AP National

Associated Press TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — When Washington and Moscow exchange prisoners, it usually comes after months of secret, back-channel negotiations. Swaps these days often take place on an airport tarmac. During the Cold War, the exchange sometimes came on a famous bridge between West Berlin and Potsdam. Sometimes those being released can see others

Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — A New York appeals court has denied Donald Trump’s bid to end a gag order in his hush money criminal case. The court Thursday rejected the Republican former president’s argument that his May conviction “constitutes a change in circumstances” that warrants lifting the restrictions. A five-judge panel ruled that

Associated Press SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A near-total abortion ban will remain on hold in Utah after the state Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the law should remain blocked until a lower court can assess its constitutionality. Democrats cheered the decision, which means that abortion will, at least for now, remain legal up to

AP Business Writer Just days away, WWE is gearing up for this year’s SummerSlam, which promises to bring lots of action – and sponsorships. The premium live event will have 12 total sponsors and six sponsorships for matches, both records for a non-WrestleMania premium live event. Sponsorship revenue is also booming, surging more than 60%

Associated Press CAIRO (AP) — A global authority on food security has warned that famine conditions in Sudan have spread in the North Darfur region and are likely to continue through October due to the ongoing conflict that has torn the country for over 15 months. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC’s report

ROME (AP) — Italian officials have confirmed that Italy’s controversial new migrant processing centers in Albania won’t be operational for several more weeks because of construction delays. Cabinet undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano cited the hot weather, which has forced work pauses during the hottest times of the day at the Gjader site, as contributing to the

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Three newly freed Americans are back on U.S. soil after a landmark prisoner exchange with Russia. Journalist Evan Gershkovich, corporate security executive Paul Whelan and Alsu Kurmasheva, a journalist with dual U.S.-Russia citizenship, arrived at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland shortly before midnight Thursday for a reunion with their families.

Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — The teenage brother of a U.S. Air Force airman who was shot and killed in his home by a Florida sheriff’s deputy in May has been killed in a shooting in the Atlanta area, police said. Andre Fortson, Senior Airman Roger Fortson’s 16-year-old brother, was killed this week in DeKalb

MANORVILLE, N.Y. (AP) — Authorities say a cab driver was killed and his passenger was injured when a commuter train hit the taxi at a grade crossing on Long Island. The crash happened at about 12:45 p.m. Tuesday at a Long Island Rail Road crossing gate in Manorville. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority says cabbie Daniel

Associated Press Former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush will join an effort to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary in 2026. They’re highlighting the initiative’s attempts to build bipartisan momentum in an era of extreme political polarization. The former presidents and first ladies Michelle Obama and Laura Bush will serve as honorary national co-chairs of

AP National Writer GARHMUKTESHWAR, India (AP) — They were found in gutters, on streets, in bushes. They were boarded on trains, deserted in hospitals, dumped at temples. They were sent away for being sick or outliving paychecks or simply growing too old. By the time they reached this home for the aged and unwanted, many

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Venu Sports — the sports streaming platform planned by ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery — will be available for $42.99 per month with its planned launch in the fall. The streaming service’s launch price was announced on Thursday. Venu (pronounced “venue”) Sports is being considered by some to be the

AP Business Writer The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits jumped to its highest level in a year last week, even as the labor market remains broadly healthy. Jobless claims for the week ending July 27 climbed by 14,000 to249,000 from 235,000 the previous week, the Labor Department reported Thursday. It’s the most since

AP Business Writer The U.S. Department of Transportation is proposing a new rule that would ban airlines from charging parents to sit with their young children. Under the proposal, released Thursday, U.S. and foreign carriers would be required to seat children 13 or younger next to their parent or accompanying adult for free. Four airlines

Associated Press PARIS (AP) — More than 100 conflicts fester around the world. The Middle East teeters on the brink of a regional war. In Ukraine, Russia advances slowly but steadily in the east, reducing towns to rubble. The “Olympic Truce,” clearly, is not being heeded. In the run-up to every Olympics over the past

Associated Press WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Warsaw has come to a standstill on the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of the Warsaw Uprising. Sirens wailed, church bells rang and people stopped in their tracks, some stepping out of their cars to pay tribute to the fallen heroes. News broke earlier Thursday that the oldest surviving

Associated Press BANGUI, Central African Republic (AP) — African health officials say mpox cases have surged by 160% in the last year, warning the risk of further spread is high given the lack of treatments or vaccines on the continent. The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a report Tuesday that mpox,

CHISINAU, Moldova (AP) — Moldova’s foreign ministry says it has expelled a Russian diplomat after two Moldovan officials were detained on suspicion of treason and conspiracy against the European Union candidate country. Authorities said one of the Moldovan officials is suspected of treason for allegedly collecting and providing information to an embassy employee that could

Associated Press NEW DELHI (AP) — India has offered Vietnam a $300 million loan to build up the Southeast Asian country’s maritime security, as the two sides say they want to double their trade and investment within five years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday told visiting Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh that India

AP Pro Football Writer FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Lance McCutcheon can’t remember what caused the sudden rift between him and his best friend. The details don’t really matter now to the New York Jets wide receiver. He just knows he never got to smooth things over with Connor Mills. And he never got a

BANGKOK (AP) — The ride sharing giant Uber and Chinese automaker BYD say they have agreed on a partnership to introduce 100,000 BYD model EVs on the Uber platform in Europe and Latin America. The companies said in a statement that the arrangement would offer Uber drivers access to favorable pricing and financing for BYD

