Shiite Muslims commemorate the mourning day of Ashoura
TEHRAN, Iran — Millions of Shiite Muslims in Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and around the world on Friday commemorated Ashoura, a remembrance of the 7th-century martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, Hussein, that gave birth to their faith.
Young Chinese opt out to pursue global nomad lifestyle
BANGKOK — Shortly after China opened its borders with the end of “zero-COVID,” Zhang Chuannan lost her job as an accountant at a cosmetic firm in Shanghai and decided to explore the world.
Trump accused of asking staffer to delete camera footage
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Former President Donald Trump faced new charges Thursday in a case accusing him of illegally possessing classified documents, with prosecutors alleging that he asked a staffer to delete camera footage at his Florida estate in an effort to obstruct a federal investigation into the records.
Trump lawyers met with prosecutors ahead of 2020 election indictment
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Lawyers for Donald Trump met Thursday with members of special counsel Jack Smith’s team ahead of a potential indictment over the former president’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election in the run-up to the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Senate passes defense bill, clash looms in House
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Senate has passed a massive annual defense bill that would deliver a 5.2% pay raise for service members and keep the nation’s military operating, avoiding partisan policy battles with an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote.
Biden looks to provide relief from extreme heat
WASHINGTON. D.C. — With heat waves spreading across the United States, President Joe Biden on Thursday announced new steps to protect workers — including a hazard alert notifying employers and employees about ways to stay safe from extreme heat — as well as measures to improve weather forecasts and make drinking water more accessible.
White House aims at lowering cost of housing, increasing supply
The White House is taking steps aimed at increasing the the supply of affordable housing while also bolstering protections for renters.
Fighting intensifies in SE Ukraine, Kyiv claims gains
KYIV, Ukraine — Fierce fighting raged Thursday in southeastern Ukraine, where a Western official said Kyiv has launched a major push and Russian President Vladimir Putin said “hostilities have intensified significantly.”
Japan raises alarm over China’s military, Russia ties, Taiwan tensions
TOKYO — Japan stepped up its alarm over China’s assertiveness in the region, its growing military ties to Russia and its claims on Taiwan in an annual defense paper released Friday that is the first under Tokyo’s new security strategy calling for a major military buildup.
NK leader Kim shares stage with Russian, Chinese delegates at parade
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un shared center stage with senior delegates from Russia and China as he rolled out his most powerful, nuclear-capable missiles in a military parade in the capital, Pyongyang, marking a major war anniversary with a show of defiance against the United States.
Australian PM is confident the U.S. will deliver submarines
CANBERRA, Australia — Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Friday he was confident of securing bipartisan political support in the United States for a deal to provide his country with submarines powered by U.S. nuclear technology.
Vatican, Vietnam agree to open resident Holy See office
VATICAN CITY — Vietnam formally agreed Thursday to let a Vatican representative live in the country and open an office, a notching up of relations that could have implications down the line for the Holy See’s delicate ties with China.
McCarthy floats an impeachment inquiry into President
WASHINGTON, D.C. — House Speaker Kevin McCarthy says Republican lawmakers may consider an impeachment inquiry of President Joe Biden over unproven claims of financial misconduct, responding to enormous GOP pressure to demonstrate support for Donald Trump ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
UPS reaches contract with unionized workers, dodging trike
NEW YORK — UPS has reached a tentative contract with its 340,000-person union, potentially averting a strike that threatened to disrupt package deliveries for millions of businesses and households nationwide.
Judge blocks limits on asylum at U.S.-Mexico border
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A federal judge on Tuesday blocked a rule that allows immigration authorities to deny asylum to migrants who arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border without first applying online or seeking protection in a country they passed through.
Emmett Till monument cements his inclusion in the American story
When President Joe Biden signed a proclamation Tuesday establishing a national monument honoring Emmett Till and his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, it marked the fulfillment of a promise Till’s relatives made after his death 68 years ago.
Mayor wants to give homeless a one-way ticket before Alaska winter
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — An unfunded proposal by Anchorage’s mayor to pay for plane tickets to warmer climates for homeless people who would otherwise be forced to winter outside in the bitter cold has caused a stir in Alaska’s biggest city.
Anger grows in Odesa after bombardment hits historic sites
ODESA, Ukraine — Tetiana Khlapova’s hand trembled as she recorded the wreckage of Odesa’s devastated Transfiguration Cathedral on her cellphone and cursed Russia, her native land.
China, Russia to join North Korean commemorations of armistice
BEIJING — Both Russia and China are sending government delegations to North Korea this week for events marking the 70th anniversary of the armistice that halted fighting in the 1950-53 Korean War.
More strikes loom after a Israeli law weakening courts passed
JERUSALEM — Thousands of Israeli doctors walked off their jobs, labor leaders threatened a general strike and senior justices rushed home from a trip abroad on Tuesday, a day after the government’s approval of a law that weakens the country’s Supreme Court. Critics say the legislation will erode the system of checks and balances.