Video shows guards walking away during fire that killed 40
March 28, 2023 GMTCIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (AP) — After migrants in northern Mexico placed mattresses against the bars of their detention cell and set them on fire, guards quickly walked away and made no apparent attempt to release the men before smoke filled the room and killed at least 40, surveillance video showed Tuesday.
Deadly fire highlights immigration pressures on Mexico
March 28, 2023 GMTSAN DIEGO (AP) — The fire that killed at least 40 people at an immigration detention center in Mexico happened as Western hemisphere countries face pressure to address the extraordinary number of people fleeing their homes.
Russia convicts father of teen who drew antiwar picture
March 28, 2023 GMTTALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A Russian court on Tuesday convicted a single father over social media posts critical of the war in Ukraine and sentenced him to two years in prison — a case brought against him after his daughter’s drawing at school opposed the invasion, according to his lawyer and activists.
Ukrainian president extends tour of war’s front-line areas
March 29, 2023 GMTOKHTYRKA, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s president visited the Sumy region in northern Ukraine on Tuesday, continuing his tour over recent days of areas of the country that have felt the brunt of Russia’s full-scale invasion and as the stage increasingly looks set for a Ukrainian counteroffensive.
Suu Kyi’s party ordered dissolved in military-ruled Myanmar
March 28, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — The political party led by Myanmar's ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi was ordered dissolved by the military-appointed election commission on Tuesday because it failed to register for a planned general election, state television MRTV reported.
Lawmakers back Paris Olympic law despite surveillance fears
March 28, 2023 GMTPARIS (AP) — A proposed French law for the 2024 Paris Olympics that critics contend will open the door for privacy-busting video surveillance technology in France and elsewhere in Europe passed an important hurdle on Tuesday with lawmakers overwhelmingly voting for it.
Israel’s Netanyahu may have tough time saving judicial plan
March 28, 2023 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu put his contentious judicial overhaul plan on hold this week, he vowed to pass the package through parliament “one way or another.” But he may have a hard time keeping that promise.
Police in Belgium arrest 8 people in counterterrorism raids
March 28, 2023 GMTBRUSSELS (AP) — Police officers in Belgium have arrested eight people during counterterrorism raids across the country as part of operations aimed at thwarting possible attacks, the federal prosecutor's office said Tuesday.
Kim wants N. Korea to make more nuclear material for bombs
March 28, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for his nuclear scientists to increase production of weapons-grade material to make bombs to put on his increasing range of weapons.
Mark Hamill lends ‘Star Wars’ voice to Ukrainian air-raid app
March 28, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — “Attention. Air raid alert,” the voice says with a Jedi knight’s gravitas. “Proceed to the nearest shelter.”
It's a surreal moment in an already surreal war: the grave but calming baritone of actor Mark Hamill, Luke Skywalker of “Star Wars,” urging people to take cover whenever Russia unleashes another aerial bombardment on Ukraine.
Latin America
UN hears Africa, its Sahel region, are new terrorism targets
March 28, 2023 GMTUNITED NATIONS (AP) — African nations called on the world Tuesday to pay attention to how terrorism targeted their continent, particularly its Sahel region, telling the United Nations Security Council that Africans made up nearly half the world's terror attack victims.
Muslim leader for Scotland a sign of UK political diversity
March 28, 2023 GMTLONDON (AP) — Humza Yousaf was confirmed as first minister of Scotland on Tuesday, becoming the first person of color to head the Scottish government, and the first Muslim national leader in any Western democracy.
Russia says it test-fired anti-ship missiles in Sea of Japan
March 28, 2023 GMTMOSCOW (AP) — Moscow test-fired anti-ship missiles in the Sea of Japan, Russia’s Defense Ministry said Tuesday, with two boats launching a simulated missile attack on a mock enemy warship about 100 kilometers (60 miles) away.
Landslide in Ecuador kills at least 7, with dozens missing
March 28, 2023 GMTALAUSI, Ecuador (AP) — A huge landslide swept over an Andean community in central Ecuador, burying dozens of homes, killing at least seven people and sending rescuers on a frantic search for survivors, authorities said Monday.
Netanyahu delays judicial overhaul after mass protests
March 28, 2023 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — Bending to a wave of mass protests, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delayed his contentious judicial overhaul plan Monday and said he wanted "to avoid civil war” by making time to seek a compromise with political opponents.
