AP News Digest 3 am

APTOPIX Afghanistan (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Here are the AP’s latest coverage plans, top stories and promotable content. All times EDT. For up-to-the minute information on AP’s coverage, visit Coverage Plan at https://newsroom.ap.org.

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ONLY ON AP

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CHINA-DUBAI SECRET JAIL CLAIM — A young Chinese woman says she was held for eight days at a Chinese-run secret detention facility in Dubai along with at least two Uyghurs, in what may be the first evidence that China is operating a so-called “black site” beyond its borders. While “black sites” are common in China, one in another country would reflect how Beijing is using its growing international clout to detain citizens overseas, including dissidents, corruption suspects and ethnic minorities like the Uyghurs. SENT: 920 words, photos. There is an abridged version.

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TOP STORIES

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AFGHANISTAN: The U.S. military has taken over Afghanistan’s airspace as it struggles to manage a chaotic evacuation after the Taliban rolled into the capital. The militants meanwhile sought to project calm amid widespread fears of looting and violence. The Taliban swept into the capital on Sunday after the Western-backed government collapsed and the president fled the country. Thousands of Afghans, fearing a return to the Taliban’s brutal rule, are trying to flee. Videos circulating on social media showed hundreds of people racing across the tarmac of the international airport as U.S. soldiers fired warning shots in the air. The U.S. Embassy has been evacuated and the American flag lowered. By Ahmad Seir, Rahim Faiez, Kathy Gannon AND Joseph Krauss. SENT: 530 words, photos. WITH: AFGHANISTAN-EVACUATIONS -- The chop of U.S. military helicopters whisking American diplomats to Kabul’s airport on Sunday punctuated a frantic rush by thousands of other foreigners and Afghans to flee to safety as well, as a stunningly swift Taliban takeover entered the heart of Afghanistan’s capital. By Ellen Knickmeyer and Colleen Barry. SENT: 1,120 words, photos. BIDEN-AFGHANISTAN -- President Joe Biden and other top U.S. officials were stunned by the pace of the Taliban’s nearly complete takeover of Afghanistan as the planned withdrawal of American forces urgently became a mission to ensure a safe evacuation. By Zeke Miller, Jonathan Lemire and Josh Boak. SENT: 1,320 words, photos. UNITED STATES-AFGHANISTAN -- America’s top general said the United States could now face a rise in terrorist threats from a Taliban-run Afghanistan. That warning comes as intelligence agencies charged with anticipating those threats face new questions after the U.S.-backed Afghan military collapsed with shocking speed. By Michael Balsamo, Nomaan Merchant and Mary Clare Jalonick. SENT: 880 words, photos.

HAITI-QUAKE — Many of the Haitians injured during a powerful earthquake over the weekend are lying in the open, under burning heat, waiting for help as hospitals overflow with patients. Thousands more in the quake zone are sleeping outside for a second night, clutching small transistor radios tuned to the news. Officials have raised the death toll from Saturday’s earthquake to at least 1,297. And the devastation could soon worsen. Tropical Depression Grace is predicted to reach Haiti on Monday night, bringing the potential for heavy rain, flooding and landslides. SENT: words, photos. WITH: 1,120 HAITI QUAKE-EXPLAINER (sent)

VIRUS OUTBREAK-MISINFORMATION-PUBLIC FORUMS — There are plenty of places to turn for accurate information about COVID-19. Your physician. Local health departments. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control. But not, perhaps, your local government’s public comment session. By David Klepper and Heather Hollingsworth. SENT: 900 words, photos.

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WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT

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DEADLY CHASE-DEPUTY SHOT — A deputy in Michigan has died after being wounded during a chase with a gunman. The Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office says Deputy Ryan Proxmire died Sunday. SENT: 230 words.

INDONESIA VOLCANO — Indonesia’s most active volcano has erupted with its biggest lava flow in months on the densely populated island of Java. SENT: 430 words, photos

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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK

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VIRUS OUTBREAK-ANTI-VACCINE RALLY — Police say a man who was stabbed when a Los Angeles protest against vaccine mandates turned violent has been released from the hospital. The man was stabbed and a news reporter was kicked after a fight broke out Saturday between anti-vaccination demonstrators and counterprotesters in front of LA City Hall. SENT: 340 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-AUSTRALIA — Australia’s most populous state has reported its worst day of the pandemic with 478 new infections and seven COVID-19 deaths as pandemic restrictions tightened in other parts of the country. SENT: 590 words, photos.

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NATIONAL

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US--DROUGHT-EXPLAINER-WATER SHORTAGE — U.S. officials on Monday will declare the first-ever water shortage from a river that serves 40 million people in the West. The anticipated forecast will mean Arizona farmers will do without as much water from the Colorado River next year and increasingly will turn to groundwater. A prolonged drought, higher temperatures and climate change have dropped one of the river's main reservoirs, Lake Mead, to record-low levels. The forecast highlights the acute challenges for a region that's also growing in population. UPCOMING, By 4:00 a.m. EDT, photo, video.

WESTERN WILDFIRES — Thousands of Northern California homes remain threatened by the nation’s largest wildfire and officials warn the danger of new blazes erupting across the West is high because of unstable weather SENT: 850 words, photos.

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INTERNATIONAL

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INDIA -ANTI-TERROR LAW — India’s harsh anti-terror law is coming under rare scrutiny. Some Indian courts and legal experts say the law allows for arbitrary arrests and is being used to squash dissent. Tough requirements for granting bail mean people often spend months, sometimes years, in jail without being found guilty. SENT: 920 words, photos.

JAPAN-WWWII ANNIVERSARY — Japan has marked the 76th anniversary of its surrender in World War II. At the somber ceremony, Prime Minister Yosihide Suga pledged for the tragedy of war to never be repeated. SENT: 700 words, photos.

MALAYSIA POLITICS — Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin resigned less than 18 months into his tenure, becoming the country’s shortest-ruling leader after conceding that he lost majority support to govern. SENT: 780 words, photos.

CAMBODIA GENOCIDE — The last living leader from the inner circle of Cambodia’s brutal Khmer Rouge regime is in court Monday seeking to overturn his conviction on genocide charges before a long-running international tribunal. SENT: 1,140 words, photos.

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WASHINGTON

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FOOD STAMPS — WASHINGTON -- The Biden administration has approved a significant and permanent increase in the levels of food stamp assistance available to needy families — the largest single increase in the program’s history. By Ashraf Khalil and Josh Boak. SENT: 220 words, photos. Announcement at 9 am EDT.

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