AP National News

The Latest: U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls tests positive for COVID-19

By The Associated Press

by Rayos Syndication User

HOUSTON — U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls of Texas says that he’s tested positive for COVID-19 and has moderate symptoms. Nehls, a Republican from the Houston area, said Saturday that he is fully vaccinated and hopes the symptoms pass soon. “All Americans are free to make their own health decisions, but I strongly encourage getting vaccinated,” he wrote on Twitter Saturday….

The Latest: Biden warns of IS threat to Kabul evacuation

The Associated Press

by Rayos Syndication User

President Joe Biden is raising concerns that the Islamic State poses a threat as American troops seek to evacuate thousands of U.S. citizens and Afghan allies from Afghanistan. Biden on Sunday noted that the terror group is a “sworn enemy of the Taliban” and said that the longer U.S. troops are on the ground increases the chance that the group will attempt to strike innocent civilians and American personnel near the Hamid Karzai International Airport. The U.S. Embassy in Kabul has been warning Americans to avoid traveling to the airport in part because of concerns about Islamic State fighters. The extremist group has long declared a desire to attack America and U.S. interests abroad and it has been active in Afghanistan for a number of years.

The Latest: India evacuates 168 people on flight from Kabul

The Associated Press

by Rayos Syndication User

An Indian official says an air force transport plane has left Kabul for New Delhi carrying 168 people on board. The External Affairs Ministry spokesperson says the plane took off from Kabul on Sunday morning and the passengers include 107 Indian nationals. He didn’t give the nationalities of 61 others evacuated from the Afghan capital. Meanwhile, another group of 87 Indians who were evacuated from Kabul to Tajikistan on Saturday in an Indian air force plane are being flown to New Delhi on Sunday. Two Nepalese nationals also were evacuated on that flight. India began evacuating its nationals last Sunday after the Taliban swept into Kabul.

The Latest: Kentucky Supreme Court reins in Gov. Beshear

By The Associated Press

by Rayos Syndication User

FRANKFORT, Ky. — The Kentucky governor’s efforts to combat COVID-19 have suffered a landmark legal defeat. The state’s high court on Saturday cleared the way for laws reining in his emergency powers to take effect. The state Supreme Court ordered a lower court to dissolve an injunction blocking the new Republican-backed laws limiting Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s emergency powers. The…

AP Week in Pictures: Global

AP

by Rayos Syndication User

AUG. 14 – 20, 2021 From the earthquake in Haiti, to the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, to wildfires in Israel, this photo gallery highlights some of the most compelling images from around the world made or published by The Associated Press in the past week. The selection was curated by AP photo editor Patrick Sison. Follow AP visual journalism: Instagram:…

The Latest: Vietnam calls in army for strict virus lockdown

By The Associated Press

by Rayos Syndication User

HANOI, Vietnam — Vietnam’s government says it is sending troops to Ho Chi Minh City to help deliver food and aid to households as it further tightens restrictions on people’s movements amid a worsening surge of the coronavirus. The army personnel will be deployed to help with logistics as the city of 10 million people asks residents to “stay put”…

Country singer Tom T. Hall dies; wrote ‘Harper Valley PTA’

By KRISTIN M. HALL - AP Entertainment Writer

by Rayos Syndication User

Singer-songwriter Tom T. Hall, who composed “Harper Valley P.T.A.” and sang about life’s simple joys as country music’s consummate blue collar bard, has died. He was 85. His son, Dean Hall, confirmed the musician’s death Friday at his home in Franklin, Tennessee.  Hall was known as “The Storyteller” for his unadorned yet incisive lyrics. He composed hundreds of songs and had several No. 1 hits as a singer. Born in Kentucky, Hall wrote his first song by age 9. Throughout the ’70s, Hall became one of Nashville’s biggest singer-songwriters. His hits included “I Love,” “Country Is,” “I Care,” “I Like Beer,” and “Faster Horses (The Cowboy and The Poet.)” 

The Latest: SF requires full vaccination for indoor activity

By The Associated Press

by Rayos Syndication User

SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco has become the first major city in the nation to require proof of full vaccination against the coronavirus for people to dine inside restaurants, work out in gyms or attend indoor concerts. Restaurants and bars posted signs and added extra staff Friday to begin verifying people’s proof of vaccination before allowing them in. The new…

The Latest: Official Taliban websites abruptly go offline

By The Associated Press

by Rayos Syndication User

Taliban websites that delivered the victorious insurgents’ official messages to Afghans and the world at large in five languages have abruptly gone offline. It is not immediately clear why the sites in the Pashto, Urdu, Arabic, English and Dari languages went offline Friday. They had been shielded by Cloudflare, a San Francisco-based content delivery network and denial-of-service protection provider. Cloudflare has not respond to emails and phone calls seeking comment on the development. The SITE Intelligence Group which tracks online extremism says that also on Friday, the popular encrypted messaging service WhatsApp removed a number of Taliban groups. That follows the Tuesday banning of Taliban accounts by Facebook, the  parent of WhatsApp. 

FACT FOCUS: COVID-19 shots not forced on kids in Australia

By ALI SWENSON and TERRENCE FRASER - Associated Press

by Rayos Syndication User

As Australian health officials encourage eligible high school students to get vaccinated for COVID-19 before upcoming in-person exams, social media users are spreading false claims that their efforts involve forcibly injecting children. The posts have amassed millions of views this week and penetrated every major social media platform. Among them are a video of a police incident misrepresented as the…