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Afghans bury dead, dig for survivors after quake kills 1,000

GAYAN, Afghanistan (AP) — Villagers rushed to bury the dead and dug by hand through the rubble of their homes in search of survivors of a powerful earthquake in eastern Afghanistan. Wednesday's quake killed at least 1,000 people. The Taliban and the international community that fled their takeover struggled to bring help to the disaster’s victims on Thursday. Paktika province was the epicenter of Wednesday’s magnitude 6 quake. Under a leaden sky, men dug a line of graves in one village, as they tried to lay the dead to rest quickly in line with Muslim tradition. The quake was Afghanistan’s deadliest in two decades, and officials said the toll could rise. The state-run Bakhtar News Agency said an estimated 1,500 others were reported injured.

The AP Interview: Estonian PM says don't play down Russia

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has told The Associated Press that the West shouldn't underestimate Russia’s military capabilities in Ukraine and that President Vladimir Putin's forces are in it for the long haul. She also said Wednesday that Europe should ensure that officials in Moscow are prosecuted for war crimes and attempted genocide. She noted that Putin escaped punishment for annexing the Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and supporting an insurgency in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region that killed over 14,000 people even before this year’s war began. Kallas praised the unity that Europe has shown in punishing Russia for the invasion. But it will be “more and more difficult over time” to hang together.

European Union leaders set to grant Ukraine candidate status

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union leaders are set to grant Ukraine a candidate status to join the 27-nation bloc. It's a first step in a long and unpredictable journey toward full membership that could take many years to achieve. Making the war-torn country a contender now seems to be a done deal after leaders were initially divided on how fast they could move to embrace the war-torn country’s bid that was launched only a few days after Russia launched its attack on Feb. 24. But EU candidate status doesn't give an automatic right to join the bloc. The start of accession discussions for Ukraine will depend on how the war-torn country will be able to meet essential political and economic conditions.

1/6 panel to hear of Trump's pressure on Justice Department

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection will hear from former Justice Department officials who faced down a relentless pressure campaign from then-President Donald Trump over the 2020 election results. The officials are also expected to testify about a bizarre challenge from within their own ranks. Thursday's hearing will bring focus to a memorably turbulent stretch at the department as the Republican president sought to bend to his will a law enforcement agency that has long cherished its independence. The testimony aims to show how Trump tried to leverage the authorities of federal executive branch agencies in pursuing his false claims of election fraud.

After year of violence, US schools try to tame tensions

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — One of the most difficult academic years in the nation's history was also one of the most violent. That's according to educators and experts, who reported many more fights and assaults since last fall. Now, as students head out on summer break, schools are taking stock of what went wrong and how to fix it. Educators and psychologists say the pandemic contributed to the volatility in schools by causing a surge in student mental health problems, trauma at home, a lack of socializing opportunities, and a shortage of teachers and counselors that reduced adult supervision and guidance.

Gas prices sting US workers who depend on their cars

DETROIT (AP) — Millions of Americans who rely on their cars for work are changing their habits, signing up for carpools or even ditching their cars for bicycles as gas prices recently hit $5 per gallon for the first time ever. This week, it’s averaging $4.95 per gallon nationwide, up from $3.06 per gallon a year ago, according to AAA. Some help could be on the way. On Wednesday, President Joe Biden asked Congress to suspend federal gas taxes for three months, which would shave 18.4 cents per gallon off the price of gas. He also called on states to suspend their own gas taxes. But in the meantime, gas is straining budgets.

EXPLAINER: Why Sri Lanka's economy collapsed and what's next

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka’s prime minister says the island nation's debt-laden economy has “collapsed” as it runs out of money to pay for food and fuel. The country is seeking help from neighboring India and China and from the International Monetary Fund. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who took office in May, was emphasizing the monumental task he faces in turning around the economy as it nears, he said, “rock bottom." Economists say the crisis stems from domestic factors such as years of mismanagement and corruption, but also from other troubles such as its $51 billion in debt, the pandemic and terror attacks. Getting the economy back on track will take time.

Airport chaos: European travel runs into pandemic cutbacks

LONDON (AP) — After two years of pandemic restrictions, travel demand is back with a vengeance but airlines and airports that slashed jobs during the depths of the COVID-19 crisis are struggling to keep up. With the busy summer tourism season underway in Europe, passengers are encountering chaotic scenes at airports, including lengthy delays, canceled flights and headaches over lost luggage. The head of Europe’s biggest airline warned the turmoil would last all summer. Data from aviation consultancy Cirium says that nearly 2,000 flights from major continental European airports were canceled during one week this month. It’s a similar story in the United States, where airlines canceled thousands of flights over two days last week because of bad weather as crowds of summer tourists grew.

Teen's miraculous survival in Florida collapse finds purpose

SURFSIDE, Fla. (AP) — People have compared the survival of a teenage boy in one of the deadliest collapses in U.S. history to the Bible story of Jonah and the whale. At 16, Jonah Handler is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and the loss of his mother after falling from the 10th floor of the beachfront building that collapsed a year ago in Surfside, Florida, killing 98 people. What came after for Jonah had been kept mostly private by the family to protect him, but his father is now sharing the teen's journey to recovery as they start a foundation to help families and first responders dealing with PTSD.

Fin-tastic! Growing 'mermaiding' subculture makes a splash

SYDNEY (AP) — Across the world, people are increasingly embracing the subculture of “mermaiding.” At its simplest, these are humans of all genders, shapes and backgrounds who enjoy dressing up as mermaids. In recent years, a growing number have flocked to mermaid conventions and competitions, formed local groups called “pods,” and poured their savings into a multimillion-dollar mermaid tail industry. On a planet plagued by war, disease and social upheaval, many merfolk have found life in the water a refuge. Away from the critics and chaos of life on land, mer-world is the kinder, gentler and more joyful alternative to the real world. Merfolk say it's also a world where you can be whoever and whatever you want.

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