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Associated Press News
|
2025-05-08 17:15:35+00:00
|
[
"Europe",
"European Union",
"Jos Manuel Albares",
"International agreements",
"Netherlands government",
"War and unrest",
"2024-2025 Mideast Wars",
"Israel-Hamas war",
"Netherlands",
"Eurocopa 2024",
"Politics",
"Caspar Veldkamp",
"Tanja Fajon",
"Government policy",
"Kaja Kallas"
] |
# The EU will hold talks later this month on reviewing ties with Israel as concern mounts over Gaza
By Lorne Cook
May 8th, 2025, 05:15 PM
---
BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union foreign ministers will hold formal discussions later this month on a demand to review an EU pact governing trade ties with Israel over its conduct of the war in Gaza, the bloc's top diplomat said Thursday.
Israel's ongoing blockade of humanitarian assistance for Gaza forced a leading aid group to shut its community soup kitchens Thursday as it faced empty warehouses and no replenishment of supplies in the war-battered enclave.
At the same time, the war in Gaza is about to enter a new phase, where Israel plans to "expand and intensify our operations," according to the armed forces chief of staff.
"The frustration among the (EU) member states, that we can't stop this, is tremendous," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told reporters after chairing informal talks between the bloc's foreign ministers in Poland.
Ties between the EU and Israel — which are major trading partners — are governed by a so-called Association Agreement. It stipulates that their ties "shall be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles."
The Dutch government has said that it intends to block the agreement pending an EU review into whether the Israel government is complying with the pact, which entered force in 2000. Kallas said the ministers would discuss this on May 20.
"It is very important to signal at this moment that we are greatly concerned by the continuous blockade for access of humanitarian aid and the Israeli decision to intensify the war effort," Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp said.
He said that Dutch concerns are "very broadly shared among European countries."
Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon was among those backers.
"The world has clearly failed on the test of humanity," she said. "We have to act more seriously because we are really facing a clear violation of the international law and humanitarian law."
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said that "it's more important than ever that the voice of Europe raises against what is happening right now in Gaza." He said the EU "will never accept the displacement of people" from Gaza.
But the EU is deeply divided over how to respond to the conflict, and it holds little leverage over Israel. Austria, Germany and Hungary have backed the Israeli government, while Ireland, Spain and Slovenia have been vocal in their support for the Palestinians.
Last year, Ireland, Spain and Slovenia also tried to press their EU partners to examine whether Israel has broken the rules, without success, and Kallas did not appear optimistic about success on May 20.
"You know very well that on certain issues we have very divergent views," she said.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-10 02:11:15+00:00
|
[
"California",
"Larry Eugene Parks",
"Vietnam",
"Oregon",
"Randy Kraft",
"Law enforcement",
"Crime",
"Serial murder",
"Homicide",
"Prisons",
"Kyle Kennedy"
] |
# Decades-old death in Oregon potentially linked to notorious California serial killer
By Lisa Baumann
May 10th, 2025, 02:11 AM
---
A man who was found dead along Interstate 5 in Oregon has been identified after nearly 45 years and police say a notorious California serial killer is the sole person of interest in the case.
The 30-year-old was identified Friday as Larry Eugene Parks. Oregon State Police spokesperson Kyle Kennedy said Randy Kraft, who has been dubbed the "Scorecard Killer," is the only person under investigation for the 1980 killing.
"There's some evidence that we're processing to determine that link," Kennedy said. "We are very confident that we have the correct person of interest."
Kraft, now 80, was convicted in 1989 of brutalizing and killing 16 men over a decade in California and sentenced to death. He remains incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison and has denied killing anyone.
On July 18, 1980, police responded to a report of a body now identified as Parks along I-5 south of Portland near Woodburn. Police opened a homicide investigation at the time and unsuccessfully tried to identify the victim.
Parks, a Vietnam veteran whose family had lost contact with him in 1979, had last been seen in Pensacola, Florida, police said.
Kraft was pulled over in his vehicle on a California freeway in 1983 after a trooper spotted him driving erratically. In the passenger seat of the vehicle was a strangled U.S. Marine. In the trunk of Kraft's vehicle was a coded list believed to tally 67 victims in California, Oregon and Michigan, according to police.
Prosecutors described Kraft, a former computer programmer, as a fetishist who kept some of the dismembered parts of his victims in his freezer.
In 2024, an Orange County Sheriff's Department investigator reached out to the Oregon State Police Cold Case Unit and offered to help identify the remains using forensic investigative genetic genealogy. A genetic profile was developed from a blood sample and Parks' identity was confirmed after possible family members submitted DNA profiles for comparison, according to police.
Until his identification last month, the circumstances of his disappearance were unknown to the his family, police said.
In 2023, the remains of a teenager believed to have been killed by Kraft in California were also identified using investigative genetic genealogy.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-13 09:48:28+00:00
|
[
"United Kingdom",
"International agreements",
"United Kingdom government",
"Courts",
"Israel government",
"Finance Business",
"International",
"Benjamin Netanyahu",
"Charlotte Andrews-Briscoe",
"2024-2025 Mideast Wars",
"Israel-Hamas war",
"Sacha Deshmukh",
"Business"
] |
# UK High Court hears challenge to British government's role arming Israel
By Sylvia Hui
May 13th, 2025, 09:48 AM
---
LONDON (AP) — Human rights groups launched a court fight Tuesday challenging the U.K. government's decision to supply parts for F-35 fighter jets, saying they are being used by Israel in Gaza in violation of international law.
The legal challenge in the High Court alleges that the government is breaking domestic and international law and is complicit in atrocities against Palestinians by allowing essential components for the warplanes to be supplied to Israel.
"There's such clear evidence of the use of weapons parts from the U.K. being used in war crimes, including in genocide," Sacha Deshmukh, chief executive of Amnesty International UK, said at a rally outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London. "Until this case reaches its judgment, right now as we speak, there are significant human rights violations being delivered by British-made weapons and bombs."
The government said in September that it was suspending about 30 of 350 existing export licenses for equipment deemed to be for use in the conflict in Gaza because of a "clear risk" that the items could be used to "commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law." Equipment included parts for helicopters and drones.
But an exemption was made for some licenses related to components of F-35 fighter jets, which have been linked to Israel's bombardment campaign in the Gaza Strip.
Rights groups argue that the United Kingdom shouldn't continue to export parts through what they call a "deliberate loophole" given the government's own assessment of Israel's compliance with international humanitarian law.
Palestinian human rights organization Al-Haq and the U.K.-based Global Legal Action Network, which brought the legal challenge, say the components are indirectly supplied to Israel through the global spare parts supply chain.
U.K. officials have argued that stopping the export of F-35 fighter jet components would endanger international peace and security.
Compared to major arms suppliers such as the U.S. and Germany, British firms sell a relatively small amount of weapons and components to Israel.
The Campaign Against Arms Trade nonprofit group estimates that the U.K. supplies about 15% of the components in the F-35 stealth combat aircraft, including its laser targeting system.
"British-made F-35s are dropping multi-ton bombs on the people of Gaza, which the U.N. secretary-general has described as a 'killing field,'" said Charlotte Andrews-Briscoe, a lawyer for the Global Legal Action Network.
"The U.K. government has expressly departed from its own domestic law in order to keep arming Israel. This decision is of continuing and catastrophic effect," she added.
The hearing is expected to last four days and a decision is expected at a later date.
Israel resumed its bombardment in Gaza in March, shattering a two-month ceasefire with Hamas. More than 52,800 people, more than half of them women and children, have been killed in Gaza, according to the territory's health ministry. The ministry's count doesn't differentiate between civilians and combatants. Israel says it has killed thousands of militants, without giving evidence.
The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.
In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas' military chief, accusing them of crimes against humanity in connection with the war in Gaza.
___
Brian Melley contributed to this report.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-01 15:46:19+00:00
|
[
"Donald Trump",
"Mike Waltz",
"Marco Rubio",
"Laura Loomer",
"Pete Hegseth",
"Steve Witkoff",
"Henry Kissinger",
"Richard Grenell",
"Christopher Coons",
"Elise Stefanik",
"JD Vance",
"National security",
"District of Columbia",
"United Nations",
"Iran",
"U.S. National Security Council",
"Yemen",
"Serbia",
"California",
"Jeffrey Goldberg",
"Bret Baier",
"Mark Montgomery",
"Sebastian Gorka",
"Military and defense",
"Government and politics",
"Russia Ukraine war",
"United States government",
"U.S. Department of Defense",
"Michael Anton",
"Politics"
] |
# Mike Waltz is out as Trump's national security adviser in major shake-up
By Zeke Miller, Aamer Madhani, Seung Min Kim, and Farnoush Amiri
May 1st, 2025, 03:46 PM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Thursday that he is nominating national security adviser Mike Waltz as United Nations ambassador while Secretary of State Marco Rubio would take over Waltz's duties on an interim role.
He announced the major shake-up of his national security team shortly after news broke that Waltz and his deputy are leaving the administration. Waltz has been under scrutiny for weeks after reporting from The Atlantic that he had mistakenly added the magazine's editor-in-chief to a Signal chat being used to discuss military plans.
"I am pleased to announce that I will be nominating Mike Waltz to be the next United States Ambassador to the United Nations. From his time in uniform on the battlefield, in Congress and, as my National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz has worked hard to put our Nation's Interests first," Trump wrote on social media.
"In the interim, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will serve as National Security Advisor, while continuing his strong leadership at the State Department. Together, we will continue to fight tirelessly to Make America, and the World, SAFE AGAIN."
There is precedent for the secretary of state to serve simultaneously as national security adviser. Henry Kissinger held both positions from 1973 to 1975.
It's not clear how long Rubio will hold both jobs.
But he'll be doing double duty at a moment when the Trump administration is facing no shortage of foreign policy challenges — the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, Iran's rapidly advancing nuclear program and an uncertain world economy in the midst of Trump's global tariff war.
Waltz came under searing criticism in March after revelations that he added journalist Jeffrey Goldberg to a private text chain on an encrypted messaging app that was used to discuss planning for a sensitive military operation against Houthi militants in Yemen.
Vice President JD Vance pushed back on characterizations that Waltz was ousted.
"The media wants to frame this as a firing. Donald Trump has fired a lot of people," Vance said in an interview with Bret Baier of Fox News Channel. "He doesn't give them Senate-confirmed appointments afterwards."
## Trump scrapped first UN pick
Trump's decision to move Waltz to the U.N. comes weeks after he pulled his pick for the job, Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, from consideration over fears about Republicans' tight voting margins in the U.S. House.
"I'm deeply honored to continue my service to President Trump and our great nation," Waltz said Thursday.
His shift from national security adviser to U.N. ambassador nominee means he will now have to face a Senate confirmation hearing.
The process, which proved to be difficult for a number of Trump's Cabinet picks, will give lawmakers, especially Democrats, the first chance to grill Waltz on his decision to share information about an imminent U.S. airstrike on Signal.
Sen. Chris Coons, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, signaled that Waltz will face difficult questions.
"I look forward to a thorough confirmation hearing," Coons said on social media.
## Several aides under consideration for Waltz's job
Trump is believed to be weighing several senior aides to eventually take on the national security adviser role, including special envoys Steve Witkoff and Richard Grenell, National Security Council senior director for counterterrorism Sebastian Gorka and senior State Department official Michael Anton, according to several people familiar with the ongoing deliberations.
Witkoff, a fellow New York City real estate maverick who has known Trump for years, has played a key role in negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas conflict and has been the administration's chief interlocutor in the Iran nuclear talks launched last month.
Witkoff has expressed no interest in taking the job, which requires hands-on management of numerous agencies, but could, if asked by Trump, assume temporary control of the NSC, according to one U.S. official familiar with the matter.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said Witkoff would prefer to stay in his current special envoy role, which is relatively independent and not tied to any particular bureaucracy.
Grenell, in addition to being Trump's envoy for special missions, is serving as the interim president at the Kennedy Center. He served as ambassador to Germany during Trump's first administration, was special presidential envoy for Serbia and Kosovo peace negotiations, and did a stint as acting director of national intelligence. He's also weighing running in next year's California governor's race.
Waltz had previously taken "full responsibility" for building the Signal message chain and administration officials described the episode as a "mistake" but one that caused Americans no harm. Waltz maintained that he was not sure how Goldberg ended up in the messaging chain, and insisted he did not know the journalist.
Trump and the White House — which insisted that no classified information was shared on the text chain — publicly stood by Waltz throughout the episode. But the embattled national security adviser was under siege from personalities such as Laura Loomer, who has encouraged Trump to purge aides who she believes are insufficiently loyal to the "Make America Great Again" agenda.
As reports began to circulate that Waltz could be leaving the administration, Loomer appeared to take credit in a post on the social media site X, writing: "SCALP."
"Hopefully, the rest of the people who were set to be fired but were given promotions at the NSC under Waltz also depart," Loomer wrote in another post.
## Waltz gets 'soft landing' with UN nomination
Retired Navy Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery, an analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington, said with the U.N. nomination Trump presented Waltz with a "soft landing" as he removed him from the powerful national security advisory post just over 100 days into the administration.
The Signal episode hurt Waltz. But even more damaging were the attacks by Loomer and his hawkish views on Iran and Russia, which are more in line with Republican orthodoxy, Montgomery said.
"He hurt himself by having to constantly defend his staff that were under inappropriate attack," Montgomery said. "I think Waltz tried as hard as he could to adjust his traditional thinking about foreign policy to the president's more opportunistic system, but the president is just a hard person to adjust to."
## Hegseth continues to face scrutiny
Questions have also swirled around Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his role in the Signal chat.
While Waltz set it up, Hegseth posted times for aircraft launches and bomb drops into the unsecured app and shared the same information with dozens of people in a second chat, including his wife and brother.
The Associated Press reported that Hegseth also bypassed Pentagon security protocols to set up an unsecured line for a personal computer in his office –- beside terminals where he was receiving classified information. That raises the possibility that sensitive information could have been put at risk of potential hacking or surveillance.
The Pentagon inspector general is investigating Hegseth's use of Signal, and he has faced criticism from Democrats and even some Republicans. It has added to the turmoil at the Pentagon at a time when Hegseth has dismissed or transferred multiple close advisers. Nonetheless, Trump has maintained public confidence in Hegseth.
___
Amiri reported from the United Nations. Associated Press writers Tara Copp, Matthew Lee and Darlene Superville contributed to this report.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-17 18:25:09+00:00
|
[
"Mexico",
"Disease outbreaks",
"International trade",
"Brazil government",
"Uruguay",
"Chile",
"Chile government",
"Bird flu",
"Tariffs and global trade",
"China government",
"Production facilities",
"Luis Rua",
"European Union",
"Business"
] |
# Mexico, Chile and Uruguay halt poultry imports from Brazil after bird flu outbreak
May 17th, 2025, 06:25 PM
---
SAO PAULO (AP) — Mexico, Chile and Uruguay have halted poultry imports from Brazil after the country confirmed its first bird flu outbreak on a commercial farm, authorities said Saturday.
On Friday, Brazil's Agriculture and Livestock ministry said China and the European Union had halted poultry imports from Brazil.
Mexico's National Service for Agro-Alimentary Health, Safety and Quality said in a statement Saturday that it suspended temporarily the import of chicken meat, fertile eggs, live birds and other poultry products from Brazil as a precautionary measure.
Chile and Uruguay have also halted poultry imports, Luis Rua, secretary of international trade at Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture, told local news service Broadcast Agro.
Brazil is one of the world's leading producers and exporters of poultry, accounting for 14% of global chicken meat production, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
An egg shortage in the United States following a bird flu outbreak there boosted Brazilian egg exports to the U.S., rising by more than 1,000% between January and April 2025, compared to the same period the previous year, according to trade data from the Brazilian government.
Brazilian authorities said Friday the virus was found at a facility in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, adding that a contingency plan has been implemented "not only to eliminate the disease but also to maintain the sector's productive capacity, ensuring supply and, consequently, food security for the population."
The agriculture ministry also said it notified the World Organization for Animal Health, the Ministries of Health and the Environment and Brazil's trade partners.
Restriction on poultry exports follows rules agreed on with each importing country, based on international health certificate requirements, the Agriculture and Livestock ministry added. Depending on the type of disease, some deals apply to the whole country while others involve limits on where products can come from — for example, a specific state, city or just the area of the outbreak.
Brazilian chicken exports have previously faced resistance over sanitary concerns. In 2018, the European Union temporarily banned imports of chicken from 20 Brazilian plants due to concerns about salmonella. Brazil brought the case to the World Trade Organization.
___
Follow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-06 09:07:47+00:00
|
[
"Aleksandar Vucic",
"Rail accidents",
"Serbia",
"Corruption",
"Elections",
"Politics"
] |
# Serbia's protesting students demand a snap election
May 6th, 2025, 09:07 AM
---
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbia's protesting university students are demanding a snap election after months of anti-corruption demonstrations that have shaken populist President Aleksandar Vucic's tight grip on power in the Balkan country.
A statement posted to a joint social media account late Monday said that an early vote is the only way out of a deep political crisis in Serbia triggered by a train station disaster that killed 16 people on Nov. 1, which was widely blamed on government corruption.
The station building in the northern city of Novi Sad had been renovated twice before its concrete canopy crashed on the people below. Critics said graft-fueled negligence and disrespect for safety rules caused the huge construction to collapse.
The disaster sparked months of protests demanding justice and the rule of law, which have garnered huge support among Serbia's citizens drawing hundreds of thousands of people.
"Government corruption is so deeply rooted in state institutions that they are unable perform their duties independently," the protesting students said. "We believe that democracy is the only right way to solve a political crisis of such proportions."
A snap election would entail dissolving of the populist-dominated parliament and scheduling the early vote. The ruling Serbian Progressive Party leader and former Prime Minister Milos Vucevic has rejected the idea, saying it would spell a "disaster" for the country.
Vucic, a right-wing populist whom critics accuse of stifling democratic freedoms, has alleged the student protesters were staging a "color revolution" under orders from the West. Vucic is formally saying he wants Serbia to join the European Union while boosting ties with Russia and China.
Serbia's protesting students post statements and protest announcements on the joint social media account Students in Blockade. They have no leaders or spokespersons and make decisions at faculty plenary sessions.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-06 23:39:05+00:00
|
[
"Alabama",
"Taxes",
"Kay Ivey",
"Alabama state government",
"Neil Rafferty",
"Politics",
"Danny Garrett",
"Business",
"Education"
] |
# Alabama lawmakers approve tax cuts for food, diapers and other items
May 6th, 2025, 11:39 PM
---
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama lawmakers on Tuesday voted to cut the state sales tax on food and to exempt diapers, baby formula and menstrual hygiene products from the state sales tax altogether.
The Alabama Senate approved both bills by votes of 34-0. The bills now goes to Gov. Kay Ivey for her signature.
The food tax reduction comes as lawmakers in both parties said families are being hurt by soaring grocery prices.
The reduction, if signed into law, will lower the state sales tax on food from 3% to 2% beginning Sept. 1. Lawmakers in 2023 reduced the tax from 4% to 3%. An additional reduction to 2% was planned but hinged on budget growth that did not materialize.
"We're still one of a few states that taxes groceries. We're headed toward zero taxes, we're headed in the right direction. This is big," Republican Rep. Danny Garrett, the sponsor of the bill, said.
The reduction will cost the state about $121 million annually in tax revenue that would otherwise goes to the Education Trust Fund.
The leader of Alabama Arise, an advocacy group that supports policies that help low-income families, said the grocery tax belongs in the "dustbin of history."
"The grocery tax drives many families deeper into poverty, and Arise remains committed to the goal of eliminating it entirely," Alabama Arise Executive Director Robyn Hyden said.
Lawmakers also approved a bill that will exempt baby formula, maternity clothing, diapers and menstrual hygiene products from state sales tax. Baby wipes, breast pumps and bottles would also be exempt. The exemption from the 4% sales tax will cost the state about $13 million annually.
"This is a big win for Alabama's working families," Democratic Rep. Neil Rafferty, the sponsor of the bill, wrote on social media about the approval.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-15 06:24:56+00:00
|
[
"Alabama",
"Taxes",
"Legislation",
"Politics",
"Alabama state government",
"Law enforcement",
"Kay Ivey",
"Lulu Gribbin",
"Legal proceedings"
] |
# What was approved, and what failed, in the 2025 legislative session
By Associated Press
May 15th, 2025, 06:24 AM
---
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama lawmakers ended the 2025 legislative session on Wednesday. Here is a look at a few of the notable bills that passed, and some that failed, during the session.
WHAT WAS APPROVED:
DEFINING SEX
The "What is a Woman?" law wrote definitions of "man," "woman," "boy" and "girl" into state law based on a person's reproductive organs at birth.
SCHOOL CELLPHONE BAN
Alabama is joining states that ban or restrict cellphones in public schools. Phones would have to be stored in a locker, car or storage device during the school day.
BIRMINGHAM WATER WORKS
It set up a new regional board to oversee the Birmingham Water Works. Birmingham city officials have filed a lawsuit challenging the restructuring.
SALES TAX CUTS
The state sales tax on food will drop from 3% to 2% on Sept. 1. Lawmakers also voted to exempt diapers, baby formula and menstrual hygiene products from the state sales tax.
GLOCK SWITCH BAN
The new law bans Glock switches and devices that convert semi-automatic weapons to automatic fire. Lawmakers approved it after multiple mass shootings, including one that killed four people outside a Birmingham nightclub.
ALFA HEALTH PLANS
The Alabama Farmers Federation will be able to sell health care plans that are not regulated like traditional insurance and can turn people away for preexisting conditions. Supporters said it will provide an affordable option for farmers and others.
PHARMACY BENEFIT MANAGERS
The law puts regulations on pharmacy benefit managers. PBMs must reimburse independent pharmacists at the Medicaid rate. Lawmakers said it is needed to curb the closure of small pharmacies.
PARENTAL LEAVE
The new law will provide teachers and other state employees with paid parental leave, including up to eight weeks of maternity leave after the birth of a child.
VETERANS BOARD
The governor can now appoint the head of the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs. The department restructuring was approved following a dispute between the governor and the previous commissioner.
SPEEDY TRIAL
The chief justice can, when requested, appoint a visiting judge to handle a criminal case. The attorney general's office backed the legislation.
HEMP PRODUCTS
The state will put new regulations on the sale of consumable hemp products, such as gummies and drinks. It limits the THC content to 10 milligrams and requires purchasers to be 21.
IMMIGRATION
Legislation approved Wednesday will make it a felony to knowingly bring an undocumented immigrant into the state. Another approved bill will require jails to collect fingerprints and DNA from unauthorized immigrants in their custody.
POLICE IMMUNITY
The bill provides enhanced legal immunity to police officers under certain conditions. The measure was approved after a late-night debate in the Alabama Senate. The Republican governor said she will sign the bill into law. Democrats sharply criticized the legislation.
SHARK ALERT SYSTEM
The alert system, similar to an Amber Alert, will send out a notice after an unprovoked shark bite off the Alabama coast. The system is named for Lulu Gribbin who survived a shark attack.
JUNETEENTH
Juneteenth, the June 19 day that commemorates the end of slavery after the Civil War, is now an official state holiday.
SCHOOL FUNDING CHANGE
The state will begin steering additional money to schools based on student needs such as poverty. Legislation sets aside $375 million to start the program. Lawmakers also steered an additional $80 million to the state's new school voucher program.
WHAT FAILED:
GAMBLING
The draft proposal aimed to allow a lottery, sports betting and several casinos in the state. The Republican Senate leader said the bill had "too few votes" to advance.
GULF OF AMERICA
The bill sought to require state and local government entities to use the name "Gulf of America" on new maps, websites and materials and make reasonable efforts to update existing resources.
ARCHIVES
The bill would have put a politically appointed board in charge of the Alabama Department of Archives and History.
SECOND CHANCE
The bill would have allowed a small number of prisoners serving life sentences for non-violent offenses under Alabama's Habitual Offender Act to have their sentences reviewed.
OVERTIME TAX CUT
Alabama will again begin collecting income tax on workers' overtime break. Lawmakers did not extend the tax break that is set to expire in June.
APP AGE VERIFICATION
The legislation sought to require app stores to verify users' ages and require parental consent for minors to download an app. Utah approved similar legislation.
PAROLE BOARD CHANGES
The bill sought to expand the board and change who selects the chairperson. Another bill would have allowed inmates to speak by phone or teleconference at their parole hearing.
TEN COMMANDMENTS IN SCHOOLS
The legislation would've mandated the display of the 10 Commandments in all public schools.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-15 12:59:50+00:00
|
[
"Albania",
"United Kingdom",
"Edi Rama",
"United Kingdom government",
"Asylum",
"Immigration",
"Political refugees",
"Italy government",
"Migration",
"Politics",
"Race and ethnicity",
"Meghan Benton",
"Race and Ethnicity"
] |
# Britain says it's talking with some countries to set up migrant return hubs
By Llazar Semini
May 15th, 2025, 12:59 PM
---
TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Britain is talking with several countries to host rejected asylum seekers as they wait to be deported, the U.K. prime minister said Thursday.
Prime Minister Kier Starmer said on a visit to Albania that the "return hub" concept was a "really important innovation" that could more effectively tackle irregular migration. He did not name the countries he was in discussions with or offer more details.
Albania already had a five-year agreement with Italy to potentially shelter up to 36,000 migrants annually while their asylum requests were fast-tracked by Italy. Under the original deal - which differs from what the U.K. is proposing - Italy would take back any migrants whose requests are rejected and attempt to deport them. But the plan has, so far, failed due to repeated challenges in Italian courts.
In April, Italian authorities changed their migrant disembarkation agreement to a variation of the "return hub" model and transferred 40 people to Albania who lacked Italian residency permits and whose asylum requests had been denied. It was the first time a European Union country sent rejected asylum seekers to a non-EU country that was neither their own nor one they had transited through on their journey.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said the agreement with Italy was a "one off" and that Tirana had turned down several requests for similar deals with other countries, ruling out the possibility that the U.K. would send rejected asylum-seekers there.
The Conservative U.K. government that was voted out of power in July had planned a controversial program to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda, which they said was a safe third country. Starmer called his predecessor's program a gimmick and scrapped it on his first days in office.
Under that program, asylum seekers would be flown to Rwanda, which would decide whether to grant asylum there.
Under the "return hubs" Starmer is discussing, migrants whose asylum claims are rejected by the U.K. would be sent to a third country to await deportation. A spokesperson for Starmer said the goal is to prevent failed asylum seekers from using stall tactics, such as starting a family in Britain, to prevent being sent back.
Migration expert Meghan Benton said there's a lot of confusion between the different programs set out by the U.K. and other European countries. "There's a lot of legal and moral differences between them," Benton, who leads Global Programs at the Migration Policy Institute think tank, said. While the Rwanda deal shifted the U.K.'s responsibility for asylum to a third country, Starmer's proposal involves people who have exhausted their asylum claims, Benton explained.
Several European countries, including the Netherlands and Sweden, are looking to do the same, Benton added. The "return hubs" concept has also been supported by the European Commission as a way to deter irregular migration.
During his visit to Albania Thursday, the British prime minister also said a joint task force has helped significantly reduce the number of Albanian migrants trying to reach the UK. His government is in talks with Western Balkan countries to set up similar task forces, aiming to cut through the tangle of bureaucracy that hinders progress in reducing migrant arrivals, he added.
The number of Albanians crossing the English Channel in unsafe inflatable rafts in search of higher-paying jobs has dropped from 12,000 in 2022 to some 600 in 2024.
"Quite an incredible reduction," Starmer said at a news conference with Rama. "And I think it's a signal and an example of what can be done when two countries work together in this way."
While the number of Albanians arriving on English shores has fallen, the total number of migrants crossing the channel on small boats has increased by more than 30% so far this year, compared to the same period last year, according to an AP analysis of data released by the Home Office.
Top British officials in 2022 called Albanians' arrivals "an invasion," sparking a diplomatic spat. Rama had called that a "crazy narrative" and an attempt to cover up for the U.K.'s failed border policies. Albanians cannot seek asylum status in the U.K., which considers Albania to be a safe country.
In the same year, London and Tirana signed an agreement to return Albanians arriving on boats in the U.K. London also has funded projects, especially in northeastern Albania where most of the illegal newcomers were from.
Rama pledged to continue the partnership with Britain on discouraging migrant arrivals from Albania.
Starmer's visit to Albania is the first by a British prime minister. The two countries also signed a statement of intent for defense industry cooperation to work together on the manufacture of military vehicles in Albania.
The British leader will take part Friday in the European Political Community in Tirana, a forum that gathers European leaders with the aim of boosting security and prosperity across the continent.
___
A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that the British prime minister called the return hub concept was a "pretty important innovation". He actually said it was a "really important innovation."
___
AP journalists Brian Melley in London and Renata Brito in Barcelona, Spain, contributed to this story.
___
Follow AP's global migration coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/migration
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-14 11:23:52+00:00
|
[
"Algeria",
"France",
"France government",
"Government and politics",
"Algeria government"
] |
# France expels Algerian diplomats in tit-for-tat decision as their feud deepens
May 14th, 2025, 11:23 AM
---
ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) — France said Wednesday it will expel Algerian diplomats in response to Algeria's decision to do the same, escalating a diplomatic standoff.
The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs said in a statement it had summoned Algerian officials to inform them of the decision, describing it as "strict reciprocity" after 15 French officials were expelled from Algiers on Sunday.
France did not say how many Algerians holding diplomatic passports had been expelled. It called on Algerian authorities to "demonstrate responsibility and to return to a demanding and constructive dialogue that had been initiated by our authorities, in the interest of both countries."
"The Algerians wanted to send back our agents; we are sending theirs back," French Foreign Minister Noël Barrot said on Wednesday, speaking Wednesday to French broadcaster BFMTV.
The measures are the latest sign of deteriorating relations between France and Algeria. They go against a 2013 deal allowing individuals with diplomatic passports to travel between the countries without needing visas.
Algeria said it expelled French officials on Sunday because France had broken procedures, including in how it assigned new diplomats to replace a different set that were expelled last month.
Despite economic ties and security cooperation, France and Algeria for decades have clashed over issues ranging from immigration to the painful legacy of French colonialism.
Tensions flared last year when France shifted its longstanding position and backed Morocco's plan for sovereignty over disputed Western Sahara. Algeria views the Morocco-controlled territory as Africa's last colony and supports the pro-independence Polisario Front materially and politically.
The tensions jeopardize more than $12 billion in annual bilateral trade and could create hurdles for the hundreds of thousands of Algerian-born residents of France who travel between the countries.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-12 10:21:44+00:00
|
[
"Sean Diddy Combs",
"Emily Johnson",
"Casandra Ventura",
"Crime",
"Drug crimes",
"Los Angeles",
"Legal proceedings",
"Human trafficking",
"Juries",
"New York City Wire",
"Arts and entertainment",
"Manhattan",
"Trials",
"Prostitution",
"Indictments",
"Sexual misconduct",
"Sexual assault",
"Xavier Donaldson",
"Daniel Phillip",
"Lawsuits",
"Arun Subramanian",
"Entertainment"
] |
# Opening statements are expected in the Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial
By Michael R. Sisak and Larry Neumeister
May 12th, 2025, 10:21 AM
---
NEW YORK (AP) — The public knew Sean "Diddy" Combs as a larger-than-life music and business mogul, but in private he used violence and threats to coerce women into drug-fueled sexual encounters that he recorded, a prosecutor said Monday in opening statements at Combs' sex trafficking trial.
"This is Sean Combs," Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Johnson told the jury, pointing at Combs, who leaned back in his chair in a Manhattan courtroom. "During this trial you are going to hear about 20 years of the defendant's crimes."
Those crimes, she said, included kidnapping, arson, drugs, sex crimes, bribery and obstruction.
Combs' lawyer Teny Geragos, though, described the closely watched trial as a misguided overreach by prosecutors, saying that although her client could be violent, the government was trying to turn sex between consenting adults into a prostitution and sex trafficking case. The judge said he expects the trial to take eight weeks.
"Sean Combs is a complicated man. But this is not a complicated case. This case is about love, jealousy, infidelity and money," Geragos told the jury of eight men and four women. "There has been a tremendous amount of noise around this case over the past year. It is time to cancel that noise."
Geragos conceded that Combs' violent outbursts, often fueled by alcohol, jealousy and drugs, might have warranted domestic violence charges, but not sex trafficking and racketeering counts. She told jurors they might think Combs is a "jerk" and might not condone his "kinky sex," but "he's not charged with being a jerk."
## Witnesses allege observing violence from Combs
Prosecutors seized on Combs' violence as they questioned their first witness and showed jurors a key piece of evidence: a now-infamous video without audio of him kicking and dragging the R&B singer Cassie, his longtime girlfriend, at a Los Angeles hotel in March 2016.
Combs shook his head slowly side to side as the footage played. Jurors ended up seeing it four times as former hotel security officer Israel Florez testified, including once as Combs' lawyer tried to poke holes in his recollection.
After CNN aired the video last year, Combs apologized and said he was "disgusted" by his actions.
Florez testified that he encountered Combs near the sixth floor elevators while responding to a security call for a "woman in distress." Combs, wearing only a white towel, was slouching in a chair "with a blank stare ... like a devilish stare, just looking at me," Florez told jurors.
Florez, who is now a Los Angeles police officer, said that as he was escorting Cassie and Combs to their room, she indicated she wanted to leave and Combs told her, "You're not going to leave." Florez said he told Combs, "If she wants to leave, she's going to leave."
Cassie left, and Florez said Combs, while holding a stack of money with a $100 bill on top, told him, "Don't tell nobody." Florez said he considered it a bribe and told Combs, "I don't want your money. Just go back into your room."
Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, is expected to testify Tuesday.
The second witness, Daniel Phillip, said he was a professional stripper who was paid $700 to $6,000 to have sex with Cassie while Combs watched and gave instructions, with the first encounter in 2012.
Phillip told jurors that he stopped meeting with the couple after he saw Combs throw a bottle at her and then drag her by her hair into a bedroom as she screamed.
On cross examination, defense attorney Xavier Donaldson tried to attack Phillip's credibility, mocking Phillip's former employer, a male review show company whose slogan promised "the ultimate ladies night experience."
Combs watched Monday's proceedings attentively. He hugged his lawyers and gave a thumbs-up to family and friends as he entered the courtroom. He also blew a kiss to his mother and mouthed, "Hi mom, I love you," as she arrived for the start of testimony.
Some of Combs' children also attended, including three daughters who left the courtroom when the testimony turned lurid.
The case has drawn intense public interest, and the line to get into the courthouse stretched down the block. As Combs' family and lawyers left court Monday, some people were already lining up to snag a seat for Tuesday.
## The allegations against Combs
Combs, 55, pleaded not guilty to a five-count indictment that could result in a 15-year-to-life prison sentence if he is convicted. Since his September arrest, he's been held at a federal jail in Brooklyn.
Judge Arun Subramanian has granted Combs permission to wear regular clothes in court, instead of jail garb. On Monday, he sported a gray sweater and a white button-down shirt. Because hair dye isn't allowed in jail, his normally jet black mane is now mostly gray.
Lawyers for the three-time Grammy winner say prosecutors are wrongly trying to make a crime out of a party-loving lifestyle that may have been indulgent, but not illegal.
Prosecutors say Combs coerced women into drugged-up group sexual encounters he called "freak-offs," "wild king nights" or "hotel nights," then kept them in line by choking, hitting, kicking and dragging them, often by the hair.
In her opening, Johnson said Cassie was far from the only woman Combs beat and sexually exploited.
The prosecutor said Combs last year brutally beat another woman — identified only as Jane — when she confronted him about enduring years of freak-offs in dark hotel rooms while he took other paramours on date nights and trips around the globe.
The sex parties are central to Combs' sexual abuse, prosecutors say. Combs' company paid for the parties, held in hotel rooms across the U.S. and overseas, and his employees staged the rooms with his preferred lighting, extra linens and lubricant, Johnson said. Combs compelled women, including Cassie, to take drugs and engage in sexual activity with male escorts while he gratified himself and sometimes recorded them, Johnson said.
Combs would beat Cassie over the smallest slights, such as leaving a freak-off without his permission or taking too long in the bathroom, Johnson said. Combs threatened to ruin Cassie's singing career by publicly releasing videos of her sexually involved with male escorts, the prosecutor said. "Her livelihood depended on keeping him happy," Johnson said.
Cassie sued Combs in 2023, and the lawsuit was settled within hours, but it touched off a law enforcement investigation and was followed by dozens of lawsuits making similar claims.
Geragos claimed Combs' accusers were motivated by money. She told jurors that Cassie demanded $30 million when she sued him, and another witness will acknowledge demanding $22 million in a breach of contract lawsuit.
She also conceded that Combs is extremely jealous and "has a bad temper," telling the jury that he sometimes got angry and lashed out when he drank alcohol or "did the wrong drugs." But, she said, "Domestic violence is not sex trafficking."
The Associated Press doesn't generally identify people who say they are victims of sexual abuse unless they come forward publicly, as Cassie has done.
___
This story was updated to correct the spelling of Casandra Ventura's first name, which had been misspelled "Cassandra."
___
Associated Press writer Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut, contributed to this report.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-02 20:53:23+00:00
|
[
"Puerto Rico",
"San Juan",
"District of Columbia",
"Weather",
"United States government",
"United States",
"Climate and environment",
"Politics"
] |
# Puerto Rico authorities rescue 3 US tourists stranded in river as heavy rains persist
May 2nd, 2025, 08:53 PM
---
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Authorities in Puerto Rico said they rescued three U.S. tourists on Friday as heavy rains continue to pelt the U.S. territory.
Police said in a statement that floodwaters left two men and one woman stranded at the Gozalandia River, a popular recreational spot in the western town of San Sebastián.
One of the men, who lives in Milwaukee, was swept away by the current but was rescued, police said. The other two tourists live in Washington.
Flood advisories and flash flood warnings were in place for several cities and towns across the island on Friday.
Heavy rains began falling across Puerto Rico a week ago and are forecast to continue for several more days. They have unleashed landslides while floodwaters have knocked down trees and cut off access to dozens of roads.
On Monday, a man who tried to drive his car through floodwaters was swept away and killed, police said. The incident occurred in the city of Bayamón, located just southwest of the capital, San Juan.
Gov. Jenniffer González declared a state of emergency in four municipalities, while the mayor of San Juan did the same for the capital.
____
Follow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-09 05:10:51+00:00
|
[
"Immunizations",
"Mexico",
"Disease outbreaks",
"Measles",
"Medication",
"Gloria Elizabeth Vega",
"Robert F. Kennedy Jr.",
"Rodolfo Corts",
"Alexis Hernndez",
"Carlos Mateos",
"Health",
"Jacob Goertzen",
"Jacob Dyck Penner",
"Gabriella Villegas"
] |
# In Mexico's measles outbreak, Mennonites face vaccine misinformation
By Megan Janetsky
May 9th, 2025, 05:10 AM
---
CUAUHTEMOC, Mexico (AP) — In a rickety white Nissan, nurse Sandra Aguirre and her vaccination team drive past apple orchards and cornfields stretching to the desert horizon. Aguirre goes door to door with a cooler of measles vaccines. In one of Latin America's biggest Mennonite communities, she knows many will decline to be vaccinated or even open their doors. But some will ask questions, and a handful might even agree to get shots on the spot.
"We're out here every single day," said Aguirre, pausing to call out to an empty farm, checking for residents. "To gain trust of the Mennonites – because they're reserved and closed-off people – you have to meet them where they're at, show a friendly face."
Aguirre's work is part of an effort by health authorities across the country to contain Mexico's biggest measles outbreak in decades, as cases climb not only here but in the U.S. and Canada. In Mexico, cases have been concentrated in the Mennonite community — long skeptical of vaccines and distrustful of authorities — in the northern border state of Chihuahua.
Officials say results of their campaign alongside Mennonite leaders have been mixed — they cite tens of thousands of new vaccinations in Chihuahua, but infections have ballooned and spread past the community to Indigenous and other populations.
Federal officials have documented 922 cases and one death in Chihuahua. Officials, health workers and local leaders say the numbers are likely underestimated, and misinformation about vaccines and endemic distrust of authorities are their biggest obstacles.
Pressed against the fringes of the small northern city of Cuauhtemoc, the Mennonite settlement here spans about 40 kilometers (25 miles). With 23,000 residents, it's one of Cuauhtemoc's primary economic engines, but it's an isolated place where families keep to themselves. Some have turned to social media and anti-vaccine websites for research. Others use little technology but visit family in the United States, where they also hear misinformation — which then spreads through word of mouth.
Chihuahua is a particularly worrisome place, officials say — as a border state, the risk that the preventable disease will continue spreading internationally and affect the most vulnerable is high.
"We have a massive flow of people," said Alexis Hernández, a Cuauhtemoc health official. "That makes things a lot more complicated."
## The spread of measles in Mexico
Mexico considered measles eliminated in 1998. But its vaccination rate against the virus was around 76% as of 2023, according to the World Health Organization — a dip from previous years and well below the 95% rate experts say is needed to prevent outbreaks.
Mexico's current outbreak began in March. Officials traced it to an 8-year-old unvaccinated Mennonite boy who visited relatives in Seminole, Texas — at the center of the U.S. outbreak.
Cases rapidly spread through Chihuahua's 46,000-strong Mennonite community via schools and churches, according to religious and health leaders. From there, they said, it spread to workers in orchards and cheese plants.
Gloria Elizabeth Vega, an Indigenous Raramuri woman and single mother, fell sick in March. Because she's vaccinated, measles didn't occur to her until she broke out in hives. Her supervisor at the cheese factory — who also caught measles — told her she had to take 10 days of leave and docked her pay 40% for the week, Vega said.
It's rare for vaccinated people to get measles, but officials say that may account for up to 10% of cases here, though they're milder.
Vega tucked herself away in the back of her two-room home, hoping her daughter and mother — also vaccinated — wouldn't get sick. She wishes people would think of others when considering vaccination.
"They say, 'Well, I have enough to be fine,'" she said. "But they don't think about that other person next to them, or wonder if that person has enough to live off of."
Vaccination isn't required in Mexico. Schools can request vaccination records, federal health department spokesman Carlos Mateos said, but they cannot deny anyone access to education.
In Chihuahua, some schools started reaching out to parents for copies of vaccination cards and encouraging shots, said Rodolfo Cortés, state health ministry spokesman.
It's unknown how many in the Mennonite community have gotten the vaccine — which is safe, with risks lower than those of measles complications.
Gabriella Villegas, head of vaccination at a clinic treating Mennonites with measles, estimated 70% of community members are not vaccinated. Other health authorities estimated the vaccination rate around 50%.
## Along with measles, misinformation is spreading
Mennonites who spoke to The Associated Press — most on condition of anonymity, fearing backlash — repeatedly cited vaccine misinformation. One man said U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has a long record of promoting anti-vaccine views and has called vaccination a personal choice, is a hero.
"I don't accept vaccines; it's that easy. Because that's where freedom of expression comes in," said the man, Jacob Goertzen. "If we can't make out own decisions, we don't live in a democracy."
Hernández, Cuauhtemoc's health director, said outside influences affect community vaccine views.
"The Mennonite population has a lot of access to social media and family members in the U.S. and Canada, where there are a lot of myths that have taken hold and many more 'anti-vaccine' groups than we have in Mexico," he said.
During nurse Aguirre's vaccination drive, one man simply said people here "prefer to cure themselves in their own way." A mother described getting sick with measles as a "privilege" and spoke of putting her unvaccinated 5- and 7-year-olds in a party so everyone could get sick and recover — a risky tactic doctors have long denounced.
