By NINIEK KARMINI Associated Press JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Muslims around the world celebrated the Eid al-Fitr holiday Wednesday, marking the end of the Islamic holy month with family reunions, new clothes and sweet treats. But the celebrations were overshadowed by the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip and Israel’s expected offensive in the
Continue ReadingBy Sam Fossum, Arlette Saenz, Kayla Tausche, Betsy Klein and Michael Williams, CNN Washington (CNN) — President Joe Biden celebrated the relationship between the US and Japan, calling the alliance “stronger than it’s ever been” as he hosted Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for a state visit Wednesday. Speaking at a swanky state dinner Wednesday
Continue ReadingBy Emma Tucker, Ryan Young, Devon M. Sayers and Holly Yan, CNN Brandon, Mississippi (CNN) — Six former Mississippi law enforcement officers who abused two Black men for hours were sentenced in state court Wednesday to 15 to 45 years in prison. Their sentences will run concurrently with their federal sentences handed down last month,
Continue ReadingBANGKOK (AP) — Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has revealed details of his government’s plan to stimulate the economy by giving digital cash handouts of 10,000 baht ($275) to an estimated qualifying 50 million Thais for spending at their local businesses. Srettha said Wednesday that the 500-billion-baht ($13.75-billion) plan, to be mostly funded out of
Continue ReadingMONACO (AP) — Track and field is set to become the first sport to introduce prize money at the Olympics, with World Athletics saying Wednesday it would pay $50,000 to gold medalists in Paris. The governing body of athletics said it was setting aside $2.4 million to pay the gold medalists across the 48 events
Continue ReadingBy AAMER MADHANI and ZEKE MILLER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is set to host Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday for talks on the delicate security situation in the Pacific and a glitzy state dinner, honoring a leader who has proven to be one of Biden’s strongest allies in the
Continue ReadingBy MICHAEL PHILLIS Associated Press The Biden administration on Wednesday finalized strict limits on certain so-called “forever chemicals” in drinking water that will require utilities to reduce them to the lowest level they can be reliably measured. Officials say this will reduce exposure for 100 million people and help prevent thousands of illnesses, including cancers.
Continue ReadingBy GIADA ZAMPANO Associated Press ROME (AP) — Search and rescue operations are underway at a hydroelectric plant close to the northern Italian city of Bologna, after a devastating blast killed at least three workers, injured five, and left four missing. Dozens of firefighters and divers continued operations overnight following the massive explosion on Tuesday
Continue ReadingBy JACK JEFFERY Associated Press JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s foreign minister threatened Wednesday that his country’s forces would strike Iran directly if the Islamic Republic launched an attack from its territory against Israel. His comments came amid heightened tensions between the rival powers following the killings of Iranian generals in a blast at the Iranian
Continue ReadingBy ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — China’s Finance Ministry has denounced a report by Fitch Ratings that kept its sovereign debt rated at A+ but downgraded its outlook to negative. The ministry said in a statement that China’s deficit is at a moderate and reasonable level and risks are under control as
Continue ReadingHONG KONG (AP) — A fire in a large, mostly residential building in Hong Kong has killed at least five people and left another 36 injured. Some 250 residents were rescued from the New Lucky House in Hong Kong’s Jordan neighborhood and the fire was extinguished later Wednesday. The fire services department said that the
Continue ReadingBy TIA GOLDENBERG and WAFAA SHURAFA Associated Press TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — U.S. President Joe Biden called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the war in Gaza a mistake and called for his government to flood the beleaguered territory with aid, ramping up pressure on Israel to reach a cease-fire and widening a rift
Continue ReadingBy COLLEEN BARRY Associated Press FLORENCE, Italy (AP) — A Florence appeals court on Wednesday opened a new slander trial against Amanda Knox based on a 2016 European Court of Human Rights decision that her rights were violated during a long night of questioning into the murder of her British roommate without a lawyer and
Continue ReadingBy ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — Shares were mixed Wednesday in Asia after U.S. stock indexes held at a near standstill ahead of some potentially market-moving reports. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 1.7% to 17,115.94, while the Shanghai Composite index lost 0.8% to 3,026.11 after Fitch Ratings lowered its outlook for China’s
Continue ReadingBy Nectar Gan and Wayne Chang, CNN Hong Kong (CNN) — Chinese leader Xi Jinping held rare talks on Wednesday with a former president of Taiwan who supports closer ties with China, a highly unusual meeting just weeks before the democratic island swears in a new leader Beijing openly loathes. Ma Ying-jeou, who led Taiwan
Continue ReadingBy ANDREI POPOVICIU Associated Press PIKINE, Senegal (AP) — Mouhamed Sall stepped to the chalkboard with a glance and quick question in sign language to an assistant. Then he solved the exercise to the silent approval of his classmates, who waved their hands in a display of appreciation. Sall and three other students are part
Continue ReadingBy HYUNG-JIN KIM Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol faces a crucial test Wednesday, as voters go to the polls for a parliamentary election that could determine whether he becomes a lame duck for his remaining three years in office. In the months ahead of the election, the
Continue ReadingTEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reiterated on Wednesday a promise to retaliate against Israel over the killings of Iranian generals in Syria. Khamenei spoke at a prayer ceremony celebrating the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, saying the airstrike that demolished Iran’s consulate in Syria earlier this month
Continue ReadingHONG KONG (AP) — A fire in a large, mostly residential building in Hong Kong on Wednesday morning killed at least five people and left another 34 injured. The blaze in the New Lucky House in the Jordan neighborhood was extinguished later in the morning, but police said people inside the building still were calling
Continue ReadingBy HYUNG-JIN KIM Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol faces a crucial test Wednesday, as voters go to the polls for a parliamentary election that could determine whether he becomes a lame duck for his remaining three years in office. In the months ahead of the election, the
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