The Associated Press

The Rundown

As Tokyo Games open, can Olympic flame burn away the funk?

TOKYO (AP) — Disputed, locked down and running a year late, the Tokyo Games begin at last on Friday night, a multinational showcase of the finest athletes of a world fragmented by disease — and an event steeped in the political and medical baggage of…Read More

To reach a peace deal, Taliban say Afghan president must go

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Taliban say they don’t want to monopolize power, but they insist there won’t be peace in Afghanistan until there is a new negotiated government in Kabul and President Ashraf Ghani is removed. …Read More

Pelosi says ‘deadly serious’ Jan. 6 probe to go without GOP

WASHINGTON (AP) — Unfazed by Republican threats of a boycott, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declared Thursday that a congressional  committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection will take on its “deadly serious” work whether Republicans partici…Read More

China’s Xi visits Tibet amid rising controls over religion

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese leader Xi Jinping has made a rare visit to Tibet as authorities tighten controls over the Himalayan region’s traditional Buddhist culture, accompanied by an accelerated drive for economic development and modernized infrastructu…Read More

Haitian president’s hometown holds funeral amid violence

CAP-HAITIEN, Haiti (AP) — The hometown of slain Haitian President Jovenel Moïse prepared to receive his body on Friday for a private funeral amid heavy security following violent protests and fears of political volatility in the Caribbean nation. …Read More

OTHER TOP STORIES

Priest outed via Grindr app highlights rampant data tracking

When a religious publication used smartphone app data to deduce the sexual orientation of a high-ranking Roman Catholic official, it exposed a problem that goes far …Read More

Bin there, done that: Cockatoos learn to lift trash lids

WASHINGTON (AP) — A few years ago, a Sydney scientist noticed a sulfur-crested cockatoo opening his trash bin. Not every resident would be thrilled, but ornithologis…Read More

Volunteers hunting for Mexico’s ‘disappeared’ become targets

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The mainly female volunteers who fan out across Mexico to hunt for the bodies of murdered relatives are themselves increasingly being killed, putt…Read More

Venice avoids designation as UNESCO heritage site in danger

MILAN (AP) — Venice and its lagoon environment avoided placement on UNESCO’s list of world heritage sites in danger Thursday following Italy’s ban on massive cruise …Read More