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TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israelis protesting a contentious government plan to overhaul the judicial system were set to step up their opposition on Wednesday, with large demonstrations and road closures expected in what protest leaders have dubbed a “national day of disruption.” The demonstrations come as the government barrels ahead with the legal changes. A parliamentary committee is moving forward on a bill that would weaken the Supreme Court. […]

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares were higher Wednesday after reports on key measures of China manufacturing showed a strong recovery after anti-virus controls were lifted late last year. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index jumped 3.8% and Shanghai gained 1%. Purchasing managers’ indexes issued by a business magazine, Caixin, and the official China Federation of Logistics & Purchasing showed gains in production, exports and new orders. Business activity is recovering after […]

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China sent 25 warplanes and three warships toward Taiwan on Wednesday morning, the island’s Defense Ministry said, as tensions remain high between Beijing and Taipei’s main backer Washington. The ministry said 19 of those planes crossed into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone while the ships were continuing to operate in the Taiwan Strait. It said Taiwan responded by scrambling fighters, dispatching ships and activating coastal missile […]

TEMPE, Greece (AP) — A passenger train carrying hundreds of people, including many university students returning home from holiday, collided at high speed with an oncoming freight train in a fiery wreck in northern Greece, killing 32 and injuring at least 85, officials said Wednesday. Multiple cars derailed and at least three burst into flames after the collision just before midnight Tuesday near the town of Tempe as the passenger […]

RUNNING SPRINGS, Calif. (AP) — Fresh snow fell in the California mountains on Wednesday, adding to a staggering total that had blocked roads and stranded visitors for days. The Sierra Nevada range in the north and Southern California mountains were under blizzard warnings for a storm that was expected to add several feet of snow overnight into early Wednesday, dumped more rain in many areas and chilled much of the […]

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is wrapping up a brief tour of Central Asia in Uzbekistan before heading to India for what is expected to be a contentious Ukraine-dominated meeting of foreign ministers from the Group of 20. Blinken met Wednesday in Tashkent with senior Uzbek officials a day after warning his counterparts from all five Central Asian nations about the dangers posed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Speaking […]

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Jesse Ylonen scored the go-ahead goal with 10 minutes remaining and the Montreal Canadiens beat the San Jose Sharks 3-1 on Tuesday night. Kaiden Guhle and Christian Dvorak also scored for the Canadiens, and Jake Allen made 38 saves for his 14th win. San Jose defenseman Jacob MacDonald scored his first goal of the season and first for the Sharks. Kaapo Kahkonen stopped 29 shots […]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The family of the late Kobe Bryant has agreed to a $28.5 million settlement with Los Angeles County to resolve the remaining claims in a lawsuit over deputies and firefighters sharing grisly photos of the NBA star, his 13-year-old daughter and other victims killed in a 2020 helicopter crash, attorneys and court filings said Tuesday. The figure includes a newly agreed upon payment from the county […]

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the country’s ban on same-sex marriage is not discriminatory, insisting that constitutional freedom of marriage only envisions heterosexual unions, a comment that triggered criticism he is backtracking despite his recent apology and meeting with LGBTQ people. Kishida’s governing Liberal Democratic Party, known for its conservative family values and reluctance to promote gender equality and sexual diversity, is virtually the main opposition to legalization of […]