Mexico's lone death from measles was a 31-year-old Mennonite man in the settlement who had diabetes and high blood pressure, underlying conditions that often complicate sicknesses.
## Mexico's vaccination efforts
Most people in Indigenous and other communities quickly agreed to vaccinate, officials told AP, but in Mennonite areas crews have to do more vigorous outreach — the door-to-door visits, follow-up calls and conversations, and involvement of local leaders.
In Cuauhtemoc's settlement, that's leaders like Jacob Dyck Penner. As colony president, he and other leaders closed school for two weeks to slow infections, have made a push to show residents they're working with health authorities, and are encouraging vaccination.
Leaders translate health information into Low German, the native language of most of the community. Penner and others are assisting vaccination teams, making sure families know how to access health services.
"We had to find this way, together with doctors, to not pressure people or inspire distrust, so they can take their time and make their own decision to accept (being vaccinated)," Penner said.
Medics report more people visiting clinics, seeking vaccines for measles and other diseases. Still, Penner said, there a swath of people will always reject vaccinations.
## For this mother, life's now paycheck to paycheck
Health officials like Hernández say they're concerned in particular for vulnerable populations including Indigenous groups, many of whom have fewer resources to cope.
Vega, the single mother who got measles, said her job at the cheese factory was once a blessing, providing health insurance and steady pay.
But the forced leave and docked pay left her reeling. She said she's living paycheck to paycheck and wonders how she'll pay the bills — her daughter's school supplies, lunches, tennis shoes.
"I have a daughter to keep afloat," she said. "It's not like I have the option to wait and pay for things, for food."
____
Associated Press videojournalist Martín Silva Rey contributed to this report from Cuauhtemoc, Mexico.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-03 12:27:40+00:00
|
[
"Donald Trump",
"Joe Biden",
"U.S. Department of Justice",
"Pam Bondi",
"William Barr",
"Voting",
"2020 United States presidential election",
"Kansas",
"Voting rights",
"United States government",
"Legal proceedings",
"U.S. Republican Party",
"Government programs",
"Civil rights",
"Government and politics",
"Human rights",
"Stacey Young",
"Elections",
"Justin Levitt",
"Harmeet Dhillon",
"Executive orders",
"Politics"
] |
# Justice Department will prioritize Trump's elections order, memo says
By Nicholas Riccardi
May 3rd, 2025, 12:27 PM
---
The Justice Department unit that ensures compliance with voting rights laws will switch its focus to investigating voter fraud and ensuring elections are not marred by "suspicion," according to an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press.
The new mission statement for the voting section makes a passing reference to the historic Voting Rights Act, but no mention of typical enforcement of the provision through protecting people's right to cast ballots or ensuring that lines for legislative maps do not divide voters by race. Instead, it redefines the unit's mission around conspiracy theories pushed by Republican President Donald Trump to explain away his loss to Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election.
Trump's attorney general at the time, William Barr, said there was no evidence of widespread fraud in that election. Repeated recounts and audits in the battleground states where Trump contested his loss, including some led by Republicans, affirmed Biden's win and found the election was run properly. Trump and his supporters also lost dozens of court cases trying to overturn the election results.
But in Trump's second term, the attorney general is Pam Bondi, who backed his effort to reverse his 2020 loss. The president picked Harmeet Dhillon, a Republican Party lawyer and long time ally who also has echoed some of Trump's false claims about voting, to run the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, where the voting section is housed.
"The Civil Rights Division has always worked to make sure Americans have access to the polls and that their votes matter," said Stacey Young, an 18-year Department of Justice veteran who left that division days after Trump's inauguration in January and founded Justice Connection, an organization supporting the agency's employees. "The division's job is not to promote the politically expedient fiction that voting fraud is widespread."
The department did not respond to a request for comment.
Trump has already demonstrated his interest in using the Justice Department to pursue those who stood up for the 2020 election by directing the department to investigate one of his former appointees who publicly vouched for the safety and accuracy of the 2020 vote count.
"The mission of the Voting Rights Section of the DOJ Civil Rights Division is to ensure free, fair, and honest elections unmarred by fraud, errors, or suspicion," the mission statement declares.
It adds that the unit will "vigorously enforce" Trump's executive order seeking to reshape how elections are run. Parts of that order have been put on hold by a judge.
The executive order signed late last month calls for people to provide documented proof of U.S. citizenship each time they register to vote; would require all mail ballots to be received by Election Day, which is counter to the law in 18 states; and directs an independent federal agency, the Election Assistance Commission, to amend its guidelines for voting machines.
Several legal analysts say much of the order is unconstitutional because only states and, for federal contests, Congress, can set election procedures. The Constitution provides no provision for the president to set the rules for elections.
The new mission statement for the Civil Rights Division also says the voting unit will focus on ensuring that "only American citizens vote in U.S. federal elections." It's already illegal for noncitizens to vote. People have to attest they are U.S. citizens when they register and attempts to vote by noncitizens can lead to felony charges and deportation.
Repeated investigations have turned up just a tiny number of noncitizens casting ballots, often doing so accidentally, out of the hundreds of millions of votes over recent contests. A proof-of-citizenship requirement in Kansas a little over a decade ago blocked 31,000 eligible U.S. citizens from registering to vote before it was overturned by the courts.
But Republicans, including Trump, have continued to insist there must be far more noncitizens casting votes and are pushing to tighten election laws to screen them out.
Notably, the roughly 200-word statement on the voting rights section mentions fighting "fraud" twice, as well as investigating "other forms of malfeasance." The Department of Justice already investigates and prosecutes voting fraud, but in a separate division on the criminal side. The voting section is a civil unit that does not investigate potential crimes.
Now, however, it will "protect the right of American citizens to have their votes properly counted and tabulated," according to the statement. It was unclear what that refers to. There have been no widespread cases of votes being improperly tabulated.
Justin Levitt, who served as President Joe Biden's senior policy adviser for democracy and voting rights, noted that because the voting rights section does not pursue prosecutions, its power is sharply limited by the specifics of civil rights laws and what judges will approve.
"For the civil section of the Civil Rights Division, courts need to be buying what they're selling," he said.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-09 16:49:37+00:00
|
[
"Celebrity",
"Music",
"Pier Head",
"Entertainment",
"Dave Grohl",
"Ian Kilmister",
"Andy Edwards",
"Robert Trujillo",
"London"
] |
# AP PHOTOS: Statue of late Motörhead frontman Lemmy unveiled in English hometown
May 9th, 2025, 04:49 PM
---
LONDON (AP) — A decade after his death, Lemmy, the frontman of the legendary British heavy metal band Motörhead, will stand tall and proud in his hometown in the north of England.
Well, his statue will.
Inside the statue though will be some of Lemmy's ashes, so it will no doubt become a shrine for Motörhead's legion of fans around the world.
And indeed it was on Friday, as the statue to the hard-living Lemmy — real name Ian Kilmister — was unveiled in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent.
Black leather and denim jackets emblazoned with Lemmy's image were the norm for the day on a bright and sunny day in the northern English town. No wonder, many fans opted for a thirst-quencher at the local pub. There were even some Lemmy lookalikes.
Lemmy was the only continuous member of Motörhead, which he co-founded in 1975 after he was fired from another legendary rock band, Hawkwind, following a drug possession arrest at the Canadian border.
So he decided to go his own way and Motörhead helped pioneer heavy metal music in Britain — and around the world — with a string of high-octane albums, perhaps most memorably with 1980's "Ace Of Spades."
The statue was crafted by acclaimed local sculptor and lifelong Motörhead fan Andy Edwards — who is best-known for his statue of the Beatles on Liverpool's Pier Head. It captures Lemmy, who died from cancer in December 2015 at the age of 70, in his iconic pose with his bass guitar.
In December, following his will's instructions, another batch of Lemmy's ashes were installed in an urn shaped like his trademark cavalry hat at the Stringfellows gentlemen's club in London where he was "a regular."
That and Friday's ceremony are part of the "Lemmy Forever!" movement, which sees the rocker enshrined in many of his favorite spots around the world.
Lemmy's legendary status was evident at his funeral, which saw rock heavyweights including The Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl, Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash and Metallica members Lars Ulrich and Robert Trujillo pay tribute.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-16 17:17:26+00:00
|
[
"Tennessee",
"Tennessee state government",
"Fraud",
"Glen Casada",
"Matthew Phoenix",
"Juries",
"Indictments",
"Cameron Sexton",
"Politics",
"Robin Smith",
"Ed Yarbrough"
] |
# Jury convicts ex-Tennessee House speaker and his aide in legislative mail scheme
By Jonathan Mattise and Travis Loller
May 16th, 2025, 05:17 PM
---
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A federal jury on Friday convicted a former Tennessee House speaker and his onetime chief of staff in a scheme to win taxpayer-funded mail business from state lawmakers even after scandals drove the two out of political power.
Former Republican Rep. Glen Casada was found guilty of 17 of 19 charges, while his then-chief of staff, Cade Cothren, was found guilty of all 19 charges in a public corruption trial that began in late April. Each man faces up to 20 years in prison when they are sentenced in September. They remain free on bond in the meantime.
"Obviously, we felt very strongly about our defense, and we're disappointed with the verdict," Casada attorney Ed Yarbrough said after court was adjourned. Attorneys for both men said they plan to appeal.
The current House speaker, Cameron Sexton, had been held out as a star witness but ultimately did not testify. He has said he helped authorities in the case against his predecessor since taking the speaker job in 2019. Sexton was among the lawmakers and staffers who testified to the grand jury.
The defense sought to draw attention to a political rivalry between Casada and Sexton. Ultimately, the defense declined to call any witnesses. Neither Casada nor Cothren testified. And defense attempts to discuss in front of jurors whether Sexton wore a wire were shut down by the judge.
On Friday, the federal jury in Nashville found the pair guilty of numerous charges including theft, bribery, kickbacks, use of a fictitious name to carry out fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. Casada was found not guilty on two of six counts of wire fraud.
Casada resigned as House speaker in 2019 after a no-confidence vote from fellow House Republicans due to swirling scandals, including revelations he exchanged sexually explicit text messages about women years ago with Cothren. Not long before that, Cothren also left his post over those texts and racist texts, coupled with an admission he used cocaine inside a legislative office building when he held a previous job.
The criminal charges center on a time after the pair's political freefall, while Casada was still a sitting lawmaker. The charges claim Cothren launched Phoenix Solutions with the knowledge and support of Casada and then-Rep. Robin Smith.
The trio claimed the firm was run by a "Matthew Phoenix," and companies controlled by Casada and Smith received roughly $52,000 in taxpayer money in 2020 from a mailer program for lawmakers. A "Matthew Phoenix" signature ended up on an IRS tax document. A supposed Matthew Phoenix associate named Candice was portrayed by Casada's then-girlfriend, prosecutors said.
Casada and Cothren were indicted in 2022 after Smith resigned and pleaded guilty to one charge. Smith testified at the trial that the goal of the scheme was to hide who was behind Phoenix Solutions due to the "radioactive" scandal that pushed Casada and Cothren out of power. The taxpayer-funded mailings for House Republicans were a first step to expand later to campaign work, she said.
Defense attorneys noted the state got the mailings it paid for. They tried to paint Smith as untrustworthy and driven by hopes for a lenient sentence under her plea deal.
Casada remained a state representative until 2022, when he didn't seek reelection.
___
This story has been corrected to show that Casada was convicted of 17 charges, not 19, and that Cothren was convicted of 19 charges, not 17.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-04 09:02:38+00:00
|
[
"Vladimir Putin",
"Volodymyr Zelenskyy",
"Ukraine",
"Kyiv",
"Russia",
"International agreements",
"Russia government",
"Russia-Ukraine war",
"Ukraine government",
"Russia Ukraine war",
"Politics"
] |
# Putin says he hopes nuclear weapons won't be needed in Ukraine
By The Associated Press
May 4th, 2025, 09:02 AM
---
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that the need to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine had not arisen and that he hopes it will not.
In comments aired Sunday in a film by Russian state television about his quarter of a century in power, Putin said Russia has the strength and the means to bring the conflict in Ukraine to a "logical conclusion."
Responding to a question about Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory, Putin said: "There has been no need to use those (nuclear) weapons ... and I hope they will not be required."
"We have enough strength and means to bring what was started in 2022 to a logical conclusion with the outcome Russia requires," he said.
Putin signed a revamped version of Russia's nuclear doctrine in November 2024, spelling out the circumstances that allow him to use Moscow's atomic arsenal, the world's largest. That version lowered the bar, giving him that option in response to even a conventional attack backed by a nuclear power.
In the film, Putin also said Russia did not launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine — what he called a "special military operation" — in 2014, when it illegally annexed Crimea, because it was "practically unrealistic."
"The country was not ready for such a frontal confrontation with the entire collective West," he said. He claimed also that Russia "sincerely sought to solve the problem of Donbas by peaceful means."
Putin said that reconciliation with Ukraine was "inevitable."
## 'He should think about ending his war'
Russia and Ukraine, however, remain are at odds over competing ceasefire proposals.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a ceasefire is possible "even from today" if Moscow is serious about ending the war.
Speaking Sunday at a joint news conference with Czech President Petr Pavel, Zelenskyy noted that Russia has ignored a U.S. proposal for a full ceasefire for 54 days and thanked the Czech Republic for backing Ukraine's call for a 30-day ceasefire.
"Putin is very eager to show off his tanks at the (Victory Day) parade," Zelenskyy said, "but he should think about ending his war."
Zelenskyy again expressed deep skepticism over Russia's proposal of a 72-hour ceasefire in Ukraine to mark Victory Day in World War II, saying Moscow continues to launch hundreds of assaults despite publicly signaling interest in a partial truce.
"Even during Easter, despite promises — including to the United States — Russia carried out more than a hundred assaults," Zelenskyy said, referring to Russian attacks during the 30-hour Easter ceasefire unilaterally declared by Putin.
Zelenskyy has repeatedly called for a more substantial 30-day pause in hostilities, as the U.S. had initially proposed.
The Kremlin said the Victory Day truce was on humanitarian grounds and will run from the start of May 8 and last through the end of May 10 to mark Moscow's defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945 — Russia's biggest secular holiday.
Zelenskyy thanked Pavel for his country's military support and said Ukraine hopes to receive 1.8 million artillery shells in 2025 as part of a Czech-led initiative to supply military aid to Kyiv. The initiative, launched in 2024 and supported by NATO allies, supplied Ukraine with 1.5 million artillery rounds last year.
Zelenskyy also said he had discussed with Pavel "the next steps in the development of our aviation coalition"," namely the creation of an F-16 training school. He said that such a base could not be opened in Ukraine because of Russian attacks.
## Attacks on Ukraine continue
A Russian drone attack overnight on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, wounded 11 people, Ukraine's State Emergency Service said Sunday. Two children were among the wounded.
The attack woke up Valentyna Fesiuk, an 83-year-old resident of Kyiv's Obolon district.
"I was just sleeping when the house shook," said Valentyna Fesiuk, an 83-year-old resident of Kyiv's Obolon district. "It was at 12:30. An apartment on the 12th floor caught fire," she told The Associated Press.
Another resident, Viacheslav Khotab, saw his car burning. "I was covered with broken glass," he said. "I couldn't do anything."
The 54-year-old was frustrated with stalled peace negotiations: "They can't agree on anything, and we are the ones who suffer the consequences."
Daryna Kravchuk, an 18-year-old student in the district, described how "five to six minutes after the air raid was activated, we heard a strong impact, everything started shaking. ... There were three strikes almost in a row after the air raid was activated."
"It's very scary to witness, we have been suffering from this for so long. People are just suffering all the time. ... It's still very hard to see our country constantly being destroyed," she told the AP.
Two people were killed by Russian guided bombs Sunday, one each in the Dnipropetrovsk and Sumy regions, local officials said.
Russia fired a total of 165 exploding drones and decoys overnight, Ukraine's air force said. Of those, 69 were intercepted and a further 80 lost, likely having been electronically jammed. Russia also launched two ballistic missiles.
Russia's Defense Ministry said its air defenses shot down 13 Ukrainian drones overnight.
___
Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-13 20:11:02+00:00
|
[
"Pete Hegseth",
"Donald Trump",
"Military and defense",
"Associated Press",
"Josh Benson",
"U.S. Marine Corps",
"Middle East",
"U.S. Department of Defense",
"Europe",
"United States government"
] |
# Hegseth's planned cuts could hit more than 120 high-ranking officers
By Lolita C. Baldor
May 13th, 2025, 08:11 PM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's plans to slash the number of senior military leaders across the services would cut more than 120 high-ranking officer jobs in the active duty and National Guard, including as many as nine top general slots.
Based on the percentages outlined by Hegseth and his senior staff, 20% of the 44 authorized top active duty general and admiral jobs would be eliminated, along with 10% of the more than 800 one-, two- and three-star positions, according to numbers compiled by The Associated Press.
The cuts — about nine positions among four-star generals and 80 jobs across the other leadership levels — would affect dozens of active duty officers scattered across the five services as well as those who are in joint command jobs, such as those overseeing Africa, the Middle East and Europe. The changes would eliminate 33 senior National Guard positions.
The cuts are part of a broader government-wide campaign to slash spending and personnel across federal agencies that is being pushed by President Donald Trump's administration and ally Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency.
According to Hegseth and others, the intent of the military job reductions isn't to reduce the overall size of the force but to thin out the higher ranks and offset those cuts with additional troops at lower levels. While the overall number of service members may not drop, the salary costs will be lower.
Some Democratic members of Congress have criticized Hegseth's plans as an attempt to politicize the military and oust leaders that don't agree with the Trump administration. The changes also come as the world is roiled by conflicts, including the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, and as the U.S. has troops deployed in Syria and elsewhere.
## Shifting leadership responsibilities
Military officials expect that as various jobs are downgraded — for example from a lieutenant general in charge to a major general or brigadier general — more leadership responsibilities will fall on colonels or Navy captains and other subordinates.
And while many of the job cuts will come through attrition, as senior officers retire or move on, the services say they will have the flexibility to move people into higher priority positions and get rid of less critical posts.
"More generals and admirals does not equal more success," Hegseth said in a video describing his plan. "This is not a slash and burn exercise meant to punish high-ranking officers. Nothing could be further from the truth. This has been a deliberative process."
Calling it the "Less Generals, More GIs" plan, he said the department will make "prudent reductions."
## How the cuts will hit the military services
The Army, which is the largest service, is allowed to have a maximum of 219 high-ranking general officers and is expected to absorb a higher number of the cuts, while the Marine Corps will probably see little impact at the very top. There are only two Marine four-star generals, and the tiny Space Force also only has two.
"The Marine Corps, with our general officers, like our civilians and senior executives, is by far the leanest service," said Lt. Col. Josh Benson, a Marine spokesman. "Due to the already lean nature of the general officers in the Marine Corps, any cuts to Marine general officers will have an outsized impact to the Corps relative to other services."
He said nearly one-third — or 21 — of Marine generals hold two or three jobs each, and as many as 10 positions are already empty.
Army leaders, meanwhile, have already developed plans to merge or close headquarters units and staff. As many as 40 general officer slots could be cut as a result, officials have said.
The joint jobs would include leaders at regional commands, such as those in Europe, the Indo-Pacific and the Middle East, as well as administrative or functional commands, such as Cyber Command and Special Operations Command.
Under the law, there currently can be no more than 232 of those joint officers, and they're spread across all the services.
It's unclear how many of the cuts those jobs would absorb, versus the slots in each of the services. But officials have talked about merging some commands as the Pentagon reviews its overall leadership structure.
In addition to the joint command jobs, Congress stipulates the maximum number of high-ranking general officers in the services: 219 in the Army, 171 in the Air Force, 21 in the Space Force, 64 in the Marine Corps and 150 flag officers in the Navy.
All combined, the services can't have more than 27 four-star officers, 153 three stars, 239 two stars and 210 one stars.
## National Guard review and cuts
The decrease in the National Guard stems from a review done by Guard leaders last year that identified more than 30 positions that could be cut among the 133 general officer jobs spread out across the government. There are about 30 general officers in the National Guard Bureau headquarters staff, and the rest are assigned to jobs in other federal agencies, including the FBI, CIA and the military commands.
Guard officials described their plan to Hegseth and Pentagon leaders, and it was approved. According to officials, it would result in six jobs cut from Guard Bureau staff and the rest from other military and government posts.
The adjutants general who run the Guard in each state are chosen by and work for the governors and so are not part of any cuts. They are largely one- and two- star officers.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-19 16:24:31+00:00
|
[
"Animals",
"Whales",
"Endangered species",
"Philip Hamilton",
"Zoology",
"Boston",
"Science",
"Maine",
"Climate and environment"
] |
# Endangered whales have few babies as extinction threat grows
By Patrick Whittle
May 19th, 2025, 04:24 PM
---
SCARBOROUGH, Maine (AP) — A vanishing species of whale gave birth to few babies this birthing season, raising alarms among scientists and conservationists who fear the animal could go extinct.
The whale is the North Atlantic right whale, which numbers only about 370 and has declined in population in recent years. The whales give birth to calves off the southeastern United States from mid-November to mid-April, and federal authorities have said they need to have at least 50 calves per season to start recovering.
The whales didn't come anywhere near that number this year. The calving season produced only 11 mother-calf pairs, scientists with the New England Aquarium in Boston said.
The lack of baby whales underscores the need for protection of the whales, conservationists said Monday. The whales are vulnerable to entanglement in marine fishing gear and collisions with large ships.
"They're also reproducing more slowly than they used to," said the International Fund for Animal Welfare in its calving season report card. "This is likely due to stress from entanglements, navigation among busy maritime traffic, increasing ocean noise, and the changing distribution of their food sources."
The calving season did have some bright spots. Several females gave birth for the first time, and that gives hope for the future, the aquarium said in a statement. The whale population only has about 70 reproductive females left.
"With past calf counts ranging from 39 to zero, we never know how any calving season will unfold. While the calf count is relatively low this year, I am encouraged by four new mothers being added to the reproductive pool," said Philip Hamilton, senior scientist in the Aquarium's Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life.
The whales can weigh up to 150,000 pounds (45,360 kilograms) and were heavily exploited during the era of commercial whaling. They've been protected for decades, but have been slow to recover.
In recent years, scientists have said the whales have strayed from established protected zones in search of food, and that has put them at elevated risk of entanglements and collisions. The whales migrate from the south to New England and Canada to feed on tiny ocean organisms.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-01 17:02:27+00:00
|
[
"Novo Nordisk AS",
"Eli Lilly",
"Prescription drugs",
"Weight management",
"Business",
"Daniel Barasa",
"David Whitrap",
"CVS Health Corp."
] |
# Weight-loss drug Zepbound faces coverage challenge from CVS Health
By Tom Murphy
May 1st, 2025, 05:02 PM
---
Eli Lilly's stock wobbled Thursday after a looming coverage hit was detailed for its blockbuster weight-loss drug Zepbound.
CVS Health said the drugs Wegovy and Saxenda from rival drugmaker Novo Nordisk will become the preferred options on its standard formulary, or list of covered drugs, as of July 1. Zepbound will be excluded.
This could complicate access to a drug that many patients cannot afford to pay for on their own.
The formulary is maintained by CVS Health's pharmacy benefits management business, which runs prescription drug coverage for millions of people. Employers and insurers — who pay most of the prescription bill — use the formulary to decide which drugs get coverage.
They can customize their coverage plans to include Zepbound. But CVS Health spokesman David Whitrap said most employers wind up using the standard formulary because of the discounts negotiated for them.
Patients taking Zepbound will be able to switch to Wegovy if the Lilly drug is excluded from their coverage, Whitrap said.
CVS Health also said Thursday that it will start selling Wegovy at a discounted price of about $500 monthly at thousands of drugstores for people without coverage. Novo had announced its new lower price last month.
Wegovy and Zepbound are part of a wave of obesity medications known as GLP-1 receptor agonists that have soared in popularity due to the amount of weight people lose while taking the injections. Coverage of these drugs has been patchy due to in part to their cost and the wide swath of patients who could take them.
Shortages of the drugs also have made access challenging, but those have eased recently. That allows pharmacy benefit managers to pit the products against each other to negotiate lower prices in exchange for inclusion on a formulary.
Lilly may have to make some price cuts to restore formulary access, said Daniel Barasa, who follows the company for Gabelli Funds. But he said he thinks big employers will still include both treatments on their lists of covered drugs, leaving the choice on what to use up to patients and doctors.
Lilly said late last year that a head-to-head study of the two drugs showed that Zepbound helped patients drop more pounds.
Zepbound has emerged as one of Lilly's top sellers. Its sales jumped to $2.3 billion in the recently completed first quarter. That's up from $517 million a year ago, during the drug's first full quarter on the market.
Lilly shares shed more than $90 in value, falling nearly 11% to $804.06 Thursday afternoon. Broader indexes, meanwhile, rose slightly.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-09 23:03:19+00:00
|
[
"Pakistan",
"India government",
"India",
"Pakistan government",
"Islamabad",
"Kashmir",
"International agreements",
"Shesh Paul Vaid",
"Marco Rubio",
"Vikram Misri",
"War and unrest",
"Aerospace and defense industry",
"Asia",
"Asia Pacific",
"South Asia",
"Narendra Modi",
"Mohammed Yasin",
"Donald Trump",
"Omar Abdullah",
"Asim Munir",
"Zubaida Bibi",
"Nur Khan",
"JD Vance"
] |
# India and Pakistan accuse each other of violating ceasefire
By Riazat Butt, Aijaz Hussain, and Rajesh Roy
May 9th, 2025, 11:03 PM
---
ISLAMABAD (AP) — India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire Saturday after U.S.-led talks to end the most serious military confrontation between the nuclear-armed rivals in decades but accused each other of violating the deal just hours later.
The ceasefire had been expected to bring a swift end to weeks of escalating clashes, including missile and drone strikes, triggered by the mass shooting of tourists last month that India blames on Pakistan, which denies the charge. But multiple explosions were heard in two large cities of Indian-controlled Kashmir hours after the countries agreed to the deal.
Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said late Saturday that "there had been repeated violations of the understanding arrived between the two countries" and accused Pakistan of breaching the agreement.
"We call upon Pakistan to take appropriate steps to address these violations and deal with the situation with seriousness and responsibility," he said at a news conference in New Delhi. Misri said the Indian army was "retaliating" for what he called a "border intrusion."
In Islamabad, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry blamed Indian forces for initiating the ceasefire violation. The ministry said Pakistan remains committed to the agreement and its forces were handling the situation with responsibility and restraint.
"We believe that any issues in the smooth implementation of the ceasefire should be addressed through communication at appropriate levels," the ministry said.
The first word of the truce came from U.S. President Donald Trump, who posted on his Truth Social platform that India and Pakistan had agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire: "Congratulations to both Countries on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a speech Saturday that his country agreed to the ceasefire in the larger interest of peace in the region and hoped all the outstanding issues with India, including the long-running dispute over the Kashmir region, would be resolved through peaceful dialogue.
Misri said the head of military operations from both countries spoke Saturday afternoon and agreed "that both sides would stop all firing and military action on land, and in the air and sea."
However, hours after the agreement, explosions heard by residents in Srinagar and Jammu in Indian-controlled Kashmir were followed by blackouts in the two cities. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
Omar Abdullah, the region's top elected official, said in a post on social media: "What the hell just happened to the ceasefire? Explosions heard across Srinagar!!!"
## Working toward a broader agreement
Conflict between India and Pakistan is not rare, with the two countries having periodically engaged in wars, clashes and skirmishes since gaining independence from British India in 1947.
The ceasefire in the latest hostilities came after the countries fired volleys of cross-border missile strikes Saturday, when India said it targeted Pakistani air bases after Islamabad fired several high-speed missiles at military and civilian infrastructure in Punjab state. Pakistan said it responded with retaliatory strikes.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he and Vice President JD Vance had engaged with senior officials from both countries over the past 48 hours. They included Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sharif, India's External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and the Pakistani Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir.
Rubio said the two governments agreed to "start talks on a broad set of issues at a neutral site."
Though Pakistanis had initially celebrated their army's retaliation, they were later jubilant about the truce, saying it was a moment of national pride and relief after days of tension.
In Islamabad, Zubaida Bibi expressed her joy at the restoration of peace with India.
"War brings nothing but suffering," she said. "We are happy that calm is returning. It feels like Eid to me. We have won."
## Trading strikes before the ceasefire
Tensions have soared since the attack at a popular tourist site in Indian-controlled Kashmir left 26 civilians dead, mostly Indian Hindu tourists, on April 22.
Before the ceasefire was reached, India's military said Pakistan had targeted health facilities and schools at its three air bases in Kashmir early Saturday and India had launched missile strikes in response. They targeted Nur Khan air base in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, near the capital Islamabad, Murid air base in Chakwal city and Rafiqui air base in the Jhang district of eastern Punjab province, according to Pakistan's military spokesman.
Pakistan's military said it launched retaliatory strikes against a Indian missile storage facility and air bases in the cities of Pathankot and Udhampur.
The Associated Press could not independently verify all the actions attributed to Pakistan or India.
After the announcement of Pakistani retaliation, residents in Indian-controlled Kashmir said they heard loud explosions at multiple places, including Srinagar, Jammu and Udhampur.
"Explosions that we are hearing today are different from the ones we heard the last two nights during drone attacks," said Shesh Paul Vaid, the region's former top police official and Jammu resident. "It looks like a war here."
Residents living near Srinagar's airport, which is also an air base, said they were rattled by the explosions and booming sound of jets.
"I was already awake, but the explosions jolted my kids out of their sleep. They started crying," said Srinagar resident Mohammed Yasin.
Omar Abdullah, Indian-controlled Kashmir's top elected official, welcomed the ceasefire. But he said had it happened two or three days earlier "we might have avoided the bloodshed and the loss of precious lives."
____
Hussain reported from Srinagar, India, and Roy reported from New Delhi. Associated Press writers Sheikh Saaliq in New Delhi, Babar Dogar in Lahore, Pakistan, Asim Tanveer in Multan, Pakistan, Munir Ahmed in Islamabad and Riaz Khan in Peshawar, Pakistan, contributed to this report.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-05 04:22:22+00:00
|
[
"Crime",
"Phoenix",
"Homicide",
"Shootings",
"Aaron Juan Saucedo",
"Law enforcement",
"Rail accidents",
"Arizona",
"Legal proceedings",
"Gun violence",
"Indictments",
"Maria Villanueva",
"Vincent Funari",
"Robert Reinhardt",
"Capital punishment",
"Salim Richards",
"Andrew Remillard",
"Sexual assault",
"Edward Nunn",
"Kristopher Cameron"
] |
# Man goes on trial accused of 8 killings in metro Phoenix in 2017
By Jacques Billeaud
May 5th, 2025, 04:22 AM
---
PHOENIX (AP) — The key to cracking a series of fatal shootings in the Phoenix area in 2017 came when police were called to a blood-spattered apartment where they arrested a man who was suspected of killing his mother and stepfather.
Authorities say evidence found there linked Cleophus Cooksey Jr. to four other killings. Police found a gun used in several of them, a necklace belonging to a victim and the vehicle keys of a woman whose partially nude body was found in an alley.
Cooksey's trial opened Monday, more than seven years later, after repeated delays due to the pandemic. The 43-year-old is accused of murder and other charges stemming from a total of eight killings in Phoenix and nearby Glendale over a three-week span. If he is convicted, prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty. Cooksey has said the allegations against him are false and pleaded not guilty.
In opening statements to a jury of 22 — 10 of whom are alternates — prosecutor Josh Maxwell said the victims had in common that they were all vulnerable at the time they were killed.
"The focus of this trial is one of those classic whodunits, and the evidence will show the person whodunit, if you will, is this individual over here, the defendant, Cleophus Emmanuel Cooksey," Maxwell said pointing to Cooksey.
Defense attorney Robert Reinhardt began his opening statement telling jurors of their duty to be fair and impartial and said the prosecution did not point out a motive, calling the offenses "random and unrelated."
"You didn't hear anything about premeditation either. The state made statements that in incident No. 1, Mr. Cooksey just went up and shot them, but there's no rhyme or reason to any of that," Reinhardt said.
In earlier years, two other serial shooting cases sparked fear in metro Phoenix, prompting some people to stay indoors after dark or stay off freeways where they occurred. Unlike those cases, the killings Cooksey is accused of did not occur over a matter of months and generated no publicity until his arrest.
Cooksey's trial is expected to last more than eight months, said Vincent Funari, a Maricopa County Superior Court spokesperson.
## The victims
The first of the eight killings happened Nov. 27, 2017. By that point Cooksey had been out of prison for four months after serving time for his role in a 2001 strip club robbery that turned deadly.
Cooksey knew some of the victims intimately, but others were strangers. Most of the shootings happened in the evening and overnight. Police never released a motive but said Cooksey was responsible.
Parker Smith and Andrew Remillard were the first victims, shot while sitting inside a vehicle in a parking lot. Five days later security guard Salim Richards was fatally shot on the way to his girlfriend's apartment. Prosecutors say Cooksey and Richards fought physically and Cooksey walked away with Richards' gun and necklace.
Latorrie Beckford and Kristopher Cameron were killed in separate shootings at apartment complexes in Glendale.
Maria Villanueva was expected at her boyfriend's apartment in Glendale, but police say Cooksey drove away with her in her vehicle. The next day her body, naked from the waist down, was found in a Phoenix alley. Authorities say she had been sexually assaulted and Cooksey's DNA was found on her body.
Finally, on Dec. 17, 2017, Cooksey answered the door when officers acting on a report of gunshots showed up at his mother's apartment. Officers noticed a lot of blood. Cooksey said he had cut his hand and was the only one home, according to police. Cooksey's mother, Rene Cooksey, and stepfather, Edward Nunn, were found dead. Before he was detained, police say, Cooksey threatened to slit an officer's throat.
## The evidence against Cooksey
On the sofa in the living room, investigators found Richards' gun, which was later linked to the killings of Beckford, Cameron and Villanueva. The keys to Villanueva's vehicle also were found there, and police say Cooksey was wearing Richards' necklace when he was arrested.
In a January 2020 handwritten letter to a judge over the impending postponement of his trial, Cooksey said he was in an "upmost hurry" to prove "my charges are no more than false accusations" and "what better way to do so than" a not-guilty verdict. An aspiring musician, he said he was not a rapist or murderer: "I am a music artist."
Despite wanting to exercise his right to a speedy trial, Cooksey's case encountered postponements due to the pandemic, which interfered with preparation including the ability of experts to evaluate Cooksey.
Earlier in the case, his lawyers raised questions about a claim police made around the time of his arrest that Cooksey was suspected of a ninth killing. But prosecutors ultimately declined to charge Cooksey in the December 2017 shooting death of Jesus Real at his home in Avondale.
According to police, Real's sister and Cooksey had broken up the night before. Prosecutors said they had no reasonable likelihood of winning a conviction.
## Serial shooting cases in the Phoenix area
Cooksey's arrest came after two serial shooting cases in recent years.
From late August to early September 2015, a total of 11 shootings occurred on freeways. No one was seriously hurt when eight vehicles were hit with bullets and three others with projectiles such as BBs or pellets. But a 13-year-old was cut by glass.
Charges were later dismissed against the only person charged in the shootings, who went on to win a rare court order declaring him officially cleared of the allegations.
The next serial shooting case came over nearly a one-year period that ended in July 2016. Aaron Juan Saucedo, a bus driver, has been charged with first-degree murder and other charges in the attacks, which killed nine people. He was arrested in April 2017.
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against Saucedo, who has pleaded not guilty. His trial is scheduled for December.
___
Associated Press writer Sejal Govindarao in Phoenix contributed to this report.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-03 16:00:24+00:00
|
[
"Abdullah Ocalan",
"Istanbul",
"Florence Nightingale",
"Recep Tayyip Erdogan",
"Turkey",
"Islam",
"Notable Deaths",
"Turkey government",
"Politics",
"Kurdistan Workers Party"
] |
# A Turkish politician at the center of efforts to end 40-year Kurdish conflict dies at 62
By Andrew Wilks
May 3rd, 2025, 04:00 PM
---
ISTANBUL (AP) — Sirri Sureyya Onder, a key figure in Turkey's latest effort to end the four-decade Kurdish conflict, died Saturday. He was 62.
Onder died of multiple organ failure 18 days after he was hospitalized following a heart attack, the Florence Nightingale Hospital in Istanbul's Sisli district said in a statement reported by Anadolu news agency.
Onder was a member of parliament for the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party, or DEM Party, and was one of several politicians to visit jailed Kurdistan Workers' Party leader Abdullah Ocalan in a bid to find a path to peace.
Onder and fellow DEM Party lawmaker Pervin Buldan met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last month as they sought to build a framework to end fighting that has caused tens of thousands of deaths.
The political push for peace was given added impetus in February, when Ocalan called for the Kurdistan Workers' Party to disband. The group, which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey and most Western states, announced a ceasefire days later.
Erdogan at the time described developments as an "opportunity to take a historic step toward tearing down the wall of terror" between Turks and Kurds.
"We offer our condolences to the people of Turkey, his family and loved ones," the DEM Party said in a statement. "It is a requirement of loyalty to his memory to achieve success in the struggle for peace that he waged at the expense of his life."
Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus described Onder as "a valuable person who earned everyone's respect with his political stance, kindness and modest personality."
Onder, a former film actor and director, also served as deputy parliament speaker, where his calm demeanor and sense of humor marked him out in Turkey's often highly charged politics.
Although not an ethnic Kurd, his political life was spent serving pro-Kurdish parties, first entering parliament in 2011.
He spent spells in prison, including a seven-year stint as a young man for protesting a 1980 military coup. He was jailed again in 2018 over a speech he gave five years earlier.
Onder was part of a delegation to take part in a previous effort to end the Kurdish conflict between 2013 and 2015.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-17 22:37:31+00:00
|
[
"Jennifer Lawrence",
"Cannes Film Festival",
"Robert Pattinson",
"Arts and entertainment",
"Lynne Ramsay",
"Peru",
"Oddities",
"Vultures",
"Entertainment"
] |
# Bird man on red carpet leaves Cannes squawking
May 17th, 2025, 10:37 PM
---
CANNES, France (AP) — Stars in glamorous gowns often peacock on the Cannes Film Festival red carpet, but one attendee Saturday night literally came as a bird.
Ahead of the the premiere of Lynne Ramsay's "Die, My Love," with Robert Pattinson and Jennifer Lawrence, a man came fully dressed as bird, complete with a beak and feathers.
The costume had a purpose. It was a tie-in with the documentary "I Love Peru," which is playing in the Cannes Classics section. The costume was specifically a condor, which in Peru has been seen as a creature connecting heaven and earth.
The Cannes Film Festival recently banned nudity and "excessively voluminous" gowns. But it has no policy against condors.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-06 20:26:20+00:00
|
[
"Indiana",
"Crime",
"Kristopher Cundiff",
"Benjamin Ritchie",
"Bill Toney",
"Indianapolis",
"Legal proceedings",
"Michigan City",
"Lawsuits",
"Associated Press",
"Ron Neal",
"Business",
"Law enforcement",
"Lloyd Arnold",
"Capital punishment",
"Annie Goeller",
"Joseph Corcoran"
] |
# AP and others challenge an Indiana law barring reporters from witnessing executions
By John O'Connor
May 6th, 2025, 08:26 PM
---
The Associated Press and four other media companies argue in a federal lawsuit that Indiana's ban on reporters attending state-sanctioned executions violates the public's constitutional right to an independent and unsanitized description of a sensitive and contentious government action.
The complaint, filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Indianapolis, comes two weeks before the scheduled execution of Benjamin Ritchie, who was condemned for the September 2000 fatal shooting of Beech Grove Police Officer Bill Toney during a foot chase.
It maintains that the law omitting news media from the state's list of permitted witnesses improperly prevents the taxpayers from receiving an unbiased review of the death penalty's implementation.
"I don't think it's about wanting to witness this act — I'm sure it's not a pleasant experience," said Kristopher Cundiff of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, which is representing the plaintiffs. "It's about having a representative standing in the shoes of the public to provide an account of what happened that comes from a neutral party."
Named as defendants are Ron Neal, superintendent of Indiana State Prison in Michigan City, which houses the death chamber, and Lloyd Arnold, commissioner of the Indiana Department of Correction.
Department spokesperson Annie Goeller said she cannot comment on pending lawsuits.
Among 27 states with death penalty laws, Indiana is one of two that bar media witnesses. The other, Wyoming, has conducted just one execution in the last half-century.
The AP aims to attend every execution in the U.S. to provide an accurate and unconstrained description for taxpayers. The news organization has repeatedly been on hand to report botched attempts.
In December, Joseph Corcoran became the first person put to death in Indiana in 15 years because of a nationwide scarcity of lethal-injection drugs. Ritchie is scheduled for the death chamber on May 20. Five more await execution in Indiana, according to the lawsuit.
The media groups contend that the Indiana law violates the First Amendment's guarantee that the public has "a qualified right of access to certain government proceedings."
It also notes that the law, which allows attendance by as many as five friends or relatives chosen by the condemned and up to eight members of the victim's family, improperly treats them more favorably than the media.
A hearing has not been scheduled.
Joining the AP in pressing the lawsuit are Gannett Co., the nation's largest local newspaper operation with Indiana outlets in Indianapolis, Lafayette, Bloomington and South Bend; and TEGNA Inc., which operates WTHR-13 in Indianapolis.
The other plaintiffs are Circle Broadcasting, whose WISH-TV is a statewide network, and States Newsroom, which operates the nonprofit Indiana Capital Chronicle.
It was the Capital Chronicle that ensured media representation at the December execution, as Corcoran chose one of its reporters as a witness.
___
This story was first published on May 6, 2025. It was updated on May 9, 2025, to correct the name of the lead plaintiffs' attorney. He is Kristopher Cundiff, not Kristopher Cundriff.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-02 15:28:38+00:00
|
[
"Justin Trudeau",
"Donald Trump",
"Pierre Poilievre",
"Canada government",
"United Kingdom",
"Royalty",
"Canada",
"King Charles III",
"Queen Elizabeth II",
"Politics",
"Mark Carney",
"Business"
] |
# Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will visit Trump at the White House on Tuesday
By Rob Gillies
May 2nd, 2025, 03:28 PM
---
TORONTO (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Friday that he will visit U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday. The high-stakes meeting comes as Trump continues his trade war and annexation threats.
Carney's Liberal Party scored a stunning comeback victory in a vote widely seen as a rebuke of Trump, whose trade war and attacks on Canadian sovereignty outraged voters.
"We are meeting as heads of our government," Carney said. "I am not pretending those discussions will be easy."
In his first comments since election night, Carney said that Canadians elected a new government to stand up to Trump and build a strong economy.
Carney also said that King Charles III will deliver a speech outlining the Canadian government's priorities on May 27, when Parliament resumes. Charles is the head of state in Canada, which is a member of the British Commonwealth of former colonies.
Queen Elizabeth II delivered the speech twice, in 1957 and 1977.
"That clearly underscores the sovereignty of our country," Carney said.
Carney has emphasized Canada's founding nations, the United Kingdom and France, since becoming prime minister after the resignation of Justin Trudeau. Carney repeated that the old relationship with the U.S. based on steadily increasing integration is over.
"On Tuesday, I had a very constructive call with President Trump, and we agreed to meet next Tuesday in Washington," Carney said. "My government will fight to get the best deal for Canada."
