Taliban interim government agrees to let foreigners leave Afghanistan

Two hundred Americans and other foreigners who remain in Afghanistan are set to depart the war-ravaged country on charter flights from Kabul on Thursday after the new Taliban government agreed to their evacuation, a U.S. official said. The departures will be among the first international flights to take off from Kabul airport since the Islamist militia seized the capital in mid-August, triggering the chaotic U.S.-led evacuation of 124,000 foreigners and at-risk Afghans.

Sydney reveals plan to end months-long lockdown

Australia's biggest city Sydney is likely to ease out of lockdown from next month provided a vaccination threshold is reached. The New South Wales (NSW) state capital has been in lockdown since July due to a Delta variant outbreak. The state government released its much-anticipated "roadmap to freedom" on Thursday.

China unveils 5-year plan for agricultural green development

The Chinese government on Wednesday unveiled a plan for the green development of the country's agricultural sector over the next five years.

Idaho hospitals begin rationing health care amid COVID surge

Idaho public health leaders announced Tuesday that they activated “crisis standards of care” allowing health care rationing for the state’s northern hospitals because there are more coronavirus patients than the institutions can handle.

Taliban say they took Panjshir, last holdout Afghan province

The Taliban said Monday they seized the last province not in their control after their blitz through Afghanistan last month, overrunning forces who had opposed their takeover.

Taliban claim victory in Panjshir, but resistance forces say they still control strategic position in the valley

The Taliban have claimed victory in Afghanistan's Panjshir province, with a spokesman saying the region had been "completely conquered" following two weeks of fierce fighting with a resistance group. Panjshir was the last remaining hold-out among Afghanistan's 34 provinces to resist the Taliban. If the claim is true, it would mean the Taliban now control every Afghan province.

Israeli police launch manhunt after 6 prisoners break out

Israeli forces on Monday launched a massive manhunt in northern Israel and the occupied West Bank after six Palestinian prisoners escaped overnight from a high-security facility in an extremely rare breakout.

Australian boy, 3, rescued after four days lost in bush

A three-year-old boy who went missing in the Australian bush four days ago has been found safe after a search. Anthony "AJ" Elfalak was spotted by police helicopters on Monday, drinking water from a creek on his family's property in rural New South Wales.

South Lake Tahoe residents can return as fire threat eases

Tens of thousands of people forced to flee South Lake Tahoe could begin returning to their homes after evacuation orders were downgraded to warnings Sunday afternoon as crews made progress against a massive wildfire.

Flying would never be the same again after 9/11

Then on the morning of September 11, 2001, a team of 19 hijackers was able to board four different domestic flights in the northeastern US in a series of coordinated terror attacks that would claim 3,000 lives. Flying in America, and the rest of the world would never be the same again.

Clashes in Montenegro ahead of Orthodox ceremony

Police have used tear gas on protesters in Montenegro attempting to block the enthronement of a new Serbian Orthodox Church archbishop. Angry crowds threw stones at police and pulled down security fences around the monastery in the city of Cetinje.

Three dead and 15 injured in suicide attack in Pakistani city of Quetta

Three people have died and 15 were injured in an attack on paramilitary troops in the city of Quetta in Pakistan's southwestern province of Balochistan.

Lake Tahoe evacuees hope to return home as wildfire slows

Firefighters are making progress on a California wildfire threatening South Lake Tahoe, officials said Saturday, lifting hopes for tens of thousands of residents who are waiting this weekend to return to the resort town.

Poor US jobs growth shows Covid Delta variant impact

The US economy added fewer jobs than expected in August as employment rose by 235,000. The figure was well down on the 1.05 million jobs created in July, adding to fears that the recovery from the pandemic may be running out of steam.

How to fight microplastic pollution with magnets?

Huge amounts of plastic end up in rivers and oceans every year, harming the environment and potentially also human health. But what if we could pull it out of the water with the power of magnets?

Yoshihide Suga to step down as Japan's prime minister

Japan's prime minister, Yoshihide Suga, has said he will not run for re-election as party leader this month, signalling the end of his tenure. Suga had been appointed to the role just a year ago following the resignation of Shinzo Abe. The shock announcement comes as Suga's approval ratings dropped to an all-time low.

Global warming linked to colder winters in the US

A new study shows that increases in extreme winter weather in parts of the US are linked to accelerated warming of the Arctic. The scientists found that heating in the region ultimately disturbed the circular pattern of winds known as the polar vortex. This allowed colder winter weather to flow down to the US, notably in the Texas cold wave in February.

More than 45 dead after Ida’s remnants blindside Northeast

A stunned U.S. East Coast faced a rising death toll, surging rivers and tornado damage Thursday after the remnants of Hurricane Ida walloped the region with record-breaking rain, drowning at least 46 people in their homes and cars.

Coronavirus vaccines cut risk of long Covid, study finds

Being fully vaccinated against Covid-19 not only cuts the risk of catching it, but also of an infection turning into long Covid, research led by King's College London suggests.

Photos show black slick in water near Gulf oil rig after Ida

Photos show what appears to be a miles-long oil slick near an offshore rig in the Gulf of Mexico after Hurricane Ida, according to aerial survey imagery released Wednesday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and reviewed by The Associated Press.