China’s loans pushing world’s poorest countries to brink of collapse

By BERNARD CONDON (Associated Press) A dozen poor countries are facing economic instability and even collapse under the weight of hundreds of billions of dollars in foreign loans, much of them from the world’s biggest and most unforgiving government lender, China. An Associated Press analysis of a dozen countries most indebted to China — including Pakistan, Kenya, Zambia, Laos and Mongolia — found paying back that debt is consuming an ever-greater amount of the tax revenue needed to... Read More

Montana says 1st-in-nation TikTok ban protects people. TikTok says it violates their rights

By AMY BETH HANSON and HALELUYA HADERO (Associated Press) HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Montana became the first state in the U.S. to enact a complete ban on TikTok on Wednesday when Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed a measure that’s more sweeping than any other state’s attempts to curtail the social media app, which is owned by a Chinese tech company. The measure, scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2024, is expected to be challenged legally and will serve as a testing ground for the... Read More

Prince Harry and Meghan made getaway in NYC taxi after being trailed by paparazzi

By MICHAEL R. SISAK, BOBBY CAINA CALVAN and DANICA KIRKA (Associated Press) NEW YORK (AP) — Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, were trailed in their car by photographers as they left a New York City charity event Tuesday night, briefly taking refuge at a police station before being whisked away in a yellow taxicab. The pursuit and media frenzy evoked memories of the 1997 car chase through Paris that killed Harry’s mother, Princess Diana — though in this case, police said, no one was... Read More

Prince Harry and Meghan pursued in their car by photographers in NYC, made getaway in taxi

By MICHAEL R. SISAK, BOBBY CAINA CALVAN and DANICA KIRKA (Associated Press) NEW YORK (AP) — Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, were pursued in their car by photographers after a charity event in New York, an incident that the mayor and the couple’s office described Wednesday as potentially dangerous and stirred memories of the 1997 car crash that killed Harry’s mother, Princess Diana. With the help of police, the couple was eventually able to switch to a taxi cab and be whisked away,... Read More

Russia agrees to extend Ukraine grain deal in a boost for global food security

By SUZAN FRASER, JAMEY KEATEN and COURTNEY BONNELL (Associated Press) ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Russia agreed to extend a deal that has allowed Ukraine to ship grain through the Black Sea to parts of the world struggling with hunger, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced Wednesday, a boost to global food security after the war launched more than a year ago drove up prices. “I want to give a good news,” Erdogan said. “With the efforts of our country, the support of our Russian... Read More

North Carolina GOP overrides veto of 12-week abortion limit, allowing it to become law

By HANNAH SCHOENBAUM, GARY D. ROBERTSON and DENISE LAVOIE (Associated Press) RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Legislation banning most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy will become law in North Carolina after the state’s Republican-controlled General Assembly successfully overrode the Democratic governor’s veto late Tuesday. The House completed the second and final part of the override vote after a similar three-fifths majority — the fraction necessary — voted for the override earlier... Read More

New Mexico high school student killed 3 women in ‘random’ shooting rampage, police say

By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN, MORGAN LEE and RIO YAMAT (Associated Press) FARMINGTON, N.M. (AP) — The gunman who killed three people and wounded six others as he fired randomly while roaming his northwestern New Mexico neighborhood was a local high school student and his victims include a 97-year-old woman and her daughter, police said Tuesday. Investigators were still trying to determine a motive for the attack by Beau Wilson, 18, in the Farmington neighborhood where he lived. They say he... Read More

Fire at New Zealand hostel kills at least 6 people, officials say

By NICK PERRY (Associated Press) WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A fire ripped through a hostel in New Zealand’s capital overnight, killing at least six people and forcing others to flee the four-story building in their pajamas in what a fire chief on Tuesday called his “worst nightmare.” Six bodies were found but not all areas of the building had been searched yet because the roof on the top floor had collapsed, bringing down debris and making the area unsafe, said Bruce Stubbs, the... Read More

‘A new direction’: Pembroke Park fires chief of new police force

It was because of money that Pembroke Park decided to ditch its relationship with the Broward Sheriff’s Office in what was supposed to be a cost-cutting move. And it was money that led to the town firing its first police chief less than a year after the newly minted Pembroke Park Police Department hit the streets. Town commissioners, including those elected earlier this year, were concerned about the police department, “in particular the budget,” Town Manager Juan “J.C.” Jimenez... Read More

These safe, sturdy 6-person tents are great if you’ve got lots of friends

Which six-person tent is best? Whether it’s in your backyard or the middle of nowhere, spending the night in a tent is a great way to connect to the simple rhythms of nature. But it’s hard to enjoy the experience if your tent is leaky, cramped or uncomfortable. Experienced campers know that this is a critical piece of gear, and choosing the best six-person tent for your household is important. If you need a safe, sturdy tent that can withstand a variety of inclement weather, the is the... Read More