Carney previously said that Canada's close friendship with the U.S. has ended and that the 80-year period when the U.S. embraced the mantle of global economic leadership and forged alliances rooted in trust and mutual respect is over.
Trump mocked Carney's predecessor by calling him Governor Trudeau. He hasn't trolled Carney.
Robert Bothwell, a University of Toronto professor of Canadian history and international relations, said that Carney shouldn't go to Washington, because he risks Trump insulting Canada and him too.
"There is absolutely no reason to. You can't bargain with Trump. His word is not his bond. It's like writing on the water of a pond, a scummy pond. We have nothing to gain," Bothwell said.
Carney also outlined the priorities of his new government four days after Canadians voted in the Liberals for a fourth mandate. He said that a new Cabinet would be sworn in on May 12.
"Now the election is over, and we are in a once-in-a-lifetime crisis. It's time to come together, to put on our Team Canada sweaters, and win big," Carney said. "Now is the time for ambition, to be bold, to meet this crisis with the overwhelming, positive force of a united Canada."
He said that he will call for an election for a specific district as soon as possible if the opposition Conservatives want Pierre Poilievre, who lost his own seat in the election, to run in a by-election so he can sit in the House of Commons.
"No games, nothing like that," Carney said.
The Conservative Party announced shortly after that a current Conservative member of Parliament from Alberta will resign so Poilievre can run in that district.
Carney said that he had a constructive conversation with Poilievre about Canada's strategy with the Americans.
"I am in politics to do big things, not to be something," Carney said.
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Associated Press News
|
2025-05-18 03:02:27+00:00
|
[
"JD Vance",
"Pope Francis",
"Volodymyr Zelenskyy",
"Pope Leo XIV",
"Marco Rubio",
"Catholic Church",
"Spain",
"Michael Jordan",
"Dina Boluarte",
"Rome",
"Monaco",
"Ethan Menning",
"Religion",
"Donald Trump",
"Queen Letizia",
"Susan Hudak",
"Russia government",
"Susan Hanssen",
"Louis Prevost",
"United States government",
"Gary Hudak"
] |
# Pope Leo XIV pledges to promote unity so the Catholic Church becomes a global symbol of peace
By Nicole Winfield
May 18th, 2025, 03:02 AM
---
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Leo XIV vowed Sunday to work for unity in a polarized Catholic Church and world, as history's first American pope offered a message of healing during an inaugural Mass in St. Peter's Square before an estimated 200,000 pilgrims, presidents, patriarchs and princes.
Leo officially opened his pontificate by taking his first popemobile tour through the piazza, a rite of passage that has become synonymous with the papacy's global reach and mediatic draw. The 69-year-old Augustinian missionary smiled and waved from the back of the truck to people waving U.S., Peruvian and other national flags, and stopped to bless some babies in the crowd.
During the Mass, Leo appeared to choke up when the two potent symbols of the papacy were placed on him — the lambswool stole over his shoulders and the fisherman's ring on his finger — as if the weight of responsibility of leading the 1.4-billion strong church had just sunk in.
He turned his hand to look at the ring and then clasped his hands in front of him in prayer.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance, one of the last foreign officials to see Pope Francis before he died, led the American delegation honoring the Chicago-born Leo. Vance paid his respects at Francis' tomb after arriving in Rome late Saturday.
## The theme of Leo's papacy
In his homily, Leo said that he wanted to be a servant to the faithful through the two dimensions of the papacy, love and unity, so that the church could be a force for peace in the world.
"I would like that our first great desire be for a united church, a sign of unity and communion, which becomes a leaven for a reconciled world," he said. "In this our time, we still see too much discord, too many wounds caused by hatred, violence, prejudice, the fear of difference, and an economic paradigm that exploits the Earth's resources and marginalizes the poorest."
His words echoed some of Francis' key priorities, but his call for unity was significant, given the polarization in the Catholic Church in the United States and beyond.
Francis' radical 12-year pontificate, which emphasized care for the poor and marginalized, and disdain for the capitalist economic system, often alienated conservatives who begged for a new pope who could pacify divisions. Leo's election on May 8, after a remarkably quick 24-hour conclave, appears to have pleased conservative Catholics who seem to appreciate his more disciplined, traditional style and Augustinian background, emphasizing core truths of Catholic doctrine.
Leo drove that message home by wearing the papacy's formal red cape, or mozzetta, to receive Vance and official government delegations after the Mass. Francis had eschewed many of the formalities of the papacy as part of his simple style, but Leo's return to the traditional garb has pleased conservatives and traditionalists, who breathed a sigh of relief when he came out onto the the loggia wearing the red cape on May 8.
But Leo did break protocol when he gave his older brother, Louis Prevost, a self-described political "MAGA-type," a bear hug in the basilica when he and his wife came up to greet the pope.
"Let us build a church founded on God's love, a sign of unity, a missionary church that opens its arms to the world, proclaims the word, allows itself to be made restless by history, and becomes a leaven of harmony for humanity," Leo said.
## Tight security and protocol
Strict diplomatic protocol dictated the seating arrangements at the inaugural Mass, with both the U.S. and Peru getting front-row seats thanks to Leo's dual citizenship. Vance, a Catholic convert who tangled with Francis over the Trump administration's mass migrant deportation plans, was joined by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who arrived in Rome ahead of time to try to advance Russia-Ukraine peace talks.
Peruvian President Dina Boluarte was one of around a dozen heads of state who attended, as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Russia had planned to send its culture minister, but was represented by its ambassador, reports said.
Diplomatic protocol also dictated the dress code: While most wore black, a handful of Catholic royals — Queen Letizia of Spain and Princess Charlene of Monaco, among others — wore white in a special privilege allowed them. Three dozen of the world's other Christian churches sent representatives, the Jewish community had a 13-member delegation, half of them rabbis. Other representatives headed Buddhist, Muslim, Zoroastrian, Hindu, Sikh and Jain delegations.
Security was tight, as it was for Francis' funeral on April 26, which drew an estimated 250,000 people. The Vatican said that 200,000 were on hand Sunday in the piazza and surrounding streets, parks and piazzas, where giant television screens and portable toilets were set up.
At the end of the Mass, Leo expressed hope for negotiations to bring a "just and lasting peace" in Ukraine and offered prayers for the people of Gaza — children, families and older people who are "reduced to starvation," he said. Leo made no mention of hostages taken by Hamas from southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, as Francis usually did when praying for Gaza.
Zelenskyy later had a formal audience with Leo at the Vatican, and then met with Vance and Rubio at the U.S. residence in Rome. In a post on X, Zelenskyy said that he stressed the need for a "full and unconditional ceasefire as soon as possible" and for diplomatic pressure on Russia "until they are eager to stop the war."
## Americans are rejoicing
Susan Hanssen, a professor who was born in Chicago and just arrived in Rome to teach, said that she thought Leo's homily about unity would resonate in the U.S. and beyond.
"I think he will inspire," she said after the Mass. "What I particularly loved was the phrasing, unity within the doctrine of the faith, and then in love."
U.S. seminarian Ethan Menning, 21, from Omaha, Nebraska, wrapped himself in an American flag, purchased at a truck stop in Iowa, to celebrate.
"Rome always felt like home for a Catholic, but now coming here and seeing one of our own on the throne of Peter ... it almost makes Jesus himself more accessible," he said.
The two symbols of the papacy handed to Leo were the pallium stole and the fisherman's ring. The pallium, draped across his shoulders, symbolizes the pastor carrying his flock as the pope carries the faithful. The ring, which becomes Leo's official seal, harks back to Jesus' call to the apostle Peter to cast his fishing nets.
Gregory and Susan Hudak, who lived for 40 years in the Chicago area, found themselves in Rome after booking a trip in February, with just a faint hope of perhaps glimpsing the pope. Seeing the popemobile pass by in front of them, with Leo on board, was even better than watching Michael Jordan play, said Gary Hudak, a former altar boy wearing a Chicago Bears hat.
"Originally, the only hope I had coming here was to see the inside of the Sistine Chapel," he said. "Seeing the pope was not scheduled, it was a long-shot hope. And this was a treasure, simple as that."
___
Giovanna Dell'Orto, David Biller and Isaia Monteleone contributed to this report.
___
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
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Associated Press News
|
2025-05-06 14:57:46+00:00
|
[
"Ricky Ian Gordon",
"St. Louis",
"Ruby Aiyo Gerber",
"Celebrity",
"Corporate management",
"James Robinson",
"Andrew Jorgensen",
"Arts and entertainment",
"Lynn Nottage",
"Patricia Racette",
"Pulitzer Prize Awards",
"Entertainment"
] |
# Soprano Patricia Racette to become artistic director of the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis
By Ronald Blum
May 6th, 2025, 02:57 PM
---
Soprano Patricia Racette will become artistic director of the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, filling a key management position of a company she has been associated with since her debut there in 1993.
General Director Andrew Jorgensen said Tuesday that she will take over on Oct. 1 from James Robinson, who had been artistic director since 2009 and announced in June that he was becoming general and artistic director of the Seattle Opera. Racette has headed the St. Louis company's young artist programs since 2019.
"I already have such a rich relationship with the company and with Andrew, so it's sort of taking it to the next level," she said. "It is my job to sort of be a leader in terms of programming, casting, creatives."
The company's 2025 season has 25 staged performances of four works, including the world premiere on May 31 of Ricky Ian Gordon's "This House," with a libretto by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage and her daughter, Ruby Aiyo Gerber. The company projects its operating budget at $12.5 million to $13 million.
Racette, who turns 60 next month, made her directing debut in St. Louis with Verdi's "La Traviata" in 2018 and went on to direct in Poulenc's "La Voix Humaine" in 2021 and Carlisle Floyd's "Susannah" in 2023.
"Having lived my life on stage and now as a director, I've been on both sides of the curtain," she said. "I think that puts me in a unique position to understand what goes into putting on an opera."
Racette is to sing in Polenc's "Dialogues des Carmélites" at The Dallas Opera in November and to direct her "Susannah" at Opera Omaha in January. She will work in St. Louis with an administration that includes principal conductor Daniela Candillari and already has been involved in future programming.
"As she's added master teacher, as she's added mentor, as she has become a stage director, as she has taken a greater role in casting here," Jorgensen said, "she has proven just time and again that all of those skills that made her such a spectacular performer, she now understands how to how to bring all of that, harness it and leverage it for the broader benefit of the organization."
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Associated Press News
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2025-05-13 17:15:28+00:00
|
[
"Donald Trump",
"Chicago",
"Hasan Piker",
"Protests and demonstrations",
"Hamas",
"Law enforcement",
"Government programs",
"Politics",
"Tricia McLaughlin"
] |
# Streamer Hasan Piker detained, questioned at Chicago airport
By Sophia Tareen
May 13th, 2025, 05:15 PM
---
CHICAGO (AP) — A popular Turkish American online streamer who is critical of President Donald Trump was recently detained and questioned at O'Hare International Airport after his flight from Paris landed in Chicago.
Hasan Piker, who has 2.8 million followers on Twitch, recounted his experience online Monday saying he was questioned for hours a day earlier despite being born in the U.S. and enrolled in Global Entry, a federal program allowing low-risk passengers to travel through customs and passport control quickly.
Piker believes he was targeted because of his views and said Customs and Border Protection officers asked his opinion of Trump and Hamas, among other topics. The liberal political commentator is frequently critical of Israel and the war in Gaza.
"The goal here is to put fear into people's hearts, to have a chilling effect on speech," Piker recounted in a detailed nearly 40-minute long account on his YouTube channel. "The government is now officially willing and able to intimidate you for your speech. That is a direct violation of the First Amendment."
Piker did not have comment Tuesday beyond his Twitch stream a day earlier, according to a spokesman. The hours-long broadcast on the live streaming platform included the same account posted on YouTube along with Piker's commentary on other topics and his speaking engagement at the University of Chicago.
Federal officials dismissed Piker's account of the detention on Tuesday, calling the questioning "routine and lawful" and something that can apply to any traveler.
"This is nothing but lying for likes. Claims that his political beliefs triggered the inspection are baseless," Tricia McLaughlin, U.S. Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary, said in a statement. "Once his inspection was complete, he was promptly released."
The Trump administration's aggressive crackdown on immigration and student protests have also increased worries among U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents navigating the last steps to citizenship. Recent immigration arrests have mistakenly swept up U.S. citizens in Illinois,Florida and other places.
Trump has deemed the pro-Palestinian campus protests as "anti-American" while critics say student arrests are part of an unprecedented attack on the freedom of speech. Last month a Palestinian man who led protests against the war in Gaza as a student was arrested during what he thought was an interview about his citizenship.
Federal officials declined to give further details about Piker's detention, including what prompted the extensive questioning.
Piker, also known as HasanAbi on Twitch, was born in New Jersey. The 33-year-old was raised in Turkey. He lives in Los Angeles.
"I'm not intimidated," he said on YouTube, where he has 1.6 million subscribers. "I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing."
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Associated Press News
|
2025-05-05 22:02:56+00:00
|
[
"Boston",
"Fraud",
"Tania Fernandes Anderson",
"Crime",
"Corruption",
"Indictments",
"Leah B. Foley",
"Politics",
"United States government"
] |
# Boston councilwoman pleads guilty to federal corruption charges in a kickback scheme
By Michael Casey
May 5th, 2025, 10:02 PM
---
BOSTON (AP) — A Boston city councilor on Monday pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges after prosecutors accused her of taking most of an inflated bonus that she paid to a relative who worked for her.
Tania Fernandes Anderson pleaded guilty to one count each of wire fraud and theft concerning a program receiving federal funds. In exchange, prosecutors dropped four wire fraud counts against the 46-year-old lawmaker, who in 2021 became the first African immigrant and Muslim-American elected to the council.
Anderson was going through financial difficulties in 2023, partly because the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission told her it would fine her $5,000 for hiring immediate family members, according to prosecutors. Council members aren't permitted to hire immediate family members as paid staff.
"Councilor Fernandes Anderson abused her position of trust for personal gain and turned a public checkbook into her own private slush fund," United States Attorney Leah B. Foley said in a statement. "Her constituents deserve better than this. They deserve a city representative who respects the role of public service and does not use the power and position to line her own pockets ... Ms. Fernandes Anderson leaves a legacy not of a selfless trailblazer, but one of fraud, greed, and deceit."
According to prosecutors, Anderson told her relative that she would give her a $13,000 bonus, which was more than twice as much as the combined bonuses she gave to the rest of the staff. After taxes, the staffer received about $10,000. She withdrew the money in several bank transactions in May and June of 2023 before exchanging texts to meet Anderson in a City Hall bathroom that June 9, where she gave Anderson $7,000 of the money.
The government is seeking a sentence of one year and one day in prison followed by three years of supervised release and restitution in the amount of $13,000 when she is sentenced on July 29. Anderson could have faced up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on each of the fraud charges. The theft count carried a penalty of up to 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000.
Outside of court, Anderson didn't directly address the allegations that led to her guilty plea. She said she "loved" her constituents and would remain focused on putting together a transitional plan for whomever replaces her.
"When I knew or decided that I needed to agree to a plea, I've been planning to make sure that my staff was OK, that my constituents were OK so that there's a softer landing, that my family, my children are secure and OK," she said, adding that she hoped the media would forget her in the weeks ahead.
When the plea deal was announced in April, Council President Ruthzee Louijeune said Anderson had agreed to resign. Anderson indicated she planned to do that this summer.
"Our residents look to elected officials to lead with integrity, and the Boston City Council must continue to do just that," Louijeune said. "I am coordinating with counsel and staff to ensure that the rule of law and the rules of the body are executed effectively as we continue to receive information."
___
This story has been corrected to show that the plea deal was announced in April.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-07 15:33:49+00:00
|
[
"Donald Trump",
"Joe Biden",
"Panama",
"Panama City",
"Immigration",
"Migration",
"United States government",
"Politics",
"United States Congress"
] |
# US says $14m program with Panama for removal of migrants has funded 2,000 deportations
May 7th, 2025, 03:33 PM
---
PANAMA CITY (AP) — The United States government says that a deal reached with Panama last year to pay for charter flights and airline tickets to deport migrants without status in Panama has led to nearly 2,000 migrants exiting the country.
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is touting it as a factor in the steep decline of migration through the Darien Gap, but the deal was reached by the administration of his predecessor, President Joe Biden.
The most recent of the 48 charter flights came Tuesday and carried 81 migrants from Cameroon, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Sri Lanka, according to a statement from the U.S. embassy.
Washington is paying Panama about $14 million to deport migrants without status.
The U.S. sent 299 migrants to Panama in February as the Trump administration tried to accelerate deportations as part of a deal in which countries like Panama and Costa Rica would act as "bridges," temporarily detaining deportees while they await return to their countries of origin or third countries.
Migration through the Darien Gap, connecting Panama and Colombia, surged in 2021 with more than 500,000 crossing the jungle in 2023, most headed for the United States. The flow slowed last year and has practically stopped altogether this year due to changes in U.S. migration policy at the border.
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Associated Press News
|
2025-05-07 20:32:00+00:00
|
[
"Janette Nesheiwat",
"Robert F. Kennedy Jr.",
"Donald Trump",
"Casey Means",
"Laura Loomer",
"Mike Waltz",
"Social media",
"Wellness",
"District of Columbia",
"Medication",
"Public health",
"Medical research",
"Joe Rogan",
"Surgery",
"Infertility",
"U.S. National Security Council",
"Diets and dieting",
"Healthy eating",
"Health",
"Obesity",
"Anthony Clark",
"United States",
"Politics",
"Medical technology",
"Indigenous people",
"Immunizations"
] |
# Trump taps influencer Casey Means, ally to RFK Jr., as surgeon general
By Seung Min Kim and Matthew Perrone
May 7th, 2025, 08:32 PM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is tapping Dr. Casey Means, a physician-turned-wellness influencer with close ties to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as his nominee for surgeon general after withdrawing his initial pick for the influential health post.
Trump said in a social media post Wednesday that Means has "impeccable 'MAHA' credentials" – referring to the " Make America Healthy Again " slogan – and that she will work to eradicate chronic disease and improve the health and well-being of Americans.
"Her academic achievements, together with her life's work, are absolutely outstanding," Trump said. "Dr. Casey Means has the potential to be one of the finest Surgeon Generals in United States History."
In doing so, Trump withdrew former Fox News medical contributor Janette Nesheiwat from consideration for the job, marking at least the second health-related pick from Trump to be pulled from Senate consideration. Nesheiwat had been scheduled to appear before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Thursday for her confirmation hearing.
Means and her brother, former lobbyist Calley Means, served as key advisers to Kennedy's longshot 2024 presidential bid and helped broker his endorsement of Trump last summer. The pair made appearances with some of Trump's biggest supporters, winning praise from conservative pundit Tucker Carlson and podcaster Joe Rogan. Calley Means is currently a White House adviser who appears frequently on television to promote restrictions on SNAP benefits, removing fluoride from drinking water and other MAHA agenda items.
Casey Means has no government experience and dropped out of her surgical residency program, saying she became disillusioned with traditional medicine. She founded a health tech company, Levels, that helps users track blood sugar and other metrics. She also makes money from dietary supplements, creams, teas and other products sponsored on her social media accounts.
In interviews and articles, Means and her brother describe a dizzying web of influences to blame for the nation's health problems, including corrupt food conglomerates that have hooked Americans on unhealthy diets, leaving them reliant on daily medications from the pharmaceutical industry to manage obesity, diabetes and other chronic conditions.
Few health experts would dispute that the American diet — full of processed foods — is a contributor to obesity and related problems. But Means goes further, linking changes in diet and lifestyle to a raft of conditions including infertility, Alzheimer's, depression and erectile dysfunction.
"Almost every chronic health symptom that Western medicine addresses is the result of our cells being beleaguered by how we've come to live," Means said in a 2024 book co-written with her brother.
Food experts say it's overly simplistic to declare that all processed foods are harmful, since the designation covers an estimated 60% of U.S. foods, including products as diverse as granola, peanut butter and potato chips.
"They are not all created equal," said Gabby Headrick, a nutrition researcher at George Washington University's school of public health. "It is much more complicated than just pointing the finger at ultra-processed foods as the driver of chronic disease in the United States."
Means has mostly steered clear of Kennedy's controversial and debunked views on vaccines. But on her website, she has called for more investigation into their safety and recommends making it easier for patients to sue drugmakers in the event of vaccine injuries. Since the late 1980s, federal law has shielded those companies from legal liability to encourage development of vaccines without the threat of costly personal injury lawsuits.
She received her medical training at Stanford University but has built an online following by criticizing the medical establishment and promoting natural foods and lifestyle changes to reverse obesity, diabetes and other chronic diseases.
If confirmed as surgeon general, Means would be tasked with helping promote Kennedy's sprawling MAHA agenda, which calls for removing thousands of additives and chemicals from U.S. foods, rooting out conflicts of interest at federal agencies and incentivizing healthier foods in school lunches and other nutrition programs.
Nesheiwat, Trump's first pick, is a medical director for an urgent care company in New York and has appeared regularly on Fox News to offer medical expertise and insights. She is a vocal supporter of Trump and shares photos of them together on social media. Nesheiwat is also the sister-in-law of former national security adviser Mike Waltz, who has been nominated to be Trump's ambassador to the United Nations.
But she had recently come under criticism from Laura Loomer, a far-right ally of Trump who was instrumental in ousting several members of the president's National Security Council. Loomer posted on X earlier this week that "we can't have a pro-COVID vaccine nepo appointee who is currently embroiled in a medical malpractice case and who didn't go to medical school in the US" as the surgeon general.
Independent freelance journalist Anthony Clark reported last month that Nesheiwat earned her medical degree from the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine in St. Maarten, despite saying that she has a degree from the University of Arkansas School of Medicine. The White House pulled Nesheiwat's nomination because of doubts about her confirmation prospects, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the administration's reasoning.
"I am looking forward to continuing to support President Trump and working closely with Secretary Kennedy in a senior policy role to Make America Healthy Again! My focus continues to be on improving the health and well-being of all Americans, and that mission hasn't changed," Nesheiwat wrote on social media Wednesday.
The surgeon general, considered the nation's doctor, oversees 6,000 U.S. Public Health Service Corps members and can issue advisories that warn of public health threats.
In March, the White House pulled from consideration the nomination of former Florida GOP Rep. Dave Weldon to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. His skepticism on vaccines had raised concerns from key Republican senators, and he withdrew after being told by the White House that he did not have enough support to be confirmed.
The withdrawal was first reported by Bloomberg News.
__
This story was first published May 7, 2025. It was published again May 9, 2025, to correct that Means did her medical training at Stanford University, but not her surgical training. She was a surgical resident at Oregon Health and Science University but did not complete the program.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-10 04:04:23+00:00
|
[
"Florida",
"Miami",
"Natalia Crujeiras",
"Gender",
"Lifestyle",
"Johnny Weissmuller",
"Apparel and accessories manufacturing"
] |
# Miami museum opens a new exhibit that examines a century of swimwear and its connection to Florida
By David Fischer
May 10th, 2025, 04:04 AM
---
MIAMI (AP) — Just in time for bathing suit season, the HistoryMiami Museum is opening a new exhibit that examines the relationship between the evolution of swimwear and the growth of South Florida over the past century.
"Waves of Style: Swimwear Through the Decades" opened to the general public on Saturday and will run through Oct. 5. The exhibit showcases about 50 historic swimwear pieces from the museum's extensive collection of more than 2,000 textiles.
The immersive, dynamic experience allows visitors to explore the history and evolution of swimwear, from the heavy wool suits that were still required by law in many places during the early 20th century to modern swimsuits that leave little to the imagination.
HistoryMiami CEO and Executive Director Natalia Crujeiras said Miami is the perfect place for an exhibit like this because it has both shaped beach culture and been shaped by beach culture like no other city.
"From efforts for social change to a playground for fun and exploration to inspiring style around the world, beach has always been part of Miami," Crujeiras said.
Visitors can learn about Jane Fisher, the wife of early Miami Beach developer Carl G. Fisher. Jane Fisher became a trendsetter in the 1910s when she ditched her traditional bathing suit, which included a long skirt, stockings and cap, for one of Miami Beach's earliest form-fitting swimsuits. The public was initially shocked, but the style quickly gained popularity. Her husband later used photos of "Bathing Beauties" to promote Miami Beach around the country.
Women weren't the only ones expected to cover up in early 20th century. Topless swimwear for men didn't become common until the 1930s, when Olympic swimmer Johnny Weissmuller bared his chest as Tarzan in 12 films between 1932 and 1948. Many of the movies were shot at least partially in Florida, and Weissmuller worked as a swim instructor at the Miami Biltmore Hotel before landing the iconic role.
"The design and the function of swimwear revealed different moments of change in perceptions of identity, gender, cultural expression and even freedom," Crujeiras said.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-09 17:16:33+00:00
|
[
"Artificial intelligence",
"Arizona",
"David Evan Harris",
"Stacey Wales",
"National",
"Jason Lamm",
"Technology",
"Jessica Gattuso",
"Phoenix",
"Christopher Pelkey",
"Legal proceedings",
"Todd Lang",
"Cynthia Godsoe"
] |
# From AI avatars to virtual reality crime scenes, courts are grappling with AI in the justice system
By Rio Yamat
May 9th, 2025, 05:16 PM
---
Stacey Wales gripped the lectern, choking back tears as she asked the judge to give the man who shot and killed her brother the maximum possible sentence for manslaughter.
What appeared next stunned those in the Phoenix courtroom last week: An AI-generated video with a likeness of her brother, Christopher Pelkey, told the shooter he was forgiven.
The judge said he loved and appreciated the video, then sentenced the shooter to 10.5 years in prison — the maximum sentence and more than what prosecutors sought. Within hours of the hearing on May 1, the defendant's lawyer filed a notice of appeal.
Defense attorney Jason Lamm won't be handling the appeal, but said a higher court will likely be asked to weigh in on whether the judge improperly relied on the AI-generated video when sentencing his client.
Courts across the country have been grappling with how to best handle the increasing presence of artificial intelligence in the courtroom. Even before Pelkey's family used AI to give him a voice for the victim impact portion — believed to be a first in U.S. courts — the Arizona Supreme Court created a committee that researches best AI practices.
In Florida, a judge recently donned a virtual reality headset meant to show the point of view of a defendant who said he was acting in self-defense when he waved a loaded gun at wedding guests. The judge rejected his claim.
And in New York, a man without a lawyer used an AI-generated avatar to argue his case in a lawsuit via video. It took only seconds for the judges to realize that the man addressing them from the video screen wasn't real.
Experts say using AI in courtrooms raises legal and ethical concerns, especially if it's used effectively to sway a judge or jury. And they argue it could have a disproportionate impact on marginalized communities facing prosecution.
"I imagine that will be a contested form of evidence, in part because it could be something that advantages parties that have more resources over parties that don't," said David Evan Harris, an expert on AI deep fakes at UC Berkeley's business school.
AI can be very persuasive, Harris said, and scholars are studying the intersection of the technology and manipulation tactics.
Cynthia Godsoe, a law professor at Brooklyn Law School and a former public defender, said as this technology continues to push the boundaries of traditional legal practices, courts will have to confront questions they have never before had to weigh: Does this AI photograph really match the witness's testimony? Does this video exaggerate the suspect's height, weight, or skin color?
"It's definitely a disturbing trend," she said, "because it could veer even more into fake evidence that maybe people don't figure out is false."
In the Arizona case, the victim's sister told The Associated Press that she did consider the "ethics and morals" of writing a script and using her brother's likeness to give him a voice during the sentencing hearing.
"It was important to us to approach this with ethics and morals and to not use it to say things that Chris wouldn't say or believe," Stacey Wales said.
Victims can give their impact statements in any digital format in Arizona, said victims' rights attorney Jessica Gattuso, who represented the family.
When the video played in the courtroom, Wales said only she and her husband knew about it.
"The goal was to humanize Chris and to reach the judge," Wales said.
After viewing it, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Todd Lang said he "loved the beauty in what Christopher" said in the AI video.
"It also says something about the family," he said. "Because you told me how angry you were, and you demanded the maximum sentence, and even though that's what you wanted, you allowed Chris to speak from his heart as you saw it."
On appeal, the defendant's lawyer said, the judge's comments could be a factor for the sentence to be overturned.
___
Associated Press reporters Sarah Parvini in Los Angeles, Sejal Govindarao in Phoenix and Kate Payne in Tallahassee, Florida, contributed to this report.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-18 06:47:32+00:00
|
[
"Israel",
"Benjamin Netanyahu",
"Gaza Strip",
"Donald Trump",
"2024-2025 Mideast Wars",
"Israel-Hamas war",
"Israel government",
"Middle East",
"Hamas",
"War and unrest",
"International agreements",
"Blockades",
"Eyal Zamir",
"Mahmoud al-Aloul",
"Foreign aid",
"Humanitarian crises",
"Religion",
"Palestinian territories government",
"Famine"
] |
# Israel to allow limited aid into Gaza after nearly 3 months of blockade
By Wafaa Shurafa, Samy Magdy, and Tia Goldenberg
May 18th, 2025, 06:47 AM
---
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel announced Sunday it will allow a limited amount of humanitarian aid into Gaza after a nearly three-month blockade, days after global experts on food security warned of famine.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a "starvation crisis" would jeopardize Israel's new military offensive in Gaza, and his Cabinet approved a decision to allow a "basic" amount of food into the territory of over 2 million people.
It was not immediately clear when aid would enter Gaza, or how. The Israeli military body in charge of overseeing aid did not comment. Israel has been trying to impose a new aid system, despite objections by aid workers. Netanyahu said Israel would work to ensure that aid does not reach militants.
Israel imposed the blockade starting March 2, cutting off all food, medicine and other supplies to Gaza, while pressing Hamas to accept new ceasefire terms. Israel resumed the war days later, shattering a two-month truce.
Earlier on Sunday, Israel said it launched "extensive" new ground operations in its new offensive — the largest since the ceasefire. Airstrikes killed at least 103 people, including dozens of children, hospitals and medics said. The bombardment also forced northern Gaza's main hospital to close as it reported direct strikes.
Israel wants Hamas to agree to a temporary ceasefire that would free hostages from Gaza but not necessarily end the war. Hamas says it wants a full withdrawal of Israeli forces and a path to ending the war as part of any deal.
"When the Jews want a truce, Hamas refuses, and when Hamas wants a truce, the Jews refuse it. Both sides agree to exterminate the Palestinian people," said Jabaliya resident Abu Mohammad Yassin, who was among those fleeing the new offensive on foot or in donkey carts. "For God's sake, have mercy on us. We are tired of displacement."
Israel's military, which recently called up tens of thousands of reservists, said the ground operations are throughout the Palestinian territory's north and south. Israel's chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, said that plans include "dissecting" the strip.
Airstrikes killed more than 48 people — including 18 children and 13 women — in and around the southern city of Khan Younis, according to Nasser Hospital, which said it struggled to count the dead because of the condition of bodies.
In northern Gaza, a strike on a home in Jabaliya killed nine members of a family, according to the Gaza Health Ministry's emergency services. Another strike on a residence there killed 10, including seven children and a woman, according to the civil defense, which operates under the Hamas-run government.
Israel's military had no immediate comment. Its statement announcing the ground operations said preliminary strikes over the past week killed dozens of militants and struck more than 670 targets. Israel blames civilian casualties on Hamas because the militant group operates from civilian areas.
## Talks in Qatar
Israel had said it would wait until the end of U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to the Middle East before launching its offensive, saying it was giving ceasefire efforts a chance. Trump didn't visit Israel on his trip that ended Friday.
Netanyahu's office said his negotiating team in Qatar was "working to realize every chance for a deal," including one that would end fighting in exchange for the release of all remaining 58 hostages, Hamas' exile from Gaza and the disarmament of the territory.
Hamas has refused to leave Gaza or disarm.
Gaza's Health Ministry has said almost 3,000 people have been killed since the last ceasefire ended.
Frustration in Israel has been rising. A small but growing number of Israelis are refusing to show up for military service, even risking imprisonment. Other Israelis have been displaying photos of children killed in Gaza during weekly rallies demanding a deal to free all hostages and end the war.
The war in Gaza began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and abducting 251 others. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 53,000 Palestinians, many of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which doesn't differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count.
## Hospital cites Israeli 'siege'
Health officials said fighting around the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza and an Israeli military "siege" prompted it to shut down. It was the main medical facility in the north after Israeli strikes last year forced the Kamal Adwan and Beit Hanoun hospitals to stop offering services.
"There is direct targeting on the hospital, including the intensive care unit," Indonesian Hospital director Dr. Marwan al-Sultan said in a statement, adding that no one could reach the facility that had about 30 patients and 15 medical staff inside.
Israel's military said that troops were operating against militant infrastructure sites in northern Gaza, including the area "directly adjacent" to the hospital.
Israel has repeatedly targeted hospitals, accusing Hamas of being active in and around the facilities. Human rights groups and U.N.-backed experts have accused Israel of systematically destroying Gaza's health care system.
In northern Gaza, at least 43 people were killed in strikes, according to first responders from the Health Ministry and civil defense. Gaza City's Shifa Hospital said 15 children and 12 women were among the dead.
A drone strike Sunday afternoon killed at least seven Palestinians near a school sheltering displaced people northwest of Gaza City, according to the Health Ministry's emergency service. Other strikes in central Gaza killed at least 12 people, including two children and four women, according to hospitals.
In Gaza City, Um Mahmoud al-Aloul lay across the shrouded body of her daughter, Nour al-Aloul.
"You took my soul with you," she cried. "I used to turn off my phone from how much you called."
___
Magdy reported from Cairo, and Goldenberg from Tel Aviv, Israel. Associated Press writer Melanie Lidman contributed to this report from Tel Aviv.
___
Follow AP's war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-07 01:12:52+00:00
|
[
"Iran",
"Persian Gulf",
"Donald Trump",
"U.S. National Security Council",
"Hassan Rouhani",
"United States government",
"United States",
"Politics",
"Mohammed Javad Zarif",
"Abbas Araghchi",
"Alphabet",
"Inc.",
"Trevor N. McFadden"
] |
# Trump to say US will call the Persian Gulf the Arabian Gulf, officials say
By Matthew Lee
May 7th, 2025, 01:12 AM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump plans to announce while on his trip to Saudi Arabia next week that the United States will now refer to the Persian Gulf as the Arabian Gulf or the Gulf of Arabia, according to two U.S. officials.
Arab nations have pushed for a change to the geographic name of the body of water off the southern coast of Iran, while Iran has maintained its historic ties to the gulf.
The two U.S. officials spoke with The Associated Press on Tuesday on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter. The White House and National Security Council did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.
The Persian Gulf has been widely known by that name since the 16th century, although usage of "Gulf of Arabia" and "Arabian Gulf" is dominant in many countries in the Middle East. The government of Iran — formerly Persia — threatened to sue Google in 2012 over the company's decision not to label the body of water at all on its maps.
On Google Maps in the U.S., the body of water appears as Persian Gulf (Arabian Gulf). Apple Maps only says the Persian Gulf.
The U.S. military for years has unilaterally referred to the Persian Gulf as the Arabian Gulf in statements and images it releases.
The name of the body of water has become an emotive issue for Iranians who embrace their country's long history as the Persian Empire. A spat developed in 2017 during Trump's first term when he used the name Arabian Gulf for the waterway. Iran's president at the time, Hassan Rouhani, suggested Trump needed to "study geography."
"Everyone knew Trump's friendship was for sale to the highest bidder. We now know that his geography is, too," Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote online at the time.
On Wednesday, Iran's current foreign minister also weighed in, saying that names of Mideast waterways do "not imply ownership by any particular nation, but rather reflects a shared respect for the collective heritage of humanity."
"Politically motivated attempts to alter the historically established name of the Persian Gulf are indicative of hostile intent toward Iran and its people, and are firmly condemned," Abbas Araghchi wrote on the social platform X.
"Any short-sighted step in this connection will have no validity or legal or geographical effect, it will only bring the wrath of all Iranians from all walks of life and political persuasion in Iran, the U.S. and across the world."
Trump can change the name for official U.S. purposes, but he can't dictate what the rest of the world calls it.
The International Hydrographic Organization — of which the United States is a member — works to ensure all the world's seas, oceans and navigable waters are surveyed and charted uniformly, and also names some of them. There are instances where countries refer to the same body of water or landmark by different names in their own documentation.
In addition to Saudi Arabia, Trump is also set to visit Doha, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, which also lie on the body of water. Originally planned as Trump's first trip overseas since he took office on Jan. 20, it comes as Trump has tried to draw closer to the Gulf countries as he seeks their financial investment in the U.S. and support in regional conflicts, including resolving the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and limiting Iran's advancing nuclear program.
The U.S. president also has significant financial ties to the countries through his personal businesses, over which he has retained ownership from the Oval Office.
The move comes several months after Trump said the U.S. would refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.
The Associated Press sued the Trump administration earlier this year after the White House barred its journalists from covering most events because of the organization's decision not to follow the president's executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America" within the United States.
U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden, an appointee of President Donald Trump, ruled last month that the First Amendment protects the AP from government retaliation over its word choice and ordered the outlet's access to be reinstated.
___
Associated Press writers Zeke Miller in Washington, Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Meg Kinnard in Chapin, South Carolina, contributed to this report.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-14 14:57:36+00:00
|
[
"Donald Trump",
"Jamie Raskin",
"Impeachment",
"Alejandro Mayorkas",
"Pete Aguilar",
"Joe Biden",
"Mike Johnson",
"Detroit",
"U.S. Democratic Party",
"United States government",
"District of Columbia",
"Voting",
"Soviet Union",
"United States",
"Rick Larsen",
"Politics",
"Hank Johnson"
] |
# Democratic congressman pushes Trump impeachment but backs down from vote
By Lisa Mascaro, Matt Brown, and Leah Askarinam
May 14th, 2025, 02:57 PM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Democratic lawmaker is backing down, for now, from a renegade bid to impeach President Donald Trump after colleagues in his own party criticized the effort and refused to support it.
Rep. Shri Thanedar of Michigan isn't abandoning his resolution to impeach Trump, saying that, as an immigrant, he wants to do all he can to protect America's Constitution and its institutions. But with his own party leaders opposed, Thanedar late Wednesday edged back from forcing a vote that was certain to fail.
"Instead, I will add to my articles of impeachment and continue to rally the support of both Democrats and Republicans to defend the Constitution with me," Thanedar said on social media. He said other offenses could be added to the resolution, including Trump's plan to accept a free Air Force One replacement from Qatar.
"I will continue to pursue all avenues to put this President on notice and hold him accountable for his many impeachable crimes," Thanedar said.
It's the third time Trump has faced impeachment efforts after being twice impeached during his first term as president — first in 2019 on charges related to withholding military aid to Ukraine as it confronted Russia and later on a charge of inciting insurrection over the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by a mob of his supporters. Trump was acquitted both times by the Senate.
Thanedar's reversal followed multiple conversations with his fellow House Democrats in the halls of Congress and private talks with senior party leaders who urged him to reconsider.
"As I tried to explain to him, having been around the track a couple of times on this, it's not enough to be right," said Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, who served as the lead manager for Trump's second impeachment. Raskin noted that impeachment "as a constitutional matter is a mixed question of law and politics," and that, for the moment, Democrats lacked the needed power to mount a successful effort.
Asked whether Democrats would bring impeachment charges in a future Congress should they win back power, Raskin replied: "Who knows? There's so many things that could happen between now and then."
Thanedar is not the only Democrat who has signaled support for impeachment efforts against Trump. But his decision to go it almost alone comes as he faces his own political challenges at home, with several primary opponents looking to unseat him in his Detroit-area congressional district.
House Democratic leaders called his resolution a poorly timed distraction as they work to generate opposition to the Republican tax cut bill.
"Right now, our focus is on health care being stripped away from the American people," said Rep. Pete Aguilar of California, chair of the House Democratic Caucus. "That is the most urgent and dire thing that we could be talking about this week."
Aguilar added that Trump "is no stranger to impeachment" but said Thanedar's proposal is "not ripe and not timely" given the Republican push to approve their tax package.
Other Democrats agreed that the party should be focused on Republican efforts to cut spending on important programs that Americans rely on, such as Medicaid and nutrition assistance.
"There's no support for an impeachment resolution. There have been no hearings on compiling a record for which impeachment can be based. And this is just a procedure that's meaningless at this point," said Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga. "The sponsor is out of sync with the mood and the trajectory of House Democrats."
"The work that we need to focus on is that Republicans are stripping away access to health care, stripping away nutritional assistance for hungry kids, and giving tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans and large corporations," said Rick Larsen, D-Wash. "This resolution has nothing to do with that."
Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson, a close Trump ally, denounced Thanedar's impeachment effort as a "sham," "an embarrassing political stunt" and "out of touch." He promised that his party would vote the effort down.
Thanedar's resolution claiming Trump committed "high crimes and misdemeanors" came as Trump is traveling in the Middle East in his first major trip abroad of his second term, violating a norm in American politics of not criticizing the president once he leaves the U.S. waters' edge.
But Thanedar said he was pressing ahead in part because of Trump's trip abroad and the potential conflicts of interest as the president appears to be mixing his personal business dealings with his presidential duties.
"My constituents want me to act," Thanedar told The Associated Press late Tuesday.
"It's time for us to stand up and speak. We can't worry about, 'Is this the right time?' We can't worry about, 'Are we going to win this battle?' It's more about doing the right thing," he said.
Impeachment of a president or other U.S. officials, once rare, has become increasingly common in Congress.
Republicans in the House opened an impeachment inquiry into then-President Joe Biden, a Democrat, but stopped short of action. The Republicans in Congress did, however, impeach Biden's Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The Senate dismissed two articles of impeachment against Mayorkas, ending his trial.
Thanedar, who's from India, has said he came to the United States without many resources. He said he loves the U.S. and wants to defend its Constitution and institutions.
When he took over the Detroit congressional district, it was the first time in decades that the city was left without a Black lawmaker in Congress.
___
Staff writer Kevin Freking contributed to this report.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-07 18:50:48+00:00
|
[
"Mike Johnson",
"U.S. Republican Party",
"Donald Trump",
"Access to health care",
"Government programs",
"Ron Wyden",
"United States House of Representatives",
"Congress",
"Health care industry",
"United States Congressional Budget Office",
"Jeff Van Drew",
"Frank Pallone",
"Government and politics",
"Health",
"Nick LaLota",
"Politics"
] |
# House Republicans back off some Medicaid cuts for Trump budget
By Lisa Mascaro and Amanda Seitz
May 7th, 2025, 06:50 PM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans appear to be backing off some, but not all, of the steep reductions to the Medicaid program as part of their big tax breaks bill, as they run into resistance from more centrist GOP lawmakers opposed to ending nearly-free health care coverage for their constituents back home.
This is as a new report out Wednesday from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that millions of Americans would lose Medicaid coverage under the various proposals being circulated by Republicans as cost-saving measures. House Republicans are scrounging to come up with as much as $1.5 trillion in cuts across federal government health, food stamp and other programs, to offset the revenue lost for some $4.5 trillion in tax breaks.
"Under each of those options, Medicaid enrollment would decrease and the number of people without health insurance would increase," the CBO report said.
The findings touched off fresh uncertainty over House Speaker Mike Johnson's ability to pass what President Donald Trump calls his "big, beautiful bill" by a self-made Memorial Day deadline.
Lawmakers are increasingly uneasy, particularly amid growing economic anxiety over Trump's own policies, including the trade war that is sparking risks of higher prices, empty shelves and job losses in communities nationwide. Central to the package is the GOP priority of extending tax breaks, first enacted in 2017, that are expiring later this year. But they want to impose program cuts elsewhere to help pay for them and limit the continued climb in the nation's debt and deficits.