House GOP to subpoena Blinken over Afghanistan dissent cable
March 28, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans plan to deliver a subpoena to Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday for classified cables related to the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, marking an unprecedented effort to force the release of sensitive documents to Congress.
El Salvador marks its first year under anti-gang crackdown
March 28, 2023 GMTSAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) — The Central American nation of El Salvador marked a full year Monday under anti-gang emergency measures that were originally supposed to last only a month.
It was the the first anniversary of President Nayib Bukele’s request for special powers to pursue gangs last March 27, following a surge in gang violence in which 62 people were killed in a single day.
UN Security Council won’t probe Nord Stream blasts
March 27, 2023 GMTUNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. Security Council on Monday declined a Russian request to investigate the blasts on the pipelines that move natural gas from Russia to Europe under the Baltic Sea.
Zelenskyy, atomic agency chief discuss nuclear plant fears
March 27, 2023 GMTZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (AP) — The U.N.'s atomic energy chief warned during a meeting Monday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that the perilous situation at Europe’s largest nuclear plant “isn’t getting any better” as relentless fighting in the area keeps the facility at risk of a disaster.
Key takeaways from AP’s report on China’s influence in Utah
March 27, 2023 GMTSALT LAKE CITY (AP) — China's global influence campaign has been surprisingly robust and successful in Utah, an investigation by The Associated Press has found.
Hungarian parliament approves Finland’s bid to join NATO
March 27, 2023 GMTBUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungary’s parliament on Monday approved Finland’s bid to join NATO, putting an end to months of delays and bringing the Nordic country one step closer to becoming a full member of the Western military alliance.
Amid strained US ties, China finds unlikely friend in Utah
March 27, 2023 GMTSALT LAKE CITY (AP) — China’s global campaign to win friends and influence policy has blossomed in a surprising place: Utah, a deeply religious and conservative state with few obvious ties to the world’s most powerful communist country.
Scotland to get 1st Muslim leader as SNP elects Humza Yousaf
March 27, 2023 GMTLONDON (AP) — Scotland’s governing party elected Humza Yousaf as its new leader on Monday, making him the first person of color and the first Muslim to lead the country of 5.5 million people.
Opposition disrupts Indian Parliament after Gandhi’s ouster
March 27, 2023 GMTNEW DELHI (AP) — Members of opposition parties dressed in black disrupted India's Parliament on Monday and protested in the capital, New Delhi, after Rahul Gandhi, a key opposition leader and fierce critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was expelled from the legislature last week.
India expels Rahul Gandhi, Modi critic, from Parliament
March 27, 2023 GMTNEW DELHI (AP) — India's top opposition leader and fierce critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was expelled from Parliament Friday, a day after a court convicted him of defamation and sentenced him to two years in prison for mocking the surname Modi in an election speech.
Taiwan’s former leader Ma begins China visit
March 27, 2023 GMTTAOYUAN, Taiwan (AP) — Former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou departed for a tour of China on Monday, in what he called an attempt to reduce tensions a day after Taiwan lost one of its few remaining diplomatic partners to China.
More than 180 Rohingya refugees arrive on Indonesian beach
March 27, 2023 GMTLHOKSEUMAWE, Indonesia (AP) — More than 180 disoriented Rohingya Muslims, some of whom needed medical attention, arrived in the early morning in Indonesia’s northernmost province of Aceh, an official said Monday.
North Korea test-fires 2 more missiles as US sends carrier
March 27, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Fighter jets roared off the USS Nimitz as the nuclear-powered U.S. aircraft carrier and its battle group began exercises with South Korean warships on Monday, hours after North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles in an apparent protest of the allies’ expanding drills.
Many rely on radio broadcasts in Zimbabwe and across Africa
March 27, 2023 GMTHARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Just the size of his hand, the radio set hung in the busy marketplace stall is essential to Mark Nyabanda.
“I can’t do without it,” said the 25-year old, taking a break from selling fertilizer in Mbare market in the capital, Harare, to listen to a radio weather report warning of possible floods.
Strike over pay paralyzes rail, air travel in Germany
March 27, 2023 GMTBERLIN (AP) — Trains, planes and public transit systems stood still across much of Germany on Monday as labor unions called a major one-day strike over salaries in an effort to win inflation-busting raises for their members.
