budget cuts package now moving through Congress, Democrats are offering assurances that the spending cuts will have little impact on the federal tax collector. The

WASHINGTON (AP) — Amazon agreed Wednesday to pay a $25 million civil penalty to settle Federal Trade Commission allegations it violated a child privacy law and deceived parents by keeping for years kids’ voice and location data recorded by its popular Alexa voice assistant. Separately, the company agreed to pay $5.8 million in customer refunds

By MIKE STOBBE AP Medical Writer NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. births were flat last year, as the nation saw fewer babies born than it did before the pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday. Births to moms 35 and older continued to rise, with the highest rates in that age group

ROME (AP) — Italy is displaying hundreds of antiquities that were looted from Italian territory and were recovered from a London dealer. The 750 objects date from the 8th century B.C. and the medieval period. They include an Etruscan three-legged bronze table, marble busts of men from the imperial age, and wall paintings that are