Johnson has been huddling privately all week in the speaker's office at the Capitol with groups of Republicans, particularly the more moderate GOP lawmakers in some of the most contested seats in the nation, who are warning off steep cuts that would slash through their districts.
Democrats, who had requested the CBO report, pounced on the findings.
"This non-partisan Congressional Budget Office analysis confirms what we've been saying all along: Republicans' Medicaid proposals result in millions of people losing their health care," said Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., who sought the review with Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.
House Republican lawmakers exiting a meeting late Tuesday evening indicated that Johnson and the GOP leadership were walking away from some of the most debated Medicaid changes to the federal matching fund rates provided to the states.
Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., said those Medicaid changes "are dead."
Republican Rep. Nick LaLota of New York, reminded that Trump himself has said he would oppose Medicaid cuts. Instead, he said the growing consensus within the Republican ranks is to focus the Medicaid cuts on other provisions.
Among the other ideas, LaLota said, are imposing work requirements for those receiving Medicaid coverage, requiring recipients to verify their eligibility twice a year instead of just once and ensuring no immigrants who are in the U.S. without legal standing are receiving aid.
But the more conservative Republicans, including members of the House Freedom Caucus, are insisting on steeper cuts as they fight to prevent skyrocketing deficits from the tax breaks.
Medicaid is a joint program run by states and the federal government, covering 71 million adults.
Republicans are considering a menu of options to cut federal spending on the program, including reducing the share that the federal government pays for enrollees health care — in some cases it is as much as 90%.
They are also considering and setting a cap on how much the federal government spends on each person enrolled in Medicaid, though that idea also appears to be losing support among lawmakers.
While those changes would bring in billions of dollars in cost savings, they would also result in roughly 10 million people losing Medicaid coverage, the CBO said.
They appear to be off the table.
But other proposed Medicaid changes are still in the mix for Republicans, including imposing new limits on a state's tax on health care providers that generate larger payments from the federal government. That would bring in billions in savings, but could also result in some 8 million people losing coverage, the report said.
___
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-02 12:01:09+00:00
|
[
"Juan Carlos Toapanta",
"Alternative medicine",
"Minneapolis",
"Immigration",
"Brooklyn",
"Minnesota",
"Be Well",
"JWD-evergreen",
"Vanessa Arcos",
"Health",
"Race and ethnicity",
"Politics",
"Religion",
"Sarah Howell",
"Martha Dominguez",
"Lutheranism",
"Lifestyle",
"Wellness",
"Donald Trump",
"Hispanics",
"Cheryl Aguilar",
"Stress",
"Race and Ethnicity"
] |
# Minneapolis church brings acupuncture and Reiki to migrant ministry
By Giovanna Dell'Orto
May 2nd, 2025, 12:01 PM
---
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Right after Sunday worship at St. Paul's-San Pablo Lutheran Church, Juan Carlos Toapanta lay in a lounge chair set up by the altar, needles sticking out of his forehead, wrist and foot for an hourlong acupuncture session.
"Just like the Lord's light helps emotionally, the body's pain is treated as well," said the Ecuadorian construction worker, who suffers from sciatica and has worshipped at the Minneapolis church for about five months. "Everything feels freed, emotionally."
Founded by Swedish immigrants in the late 19th century, the church is now a predominantly Latino congregation. Like most other churches in the U.S. that serve migrants, it has expanded its humanitarian, financial, legal and pastoral ministries during the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.
It has also added monthly well-being sessions — at no charge — with acupuncture, Reiki and cupping therapy to ease the stress that uncertainty and fear have sown among the migrant community — including people in the U.S. illegally and U.S.-born citizens in mixed-status families.
"We have to feel well to respond well, not with panic and fear, which leads to nothing good," said Lizete Vega, the church's family engagement coordinator. "People here feel that they're protected and can be cared for spiritually, emotionally and physically."
## Mental health and faith ministry collaborations increase
Faith leaders have increasingly found themselves called to help their congregations with mental health concerns, from chaplains in the U.S. Navy to pastors in the rural heartland.
Some see the need to provide reassurance and well-being as a growing part of their ministry to migrants, even as revised federal immigration guidelines now provide more leeway for enforcement in or near houses of worship.
"It was as if they were able to exhale a big breath," the Rev. Hierald Osorto said of the 30 congregants who signed up for the first well-being session in March at St. Paul's, where an outdoor mural features two traditional Swedish Dala horses between the Spanish words "sanación" (healing) and "resiliencia" (resilience).
After last Sunday's worship, the altar table and Easter lilies were moved to make room for seven acupuncture chairs, arranged in a circle facing the central cross. Three massage tables were set up in front of the pews for the Reiki treatment, where practitioners hold their hands on or near the body's energy centers.
"To see this space be quite literally a place of healing, in the place where we talk about it right at the altar, it moved me to tears," Osorto said.
## Rising anxiety and confusion affect migrants' mental health and well-being
Wellness practitioners and mental health clinicians say anxiety and depression among those they serve in migrant communities have spread and intensified this year.
Already, migrants often arrive with severe trauma from violence they fled in their home countries as well as attacks along cartel-controlled routes to and through the U.S. border.
Women in particular often suffer sexual violence on the journey. For many, the fear that they or someone in their families might be deported is revictimizing. That makes it imperative that "safe places" exist where they can focus on wellness, said Noeline Maldonado, executive director of The Healing Center, which helps domestic and sexual violence victims in Brooklyn, New York.
Sessions that promote grounding and mindfulness are necessary to cope with the stress of both immediate crises as well as long-term unpredictability as immigration policies shift.
"Uncertainty is the biggest thing," said Cheryl Aguilar, director of Hope Center for Wellness in the Washington, D.C., area, which has partnered with churches to provide mental health programs.
Being in community and cultivating hope is crucial because many people are responding to fear with rising anxiety, traumatic symptoms and isolation, all of which can have lasting consequences, Aguilar added.
"It's nonstop work, nonstop fear," said Sarah Howell, a clinical social worker in Houston with more than a decade of experience in migration-related trauma. "Every issue seems bigger."
Howell said many of her clients in Texas are realizing they can't live in a state of constant alarm, and the respite that wellness programs can bring becomes essential.
## Finding healing in houses of worship
"People feel hopeless, but they have to keep fighting," said Guadalupe Gonzalez, one of the bilingual Reiki practitioners whose organization, Odigo Wellness, partnered with St. Paul's in Minneapolis to offer the sessions.
She said she had some doubts about offering these healing practices inside a church — a large space with light flooding in and people moving through.
"But the sanctuary has a very nice, very positive energy," Gonzalez said. "As practitioners we feel a lot of emotions."
Several congregants who attended last Sunday's two-hour wellness session said they felt both the energy and the connection between these healing practices and faith.
Martha Dominguez came bouncing down the altar steps after an acupuncture session. Grinning, she said she had never imagined a church would offer these kinds of "benefits."
"Yes, it helps so much," said the Mexican immigrant. "It takes the stress away from you."
Limber Saliero, a roofer from Ecuador who has been worshipping at St. Paul's for more than a year, said he had never heard of acupuncture but decided to try it.
"I felt like an energy that was flowing into me," he said.
Vanessa Arcos tried acupuncture with her sister and her father, while her mother got a Reiki treatment. The family started attending the church the week they arrived in Minnesota from their home state of Guerrero, Mexico, almost a decade ago.
Lying in the lounge chair next to a statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe, Arcos said she overcame her fear of needles and found the treatment relaxing for both muscles and mind.
"It felt very peaceful, very safe," Arcos said. "It's important to do little things for yourself."
___
This story has been updated to correct Lizete Vega's job title to family engagement coordinator instead of its Latino outreach coordinator. It has also been corrected to reflect that Limber Saliero has worshipped at St. Paul's for more than a year, instead of five years.
___
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-15 07:55:07+00:00
|
[
"Vladimir Putin",
"Volodymyr Zelenskyy",
"Donald Trump",
"Marco Rubio",
"Russia",
"Istanbul",
"Turkey",
"Ukraine",
"Sergei Shoigu",
"Lindsey Graham",
"Keir Starmer",
"War and unrest",
"Russia-Ukraine war",
"Politics",
"Yuri Ushakov",
"Dmitry Peskov",
"Russia Ukraine war",
"Hakan Fidan",
"Andrei Belousov",
"Sergey Lavrov",
"United States government",
"Ukraine government",
"Vladimir Medinsky",
"Recep Tayyip Erdogan",
"Mykhailo Podolyak",
"Andriy Yermak"
] |
# Putin spurns Zelenskyy meeting but lower-level Ukraine-Russia talks are still on
By Mehmet Guzel, Hanna Arhirova, and Suzan Fraser
May 15th, 2025, 07:55 AM
---
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Russia and Ukraine are set to hold their first direct peace talks in three years, both countries said Thursday, but hopes for a breakthrough remained dim after Russian President Vladimir Putin spurned an offer by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to meet face-to-face in Turkey.
Zelenskyy said he is sending a team headed by his defense minister from the Turkish capital Ankara to Istanbul to meet a Russian delegation, even though Moscow's side doesn't include "anyone who actually makes decisions."
The Ukrainian side would be headed by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, and its aim is "to attempt at least the first steps toward de-escalation, the first steps toward ending the war — namely, a ceasefire," he said.
Few had expected Putin to show up in Turkey, and his absence punctured any hope of significant progress toward ending the 3-year-old war amid peace efforts in recent months by the Trump administration and Western European leaders. It also raised the prospect of intensified international sanctions on Russia that have been threatened by the West.
Zelenskyy, who flew Thursday to Ankara after challenging Putin to sit down with him, accused Moscow of not making a serious effort to end the war by sending a low-level negotiating team that he described as "a theater prop."
His proposal to Putin came amid a flurry of maneuvering last weekend as each side sought a diplomatic advantage.
Zelenskyy said he decided to send the delegation to Istanbul to demonstrate to U.S. President Donald Trump that Ukraine wants to end the fighting.
The war has killed tens of thousands of soldiers on both sides and more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians, according to the U.N. Russian forces are preparing a fresh military offensive, Ukrainian government and Western military analysts say.
At least five civilians were killed and 29 wounded in the past day, according to authorities in five eastern regions of Ukraine where Russia is trying to advance.
The head of the Russian delegation, presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, said in Istanbul that the representatives were ready to meet Ukrainian officials.
"The task of these direct negotiations with Ukraine is to establish long-term peace sooner or later by eliminating the root causes of this conflict," he said in a brief statement.
It was not clear when they would meet. Medinsky said late Thursday that the Russian delegation would be waiting for Ukrainian officials at 10 a.m. Friday.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he would confer Friday in Istanbul with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and the Ukrainian delegation, adding that the Russian delegation would be meeting with other members of the U.S. team and that he hoped all sides could get together.
"We don't have high expectations of what will happen tomorrow. And frankly, at this point, I think it's abundantly clear that the only way we're going to have a breakthrough here is between President Trump and President Putin," Rubio told reporters in Antalya, Turkey, where he was attending a NATO foreign ministers meeting.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier welcomed Zelenskyy to the presidential palace in Ankara for their own talks. Zelenskyy heads Friday to Albania for a gathering of European officials.
## Weekend maneuvers
The diplomatic maneuvering began Saturday when European leaders met Zelenskyy in Kyiv and urged the Kremlin to agree to a full, unconditional 30-day ceasefire as a first step toward peace. Putin responded early Sunday by proposing direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul. Then came Zelenskyy's challenge to Putin for face-to-face talks.
After days of silence, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov finally said Thursday that Putin had no plans to travel to Istanbul in the next few days.
Trump said he was not surprised that Putin was a no-show. He had pressed for Putin and Zelenskyy to meet but brushed off the Kremlin leader's decision not to attend.
"I didn't think it was possible for Putin to go if I'm not there," Trump told reporters in Doha, Qatar, on the third day of his visit to the Middle East.
Trump said a meeting between him and Putin was crucial to breaking the deadlock.
"I don't believe anything's going to happen whether you like it or not, until (Putin) and I get together," he said on Air Force One while traveling from Doha to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. "But we're going to have to get it solved because too many people are dying."
Peskov said Putin has no plans to meet with Trump in the coming days.
Medinsky, Putin's aide, is leading the Russian team that also includes three other senior officials, the Kremlin said. Putin also appointed four lower-level officials as "experts" for the talks in Istanbul.
Also absent from the talks were Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Putin's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov, both of whom represented Russia at talks with the U.S. in Saudi Arabia in March.
The top-level Ukrainian delegation included Umerov, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and the head of the Ukrainian presidential office, Andriy Yermak, a Ukrainian official said. Zelenskyy will sit at the negotiating table only with Putin, said presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak.
Putin met Wednesday with senior government officials and members of the delegation in preparation for the talks, Peskov said. Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, General Staff chief Valery Gerasimov and National Security Council secretary Sergei Shoigu attended.
## Russia calls the talks a 'restart'
The Kremlin billed the Istanbul talks as a "restart" of peace negotiations held there in 2022 that quickly collapsed. Moscow accused Ukraine and the West of wanting to continue fighting, while Kyiv said Russia's demands amounted to an ultimatum, not something both sides could agree on. That delegation also was also headed by Medinsky.
Putin's proposal came after more than three months of diplomacy kick-started by Trump, who promised during his campaign to end the war swiftly, although it's been hard to pull off. The Trump administration in recent weeks indicated it might walk away from the effort if there was no tangible progress soon.
Sybiha, the Ukrainian foreign minister, met with Rubio and Sen. Lindsey Graham on Wednesday night in Antalya.
Sybiha reaffirmed Ukraine's support for Trump's mediation efforts and thanked the U.S. for its continued involvement, urging Moscow to "reciprocate Ukraine's constructive steps" toward peace. "So far, it has not," Sybiha said.
On Thursday morning, Sybiha also met with other European foreign ministers, including his French counterpart, Jean-Noël Barrot, who in a post on X reiterated the call for a ceasefire and the threat of "massive sanctions" if Russia doesn't comply.
"We're in a very difficult spot right now, and we hope that we can find the steps forward that provide for the end of this war in a negotiated way and the prevention of any war in the future," Rubio said Thursday.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer accused Putin of "standing in the way of peace."
"There was only one country that started this conflict — that was Russia. That was Putin. There's only one country now standing in the way of peace — that is Russia. That is Putin," he said in a visit to Tirana, Albania.
Barrot echoed that sentiment: "In front of Ukrainians, there is an empty chair, one that should have been occupied by Vladimir Putin," he said. Putin "is dragging his feet and in all evidence does not want to enter into these peace discussions."
___
Associated Press writers Lorne Cook in Brussels; Illia Novikov and Samya Kullab in Kyiv, Ukraine; Dasha Litvinova in Tallinn, Estonia; Aamer Madhani in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; and Matthew Lee in Antalya, Turkey, contributed to this report.
___
Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-14 13:58:57+00:00
|
[
"New Jersey",
"Transportation",
"Phil Murphy",
"Shakira",
"Mass transit",
"Strikes",
"Engineering",
"New Jersey Transit",
"New York City Wire",
"Business",
"Beyonce Knowles",
"Tom Haas",
"Kris Kolluri"
] |
# NJ Transit braces for possible engineers strike
By Bruce Shipkowski
May 14th, 2025, 01:58 PM
---
Some 100,000 commuters who work in New Jersey and New York City could soon be scrambling for other ways to reach their destinations if New Jersey Transit engineers walk off the job early Friday.
NJ Transit — the nation's third largest transit system — operates buses and rail in the state, providing nearly 1 million weekday trips, including into New York City. A walkout would halt all NJ Transit commuter trains, which provide heavily used public transit routes between New York City's Penn Station on one side of the Hudson River and communities in northern New Jersey on the other as well as the Newark airport, which has grappled with unrelated delays of its own recently.
Wages have been the main sticking point of the negotiations between the agency and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen. The union claims its members earn an average salary of $113,000 a year and says an agreement could be reached if agency CEO Kris Kolluri agrees to an average yearly salary of $170,000.
NJ Transit leadership, though, disputes the union's data, saying the engineers have average total earnings of $135,000 annually, with the highest earners exceeding $200,000.
"I cannot keep giving money left and right to solve a problem," Kolluri recently said. "It all comes down to, who is going to pay for this? Money does not grow on trees."
Tom Haas, the union's general chairman, has said NJ Transit has adopted a "take it or leave it" approach to salaries during the negotiations.
"We have sought nothing more than equal pay for equal work, only to be continuously rebuffed by New Jersey Transit," Haas said during a news conference Friday. "New Jersey Transit engineers want to keep the trains moving, but the simple fact is that trains do not run without engineers."
If the walkout does happen, it would be the state's first transit strike in more than 40 years.
## Strike contingency plans
If the engineers do walk off the job, the agency plans to increase bus service, saying it would add "very limited" capacity to existing New York commuter bus routes in close proximity to rail stations and will contract with private carriers to operate bus service from key regional park-and-ride locations during weekday peak periods.
However, the agency notes that the buses would not be able to handle close to the same number of passengers — only about 20% of current rail customers — so it is has urged people who can work from home to do so if there is a strike.
The potential strike is already causing some disruptions. On Monday, NJ Transit said it will not operate train or bus service to MetLife Stadium for Shakira concerts scheduled for Thursday and Friday, and said it's not clear yet if it will be providing service for Beyonce fans planning to attend her shows scheduled at MetLife from May 22 to 29.
## Commuter options if there is a strike
If a walkout does occur, NJ Transit has said the chartered buses will run from four satellite lots across the state to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan or to PATH train stations in north Jersey, starting Monday. The PATH system is operated by a subsidiary of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and its services would not be affected by the potential strike.
As many as 1,000 passengers are on a full train each day, and roughly 70,000 commuters take the trains each day. NJ Transit says each chartered bus could carry only about 100 passengers, and no buses would run on the first day of a potential strike.
Officials expect some train customers will switch to existing NJ Transit bus routes or use the chartered carriers. Others may choose to drive into New York City, where they would have to pay congestion pricing fees.
## Negotiations ongoing
The potential walkout comes a month after union members overwhelmingly rejected a labor agreement with management. Both sides had earlier said the tentative agreement included a "reasonable wage increase" for union members as well as the resolution of a long-standing grievance.
Kolluri has said the offer would have raised the average annual pay of full-time engineers to $172,000 from $135,000, but union leaders say those figures were inflated.
Since that proposal was rejected, the two sides have traded jabs over the labor dispute, which goes back to 2019, when the engineers' contract expired. Union leaders say train engineers have gone without a raise over the past five years and are just seeking pay parity with engineers who work for other rail agencies.
The parties met Monday with a federal mediation board in Washington to discuss the dispute, but both sides and the board have declined to comment on whether any progress was made or if more talks have been scheduled.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, says all options are on the table if a strike occurs, including declaring a state of emergency. The governor, though, remains optimistic an agreement can be reached.
—-
This story has been updated to correct the daily affected ridership to 100,000 instead of 350,000.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-06 03:02:19+00:00
|
[
"Wisconsin",
"Isaac Hanson",
"Crime",
"Missing persons",
"Oddities",
"Law enforcement"
] |
# A woman who disappeared from Wisconsin more than 6 decades ago has been found safe
By Hallie Golden
May 6th, 2025, 03:02 AM
---
Sixty-two years ago, Audrey Backeberg disappeared from a small city in south-central Wisconsin after reportedly hitchhiking with her family's babysitter and catching a bus to Indianapolis.
Nobody ever knew where she went or what happened to her.
All that changed last week when she was found alive and safe in another state, thanks to the fresh eyes from a deputy who took over the case in February.
Detective Isaac Hanson discovered an out-of-state arrest record that matched Backeberg, which triggered a series of investigative moves that led to finding her alive and safe in another state.
Turns out Backeberg chose to leave the town of Reedsburg on her own accord -- likely due to an abusive husband, Hanson said.
"She's happy, safe and secure; And just kind of lived under the radar for that long," he said.
Hanson was assigned the case in late February and, after discovering the arrest record, he and other officials met with Backeberg's family to see if they had a connection with that region. They also started digging through Backeberg's sister's Ancestry.com account, pulling census records, obituaries and marriage licenses from that region.
Within about two months, they found an address where a woman was living that Hanson said shared a lot of similarities with Backeberg, including date of birth and social security number. Hanson was able to get a deputy from that jurisdiction to go to the address. Ten minutes later, Backeberg, now in her 80's, called Hanson.
"It happened so fast," he said. "I was expecting the deputy to call me back and say, 'Oh nobody answered the door.' And I thought it was the deputy calling me, but it was actually her. And to be honest it was just a very casual conversation. I could sense that she obviously had her reasons for leaving."
Most of the information he learned during that call he declined to share, saying that it was still important to Backeberg that she not be found.
"I think it overwhelmed her of course with the emotions that she had, having a deputy show up at her house and then kind of call her out and talk with her about what happened and kind of relive 62 years in 45 minutes," he said.
Hanson described discovering her safe after more than six decades practically unheard of. And while he doesn't know what will happen next in terms of her family reconnecting, he said he was happy that she can reach out if she wants to.
"There's family living here, so she has my contact number if she ever wants to reach out or needs anything, any phone numbers of family members back here," he said. "Ultimately she kind of holds the cards for that."
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-15 13:30:02+00:00
|
[
"Sean Diddy Combs",
"Human trafficking",
"Sex and sexuality",
"Crime",
"National",
"New York City Wire",
"Legal proceedings",
"Trials",
"Arts and entertainment",
"Sexual misconduct",
"Juries",
"Cassie",
"Entertainment"
] |
# Cassie forced to read aloud explicit messages with Sean 'Diddy' Combs at his sex trafficking trial
By Michael R. Sisak and Larry Neumeister
May 15th, 2025, 01:30 PM
---
NEW YORK (AP) — R&B singer Cassie was pressed to read aloud her own explicit messages to ex-boyfriend Sean "Diddy" Combs in federal court Thursday, including texts that showed her expressing desire for the drug-fueled group sex she previously testified left her traumatized.
Lawyers for Combs sought to portray Cassie to the jury as a willing and eager participant in the music mogul's sexual lifestyle. Combs has pleaded not guilty to federal sex trafficking and racketeering charges. His defense says that, while he could be violent, nothing he did amounted to a criminal enterprise.
Prosecutors say he exploited his status as a powerful music executive to violently force Cassie and other women into these marathon encounters with sex workers, called "freak-offs," which sometimes lasted days. Combs insists all the sex was consensual. He's also accused of using his entourage and employees to facilitate illegal activities, including prostitution-related transportation and coercion, which is a key element of the federal charges.
Messages between Combs and Cassie — both romantic and lurid — were the focus of the fourth day of testimony in a Manhattan courtroom. Defense attorney Anna Estevao read what Combs wrote, while Cassie recited her own messages about what she wanted to do during the freak-offs. Cassie's testimony will resume Friday.
Combs, 55, has been jailed since September. He faces at least 15 years in prison if convicted.
## Defense highlights Cassie's messages to Combs
While Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, has said she felt compelled to participate in freak-offs to keep Combs happy, Estevao pointed to message exchanges where Cassie appeared excited about the sexual encounters and raised the idea of having one on her own.
In August 2009, Combs asked when she wanted the next encounter to be, and she replied "I'm always ready to freak off." Two days later, Cassie sent an explicit message and he replied in eager anticipation. She responded: "Me Too, I just want it to be uncontrollable."
Later that year, however, she also sent Combs messages that she was frustrated with the state of their relationship and needed something more from him than sex.
Estevao also noted a July 2013 text message exchange where Cassie wrote to Combs, "Wish we could've FO'd before you left," using the initials of freak-off.
In a 2017 text message, Cassie told Combs: "I love our FOs when we both want it." On the stand Thursday, Cassie explained: "I would say loving FOs were just words at that point."
Cassie complained at one point that jurors weren't hearing the full context of the messages the defense was highlighting, saying, "There's a lot we skipped over."
Combs' attorney presented Cassie with sexual texts she sent before a 2016 encounter at a Los Angeles hotel, where Combs was caught on surveillance video kicking and dragging her in a hallway. Cassie said she wanted to get the encounter over with, in order to keep Combs happy and avoid a scene ahead of movie premier she was attending days later.
Estevao raised instances of Cassie's anger with Combs and her admitted jealousy over attention he gave other women. Cassie said Combs didn't want her seeing anyone else, but the same rules didn't apply to him.
Cassie testified that after a few years with Combs she longed to be a bigger part of his life but he wouldn't let her in. Their relationship lasted from 2007 to 2018.
## A packed courtroom watches Cassie's testimony
The cross-examination didn't have the combative tone of a stereotypical defense grilling. Estevao spoke gently, and she and Cassie seemed like two friends chatting at times.
The 38-year-old Cassie — who is in the third trimester of pregnancy with her third child — has held up well on the witness stand. She cried several times during the previous two days of questions by the prosecution, but for the most part has remained composed and matter-of-fact as she spoke about the most sensitive subjects.
The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly, as Cassie has.
As the explicit messages were read, Combs appeared relaxed at the defense table, sitting back with his hands folded and legs crossed. The courtroom was packed with family and friends of Combs, journalists, and a row of spectator seats occupied by Cassie's supporters including her husband.
During a break, Combs stood at the table, huddling with his lawyers, holding a pack of Post-It notes in one hand and a pen in the other. At one point, he turned to the gallery and acknowledged a few reporters who were studying his demeanor. "How you doing?" he asked. Combs' daughters were not in the courtroom Thursday.
Jurors leaned forward in their seats to follow along as the messages were displayed on monitors in front of them in the jury box. One woman shook her head as a particularly explicit message was shown. A man stared intently at the screen, pressing his thumb to his chin. Other jurors appeared curious and quizzical, some looking at Cassie or jotting notes.
## Defense draws a comparison to the 'swingers lifestyle,' but Cassie pushes back
While prosecutors have focused on Combs' desire to see Cassie having sex with other men, she testified that she sometimes watched Combs have sex with other women. She said Combs described it as part of a "swingers lifestyle."
Estevao asked Cassie directly whether she thought freak-offs were related to that lifestyle.
"In a sexual way," Cassie responded, before adding: "They're very different."
Cassie said Tuesday that Combs was obsessed with a form of voyeurism where "he was controlling the whole situation." The freak-offs took place in private, often in dark hotel rooms, unlike Combs' very public parties that attracted A-list celebrities.
She testified she sometimes took IV fluids to recover from the encounters, and eventually developed an opioid addiction because it made her "feel numb" afterward.
Cassie's testimony on cross-examination was in contrast to previous days, when she described the violence and shame that accompanied her "hundreds" of freak-offs during her relationship with Combs.
## Cassie's lawsuit sparked the criminal case against Combs
Cassie testified Wednesday that Combs raped her when she broke up with him in 2018, and had locked in a life of abuse by threatening to release videos of her during the freak-offs.
She sued Combs in 2023, accusing him of years of physical and sexual abuse. Within hours, the suit was settled for $20 million — a figure Cassie disclosed for the first time Wednesday — but dozens of similar legal claims followed from other women. It also touched off a law enforcement investigation into Combs that has culminated in this month's trial.
___
Associated Press journalists Julie Walker in New York and Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut, contributed to this report.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-12 07:36:30+00:00
|
[
"Benjamin Netanyahu",
"2024-2025 Mideast Wars",
"Donald Trump",
"Israel",
"Israel government",
"Middle East",
"Hamas",
"Gaza Strip",
"Edan Alexander",
"United States government",
"Hostage situations",
"War and unrest",
"International agreements",
"United States",
"Religion",
"Humanitarian crises",
"Military and defense",
"Steve Witkoff",
"Varda Ben Baruch",
"Kidnapping",
"Mike Huckabee"
] |
# Edan Alexander, last living Israeli-American hostage, freed by Hamas
By Wafaa Shurafa, Samy Magdy, and Tia Goldenberg
May 12th, 2025, 07:36 AM
---
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hamas on Monday released an Israeli-American soldier who had been held hostage in Gaza for more than 19 months, offering a goodwill gesture toward the Trump administration that could lay the groundwork for a new ceasefire with Israel.
Edan Alexander, 21, was the first hostage released since Israel shattered an eight-week ceasefire with Hamas in March and unleashed fierce strikes on Gaza that have killed hundreds of Palestinians.
He was handed over to the Red Cross and then to Israeli forces before being flown by helicopter to a hospital in Tel Aviv. Israeli authorities released video and photos showing a pale but smiling Alexander in an emotional reunion with his mother and other family members.
Israel has promised to intensify its offensive, including by seizing Gaza and displacing much of the territory's population again. Days before the ceasefire ended, Israel blocked all imports from entering the Palestinian enclave, deepening a humanitarian crisis and sparking warnings about the risk of famine if the blockade isn't lifted. Israel says the steps are meant to pressure Hamas to accept a ceasefire agreement on Israel's terms.
Wearing shirts emblazoned with his name, Alexander's extended family gathered in Tel Aviv to watch the release. They chanted his name when the military said he was free, while in the city's Hostage Square, hundreds of people broke out into cheers.
Alexander's grandmother, Varda Ben Baruch, beamed. She said her grandson looked mostly all right in the first photo of him after nearly 600 days in captivity.
"He seemed like a man. He has really matured," she said. Reports that Alexander cracked a joke on the phone while speaking to his mother for the first time did not surprise her. "He's got such a sense of humor," she said.
Alexander was 19 when he was taken from his military base in southern Israel during Hamas' cross-border attack on Oct. 7, 2023, which set off the war in Gaza.
In his hometown of Tenafly, New Jersey, hundreds of supporters packed the streets, holding signs with his image and listening to speakers blasting Israeli music. As they watched the news of his release on a large screen, the crowd hugged and waved Israeli flags. Since he was taken hostage, supporters there gathered every Friday to march for the hostages' release.
Israel says 58 hostages remain in captivity, with about 23 of them said to be alive. Many of the 250 hostages taken by Hamas-led militants in the 2023 attack were freed in ceasefire deals.
## Trump calls expected release 'hopefully' a step toward ending war
Hamas announced its intention to release Alexander shortly before U.S. President Donald Trump was set to arrive Tuesday in the Middle East on the first official foreign trip of his second term.
Trump on Sunday called the planned release "a step taken in good faith towards the United States and the efforts of the mediators — Qatar and Egypt — to put an end to this very brutal war and return ALL living hostages and remains to their loved ones."
"Hopefully this is the first of those final steps necessary to end this brutal conflict. I look very much forward to that day of celebration!" Trump said on social media.
Trump, who is traveling to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, is not scheduled to stop in Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Monday with the U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, and the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, and discussed efforts to release the remaining hostages, his office said.
Netanyahu "directed that a negotiations team leave for Doha tomorrow," the prime minister's office said, adding that Netanyahu "made it clear that the negotiations would only take place under fire."
Netanyahu said Alexander's release "was achieved thanks to our military pressure and the diplomatic pressure applied by President Trump. This is a winning combination."
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents relatives of hostages, welcomed the news that an Israeli delegation was headed to the Qatari capital for talks.
"Prime Minister Netanyahu, the ball is in your court," the group said in a statement after Alexander was released. It urged the prime minister to announce that he was ready to negotiate a deal for the return of all remaining hostages and end the war.
"Don't miss this historic opportunity facing the State of Israel. Prove to the Israeli public and President Trump that you are willing to take a regional initiative that transcends narrow political considerations," the group said.
## Israel says it still plans to escalate its offensive
On Monday, a statement from Netanyahu's office said Israel did not make any concessions for Alexander's release and had only agreed to create a "safe corridor" to allow Alexander to be returned.
It said Israel would carry on with plans to ramp up its offensive in Gaza. Israel says it won't launch that plan until after Trump's visit to the Middle East, to allow for a potential new ceasefire deal to emerge.
Early Tuesday, an Israeli strike hit the surgery department at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. Officials at the hospital said two people were killed and 10 wounded. They had initially reported three deaths but later amended their tally.
The Israeli military said it had precisely struck Hamas militants operating from within a command and control center at the hospital.
## Netanyahu faces criticism for not freeing all hostages
Alexander's release created a backlash against Netanyahu, whom critics accuse of having to rely on a foreign leader to help free the remaining hostages.
At the opening of his trial on corruption allegations, where he is giving testimony, a woman in the courtroom asked whether he was "ashamed that the president of the United States is saving his citizens, and he is leaving them to die there in captivity."
Critics assert that Netanyahu's insistence on keeping up the war in Gaza is politically motivated. Netanyahu says he aims to achieve Israel's goals of freeing the hostages and dismantling Hamas.
Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people in the 2023 attack. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed over 52,800 Palestinians, many of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were combatants or civilians.
Israel's offensive has obliterated vast swaths of Gaza's urban landscape and displaced 90% of the population, often multiple times.
___
Magdy reported from Cairo and Goldenberg from Tel Aviv, Israel. Associated Press writer Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv contributed to this report.
___
Follow AP's war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-18 09:08:43+00:00
|
[
"Austria",
"Alexander van der Bellen",
"Eurovision Song Contest",
"Austria government",
"Israel",
"Gaza Strip",
"Celebrity",
"Eurocopa 2024",
"Entertainment",
"2024-2025 Mideast Wars",
"Israel-Hamas war",
"Bogdan Roscic",
"Music",
"Vienna",
"Yuval Raphael",
"Tommy Cash",
"Lifestyle",
"Udo Jrgens",
"Christian Stoecker",
"Hamas",
"Johannes Anzengruber",
"Johannes Pietsch"
] |
# Austria welcomes JJ back home with cheers, hugs and roses after he wins the Eurovision Song Contest
By Philipp Jenne and Kirsten Grieshaber
May 18th, 2025, 09:08 AM
---
VIENNA (AP) — Austrian fans enthusiastically welcomed classically trained singer JJ back home at Vienna airport on Sunday after he won the 69th Eurovision Song Contest with "Wasted Love."
As JJ walked through the gate, hundreds of fans cheered, some played his song and others surrounded the new star, hugging him and asking for autographs.
The 24-year-old countertenor, whose winning song combines operatic, multi-octave vocals with a techno twist, and who also sings at the Vienna State Opera, held up his trophy in one hand and a big bouquet of roses in the other. He smiled, wiped away tears and told the crowd "that victory is for you."
JJ, whose full name is Johannes Pietsch, was Austria's third Eurovision winner, after bearded drag queen Conchita Wurst in 2014 and Udo Jürgens in 1966.
"This is beyond my wildest dreams. It's crazy," said the singer when being handed the microphone-shaped glass Eurovision trophy after his win in the Swiss city of Basel on Saturday night.
On Sunday night, JJ told reporters in Vienna that "I don't think you'll realize that you did it at all until you're on your deathbed."
## 'All of Austria is happy'
Austria's president, Alexander van der Bellen, celebrated JJ in a video posted on X.
"What a success! What a voice! What a show!" he exclaimed. "All of Austria is happy."
Chancellor Christian Stoecker wrote on X: "What a great success — my warmest congratulations on winning #ESC2025! JJ is writing Austrian music history today!"
The Vienna State Opera also expressed joy over the win. "From the Magic Flute to winning the Song Contest is somehow a story that can only take place in Austria," opera director Bogdan Roscic told the Austrian press agency APA.
Several Austrian cities were quick to show their interest in hosting next year's contest. Innsbruck Mayor Johannes Anzengruber told APA that "not everything has to take place in Vienna. ... Austria is bigger than that," and the towns of Oberwart in Burgenland and Wels in Upper Austria also threw their hats into the ring.
JJ himself said he hoped that Vienna would get the next ESC which he would love to host together with his mentor, Conchita Wurst.
## A nail-biting final
Israeli singer Yuval Raphael came second at an exuberant celebration of music and unity that was shadowed by the Gaza war and rattled by discord over Israel's participation.
JJ won after a nail-biting final that saw Raphael scoop up a massive public vote from her many fans for her anthemic "New Day Will Rise." But she also faced protests from pro-Palestinian demonstrators calling for Israel to be kicked out of the contest over its conduct of the war against Hamas in Gaza.
At a post-victory press conference, JJ said the message of his song about unrequited romance was that "love is the strongest force on planet Earth, and love persevered.
"Let's spread love, guys," said JJ, who added that he was honored to be the first Eurovision champion with Filipino heritage, as well as a proudly queer winner.
## Eclectic and sometimes baffling
The world's largest live music event, which has been uniting and dividing Europeans since 1956, reached its glitter-drenched conclusion with a grand final in Basel that offered pounding electropop, quirky rock and outrageous divas.
Acts from 26 countries — trimmed from 37 entrants through two elimination semifinals — performed to some 160 million viewers for the continent's pop crown. No smoke machine, jet of flame or dizzying light display was spared by musicians who had three minutes to win over millions of viewers who, along with national juries of music professionals, picked the winner.
Estonia's Tommy Cash came third with his jokey mock-Italian dance song "Espresso Macchiato." Swedish entry KAJ, which had been favorite to win with jaunty sauna ode "Bara Bada Bastu," came fourth.
The show was a celebration of Europe's eclectic, and sometimes baffling, musical tastes.
## The war in Gaza clouded the contest
This year's contest was roiled for a second year by disputes over Israel's participation. Raphael — a survivor of Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on a music festival in southern Israel that triggered the Gaza war — was met by a mix of cheers and boos as she sang.
Swiss broadcaster SRG SSR said a man and woman were stopped as they tried to climb over a barrier to the stage at the end of her song. It said a crew member was hit by paint thrown by the pair. Raphael's team said she was left "shaken and upset."
The Oct. 7 cross-border attacks by Hamas militants killed 1,200 people, and roughly 250 were taken hostage into Gaza. More than 52,800 people in Gaza have been killed in Israel's retaliatory offensive, according to the territory's health ministry.
Pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel protests both took place in Basel, though on a much smaller scale than at last year's event in Sweden.
## ——
Grieshaber reported from Berlin. Associated Press writer Jill Lawless in Basel, Switzerland contributed to this report.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-07 16:57:36+00:00
|
[
"Donald Trump",
"Oklahoma",
"John Fitzgerald",
"Joe Biden",
"Victor Miller",
"Mary Bowles",
"George John Hanson",
"Kevin Stitt",
"Capital punishment",
"Kidnapping",
"Legal proceedings",
"United States government",
"John OConnor",
"Crime",
"Emma Rolls",
"Michel Trapasso",
"Prisons",
"Sara Mooney",
"Politics",
"Jerald Thurman"
] |
# Inmate transferred to Oklahoma by Trump administration denied clemency, set to be executed
By Sean Murphy
May 7th, 2025, 04:57 PM
---
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — An Oklahoma board denied clemency on Wednesday for a man convicted of killing a Tulsa woman in 1999, clearing the way for his execution next month after the Trump administration expedited his transfer from a federal prison.
Oklahoma's five-member Pardon and Parole Board voted 3-2 to reject clemency for 61-year-old John Fitzgerald Hanson. Hanson, whose name in some federal court records is George John Hanson, is scheduled to receive a lethal injection on June 12. Without a recommendation from the board, Gov. Kevin Stitt is unable to commute Hanson's sentence to life in prison without parole.
Hanson was sentenced to death in Tulsa County, Oklahoma, after he was convicted of carjacking, kidnapping and killing Mary Bowles after he and an accomplice, Victor Miller, kidnapped the woman from a Tulsa shopping mall. Prosecutors allege the pair drove Bowles to a gravel pit near Owasso, where Miller shot and killed the property owner, Jerald Thurman. The two then drove Bowles a short distance away, where Hanson shot and killed Bowles, according to prosecutors.
Miller received a no-parole life prison sentence for his role in the crimes.
Hanson, who appeared before the board via a video link to the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, expressed remorse for his involvement in the crimes and apologized to the families of the victims.
"I'm not an evil person," Hanson said. "I was caught in a situation I couldn't control. I can't change the past, but I would if I could."
Hanson's attorneys acknowledged Hanson participated in the kidnapping and carjacking, but said there was no definitive evidence that he shot and killed Bowles. They painted Hanson as a troubled youth who suffered from autism spectrum disorder and who was controlled and manipulated by the domineering Miller.
They also presented testimony from prison employees at the U.S. Penitentiary in Pollock, Louisiana, that Hanson was a well-respected inmate with a good work ethic and a history of helping staff and other prisoners.
Emma Rolls, the first assistant for the Federal Public Defender's office, described Hanson as "a remorseful man who wants to do his time and stay away from mischief."
But prosecutors and family members of the victims cast doubt on the sincerity of Hanson's remorse. Sara Mooney, Mary Bowles' niece, told the board Hanson never attempted to contact her in the last 26 years to apologize or offer an explanation for his role in the crimes.
"If anything, he regrets being caught," said Assistant Attorney General Michel Trapasso.
Hanson was transferred to Oklahoma custody in March by federal officials following through on President Donald Trump's sweeping executive order to more actively support the death penalty.
Both Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond and his predecessor, John O'Connor, had sought Hanson's transfer during President Joe Biden's administration, but the U.S. Bureau of Prisons denied it, saying the transfer was not in the public interest.
"The Biden administration protected this monster from justice for too long," Drummond told the board.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-13 13:47:41+00:00
|
[
"Canada",
"Electric vehicles",
"Ken Chiu",
"Ontario",
"Business",
"Flavio Volpe",
"Honda Motor Co.",
"Ltd."
] |
# Honda Canada postpones multibillion EV investment project in Ontario
May 13th, 2025, 01:47 PM
---
TORONTO (AP) — Honda Canada will postpone a $15-billion Canadian (US$10.7 billion) electric vehicle investment project in Canada's most populous province, including a proposed EV battery plant and retooled vehicle assembly facility.
Honda Canada spokesman Ken Chiu said Tuesday due to the recent slowdown in the EV market, Honda has announced an approximate two-year postponement of the comprehensive value chain investment project in Ontario.
"The company will continue to evaluate the timing and project progression as market conditions change," Chiu said in a statement.
The decision has no impact on current employment at the Honda manufacturing plant in Alliston, Ontario, he added.
Honda's EV project in Canada includes a retooled assembly plant, an electric vehicle battery plant in close proximity, as well as two key battery parts facilities located elsewhere in Ontario.
The project was expected to see the two main plants create 1,000 jobs on top of retaining the existing 4,200 jobs at the assembly plant.
Under the original plan, the plant was set to produce up to 240,000 vehicles per year when fully operational in 2028.
Ottawa was set to give the Japanese automaker around $2.5 billion Canadian (US$1.8 billion) through tax credits, while Ontario committed to providing up to $2.5 billion Canadian (US$1.8 billion) in support directly and indirectly.
"The market cooling consequences of US tariff actions continue to be felt by everyone, Honda included," Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association, posted on social media.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-07 19:51:09+00:00
|
[
"Donald Trump",
"Texas",
"Virginia",
"Patricia Tolliver Giles",
"Mahmoud Khalil",
"Rumeysa Ozturk",
"United States government",
"United States",
"New York City Wire",
"Courts",
"Politics",
"Law enforcement",
"Hamas",
"Colleges and universities",
"Prisons",
"Immigration",
"Badar Khan"
] |
# Federal judge rules Georgetown scholar's wrongful arrest case will stay in Virginia
By Olivia Diaz
May 7th, 2025, 07:51 PM
---
A federal judge has ruled that a Georgetown scholar's petition challenging the constitutionality of his arrest should be heard in Virginia, denying the Trump administration's request to move the case to Texas.
U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles said she would hear arguments in mid-May on whether Badar Khan Suri should be returned to Virginia while his deportation case proceeds in Texas, where he's now detained. His next hearing in the immigration case is in June.
