KINSHASA, Congo – Congo’s government spokesman says 34 people have been charged with crimes including genocide, murder and rape in connection with ethnic violence in the country’s southeast. Lambert Mende said Saturday the suspects had been arrested and presented before a local court. The United Nations says hundreds have been …

AUSTIN, Texas – A spokesman says Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller won’t apologize for a shared post on his Facebook page that appears to suggest using an atomic bomb on the Muslim population. The post shows a mushroom cloud and says Japan has “been at peace” with the U.S. since …

RALEIGH, N.C. – The son-in-law of the Rev. Billy Graham has died after being found unresponsive in the swimming pool of the Raleigh home he shared with evangelist Anne Graham Lotz. Seventy-eight-year-old Danny Lotz died Wednesday. That’s according to Rex Hospital, which issued a statement for the Lotz family. The …

NEW DELHI – Talks between the top security advisers of neighbors and archrivals India and Pakistan have hit several roadblocks over the contentious Kashmir region before they’ve even started. Pakistan’s Sartaz Aziz is scheduled to arrive in New Delhi to meet India’s national security adviser Ajit Doval on Sunday. It …

SUMMERLAND, Calif. – Santa Barbara County, California, officials are trying to determine the source of smelly oil and tar balls that have forced the closure of a popular beach. The Public Health Department’s Susan Klein-Rothschild said Saturday that strong petroleum odors and oily substances on Summerland Beach have increased. The …

MOSCOW – Russian authorities have begun to remove foreign brands of detergent and washing powder from stores, claiming that they pose health risks. The Consumer Protection Agency said in a statement on Tuesday that recent inspections of selected goods by top foreign brands such as Colgate-Palmolive and Procter & Gamble …

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Saudi Arabia’s Health Ministry says 15 more people have died after contracting the Middle East respiratory syndrome, known as MERS, in the last seven days amid a surge in contractions in the capital, Riyadh. The Health Ministry’s most recent figures on Thursday show that 498 …

QUINCY, Ill. – Two residents of an Illinois veterans’ home have died of Legionnaires’ Disease, the Illinois Department of Public Health said Friday. The health department said the two residents at the home in Quincy, about 300 miles southwest of Chicago, had underlying medical conditions. Both were among 23 residents …

NEW DELHI – Indian police are investigating the weekend murder of a scholar who was known for his outspoken criticism of idol worship and religious superstition. The shooting of M.M. Kalburgi at his home shocked Indian civil society and led to an outpouring of grief as his body was cremated …

BISMARCK, N.D. – Attorneys who have been arguing over state and federal powers have filed their written positions over whether a judge’s decision to block a new Obama administration water rule applies nationwide. U.S. District Judge Ralph Erickson last week issued a temporary injunction requested by North Dakota and 12 …