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Bayreuth to present special Ring Cycle in 2026; 30 sellouts this year as ticket sales rebound

Associated Press A special Ring Cycle will be performed for the 150th anniversary Bayreuth Festival in 2026, the annual Richard Wagner showcase said as this season’s schedule ended with sellouts for all 30 performances. Bayreuth’s new production of “Die Meistersinger von Nuremberg” will open the 113th festival next July 25. Valentin Schwarz’s 2022 staging of

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Telegram founder Pavel Durov’s various citizenships add to the mystery of his detention

Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Over more than a decade, the founder and CEO of the messaging app Telegram has amassed various different citizenships, something that’s only added to the mystery surrounding his detention in France. Those passports provided Pavel Durov protection after he created and ran Telegram as a self-proclaimed free-speech

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Q&A: Zedd waited nine years to release a new album. He says the kaleidoscopic ‘Telos’ is ‘timeless’

Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — It has been almost a decade since Zedd, the Grammy-winning producer and DJ, released his sophomore album, “True Colors.” A lot can happen in that time. Mostly, the German dance-pop maverick needed to push himself to make an album that would move the needle. Enter “Telos,” his long-awaited third

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Deal reached with Norfolk Southern to expand rail service in parts of Virginia

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — State officials are approving a deal with Norfolk Southern that expands commuter and passenger rail services in southwestern and northern Virginia. The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority plans to run passenger trains between Roanoke and Christiansburg on the private rail company’s main rail line. Officials also want to expand evening and weekend

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Maduro opponents take to streets to revive protests disputing Venezuelan election results

Associated Press CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Opponents of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro are taking to the streets in an attempt to revive protests against him following last month’s disputed election. The demonstrations Wednesday in the capital, Caracas, come exactly a month after the fraught July 28 vote in which Maduro was declared the winner despite

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Killings of invasive owls to ramp up on US West Coast in a bid to save native birds

Associated Press U.S. wildlife officials beginning next year will drastically scale up efforts to kill invasive barred owls that are crowding out imperiled native owls from West Coast forests, under a plan finalized Wednesday that faces challenges from barred owls returning after they’ve already been removed. Trained shooters will target barred owls over 30 years

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Wolf pack that attacked Colorado livestock to be relocated as reintroduction program stumbles

Associated Press Wildlife agencies are trying to capture and relocate the first pack of wolves that formed under Colorado’s ambitious wolf reintroduction program after the animals repeatedly attacked livestock, marking an early stumble in the voter-driven initiative. The move comes only a week after state officials touted three pups born to the Copper Creek pack,

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UN demands halt to escalating attacks between Hezbollah and Israeli forces

Associated Press UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. Security Council has demanded a halt to the increasing attacks between Lebanon’s Hezbollah militants and Israeli forces and warned that further escalation “carries the high risk of leading to a widespread conflict.” The council’s 15 members unanimously approved a resolution Wednesday that urges the “relevant actors” to

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Swiss court convicts 2 top PetroSaudi executives in fallout from 1MDB Malaysian fund scandal

Associated Press GENEVA (AP) — A Swiss criminal court has convicted two top managers of a Saudi oil company facing charges including fraud and money laundering in a scam that swiped at least $1.8 billion from a Malaysian state-owned investment fund. PetroSaudi executive Tarek Obaid, a Saudi-Swiss dual national, received a seven-year sentence and British-Swiss

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Poland’s government plans record defense spending in its 2025 budget

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s budget proposal for 2025 includes record defense spending of 187 billion zlotys or $48.7 billion. Prime Minister Donald Tusk presented the main points of next year’s budget on Wednesday. Poland borders war-torn Ukraine and security concerns are high. Tusk described the budget proposal as “generous” and supporting further economic growth.

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Percival Everett, Louise Erdrich and Jason Reynolds among finalists for $50,000 Kirkus Prizes

AP National Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Percival Everett’s “James,” a reworking of Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” from the enslaved Jim’s perspective, is among the fiction finalists for the 11th annual Kirkus Prize. Kirkus Reviews is a leading book review publication and announced finalists Wednesday in fiction, nonfiction and young reader’s literature.