Residents protest zipline on Rio’s iconic Sugarloaf Mountain
March 27, 2023 GMTSome 200 protesters gathered beneath Rio de Janeiro's world-famous Sugarloaf Mountain to protest the ongoing construction of ziplines aimed at boosting tourism, alleging it will cause unacceptable impacts.
In Macron’s France, streets and fields seethe with protest
March 27, 2023 GMTPARIS (AP) — A big day has come for French high school student Elisa Fares. At age 17, she is taking part in her first protest.
In a country that taught the world about people power with its revolution of 1789 — and a country again seething with anger against its leaders — graduating from bystander to demonstrator is a generations-old rite of passage.
A steel plant ready for war shows hit to Ukraine’s economy
March 27, 2023 GMTZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (AP) — Flak jackets are piled up at Ukraine’s Zaporizhstal steel plant, and anti-tank traps guard the entrance. Whenever air raid sirens sound — and they go off every day — most workers head to one of the 16 bomb shelters scattered across the sprawling grounds.
Myanmar army leader calls for decisive action to crush foes
March 27, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — As Myanmar’s military put on an annual show of strength Monday, its top leader told its assembled ranks they need to take decisive action against those fighting army rule of the country.
Australia steps toward making big polluters reduce emissions
March 27, 2023 GMTCANBERRA, Australia (AP) — The Australian government took a major step toward implementing a key climate policy that would force chief greenhouse gas polluters to reduce emissions, with the minor Greens party pledging their support Monday.
Is the David porn? Come see, Italians tell Florida parents
March 27, 2023 GMTROME (AP) — The Florence museum housing Michelangelo’s Renaissance masterpiece the David on Sunday invited parents and students from a Florida charter school to visit after complaints about a lesson featuring the statue forced the principal to resign.
Mass protests erupt after Netanyahu fires defense chief
March 27, 2023 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — Tens of thousands of Israelis poured into the streets of cities across the country Sunday night in a spontaneous outburst of anger after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu abruptly fired his defense minister for challenging the Israeli leader's judicial overhaul plan.
Rushed daylight-saving decision puts Lebanon in 2 time zones
March 27, 2023 GMTBEIRUT (AP) — The Lebanese government’s last-minute decision to delay the start of daylight saving time by a month until the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan resulted in mass confusion Sunday.
Black kids in England 6 times more likely to be strip-searched by police
March 27, 2023 GMTLONDON (AP) — Black children in England and Wales were six times more likely to be strip-searched by police, according to a report being released Monday that found children were failed by those sworn to protect them.
Eyes on abstention as Cubans vote for National Assembly
March 26, 2023 GMTHAVANA (AP) — Cubans voted Sunday in National Assembly elections with attention focused on voter turnout amid a deep economic and migratory crisis.
With 470 candidates running for the legislature’s 470 seats, and no opposition challengers, the election's outcome is a foregone conclusion.
Turkmenistan votes for new, opposition-free parliament
March 26, 2023 GMTASHGABAT, Turkmenistan (AP) — Voters in Turkmenistan cast ballots Sunday for a new parliament that is expected to have no members of opposition parties and be loyal to the government of the gas-rich Central Asian nation.
Ukraine demands emergency UN meeting over Putin nuclear plan
March 26, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine's government on Sunday called for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council to “counter the Kremlin's nuclear blackmail” after Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed plans to station tactical atomic weapons in Belarus.
Berlin climate proposal fails to get enough yes votes to win
March 26, 2023 GMTBERLIN (AP) — A Sunday referendum in Berlin that would have forced the city to ramp up its climate goals failed because there weren't enough votes in favor of the proposal, the German news agency dpa reported.
Honduras establishes ties with China after Taiwan break
March 26, 2023 GMTBEIJING (AP) — Honduras established diplomatic ties with China on Sunday after breaking off relations with Taiwan, which is increasingly isolated and now recognized by only 13 sovereign states.
Foreign ministers from China and Honduras signed a joint communique in Beijing — a decision the Chinese Foreign Ministry hailed as “the right choice."