The judge's late Tuesday memo says that by swiftly moving Khan Suri from Virginia to Louisiana and then Texas within days of his arrest, the government appeared to be trying to thwart his lawyers' efforts to challenge his detention in the jurisdiction where it happened.
Khan Suri's lawyers went to court the day after masked, plain-clothed officers arrested him on the evening of March 17 outside his apartment complex in Arlington, Virginia. Officials said his visa was revoked because of his social media posts and his wife's connection to Gaza as a Palestinian American. They accused him of supporting Hamas, which the U.S. has designated as a terrorist organization.
By the time Khan Suri's petition was filed, authorities had already put him on a plane to Louisiana without allowing him to update his family or lawyer, Khan Suri's attorneys said. A few days later, he was moved again to Texas.
"This atypical movement would make it difficult for any diligent lawyer's filings to 'catch up' to their client's location," and followed a pattern now evident in multiple efforts to deport students based on their speech, Giles wrote.
The judge noted that Columbia University scholar Mahmoud Khalil, a legal U.S. resident with no criminal record who was detained in March over his participation in pro-Palestinian demonstrations was moved within 48 hours of his arrest in Manhattan through lockups in New York, New Jersey, Texas and, then, Louisiana.
She also cited the case of Rumeysa Ozturk, a Tufts University student who was arrested in a Boston suburb, driven New Hampshire and then Vermont, and then flown to a detention center in Basile, Louisiana. A federal appeals court on Wednesday ordered ICE to return Ozturk to Vermont.
Each scholar "was arrested on different days and in different regions," Giles wrote. "What is similar? ... the Government attempted to move each outside of their jurisdictions to Louisiana or Texas."
Unlike the federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, the courts in Texas and western Louisiana are dominated by Republican-appointed judges, and any appeals go to the reliably conservative 5th Circuit, where 12 of the 17 full-time appellate judges were appointed by Republican presidents, including six by President Donald Trump.
Khan Suri came from India to the U.S. in 2022 on a J-1 visa. A visiting scholar and postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown, he taught a course on majority and minority human rights in South Asia, and lived with his wife, who is a U.S. citizen, and three children.
U.S. attorneys argued that Khan Suri was quickly moved because a facility in Farmville, Virginia, was overcrowded and a nearby detention center in Caroline County had "no available beds and only had limited emergency bedspace."
But the judge observed that for weeks thereafter, Khan Suri had to sleep on a plastic cot on the floor of an overcrowded detention center in Texas, and that according to his attorneys, he now sleeps on a bed in an overcrowded dormitory with about 50 other people. The government's representations, she wrote, "are plainly inconsistent and are further undermined by the fact that Prairieland Detention Center, where Petitioner (Khan Suri) is currently held, is overcrowded."
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-05 21:54:47+00:00
|
[
"Memphis",
"Tyre Nichols",
"Homicide",
"John Keith Perry",
"Law enforcement",
"Indictments",
"Race and ethnicity",
"Legal proceedings",
"Juries",
"James Jones Jr.",
"Justin Smith",
"Crime",
"Marco Ross",
"Police brutality",
"Melanie Headley",
"Race and Ethnicity"
] |
# Closing arguments delivered in trial of 3 officers charged in Tyre Nichols' death
By Adrian Sainz
May 5th, 2025, 09:54 PM
---
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Jurors were expected to begin deliberating Tuesday in the trial of three former Memphis police officers charged with second-degree murder in the beating death of Tyre Nichols in January 2023.
A prosecutor and a defense lawyer delivered closing arguments Monday in the trial of Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith, who have pleaded not guilty to state charges including second-degree murder. They already face the possibility of years in prison after they were convicted of federal charges last year.
Nichols fled a Jan. 7, 2023, traffic stop after he was yanked out of his car, pepper-sprayed and hit with a Taser. Five officers who are also Black caught up with him and punched, kicked and hit Nichols with a police baton, struggling to handcuff him as he called out for his mother near his home.
Footage of the beating captured by a police pole camera also showed the officers milling about, talking and laughing as Nichols struggled. His death led to nationwide protests, calls for police reforms in the U.S., and intense scrutiny of police in Memphis, a majority-Black city.
The jury for the state trial was chosen in Hamilton County, which includes Chattanooga, after Judge James Jones Jr. ordered the case be heard from people outside of Shelby County, which includes Memphis. Defense lawyers for the officers had argued that intense publicity made seating a fair jury from Shelby County difficult.
Former Memphis officers Desmond Mills Jr. and Emmitt Martin also were charged in the case. They have agreed to plead guilty to the state charges and are not standing trial. They also pleaded guilty in federal court, where sentencing for all five officers is pending.
The officers are charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression. Prosecutors have argued that the officers used excessive force in trying to handcuff Nichols. The officers also had a duty to intervene and stop the beating and tell medical personnel that Nichols had been struck in the head, but they failed to do so, prosecutors said.
As Nichols struggled with Bean and Smith, who were holding him on the ground, Mills pepper-sprayed Nichols and hit Nichols three times in the arm with a police baton, he said. Martin punched and kicked Nichols in the head, and Haley also kicked Nichols, as Bean and Smith were restraining him while trying to handcuff him
In her closing argument, prosecutor Melanie Headley said the officers were criminally responsible for Nichols' death.
"It's five officers acting together," Headley said.
Defense attorneys have sought to chip away at accusations that the officers used unnecessary force to subdue Nichols. They have argued that Nichols was actively resisting arrest by running away and failing to give his hands to officers so that he could be handcuffed. They also have argued that their use of force complied with police department policies.
Mills testified that he regrets his failure to stop the beating, which led to Nichols' death three days later from blunt-force trauma. Dr. Marco Ross, the medical examiner who performed the autopsy, testified that Nichols suffered tears and bleeding in the brain.
John Keith Perry, Bean's lawyer, said in his closing argument that Nichols ignored commands to give officers his hands dozens of times. Bean was merely trying to handcuff Nichols and he followed his Memphis Police Department training in doing so.
"Bean doesn't do anything to punish this person," Perry said.
On Tuesday, lawyers for Haley and Smith will make their closing arguments, and the prosecution will have a chance to make a rebuttal closing argument. The jury will then start deliberating.
The five officers were part of a crime suppression team called the Scorpion Unit that was disbanded after Nichols' death. The team targeted drugs, illegal guns and violent offenders to amass arrests, while sometimes using force against unarmed people
The trial comes months after the U.S. Justice Department said in December that a 17-month investigation found that the Memphis Police Department uses excessive force and discriminates against Black people.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-19 13:17:26+00:00
|
[
"Indianapolis",
"Andrew Jay",
"DC Wire",
"Allison Finkelstein"
] |
# For 1 sentinel, a final walk at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
By Mike Pesoli
May 19th, 2025, 01:17 PM
---
ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — For the last two years, Army Sgt. 1st Class Andrew Jay has been dutifully guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.
Rain or shine, snow or sleet, for 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, Jay and the other guards on watch duty serve as both protectors and commemorators of a national tribute to America's unidentified and missing service members.
With Jay's final walk scheduled for June 2, this Memorial Day will hold special significance for him as the cemetery prepares for a string of events honoring those who paid the ultimate price for their country.
"It's meant a lot," Jay, 38, told The Associated Press. "I'm going to try to make sure it doesn't define me, but it was definitely a defining moment in my career."
The Associated Press was given rare access to the changing of the guard at the sunrise hour, as the cemetery was still closed to the public.
Jay, who is from Indianapolis, volunteered for the position after serving in the Tennessee-based 101st Airborne Division, which specializes in air assault operations and is known for its record in World War II. He trained for almost 18 months for the guard duty.
"The training is unlike anything I've ever done in my career so far," he said. "It's more than the physical aspect of any other Army school you might think of."
The guards, also known as sentinels for their watchful duty, train even on their off-days, walking on the mat for two hours straight to build up muscular endurance.
But that isn't the only endurance required of the sentinels.
"It's a lot of mental ability," Jay said. "You have to be locked in for a nine-minute guard change, but then also your 30-minute walk. So, what you're thinking about kind of varies between soldier to soldier."
The sentinels spend half an hour walking the mat in the warmer months and an hour during colder months. They perform a dramatic changing of the guard at the grave site that visitors to the Washington area flock to see, marching 21 steps down the mat, turning and facing east for 21 seconds, then north for 21 seconds and then back down the mat for 21 more, repeating the process.
The number refers to the high military honor of the 21-gun salute, which can be heard booming throughout the cemetery and surrounding areas during military funerals on the grounds.
There are currently three unidentified U.S. service members buried in the tomb: one from World War I, one from World War II and one from the Korean War.
With Memorial Day approaching, the cemetery — which is run by the U.S. Army and has 3 to 4 million visitors annually — will hold a number of events to honor fallen service members. Just before Memorial Day weekend, the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment places American flags at the grave sites of more than 260,000 service members buried at the cemetery — an event known as "Flags In." On the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, the public is invited to leave flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier for Flowers of Remembrance Day.
"Memorial Day still retains the purpose that it had back in 1868 during that first official observance here in Arlington," said Allison Finkelstein, the senior historian of Arlington National Cemetery. "It is the day to remember and honor our war dead."
There have been 733 tomb guards since 1958. On average, seven to nine tomb guards work every day.
"The honor of guarding them isn't just about the Three Unknowns, it's about everybody that lays here in the cemetery and what they gave in the pursuit of freedom," Jay said.
___
This story has been corrected to reflect that the longer walk is in colder months and the shorter one in warmer months, not the other way around.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-07 04:04:37+00:00
|
[
"Ralph Leroy Menzies",
"Crime",
"Capital punishment",
"Utah",
"Dementia",
"Maurine Hunsaker",
"Legal proceedings",
"Oklahoma",
"Mississippi",
"South Carolina",
"Idaho",
"Lindsey Layer",
"Robin Maher",
"Matt Hunsaker",
"Matthew Bates",
"Vernon Madison",
"Daniel Boyer"
] |
# Utah judge to decide if convicted killer with dementia can be executed
By Hannah Schoenbaum and Matthew Brown
May 7th, 2025, 04:04 AM
---
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Attorneys for a Utah man who has been on death row for 37 years sought to convince a state judge Wednesday that the convicted murderer should be spared execution because he has dementia.
Ralph Leroy Menzies was sentenced to die in 1988 for the killing of Maurine Hunsaker, a mother of three. His attorneys said the 67-year-old inmate's dementia is so severe that he cannot understand why he is facing execution.
If he is deemed competent, Menzies could be the next U.S. prisoner executed by firing squad after the method was used on two South Carolina men in recent weeks: a man convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend's parents in 2001 and a man who killed an off duty police officer in 2004.
Medical experts brought in by prosecutors have said Menzies still has the mental capacity to understand his situation, while those brought in by the defense said he does not. Prosecutor Daniel Boyer urged the judge Wednesday to move forward with the execution.
The hearing was the last in Menzies' competency case. Judge Matthew Bates said he would have a decision within the next 60 days.
Lindsey Layer, a lawyer for Menzies, described how the inmate often forgets to renew his medications and can no longer do laundry because she said he has forgotten how washing machines work. She compared his aptitude at using a tablet to that of her 3-year-old child.
"I imagine your 3-year-old also understands that if he sneaks a cookie out of the cookie jar, he's going to go on time out," Bates responded. "So it seems like what you're arguing is that Mr. Menzies' understanding of his impending execution needs to be more than that of a 3-year-old."
Layer agreed.
Menzies is not the first person to receive a dementia diagnosis while awaiting execution.
The U.S. Supreme Court in 2019 blocked the execution of a man with dementia in Alabama, ruling Vernon Madison was protected against execution under a constitutional prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. Madison, who killed a police officer in 1985, died in prison in 2020.
That case followed earlier Supreme Court rulings barring executions of people with severe mental illness. If a defendant cannot understand why they are dying, the Supreme Court said, then an execution is not carrying out the retribution that society is seeking.
"It's not just about mental illness. It can be also the consequence of brain damage or stroke or dementia — the fundamental question being whether he has a rational understanding of the reasons he is being executed," said Robin Maher, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center.
More than half of all prisoners sentenced to death in the U.S. spend more than 18 years on death row, according to the organization.
Menzies earlier chose a firing squad as his method of execution. Utah death row inmates sentenced before May 2004 were given a choice between that and lethal injection. For inmates sentenced in the state after that date, lethal injection is the default method of execution unless the drugs are unavailable.
Since 1977 only five prisoners in the U.S. have been executed by firing squad. Three were in Utah, most recently in 2010, and the others in South Carolina. Only three other states — Idaho, Mississippi and Oklahoma — allow the execution method.
Hunsaker, a 26-year-old married mother of three, was abducted by Menzies from the gas station where she worked. She was later found strangled and her throat cut at a picnic area in the Wasatch Mountains of northern Utah. Menzies had Hunsaker's wallet and several other belongings when he was jailed on unrelated matters. He was convicted of first-degree murder and other crimes.
Over nearly four decades, attorneys for Menzies filed multiple appeals that delayed his death sentence, which had been scheduled at least twice before it was pushed back.
Matt Hunsaker, who was 10 years old when his mother was killed, testified Wednesday that the ongoing case has caused his family emotional turmoil. He expressed gratitude that it might finally be over soon.
"This has gone on for decades," he said. "Thirty-nine years, two months and nine days ago, my mom was murdered. We miss her. We love her."
___
Brown reported from Billings, Montana.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-06 05:00:36+00:00
|
[
"Pope Francis",
"Pope Benedict XVI",
"Rome",
"Vatican City",
"Catholic Church",
"Europe",
"Asia",
"Beijing",
"Scandals",
"Papal conclave",
"Silvia Stellacci",
"Religion",
"Luis Antonio Tagle",
"Jean-Paul Vesco",
"William Seng Chye Goh",
"Jim Gomez",
"Oswald Gracias",
"Robert Reyes"
] |
# The priorities of the cardinals choosing the next pope in the conclave
By Nicole Winfield
May 6th, 2025, 05:00 AM
---
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Cardinals wrapped up their pre-conclave meetings Tuesday, trying to identify a possible new pope who could follow Pope Francis and make the 2,000-year-old Catholic Church credible and relevant today, especially to young people.
Although they come from 70 different countries, the 133 cardinal electors seem fundamentally united in insisting that the question before them isn't so much whether the church gets its first Asian or African pontiff, or a conservative or progressive. Rather, they say the primary task facing them when the conclave opens Wednesday is to find a pope who can be both a pastor and a teacher, a bridge who can unite the church and preach peace.
"We need a superman!" said Cardinal William Seng Chye Goh, the 67-year-old archbishop of Singapore.
It is indeed a tall task, given the sexual abuse and financial scandals that have harmed the church's reputation and the secularizing trends in many parts of the world that are turning people away from organized religion. Add to that the Holy See's dire financial state and often dysfunctional bureaucracy, and the job of being pope in the 21st century seems almost impossible.
Francis named 108 of the 133 electors and selected cardinals in his image. But there is an element of uncertainty about the election since many of them didn't know one another before last week, meaning they haven't had much time to suss out who among them is best suited to lead the 1.4-billion-strong church.
The cardinals held their last day of pre-conclave meetings Tuesday morning, during which Francis' fisherman's ring and his official seal were destroyed in one of the final formal rites of the transition of his pontificate to the next.
The cardinals will begin trying to find the new pope Wednesday afternoon, when those "princes of the church" walk solemnly into the Sistine Chapel to the meditative chant of the "Litany of the Saints." They'll take their oaths of secrecy under the daunting vision of heaven and hell in Michelangelo's "Last Judgment," hear a meditation from a senior cardinal, and then most likely cast their first ballot.
Assuming no candidate secures the necessary two-thirds majority, or 89 votes, the cardinals will retire for the day and return on Thursday. They will have two ballots in the morning and then two in the afternoon, until a winner is found.
Asked what the priorities of the cardinal electors were, Goh told reporters this week that the No. 1 issue was that the new pope must be able to spread the Catholic faith and "make the church relevant in today's time. How to reach out to young people, how to show a face of love, joy and hope."
## A pope for the future
But beyond that, there are some real-world geopolitical concerns to take into consideration. The Catholic Church is growing in Africa and Asia, both in numbers of baptized faithful and vocations to the priesthood and women's religious orders. It is shrinking in traditionally Catholic bastions of Europe, with empty churches and the faithful formally leaving the church in places like Germany, many citing the abuse scandals.
"Asia is ripe for evangelization and the harvest of vocations," said the Rev. Robert Reyes, who studied in the seminary with Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, the Filipino prelate considered a contender to be the first Asian pope.
But should the pope necessarily reflect the new face of the Catholic Church, and inspire the faithful especially in the parts of the world where the momentum of growth is already underway? Does it even matter?
Pope Francis was the first Latin American pope, and the region still counts the majority of the world's Catholics.
Indian Cardinal Oswald Gracias, the retired archbishop of Mumbai, said the church needs to become more Asian, culturally and spiritually.
The "center of gravity of the world is shifting toward Asia," he said. "The Asian church has much to give to the world."
At 80, Gracias won't be participating in the conclave, but India has four cardinal-electors, and overall Asia counts 23, making it the second-biggest voting bloc after Europe, which has 53 (or likely 52, given that one is not expected to participate for health reasons).
One of the big geopolitical issues facing the cardinals is China and the plight of the estimated 12 million Chinese Catholics there.
Under Francis, the Vatican in 2018 inked a controversial agreement with Beijing governing the appointment of bishops, which many conservatives decried as a sellout of the underground Chinese Catholics who had remained loyal to Rome during decades of communist persecution. The Vatican has defended the accord as the best deal it could get, but it remains to be seen if Francis' successor will keep the policy.
## The church in Africa
According to Vatican statistics, Catholics represent 3.3% of the population in Asia, but their numbers are growing, especially in terms of seminarians, as they are in Africa, where Catholics represent about 20% of the population.
Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, the archbishop of Kinshasa, Congo, said he is in Rome to elect a pope for all the world's Catholics.
"I am not here for the Congo, I am not here for Africa, I am here for the universal church. That is our concern, the universal church," he told reporters. "When we are done, I will return to Kinshasa and I will put back on my archbishop of Kinshasa hat and the struggle continues."
Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco, the chatty French-born archbishop of Algiers, Algeria, lamented last week that there hadn't been enough time for the cardinals to get to know one another, since many of them had never met before and hail from 70 countries in the most geographically diverse conclave in history.
"Every day, I say to myself, 'Ah! Oh my God! There we have it!'" he said.
## The role of the Holy Spirit
For the cardinals, there is also the belief that they are guided by the Holy Spirit.
There is a famous quote attributed to then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in 1997, in comments to a Bavarian television station. The future Pope Benedict XVI said the Holy Spirit acted like a good educator in a conclave, allowing cardinals to freely choose a pope without dictating the precise candidate.
"Probably the only assurance he offers is that the thing cannot be totally ruined," Ratzinger reportedly said. "There are too many contrary instances of popes the Holy Spirit would obviously not have picked."
___
Associated Press correspondent Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines, and Silvia Stellacci, Trisha Thomas and Giovanna Dell'Orto in Rome contributed.
___
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-01 14:16:49+00:00
|
[
"Porto Alegre",
"Brazil",
"Jeanne Calment",
"Religion",
"Lucile Randon",
"Ethel Caterham",
"Pope Francis",
"Tomiko Itooka"
] |
# Brazilian nun who was the world's oldest person has died at 116
By Associated Press
May 1st, 2025, 02:16 PM
---
SAO PAULO (AP) — Sister Inah Canabarro, a Brazilian nun and teacher who was the world's oldest person, has died at 116, her religious congregation said.
Canabarro died Wednesday at home of natural causes, said her Teresian nun congregation, the Company of Saint Teresa of Jesus. She was confirmed in January as the world's oldest person by LongeviQuest, an organization that tracks supercentenarians around the globe.
She would have turned 117 on May 27. According to LongeviQuest, the world's oldest person is now Ethel Caterham, a 115-year-old British woman.
Canabarro said her Catholic faith was the key to her longevity, in a video taken by LongeviQuest in February 2024. The smiling Canabarro can be seen cracking jokes, sharing miniature paintings she used to make of wild flowers and reciting the Hail Mary prayer.
"I'm young, pretty and friendly — all very good, positive qualities that you have too," the Teresian nun told the visitors to her retirement home in the southern Brazilian city of Porto Alegre.
As a child, Sister Inah Canabarro was so skinny that many people didn't think she would survive into adulthood, Cleber Canabarro, her 84-year-old nephew, told The Associated Press in January,
Her great-grandfather was a famed Brazilian general who took up arms during the turbulent period following Brazil's independence from Portugal in the 19th century.
She took up religious work while she was a teenager and spent two years in Montevideo, Uruguay, before moving to Rio de Janeiro and eventually settling in her home state of Rio Grande do Sul. A lifelong teacher, among her former students was Gen. Joao Figueiredo, the last of the military dictators who governed Brazil between 1964 and 1985. She was also the beloved creator of two marching bands at schools in sister cities straddling the border between Uruguay and Brazil.
For her 110th birthday, she was honored by Pope Francis. She was the second oldest nun ever documented, after Lucile Randon, who was the world's oldest person until her death in 2023 at the age of 118.
Canabarro took the title of the oldest living person following the death of Japan's Tomiko Itooka in December, according to LongeviQuest. She ranked as the 20th oldest documented person to have ever lived, a list topped by Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment, who died in 1997 at the age of 122, according to LongeviQuest.
"Her long and meaningful life touched many, and her legacy as a devoted educator, religious sister, and a supercentenarian will be remembered with great admiration," LongeviQuest said in a statement.
The wake for Canabarro will take place on Thursday in Porto Alegre, the capital of southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, her order said.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-03 17:16:25+00:00
|
[
"Israel",
"Humanitarian crises",
"Children",
"Gaza",
"2024-2025 Mideast Wars",
"Gaza Strip",
"Jonathan Crickx",
"United Nations",
"Ahmed al-Farrah",
"Hamas",
"Osama al-Raqab",
"Health",
"Michael Ryan",
"Rahma al-Qadi",
"United Nations Childrens Fund",
"Yasser Abu Ghaly"
] |
# Mothers struggle to feed their children in Gaza
By Mohammed Jahjouh and Sarah El Deeb
May 3rd, 2025, 05:16 PM
---
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — The little boy is in tears and, understandably, irritable. Diarrhea has plagued him for half of his brief life. He is dehydrated and so weak. Attached to his tiny left hand is a yellow tube that carries liquid food to his frail little system.
At 9 months old, Khaled is barely 11 pounds (5 kilos) — half of what a healthy baby his age should be. And in Gaza's main pediatric hospital ward, as doctors try to save her son, Wedad Abdelaal can only watch.
After back-to-back emergency visits, the doctors decided to admit Khaled last weekend. For nearly a week, he was tube-fed and then given supplements and bottled milk, which is distributed every three hours or more. His mother, nervous and helpless, says that's not enough.
"I wish they would give it to us every hour. He waits for it impatiently ... but they too are short on supplies," Abdelaal says. " This border closure is destroying us."
The longer they stay in the hospital, the better Khaled will get. But Abdelaal is agonizing over her other children, back in their tent, with empty pots and nothing to eat as Israel's blockade of Gaza enters its third month, the longest since the war started.
Locked, sealed and devastated by Israeli bombings, Gaza is facing starvation. Thousands of children have already been treated for malnutrition. Exhausted, displaced and surviving on basics for over a year and half of war, parents like Abdelaal watch their children waste away and find there is little they can do.
They are out of options.
## Acute malnutrition among children is spiking
Hospitals are hanging by a thread, dealing with mass casualty attacks that prioritize deadly emergencies. Food stocks at U.N. warehouses have run out. Markets are emptying. What is still available is sold at exorbitant prices, unaffordable for most in Gaza where more than 80% are reliant on aid, according to the United Nations.
Community kitchens distributing meals for thousands are shuttering. Farmland is mostly inaccessible. Bakeries have closed. Water distribution is grinding to a halt, largely because of lack of fuel. In desperate scenes, thousands, many of them kids, crowd outside community kitchens, fighting over food. Warehouses with few supplies have been looted.
The longest blockade on Gaza has sparked a growing international outcry, but it has failed to persuade Israel to break open the borders. More groups accuse Israel of using starvation as a weapon of war. Residents and humanitarians warn that acute malnutrition among children is spiraling.
"We are breaking the bodies and minds of the children of Gaza," Michael Ryan, executive director of emergencies at the World Health Organization, told reporters in Geneva. "Because if we don't do something about it, we are complicit in what is happening before our very eyes. ... The children should not have to pay the price."
Israel imposed the blockade March 2, then ended a two-month ceasefire by resuming military operations on March 18, saying both steps were necessary to pressure Hamas into releasing the hostages. Before the ceasefire collapsed, Israel believed 59 hostages were still inside Gaza, 24 of them alive and still in captivity.
It hasn't responded to accusations that it uses starvation as a war tactic. But Israeli officials have previously said Gaza had enough aid after a surge in distribution during the ceasefire, and accused Hamas of diverting aid for its purposes. Humanitarian workers deny there is significant diversion, saying the U.N. monitors distribution strictly.
## A mother wants to help her son — but can't
Khaled has suffered from malnutrition since he was 2 months old. His mother managed it through outpatient visits and supplements distributed at feeding centers. But for the past seven months, Abdelaal, 31, has been watching him slowly shrivel. She, too, is malnourished and has had hardly any protein in recent months.
After an exhausting pregnancy and two days of labor, Khaled was born — a low-weight baby at 4 1/2 pounds (2 kilos) but otherwise healthy. Abdelaal began nursing him. But because of lack of calcium, she is losing her teeth — and producing too little milk.
"Breastfeeding needs food, and I am not able to give him enough," she says.
Khaled has four other siblings, aged between 9 and 4. The family has been displaced from Rafah and now lives in a tent further north in Mawasi Khan Younis.
As food ran out under the blockade, the family grew dependent on community kitchens that serve rice, pasta and cooked beans. Cooking in the tent is a struggle: There is no gas, and finding wood or plastic to burn is exhausting and risky.
Ahmed, 7 and Maria, 4, are already showing signs of malnutrition. Ahmed, 7, weighs 17 pounds (8 kilos); his bones are piercing his skin. He gets no supplements at feeding centers, which serve only kids under 6. Maria, 4, has also lost weight, but there is no scale to weigh her.
"My kids have become so frail," Abdelaal laments. "They are like chicks."
## Nutrition centers around Gaza are shutting down
Since March 2, U.N. agencies have documented a rise in acute malnutrition among children. They are finding low immunity, frequent illness, weight and muscle mass loss, protruding bones or bellies, and brittle hair. Since the start of the year, more than 9,000 children have been admitted or treated for acute malnutrition, UNICEF said.
The increase was dramatic in March, with 3,600 cases or an 80% increase compared to the 2,000 children treated in February.
Since then, conditions have only worsened. Supplies used to prevent malnutrition, such as supplements and biscuits, have been depleted, according to UNICEF. Therapeutic food used to treat acute malnutrition is running out.
Parents and caregivers are sharing malnutrition treatments to make up for shortages, which undermines treatment. Nearly half of the 200 nutrition centers around Gaza shut down because of displacement and bombardment.
Meanwhile, supplies are languishing at the borders, prevented by Israel from entering Gaza.
"It is absolutely clear that we are going to have more cases of wasting, which is the most dangerous form of malnutrition. It is also clear we are going to have more children dying from these preventable causes," UNICEF spokesperson Jonathan Crickx says.
Suad Obaid, a nutritionist in Gaza, says parents are frequenting feeding centers more because they have nothing to feed their children. "No one can rely on canned food and emergency feeding for nearly two years."
At Nasser Hospital, four critical cases were receiving treatment last week for acute malnutrition, including Khaled. Only critical cases are admitted — and only for short periods so more children can be treated.
"If we admit all those who have acute malnutrition, we will need hundreds of beds," says Dr. Yasser Abu Ghaly, acknowledging: "We can't help many, anyway ... There is nothing in our hands."
## The system for managing diseases has buckled
Before the war, hundreds of families in Gaza were registered and treated for congenital defects, genetic or autoimmune disorders, a system that has broken down mostly because food, formulasor tablets that helped manage the diseases quickly ran out.
Dr Ahmed al-Farrah, head of the pediatrics and obstetrics ward at Nasser Hospital, says hundreds of children with genetic disorders could suffer cognitive disorders as well, if not worse.
"They are sentenced to death," he says.
Osama al-Raqab's cystic fibrosis has worsened since the start of the war. Lack of meat, fish and enzyme tablets to help him digest food meant repeated hospital visits and long bouts of chest infections and acute diarrhea, says his mother, Mona. His bones poke through his skin. Osama, 5, weighs 20 pounds (9 kilos) and can hardly move or speak. Canned food offers him no nutrition.
"With starvation in Gaza, we only eat canned lentils," his mother says. "If the borders remain closed, we will lose that too."
Rahma al-Qadi's baby was born with Down syndrome seven months ago. Since then, Sama gained little more than half a pound (300 grams) and was hospitalized multiple times with fever. Her mother, also malnourished and still suffering from infection to her wound after birth, continues to breastfeed her. Again, it is not enough.
Sama is restless, doesn't sleep and is always demanding more food. Doctors ask her mother to eat better to produce more milk.
Lifting Sama's scrawny legs up, her mother says: "I can't believe this is the leg of a 7-month-old."
## A father's lament: 'Waiting for death'
Abdelaal's kids fetch water and wait in line at soup kitchens because she cannot. To get there, they must climb a small hill. When she can, she waits for them at the bottom, fearing they may fall or drop the food.
When they do bring back food, the family divides it over several meals and days. When they get nothing, they share beans out of a can. Abdelaal often surrenders her share. "My kids," she says, "are more deserving."
Her husband, Ammar, has a heart condition that limits his movement, so he cannot help either. "Because of lack of healthy food, even as adults, we have no energy to move or exert any effort," Ammar says. "We are sitting in our tents, waiting for death."
The kids plead for fried tomatoes or cooked potatoes. But produce is unavailable or too expensive. A kilo of each would cost her $21. A bar of biscuits costs $2. Canned sardines cost nearly $10 — a fortune.
"In two years, my child won't be able to walk because of lack of food," Abdelaal says.
Smiling through her helplessness, Abdelaal brought Khaled out of the hospital for a few hours to visit his family on Friday. They gathered around a can of cold beans. She wishes Khaled's doctors could give her the treatment to take back to the tent, so she could be with her family.
"I am exhausted before birth and after birth from lack of food," she says. "We are not able to live."
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-06 12:32:43+00:00
|
[
"Pedro Sanchez",
"Spain government",
"Yolanda Daz",
"Labor",
"Spain",
"Politics",
"Retail and wholesale"
] |
# Spanish bill to cut workweek to 37.5 hours heads to parliament after receiving government approval
May 6th, 2025, 12:32 PM
---
MADRID (AP) — Workers in Spain may soon have 2.5 more hours of weekly rest after the government on Tuesday approved a bill that would reduce the workweek from 40 hours to 37.5 hours.
If enacted, the bill — which will now go to parliament — would benefit 12.5 million full-time and part-time private sector workers and is expected to improve productivity and reduce absenteeism, according to the Ministry of Labor.
"Today, we are modernizing the world of labor and helping people to be a little happier," said Labor Minister Yolanda Díaz, who heads the left-wing party Sumar (Joining Forces).
The measure, which already applies to civil servants and some other sectors, would mainly affect retail, manufacturing, hospitality, and construction, Díaz added.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's left-wing coalition government does not have a clear majority in parliament, where the bill must be approved for it to become law. The main trade unions have expressed support for the proposal, unlike business associations.
Sumar, the hard-left minority partner of Sánchez's Socialist Party, proposed the bill.
The Catalan nationalist party Junts (Together), an occasional ally of Sánchez's coalition, expressed concern over what it said would be negative consequences for small companies and the self-employed under a shorter working week.
The coalition will have to balance the demands of Junts and other smaller parties to get the bill passed.
Spain has had a 40-hour workweek since 1983, when it was reduced from 48 hours.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-06 19:35:10+00:00
|
[
"Lebanon",
"Istanbul",
"2024-2025 Mideast Wars",
"Israel",
"Hezbollah",
"Beirut",
"Hassan Nasrallah",
"Assault",
"Youssef el-Zein",
"Israel government",
"Turkey government",
"War and unrest"
] |
# Turkey thwarted another attack with pagers in Lebanon last year, officials say
By Suzan Fraser and Bassem Mroue
May 6th, 2025, 07:35 PM
---
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey's intelligence service thwarted a remote attack using pagers last year in Lebanon, days after similar attacks by Israel killed dozens and wounded thousands, including members of Lebanon's Hezbollah group, a Turkish daily and officials said Tuesday.
Daily Sabah reported that 1,300 pagers and 710 chargers rigged with explosives were confiscated inside a cargo shipment at Istanbul Airport that was on its way to Beirut from Hong Kong.
A Turkish security official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, confirmed the report but would not provide further details.
In Beirut, Hezbollah's chief spokesman Youssef el-Zein told The Associated Press Tuesday that days after the Sept. 17 pagers attack in Lebanon and Syria, Hezbollah informed Turkish intelligence that a shipment of pagers was in Turkey and about to be sent to Lebanon.
El-Zein said Turkish authorities confiscated the pagers and most likely destroyed them. He had no further details.
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report.
Israel triggered the Sept. 17 attack when pagers all over Lebanon started beeping. The devices exploded even if a person carrying one failed to push buttons to read an incoming encrypted message.
The next day, Israel activated walkie-talkies, some of which exploded at funerals for some of the people who were killed in the pager attacks.
The attacks marked a major escalation in the Israel-Hezbollah war that started after Hamas launched its attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, triggering the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip. Although the Lebanon attack struck many Hezbollah members, civilians were also killed or wounded. At least 37 people were killed, including two children, and some 3,000 were wounded in the two-day explosions.
Daily Sabah said that acting on a tip that a shipment of pager devices would be in Istanbul to be delivered to Lebanon two days after the attacks, Turkish intelligence agents launched an operation.
The newspaper said that authorities discovered a shipment that arrived in Istanbul from Hong Kong one day before the Lebanon explosions. The cargo had 61 boxes and was scheduled to depart from Istanbul to Beirut on Sept. 27 through Istanbul Airport. The cargo was described as a shipment of food choppers, Daily Sabah said. Inside, authorities found 1,300 Gold Apollo brand pagers and 710 desktop chargers.
After the pagers attack, Israel expanded the war against Hezbollah with strikes that killed nearly 500 people on Sept. 23, forcing hundreds of thousands to flee their homes. On Sept. 27, Israeli airstrikes on a southern suburb of Beirut killed Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah's leader and one of its founding members, in the biggest blow for the Iran-backed group.
The war ended on Nov. 27, when a U.S.-brokered ceasefire went into effect.
____
Mroue reported from Beirut.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-19 18:20:34+00:00
|
[
"Harvey Weinstein",
"Jessica Mann",
"Crime",
"New York City Wire",
"New York",
"Arthur L. Aidala",
"Sexual assault",
"Los Angeles",
"Entertainment"
] |
# Woman accusing Harvey Weinstein of rape describes their complex history
By Jennifer Peltz
May 19th, 2025, 06:20 PM
---
NEW YORK (AP) — Jurors at Harvey Weinstein 's sex crimes retrial heard Monday from a woman who said her consensual relationship with the ex-movie mogul descended into rape.
At times, "he validated me so much," Jessica Mann said, but when he was told no, "the monster side would come out."
Mann is the last of three accusers to testify in the case, and the one with arguably the most complicated history with Weinstein. The 73-year-old has pleaded not guilty to all the charges and maintains he never sexually assaulted or raped anyone.
Mann, a cosmetologist and hairstylist, said she met Weinstein at a party in late 2012 or early 2013, when she was 27 and had recently moved to Los Angeles to try to launch an acting career.
She said he took an interest in her ambitions, and they had a few follow-up meetings that alternated between professional talk and boundary-pushing, particularly a request for a massage that Mann said she reluctantly gave the ex-studio boss. Weinstein invited her to an Oscars bash that Mann, new to Hollywood glitz, attended in her high-school prom dress.
She said she wasn't attracted to Weinstein and initially refused his first sexual advance, but eventually succumbed to him performing oral sex because Weinstein said he wouldn't let her leave until she let him "do something." Although she felt confused and "defiled," she then agreed to consensual encounters with the then-married man, she said.
Partly, she worried about the professional consequences of alienating a powerful producer who had just dangled the prospect of movie roles. She also recalled thinking that "if I was in a relationship, maybe it would feel different," and that "maybe he did like me."
"I just thought that maybe it would take the pain away," said Mann, 39.
In March 2013, she traveled to New York with a friend. After the pals made plans for breakfast with Weinstein, he showed up early and got a room at Mann's hotel, over her protests, she said.
Weeping and wiping her eyes on the witness stand, she said she went upstairs with Weinstein to try to avoid a public argument and told him, "I don't want to do this," but he shoved the door shut as she tried to leave.
After Weinstein demanded she undress and grabbed her arms, she said, she "just gave up." Mann said he then had sex with her — after, she believes, injecting himself with an erection-promoting drug that she later found in the bathroom trash.
As she spoke, Weinstein quietly consulted one of his lawyers, then looked ahead of him at the judge's bench.
Mann told no one about the alleged rape. She said Monday that she doubted she'd be believed and feared reprisals from the well-connected Weinstein.
Over the ensuing months, she nudged him about a potential movie part — he arranged an audition, which went nowhere — and told him she appreciated "all you do for me," according to emails shown to jurors. She also sent him her new phone number, relayed a compliment she'd heard about him, and asked whether he'd be in Los Angeles for her birthday.
"I compartmentalized the part of Harvey that was hurting me," she said, adding that he had "good sides." Flattery and friendliness "kept the peace," she said, while she tried to keep a subtle distance by politely declining some invitations or delaying get-togethers.
She also declined a package his office wanted to send her in summer 2013, according to emails shown in court. The messages didn't specify the packet's contents; Mann said it contained cash, and though broke, she "wasn't for sale."
Weinstein's lawyers haven't yet had their turn to question her. During opening statements last month, defense attorney Arthur Aidala contended that Mann had a "a mutually beneficial relationship" with the former movie producer in hopes of "cutting the line" to an acting career.
Once a Hollywood heavy-hitter, Weinstein became a symbol of sexual misconduct after media reports revealed allegations against him in 2017 and fueled the #MeToo movement.
He was later convicted of various sex crimes in both New York and California. But he's on trial again because an appeals court found that his New York trial was tainted by prejudicial testimony and overturned that conviction. He's charged with raping Mann and with forcing oral sex on two other women, separately, in 2006.
The Associated Press generally does not identify people who alleged they have been sexually assaulted unless they agree to be identified. Mann has done so.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-07 20:47:50+00:00
|
[
"Donald Trump",
"Crime",
"Capital punishment",
"Joe Biden",
"Jasper Reed",
"Legal proceedings",
"Oklahoma City",
"Homicide",
"Indictments",
"Robert Troester",
"Merrick Garland",
"Sexual assault"
] |
# Feds to seek death penalty for federal inmate charged with murdering his cellmate
By Sean Murphy
May 7th, 2025, 08:47 PM
---
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Federal prosecutors announced Wednesday they will seek the death penalty for an inmate accused of strangling his cellmate at the Federal Transfer Center in Oklahoma City.
U.S. Attorney Robert Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma filed a notice of intent to seek the death penalty against 27-year-old Jasper Reed. A federal grand jury in Oklahoma City on Tuesday returned a three-count indictment charging Reed with first-degree murder, attempted murder and assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
The U.S. Bureau of Prisons' federal transfer center, which houses about 1,400 male and female inmates, is a main hub for federal prisoners who are being transferred to prison facilities across the country.
Prosecutors allege Reed, who was serving time in federal prison for a firearms offense out of New Mexico, attacked and seriously injured his first cellmate, referred to in court documents as T.R., on April 27, 2024. A corrections officer saw Reed lying on top of the man with his hands around his neck and blood on both men before he and other officers were able to separate the two, according to an affidavit signed by a federal agent. The other inmate suffered multiple broken bones in his face and neck, but survived.
A little more than a week later, Reed was housed with another inmate, referred to as R.P., who was found dead inside his cell on May 8, 2024, the affidavit states. An autopsy determined the cause of death of that inmate to be homicide by manual strangulation.
Reed's attorneys in the Federal Public Defender's office declined to comment on the case.
Just hours after President Donald Trump returned to the White House, he signed a sweeping executive order on the death penalty that directs the U.S. attorney general to "take all necessary and lawful action" to ensure states have enough lethal injection drugs to carry out executions.
Trump's order compels the Justice Department to not only seek the death penalty in appropriate federal cases but also to help preserve capital punishment in states that have struggled to maintain adequate supplies of lethal injection drugs.
Before Trump's election, federal executions had been on hold since a moratorium was imposed by former Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2021. Only three defendants remained on federal death row after Democratic President Joe Biden converted 37 of their sentences to life in prison.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-19 09:19:47+00:00
|
[
"Switzerland government",
"Landslides and mudslides",
"Natural disasters",
"Geneva",
"Switzerland",
"Politics",
"Matthias Ebener",
"Evacuations"
] |
# As a landslide threatens an Alpine village, Swiss authorities expand the evacuation order
May 19th, 2025, 09:19 AM
---
GENEVA (AP) — Swiss authorities on Monday expanded the evacuation of an Alpine village threatened by a possible landslide, ordering most of its people to leave.
More than 90 people were evacuated on Saturday night from their homes in Blatten, in the Lötschental — a valley above the larger Rhone valley in the southern Valais canton (state).
On Monday, authorities in Valais announced the complete evacuation of the village of some 300 people, with the exception of two areas, citing a risk of falling rocks and landslides. It wasn't immediately clear when residents would be able to return home.
Local official Matthias Ebener told public broadcaster SRF that "the situation is very acute." There have been repeated small rockfalls in the area.
In 2023, residents of the village of Brienz in eastern Switzerland were evacuated before a huge mass of rock slid down a mountainside, stopping just short of the settlement. Brienz was evacuated again last year because of the threat of a further rockslide.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-14 19:32:19+00:00
|
[
"Anton Tselykh",
"Seattle",
"District of Columbia",
"Tim Nguyen",
"Cristina Woodworth",
"Dave Rodriguez",
"Joshua Cole",
"Susan Gregg"
] |
# Climber who survived 400-foot fall that killed 3 others was unconscious before seeking pay phone
By Jesse Bedayn and Claire Rush
May 14th, 2025, 07:32 PM
---
It was late in the afternoon and lightly snowing when four rock climbers, working their way up a steep gully between two peaks in Washington's North Cascades Range, decided to turn around for a descent down the mountain that would claim three of their lives.
As they climbed down, the four attached their ropes to a piton — a metal spike pounded into rock cracks or ice and used to secure ropes — that had been placed by a past climber. As one of the men began rappelling off the piton, it ripped out of the mountain, sending all four falling past ice and snow and rock.
They fell some 200 feet (60 meters), landing in a more sloping ravine where they tumbled for another roughly 200 feet before coming to a stop in a tangle of rope.
Three were killed by the fall. One was knocked unconscious.
Anton Tselykh awoke in the dark. It had been hours since the fall.
Over the course of the next several hours, he extricated himself from the mess of ropes, gear and debris and trekked over rough terrain of rock and snow — with help from a pick-like ice tool — to his car.
He drove for some 40 miles (64 kilometers) before finding a pay phone and calling for help in Newhalem, an unincorporated community about an hour's drive away. It was Sunday morning, eight hours since he regained consciousness.
