The US and EU welcome the release of some Belarusian political prisoner
TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — The United States and the European Union are welcoming Belarus’ release of some political prisoners, freed since the…
Continue ReadingAP National News
Wisconsin Supreme Court changes course, will allow expanded use of ballot drop boxes this fall
Associated Press MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Friday that officials can place ballot drop boxes around their communities…
Continue ReadingGerman investigators detain third suspect in attempted blackmail of former Formula 1 driver’s family
BERLIN (AP) — German investigators say they have arrested a third suspect in an attempt to blackmail the family of former Formula 1 race driver…
Continue ReadingKansas’ top court bolsters a state right to abortion and strikes down 2 anti-abortion laws
AP Political Writer TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas’ highest court strongly reaffirmed Friday that the state constitution protects abortion access,…
Continue ReadingWisconsin Republicans are improperly blocking conservation work, court says
Associated Press MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Supreme Court says Republican legislators are improperly blocking conservation projects. The…
Continue ReadingOfficers who defended the Capitol fight falsehoods about Jan. 6 and campaign for Joe Biden
Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Capitol Police Sgt. Aquilino Gonell is mostly recovered from the brutal assaults he endured from Donald…
Continue ReadingItalian fashion influencer Ferragni will donate $1.3 million in a deal to close an antitrust probe
MILAN (AP) — Italian fashion influencer Chiara Ferragni will donate at least 1.2 million euros — about $1.3 million — under a deal with Italian…
Continue ReadingJuly Fourth violence nationwide kills at least 33, Chicago ‘in state of grief,’ mayor says
Associated Press Shootings and other violence during the extended Fourth of July weekend have left at least 33 people dead, including 11 in Chicago,…
Continue ReadingJudge says Nashville school shooter’s writings can’t be released as victims’ families have copyright
Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A Nashville judge has ruled that the writings of the person who killed three 9-year-olds and three adults…
Continue ReadingCourt says social media influencer Andrew Tate can leave Romania but remain in EU as he awaits trial
Associated Press BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — A court in Romania’s capital has ruled that social media influencer Andrew Tate can leave Romania but…
Continue ReadingBritish PM’s 1st day at 10 Downing St. will stretch from nuclear weapons briefing to Larry the cat
Associated Press LONDON (AP) — After a few hours of sleep to shake off a night of celebration and an audience with the king, Keir Starmer stepped…
Continue ReadingShark attacks reported at Texas’ South Padre Island; 2 people bitten, at least 1 severely
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas (AP) — Authorities say shark attacks have disrupted Fourth of July celebrations at Texas’ South Padre Island. Two…
Continue ReadingNATO leaders will vow to pour weapons into Ukraine for another year, but membership is off the table
Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO leaders plan to pledge to keep pouring arms and ammunition into Ukraine at current levels for at least…
Continue ReadingTornado kills one, injures 79 in China’s Shandong province
BEIJING (AP) — A tornado has swept through China’s eastern province of Shandong, killing one person and injuring scores of others. Authorities…
Continue ReadingImprisoned Kremlin critic Kara-Murza transferred to a prison hospital, his wife and lawyers say
Associated Press TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — The wife and lawyer of imprisoned Russian opposition politician Vladimir Kara-Murza say he has been…
Continue ReadingWhat we learned from the UK’s general election that will shape politics over the coming years
Associated Press LONDON (AP) — The U.K. has its first change in government in 14 years after the Labour Party won a landslide victory early Friday…
Continue ReadingVatican excommunicates a former ambassador to the US and declares him guilty of schism
Associated Press ROME (AP) — The Vatican on Friday excommunicated its former ambassador to Washington after finding him guilty of schism, an…
Continue ReadingRishi Sunak’s campaign in the UK election showed his lack of political touch
Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Rishi Sunak’s campaign to remain Britain’s prime minister showed a lack of political touch. The…
Continue ReadingPope to preside over interfaith meeting in Indonesian mosque during longest, most challenging trip
Associated Press ROME (AP) — Pope Francis will preside over an interfaith meeting in a mosque in the world’s largest predominantly Muslim country…
Continue ReadingCandidates in pivotal French legislative elections make final push in torrid campaign ahead of vote
PARIS (AP) — Candidates in France’s pivotal and polarizing legislative elections were making their last pushes on Friday for the second and…
Continue ReadingFierce fighting breaks out as militias launch new attacks against regime in Myanmar’s civil war
Associated Press BANGKOK (AP) — New fighting has broken out in northeastern Myanmar, bringing an end to a Chinese-brokered cease-fire and putting…
Continue ReadingHungary’s Orbán meets Putin for talks in Moscow in a rare visit by a European leader
Associated Press MOSCOW (AP) — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has visited Moscow for a rare meeting by a European leader with Russian…
Continue ReadingPost-communist generation is hoping for a new era of democracy in Mongolia
Associated Press ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (AP) — Tsenguun Saruulsaikhan, a young and newly minted member of Mongolia’s parliament, is unhappy…
Continue ReadingA roadside bomb planted on a bridge hits a rickshaw in Pakistan, killing 3 people and wounding 7
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Officials say a roadside bomb planted on a bridge has struck a rickshaw in northwest Pakistan, killing at least three…
Continue ReadingGerman government averts crisis with budget agreement for Europe’s largest economy
BERLIN (AP) — The German government has agreed on a budget for 2025 and a stimulus package for Europe’s largest economy, ending a monthslong…