Travel disruption hits Germany on eve of transport strike
March 26, 2023 GMTBERLIN (AP) — An increased number of travelers in Germany boarded trains and planes on Sunday, a day before a major one-day strike that aims to bring the country's transportation system to a standstill.
Technical issues at Lufthansa cause delays in Frankfurt
March 26, 2023 GMTBERLIN (AP) — Lufthansa's operations were disrupted Sunday at Frankfurt airport because of technical problems, German news agency dpa reported.
Check-in systems on the airline's website and at the counter, as well as boarding, were affected at Germany's biggest airport, a Lufthansa spokeswoman told dpa.
Hong Kongers hold first protest in years under strict rules
March 26, 2023 GMTHONG KONG (AP) — Dozens of people on Sunday joined Hong Kong's first authorized protest since the lifting of major COVID-19 restrictions under unprecedentedly strict rules, including wearing a numbered badge around their necks.
Tensions on the rise at revered Kyiv monastery complex
March 26, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The courtyards of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra have been busy with more than just the usual worshippers, going to and from its churches in the sprawling monastic complex that is Ukraine’s most revered Orthodox site.
New Russian campaign tries to entice men to fight in Ukraine
March 26, 2023 GMTTALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Advertisements promise cash bonuses and enticing benefits. Recruiters are making cold calls to eligible men. Enlistment offices are working with universities and social service agencies to lure students and the unemployed.
Putin says Russia will station tactical nukes in Belarus
March 25, 2023 GMTMOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin announced plans on Saturday to station tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus, a warning to the West as it steps up military support for Ukraine.
Israeli defense minister calls for halt to judicial overhaul
March 25, 2023 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's defense minister became the first ally in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition to break ranks on Saturday as he called for an immediate halt to the far-right government's contentious plan to overhaul the country's judiciary.
Iran-backed fighters on alert in east Syria after US strikes
March 25, 2023 GMTBEIRUT (AP) — Iran-backed fighters were on alert in eastern Syria on Saturday, a day afte r U.S. forces launched retaliatory airstrikes on sites in the war-torn country, opposition activists said.
Hungary: Criticism makes it hard to cooperate with West
March 25, 2023 GMTUNITED NATIONS (AP) — The West’s steady criticism of Hungary on democratic and cultural issues makes the small European country’s right-wing government reluctant to offer support on practical matters, specifically NATO’s buildup against Russia, Hungary’s foreign minister said.
Berlin vote could turbocharge German capital’s climate plans
March 25, 2023 GMTBERLIN (AP) — Voters in Berlin go to the polls this weekend to decide on a proposal that would force the city government to drastically ramp up the German capital’s climate goals. Critics warn it could come with a steep price tag.
Russia ‘largely stalled’ in Bakhmut, shifting focus, UK says
March 25, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The top commander of Ukraine's military said Saturday that his forces were pushing back against Russian troops in the long and grinding battle for the town of Bakhmut, and British military intelligence says Russia appears to be moving to a defensive strategy in eastern Ukraine.
Emil Bocek, last Czech RAF pilot during WWII, dies at 100
March 25, 2023 GMTPRAGUE (AP) — Emil Bocek, the last living Czech pilot who fought the Nazis while serving with Britain's Royal Air Force during World War II, has died at age 100.
A community center for war veterans in the Czech Republic city of Brno, his hometown, said Bocek died on Saturday.
Pope expands sex abuse law, reaffirms adults can be victims
March 25, 2023 GMTVATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis on Saturday updated a 2019 church law aimed at holding senior churchmen accountable for covering up sexual abuse cases, expanding it to cover lay Catholic leaders and reaffirming that vulnerable adults and not just children can be victims of abuse when they are unable to freely consent.
Taliban want control of more Afghan diplomatic missions
March 25, 2023 GMTISLAMABAD (AP) — The Taliban government is trying to take charge of more Afghan embassies abroad, a spokesman said Saturday, amid their continued international isolation because of restrictions on women and girls.
New Zealand tells China its concern on lethal aid to Russia
March 25, 2023 GMTBEIJING (AP) — New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta has expressed concern to China over any provision of lethal aid to support Russia in its war against Ukraine during a meeting with her Chinese counterpart.
India’s Rahul Gandhi accuses PM Modi of favoring Adani Group
March 25, 2023 GMTNEW DELHI (AP) — India’s top opposition leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said he was being targeted because he has raised serious questions about Modi's relationship with the Indian business conglomerate Adani Group.
