Wildfires race across Chile, leaving 15 dead

PENCO, Chile (AP) – Wildfires raging across central and southern Chile on Sunday left at least 15 people dead, scorched thousands of acres of forest and destroyed scores of homes, authorities said, as the South American country swelters under a heat wave.

US stocks slip as AI fears keep rumbling and oil prices climb

NEW YORK (AP) - U.S. stocks fell Thursday, while oil prices rose with worries about a potential conflict between the United States and Iran. The S&P 500 slipped 0.3% for its first loss in four days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 267 points, or 0.5%, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.3%. Booking Holdings dropped 6.1% for one of the market's sharper losses.

Chile could deliver its most right-wing president since dictatorship

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) – As Chileans head to vote on Sunday, even detractors of ultra-conservative former lawmaker José Antonio Kast say the candidate whose radical ideas lost him the past two elections is now almost certain to become Chile’s next leader.

What to know about the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor

LONDON (AP) – The brother of King Charles III, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office in connection with his close relationship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. His arrest Thursday follows years of allegations over his links with Epstein, who took his own life in a New York prison in 2019.

After centuries of conflict, Chile's Indigenous Mapuches fear a far-right political turn

PEDRO CAYUQUEO, Chile (AP) – The Mapuches, Chile’s biggest Indigenous group, have endured centuries of battle.

Former South Korean president receives life sentence

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was found guilty of leading an insurrection on Thursday and sentenced to life in prison for his brief imposition of martial law in 2024, a ruling that marks a dramatic culmination of the country’s biggest political crisis in decades.

Chileans are divided in a presidential runoff tilted toward the far right

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) – Ask many Chileans how their country fared in the past several years and they’ll describe a descent into disaster: Venezuelan gangs surged across porous borders, bringing unprecedented kidnappings and contract killings to one of the region’s safest nations. A social uprising unleashed violent chaos on once-sleepy streets.

Editorials from The Washington Post, New York Times, The Guardian and others

Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad:

Chile becomes latest country to ban smartphone use during class

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) – Chile has passed a bill outlawing the use of mobile phones and other smart devices during classes at elementary and middle schools. The new law will take effect next year, making Chile the latest country to restrict smartphone use among young students to reduce its harmful effects and curb classroom distractions.