Afghanistan
An Afghan security official looks for mines or improvised explosive device with metal detector on a roadside during a trip organized by the police for The Associated Press, in Kabul, Afghanistan, March 17, 2021. Sticky bombs slapped onto cars trapped in Kabul’s chaotic traffic are the newest weapons terrorizing Afghans in the increasingly lawless nation. The surge of bombings comes as Washington searches for a responsible exit from decades of war. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)
UN chief warns that use of IEDs is increasing globally

By Edith M. Lederer Apr. 08, 2021 04:16 PM EDT

Shabana Maani, gives a polio vaccination to a child in the old part of Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, March 29, 2021. Afghanistan is inoculating millions of children against polio after pandemic lockdowns stalled the effort to eradicate the crippling disease. But the recent killing of three vaccinators points to the dangers facing the campaign. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)
Afghans work to stem polio rise amid violence, pandemic

By Rahim Faiez Apr. 08, 2021 02:08 AM EDT

FILE - in this Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2020, students attend an open air class at a primary school in Kabul, Afghanistan, An Afghan education ministry memo banning girls, 12 years old and older, from singing at public school functions, which the education ministry tells The Associated Press was a mistake, is causing a social media stir. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, File)
Afghan ministry tried to shift blame over girls singing ban

By Rahim Faiez Mar. 15, 2021 09:00 AM EDT

FILE - in this Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2020, students attend an open air class at a primary school in Kabul, Afghanistan, An Afghan education ministry memo banning girls, 12 years old and older, from singing at public school functions, which the education ministry tells The Associated Press was a mistake, is causing a social media stir. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, File)
Memo banning Afghan girls singing prompts #IAmMySong protest

By Kathy Gannon Mar. 12, 2021 03:15 PM EST

Players of South Africa and Pakistan cricket team attend practice session at the Pindi Stadium in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021. Pakistan and South Africa will play second cricket test match in Rawalpindi, starting on Feb. 4. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)
Pakistan T20 tournament marks return of fans in stadiums

Rizwan Ali Feb. 18, 2021 09:02 PM EST

Pedestrians wearing face masks as a precaution against the coronavirus, walk near the statues with masks in Incheon, South Korea, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
The Latest: China's northeast outbreaks appear under control

By The Associated Press Feb. 07, 2021 03:28 AM EST

UN experts: COVID-19 upped extremist threats in conflicts

By Edith M. Lederer Feb. 04, 2021 10:28 PM EST
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the threat from the Islamic State and al-Qaida extremist groups in conflict areas including...

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin arrives at the Pentagon, Friday, Jan. 22, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Austin wins Senate confirmation as 1st Black Pentagon chief

By Robert Burns And Andrew Taylor Jan. 22, 2021 12:31 AM EST

In this Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018, file photo, a newly arrived Rohingya family rests under a temporary shelter at Balukhali refugee camp near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. United Nations agencies are warning that more than 350 million people in the Asia-Pacific are going hungry as the coronavirus pandemic destroys jobs and pushes food prices higher. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup, File)
UN: Pandemic, surging food prices leave many in Asia hungry

By Elaine Kurtenbach Jan. 19, 2021 11:35 PM EST

An internally displaced girl peers through the curtain of her temporary home in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Jan. 18, 2021. Half of war-ravaged Afghanistan’s population is at risk of not having enough food to eat, including around 10 million children, Save the Children, a humanitarian organization said Tuesday. The group called for $3 billion in donations to pay for assistance in 2021. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)
Group: Billion in aid needed to help Afghan kids in 2021

By Rahim Faiez Jan. 19, 2021 12:05 AM EST

President-elect Joe Biden leaves after speaking at an event at The Queen theater, Friday, Jan. 15, 2021, in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Trump's presidency not just a blip in US foreign policy

By Deb Riechmann And Matthew Lee Jan. 16, 2021 01:08 AM EST

FILE - In this Dec. 17, 2019 file photo, Republican Conference chair Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., speaks with reporters at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
Impeachment could become defining moment for Liz Cheney

By Will Weissert Jan. 13, 2021 04:10 PM EST

A healthcare worker administers a polio vaccine to a child in Lahore, Pakistan, Monday, Jan. 11, 2021. Despite a steady rise in coronavirus cases, Pakistan on Monday launched a five-day vaccination campaign against polio amid tight security, hoping to eradicate the crippling children's disease this year. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)
Pakistan launches new anti-polio drive amid tight security

By Munir Ahmed Jan. 11, 2021 03:29 AM EST

Internally displaced boys are reflected in a mirror inside their temporary home in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2020. Save the Children has warned that more than 300,000 Afghan children face freezing winter conditions that could lead to illness, in the worst cases death, without proper winter clothing and heating. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)
Report: Harsh winter can bring illness, death to Afghan kids

By Rahim Faiez Dec. 31, 2020 12:05 AM EST

This Dec. 13, 2019 photo provided by the U.S. Army shows Sgt. 1st Class Duke Webb who is currently serving as a Special Forces Assistance Operations and Intelligence Sergeant. Webb, arrested in an apparently random shooting at an Illinois bowling alley that left three people dead and three others injured had four deployments to Afghanistan, the most recent ending in July. Webb was scheduled to appear in court Monday, Dec. 28, 2020, on three counts of murder and three counts of first-degree attempted murder in the shooting at Don Carter Lanes, in Rockford, Ill., on Saturday evening. (Photo courtesy U.S. Army via AP)
Lawyer: Soldier charged in Rockford shooting may have PTSD

By Michael Tarm And Sophia Tareen Dec. 28, 2020 03:13 PM EST

FILE - In this July 7, 2020 file photo, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Richard Wilkie speaks at the National Press Club in Washington. Confronted with a sexual assault allegation at a veterans hospital, Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie repeatedly sought to discredit the female congressional staffer who made the complaint. His staff also worked to spread negative information about her while ignoring known problems of harassment at the facility. That's according to a blistering investigation released Thursday by VA's internal watchdog. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Vets groups demand Wilkie's dismissal after scathing audit

By Hope Yen Dec. 11, 2020 07:13 PM EST

In this image made from UNTV video, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres speaks during the U.N. General Assembly's special session to discuss the response to COVID-19 and the best path to recovery from the pandemic, Thursday, Dec. 3,2020, at U.N. headquarters, in New York. (UNTV via AP)
UN chief: Vaccine can't undo damage from global pandemic

By Edith M. Lederer Dec. 03, 2020 12:00 AM EST

Editorial Roundup: US

By The Associated Press Dec. 02, 2020 06:36 PM EST
Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad: ___ Dec. 1 The Wall Street Journal...

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks during a media stand-up on her way to Question Time at Parliament, in Wellington, New Zealand Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020. New Zealand has joined Australia in denouncing a graphic tweet posted by a Chinese official that shows a fake image of a grinning Australian soldier holding a bloodied knife to a child’s throat. (Mark Mitchell/NZ Herald via AP)
New Zealand joins Australia in denouncing China's tweet

By Nick Perry Nov. 30, 2020 09:58 PM EST

FILE - In this Nov. 17, 2020, file photo, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison reviews an honor guard during a ceremony ahead of a meeting at Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's official residence in Tokyo. Morrison said Monday, Nov. 30, 2020, a tweet by a Chinese official which shows a fake image of an Australian soldier appearing to slit a child's throat is “truly repugnant." (Kiyoshi Ota/Pool Photo via AP, File)
Australian leader calls China's graphic tweet 'repugnant'

By Nick Perry Nov. 30, 2020 12:43 AM EST