‘What can we do?’: Millions in African countries need power
March 25, 2023 GMTJOHANNESBURG (AP) — From Zimbabwe, where many must work at night because it's the only time there is power, to Nigeria where collapses of the grid are frequent, the reliable supply of electricity remains elusive across Africa.
US, Canada end loophole that let asylum-seekers cross border
March 25, 2023 GMTST. JOHNSBURY, Vermont (AP) — U.S. President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday announced a plan to close a loophole to an immigration agreement that has allowed thousands of asylum-seeking immigrants to move between the two countries along a back road linking New York state to the Canadian province of Quebec.
Man pleads guilty to role in Haiti president’s assassination
March 24, 2023 GMTMIAMI (AP) — A convicted drug trafficker pleaded guilty in U.S. federal court Friday to participating in the assassination of Haiti’s president in 2021.
Rodolphe Jaar, 50, pleaded guilty in Miami to conspiring to provide material support, providing material support and conspiring to kidnap and kill President Jovenel Moïse, according to court records.
Russians, American delayed in space to return in September
March 24, 2023 GMTMOSCOW (AP) — Two cosmonauts and an astronaut who were supposed to leave the International Space Station this month will be brought back to Earth in late September, doubling their time aboard the orbiting laboratory to more than a year, Russia's space agency announced Friday.
Amid massive demonstrations, Macron delays Charles’ visit
March 24, 2023 GMTPARIS (AP) — Ongoing unrest across France and calls for a new round of demonstrations against President Emmanuel Macron's pension plan persuaded officials to postpone a planned state visit next week by Britain's King Charles III.
King Charles’ state visit deflated as France leg canceled
March 24, 2023 GMTLONDON (AP) — King Charles III’s international debut was deflated Friday when his trip to France was postponed indefinitely because of protests that threatened to mar events at high profile venues such as the Arc de Triomphe and the Palace of Versailles.
Protesters greet Netanyahu as he meets UK leader in London
March 24, 2023 GMTLONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak held talks with Benjamin Netanyahu in London on Friday as protesters shouting “Shame!” in Hebrew demonstrated against the Israeli leader’s right-wing policies and his plans to overhaul the country’s judiciary.
UN decries torture, killing of Ukrainian and Russian POWs
March 24, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — U.N. human rights monitors have documented dozens of summary killings of Ukrainian and Russian prisoners of war, as well as other possible war crimes such as the use of torture, human shields and other abuses against POWs since Russia invaded its neighbor, according to a report released Friday.
Israeli AG warns Netanyahu broke law on conflict of interest
March 24, 2023 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's attorney general on Friday warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he has violated the country's law on conflict of interest, which barred him from direct involvement in his government's divisive plans for a judicial overhaul while standing trial for corruption.
Russian strikes in Ukraine kill 10 civilians, wound 20 more
March 24, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Long-range Russian bombardment killed at least 10 civilians and wounded 20 others in several parts of Ukraine on Friday, officials in Kyiv said, as a Kremlin official boasted that its forces were prepared to repel an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive this spring.
Ukraine using Soviet-era choppers to pummel Russia from afar
March 24, 2023 GMTDONETSK REGION, Ukraine (AP) — Skimming the treetops, three Soviet-era attack helicopters bank and swoop down on a field after an early-morning mission to the front lines in the fight against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
AP PHOTOS: New dangers as violence surges at French protests
March 24, 2023 GMTPARIS (AP) — Armed with Molotov cocktails or paving stones, black-clad radicals are increasingly invading large, peaceful protest marches against pension reforms in France, attacking police in spiraling violence.
China threatens consequences over US warship’s actions
March 24, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — China threatened “serious consequences” Friday after the United States Navy sailed a destroyer around the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea for the second day in a row, in a move Beijing claimed was a violation of its sovereignty and security.
Ignoring experts, China’s sudden zero-COVID exit cost lives
March 24, 2023 GMTBEIJING (AP) — When China suddenly scrapped onerous zero-COVID measures in December, the country wasn’t ready for a massive onslaught of cases. Hospitals turned away ambulances, crematoriums burned bodies around the clock, and relatives hauled dead loved ones to warehouses for lack of storage space.