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LONDON (AP) — Katie Jones sure seemed plugged into the Washington’s political scene. The 30-something redhead boasted a job at a top think tank and a who’s-who network of pundits and experts, from the centrist Brookings Institution to the right-wing Heritage Foundation. She was connected to a deputy assistant secretary of state, a senior aide to a senator and the economist Paul Winfree, who is being considered for a seat on the Federal Reserve.

SINGAPORE (AP) — Asian stocks were mixed on Thursday as protesters in Hong Kong vowed to keep opposing a proposed extradition bill they fear would whittle down the Chinese territory’s legal autonomy.

The protests threaten to shake confidence in the hub for many regional and international businesses and investors. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gave up 0.5% to 27,163.46, extending its losses after closing down 1.7% on Wednesday.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The police chief of Alaska’s largest city hurried out of the department’s glass building after the ground began to shake. Phone lines jammed and even police radios were spotty after a major earthquake, but his cellphone was recently equipped with a national wireless network dedicated to first responders.

Anchorage Police Chief Justin Doll was able to reach other officials who had the new high-speed connection after the 7.1 magnitude quake last year caused widespread damage.

YORK, Pa. (AP) — A group of Pennsylvania manufacturers surrounded Mike Pence as he offered his standard greeting from President Donald Trump. The response was underwhelming.

“When I told him I was in the Keystone State, I think he sounded just a little bit jealous,” the vice president said to a few audible groans and tepid applause.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A U.K. maritime safety group warned Thursday of an unspecified incident in the Gulf of Oman and urged “extreme caution” amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran and a high-stakes visit by the Japanese prime minister to Iran.

Iranian media claimed — without offering any evidence — that there had been an explosion in the area targeting oil tankers.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which is run by the British navy, put out the alert but did not elaborate on the incident. It said it was investigating.

BEIJING, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Though faced with trade barriers set up by the United States, China's foreign trade remained steady, showing its ability to handle external headwinds.

As China continues upgrading its industries, its foreign trade structure saw prominent adjustments. China's processing trade declined by 2.4 percent year on year in the first five months, with general trade registering rapid growth and expanding its proportion of the total trade volume.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The Latest on Mideast developments amid rising tensions in the Persian Gulf region (all times local):

4 p.m.

Saudi Arabia’s ally and neighbor Bahrain says it strongly condemns an attack by Yemeni rebels that wounded 26 people at a Saudi airport arrivals hall.

Bahrain says it was a terrorist and cowardly criminal act against innocent civilians.

TOKYO (AP) — Global shares retreated Wednesday and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index fell sharply as thousands continued protests against proposed legislation that many city residents fear could further erode the territory’s legal autonomy.

In midday trading in Europe, Germany’s DAX lost 0.4% to 12,104 and the CAC 40 in France dropped 0.6% to 5,377. Britain’s FTSE 100 also skidded 0.6% to 7,356. U.S. shares were headed for a weak open as the future contract for the Dow Jones industrial average lost 0.2% to 26,017 while that for the S&P 500 also declined 0.2% to 2,882.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe landed in Tehran on Wednesday on a mission to ease tensions between the U.S. and Iran, just hours after Iranian-backed rebels in Yemen launched an attack on an airport in Saudi Arabia, wounding 26 people.

Abe’s trip is the highest-level effort yet to de-escalate the crisis as Tehran appears poised to break the 2015 nuclear deal it struck with world powers, an accord that the Trump administration pulled out of last year. It’s also the first visit of a sitting Japanese premier in the 40 years since the Islamic Revolution.

12 June 2019; AFP: Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected in Tehran on Wednesday for a rare diplomatic mission, hoping to ease tensions between the Islamic republic and Tokyo's key ally Washington.

The first Japanese prime minister to visit Iran in 41 years, Abe is expected to arrive in Tehran at around 1120 GMT and go straight into talks with President Hassan Rouhani.