From a Seattle hospital Wednesday morning, Tselykh, recovering from head trauma and internal bleeding, told authorities what had happened. He was in satisfactory condition at Harborview Medical Center, meaning he was not in the intensive care unit, Susan Gregg, media relations director for UW Medicine, said in an email.
Tselykh, 38, confirmed authorities' theories of what led to the deaths of his three companions, identified as Vishnu Irigireddy, 48; Tim Nguyen, 63; and Oleksander Martynenko, 36.
A three-person search and rescue team had responded to the site of the fall following Tselykh's call, said Cristina Woodworth, who led the team and spoke with the lone survivor by phone Wednesday. The team had followed coordinates from a GPS device the climbers had been carrying, which were shared by a friend of the men.
The rough terrain required a helicopter, which removed the bodies one at a time, Woodworth said.
Responders pored over the recovered equipment, trying to decipher what caused the fall. They found the piton still clipped into the climbers' ropes, Okanogan County Coroner Dave Rodriguez said. Pitons are difficult to remove from rock, he said, and the anchor's presence on the rope was a clue to what happened.
Generally, setting up a backup anchor is a common practice among climbers, said Joshua Cole, a guide and co-owner of North Cascades Mountain Guides, who has been climbing in the area for about 20 years. It's still unclear whether the four had a backup.
The four climbers were friends, some of whom had climbed together before and appeared fairly experienced, Woodworth said, adding that Tselykh was "obviously very much affected by this."
Irigireddy was a vice president of engineering at the Fluke Corporation, a test equipment manufacturing company, which released a statement Wednesday.
"Vishnu was an extraordinary leader, and his loss is felt profoundly across our organization," the statement read.
Martynenko's wife, Olga, said Tuesday in a Facebook post that her husband, whom she referred to as Alex, also left behind their son. She shared a link to a fundraiser to help "during the most devastating time of our lives."
"I still cannot believe that you are gone, my love."
___
Bedayn is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-15 05:16:18+00:00
|
[
"Alabama",
"Law enforcement",
"Kay Ivey",
"Rodger Smitherman",
"Legislation",
"Black experience",
"Alabama state government",
"Harry Daniels",
"Politics",
"U.S. Republican Party",
"Lance Bell",
"U.S. Democratic Party"
] |
# Alabama lawmakers approve additional legal protections for police officers
By Kim Chandler and Safiyah Riddle
May 15th, 2025, 05:16 AM
---
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama lawmakers on Wednesday approved enhanced legal protections for police officers, changes that Republicans said show support for law enforcement but Democrats called "a green light to kill Black folks."
The Alabama Legislature gave final approval to the legislation that sets legal standards for the use of force and provides for an immunity hearing. The bill states that an officer "shall be justified" in the use of physical force as long as it is not constitutionally excessive force or "recklessly" outside of the officer's discretionary authority.
Republicans, who called the legislation the "Back The Blue" bill said it is needed to provide a clear legal framework and show support for law enforcement officers faced with making split-second decisions.
"We ask them to take care of us, keep us safe in our homes as we sleep at night. This bill will give them the assurances that we back them and back the blue," Sen. Lance Bell, a former deputy sheriff, said. Bell said officers who act improperly can still be prosecuted.
The approval came after an emotional debate in which Black lawmakers read the names of Black people who have been killed by police and described their own encounters with law enforcement.
"HB 202 is a license to kill Black people. That's what it is," Sen. Rodger Smitherman, a Black Democrat from Birmingham, said.
Smitherman said departments have very good officers, but they also have officers who are "racist against Black people" or will make impulsive decisions because they are scared.
Sen. Merika Coleman, a Black Democrat from Pleasant Grove, said she fears the bill will protect "bad apples" in police departments. She described her worries that someone might see her honors student son as a threat someday because of his tall frame and twisted locs.
"If this bill passes and there are young Black males, females, brown and other folks killed, you will have blood on your hands because of this piece of legislation," Coleman said.
Bell urged opponents to "walk a mile in a law enforcement officer's shoes and find out what they have to deal with." Smitherman responded, "Walk a mile in the person's shoes when the person is dead."
The Alabama Senate approved the bill on a 25-6 late-night vote in the final hour of the legislative session. The House of Representatives accepted Senate changes. The bill now goes to Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey who said she will sign it into law.
"There is NO question Alabama backs the blue!" Ivey stated on social media after the bill's passage.
Under existing state law, police and civilians alike are currently entitled to a "stand your ground" hearing in criminal cases where a judge can determine whether the defendant acted in self defense. The legislation will allow an immunity hearing where a judge will decide if a case can proceed based on whether the officer acted recklessly outside the scope of law enforcement duties. It would add similar protections in state civil lawsuits. It would also require law enforcement departments to collect data that tracks use of force complaints.
The executive director of the Alabama Sheriff's Association, Hoss Mack, testified in favor of the bill in April.
"This is of equal benefit to law enforcement and the public. Let me reiterate what this bill does not do. It does not give blanket immunity to law enforcement," said Mack, who added that he had personally arrested officers that worked for him for misconduct throughout his 39-year career in law enforcement.
Leroy Maxwell, a civil rights attorney based in Birmingham, said he is afraid the bill would embolden misconduct.
"Legislation like this paves the way toward a police state, where law enforcement operates above the law and without fear of consequence," Maxwell said.
Civil rights attorney Harry Daniels opposed the law but doubted the overall impact on civil rights cases which could still be filed in federal court and will not be affected by the legislation.
"It is a lion with no teeth. It appears to be big and bad but it has no teeth and no claws," Daniels said.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-18 18:23:43+00:00
|
[
"Mike Johnson",
"Donald Trump",
"U.S. Republican Party",
"Steve Scalise",
"Karoline Leavitt",
"Hakeem Jeffries",
"District of Columbia",
"Legislation",
"United States House of Representatives",
"Government programs",
"Voting",
"Congress",
"New York City Wire",
"Business",
"Nick LaLota",
"Renewable energy",
"Politics",
"Jodey Arrington",
"Mehmet Oz"
] |
# Trump looks to unite Republicans before votes on tax cut bill
By Kevin Freking, Lisa Mascaro, and Leah Askarinam
May 18th, 2025, 06:23 PM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump will look to build momentum for his sweeping tax cut and immigration bill on Tuesday, taking a trip to Capitol Hill to address House Republicans as they try to work out their differences before a planned floor vote later this week.
Trump will attend the GOP's weekly conference meeting, according to a White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss plans not yet made public.
Republicans can afford only a few defections to get the bill through the House, and it's clear differences remain. Some deficit hawks are insisting on quicker cuts to Medicaid and green energy programs before giving their full support. Others are seeking a large increase in the state and local tax deduction.
Trump has been pushing hard for Republicans to unite behind the bill, which would enact many of his campaign promises. The bill carries his preferred title, the " One Big Beautiful Bill Act."
House Republicans narrowly advanced the sprawling 1,116-page package in a rare weekend vote late Sunday, but just barely, as GOP leaders promise more negotiations ahead.
"The bill does not yet meet the moment," said Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, a leader of the House Freedom Caucus, in a social media post immediately after the late-night session. "We can and must do better before we pass the final product."
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday it's "absolutely essential" that Republicans unite and pass the bill so that Trump can deliver on the agenda.
Leavitt said Americans gave Republicans a "once-in-a-generation" opportunity to "course correct our country" and "there is no time to waste."
Republicans criticizing the measure argued that the bill's new spending and tax cuts are front-loaded in the bill, while the measures to offset the cost are back-loaded. In particular, they are looking to speed up the new work requirements that Republicans want to enact for able-bodied participants in Medicaid. They also want to more quickly end tax breaks for green energy projects being used nationwide.
Majority Leader Steve Scalise said on CNBC Monday that work requirements for some Medicaid beneficiaries would begin in early 2027, a big change from the 2029 start date that is currently in the bill.
Scalise said GOP leaders are looking to give the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Dr. Mehmet Oz, the time he needs to implement the work requirements, but would be "moving that date up dramatically."
Late last week, the House Budget Committee failed to advance the package when four conservative Republicans objected. But it was able to do so Sunday on a vote of 17-16, with the four hold-outs voting "present" to allow it to move ahead, as talks continue.
Speaker Mike Johnson, who met late Sunday with lawmakers ahead of voting, indicated he wants to impose the work requirements "as soon as possible" but acknowledged it may take states longer to change their systems.
"There will be more details to iron out and several more to take care of," Johnson, R-La., said outside the hearing room.
"But I'm looking forward to very thoughtful discussions, very productive discussions over the next few days, and I'm absolutely convinced we're going to get this in final form and pass it."
Democrats have decried the cuts Republicans are proposing to Medicaid and food stamps to offset the costs of the tax breaks. Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries noted that the House Rules committee would begin taking up the measure at 1 a.m. Wednesday.
"They literally are trying to take health care away from millions of Americans at this very moment in the dead of night," Jeffries said.
At its core, the sprawling legislative package permanently extends the existing income tax cuts that were approved during Trump's first term in 2017 and adds temporary new ones that the president campaigned on in 2024, including no taxes on tips, overtime pay and auto loan interest payments. The measure also proposes big spending increases for border security and defense.
The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a nonpartisan fiscal watchdog group, estimates that the House bill is shaping up to add roughly $3.3 trillion to the debt over the next decade.
Johnson is not just having to address the concerns of the deficit hawks in his party. He's also facing pressure from centrists who will be warily eyeing the proposed changes to Medicaid, food assistance programs and the rolling back of clean energy tax credits. Republican lawmakers from New York and elsewhere are also demanding a much larger state and local tax deduction.
As it stands, the bill proposes tripling what's currently a $10,000 cap on the state and local tax deduction, increasing it to $30,000 for joint filers with incomes up to $400,000 a year.
Rep. Nick LaLota, one of the New York lawmakers leading the effort to lift the cap, said they have proposed a deduction of $62,000 for single filers and $124,000 for joint filers.
Rep. Jodey Arrington, the chairman of the House Budget Committee, said the bill remained under negotiation.
"Deliberations continue at this very moment," Arrington said. "They will continue on into the week, and I suspect right up until the time we put this big, beautiful bill on the floor of the House."
If the bill passes the House this week, it would then move to the Senate, where Republicans are also eyeing changes.
__
Associated Press writer Darlene Superville contributed to this report.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-05 21:21:29+00:00
|
[
"Louisiana",
"Oil spills",
"New Orleans",
"U.S. Coast Guard",
"Mississippi River",
"Greg Callaghan",
"National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration",
"Troy Carter",
"Politics",
"Climate and environment",
"Climate"
] |
# Federal authorities are cleaning up an oil spill in southeast Louisiana
By Jack Brook
May 5th, 2025, 09:21 PM
---
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Federal authorities are seeking to contain and clean up the damage from a decades-old oil well in southeast Louisiana that spewed crude and natural gas for more than a week.
Upwards of 79,000 gallons (299,047 liters) of "oily water mixture" have been recovered near Garden Island Bay in Plaquemines Parish at the edge of the Mississippi River Delta Basin, the U.S. Coast Guard said Monday. The region is still recovering from the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill 15 years ago.
"Gaining control of the discharge is a vital milestone, but it marks only the beginning of our work," U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Greg Callaghan, who is coordinating the federal response, said in an emailed statement.
"The Unified Command is fully committed to an exhaustive cleanup effort and will remain on site for as long as necessary to ensure the removal of oil and the safety of both the community and the ecosystem," Callaghan added.
Authorities say they have deployed more than 20,000 feet (6 kilometers) of containment booms. The cause of the leak remains under investigation, officials said.
The U.S. Coast Guard said it has "successfully secured" the well that's responsible for the leakage, owned by the firm Spectrum OpCo, LLC. But the total amount of discharged oil remained "unknown."
"Spectrum OpCo sincerely regrets the incident and its potential impact on our neighbors and remains fully engaged and resolutely committed to assisting with the cleanup," the company said in an emailed statement.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, stated it is "providing on-scene scientific support" such as tracking the spread of the spill and identifying natural resources at risk.
So far, only one bird covered in oil has been reported by federal authorities.
Plaquemines Parish has 20 pending lawsuits against oil and gas companies for failing to clean up infrastructure and surrounding coastal wetlands. Last month, a jury ordered Chevron to pay more than $740 million in damages to the parish.
Louisiana U.S. Rep. Troy Carter said that the spill called attention to the "clear and present danger" posed by cutting federal employees at agencies like NOAA who have experience handling oil spills.
"We owe it to our communities, our environment, and our future generations to safeguard Louisiana's coast — before it's too late," Carter said.
___
Brook covers Louisiana government, infrastructure and environmental issues from New Orleans. He is a Report for America corps member.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-10 00:17:00+00:00
|
[
"Eric Adams",
"Brooklyn",
"New York City",
"Donald Trump",
"Joe Biden",
"Legal proceedings",
"Campaign finance",
"U.S. Department of Justice",
"New York City Wire",
"Politics",
"Alex Spiro",
"Tracey Collins",
"Turkey government",
"Danielle Sassoon",
"Gracie Mansion",
"Government policy",
"U.S. Democratic Party",
"Dale E. Ho",
"U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation",
"Corruption",
"Elections"
] |
# Documents unsealed in NYC mayor's case show details of thwarted investigation
By Jake Offenhartz and Michael R. Sisak
May 10th, 2025, 12:17 AM
---
NEW YORK (AP) — Federal agents investigating New York City Mayor Eric Adams were still seizing phones and applying for search warrants days before Justice Department leaders ordered prosecutors to drop the corruption case, according to documents released Friday.
The trove of court records, which had been sealed, opens a window into the criminal case and shows that even as Washington officials were backing away from the prosecution, investigators in Manhattan were moving forward.
The documents also confirm something prosecutors revealed previously: That a federal investigation into whether Adams took improper campaign contributions began in August of 2021, when the Democrat was still in his old job of Brooklyn borough president but was widely expected to win the mayor's race that fall.
Adams has repeatedly said he believed he was prosecuted because, much later, as mayor, he criticized former President Joe Biden's immigration policies.
The investigation first spilled into public view in November 2023, when FBI agents seized Adams' phones and iPad as he was leaving an event in Manhattan. He was charged 10 months later with accepting free travel and illegal campaign contributions from people seeking to buy his influence, including a Turkish diplomat.
But on Feb. 10, weeks after President Donald Trump took office, the new leadership of the Justice Department ordered federal prosecutors in New York to drop the charges, arguing the case was hindering the mayor's ability to assist in the Republican administration's immigration crackdown.
The extraordinary directive roiled federal prosecutors' offices in Manhattan and Washington. Rather than implement the order, multiple prosecutors resigned, including the top federal prosecutor in Manhattan, Danielle Sassoon. A judge ultimately said he legally had no choice but to dismiss the case at the request of senior Justice Department officials.
Prosecutors were continuing to dig into Adams in the weeks before the case got halted, and Sassoon has said they were on the verge of bringing additional charges against him for obstruction of justice.
On Feb. 7 a judge had signed off on an application to search a phone that an unidentified subject of the investigation had turned over in response to a subpoena. Weeks earlier, a judge had signed a warrant to search a home in Middletown, New York, in connection with a probe of alleged straw donations made to Adams' campaign in 2020. Around the same time, prosecutors requested a warrant to access location data for a mobile phone in that investigation. On Dec. 4, a judge had approved a request by federal investigators to search a home in Queens.
## Searches and seizures
U.S. District Judge Dale E. Ho ordered the records unsealed at the request of The New York Times and, later, the New York Post. The Times argued in court papers that there was a "particularly compelling" case for making them public because there would be no trial. Neither Adams' lawyers, nor prosecutors opposed the request.
The documents offer a behind-the-scenes look at how investigators pieced their case together through searches of electronics and physical locations around New York and beyond.
The unsealed documents also revealed that in May 2024, a magistrate judge signed off on a warrant to search the Fort Lee, New Jersey, condominium home of the mayor's longtime romantic partner, Tracey Collins, who formerly served as a senior official in the city's Department of Education.
The warrant application does not name Collins directly but identifies her as Adams' partner and says the mayor also sometimes uses the home. Agents wanted to do the search to get access to five iPhones as they looked into whether an official connected to the Turkish consulate sought help getting a child admitted to a highly sought-after public middle school.
Also included was the September 2024 application for a warrant to search Gracie Mansion, the mayor's official residence in Manhattan, providing photos of the building from multiple angles.
An affidavit from an FBI agent notes that location data for one of Adams' phones suggests he spends the "overnight hours" of Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at the residence "and occasionally does so on other days as well."
## Adams meets with Trump
Asked for comment on the new documents, Adams' lawyer, Alex Spiro, criticized the now-ended prosecution.
"This case — the first of its kind airline upgrade 'corruption' case — should never have been brought in the first place and is now over," Spiro, said.
Adams has touted the dismissal of the case as a vindication, while denying that he cut a deal with Trump in exchange for leniency. But he has maintained a warm relationship with the president after his case was dismissed. The two leaders met in Washington on Friday, with Trump later telling reporters that "I think he actually came in to thank me."
Adams' office released a statement that said they discussed "critical infrastructure projects, as well as the preservation of essential social services, among other topics."
Even with the criminal charges behind him, Adams faces an uncertain political future. He recently announced that he would skip the Democratic primary in June and instead run as an independent in the November general election.
___
Associated Press writers Jennifer Peltz, Anthony Izaguirre, Ruth Brown, Philip Marcelo, David B. Caruso and Larry Neumeister contributed to this report.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-11 09:09:08+00:00
|
[
"Pakistan",
"India government",
"Donald Trump",
"India",
"Kashmir",
"Antonio Guterres",
"Narendra Modi",
"War and unrest",
"Pakistan government",
"Asia",
"Asia Pacific",
"South Asia",
"Stephane Dujarric",
"Rajiv Ghai",
"Mohammad Zahid",
"Military and defense",
"Ahmad Sharif",
"Trump Media Technology Group"
] |
# India claims its strikes inside Pakistan territory last week killed over 100 militants
By Munir Ahmed, Aijaz Hussain, and Sheikh Saaliq
May 11th, 2025, 09:09 AM
---
ISLAMABAD (AP) — India's military strikes into Pakistan-controlled Kashmir and Pakistan earlier this week killed more than 100 militants including prominent leaders, the head of India's military operations claimed Sunday.
Lt. Gen. Rajiv Ghai, the director general of military operations, said India's armed forces struck nine militant infrastructure and training facilities, including sites of the Lashkar-e-Taiba group that India blames for carrying out major militant strikes in India and the disputed region of Kashmir.
"We achieved total surprise," Ghai said at a news conference in New Delhi, adding Pakistan's response was "erratic and rattled."
The two countries agreed to a truce a day earlier after talks to defuse their most serious military confrontation in decades. The two armies exchanged gunfire, artillery strikes, missiles and drones that killed dozens of people.
As part of the ceasefire, the nuclear-armed neighbors agreed to immediately stop all military action on land, in the air and at sea. On Sunday, Pakistan's military said it did not ask for ceasefire, as claimed by India, but rather it was India that had sought the ceasefire.
At a televised news conference, Lt. Gen. Ahmad Sharif said Pakistan's armed forces targeted a total of 26 Indian military installations in response to India's missile strikes which were launched before dawn Wednesday.
He said the military had vowed it would respond to the Indian aggression, and it has fulfilled its commitment to the nation. Sharif warned that any threat to Pakistan's sovereignty or territorial integrity would be met with a "comprehensive, retributive, and decisive" response.
He said Pakistan exercised "maximum restraint" during the counterstrike, employing medium-range missiles and other munitions, and that no civilian areas were targeted inside India.
## Competing claims of how many killed
The escalation in violence began last week after a gun massacre of tourists in Indian-controlled Kashmir on April 22. India blamed the attack on Pakistan, which denied any involvement.
Ghai said at least 35 to 40 Pakistani soldiers were killed in clashes along the Line of Control, the de facto border that divides the disputed Kashmir region between India and Pakistan. Five Indian soldiers were also killed, he said.
Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Thursday said his country's armed forces had killed 40 to 50 Indian soldiers along the Line of Control.
Following India's Wednesday strikes, Pakistan sent drones multiple times in many locations in Kashmir and Indian cities that were neutralized, said Air Marshal A.K. Bharti, the operations head of the Indian air force. He said India responded with "significant and game-changing strikes" Saturday, hitting Pakistan's air bases.
Bharti refused to comment on Pakistani claims of shooting down five Indian fighter jets, but said "we are in a combat scenario and losses are a part of combat." He claimed India also "downed (a) few planes" but did not offer any evidence.
The Associated Press could not independently verify all the actions attributed to India or Pakistan.
Saturday's ceasefire was shaken just hours later by overnight fighting in disputed Kashmir, as each side accused each other of repeatedly violating the deal. Drones were also spotted Saturday night over Indian-controlled Kashmir and the western state of Gujarat, according to Indian officials.
People on both sides of the Line of Control reported heavy exchanges of fire between Indian and Pakistani troops. The fighting subsided by Sunday morning.
In the Poonch area of Indian-controlled Kashmir, people said the intense shelling from the past few days had traumatized them.
"Most people ran as shells were being fired," said college student Sosan Zehra, who returned home Sunday. "It was completely chaotic."
In Pakistan-controlled Kashmir's Neelum Valley, which is 3 kilometers (2 miles) from the Line of Control, residents said there were exchanges of fire and heavy shelling after the ceasefire began.
"We were happy about the announcement but, once again, the situation feels uncertain," said Mohammad Zahid.
## Indian and Pakistan officials to speak Monday
U.S. President Donald Trump was the first to post about the ceasefire deal, announcing it on his Truth Social platform. Indian and Pakistani officials confirmed the news shortly after.
Pakistan has thanked the U.S., and especially Trump, several times for facilitating the ceasefire.
India has not said anything about Trump or the U.S. since the deal was announced. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting on Sunday with top government and military officials.
A U.N. spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, said on Sunday that Secretary General Antonio Guterres welcomed the deal as a positive step toward easing tensions. "He hopes the agreement will contribute to lasting peace and foster an environment conducive to addressing broader, longstanding issues between the two countries," Dujarric said.
India and Pakistan's top military officials are scheduled to speak on Monday.
India and Pakistan have fought daily since Wednesday along the rugged and mountainous Line of Control, which is marked by razor wire coils, watchtowers and bunkers that snake across foothills populated by villages, tangled bushes and forests.
They have routinely blamed the other for starting the skirmishes, while insisting they themselves were only retaliating.
Kashmir is split between the two countries and claimed by both in its entirety.
They have fought two of their three wars over the region and their ties have been shaped by conflict, aggressive diplomacy and mutual suspicion, mostly due to their competing claims.
____
Hussain reported from Srinagar, India. Saaliq reported from New Delhi.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-20 10:57:17+00:00
|
[
"United Kingdom",
"London",
"Jeremy Johnson",
"Stephen Yaxley-Lennon",
"Courts",
"Legal proceedings",
"Criminal punishment",
"Fraud",
"Political refugees"
] |
# English Defense League founder Tommy Robinson due for early release after UK judge's decision
May 20th, 2025, 10:57 AM
---
LONDON (AP) — The U.K. High Court in London on Tuesday reduced the prison sentence of the far-right English Defense League's founder, and he could be released in the coming days.
Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, better known as Tommy Robinson, was sentenced to 18 months in prison in October for violating a court order barring him from repeating libelous allegations against a Syrian refugee.
However, his lawyers told the court that he had since shown a "commitment" to comply with the order, and as a result, Justice Jeremy Johnson granted the application to have the sentence reduced, which means he could be released on parole within the next week.
Yaxley-Lennon had shown a "change in attitude" since he was sentenced, Johnson said, while noting the "absence of contrition or remorse."
"He has given an assurance that he will comply with the injunction in the future, that he has no intention of breaching it again, and that he is aware of the consequences of what would happen if he breached the injunction again," the judge said.
Yaxley-Lennon, 42, who attended the hearing by videoconference from HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes, showed no immediate reaction once the judgment was handed down.
He had admitted in court last October that he was in contempt of court for violating a 2021 injunction by giving interviews in a podcast and shown on YouTube, and in a documentary he presented during a rally in London's Trafalgar Square that was also posted on his X account and widely viewed.
He had been ordered not to repeat false allegations that he made in 2018 that a teen, Jamal Hijazi, was a violent thug who bullied and threatened other students at a school in West Yorkshire in northern England.
Videos he made about Hijazi led to abuse being directed at the boy. He dropped out of school and his family had to leave their home.
Hijazi successfully sued for libel in London's High Court in July 2021 and was awarded 100,000 British pounds ($130,000) in damages and his court costs.
In the past, Yaxley-Lennon has been jailed for assault, mortgage fraud and contempt of court. He founded the nationalist street protest group EDL in 2009. Even after the group faded from view around 2013, he remained one of the most influential far-right figures in Britain and can still draw large crowds to the streets.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-06 12:02:40+00:00
|
[
"Donald Trump",
"Israel government",
"Yemen",
"2024-2025 Mideast Wars",
"Houthis",
"Benjamin Netanyahu",
"War and unrest",
"Bombings",
"Military and defense",
"Hans Grundberg",
"Bears",
"Badr al-Busaidi",
"Politics",
"Khalil Al- Dokran"
] |
# Sanaa: Israel's military says it has fully disabled Yemen's main airport
By Elena Becatoros and Jon Gambrell
May 6th, 2025, 12:02 PM
---
JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military bombed the airport in Yemen's rebel-held capital Tuesday, claiming to have disabled the airfield in an attack that left commercial aircraft burning on the tarmac as its fighter jets struck power plants and other targets.
The rare daytime attack on Sanaa, held by Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels since 2014, came as part of a second day of Israeli airstrikes in response to a Houthi ballistic missile striking the grounds of Ben-Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv. The Houthis described the Israeli attacks as killing at least seven people and wounding 74 others over two days.
But the future of American attacks on the Houthis, who have pledged to continue to target Israel, was thrown into question after U.S. President Donald Trump said America would stop striking the Houthis. Trump described the rebels as having "capitulated" and agreed to stop targeting shipping in the Red Sea, though the rebels did not specifically acknowledge such a pledge.
"We indirectly informed the Americans that the continued escalation will affect the criminal Trump's visit to the region, and we have not informed them of anything else," said Mahdi al-Mashat, head of the Houthi's supreme political council, in a statement carried by the rebel-controlled SABA news agency early Wednesday. Trump is due to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates next week.
Badr al-Busaidi, the foreign minister of Oman who mediated between the U.S. and the Houthis, also is mediating between America and Iran over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program.
"Today's news about the situation in the Red Sea means that diplomatic efforts have lead to the end to the conflict between the US and Ansar Allah in Yemen," al-Busaidi wrote on the social platform X, using another name for the Houthis. "They will no longer target each other, ensuring freedom of navigation for international commercial shipping in the Red Sea."
## Israeli attack leaves Sanaa airport in ruins
The strikes in Sanaa came shortly after Israel's military warned on social media that people should leave the area immediately, saying that "failure to evacuate the area endangers your lives." The explosions from the strikes echoed across Sanaa, sending the public fleeing to find cover as thick black smoke rose over the skyline.
The Houthis' al-Masirah satellite news channel later aired footage from the airport, showing its terminal's windows blown out, with concrete blocks exposed and a fire burning inside. On its runway, aircraft associated with the state carrier Yemenia burned.
The airline later said three of its planes had been "taken out of service" in the attack, though those abroad in Jordan were untouched. The Israeli strike came after its flight to Amman on Tuesday took off.
Other strikes hit a cement plant and power plants, the Houthis and Israelis both said. On Monday, Israel targeted Houthi rebels in Yemen's Red Sea province of Hodeida, hitting a key port there and another cement factory.
Israel's defense minister, Israel Katz, said the strike should be seen as a warning to the "head of the Iranian octopus," which he said bears direct responsibility for attacks by the Houthis against Israel.
The Israeli airstrikes involved some 50 bombs and "dozens" of aircraft, the Israeli military said. It also required mid-air refueling to reach Sanaa, showing their reach also to Iran as Israel has threatened to strike Tehran's nuclear enrichment sites.
## Houthi attacks on Israel linked to war in Gaza
Sunday's missile attack struck an access road near Israel's main airport near Tel Aviv, briefly halting flights and commuter traffic. Four people were slightly injured. It was the first time a missile struck the grounds of Ben-Gurion airport since the October 2023 start of the war in Gaza. While most missiles launched by the Houthis have been intercepted, some missiles and drones have penetrated Israel's air defenses.
The Houthis have targeted Israel throughout the war in Gaza in solidarity with Palestinians there, while also targeting commercial and naval vessels on the Red Sea. That raised their profile both at home amid Yemen's decadelong war and abroad as the last member of Iran's self-described "Axis of Resistance" capable of launching regular attacks on Israel.
The U.N. special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, said the latest strikes carried out on Israel and Yemen's airport marked a "grave escalation in an already fragile and volatile regional context." He urged the parties to show restraint.
In March, Trump had vowed to use "overwhelming lethal force" after the Houthis said they would resume attacks on ships sailing off Yemen in response to Israel's mounting another blockade on the Gaza Strip.
Trump told reporters Tuesday that the U.S. "will stop the bombings. They have capitulated, but more importantly, we will take their word that they say they will not be blowing up ships anymore." Trump added, "I think that's very positive. They were knocking out a lot of ships."
Data from Lloyd's List suggests larger shipping firms are slowly beginning to return to the Red Sea, though traffic through the waterway that once saw $1 trillion in goods a year pass through it remains low.
Israel has repeatedly targeted the Houthis. It struck Hodeida and its oil infrastructure in July after a Houthi drone attack killed one person and wounded 10 in Tel Aviv.
In September, Israel struck Hodeida again, killing at least four people after a missile targeted Ben-Gurion airport as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was returning to the country. In December, Israeli strikes killed at least nine people in Hodeida.
Also Tuesday, Israel continued its strikes in Gaza. At least 18 people were killed, including children, when a school sheltering displaced people was hit in Bureij, according to Khalil Al- Dokran, spokesperson for al-Aqsa Hospital, where some of the bodies were taken.
___
Gambrell contributed from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writers Julia Frankel in Jerusalem, Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Will Weissert in Washington contributed to this report.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-09 15:54:50+00:00
|
[
"Bamako",
"Mali",
"Activism",
"Democracy",
"Mali government",
"Moussa Mara",
"Politics"
] |
# 2 activists who criticized Mali military rulers were seized and taken away, relatives say
By Baba Ahmed
May 9th, 2025, 03:54 PM
---
BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — At least two Malian pro-democracy activists, including a prominent political party leader, were taken away in Bamako by armed men after criticizing the military government and calling for a return to constitutional order and elections, their families and colleagues said.
Mali 's military government this week suspended political party activities, days after the first pro-democracy rally since soldiers took power by force almost four years ago.
The son of Alassane Abba, secretary-general of the Codem party, said three armed, hooded men dressed in military fatigues entered their house on Thursday evening and took the politician away "in a car with black tinted windows and no license plate." Alhousseini Jannatta Alassane told The Associated Press that the armed men "did not look like bandits."
On the same day, in Kati, 15 kilometers (9 miles) from Bamako, a Yelema party activist, El Bachir Thiam, was forced by armed men into their car before being driven to an unknown destination.
"We learned today of the arrest of our activist El Bachir Thiam and I call on the Malian authorities to release him. I call on those who arrested him to release him. A country is not built on gag orders," former Prime Minister Moussa Mara, honorary president of the Yelema party, said in a video posted on his Facebook page.
Both El Bachir Thiam and Alassane Abba have made media appearances criticizing the military government and calling for a return to constitutional order.
Mamadou Traoré, president of the Alternative for Mali party, was arrested last month after he criticized the military and the use of Russian mercenaries by Mali's transitional authorities.
Military leader Gen. Assimi Goita seized power following coups in 2020 and 2021. Last week, a national political conference said he should be installed as president for a renewable five-year term.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-02 15:05:21+00:00
|
[
"Television",
"Comedy",
"Ruth Ann Buzzi",
"Gladys Ormphby",
"Carol Burnett",
"George Schlatter",
"Angelo Buzzi",
"Mike Eisenstadt",
"Leslie Uggams",
"Jo Anne Worley",
"Bob Newhart",
"Texas",
"Celebrity deaths",
"New York City Wire",
"Notable Deaths",
"Frank Sinatra",
"Marie Osmond",
"United States government",
"Lily Tomlin",
"Gwen Verdon",
"New York",
"Lucille Ball",
"Doris Swizzler",
"Entertainment",
"Dean Martin",
"Jim Nabors",
"Nancy Sinatra",
"Deana Martin",
"Tyrone F. Horneigh",
"Kent Perkins",
"Dorothy Loudon",
"Rudy Vallee",
"Marlo Thomas"
] |
# Ruth Buzzi, comedy sketch player on groundbreaking series 'Laugh-In,' dies at 88
By Beth Harris
May 2nd, 2025, 03:05 PM
---
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ruth Buzzi, who rose to fame as the frumpy and bitter Gladys Ormphby on the groundbreaking sketch comedy series "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In" and made over 200 television appearances during a 45-year career, died Thursday. She was 88.
Buzzi died at her home in Texas, her agent Mike Eisenstadt said. She had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's and was in hospice care. Shortly before her death, her husband Kent Perkins, had posted a statement on Buzzi's Facebook page, thanking her many fans and telling them: "She wants you to know she probably had more fun doing those shows than you had watching them."
Buzzi won a Golden Globe and was a two-time Emmy nominee for the NBC show that ran from 1968 to 1973. She was the only regular to appear in all six seasons, including the pilot.
"Ruth Buzzi was a comedic genius," Nancy Sinatra posted on X. "Working alongside her on Laugh-In was the most fun I ever had working. I treasured her friendship and I am heartbroken to wake up to the news that she is gone. I love you, Ruthie."
Singer Deana Martin posted, "Her laughter and warmth touched us all, leaving an everlasting void."
## Ormphby character leads to 'Laugh-In'
Buzzi was first spotted by "Laugh-In" creator and producer George Schlatter playing various characters on "The Steve Allen Comedy Hour."
Schlatter was holding auditions for "Laugh-In" when he received a picture in the mail of Buzzi in her Ormphby costume, sitting in a wire mesh trash barrel. The character was clad in drab brown with her bun covered by a hairnet knotted in the middle of her forehead.
"I think I hired her because of my passion for Gladys Ormphby," he wrote in his 2023 memoir "Still Laughing A Life in Comedy." "I must admit that the hairnet and the rolled-down stockings did light my fire. My favorite Gladys line was when she announced that the day of the office Christmas party, they sent her home early."
The Gladys character used her purse as a weapon against anyone who bothered her, striking people over the head. On "Laugh-In," her most frequent target was Arte Johnson's dirty old man character Tyrone F. Horneigh.
"Gladys embodies the overlooked, the downtrodden, the taken for granted, the struggler," Buzzi told The Connecticut Post in 2018. "So when she fights back, she speaks for everyone who's been marginalized, reduced to a sex object or otherwise abused. And that's almost everyone at some time or other."
Buzzi took her act to the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts in Las Vegas, where she bashed her purse on the heads of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Lucille Ball, among others.
"Ruth Buzzi brought a singular energy and charm to sketch comedy that made her a standout on 'Laugh-In' and the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts. Her characters, especially the unforgettable Gladys Ormphby, captured the delightful absurdity of the era," said Journey Gunderson, executive director of the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, New York.
Her other recurring characters on "Laugh-In" included Flicker Farkle; Busy-Buzzi, a Hollywood gossip columnist; Doris Swizzler, a cocktail-lounge regular who got drunk with husband Leonard, played by Dick Martin; and an inconsiderate flight attendant.
"I never took my work for granted, nor assumed I deserved more of the credit or spotlight or more pay than anyone else," Buzzi told The Connecticut Post. "I was just thrilled to drive down the hill to NBC every day as an employed actor with a job to do."
Buzzi remained friends through the years with "Laugh-In" co-stars Lily Tomlin and Jo Anne Worley.
## From cheerleading to the stage
Born Ruth Ann Buzzi on July 24, 1936, in Westerly, Rhode Island, she was the daughter of Angelo Buzzi, a nationally known stone sculptor. Her father and later her brother operated Buzzi Memorials, a gravestone and monument maker in Stonington, Connecticut, where she was head cheerleader in high school.
Buzzi enrolled at the Pasadena Playhouse at age 17. Two years later, she traveled with singer Rudy Vallee in a musical and comedy act during her summer break. That earned her an Actors' Equity union card before she graduated from the playhouse's College of Theatre Arts.
Buzzi moved to New York and was immediately hired for a lead role in an off-Broadway musical revue, the first of 19 such shows she performed in on the East Coast.
She got her national television break on "The Garry Moore Show" in 1964, just after Carol Burnett was replaced by Dorothy Loudon on the series. She played Shakundala the Silent, a bumbling magician's assistant to Dom DeLuise's character Dominic the Great.
Buzzi was a regular on the CBS variety show "The Entertainers" whose hosts included Burnett and Bob Newhart.
She was in the original Broadway cast of "Sweet Charity" with Gwen Verdon in 1966.
Buzzi toured the country with her nightclub act, including appearances in Las Vegas.
She was a semi-regular on "That Girl" as Marlo Thomas' friend. She co-starred with Jim Nabors as time-traveling androids on "The Lost Saucer" in the mid-1970s.
Her other guest appearances included variety shows hosted by Burnett, Flip Wilson, Glen Campbell, Tony Orlando, Donny and Marie Osmond and Leslie Uggams.
She appeared in Ball's last comedy series "Life With Lucy."
Buzzi appeared in music videos with "Weird Al" Yankovic, the B-52's and the Presidents of the United States of America.
She did hundreds of guest voices in cartoon series including "Pound Puppies," "Berenstain Bears," "The Smurfs" and "The Angry Beavers."
She was Emmy nominated for her six-year run as shopkeeper Ruthie on "Sesame Street."
Her movie credits included "Freaky Friday," "Chu Chu and the Philly Flash," "The North Avenue Irregulars" and "The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again."
Buzzi was active on social media and had thousands of followers whom she rewarded with such one-liners as "I have never faked a sarcasm" and "Scientists say the universe is made up entirely of neurons, protons and electrons. They seem to have missed morons."
She married actor Perkins in 1978.
The couple moved from California to Texas in 2003 and bought a 640-acre ranch near Stephenville.
Buzzi retired from acting in 2021 and suffered a series of strokes the following year. Her husband told The Dallas Morning News in 2023 that she had dementia.
—-
Associated Press National Writer Hillel Italie contributed to this report.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-14 22:32:33+00:00
|
[
"Gustavo Petro",
"Colombia government",
"Colombia",
"Referendums",
"Bogota",
"Global elections",
"Business",
"Politics",
"Voting"
] |
# Colombian lawmakers reject president's labor reform referendum
May 14th, 2025, 10:32 PM
---
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Lawmakers in Colombia on Wednesday once again blocked President Gustavo Petro's efforts to overhaul the country's labor laws, this time by rejecting a referendum that would have asked voters whether workdays should be limited to eight hours and whether workers should receive double pay if they work during holidays.
Petro asked Congress earlier this month to approve the 12-question referendum to give voters a chance to decide on the changes that lawmakers themselves had already rejected twice. He had warned lawmakers against blocking the referendum, saying before thousands of people gathered for a Labor Day demonstration on May 1 that if they did not approve it, Colombians would punish them at the polls during the 2026 legislative elections.
After an intense debate Wednesday, 49 senators voted against the measure and 47 in favor.
Petro, Colombia's first leftist president, characterized the vote as fraudulent. He has repeatedly accused lawmakers of blocking his social initiatives and ignoring the demands of Colombians.
Had lawmakers approved the referendum, voters would have answered questions such as whether daytime workdays should end at 6 p.m. and whether open-ended contracts should be offered to workers to prioritize job stability.
In a rarely used maneuver, a group of congressmen on Wednesday successfully appealed the March dismissal of Petro's proposed labor reform. The move allows lawmakers to again debate his proposals and potentially approve them. Lawmakers face a June 20 deadline to do so.
____
Follow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-10 12:08:32+00:00
|
[
"Donald Trump",
"Nashville",
"Tennessee",
"Bill Lee",
"Law enforcement",
"Immigration",
"U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement",
"Wally Dietz",
"Politics",
"Lisa Sherman Luna"
] |
# Authorities arrest over 100 people on Tennessee roads in support of Trump's deportation plan
By Travis Loller
May 10th, 2025, 12:08 PM
---
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — More than 100 people have been taken into custody by federal immigration officials in a joint operation with the Tennessee Highway Patrol, leaving many in Nashville's immigrant community uncertain and worried.
"None of us have ever seen anything like this," Lisa Sherman Luna, executive director of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition said Friday.
The operation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is a reminder of how local and state law enforcement jurisdictions are critical to President Donald Trump's plans for mass deportations. Last week, Florida officials touted a joint operation with ICE that resulted in 1,120 immigration arrests.
The Highway Patrol said Friday that it made 588 stops in the joint operation with ICE, which took custody of 103 under investigation for immigration violations.
The stops "led to the recovery of illegal drugs and firearms — taking dangerous elements off the street and making Tennessee safer," the Highway Patrol said. One person was wanted in a killing in El Salvador.
Tennessee's Gov. Bill Lee recently signed a law creating a division of immigration enforcement with the state's Department of Safety and Homeland Security, which includes the Highway Patrol. He is one of a number of Republican officials pledging to use state resources to carry out Trump's plans.
Meanwhile, city officials in the Democratic stronghold of Nashville have disavowed involvement and been critical of the arrests. Nashville Law Director Wally Dietz said the state-federal operation, which began May 3, caught everyone in city government by surprise.
Responding to concerns about Nashville police presence outside an ICE office, Dietz said Wednesday that the city "routinely receives requests for extra patrols for a variety of reasons and responds to the extent resources are available." He said he didn't know who was detained and that, when he requested more information from the Highway Patrol, he was told to file a public records request.
The Highway Patrol said stops are based solely on driver behavior. "We do not enter neighborhoods or stop vehicles based on who someone is — we stop based on what they do behind the wheel," it said.
But immigrant rights supporters contend that the patrols have focused on parts of the city where the majority of residents are people of color.
"All signs point to this being racial profiling intended to terrorize the heart of the immigrant and refugee community," Sherman Luna said. "What we've heard is that THP is flagging people down for things like a broken taillight or tinted windows."
Sherman Luna believes some of those being detained would be allowed to stay in the country if they were able to receive competent legal representation at an immigration hearing. Instead, she has heard that people are agreeing to be deported out of fear that they could spend months or years in immigration detention.
About 9% of the Nashville metropolitan area population of about 2 million are immigrants, with many from Mexico and Honduras, according to the Migration Policy Institute's analysis of census data. The city also has a large Kurdish population living alongside refugees from Sudan, Myanmar and other countries.
"It's a strategy to strike fear into our vibrant, diverse, beautiful neighborhoods," Sherman Luna said.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-14 19:14:01+00:00
|
[
"Josh Shapiro",
"Pennsylvania",
"Government programs",
"Access to health care",
"Government budgets",
"U.S. Republican Party",
"Harrisburg",
"Business",
"United States House of Representatives",
"Health",
"Politics",
"United States Congressional Budget Office"
] |
# Governor warns Pennsylvanians will lose health care, hospitals will close under GOP cuts to Medicaid
By Marc Levy
May 14th, 2025, 07:14 PM
---
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Gov. Josh Shapiro warned Wednesday that the Medicaid cuts Congress is considering would mean billions of dollars in lost federal aid to Pennsylvania, hundreds of thousands of people losing access to the health insurance program and more struggling rural hospitals shutting their doors.