Continue ReadingCrocodiles cannot outnumber people in Australian territory where girl was killed, leader says
Associated Press WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The leader of Australia’s Northern Territory says the crocodile population must be either…
Continue ReadingIsraeli strikes kill 6 in Gaza, including kids and UN worker, as truce talks show signs of progress
Associated Press DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Separate Israeli airstrikes killed at least six people Friday in central Gaza, including two…
Continue ReadingMultiple injuries reported after fireworks veer into the crowd at a Utah stadium
PROVO, Utah (AP) — Authorities say malfunctioning fireworks veered into the stands at a crowded Utah football stadium and struck members of the…
Continue ReadingFormer Philippine leader Duterte and aide accused of steering government contracts to cronies
Associated Press MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A former Philippine opposition senator accused ex-President Rodrigo Duterte of plundering state coffers…
Continue ReadingGermany fears a victory for the far-right National Rally could harm its close relations with France
Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is worried about the outcome of the runoff elections in France. Scholz, who is…
Continue ReadingPalestinian soccer team plans to play World Cup qualifiers in the West Bank
Associated Press After advancing further than ever in World Cup qualifying, the Palestinian soccer team is determined to host a game for a change.…
Continue ReadingA bench and a grandmother’s ear: Zimbabwe’s novel mental health therapy spreads overseas
Associated Press HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — In Zimbabwe, talk therapy involving park benches and a network of grandmothers has become a saving grace…
Continue ReadingHe’s derided as dull but Keir Starmer becomes UK prime minister with a sensational victory
Associated Press LONDON (AP) — For someone often derided as dull, Keir Starmer has delivered a sensational election result. Starmer has led…
Continue ReadingStock market today: Wall Street’s scorching rally sets more records as hopes rise for rate cuts
AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose to more records Friday after a highly anticipated report on the job market bolstered Wall…
Continue ReadingIt’s a fine line as the summer rainy season brings relief, and flooding, to the southwestern US
Associated Press MONUMENT VALLEY, Ariz. (AP) — It’s as if the sky opened up and dropped everything it had in a matter of minutes. Giant…
Continue ReadingThe UK election winner only becomes prime minister when King Charles III says so
Associated Press LONDON (AP) — The Labour Party has won Britain’s general election, bringing a new party to power for the first time in 14 years.…
Continue ReadingWhich states could have abortion on the ballot in 2024? Arkansas organizers aim to join the list
Associated Press LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Organizers of an effort to scale back Arkansas’ abortion ban said they have more than enough…
Continue ReadingAfghanistan has been through everything. Now it wants to dust off its postal service and modernize
Associated Press KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — In parts of Afghanistan where there are no street names or house numbers, utility companies and their…
Continue ReadingIran holds runoff presidential vote pitting hard-liner against reformist after record low turnout
Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran held a runoff presidential election on Friday that pitted a hard-line former nuclear…
Continue ReadingNew UK prime minister Keir Starmer vows to heal wounds of distrust after Labour landslide
Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Britain’s new prime minister, Keir Starmer, says he will lead a “government of service” on a mission of…
Continue ReadingBeryl moves into the Gulf of Mexico after battering Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, takes aim at Texas
Associated Press TULUM, Mexico (AP) — Beryl moved into the the Gulf of Mexico Friday and took aim at the south Texas coast after battering…
Continue ReadingHong Kong activist Joshua Wong asks for a lesser sentence in landmark security case
Associated Press HONG KONG (AP) — Prominent activist Joshua Wong has asked for a lesser sentence in court after he earlier pleaded guilty in Hong…
Continue ReadingBrazil’s Bolsonaro indicted for alleged money laundering for undeclared diamonds from Saudi Arabia
Associated Press SAO PAULO (AP) — The indictment of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro for money laundering and criminal association in…
Continue ReadingThe dizzying array of legal threats to Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro
Associated Press SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro has been a target for investigations since his early days in office,…
Continue Reading3 dead and 8 injured after truck strikes group celebrating July Fourth in Manhattan park
Associated Press New York City authorities say three people were killed and eight others injured after a pickup truck drove into a group celebrating…
Continue ReadingUS employers added a solid 206,000 jobs in June in a sign of continued economic strength
AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — America’s employers delivered another healthy month of hiring in June, adding 206,000 jobs and once again…
Continue ReadingMan who stabbed South Korea’s opposition leader sentenced to 15 years in prison
Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A South Korean court says a man who stabbed the country’s opposition leader in the neck earlier…
Continue ReadingLand routes across Africa are twice as deadly for migrants as Mediterranean voyages, UN estimates
Associated Press GENEVA (AP) — The U.N. and partners say more migrants and refugees in Africa are heading north toward the Mediterranean and…
Continue ReadingNew Zealand will radically ease zoning rules to try to relieve its stubborn housing shortage
Associated Press WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand’s housing minister says the country will drastically ease restrictions on land…
Continue Reading‘We have to be wacky.’ With suggestive poses and pets, election campaigning tests Tokyo’s patience
Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Tokyo elects a new governor this weekend, but residents say personal publicity stunts have overtaken serious…
Continue Reading