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Germany and the UK seek a new bilateral treaty as Starmer pursues a ‘reset’ with the European Union

Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — The leaders of Germany and the United Kingdom plan to draw up a treaty meant to deepen the two nations’ trade, defense and other relations. The announcement Wednesday came as U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer moves ahead with plans for a “reset” of relations with the European Union. German Chancellor

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A Russian missile hits the Ukrainian president’s home city as it mourns deaths in an earlier attack

Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A Russian missile slammed into Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s home city on Wednesday, local authorities said, just as Kryvyi Rih was observing an official day of mourning for an attack the previous day that killed four civilians at a hotel. The latest attack on the city struck civilian infrastructure,

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Telegram CEO Durov faces preliminary charges in France of allowing crime on messaging app

Associated Press PARIS (AP) — French authorities handed preliminary charges to Telegram CEO Pavel Durov on Wednesday for allowing alleged criminal activity on his messaging app and barred him from leaving France pending further investigation. Both free-speech advocates and authoritarian governments have spoken in Durov’s defense since his weekend arrest. The case has also called

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Railroad BNSF stresses safety but is still held back by longstanding industry issues, report finds

AP Business Writer Freight railroad BNSF is generally striving to improve safety on a consistent basis but that message doesn’t always reach front-line workers who often don’t feel comfortable reporting safety concerns for fear of being disciplined. That’s according to an assessment released early Wednesday by the Federal Railroad Administration. The review of BNSF’s safety

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Ukraine’s children should see themselves as ‘generation of winners’ not war victims, first lady says

Associated Press UZHHOROD, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s first lady wants her country’s children to view themselves not as a generation enduring a grinding war but rather as “a generation of winners.” Olena Zelenska spoke Tuesday to The Associated Press on the sidelines of a day spent at a rehabilitation camp for Ukrainian children in the

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As the far right rises in eastern Germany, companies struggle to attract skilled foreign workers

Associated Press JENA, Germany (AP) — When electrical engineer Preetam Gaikwad first moved to Jena in 2013, she was smitten by what the eastern German city had to offer: a prestigious university, top research institutions, and cutting-edge technology companies, global leaders in their field. Eleven years later, the Indian native takes a more sober view.

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Drying lakes and thirsty trees: In drought-hit Greece, water trucks are keeping crops alive

Associated Press NEA SILATA, Greece (AP) — A severe drought in northern Greece, worsened by successive heat waves and low rainfall, is causing water shortages that are threatening agriculture, drying up lakes, and stressing local communities dependent on tourism. Farmers struggling to irrigate crops as groundwater supplies dwindle, are using water trucks to save their

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Having Orbán in charge of EU’s presidency raises key question: Is Hungary for or against the EU?

Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — As soon as Prime Minister Viktor Orbán assumed Hungary’s presidency of the European Union in July, one thing was clear: he increasingly stands for everything the EU opposes. Orban traveled to Moscow to hobnob with President Vladimir Putin, the EU’s archenemy because of his war in Ukraine. Orbán traveled to

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Church sex abuse scandals in East Timor met by silence, but Pope Francis’ visit brings new attention

Associated Press DILI, East Timor (AP) — When the Vatican acknowledged in 2022 that the Nobel Peace Prize-winning, East Timorese independence hero Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo had sexually abused young boys, it appeared that the global clergy sexual abuse scandal that has compromised the Catholic Church’s credibility around the world had finally arrived in Asia’s

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Dalai Lama returns to Indian headquarters after knee replacement surgery in the US

Associated Press DHARAMSHALA, India (AP) — The Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has returned to the headquarters of the Tibetan government-in-exile in northern India after undergoing a knee replacement surgery in New York. Hundreds of followers in colorful flowing robes on Wednesday cheered the Dalai Lama at the airport and his residence, and several

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Two sworn enemies hold the key to ending the war in Gaza. Does either man want a deal?