Shapiro, a Democrat who is considered a potential White House contender in 2028, said that if the cuts are made, the state would be unable to make up that amount of lost federal aid.
"I just need to stress: there is no back-filling at the state level," Shapiro told WILK-FM radio in Wilkes-Barre. "There are no dollars available at the state level to make up for these cuts at the federal level. So if they cut someone off Medicaid, they're off. We will not be able to fix that for them."
Besides hundreds of thousands of people losing access to Medicaid in Pennsylvania, billions of dollars in funding cuts would accelerate the shuttering of rural hospitals "which are teetering on the brink of closure," Shapiro said.
Pennsylvania is already facing a thorny situation with Medicaid costs.
Shapiro's proposed budget for the fiscal year starting July 1 seeks $2.5 billion more for Medicaid after budget-makers belatedly realized that the people remaining on Medicaid rolls after the COVID-19 pandemic are sicker than anticipated — and costlier to care for.
The governor does have a cushion of about $10.5 billion in reserve, thanks to federal COVID-19 relief and inflation-juiced tax collections over the past few years.
His administration is also trying to reduce the fast-rising amount Pennsylvania pays for popular GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy, Ozempic and Zepbound, as are a number of other states.
Medicaid is a federal-state partnership that helps pay for the health care of low-income people of any age and long-term nursing care. There are 72 million enrollees nationwide, including 3 million in Pennsylvania, or almost one in four Pennsylvanians. Its annual cost is approaching $1 trillion, including about $50 billion in Pennsylvania.
The precise contours of forthcoming cuts to Medicaid are being hammered out in the Republican-controlled U.S. House as part of a bill package that includes tax breaks of more than $5 trillion and sizable reductions in food stamps and programs to fight climate change.
As part of it, Republicans are proposing cuts of nearly $800 billion over the decade to Medicaid.
Estimates from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office show that at least 7.6 million people could lose health insurance with the Medicaid cuts.
Republicans say they are trying to make Medicaid work better by rooting out waste and inefficiencies. Shapiro disputed that, saying voting to cut Medicaid spending is "voting to cut their constituents off from lifesaving health care access."
___
Follow Marc Levy on X: https://x.com/timelywriter
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-16 18:48:38+00:00
|
[
"New Mexico",
"Donald Trump",
"Immigration",
"Indictments",
"Government regulations",
"Gregory Wormuth"
] |
# Judges dismiss national security charges against immigrants who enter new militarized zone at border
By Morgan Lee
May 16th, 2025, 06:48 PM
---
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Federal magistrate judges in New Mexico have started dismissing national security charges against immigrants accused of crossing the southern U.S. border through a newly designated military zone, finding little evidence that immigrants knew about the zones.
Since late-April, federal prosecutors in New Mexico and western Texas have filed misdemeanor criminal charges of violating national security regulations and entering restricted military property against at least 400 immigrants. They're accused of illegally entering the U.S. as well as a 60-foot strip of land recently designated as a national defense area.
The military trespassing charges have been dismissed in at least 120 cases by magistrate judges at a federal court in Las Cruces, including rulings on Friday. Companion misdemeanor charges of illegal entry into the U.S. were not dismissed.
The U.S. attorney for New Mexico says at least 199 signs have been staked in the ground near the New Mexico border that warn against entry into the newly militarized area. But Chief Magistrate Judge Gregory Wormuth says, "The mere fact that some 'signs' were posted in the New Mexico National Defense Area provides no basis on which to conclude that the defendant could have seen, let alone did see, the signs."
The government was using a "cut-and-paste approach" in its allegations that allowed the court to use the same legal analysis in ruling in all the cases, Wormuth said in a court order.
The newly designated national defense areas are overseen by U.S. Army commands out of Fort Bliss in the El Paso area in Texas and Fort Huachuca in Arizona.
The novel national security charges against immigrants who enter through those militarized zones carry a potential sentence of 18 months in prison on top of a possible six month sentence for illegal entry. The full implications are unclear for migrants who pursue legal status through separate proceedings in federal immigration court.
President Donald Trump's administration says it has authorized U.S. troops to temporarily detain immigrants in the country illegally along the border — though there's no record of troops exercising that authority as U.S. Customs and Border Protection conducts arrests.
Public defenders say the trespassing charges cannot stand without proof that immigrants knew of the military restrictions and acted "in defiance of that regulation for some nefarious or bad purpose."
___
Associated Press reporter Valerie Gonzalez contributed from McAllen, Texas.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-06 16:26:11+00:00
|
[
"Robert Hadden",
"New York",
"Andrew Yang",
"Anthony T. DiPietro",
"Crime",
"Manhattan",
"New York City",
"Education funding",
"New York City Wire",
"Education",
"Sexual assault",
"Cyrus Vance Jr.",
"Legal proceedings",
"Health",
"Sexual abuse",
"Colombia",
"Evelyn Yang"
] |
# Columbia, New York-Presbyterian Hospital settle hundreds of sex abuse claims involving ex-doctor
By Dave Collins
May 6th, 2025, 04:26 PM
---
Columbia University and New York-Presbyterian Hospital have agreed to a $750 million settlement of hundreds of sexual abuse claims by patients of disgraced and imprisoned former gynecologist Robert Hadden, bringing total legal payouts in civil cases involving the ex-doctor to over $1 billion, according to the plaintiffs' lawyer.
Hadden, now 66, was accused of molesting patients during a decades-long career at prestigious New York City hospitals including Columbia University Irving Medical Center and New York-Presbyterian. He was convicted by a jury in 2023 of federal sex crime charges and sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.
The new settlements, approved by a Manhattan judge Monday, come in 576 legal cases against the Ivy League school, the hospital and others over the abuse by Hadden, plaintiffs' attorney Anthony T. DiPietro said.
"This victory is not just for the victims and survivors of Columbia University and The New York-Presbyterian Hospital's cover-up who bravely came forward, but for all of us who entrust medical institutions with our health care," DiPietro said in statement.
"For far too long, Columbia and New York-Presbyterian have prioritized protecting their reputations over protecting their patients," he said. "This settlement sends a powerful message that we're here to ensure that institutions covering up exploitation and abuse will be held fully accountable for their crimes."
DiPietro said the average payout to plaintiffs from the new settlement will be about $1.3 million. Columbia previously agreed to $277 million in settlements with more than 200 other plaintiffs over Hadden's sexual abuse, he said.
Columbia confirmed the settlement but not the amount Tuesday. Lawyers for the school and New York-Presbyterian did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.
"As previously announced, Columbia is implementing a multi-pronged plan, including an external investigation, a survivors' settlement fund, and a series of new and updated patient safety policies and programs to address the abuses of Robert Hadden," the university said in statement responding to an Associated Press message specifically asking about the $750 million deal.
"We deeply regret the pain that his patients suffered, and this settlement is another step forward in our ongoing work and commitment to repair harm and support survivors," it said. "We commend the survivors for their bravery in coming forward."
New York-Presbyterian referred questions about the settlement to Columbia, saying the school employed Hadden.
One of the plaintiffs in the lawsuits, Laurie Maldonado, who sued Columbia, New York-Presbyterian, Hadden and others, said her case was not about money.
"It's about accountability," she said in a statement provided by DiPietro. "Columbia University enabled sadistic abuse, and now, they've been forced to face the truth. We hope this sends a clear message to every institution: survivors will not be silenced, and those who protect abusers will be held responsible."
The Associated Press does not typically name victims of sexual assault unless they come forward publicly, like Maldonado has.
Hadden's accusers also included Evelyn Yang, the wife of former presidential candidate and New York mayoral candidate Andrew Yang, who said Hadden abused her when she was pregnant with her first child.
During Hadden's criminal trial, nine victims testified about how Hadden molested them during gynecology treatments, starting in the late 1980s, at prominent hospitals.
Allegations of misconduct during examinations first surfaced in 2012. Hadden was indicted on state charges in 2014 as women kept coming forward. But in 2016, the office of the Manhattan district attorney at the time, Cyrus Vance Jr., allowed Hadden to plead guilty to two low-level felonies and a misdemeanor in a deal that required him to give up his medical license but did not require jail time and kept him out of the state's sex offender registry.
Some of the women who had gone to state prosecutors were outraged, but their stories did not start receiving public attention until the #MeToo movement began gaining steam in 2017.
Federal prosecutors in Manhattan got a grand jury indictment against Hadden in 2020, charges based on the fact that some patients at his New York offices had come into the city from other states.
In November 2023, Columbia and Columbia University Irving Medical Center announced they would be notifying 6,500 former patients of Hadden of his federal sex crime convictions and giving victims the opportunity to apply for compensation from a $100 million settlement fund. The deadline to apply has been extended to May 15.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-13 22:56:27+00:00
|
[
"Donald Trump",
"Indictments",
"Hannah Dugan",
"Wisconsin",
"Juries",
"Immigration",
"Courts",
"United States government",
"Kenneth Gales",
"Eduardo Flores-Ruiz",
"U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation"
] |
# Wisconsin judge Hannah Dugan is indicted on accusations she helped a man evade immigration agents
By Todd Richmond
May 13th, 2025, 10:56 PM
---
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A federal grand jury indicted a Wisconsin judge Tuesday on charges she helped a man in the country illegally evade U.S. immigration authorities looking to arrest him as he appeared before her in a local domestic abuse case.
Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan's arrest and ensuing indictment has escalated a clash between President Donald Trump's administration and local authorities over the Republican's sweeping immigration crackdown. Democrats have accused the Trump administration of trying to make a national example of Dugan to chill judicial opposition to the crackdown.
Prosecutors charged Dugan in April via complaint with concealing an individual to prevent arrest and obstruction. In the federal criminal justice system, prosecutors can initiate charges against a defendant directly by filing a complaint or present evidence to a grand jury and let that body decide whether to issue charges.
A grand jury still reviews charges brought by complaint to determine whether enough probable cause exists to continue the case as a check on prosecutors' power. If the grand jury determines there's probable cause, it issues a written statement of the charges known as an indictment. That's what happened in Dugan's case.
Dugan faces up to six years in prison if she's convicted on both counts. Her team of defense attorneys responded to the indictment with a one-sentence statement saying that she maintains her innocence and looks forward to being vindicated in court. She was scheduled to enter a plea on Thursday.
Kenneth Gales, a spokesperson for the U.S. attorney's office in Milwaukee, declined to comment on the indictment Tuesday evening.
Dugan's case is similar to one brought during the first Trump administration against a Massachusetts judge, who was accused of helping a man sneak out a courthouse back door to evade a waiting immigration enforcement agent. That case was eventually dismissed.
Prosecutors say Dugan escorted Eduardo Flores-Ruiz and his lawyer out of her courtroom through a back jury door on April 18 after learning that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were in the courthouse seeking his arrest.
According to court documents, Flores-Ruiz illegally reentered the U.S. after being deported in 2013. Online state court records show he was charged with three counts of misdemeanor domestic abuse in Milwaukee County in March. He was in Dugan's courtroom that morning of April 18 for a hearing.
Court documents suggest Dugan was alerted to the agents' presence by her clerk, who was informed by an attorney that the agents appeared to be in the hallway. An affidavit says Dugan was visibly angry over the agents' arrival and called the situation "absurd" before leaving the bench and retreating to her chambers. She and another judge later approached members of the arrest team in the courthouse with what witnesses described as a "confrontational, angry demeanor."
After a back-and-forth with the agents over the warrant for Flores-Ruiz, Dugan demanded they speak with the chief judge and led them away from the courtroom, according to the affidavit.
She then returned to the courtroom and was heard saying words to the effect of "wait, come with me" and ushered Flores-Ruiz and his attorney out through a back jury door typically used only by deputies, jurors, court staff and in-custody defendants, according to the affidavit. Flores-Ruiz was free on a signature bond in the abuse case at the time, according to online state court records.
Federal agents ultimately captured him outside the courthouse after a foot chase.
The state Supreme Court suspended Dugan from the bench in late April, saying the move was necessary to preserve public confidence in the judiciary. A reserve judge is filling in for her.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-17 19:09:19+00:00
|
[
"New Orleans",
"Crime",
"Jonathan Trapp",
"Prisons",
"Law enforcement",
"Indictments",
"Homicide",
"Robert Moody",
"Susan Hutson",
"Bianka Brown",
"Missing persons",
"Michelle Woodfork",
"Jay Mallett",
"Gary Price",
"Jason Williams",
"Law and order",
"Liz Murrill",
"U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation",
"Corey Boyd"
] |
# Law enforcement searches for 6 escaped inmates still missing from New Orleans jail
May 17th, 2025, 07:09 PM
---
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Days after 10 men escaped from a New Orleans jail by slipping through a hole behind a toilet and scaling a wall, six of them remained on the run Monday, and up to $20,000 in rewards was being offered for information leading to the capture of each escapee.
The FBI on Sunday increased its reward amount from $5,000 to $10,000 per escapee, while the CrimeStoppers reward was increased from $2,000 to $5,000, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was offering $5,000. The latest arrest came late Monday when a fourth fugitive, Gary Price, was taken into custody.
FBI Special Agent Jonathan Trapp said during a news conference that he believes members of the public may be helping them and, if that's the case, would be arrested on charges of aiding or abetting them.
The men range in age from 19 to 42 and face a variety of charges including aggravated assault, domestic abuse battery and murder. While three of the men were quickly caught and a fourth later, a multiagency task force has been assembled to scour the region for the remaining fugitives.
## What are jail officials saying?
Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson said the men were able to get out of the Orleans Justice Center because of "defective locks," and possibly with help from people inside her department.
"It's almost impossible, not completely, but almost impossible for anybody to get out of this facility without help," she said Friday of the jail where 1,400 people are being held.
Just days before the escape, Hutson's office had asked for money to fix faulty locks and cell doors. During the city's Capital Improvement Plan hearing on May 12, Jeworski "Jay" Mallet, Chief of Corrections for the Orleans Justice Center, said the current system at the jail was built for a "minimum custody type of inmate."
Mallet went on to say that some of the cell unit doors and locks have been "manipulated" to the point that not only are they not secure, but some can't even be closed properly. But he classified many at the jail as "high security" inmates who are awaiting trials for violent offenses, including charges such as murder, assault and rape.
Surveillance footage, shared with media during a news conference, showed the escapees sprinting out of the facility — some wearing orange clothing and others in white. They scaled a fence, using blankets to protect themselves from barbed wire, and some sprinted across an interstate and into a neighborhood.
## The escape
A law enforcement photograph obtained by The Associated Press shows the opening through which the men escaped. Above the hole are scrawled messages that include "To Easy LoL" with an arrow pointing at the gap.
Friday's escape is drawing intense scrutiny and criticism. It took hours for sheriff's officials to realize the men had escaped and then more time still to alert New Orleans police, even though some of the missing men are accused of violent offenses and they escaped into a neighborhood less than 2 miles (3.2 km) from the city's famous French Quarter.
"Someone clearly dropped the ball and there's no excuse for this," Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said on X.
Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams, who said he prosecuted one of the people who escaped, told New Orleans news station WWL-TV he was "angry."
"This is absurd," he said. "I don't understand how it is feasible that it could have occurred."
## Why did it take hours to learn about the escape?
The escapees yanked open a door to enter the cell with the hole around 12:30 a.m. By 1:30 a.m., they were outside the jail, according to the sheriff's office.
But it was not until a routine morning headcount more than seven hours later that law enforcement learned they were missing.
Officials from the sheriff's office say no deputy was at the pod where the fugitives had been held. There was a civilian employee there, but she had stepped away to get food, they said.
There appeared to be a further delay before New Orleans police were notified.
"You've given a head start to some very dangerous people," Williams told WWL-TV Friday.
Soon after the escape, one of the men, Kendall Myles, 20, was apprehended in the French Quarter after a brief foot chase.
Three sheriff's employees have been placed on suspension pending the outcome of an investigation. It was not immediately clear whether any of the employees were suspected of helping with the escape. Officials also didn't say if the employee who left to get food was among the three suspended.
## Who are the men who escaped?
Most of the men are in their 20s. Myles and the other two men who were earlier captured, Robert Moody, 21, and Dkenan Dennis, 24, were taken by helicopter to a state correctional facility outside the New Orleans area, Louisiana State Police said Saturday.
The agency said one of the men became hostile during the transfer, requiring troopers to use a "spit hood." They did not identify the man.
Dennis had been charged with armed robbery with a firearm and illegal carrying of a weapon during a crime of violence, according to Murrill, the attorney general. Moody was facing a weapons charge as well as charges of attempted second-degree battery and obstruction.
Murrill said both men will face additional charges stemming from the escape.
One of the fugitives, Derrick Groves, was convicted on two charges of second-degree murder and two charges of attempted second-degree murder last year for his role in the 2018 Mardi Gras Day shootings of two men. Another escapee, Corey Boyd, had pleaded not guilty to a pending second-degree murder charge.
## The jail has had problems before
The justice center opened in 2015, making it a relatively new facility, but it has still experienced violence and security problems.
Hutson said the facility is around 60% staffed, so the staff is "stretched thin."
Bianka Brown, chief financial officer of the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office, said the jail can't afford a maintenance and service contract to fix problems such as broken doors, lock replacements and other ailing infrastructure.
The jail contained numerous "high security" people convicted of violent offenses who required a "restrictive housing environment that did not exist," said Jay Mallett, Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office chief of corrections. The sheriff's office was in the process of transferring dozens to more secure locations.
Hutson is facing reelection this year, and at least one of her opponents, former interim New Orleans Police Superintendent Michelle Woodfork, demanded she answer questions about the escape. Williams, the district attorney, appointed Woodfork to a position in his office last year.
Noting the sheriff's race was starting, Hutson called the timing of the escape "suspicious." She did not elaborate.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-13 14:41:02+00:00
|
[
"London",
"United Kingdom",
"Legal proceedings",
"Peter Sullivan",
"Diane Sindall",
"Courts",
"Prisons",
"Kim Smith",
"Jason Pitter",
"Sarah Myatt",
"Duncan Atkinson",
"Timothy Holroyde"
] |
# A man wrongfully imprisoned for 38 years weeps as a UK court overturns his murder conviction
By Brian Melley
May 13th, 2025, 02:41 PM
---
LONDON (AP) — A man who spent nearly four decades in a British prison in the killing of a barmaid said he was not angry or bitter Tuesday as his murder conviction was overturned and he was released after being exonerated by DNA evidence.
Peter Sullivan put his hand over his mouth and wept as the Court of Appeal in London quashed his conviction and ordered his freedom after he had spent years fighting to prove his innocence.
Sullivan, who watched the hearing by video from Wakefield prison in northern England, said through his lawyer that he was not resentful and was anxious to see his loved ones.
"As god is my witness, it is said the truth shall take you free," attorney Sarah Myatt read from a statement outside court. "It is unfortunate that it does not give a timescale as we advance towards resolving the wrongs done to me. I am not angry, I am not bitter."
He was the longest-serving victim of a wrongful conviction in the U.K., Myatt said.
Sullivan, 68, was convicted in 1987 of killing Diane Sindall in Bebington, near Liverpool in northwest England. He was behind bars for 38 years.
Sindall, 21, a florist who was engaged to be married, was returning home from a part-time job at a pub on a Friday night in August 1986 when her van ran out of fuel, police said. She was last seen walking along the road after midnight.
Her body was found about 12 hours later in an alley. She had been sexually assaulted and badly beaten.
Sexual fluid found on Sindall's body could not be scientifically analyzed until recently. A test in 2024 revealed it wasn't Sullivan, defense attorney Jason Pitter said.
"The prosecution case is that it was one person. It was one person who carried out a sexual assault on the victim," Pitter said. "The evidence here is now that one person was not the defendant."
Prosecutor Duncan Atkinson did not challenge the appeal and said that if the DNA evidence had been available at the time of the investigation it was inconceivable that Sullivan would have been prosecuted.
Merseyside Police said it reopened the investigation as the appeal was underway and was "committed to doing everything" to find the killer.
The Criminal Cases Review Commission, which examines possible wrongful convictions, declined to refer Sullivan's case to the appeals court in 2008 because it said testing at the time was unlikely to produce a DNA profile.
A commission spokesperson said that while it made the correct decision based on the evidence at the time, it regretted not identifying the potential miscarriage of justice in its first review.
Sullivan appealed in 2019 without the CCRC's help and the court turned down his bid in 2021.
But the commission took up the case later that year and was able to use scientific techniques that hadn't been available during the earlier review to find the DNA that set Sullivan free.
"In the light of that evidence, it is impossible to regard the appellant's conviction as safe," Justice Timothy Holroyde said.
Police said the DNA found in the subsequent investigation does not match anyone in a national database. They've ruled out as suspects Sindall's fiancé, members of her family and more than 260 men who have been screened since they reopened the investigation.
Sullivan's sister, Kim Smith, reflected outside the court on the toll the case had taken on two families.
"We lost Peter for 39 years and at the end of the day it's not just us," Smith said. "Peter hasn't won and neither has the Sindall family. They've lost their daughter, they are not going to get her back. We've got Peter back and now we've got to try and build a life around him again."
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-14 15:00:58+00:00
|
[
"Biology",
"Animals",
"Australia",
"Melbourne",
"Stuart Sumida",
"Zoology",
"John Long",
"Science"
] |
# How ancient reptile footprints are rewriting the history of when animals evolved to live on land
By Christina Larson
May 14th, 2025, 03:00 PM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) — Scientists in Australia have identified the oldest known fossil footprints of a reptile-like animal, dated to around 350 million years ago.
The discovery suggests that after the first animals emerged from the ocean around 400 million years ago, they evolved the ability to live exclusively on land much faster than previously assumed.
"We had thought the transition from fin to limb took much longer," said California State University paleontologist Stuart Sumida, who was not involved in the new research.
Previously the earliest known reptile footprints, found in Canada, were dated to 318 million years ago.
The ancient footprints from Australia were found on a slab of sandstone recovered near Melbourne and show reptile-like feet with long toes and hooked claws.
Scientists estimate the animal was about 2 1/2 feet (80 centimeters) long and may have resembled a modern monitor lizard. The findings were published Wednesday in Nature.
The hooked claws are a crucial identification clue, said study co-author and paleontologist Per Ahlberg at Uppsala University in Sweden.
"It's a walking animal," he said.
Only animals that evolved to live solely on land ever developed claws. The earliest vertebrates -- fish and amphibians – never developed hard nails and remained dependent on watery environments to lay eggs and reproduce.
But the branch of the evolutionary tree that led to modern reptiles, birds and mammals – known as amniotes -- developed feet with nails or claws fit for walking on hard ground.
"This is the earliest evidence we've ever seen of an animal with claws," said Sumida.
At the time the ancient reptile lived, the region was hot and steamy and vast forests began to cover the planet. Australia was part of the supercontinent Gondwana.
The fossil footprints record a series of events in one day, Ahlberg said. One reptile scampered across the ground before a light rain fell. Some raindrop dimples partially obscured its trackways. Then two more reptiles ran by in the opposite direction before the ground hardened and was covered in sediment.
Fossil "trackways are beautiful because they tell you how something lived, not just what something looked like," said co-author John Long, a paleontologist at Flinders University in Australia.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-06 03:30:55+00:00
|
[
"Donald Trump",
"Financial markets",
"Economic policy",
"Government policy",
"Stocks and bonds",
"International trade",
"Tariffs and global trade",
"Mattel",
"Inc.",
"Business",
"The Clorox Co.",
"Federal Reserve System",
"Economy",
"TransUnion",
"Archer-Daniels-Midland Co.",
"DoorDash",
"Palantir Technologies",
"Linda Rendle",
"Michele Raneri"
] |
# US stocks sink again as more companies detail Trump's trade war damage
By Stan Choe and Alex Veiga
May 6th, 2025, 03:30 AM
---
U.S. stocks closed lower Tuesday as quarterly results show more companies are scrubbing their forecasts for upcoming profits because of uncertainty created by President Donald Trump's tariffs.
The S&P 500 fell 0.8%, its second drop after breaking a nine-day winning streak, its longest such run in more than 20 years. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.9%, and the Nasdaq composite finished 0.9% lower.
Palantir Technologies was one of the heaviest weights on the market as it sank 12%. The company, which offers an AI platform for customers, dropped even though it reported a profit for the latest quarter that met analysts' expectations and raised its forecast for revenue over the full year.
AI-related companies have been finding it more difficult recently to convince investors to support their stocks after they've already shot so high. Palantir's stock's price remains near $110, when it was sitting at only $20 less than a year ago.
The return to Earth for AI stocks is happening as Trump's tariffs change the economic landscape for other companies.
Clorox CEO Linda Rendle said her company saw changes in shopping behavior during the first three months of the year, for example, that led to lower revenue. The company reported both weaker revenue and profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Clorox expects the slowdowns to continue in the current quarter, and its stock fell 2.4%.
Mattel, meanwhile, said it's "pausing" its financial forecasts for 2025, in part because the "evolving U.S. tariff landscape" is making it difficult to predict how much U.S. shoppers will spend over the holiday season and the rest of this year.
The toymaker closed 2.8% higher after also reporting better results for the latest quarter than analysts feared.
Ford Motor said it's expecting to take a $1.5 billion hit this year because of tariffs. The automaker also said it's cancelling financial forecasts for the full year because of "tariff-related uncertainty." The stock rose 2.7%.
They're the latest companies to join a lengthening list that have yanked their forecasts for the year given uncertainty about what Trump's on-again, off-again rollout of tariffs will do to the economy. The hope is that Trump will relent on some of his tariffs after reaching trade deals with other countries. Without them, many investors expect the economy to fall into a recession.
Regardless, all the will-he-won't-he uncertainty around tariffs has already made U.S. households more pessimistic about the economy and could affect their long-term plans for purchases. That uncertainty has helped fuel a surge in imports ahead of potentially more severe tariffs ahead.
The U.S. trade deficit soared to a record $140.5 billion in March as consumers and businesses alike tried to get ahead of tariffs that went into effect in April and others that have been postponed until July. That follows another update from last week showing that the U.S. economy shrank at a 0.3% annual pace during the first quarter of the year because of a surge in imports.
Some companies say they're already seeing impacts to their business from the uncertainty created by tariffs.
Food processing giant Archer Daniels Midland said that operating profit for agricultural services slumped 31% during its most recent quarter because of trade policy uncertainty. The stock rose 1.7%.
DoorDash fell 7.4% after reporting weaker revenue than analysts expected for the latest quarter, though it may have also offered a more encouraging snapshot of how U.S. households are doing. The company said order growth in its U.S. marketplace remained healthy and consistent with average growth over the last year.
All told, the S&P 500 fell 43.47 points to 5,606.91. The Dow dropped 389.83 points to 40,829, and the Nasdaq lost 154.58 points to close at 17,689.66.
Treasury yields closed broadly lower in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury slipped to 4.31% from 4.36% late Monday.
The Federal Reserve is beginning a two-day meeting, and it will announce its next move on interest rates Wednesday. Virtually no one expects it to do anything to its main rate, even though Trump has been advocating for cuts.
"While the possibility still exists for potential rate cuts later this year, the economic picture is complicated, and it's too early to know if or when those cuts might happen," said Michele Raneri, vice president and head of U.S. research and consulting at TransUnion.
Lower interest rates could help goose the economy, but they could also give inflation more fuel. And worries are already simmering that Trump's tariffs could push inflation higher.
Markets were mixed across Europe and Asia. Indexes rose 1.1% in Shanghai and 0.7% in Hong Kong.
___
AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-02 20:07:07+00:00
|
[
"Sudan",
"Khartoum",
"Republican Sinn Fein",
"Sudan government",
"War and unrest",
"Military and defense",
"Volker Trk"
] |
# Sudan's Rapid Support Forces paramilitary claims it took control of a strategic western town
May 2nd, 2025, 08:07 PM
---
CAIRO (AP) — Sudan's notorious paramilitary group claimed a "sweeping victory" Friday saying it took control of the key town of Al Nahud in West Kordofan state in a fight that intensified a day earlier.
A victory there by the Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, would mark a strategic loss for Sudan's military in its war with the paramilitary force as the territory is home to the headquarters of the 18th Infantry Brigade.
The Sudanese army didn't immediately comment on its social media channels on whether it lost Al Nahud to its rival.
Sudan's Culture and Information Minister Khalid Ali Aleisir said on his Facebook account on Friday the RSF committed crimes against defenseless citizens in the town, looting their properties and destroying public facilities.
The RSF said on its Telegram channel Friday that it destroyed vehicles belonging to the army and seized their weapons and ammunition during the battle for Al Nahud. The paramilitary group also claimed that it managed to secure the city's facilities and markets after defeating the army.
The war erupted on April 15, 2023, with pitched battles between the military and the RSF in the streets of the capital Khartoum that quickly spread to other parts of the country.
RSF attacks in Al Nahud have killed more than 300 unarmed civilians, the Preliminary Committee of Sudan Doctors' Trade Union said on Facebook on Friday. The Associated Press couldn't independently verify that figure.
The Resistance Committees of Al Nahud condemned the RSF attacks, which it said began Thursday morning.
"They invaded the city, stormed residential neighborhoods, terrorized unarmed civilians, and committed cold-blooded murders against innocent civilians whose only crime was to cling to their dignity and refuse to leave their homes to the machine of killing and terror," the Resistance Committees said Thursday on Facebook.
An army loss of Al Nahud would impact its operational capabilities in Northern Kordofan state, according to the Sudan War Monitor, an open source collaborative project that has been documenting the two-year-war. Al Nahud is a strategic town because it's located along a main road that the army could use to advance into the Darfur region, which the RSF mostly controls.
Al Nahud also shelters displaced people fleeing from Al-Obeid, Umm Kadada, Khartoum and El-Fasher — the provincial capital of North Darfur province, according to the Darfur Victims Support Organization.
Meanwhile, in North Darfur, the fighting has killed at least 542 people in the last three weeks, though the actual death toll is likely higher, according to U.N. Human Rights Chief Volker Türk. This figure includes the recent RSF attacks on El Fasher and Abu Shouk displacement camp, which killed at least 40 civilians.
"The horror unfolding in Sudan knows no bounds," said Türk i n a statement on Thursday.
Türk also mentioned "extremely disturbing" reports of extrajudicial killings committed by RSF, with at least 30 men in civilian clothing executed by the paramilitary fighters in Al Salha in southern Omdurman.
"I have personally alerted both leaders of the RSF and SAF to the catastrophic human rights consequences of this war. These harrowing consequences are a daily, lived reality for millions of Sudanese. It is well past time for this conflict to stop," said Türk.
The war in Sudan has killed at least 20,000 people, but the real toll is probably far higher. Nearly 13 million people have fled their homes, 4 million of them streaming into neighboring countries.
Half the population of 50 million faces hunger. The World Food Program has confirmed famine in 10 locations and warns it could spread further, putting millions at risk of starvation.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-14 21:33:00+00:00
|
[
"Eric Adams",
"Bribery",
"Anthony Saccavino",
"Criminal punishment",
"New York City",
"New York City Wire",
"Donald Trump",
"Brian Cordasco",
"Jay Clayton"
] |
# Ex-FDNY chief gets 3 years in prison for taking bribes to fast-track safety inspections
May 14th, 2025, 09:33 PM
---
NEW YORK (AP) — A former New York City Fire Department chief was sentenced to three years in prison Wednesday for accepting tens of thousands of dollars in bribes to fast-track fire safety inspections at restaurants, hotels and other city businesses.
Anthony Saccavino, 61, pleaded guilty in January to running the scheme while heading the department's Bureau of Fire Prevention, which regulates the installation of fire safety and suppression systems in New York City.
With the help of another chief, Brian Cordasco, Saccavino solicited and received $190,000 in bribe payments between 2021 and 2023, prosecutors said.
"Chief Saccavino led a pay-to-play bribery scheme that would offend the sensibilities of every hard-working New Yorker," Manhattan U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said in a statement.
A retired firefighter who ran an unsanctioned "expediting" business acted as the intermediary for the more than 30 projects that benefited from the accelerated reviews.
Saccavino was arrested in September alongside Cordasco, who also pleaded guilty and was sentenced in March to 20 months in prison.
Their arrests came days before the criminal indictment of Mayor Eric Adams on bribery charges that included allegations he sped up fire safety inspections at the Turkish consulate in exchange for illegal contributions. Adams has denied wrongdoing.
The case against the mayor, which was later ordered dropped by the Trump administration, was unrelated to the fire chiefs' bribery scandal.
On top of his prison term, Saccavino was ordered to pay a $150,000 fine and to return $57,000 that he personally pocketed in bribes, prosecutors said.
His attorney did not respond to phone call requesting comment.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-10 01:21:29+00:00
|
[
"Marco Rubio",
"Protests and demonstrations",
"Colombia",
"Colleges and universities",
"Colombia government",
"New York City",
"New York City Wire",
"Education",
"Donald Trump",
"Politics"
] |
# Columbia suspends over 65 students following pro-Palestinian protest in library
May 10th, 2025, 01:21 AM
---
NEW YORK (AP) — Columbia University has suspended dozens of students and barred alums and others who participated in a pro-Palestinian demonstration inside the school's main library earlier this week, a school spokesperson said Friday.
The Ivy League institution in Manhattan placed more than 65 students on interim suspension and barred 33 others, including those from affiliated institutions such as Barnard College, from setting foot on campus.
Interim suspension generally means that a student cannot come to campus, attend classes or participate in other university activities, according to Columbia's website. The university declined to say how long the disciplinary measures would be in place, saying only that the decisions are pending further investigation.
An undisclosed number of alums who also participated in the protest are also now prevented from entering school grounds, according to Columbia.
Roughly 80 people were arrested in connection with the Wednesday evening demonstration at the university's Butler Library. Most face trespassing charges, though some may also face disorderly conduct, police have said.
The mask-clad protesters pushed their way past campus security officers, raced into the building and hung Palestinian flags and other banners on bookshelves. Some protesters also scrawled phrases on library furniture and picture frames, including "Columbia will burn."
New York City police in helmets and other protection broke up the demonstration at the request of university officials, who denounced the protests as an "outrageous" disruption for students studying and preparing for final exams.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said his office will be reviewing the visa status of those who participated in the library takeover for possible deportation.
The Trump administration has already pulled federal funding and detained international students at Columbia and other prestigious American universities over their handling of student protests against the war in Gaza.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-12 07:40:30+00:00
|
[
"Poland",
"Krakow",
"Radek Sikorski",
"Gdansk",
"Poland government",
"Russia",
"Crime",
"Warsaw",
"Fires",
"Arson",
"Russia government",
"Dmitry Peskov",
"Retail and wholesale"
] |
# Poland orders the Russian Consulate in Krakow closed after Moscow was blamed for a 2024 arson attack
By Vanessa Gera
May 12th, 2025, 07:40 AM
---
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland's foreign minister said Monday that he was ordering the closure of the Russian Consulate in the southern city of Krakow, after authorities blamed Moscow for a fire that destroyed a shopping center in Warsaw last year.
The national prosecutor's office also said Monday that it had pressed charges against two Ukrainian citizens who cooperated with the people who carried out the arson, identifying them only as Daniil B. and Oleksander V.
The fire broke out May 12, 2024, in the Marywilska 44 shopping center that housed around 1,400 shops and service points, a budget marketplace in a warehouse-like structure in a northern district of Warsaw. Many of the vendors were from Vietnam, and it inflicted tragedy on many in Warsaw's Vietnamese community.
"This was a huge fire of a shopping mall in Warsaw in which, just by sheer luck, nobody was hurt. This is completely unacceptable," Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski said. "So the Russian Consulate will have to leave. And if these attacks continue, we'll take further action."
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the accusations as being groundless and rooted in anti-Russia sentiment. He also said that Warsaw's decision to close the consulate would damage bilateral relations between Russia and Poland, which Peskov described as already being in "a deplorable state."
"Poland is choosing hostility against us," he told journalists on Monday.
Last year, Sikorski already ordered the closure of the Russian Consulate in Poznan, one of three at the time in Poland, in response to acts of sabotage, including arson attacks that he said were sponsored by Moscow.
This leaves only one Russian Consulate in Poland, in the city of Gdansk.
There are rising concerns in Europe over Russian attempts to destabilize the region through covert operations.
Countries along NATO's eastern flank, like Poland and the Baltic states, feel especially vulnerable. In March, Lithuania accused Russia of carrying out an arson attack at an IKEA store in the capital, Vilnius, last year.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-04 07:24:05+00:00
|
[
"Israel",
"2024-2025 Mideast Wars",
"Gaza Strip",
"War and unrest",
"Benjamin Netanyahu",
"Donald Trump",
"Israel government",
"Military and defense",
"Middle East",
"Houthis",
"Hamas",
"Itamar Ben-Gvir",
"Eyal Zamir",
"Yahya Saree",
"Robert Abela"
] |
# Missile from Yemen's Houthis halts flights at Ben-Gurion Airport
By Tia Goldenberg and Ohad Zwigenberg
May 4th, 2025, 07:24 AM
---
BEN-GURION INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, Israel (AP) — A missile launched by Iranian-backed rebels in Yemen briefly halted flights and commuter traffic at Israel's main international airport on Sunday after its impact near an access road caused panic among passengers.
The attack on Ben-Gurion International Airport came hours before Israeli Cabinet ministers were set to vote on whether to intensify military operations in Gaza. The army was calling up tens of thousands of reserves, Israel's chief of staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said.
Israel's army said it was the first time a missile struck the airport grounds since the war in Gaza began. The military said initial findings indicated the likely cause was a technical issue with the interceptor.
Israel's paramedic service Magen David Adom said four people were lightly wounded.
Multiple international airlines canceled or postponed flights. The war with Hamas in Gaza and then Hezbollah in Lebanon had led a wave of airlines to suspend flights to Israel. Many had resumed in recent months.
The Houthis have targeted Israel throughout the war in solidarity with Palestinians, raising their profile at home and internationally as the last member of Iran's self-described "Axis of Resistance" capable of launching regular attacks on Israel. The U.S. military under President Donald Trump has launched an intensified campaign of daily airstrikes targeting the Houthis since March 15.
Early Monday, the rebels issued a warning to airlines that they would carry out "repeated targeting" of Ben-Gurion, Israel's main gateway to the world.
International carriers should "cancel all their flights to the airports of the criminal Israeli enemy, in order to safeguard the safety of their aircraft and passengers," the Houthis said.
## Israel vows to respond
Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said in a video statement that the group fired a hypersonic ballistic missile at the airport.
Houthi rebels have fired at Israel since the war with Gaza began on Oct. 7, 2023. The missiles have mostly been intercepted, although some have penetrated Israel's missile defense systems, causing damage.
Israel has struck back against the rebels in Yemen.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the U.S. was supporting Israeli operations against the Houthis. "It's not bang, bang and we're done, but there will be bangs," he said. In a later statement, he added Israel would respond to the Houthis "AND, at a time and place of our choosing, to their Iranian terror masters."
## Vote on expanding Gaza war
Netanyahu said the security Cabinet was meeting Sunday evening to vote on plans to expand the fighting in Gaza.
"We will operate in additional areas and we will destroy all of the infrastructure above and below ground," Zamir said.
Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir told Israeli Army Radio he wanted to see a "powerful" expansion of the war, and demanded that Israel bomb "the food and electricity supplies" in Gaza.
An 8-week ceasefire with the Hamas militant group allowed more aid into Gaza and freed some Israeli hostages, but it collapsed in March when Israel resumed strikes. The military has since captured swaths of the coastal enclave. Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed, according to local health officials.
Israel in March halted the entry of goods into Gaza as part of efforts to pressure Hamas to negotiate on Israel's terms for a new ceasefire. That has plunged the territory of 2.3 million people into what is believed to be the worst humanitarian crisis of the war. Hunger has been widespread, and shortages have set off looting.
In a confrontation over efforts to support Gaza, Malta's prime minister, Robert Abela, said his country had offered to send a marine surveyor to look into the damage caused to a ship said to be carrying aid and organized by pro-Palestinian activists. Abela said the captain refused.
The activists said Friday their vessel was struck by drones, blaming Israel. The ship remained in international waters off Malta. The Israeli military has not commented.
## New Israeli airstrikes kill children
Israeli airstrikes killed at least seven Palestinians, including parents and their children, ages 2 and 4, in southern and central Gaza, Palestinian medics said. The military had no comment.
The military said two soldiers were killed in combat in Gaza, bringing the number killed since fighting resumed in March to six.
The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages. Israel says 59 captives remain in Gaza, although about 35 are believed to be dead.
Israel's offensive has killed more than 52,000 people in Gaza, many of them women and children, according to Palestinian health officials, who do not distinguish between combatants and civilians in their count.
The fighting has displaced more than 90% of Gaza's population, often multiple times.
___
Goldenberg reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Associated Press writers Natalie Melzer in Nahariya, Israel; Samy Magdy in Cairo; Melanie Lidman in Jerusalem, Kevin Schembri in Birkirkara, Malta, and Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report.
___
Follow AP's war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-02 23:13:48+00:00
|
[
"Hawaii",
"Josh Green",
"Taxes",
"Climate change",
"John Pele",
"Natural disasters",
"Linda Ichiyama",
"Business",
"Climate and environment",
"Plants",
"Politics",
"Zane Edleman",
"Climate"
] |
# Hawaii lawmakers raise the state's hotel tax to help the islands cope with climate change
By Audrey Mcavoy
May 2nd, 2025, 11:13 PM
---
HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii lawmakers passed on Friday first-of-its-kind legislation that will increase the state's lodging tax to raise money for environmental protection and strengthening defenses against climate change -fueled natural disasters.
Gov. Josh Green supports the bill, indicating he will sign it. The bill adds a 0.75% levy to the state's existing tax on hotel rooms, timeshares, vacation rentals and other short-term accommodations. It also imposes a new 11% tax on cruise ship bills, prorated for the number of days the vessels are in Hawaii ports.
Officials estimate the tax will generate nearly $100 million annually. They say the money will be used for projects like replenishing sand on eroding Waikiki beaches, promoting the use of hurricane clips to secure roofs during powerful storms and clearing flammable invasive grasses like those that fed the deadly wildfire that destroyed downtown Lahaina in 2023.
The House and Senate, both controlled by large majorities of Democrats, both passed the measure by wide margins.
Experts say this is the nation's first state lodging tax that raises money for the environment and coping with climate change.
Hawaii already levies a 10.25% tax on short-term rentals. As of Jan. 1, the tax will rise to 11%. Hawaii's counties separately charge a 3% lodging tax, and travelers also have to pay the 4.712% general excise tax that applies to all virtually all goods and services. The cumulative tax bill at checkout will climb to 18.712%, among the highest in the nation.
Green said people have told him the increase is small enough people won't notice. He observed many people come to Hawaii to enjoy the environment and predicted they will welcome committing dollars to protect shorelines and communities.
"The more you cultivate good environmental policy, and the more you invest in perfecting our lived space, the more likely it is we're going to have actually lifelong, committed travelers to Hawaii," he said in an interview.
Only funds raised by the 0.75% addition and the new tax on cruise ship stays will go exclusively toward natural resources and climate change. Revenue from existing state lodging taxes would continue to flow into state's general fund and to help pay for the construction of Honolulu's rail line.
Zane Edleman, a visitor from Chicago, said he could envision the extra cost prompting some travelers to head elsewhere else like Florida. But he said it would depend on how the state shares information about what it does with the money.
"If you really focus on the point — this is to save the climate and actually have proof that this is where the funds are going, and that there's an actual result that's happening from that, I think people could buy into it," Edleman said.
The first draft of the legislation called for a larger increase, but lawmakers pared it back.
