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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 boosting its maritime force in the waters off Venezuela to combat threats from Latin American drug cartels with the expected arrival of more vessels next week, an action that will undoubtedly fuel more speculation in Venezuela. The U.S. government

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

By BABAR DOGAR and MUNIR AHMED Associated Press NAROWAL, Pakistan (AP) — Rescuers in Pakistan raced to evacuate tens of thousands of people stranded by floods, with many left without food or medical supplies Friday as the government struggled to provide aid and prevent Lahore and other cities from deluges. The floods in the eastern

By NINIEK KARMINI and ACHMAD IBRAHIM Associated Press JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Protests erupted for a fifth day Friday in multiple cities and tensions soared across Indonesia, a day after a delivery rider was allegedly run over by a police armored vehicle during clashes between riot police and students protesting lawmakers’ allowances. Protesters marched to