News

By MOGOMOTSI MAGOME Associated Press JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The killing of a South African health official providing evidence about an allegedly corrupt contract to purchase COVID-19 personal protective equipment has sparked calls for better protection of whistleblowers in the country. Babita Deokaran, 53, the Department of Health’s chief director of financial accounting, was shot and

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Belarus has ordered the closure of the country’s largest independent journalists’ organization. It’s the latest move by authorities to suppress critical reporting in a yearlong crackdown on dissent. Friday’s order by the supreme court to liquidate the Belarusian Association of Journalists follows the jailing of some 30 journalists, raids on newspaper

By SARA CLINE Associated Press/Report for America PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The far-right Proud Boys and far-left antifascists clashed last weekend for nearly 30 minutes in the streets, business parking lots and school grounds of a diverse neighborhood in northeast Portland, Oregon. Noticeably missing was the Portland Police Department. The lack of intervention by law

By GEOFF MULVIHILL Associated Press A federal bankruptcy judge on Friday urged states that oppose a settlement plan with Purdue Pharma to try to work out differences with the OxyContin maker before he issues a ruling next week. During a videoconference hearing, Judge Robert Drain warned of lengthy and expensive appeals if he approves the

By DIANE JEANTET Associated Press RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil, the country with the most freshwater resources in the world, has lost 15% of its surface water over the last three decades. The water’s gradual retreat in the Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetland, is even worse. It is just one-quarter of its earlier

By BEN FINLEY and SUDHIN THANAWALA Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — The latest surge in coronavirus cases is overwhelming many of the nation’s intensive care units. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said Thursday that nearly 80% of the country’s ICU beds were in use. About 30 percent of those were filled by

By JOSEF FEDERMAN and OMAR AKOUR Associated Press JERUSALEM (AP) — The U.S. State Department has raised concerns to Jordan about the possible mistreatment of a former top official imprisoned for sedition in an alleged plot against the Western-allied monarchy. The lawyer for Bassem Awadallah, who is a U.S. citizen, has said the trial lacked

NEW YORK (AP) — The Pulitzer Prize Board has announced a special citation for people in Afghanistan who risked their safety to help produce news stories and images from their war-torn country. It also awarded a $100,000 emergency grant to help people including staff and freelance correspondents, interpreters, drivers and hosts either resettle or to

By TERRY TANG and JONATHAN J. COOPER Associated Press PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona surpassed 1 million COVID-19 cases Friday. There are now more than a dozen states that have crossed the grim threshold as the nation wrestles with yet another major spike in infections. The benchmark is the latest in a tumultuous year-and-a-half where Arizona

EAST CHICAGO, Ind. (AP) — Nearly 100 people have been moved from a nine-story public housing building in northwestern Indiana after inspectors found serious structural problems. The East Chicago Housing Authority ordered 94 residents to evacuate the Nicosia Senior Building on Wednesday, moving them to rooms at three hotels in nearby Hammond. The Times of

By BOB CHRISTIE Associated Press SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — An Arizona nurse who has spent the past 18 months caring for COVID-19 patients is sharing her perspective as a third surge of cases hits the state and it crosses the 1 million case mark. Caroline Maloney works in the intensive care unit at Scottsdale Osborn