AP National News

By ANDREA ROSA and JAMEY KEATEN Associated Press BAKHMUT, Ukraine (AP) — From a hideout in a bombed-out house in eastern Ukraine, army commander Mykhailo Strebizh twirls a mortar shell the size of a bowling pin, calling it “aid we got from Europe and America.” He then turns to a makeshift blackboard — a door

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — China’s first special envoy to the Horn of Africa has offered to mediate in disputes in the region as Beijing seeks to strengthen its influence and protect its investments from conflict and other troubles. Xue Bing told a China-led peace conference in Ethiopia’s capital that he is “ready to provide mediation

BERLIN (AP) — The German government says it remains committed to its goal of phasing out coal as a power source by 2030, despite deepening worries about a cut in Russia’s gas supplies. Russia’s Gazprom announced last week that it was sharply reducing supplies through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany for what it

By JOSEF FEDERMAN Associated Press JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s defense minister says that Israel is helping build a U.S.-led regional air-defense alliance against Iran and that the partnership has already thwarted attempted Iranian attacks. Defense Minister Benny Gantz said on Monday that he expects the upcoming visit by President Joe Biden to the region to

BERLIN (AP) — German prosecutors say they have seized three apartments and a bank account owned by a Russian lawmaker and his wife under European Union sanctions imposed because of the invasion of Ukraine. Prosecutors in Munich said Monday that the Duma lawmaker and his wife jointly own two of the apartments in the Bavarian

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has had an operation on his sinuses under general anaesthetic. Johnson spokesman Max Blain said the prime minister was back at his 10 Downing Street home and resting after the “routine” procedure on Monday morning. He said the operation had been scheduled in advance and was performed

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistan’s newly elected Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has appeared in court in connection with an old corruption case. His lawyer says the court on Monday granted Sharif exemption from further appearances in person in the hearings. The case dating back four years is related to Sharif’s alleged links to a multi-million

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. financial markets will observe the Juneteenth holiday for the first time Monday. Last year, Juneteenth was designated a federal holiday to mark the effective end of slavery in the U.S. Since June 19 falls on a Sunday this year, it will be observed on Monday. On June 19, 1865, Union

NEW YORK (AP) — A college basketball player was killed and eight other people were wounded Monday in an early-morning shooting at a gathering in Harlem, New York City police said. Officers responded around 12:40 a.m. to reports of a shooting on a footpath along FDR Drive and found several people wounded. Other victims went

BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon’s Health Ministry says that authorities have detected the country’s first case of monkeypox in a person who returned from abroad and is now isolating at home. The ministry said on Monday that the person is stable and that authorities are tracking the person’s contacts. It did not provide further details. Lebanon

BEIJING (AP) — China says it has successfully intercepted a missile in flight, in a test of an anti-ballistic missile system that could improve its defenses as it presses its territorial claims. The Defense Ministry gave no details but says the test was purely defensive in nature. Missiles are a major component of China’s defense

PARIS (AP) — Far-right leader Marine Le Pen said on Monday that her party’s extraordinary surge in the country’s parliamentary election is a “historic victory” and a “seismic event” in French politics. Many voters in Sunday’s poll opted for far-right or far-left candidates, denying President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance a straight majority in the National

By SAMY MAGDY Associated Press CAIRO (AP) — The United Nations says rival Libyan factions failed to reach an agreement on constitutional amendments for elections. The U.N. special adviser on Libya, Stephanie Williams, says officials wrapped up their third and final round of negotiations late on Sunday in the Egyptian capital , Cairo, without an

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — European benchmarks were higher Monday after most Asian markets retreated, while the price of bitcoin hovered near $20,000. U.S. futures advanced and oil prices fell back early Monday. The price of the world’s most popular cryptocurrency remained near the psychological benchmark of $20,000 after bouncing during

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgian authorities on Monday returned a gold-capped tooth belonging to the slain Congolese independence hero Patrice Lumumba, as the former colonial power continues to confront its bloody past and look toward reconciliation. The restitution of the relic took place after Belgium’s King Philippe earlier this month expressed

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syrian state media say an attack on a civilian bus in the country’s north has killed 13 people, including 11 soldiers, and wounded three troops. The report quoting an unnamed military official as saying that Monday’s attack occurred in the province of Raqqa, which was once controlled by the Islamic State

By JUWON PARK Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The surprise announcement by BTS last week that they were taking a break to focus on members’ solo projects stunned their global fanbase, shaking their label’s stock price and leaving many questions about the K-pop supergroup’s future. HYBE, the company behind the band, denied the

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syrian state media are saying that an attack on a military bus in the country’s north has killed 13 soldiers and wounded two. The report on state TV says Monday’s attack occurred in the province of Raqqa, which was once controlled by the Islamic State group. There was no immediate claim