Associated Press The latest flurry of Gaza cease-fire talks — the back-and-forth over now-familiar sticking points and appeals from around the world — obscures a grim truth about the monthslong efforts to end the Israel-Hamas war and free scores of hostages. Any deal requires the signatures of two men: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and

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Pennsylvania ammo plant boosts production of key artillery shell in Ukraine’s fight against Russia

Associated Press SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania ammunition plant that makes a key artillery shell in Ukraine’s fight against Russia has managed to boost production by 50% to meet surging demand, with more capacity set to come on line. Along with two plants in nearby Wilkes-Barre, the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant recently increased production

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Bikinis, surfboards and battle-axes? Hawaii loosens long-strict weapons laws after court ruling

Associated Press HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii’s tourist hotspot of Waikiki is known for bikinis, shopping and surfboards. But resident Andrew Roberts has recently introduced a different item on evening walks through his neighborhood: a long-poled battle-axe. Roberts, director of the nonprofit Hawaii Firearms Coalition, has been taking the 15th-century-style European halberd on strolls since May.

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Haiti’s army wants recruits to fight gangs, and youths jump at the rare job offer

Associated Press PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — The announcement that Haiti’s military wanted recruits crackled through a small radio perched on a street stall in downtown Port-au-Prince where Maurenceley Clerge repairs and sells smartphones. It was early morning, and the 21-year-old paused, eager to hear the details. He envisioned earning enough to afford his own food

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‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ stars Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton attend Venice Film Festival opening

AP Film Writer VENICE, Italy (AP) — The 81st edition of the Venice Film Festival kicked off in Hollywood style with the world premiere of “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” Wednesday. Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Jenna Ortega, Catherine O’Hara and Monica Bellucci all walked the red carpet. The film is a sequel to Tim Burton’s 1988 horror-comedy, which

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A proposed UN resolution on Myanmar condemns military attacks on civilians and urges peace efforts

Associated Press UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Britain is circulating a United Nations resolution on Myanmar urging renewed peace efforts. It also condemns attacks on civilians, especially by the Myanmar military, and calls for a halt to illicit arms transfers. The draft resolution expresses “alarm at the increased violence across Myanmar.” The Southeast Asian nation is

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Powerful Chilean lawyer ordered detained on corruption charges in case shaking the country’s elite

Associated Press SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — One of Chile’s most powerful lawyers has been ordered detained pending trial after being indicted on money laundering and tax fraud charges in a case that has rocked the country’s corporate and political elite. After five days of hearings, a court in Chile’s capital accepted the prosecution’s request Tuesday

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Biden pushed Gaza pier over warnings it would undercut other aid routes, watchdog says

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A report from a government watchdog says President Joe Biden ordered the construction of a temporary pier to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza this year over warnings from staffers of the U.S. Agency for International Development. The report from USAID’s inspector general says multiple staffers had expressed concerns that the

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Captain of superyacht that sank off Sicily declines to respond to prosecutor questions, lawyer says

ROME (AP) — The captain of a superyacht that sank during a storm off Sicily last week, killing seven people, has decided not to respond to prosecutors’ questions. James Cutfield of New Zealand is under investigation for possible manslaughter and culpable shipwreck charges and was questioned for a third time by the Termini Imerese prosecutors

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Opera Philadelphia cuts all tickets to $11 in ‘pick your price’ model, hoping to widen audience

Associated Press Opera Philadelphia is lowering all tickets to $11 under new general director Anthony Roth Costanzo, establishing a “pick your price” model aimed at widening the company’s audience. Costanzo announced the company has raised $7 million since he took over on June 1 from David Devan, who retired after 13 seasons. The money addressed

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US Navy shipbuilder Austal USA agrees to pay $24 million to settle accounting fraud probe

Associated Press MOBILE, Ala. (AP) — A shipbuilder for the U.S. Navy has agreed to admit wrongdoing and pay $24 million to settle an accounting fraud investigation. The U.S. Department of Justice says that from 2013 through July 2016, Austal USA conspired to mislead shareholders and investors about its financial condition. The company pleaded guilty to

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California lawmakers pass protections for pregnant women in prisons and ban on legacy admissions

Associated Press/Report for America SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The California Legislature is passing hundreds of bills during its last week in session for the year. Lawmakers approved proposals Tuesday to expand protections for pregnant people in prisons, ban legacy admissions at private colleges and address gender discrimination on college campuses. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has

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US appeals court revives a lawsuit against TikTok over 10-year-old’s ‘blackout challenge’ death