"We heard the concerns about how do we make sure that we are able to sustain our industry as well as find new resources to address the needs for environmental sustainability," said Democratic Rep. Linda Ichiyama, vice speaker of the House. "So it was a balance."
John Pele, the executive director of the Maui Hotel and Lodging Association, said there's broad agreement that the money raised will go to a good cause. But he wonders if Hawaii will become too expensive for visitors.
"Will we be taxing on tourists out of wanting to come here?" he said. "That remains to be seen."
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-08 13:38:20+00:00
|
[
"Europe",
"Wolves",
"Ursula Von Der Leyen",
"Animals",
"European Union",
"European Parliament",
"Global elections",
"Eurocopa 2024",
"Climate and environment",
"Herbert Dorfmann",
"Ilaria Di Silvestre",
"Politics",
"Joanna Swabe",
"European Council",
"Voting",
"Jutta Paulus",
"Donald Trump",
"Climate"
] |
# European Parliament votes to lower protections on wolves
By Sam Mcneil
May 8th, 2025, 01:38 PM
---
BARCELONA (AP) — Lawmakers in Europe voted Thursday to downgrade protections for wolves across the European Union's 27 states in a victory for farmers over environmentalists.
Nearly two-thirds of the European Parliament meeting in Strasbourg, France voted to change wolves' status from 'strictly protected' to 'protected' in a vote of 371 to 162, with 37 abstentions.
Centrist and right-wing groups celebrated the vote.
"Farmers can now breathe a sigh of relief," said Herbert Dorfmann, a spokesperson for the European People's Party, a coalition of center-right groups in the EU. Right-wing Dutch politician Sander Smit said on Twitter: "This is fantastic news."
Environmental groups criticized the decision as politically motivated rather than scientifically grounded.
"This is a sad day for biodiversity and wild animals," said Léa Badoz at the Eurogroup for Animals. Joanna Swabe, a spokesperson for Humane World for Animals, called for individual governments to increase national protection for wolves.
Politician Jutta Paulus from the parliament's Greens party said the campaign to reduce the wolves' protection "borrows from the Donald Trump playbook" and "ignores scientific evidence and attacks legislation which has been proven to work for decades for no clear gain other than the scoring of cheap populistic points."
Tuesday's vote was the final real hurdle before the measure becomes EU law. The change to the central Habitats Directive law will now likely be passed swiftly by the European Council and enter into force across the 27 member states.
Once deemed necessary to combat threats to the apex predator, restrictions on hunting wolves have over the past few years lost public support as many EU environmental rules and regulations have come under pressure in recent years. Populist and extreme-right parties have criticized the measures as being thought up by urban elites with little knowledge of rural life.
Farmers in many member states have been increasingly angered by attacks on livestock by packs of wolves that have thrived in woods and fields close to agricultural land.
The political movement to ease rules on killing wolves was given top-level support by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. An ardent fan of horses, von der Leyen had a pony Dolly that was killed by a wolf three years ago.
Last year, more than 50 European nations from Turkey to Iceland voted to change the biodiversity treaty known as the Bern Convention to curtail protections for wolves.
Experts and environmental groups estimate there could be up to 19,000 wolves across Europe, with large populations thought to roam in Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Poland, Romania and Spain. After nearly being wiped out in the 20th century, their numbers are estimated to have grown by at least 25% over the last decade.
Programs around the world to protect wolves have been shown to benefit local ecosystems. Yellowstone National Park in the United States said reintroducing wolves in 1995 had led to a better regulated food chain that helped drive a bump in forest cover and animal populations. Yet American states like Wyoming and Montana have passed similar bills allowing for more killing of wolves, driven as in Europe by politics mixing agitated farmers and safety concerns.
"Wolves are vital to healthy ecosystems, but today's vote treats them as a political problem, not an ecological asset", said Ilaria Di Silvestre, Director of Policy and Advocacy for Europe at International Fund for Animal Welfare. "The EU was once proud to lead on nature protection. Now we are seeing vital species like the wolf sacrificed for short-term political interests that will benefit no one."
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-20 07:12:00+00:00
|
[
"Bielefeld",
"Crime",
"Law enforcement",
"Germany",
"Assault",
"Herbert Reul",
"Germany government",
"Mahmoud M."
] |
# A suspect is arrested in a German bar attack that prosecutors say may be 'religiously motivated'
May 20th, 2025, 07:12 AM
---
BERLIN (AP) — A man suspected of attacking and injuring five people outside a bar in Germany has been arrested, and investigators believe the attack may have been "religiously motivated," authorities said Tuesday.
The suspect, a 35-year-old Syrian national identified only as Mahmoud M. in line with privacy rules, was arrested late Monday in Heiligenhaus, near Düsseldorf. Police said tips from witnesses led investigators to the suspect, who was slightly injured while trying to resist arrest.
Early Sunday, a man wielding sharp object attacked five men between 22 and 27 outside a bar in the western city of Bielefeld. Four were seriously injured.
Federal prosecutors, who investigate many terror and national security cases in Germany, said they were taking over the case because "there is a suspicion that the crime was religiously motivated and should be understood as an attack on the free democratic order." They didn't elaborate.
The man is in custody on suspicion of attempted murder and bodily harm.
Herbert Reul, the top security official in North Rhine-Westphalia state, said the suspect came to Germany via Turkey and was granted temporary protected status in December 2023.
German news agency dpa reported that the men were soccer fans who defended themselves against the attacker before he fled.
The city's Arminia Bielefeld soccer club celebrated winning first place in Germany's third division on Saturday and has reached the final of the German Cup.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-03 10:53:42+00:00
|
[
"Friedrich Merz",
"Marco Rubio",
"Elon Musk",
"Germany",
"Donald Trump",
"Germany government",
"United States government",
"United States",
"Democracy",
"Politics",
"Radicalism",
"Tino Chrupalla",
"International agreements"
] |
# Germany's foreign ministry hit back at Marco Rubio
By Stefanie Dazio
May 3rd, 2025, 10:53 AM
---
BERLIN (AP) — Germany's foreign ministry hit back at U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio after he criticized the decision to classify the Alternative for Germany party as a "right-wing extremist" organization.
The spat deepened Friday to embroil the foreign office, Rubio, U.S. Vice President JD Vance and tech billionaire Elon Musk. It also occurred at a complicated time for Germany — just days before the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and Nazi Germany's unconditional capitulation.
Plus, a coalition deal between the center-right and center-left parties was just approved, and now parliament is set to vote next week to elect conservative leader Friedrich Merz as the country's new chancellor.
Merz has not commented publicly on the intelligence service's decision.
Oleksii Makeiev, Ukraine's ambassador to Germany, told German news agency dpa that he's concerned about AfD's ties to Russia in light of the classification.
AfD has long faced criticism for Russia-friendly positions, and opposes Germany's stance toward the war in Ukraine. Berlin is Ukraine's second-biggest weapons supplier after the United States.
## 'Disregards human dignity'
Germany's Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution described the party, known as AfD, as a threat to the country's democratic order, saying it "disregards human dignity" — in particular by what it called "ongoing agitation" against refugees and migrants.
The German domestic intelligence service's move to classify the AfD, which placed second in national elections in February, as a right-wing extremist group means its officials can now use informants and other tools such as audio and video recordings to monitor its activities nationwide.
But it also risks fueling the party's claims of political persecution. Far-right parties have been gaining ground across Europe and the AfD attracts international attention, including support from Musk, who is a close ally of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Party leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla on Friday condemned the move as "a severe blow to German democracy," given that the party has grown into one of the country's most popular political forces. They alleged that it was politically motivated, a claim the government denies.
"The AfD will continue to legally defend itself against these democracy-endangering defamations," they said.
AfD's second-place finish during the elections cemented the party's status as a factor that other politicians can't ignore, but the so-called "firewall," which mainstream German political parties have against working with far-right parties, has held.
## Rubio and Vance take to X
In his post on Friday, Rubio called on Germany to undo the classification.
"Germany just gave its spy agency new powers to surveil the opposition. That's not democracy — it's tyranny in disguise," he wrote. "What is truly extremist is not the popular AfD — which took second in the recent election — but rather the establishment's deadly open border immigration policies that the AfD opposes. Germany should reverse course."
The foreign ministry wrote "this is democracy" in a post that replied directly to Rubio.
"This decision is the result of a thorough & independent investigation to protect our Constitution & the rule of law," the foreign office wrote late Friday. "It is independent courts that will have the final say. We have learnt from our history that rightwing extremism needs to be stopped."
Vance, meanwhile, referenced the Cold War in his post on X.
"The AfD is the most popular party in Germany, and by far the most representative of East Germany. Now the bureaucrats try to destroy it," Vance wrote. "The West tore down the Berlin Wall together. And it has been rebuilt — not by the Soviets or the Russians, but by the German establishment."
Musk, who owns X, re-posted Vance's comments and added, "fate loves irony."
## The Trump inner circle's history with the AfD
Vance met with Weidel in February, nine days before the national election, on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. He assailed the firewall in a speech to the conference.
"To many of us on the other side of the Atlantic, it looks more and more like old entrenched interests hiding behind ugly Soviet-era words like misinformation and disinformation, who simply don't like the idea that somebody with an alternative viewpoint might express a different opinion or, God forbid, vote a different way, or even worse, win an election," he told the audience.
Musk has supported the AfD for months, including a chat with Weidel that he livestreamed on X earlier this year to amplify the party's message. Musk told Weidel that he was "strongly recommending that people vote for AfD."
The audience for the livestream peaked at more than 200,000 X accounts.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-12 12:06:25+00:00
|
[
"Philanthropy",
"Malta",
"Mediterranean Sea",
"Migration",
"Politics"
] |
# 2 small children die in Mediterranean migration voyage, charity says
May 12th, 2025, 12:06 PM
---
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Four people, including two small children, died during a migration voyage in the Mediterranean, a German charity involved in their rescue said.
Following a mayday alert by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency Frontex, the nonprofit group RESQSHIP said its vessel NADIR found 62 people adrift in international waters under Malta's search and rescue jurisdiction. The migrants, who included nationals of Sierra Leone, Ghana and Nigeria, had departed western Libya three days earlier on a fragile rubber boat that suffered an engine failure.
By the time the NADIR reached them, two children aged 3 and 4 were dead and a third person was found unconscious and died, the humanitarian group said. Survivors also reported that a fourth person had drowned during the journey.
An Italian coast guard vessel arrived four hours later, according to the German charity, and evacuated six people in critical condition, including two babies and their mothers, as their boat was already full with other rescued migrants. The rest of the survivors, many suffering from skin burns caused by the harmful mixture of sea water and fuel, were taken to the Italian island of Lampedusa.
"This tragedy could have been avoided. It is yet another example of the failure of European migration policies," RESQSHIP said in a statement. "Instead of coordinating support and facilitating safe passages, Europe is abandoning defenceless people – with deadly consequences. Children dying of thirst on the move is an inexcusable political failure."
Frontex confirmed that one of its aircraft had identified a white rubber boat adrift in the Maltese Search and Rescue (SAR) region at 1:05 p.m. UTC and that it had informed all relevant Maritime Rescue Coordination Centers, including Malta's and issued a mayday alert via radio.
"The mayday relay clearly indicated an urgent situation involving a vessel in distress and provided coordinates to ensure rapid action by nearby ships and authorities," Frontex said in a statement. "The closest vessel at the time was NADIR, which was approximately 15 nautical miles from the scene."
The Maltese Armed Forces did not immediately return questions sent by email from The Associated Press.
The Mediterranean Sea is the world's deadliest migration route with nearly 32,000 recorded fatalities since 2014, according to the International Organization for Migration. This year alone, at least 565 migrants have died on the sea crossing to Europe.
—
Follow AP's global migration coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/migration
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-06 19:30:44+00:00
|
[
"Roger Fortson",
"Pensacola",
"Florida",
"George Floyd",
"Breonna Taylor",
"Lawsuits",
"Homicide",
"Crime",
"Racial injustice",
"Tyre Nichols",
"Race and ethnicity",
"Mike Brown",
"Law enforcement",
"Ben Crump",
"Police brutality",
"Shootings",
"Race and Ethnicity"
] |
# Family sues over Florida deputy's killing of US Airman Roger Fortson
By Kate Payne
May 6th, 2025, 07:30 PM
---
The family of a U.S. airman who was shot by a Florida sheriff's deputy inside his own home sued the deputy, the sheriff and the owner of the airman's apartment complex on Tuesday, saying they want to ensure people are held accountable for his 2024 death.
The complaint alleges that Deputy Eddie Duran used excessive and unconstitutional deadly force when he shot Roger Fortson just seconds after the Black senior airman opened his apartment door in Fort Walton Beach on May 3, 2024. Duran was responding to a domestic disturbance report at Fortson's apartment that turned out to be false.
"I want accountability because he was 23. I want accountability because he had a life ahead of him. I want accountability because he was in his own home," said Fortson's mother, Meka Fortson, who wore a shirt emblazoned with an image of her son in his Air Force uniform while appearing with the family's attorney, Ben Crump, at a press conference to announce the wrongful death lawsuit.
The complaint filed in federal court in Pensacola details alleged failures by the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office in training and supervision and claims that staff at the apartment complex where Fortson lived provided misleading information that led to the fatal law enforcement response.
Messages were left seeking comment from attorneys for Duran, a spokesperson for the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office and an agent for the apartment complex's management company.
Duran has pleaded not guilty to a charge of manslaughter with a firearm in the shooting, which renewed debate on police killings and race, and occurred against a wider backdrop of increased attention by the military to racial issues in its ranks. Duran identifies as Hispanic, according to his voter registration.
The airman's mother said she has "no faith" in Okaloosa County, expressing doubt that Duran will get a "real trial" in the Florida Panhandle community where he worked as a law enforcement officer.
It is highly unusual for Florida law enforcement officers to be charged for an on-duty killing. Convictions in such cases are even rarer.
"This is not policing. This is an unlawful execution," said Crump, a civil rights attorney who has been involved in a number of cases involving law enforcement killings of Black people, including those of Michael Brown, Breonna Taylor, Tyre Nichols and George Floyd.
"We believe Roger's death was a result of a pattern and practice here in Okaloosa County," added Crump, who announced the lawsuit at a press conference at Greater Peace Missionary Baptist Church in Fort Walton Beach.
Duran came to Fortson's door in response to a report of a physical fight inside an apartment. A worker at the complex had identified Fortson's apartment as the location of a loud argument, according to sheriff's investigators. Fortson, who was assigned to the 4th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field, was alone at the time, talking with his girlfriend on a FaceTime video call.
Duran's body camera video showed what happened next.
The deputy pounded at the door repeatedly and yelled, "Sheriff's office — open the door!" Fortson opened the door with his legally purchased gun in his right hand, pointed to the ground.
The deputy said, "Step back," then immediately began firing. Fortson fell backward onto the floor. Only then did the deputy yell, "Drop the gun!"
Deputies had never been called to Fortson's apartment before, 911 records show, but they had been called to a nearby unit 10 times in the previous eight months, including once for a domestic disturbance.
Crump defended Fortson's right to answer his door with his firearm in hand.
"He had a right to the Second Amendment too — to protect his home, to protect his castle," Crump said. "He didn't do anything wrong."
___ Associated Press writer Curt Anderson in Tampa contributed to this report. Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-05 07:33:01+00:00
|
[
"Philippines government",
"Donald Trump",
"Military and defense",
"South China Sea",
"Miguel Malvar",
"John Paul Salgado",
"Pete Hegseth",
"Beijing",
"China",
"Philippines",
"Boat and ship accidents",
"John Percie Alcos",
"Derek Grossman"
] |
# US and Philippine forces cancel ship-sinking drill after World War II-era target prematurely sinks
By Jim Gomez
May 5th, 2025, 07:33 AM
---
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A World War II-era Philippine navy ship to be used as a target in a combat exercise by American and the Philippine forces accidentally sank Monday hours before the mock assault, prompting the drill to be cancelled, U.S. and Philippine military officials said.
The BRP Miguel Malvar, which was decommissioned by the Philippine navy in 2021, took on water while being towed in rough waters facing the disputed South China Sea and sank about 30 nautical miles (55 kilometers) off the western Philippine province of Zambales. Nobody was onboard when the ship listed then sank, the Philippine military said.
American and Philippine forces would proceed with other live-fire maneuvers off Zambales on Monday despite the premature sinking of the Malvar. The ship was built as a patrol vessel for the U.S. Navy in the 1940s and was transferred to Vietnam's navy before the Philippine military acquired it, Philippine navy Capt. John Percie Alcos said.
"It's an 80-year-old dilapidated ship and it wasn't able to withstand the rough seas," Philippine Lt. Col. John Paul Salgado told The Associated Press.
The ship-sinking exercise was planned in an offshore area facing the hotly disputed Scarborough Shoal, which has been closely guarded by the Chinese coast guard, navy and suspected militia ships.
The Philippines also claims the fishing atoll, which lies about 220 kilometers (137 miles) west of Zambales. Chinese and the Philippine forces have had increasingly hostile confrontations in the waters and airspace of Scarborough in recent years.
The cancelled ship-sinking drill would have been the third to be staged by the treaty allies in recent years. It was supposed to be one of the highlights of largescale annual military exercises by the United States and the Philippines from April 21 to May 9 with about 14,000 U.S. and Filipino forces participants.
Called Balikatan, Tagalog for shoulder-to-shoulder, the combat drills have increasingly focused on the defense of Philippine sovereignty in the face of China's growing aggression in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims virtually in its entirety.
Mock battle scenes which have been staged so far, including the retaking of an island from hostile forces, have reflected assurances by the Trump administration, including by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, that the U.S. would abide by its treaty commitment to defend the Philippines in case Filipino forces come under an armed attack, including in the South China Sea.
On Sunday, U.S., Australian and Philippine forces practiced retaking an island from hostile forces in the coastal town of Balabac in western Palawan province, which faces the South China Sea.
Japanese forces and British marines joined as observers of the combat exercise, which "showcased the growing interoperability and cohesion among partner nations in maintaining regional security," Salgado said.
"What we have seen since Trump returned to the White House is a remarkable level of continuity in the US-Philippines alliance not only in joint military drills, but also on American statements that the alliance is 'ironclad,' said Derek Grossman, a senior defense analyst at RAND Corporation.
"The Trump administration is trying to keep the pressure on China through its support to the Philippines," Grossman said, but added that it's unclear "just how sustainable this commitment will be given that the Trump administration seems less hawkish on China than its predecessors."
China has vehemently opposed such exercises involving U.S. forces in or near the South China Sea or Taiwan, the island democracy, which Beijing claims as a province and has threatened to annex by force if necessary.
U.S. and Philippine military officials, however, have insisted that the combat exercises were not designed with China in mind but serve as a deterrence to acts of aggression in the region.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-06 18:51:16+00:00
|
[
"Alabama",
"Birmingham",
"Discrimination",
"Racism",
"Lawsuits",
"Legal proceedings",
"Government programs",
"Kay Ivey",
"Randall Woodfin",
"Water shortages",
"Jim Carns",
"Politics",
"Race and ethnicity",
"Gina Maiola",
"Race and Ethnicity"
] |
# Birmingham fights against losing control of its water board, citing racial discrimination
By Safiyah Riddle
May 6th, 2025, 06:51 PM
---
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Birmingham officials are fighting to keep control of the state's largest water board, alleging in a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday that a new bill shifting power to Alabama's Republican leadership and majority-white suburbs "constitutes blatant racial discrimination."
The bill redistributes power from Birmingham city officials — who currently appoint a majority of the nine-person board — to the governor, the lieutenant governor and the surrounding suburbs that are also in the board's jurisdiction. Board members approve rate hikes and manage infrastructure projects for the utility's 770,000 customers.
The bill's sponsors said the move was necessary to correct mismanagement and improve the system's efficiency. The legislation passed 66-27 along party lines in the state House last week and now goes to Republican Gov. Kay Ivey 's desk.
The federal lawsuit names the governor as a defendant, and seeks a temporary restraining order that would prevent the bill from going into effect. The suit says the bill would violate the equal protection clause, the voting rights act and both the state and federal constitution.
Mayor Randall Woodfin, one of the plaintiffs in the suit, called the bill "unconstitutional on its face" at a press conference Tuesday.
Five counties rely on the Birmingham Water Works Board. Over 40% of customers are concentrated in the city of Birmingham, and 91% are in Jefferson County. The new system would give more weight to Jefferson County's neighboring areas that have only a fraction of the customers, but which house some of the reservoirs that supply the system.
Woodfin said this would deny Jefferson County residents the opportunity for democratic input about the system's governance.
"We live in America, representation matters. It matters at all levels of government — the federal level, the state level, the local level," Woodfin said.
Proponents of the bill say aging infrastructure and a lack of investment mean residents pay for water that just gets leaked out of old pipes. The utility has been accused of ethics scandals and AL.com has reported on wasteful spending and costly errors in distributing bills.
"So many elected officials have been getting so many complaints, and I'm sure yours have too, about the quality and the price of Birmingham water," said Republican Rep. Jim Carns, who represents Blount County, one of the places that would appoint a board member if the bill becomes law.
City council members said Tuesday that legislators dramatically exaggerated how much water was leaking out of the system.
"The implication that any perceived problems with the Water Works Board's management are due to the majority of Board members being appointed by Birmingham is wholly unsupported," the complaint said.
A lawyer for the city said the goal is for the governor to send the bill back to the legislature to make "appropriate changes" — but didn't specify what those changes are. The lawsuit echoes testimony from state legislators who opposed the bill before it passed.
"We have not officially been served," said Gina Maiola, a spokeswoman for the governor. "However, we are aware of the lawsuit and are reviewing this highly unusual attempt to stop the governor form signing a bill passed by the legislature."
____
Riddle is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-01 21:07:21+00:00
|
[
"Orlando",
"Florida",
"Business",
"Gregory W. Kehoe",
"Courts",
"Criminal punishment",
"Vandalism",
"Assault"
] |
# Jordanian man gets 6 years for attacking Florida power facility, businesses over support of Israel
May 1st, 2025, 09:07 PM
---
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A Jordanian man living in central Florida accused of causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage at a solar power facility and vandalizing multiple private businesses over their perceived support for the state of Israel was sentenced Thursday to six years in prison.
Hashem Younis Hashem Hnaihen, 44, was sentenced in Orlando federal court, according to court records. He pleaded guilty in December to threatening to use explosives and destruction of an energy facility. A restitution hearing will be held to address the more than $450,000 in damage, officials said.
"Threatening to commit mass violence against American citizens and targeting businesses or institutions for destruction will not be tolerated," U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida Gregory W. Kehoe said in a statement.
According to court records, Hnaihen began going to businesses at night while wearing a mask last June and smashing the front doors. Prosecutors said Hnaihen left behind "warning letters," which were addressed to the United States government. The letters laid out a series of political demands, culminating in a threat to "destroy or explode everything here in whole America. Especially the companies and factories that support the racist state of Israel."
Near the end of June, Hnaihen broke into a solar power generation facility in Wedgefield, Florida, investigators said. He spent several hours systematically destroying solar panel arrays, officials said. Two more copies of the warning letter were left behind.
After a multiagency investigation, Hnaihen was arrested July 11 on local charges after another warning letter was discovered at an industrial propane gas distribution depot in Orlando, officials said. He was transferred to federal custody after his indictment.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-15 04:05:38+00:00
|
[
"Louisiana",
"Medication",
"Abortion",
"Pregnancy and childbirth",
"Health",
"Liz Murrill",
"Nancy Davis",
"Politics"
] |
# Challenge to Louisiana law that lists abortion pills as controlled dangerous substances can proceed
By Sara Cline
May 15th, 2025, 04:05 AM
---
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A legal challenge against a first-of-its-kind measure that recategorized two widely used abortion -inducing drugs as "controlled dangerous substances" in Louisiana can move forward, a judge ruled Thursday.
Baton Rouge-based Judge Jewel Welch denied the Louisiana Attorney General's request to dismiss a lawsuit filed last year by opponents of the law, who argue that the reclassification of the pills is unconstitutional and could cause needless and potentially life-threatening delays in treatment during medical emergencies.
Attorneys for defendants in the suit, including Attorney General Liz Murrill, argued that the lawsuit was premature. But attorneys for the plaintiffs, who include a doctor and pharmacist, said that since the law took effect in October, the measure has impacted how the plaintiffs handle and obtain the drugs on a "regular basis."
A hearing date for the challenge has not yet been set.
Louisiana became the first state to heighten the classification of misoprostol and mifepristone, which have critical reproductive health care uses in addition to being used as a two-drug regimen to end pregnancies.
Passage of the measure by the GOP-dominated Legislature marked a new approach in conservative efforts to restrict access to abortion pills. In 2023, nearly two-thirds of all abortions in the country were medication abortions.
Now labeled as "Schedule IV drugs," the pills are in the same category as the opioid tramadol and other substances that can be addictive. Under the new classification, there are more stringent storage requirements and extra steps to obtain the drugs. Testifying against the legislation, doctors stressed the drugs would be stored in locked containers or elsewhere that may result in slower access during emergency situations where every second is vital.
In the legal challenge, which was filed in October, plaintiffs say the law may slow access to "lifesaving treatment for people experiencing obstetrical emergencies" and make it "significantly harder" for people to "obtain proven, effective remedies necessary for their treatment and care." Plaintiffs are asking the judge for a permanent injunction, ultimately to halt the law.
The legislation spawned from anti-abortion groups and a Republican state senator's effort to prevent coerced abortion and make it more difficult for bad actors to obtain the drugs. The lawmaker pointed to the case of his sister in Texas who in 2022 was slipped seven misoprostol pills by her husband without her knowledge; she and the baby survived. Over the past 15 years, news outlets have reported on similar cases — none in Louisiana — but the issue does not appear widespread.
"The Louisiana Legislature spoke loud and clear last year that they stand for life and are against this controlled substance being prescribed without a prescription from a doctor," Murrill said ahead of the hearing.
Prior to the reclassification, a prescription was still needed to obtain mifepristone and misoprostol in Louisiana. Before the change, medical personnel told The Associated Press that in hospitals the drugs — which are also used to treat miscarriages, induce labor and stop bleeding — were often stored in an OB-GYN unit in a "hemorrhage box" in the room, on the delivery table or in a nurse's pocket, to ensure almost-immediate access in common emergency situations.
With the heightened classification also comes increased charges. If someone knowingly possesses mifepristone or misoprostol without a valid prescription for any purpose, they could be fined up to $5,000 and sent to jail for one to five years. The law carves out protections for pregnant women who obtain the drug without a prescription to take on their own.
Other plaintiffs in the lawsuit include the Birthmark Doula Collective, an organization of people trained to provide pregnancy care before, during and after birth; Nancy Davis, a woman who was denied an abortion in Louisiana and traveled out of state for one after learning her fetus would not survive; and a woman who said she was turned away from two emergency rooms instead of being treated for a miscarriage.
Louisiana currently has one of the strictest abortion bans in the country, which includes abortions via medication.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-13 21:39:33+00:00
|
[
"Crime",
"Rio de Janeiro",
"Thiago da Silva Folly",
"Brazil government",
"Law enforcement",
"Assassinations",
"Homicide",
"Drug crimes"
] |
# Brazil's military police kill leader of a drug trafficking group in a Rio favela
By Associated Press
May 13th, 2025, 09:39 PM
---
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazilian military police on Tuesday killed the main leader of a drug trafficking group in a Rio de Janeiro favela as well as two other suspected criminals, authorities said.
A fierce shootout broke out after Rio's military police found Thiago da Silva Folly in a bunker in the Mare complex of low-income neighborhoods, police said. Folly was killed, while another two were wounded and taken to a hospital, but later died from their injuries.
Folly was the main leader of the Pure Third Command faction in Mare, police said.
"The objective was to arrest the leader of the faction, but he chose to engage in confrontation," Gov. Cláudio Castro was quoted as saying in the statement. "Once again, we demonstrate that there will be no truce for these extremely violent criminals."
Police said Folly had 227 criminal charges against him and 17 outstanding arrest warrants. One of the warrants was related to the killing of two military police officers during an operation in Mare in June.
Folly was also under investigation for his involvement in the death of a soldier in 2014 and for attacks on members of the National Public Security Force in 2016, police added. The organ also said he also coordinated paramilitary training within the community.
The operation, launched early Tuesday, shut down main roads and rerouted bus lines. Local news outlet G1 reported that at least two schools were closed.
____
Follow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-20 10:18:09+00:00
|
[
"Vladimir Putin",
"Europe",
"Donald Trump",
"Russia",
"Volodymyr Zelenskyy",
"Ukraine",
"Katie Marie Davies",
"Johann Wadephul",
"Russia government",
"Russia-Ukraine war",
"Tatiana Stanovaya",
"Mykhailo Podoliak",
"Mikhail Rostovsky",
"David Lammy",
"Kaja Kallas",
"Ukraine government",
"Lorne Cook",
"Politics",
"Russia Ukraine war",
"Hanno Pevkur",
"Maria Zakharova",
"European Union"
] |
# Ukraine's allies hit Russia with new sanctions after Trump-Putin call yields little progress
By Illia Novikov and Yehor Konovalov
May 20th, 2025, 10:18 AM
---
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Kyiv's European allies slapped new sanctions Tuesday on Moscow, a day after a phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin failed to produce a breakthrough on ending the 3-year-old war in Ukraine.
"We have made clear again and again that we simply expect one thing from Russia now: namely, a ceasefire, unconditional and immediate," German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said in addressing the sanctions. "We welcome the fact that Ukraine is still prepared to do this. We note with disappointment that Russia has not yet taken this decisive step, and we will have to react to this."
Diplomatic efforts have seen little progress in halting the fighting, including Monday's phone call between Trump and Putin, and Friday's direct talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul. In the phone call, Putin promised Trump that Russia is "ready to work with" Ukraine on a "memorandum" outlining the framework for "a possible future peace treaty."
"It appears that Putin has devised a way to offer Trump an interim, tangible outcome from Washington's peace efforts without making any real concessions," said Tatiana Stanovaya, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, in a post on X.
Russian media struck a triumphal tone in reporting Putin's conversation with Trump.
## Ukrainian leader seeks pressure on Moscow
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on his Telegram channel that "it is obvious that Russia is trying to buy time to continue the war and occupation. We are working with partners to put pressure on the Russians to behave differently."
The new European Union sanctions targeted almost 200 ships from Russia's "shadow fleet" illicitly transporting oil to skirt Western restrictions It also imposed asset freezes and travel bans on several officials as well as on a number of Russian companies.
Ukrainian officials have said about 500 aging ships of uncertain ownership and safety practices are dodging sanctions and keeping oil revenues flowing to Moscow.
The U.K. also targeted the shadow fleet with 100 new sanctions and also aimed at disrupting the supply chains of Russian weapons, officials said.
"Putin's latest strikes once again show his true colors as a warmonger," British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said.
But Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Tuesday: "Russia never responds to ultimatums."
## No new sanctions on Russia from Trump
Trump has threatened to step up sanctions and tariffs on Russia but hasn't acted so far.
Ukraine has offered a comprehensive 30-day ceasefire, which Moscow has effectively rejected by imposing far-reaching conditions, and Zelenskyy proposed a face-to-face meeting with Putin last week but the Russian leader spurned that offer.
Trump, who had pledged during his campaign to end the war in one day, said his personal intervention was needed to push peace efforts forward. He held separate phone calls with both Putin and Zelenskyy, and said the two countries would "immediately" begin ceasefire negotiations, but there were no details on when or where such talks might take place.
"The status quo has not changed," Mykhailo Podoliak, a senior adviser to Zelenskyy, wrote on the social platform X on Tuesday.
Russia launched 108 Shahed and decoy drones at Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian air force said. One drone dropped explosives on a passenger bus in the Dniprovskyi district of the Kherson region, injuring two people, the local administration said.
Putin wants Ukraine to renounce joining NATO, sharply cut its military, and withdraw its forces from the four Ukrainian regions Moscow has seized but doesn't fully control, among other demands to curb the country's sovereignty.
After the phone call, the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti published an article headlined, "Europe's hopes crushed: Trump refuses to go to war with Putin."
In the pro-Kremlin tabloid Moskovsky Komsomolets, columnist Mikhail Rostovsky also portrayed the call as a blow for Ukraine's European allies.
"Kyiv will agree to a serious, fully fledged conversation with Russia only if it has no other options left. Trump is gradually cutting off these other options for Zelenskyy," he wrote. "And this is very, very good."
Since Trump took office, Washington has urged Russia and Ukraine to end Europe's biggest conflict since World War II.
## European leaders remain skeptical of Putin
After Monday's phone calls, European officials remained skeptical about Russia's intentions.
"Putin has never changed his position," Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said in Brussels. "Russia actually doesn't want to end this war."
EU foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said Russia's failure to negotiate in good faith should trigger the threatened U.S. sanctions.
"We really haven't seen, you know, the pressure on Russia from these talks," she said.
In Kyiv, there was skepticism about Putin's motives.
Peace "is not possible now. Only when (the Russians) run out of resources and army manpower. They are ready to fight, at least for this summer," Svitlana Kyryliuk, 66, told The Associated Press. Putin will "stall for time, and that's it," she said.
Volodymyr Lysytsia, a 45-year-old serviceman visiting the capital for rehabilitation, said Putin has made the front lines in eastern Ukraine a wasteland, with "nothing there, only scorched earth, everything bombed."
Some were unconvinced by Putin's promise to Trump that Russia is "ready to work with" Ukraine on a "memorandum" outlining the framework for "a possible future peace treaty."
The first direct Russia-Ukraine peace talks since the early weeks of Moscow's 2022 invasion ended after less than two hours Friday, and while both sides agreed on a large prisoner swap, they clearly remained far apart on key conditions to end the fighting.
___
Lorne Cook in Brussels, Katie Marie Davies in Manchester, England, and Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed.
___
Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-10 19:35:19+00:00
|
[
"Sheikh Hasina",
"Muhammad Yunus",
"Bangladesh",
"Asif Nazrul",
"Bangladesh government",
"Protests and demonstrations",
"Rebellions and uprisings",
"South Asia",
"Politics",
"Courts"
] |
# Bangladesh's interim government bans the former ruling party of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
By Julhas Alam
May 10th, 2025, 07:35 PM
---
DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — The interim government in Bangladesh on Saturday banned all activities of the former ruling Awami League party headed by former influential Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted last year in a mass uprising.
Asif Nazrul, the country's law affairs adviser, said late Saturday the interim Cabinet headed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus decided to ban the party's activities online and elsewhere under the country's Anti-Terrorism Act. The ban would stay in place until a special tribunal completes a trial of the party and its leaders over the deaths of hundreds of students and other protesters during an anti-government uprising in July and August last year.
"This decision is aimed at ensuring national security and sovereignty, protection of activists of the July movement, and plaintiffs and witnesses involved in the tribunal proceedings," Nazrul told reporters after a special Cabinet meeting.
Nazrul said the meeting Saturday also expanded scope for trying any political parties involving charges of killing during the anti-Hasina protest being handled by the International Crimes Tribunal.
He said a government notification regarding the ban would be published soon with details.
Hasina and many of her senior party colleagues have been accused of murder in many cases after her ouster last year. Hasina has been in exile in India since Aug. 5 as her official residence was stormed by protesters soon after she left the country.
The United Nations human rights office in a report said in February that up to 1,400 people may have been killed during three weeks of anti-Hasina protest.
Saturday night's dramatic decision came after thousands of protesters, including supporters of a newly formed political party by students, took to the streets in Dhaka and issued an ultimatum to ban the Awami League party by Saturday night. The members of the student wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami party also prominently took part in the protest.
There was no immediate reaction from Hasina or her party, but the chief of the National Citizen Party, Nahid Islam, who is also a student leader, applauded the Yunus-led government for its decision.
The student-led uprising ended Hasina's 15 years of rule, and three days after her fall Yunus took the helm as interim leader.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-16 17:39:33+00:00
|
[
"Massachusetts",
"Gregory Romanovsky",
"Indictments",
"Science"
] |
# Harvard researcher charged with trying to smuggle frog embryos to be transferred to Massachusetts
May 16th, 2025, 05:39 PM
---
MONROE, La. (AP) — A federal judge has ordered the transfer of a Russian-born scientist and Harvard University researcher facing deportation from Louisiana, where she was detained by immigration authorities, to Massachusetts, where she has been charged with trying to smuggle frog embryos.
Kseniia Petrova, 30, has been detained since February and filed a petition seeking her release. She was charged Wednesday with one count of smuggling goods into the United States, shortly after another federal judge had set a hearing date on her petition.
Petrova's transfer was ordered Thursday. Her lawyer, Gregory Romanovsky, had said he expected that to happen in the next few weeks.
If convicted, Petrova faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Petrova had been vacationing in France, where she stopped at a lab specializing in splicing superfine sections of frog embryos and obtained a package of samples to be used for research.
As she passed through a U.S. Customs and Border Protection checkpoint in Boston Logan International Airport, Petrova was questioned about the samples. Petrova told The Associated Press in an interview last month that she did not realize the items needed to be declared and was not trying to sneak in anything. After an interrogation, Petrova was told her visa was being canceled.
Romanovsky said Customs and Border Protection officials had no legal basis for canceling Kseniia's visa and detaining her.
The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement on the social platform X that Petrova was detained after "lying to federal officers about carrying substances into the country." They allege messages on her phone "revealed she planned to smuggle the materials through customs without declaring them."
Harvard had said in a statement that the university "continues to monitor the situation."
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-01 07:02:15+00:00
|
[
"Narendra Modi",
"India",
"India government",
"Rahul Gandhi",
"South Asia",
"COVID-19 pandemic",
"Ashwini Vaishnaw",
"Politics",
"Political and civil unrest",
"Amit Shah",
"Race and ethnicity",
"Race and Ethnicity"
] |
# India will include caste details in its next census
By Rajesh Roy and Sheikh Saaliq
May 1st, 2025, 07:02 AM
---
NEW DELHI (AP) — India will include caste details in its next census, in a move likely to have sweeping socio-economic and political ramifications for the world's most populous country.
Information Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw didn't say when the census would begin when he announced it would include caste information Wednesday. He said the decision demonstrated New Delhi's commitment to the "values and interests of the society and country."
The count is likely lead to demands to raise the country's quotas that reserve government jobs, college admissions and elected offices for some categories of castes, especially for a swathe of lower and intermediate castes that are recognized as Other Backward Classes. India's current policy caps quotas at 50%, with 27% reserved for OBCs.
Caste is an ancient system of social hierarchy in India and is critical to Indian life and politics. There are hundreds of caste groups based on occupation and economic status across India, particularly among Hindus, but the country has limited, or outdated data on how many people belong to them.
Successive Indian governments have resisted updating caste data, arguing that it could lead to social unrest. But its supporters say detailed demographic information is necessary to properly implementing India's many social justice programs.
Colonial ruler Britain began an Indian census in 1872 and counted all castes until 1931. However, independent India since 1951 only counted Dalits and Adivasis, who are referred to as scheduled castes and tribes, respectively. Everyone else's caste was marked as general.
The next once-in-a-decade population survey was originally due in 2021, but has been delayed mainly by the COVID-19 pandemic and logistical hurdles. The last official census in 2011 counted 1.21 billion people, of which 2011 million were scheduled castes and 104 million were scheduled tribes.
India surpassed China to become the most populous country in April 2023 with an estimated 1.425 billion people, according to the U.N.'s Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
The announcement on the census comes months ahead of a crucial election in India's poorest state of Bihar, where caste is a key issue. Modi's party runs a coalition government in Bihar.
The opposition and Modi's partners have pressed the government to count caste in a new census. Modi's Hindu nationalist party has in the past opposed the idea of counting people by caste, saying it would deepen social divisions in the country.
Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi of the Congress Party wrote on X that "It is clear that the pressure we put on the government for Caste Census has worked."
Two Indian states, northern Bihar and southern Karnataka, have already released caste surveys, both showing a higher number of backward castes and prompting demands to raise quotas.
Two southern states, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, are also planning to undertake similar surveys.
Vaishnaw said including caste details in the national census would improve transparency, while adding that some states ruled by opposition parties have done their own caste surveys for political gain.
Fortunes of many of these political parties, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, depend on alliance of castes, particularly those in the OBC category.
On Wednesday, Amit Shah, India's powerful home minister, called the move "historic" and said it "will empower all economically and socially backward sections."
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-18 16:11:16+00:00
|
[
"Movies",
"Ryan Coogler",
"Barry Keoghan",
"Box Office",
"Canada",
"Entertainment",
"Trey Edward Shults",
"Jenna Ortega",
"Business",
"Maria Sherman",
"Paul Dergarabedian"
] |
# 'Final Destination: Bloodlines' tops box office while The Weeknd's movie falters
By Lindsey Bahr
May 18th, 2025, 04:11 PM
---
Death is not looming for the "Final Destination" franchise at the box office.
Its sixth installment, "Final Destination: Bloodlines," drew big crowds to movie theaters this weekend and easily topped the domestic charts with $51 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday. The movie earned the same internationally, adding up to a $102 million global debut.
The same enthusiasm did not meet Abel "The Weeknd" Tesfaye's experimental thriller "Hurry Up Tomorrow," which opened outside of the top five with an estimated $3.3 million.
"It was always going to have a tough time coming up against 'Final Destination: Bloodlines,'" said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. "There was a lot of buzz."
"Final Destination: Bloodlines" opened in 3,523 locations riding in on a wave of strong reviews (93% on Rotten Tomatoes) and viral marketing tactics, including a picture of logs on the back of trucks — a callback to one of the more infamous "Final Destination" death traps.
"Final Destination's" win effectively revives a 25-year-old franchise that hasn't had a new film since 2011. It also continues a hot streak for Warner Bros., which has had near back-to-back hits in Ryan Coogler's "Sinners" and "A Minecraft Movie." All three were in the top five this weekend.
Disney's "Thunderbolts" landed in second with $16.5 million, pushing its global total to over $325 million. "Sinners" placed third with $15.4 million, bringing its global total to $316.8 million. "A Minecraft Movie," which has made $928.6 million globally, added $5.9 million. Amazon MGM Studios' "The Accountant 2" rounded out the top five.
"Hurry Up Tomorrow" opened in sixth place. The film, which Tesfaye co-wrote and Trey Edward Shults directed, is a kind of companion piece to his album and tour. He plays a fictionalized version of himself as an insomniac musician. Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan also star.
Neither critics nor audiences greeted it kindly: It carries a 13% on Rotten Tomatoes and was slapped with a C- CinemaScore. Associated Press music writer Maria Sherman wrote that it's "an exciting vanity project with surrealist imagination but stiff writing, no stakes, limited emotional weight and an unclear narrative."
Lionsgate only handled the release of the R-rated film, which opened on over 2,000 screens and its $3.3 million was enough to make it a profitable deal for the studio.
Next weekend could be a big one for movie theaters as "Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning" and the live-action "Lilo & Stitch" both open nationwide. The overall domestic box office remains up nearly 15% from last year.
"This weekend is the perfect opening act for what could be one of the biggest Memorial weekends at the box office ever," Dergarabedian said.
## Top 10 movies by domestic box office
With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:
1. "Final Destination: Bloodlines," $51 million.
2. "Thunderbolts," $16.5 million.
3. "Sinners," $15.4 million.
4. "A Minecraft Movie," $5.9 million.
5. "The Accountant 2," $5 million.
6. "Hurry Up Tomorrow," $3.3 million.
7. "Friendship," $1.4 million.
8. "Clown in a Cornfield," $1.3 million.
9. "Kiki's Delivery Service," $1.1 million.
10. "Until Dawn," $800,000.
|
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