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By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Japan plans to deploy its domestically developed long-range missiles a year earlier than planned, the Defense Ministry announced Friday, as the country steps up efforts to strengthen its strike-back capability in response to rising challenges in the region. Under the new schedule, a first batch of the

By JAMEY KEATEN Associated Press GENEVA (AP) — Finland’s Air Force, now part of NATO, still flies swastikas on a handful of unit flags — but is preparing to phase them out, largely to avoid awkwardness with its Western allies. The history of the Finnish air force’s use of the swastika, which since the 20th

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian composer Rodion Shchedrin, who created the celebrated ballets “Anna Karenina” and the “Carmen Suite,” has died in Germany at age of 92, Moscow’s Bolshoi Theater said Friday. He and his wife of 57 years, legendary ballerina Maya Plisetskaya, dominated the Soviet and Russian cultural scene for the latter part of the

By REGINA GARCIA CANO and KONSTANTIN TOROPIN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is continuing to boost its military forces near Venezuela to combat threats from Latin American drug cartels — even after a U.S. strike destroyed what President Donald Trump said was a drug-carrying boat operated by the Tren de Aragua gang.

By MEGAN JANETSKY Associated Press MEXICO CITY (AP) — More than 14,000 mainly Venezuelan migrants who hoped to reach the United States have reversed course and turned south since U.S. President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown began, according to a report published Friday by the governments of Colombia, Panama and Costa Rica. The phenomenon, known as

By The Associated Press Gaza City is now a dangerous combat zone, Israel says, adding that it is in the “initial stages” of a planned offensive that has drawn international condemnation. Israel also said it had recovered the body of a hostage and the remains of another, and vowed its military offensive would return more.

By AHMED MOHAMED AND OPE ADETAYO Associated Press NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania (AP) — At least 49 people died and nearly 100 are still missing after a boat carrying migrants capsized this week, the Mauritanian coast guard said Friday. Authorities said the boat came from Gambia and capsized Tuesday morning off the coast of Mheijrat. “The boat

By WAFAA SHURAFA, SAM METZ and JULIA FRANKEL Associated Press GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel declared Gaza’s largest city a combat zone and recovered the remains of two hostages on Friday as the army launched the start of a planned offensive that has drawn international condemnation. As the military announced the resumption of