Legal Affairs Writer PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A U.S. appeals court has revived a lawsuit filed by the mother of a 10-year-old Pennsylvania girl who died attempting a viral blackout challenge that the family says she watched on TikTok. Federal law generally protects online publishers from liability for content posted by others. But the court says

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Tesla lawsuit challenging Louisiana ban on direct car sales from plants revived by appeals court

Associated Press NEW ORLEANS (AP) — An appeals court has revived Tesla’s federal court challenge to a Louisiana law that prohibits automobile manufacturers from selling directly to consumers. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court ruling Monday said Tesla had made a plausible claim that the Louisiana Motor Vehicle Commission was biased against the electric car company

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Lowe’s changes some DEI policies amid legal attacks on diversity programs and activist pressure

Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Home improvement chain Lowe’s is scaling back its diversity, equity and inclusion policies, joining the ranks of several other companies that altered their programs since the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed affirmative action in college admissions or after facing a conservative backlash online. In an internal memo shared by Lowe’s

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Spain’s leader starts West Africa tour with agreements to combat people smuggling

Associated Press BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spain’s prime minister has announced a series of agreements with the West African nation of Mauritania to stem a surge in migrants making the dangerous Atlantic journey to the Canary Islands. Speaking Tuesday alongside Mauritania’s president, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Spain will expand its circular migration program to

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Montana doctor overprescribed meds and overbilled health care to pad his income, prosecutors say

Associated Press HELENA, Mont. (AP) — The U.S. Attorney’s Office says a Montana cancer doctor for years saw up to 70 patients per day, double-billed federal health care programs and overprescribed pain medications to boost his income. Prosecutors said Tuesday they filed a civil lawsuit against Dr. Thomas Weiner of Helena and reached a $10.8

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Appeals court spikes Tennessee’s bid to get family planning dollars despite abortion rule

Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A federal appeals court has rejected Tennessee’s attempt to collect millions of dollars in family planning funds without complying with federal rules requiring clinics to provide abortion referrals due to its current ban on the procedure. Last year, Tennessee’s attorney general filed a federal complaint seeking to overturn the

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‘ER’ creator Michael Crichton’s estate sues Warner Bros. over upcoming hospital drama ‘The Pitt’

Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — The estate of Michael Crichton, who wrote the screenplay for what became the pilot episode of “ER,” has sued Warner Bros. Television over a dispute about an upcoming medical drama it says is a rebranded version of an unauthorized reboot. After Crichton’s estate, led by his widow, Sherri, could

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Maduro taps a hard-line loyalist to oversee Venezuela’s police, raising fears of a further crackdown

Associated Press CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has named the ruling socialist party boss to oversee the country’s police forces. His appointment of Diosdado Cabello as interior minister is prompting fears among human rights groups that a crackdown on opponents that started after last month’s contested presidential election will deepen. Cabello is

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US Justice Department says Kentucky may be violating federal law for lack of mental health services

Associated Press LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Justice says Kentucky is likely violating federal law for failing to provide community-based services to adults in Louisville with serious mental illness. The report released Tuesday says the state “relies unnecessarily on segregated psychiatric hospitals to serve adults with serious mental illness …” The DOJ

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Feds file new indictment in Trump Jan. 6 case, keeping charges intact but narrowing allegations

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Special counsel Jack Smith filed a new indictment Tuesday against Donald Trump over his efforts to undo the 2020 presidential election that keeps the same criminal charges but narrows the allegations against him following a Supreme Court opinion that conferred broad immunity on former presidents. The new indictment removes a

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Gun control initiatives to be left off Memphis ballot after GOP threat to withhold funds

Associated Press MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Election officials in Memphis have decided to leave three gun control questions off the November ballot after top Republican state leaders threatened to withhold tens of millions of dollars in state funding. On Monday, Tennessee Election Coordinator Mark Goins sent a letter to the Shelby County Election Commission warning

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US Postal Service is abandoning a plan to reroute Reno-area mail processing to Sacramento

Associated Press RENO, Nev. (AP) — The U.S. Postal Service is abandoning a plan to reroute Reno-area mail processing to Sacramento. The plan had created an uproar among northern Nevadans concerned it could delay local deliveries and jeopardize on-time arrival of mail-in election ballots. The Postal Service announced Tuesday it has identified “enhanced efficiencies” that

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