Scott Neuman

The vice mayor of a town located near Taal Volcano, which began spewing ash and steam last week, has urged people to defy warnings from authorities and to "come back and clean up."

Last year, there were 10.48 births per 1,000 people — the lowest since the country was founded in 1949. Beijing also said its economy cooled to the slowest pace in nearly three decades.

The organization that puts on the annual Grammy Awards says Deborah Dugan has been placed on administrative leave after an allegation of misconduct by a senior female member of the organization.

With the renegotiated pact and Wednesday's signing of an initial trade deal with China, the president can say he fulfilled a key campaign pledge to get tough on trade.

Evacuations from a danger zone around Taal Volcano continued Thursday, with some 57,000 people living in the hardest-hit province having left their homes since Sunday's eruption.

In their rush to escape the eruption, many people living near the Taal Volcano have been forced to abandon livestock and pets. Some have defied orders and gone back for them.

Michael Flynn, who held the post of national security adviser in the Trump administration for less than a month, was set to be sentenced on Jan. 28.

Authorities say they fear the possibility of an event similar to the massive 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo, which killed hundreds and blanketed the countryside in thick ash.

Clemson went in with a 29-game winning streak, but wasn't able to stand up to Louisiana's withering offensive led by Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Joe Burrow.

The surprise move is seen as a rebuke to Pope Francis, who is weighing whether to allow older, married men to be ordained in some South American countries, where a shortage of priests is acute.

Some 13,000 people were evacuated from the area surrounding Taal Volcano, about 45 miles south of the capital, Manila. Authorities warned that a second explosive eruption could come in hours or days.

Two fires have merged into a single blaze more than three times as big as California's largest-ever known fire. A quarter of a million people have been urged to evacuate towns south of Sydney.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said there were just over 40,000 cases where someone was apprehended or refused entry at the southern border.

Henry made regular appearances on Saturday Night Live, co-directed the film Heaven Can Wait, and co-created the comedy show Get Smart. He died Wednesday in Los Angeles following a heart attack.

San Diego Unified School District alleges that vaping-related illnesses caused by the e-cigarette maker's products increase student absences, forcing schools to spend on prevention and treatment.

Majid Takht Ravanchi, speaking to Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep, says Iran has no plans for further action against the U.S. but is prepared if Washington renews its aggression.

The survey of 37,000 people in 33 countries found that only 29% were confident in Trump's handling of world affairs, lower than for either Russian President Vladimir Putin or China's Xi Jinping.

The Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737-800 crashed shortly after takeoff on Wednesday. Iranian officials said the likely cause was mechanical problems.

Iranian television said the stampede took place in Kerman, Soleimani's hometown, where the Quds Force commander slain in a U.S. airstrike last week was to be buried.

Speaking with NPR in Tehran on Tuesday, Mohammad Javad Zarif said the U.S. "will pay" for the attack that killed Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani last week.