AP National News

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer Shares retreated Thursday in Asia after U.S. stocks fell under the weight of higher yields in the bond market, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average giving up more than 400 points. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 benchmark shed 1.3% to 38,054.13 and the Hang Seng in Hong Kong declined 1.4% to

By SIMINA MISTREANU Associated Press TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping called for an international peace conference focused on the Israel-Hamas war and promised more humanitarian aid as he opened a summit with Arab leaders. He said, “As war is raging causing tremendous suffering, justice can’t be absent and the two-state solution can’t

By KANIS LEUNG and ZEN SOO Associated Press HONG KONG (AP) — A Hong Kong court Thursday convicted 14 pro-democracy activists in the city’s biggest national security case under a law imposed by Beijing that has all but wiped out public dissent. Those found guilty of conspiracy to commit subversion included former lawmakers Leung Kwok-hung,

By JON GAMBRELL Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Another U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone went down in Yemen, images purported to show Wednesday, as Yemen’s Houthi rebels continued attacks on shipping around the Red Sea over the Israel-Hamas war. The Houthis released footage they said showed the aircraft being targeted with a surface-to-air

By JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER Associated Press HONOLULU (AP) — A judge in Hawaii has halted plans for an artificial wave pool until developers can revise an environmental assessment to address concerns including impacts on water supply and anticipated growth of the area. Native Hawaiians and others sued to block the project. They say another wave

QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) — Officials say a speeding passenger bus fell off a highway into a ravine in southwest Pakistan, killing 28 people and injuring 20. Pictures in local media showed the wreckage at the bottom of a rocky ravine. Police said the driver suddenly lost control in Washuk town as the bus was traveling

By GERALD IMRAY Associated Press CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — South Africa held a national election Wednesday that could be the country’s most hotly contested in 30 years, with the long-ruling African National Congress party facing a stern test to hold onto its majority. The ANC has been the majority party and in government

By MARCO DI MARCO Associated Press GRINDAVIK, Iceland (AP) — A volcano in southwestern Iceland erupted Wednesday for the fifth time since December, spewing red lava that once again threatened the coastal town of Grindavik and led to the evacuation of the popular Blue Lagoon geothermal spa. The eruption began in the early afternoon following

SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle’s embattled police chief has been dismissed. Mayor Bruce Harrell made the announcement Wednesday, saying he met with Police Chief Adrian Diaz on the previous day and they agreed the chief should step down. He will be reassigned within the department. KUOW reports that the move comes about a week after Capt.

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Character and parade performers at Disneyland in California are officially unionized. Federal labor officials said Wednesday that they’ve certified the results of a three-day election that took place earlier this month in Anaheim. Actors’ Equity Association will represent roughly 1,700 performers and assistants who help bring Disney’s popular characters to life

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Players on Argentina’s women’s squad say they understand why four teammates quit amid a dispute with the national soccer federation over pay and conditions but insist they’ll seek improvements by working from within. Goalkeeper Laurina Oliveiros, defenders Julieta Cruz and Eliana Stábile and midfielder Lorena Benítez left the squad Monday

Associated Press BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Republican Sen. Steve Daines has blocked a Biden administration judicial nominee who would have been Montana’s first Native American federal district court judge. Attorney Danna Jackson with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes was nominated by President Joe Biden in April. The post requires Senate confirmation. A spokesperson for

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — An international law enforcement team has arrested a Chinese national and disrupted a major botnet that officials said he ran for nearly a decade. Officials said Wednesday that Yunhe Wang amassed at least $99 million by reselling access to the botnet to criminals who used it for identity theft, child

By ED WHITE Associated Press DETROIT (AP) — The state of Michigan says it’s willing to step in and oversee property repairs at 1,900 homes in Flint. Water pipes have been inspected or replaced at those homes but the grounds remain a mess. In March, a judge found Flint in civil contempt after missing deadlines

By KIM TONG-HYUNG and HYUNG-JIN KIM Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea has fired a barrage of ballistic missiles toward its eastern sea, according to South Korea’s military, days after its attempt to launch a military reconnaissance satellite ended in failure but still drew strong condemnation from its rivals. South Korea’s Joint

By LOLITA C. BALDOR Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A string of security, logistical and weather problems has battered the plan to deliver desperately needed humanitarian aid to Gaza through a U.S. military-built pier. Broken apart by strong winds and heavy seas just over a week after it became operational, the project faces criticism that

By REBECCA BOONE Associated Press BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Jury deliberations began Wednesday in the case of an Idaho man charged with murdering his wife and his girlfriend’s two youngest children in what prosecutors said was a callous scheme for money, power and sex. “Three dead bodies … and for what?” prosecutor Lindsey Blake told