News

By LUIS ANDRES HENAO, PETER SMITH and MARIAM FAM Associated Press America’s major religious faiths and denominations, often divided on other big issues, are preparing to receive an influx of refugees from Afghanistan. Among those gearing up to help are Jewish and Islamic groups; conservative and liberal Protestant churches; and prominent Catholic relief organizations. The

By TOM HAYS Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — One of R. Kelly’s accusers has told a jury that he kept a gun by his side while he berated her before forcing her to give him oral sex in a Los Angeles music studio. The testimony came Wednesday at the R&B singer’s sex-trafficking trail in

NEW YORK (AP) — Authorities say a 9-year-old boy was killed and more than a dozen people were injured in a fire caused by an electric scooter that was charging overnight. New York City Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said Wednesday that firefighters worked “heroically” to remove 14 people from the Queens building where the fire

By KEN MILLER Associated Press OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — An Oklahoma judge says she is temporarily blocking a state law banning public school mask mandates, but that personal exemptions to mask-wearing will be required. Judge Natalie Mai’s ruling Wednesday drew praise from Gov. Kevin Stitt, who opposes mask mandates without exemptions, and Dr. Mary Clarke,

BERLIN (AP) — The World Health Organization has inaugurated a new “hub” in Berlin that aims to help prepare the globe better to prevent future pandemics. The U.N. health agency’s director-general and Germany’s chancellor cut the ribbon to launch the new WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence. WHO says Germany is making an initial

By TOM FOREMAN Jr. Associated Press WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — Authorities say one student was killed in a shooting at a North Carolina high school and a suspect has been taken into custody. Winston-Salem police Chief Catrina Thompson fought back tears at a Wednesday afternoon news conference as she said the student died at the

By CURT ANDERSON AP Legal Affairs Writer A judge has ordered the examination of a proposed land swap to allow for an on-site memorial to the victims of the Florida beachfront condominium collapse. Many survivors and victim family members of the Champlain Towers South collapse oppose a memorial at a nearby Miami Beach park. The

By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — U.K. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab says he is heading to the region around Afghanistan in a push to rescue stranded British citizens and Afghan allies. Raab didn’t provide any details, citing security reasons, but he is expected to visit Pakistan for talks on establishing routes out of

By YURAS KARMANAU Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The authoritarian leader of Belarus says the country will soon receive a large batch of Russian weapons, including dozens of combat jets, helicopters and top-of-the-line air defense missile systems. President Alexander Lukashenko announced the expected acquisition as Russia and Belarus prepare to conduct joint war games