Associated Press TEAHUPO’O, Tahiti (AP) — As the heavy, barrel-shaped waves of Teahupo’o, Tahiti — where the Paris Olympics surfing competition is being held — crashed in the distance, another, smaller surf session was underway just off the shore. “Go, go, go!” one lanky teenager with sun-bleached hair yelled in French to another, sitting on

Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea has offered to send aid supplies to North Korea to help the country recover from heavy rains and floods that damaged thousands of homes and huge swaths of farmland. It’s unclear whether North Korea would accept South Korea’s proposal for help on Thursday as animosity between

AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Japanese automakers Nissan and Honda say they plan to share components for electric vehicles like batteries and jointly research software for autonomous driving. A third Japanese manufacturer, Mitsubishi Motors Corp., has joined the Nissan-Honda partnership, sharing the view that speed and size are crucial in responding to dramatic changes

Associated Press JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military said Thursday that it has confirmed that the head of Hamas’ military wing, Mohammed Deif, was killed in an airstrike in Gaza in July. The announcement came a day after an apparent Israeli strike in the Iranian capital killed Hamas’ top political leader. The rapid events this

Associated Press WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Taylor Swift warned fans who traveled to her concert in Warsaw on Thursday to expect loud sirens in the afternoon honoring a key World War II anniversary. When the moment came, many of the fans who arrived for the concert also stood in tribute. The Polish capital held observances

Associated Press LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the “tiny mindless minority” behind unrest that has plagued several cities after a horrific stabbing at a children’s dance class and vowed to put a stop to it as the 17-year-old suspect was named Thursday in part to counter misinformation blamed as one cause

Associated Press LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — Officials say Pakistan’s cultural city of Lahore has seen record-high rainfall, leaving at least three people dead, while flooding streets, disrupting traffic and affecting daily life. The downpour, which started before dawn Thursday, is expected to continue for a week at intervals, according to the National Disaster Management Authority.

AP Diplomatic Writer SINGAPORE (AP) — With large parts of the world in turmoil and deep uncertainty over the future direction of America’s global role, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken sought this week to project an aura of calm normalcy as he traveled through Asia on his first overseas mission since President Joe Biden

BERLIN (AP) — Officials say an overnight protest by climate activists at Leipzig/Halle Airport in eastern Germany forced a three-hour halt to cargo flights. The protest by the Last Generation group followed demonstrations last week at Cologne-Bonn Airport and then at Frankfurt Airport, Germany’s busiest, which significantly disrupted passenger flights. Federal police said five activists

AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Just a day after rallying on hopes that the Federal Reserve is about to cut interest rates, U.S. stocks tumbled Thursday after weak data raised worries the Fed may have missed its window to do so before undercutting the economy’s growth. The S&P 500 sank 1.4% after a

Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — One of the handful of F-16 warplanes that Ukraine has received from its Western partners to help fight Russia’s invasion has crashed while countering a Russian barrage, killing the pilot. The crash was the first reported loss of an F-16 in Ukraine, where they arrived at the end of

AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Toyota says its April-June profit rose 1.7%, boosted by a favorable exchange rate, as vehicle sales grew around the world despite a certification scandal that halted production in Japan for several months. Fiscal first quarter profit at Japan’s top automaker rose to 1.33 trillion yen or $8.9 billion. That’s

Associated Press LONDON (AP) — The Bank of England is cutting interest rates for the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. In a statement Thursday, the bank said a majority on its nine-member policymaking panel backed a quarter-point reduction in its main interest rate to 5%, from the 16-year

Associated Press BEIRUT (AP) — Hezbollah’s leader warned Thursday that the conflict with Israel has entered a “new phase,” as he addressed mourners at the funeral of a commander from the group who was killed by an Israeli airstrike this week in Beirut. Meanwhile in Tehran, Iran’s supreme leader prayed over the body of Hamas’

Associated Press HOUSTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday eulogized longtime U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee as a “force of nature” as memorials for the longtime Democratic lawmaker drew to a close. Harris took time away from her presidential campaign to describe Jackson Lee, who represented Houston in Congress, as a coalition builder

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Senators are heading home for the month after failing to advance a bill to expand the child tax credit and restore some business tax breaks. Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer dared Republicans to vote against the tax cut package Thursday as campaign season ramps up, saying they’d voting against tax

Associated Press HONOLULU (AP) — Nearly a year after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century destroyed their historic Maui town, there’s a bright spot for 13 recent Lahainaluna High School graduates who are receiving scholarships that will cover the cost of attending an out-of-state college. It’s a lifechanging opportunity for most any

Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee state Rep. Gloria Johnson has won the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate and will face off against Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn in November. The match will pit a survivor of a Republican-led expulsion effort over a gun control protest against a close ally of former President Donald Trump.

Associated Press HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Donald Trump is used to defending himself. But this week, the Republican presidential nominee has been put in the rare position of having to defend someone else — his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance. When Vance was first introduced at the Republican National Convention last month, many GOP

Associated Press/Report for America GOOCHLAND, Va. (AP) — Trump-backed Virginia state Sen. John McGuire has defeated conservative U.S. Rep. Bob Good in a recount of the Republican primary results in the 5th Congressional  District. Virginia election officials previously certified a narrow win by McGuire in the June 18 primary. They said he defeated Good by

Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — More than 300 video game performers and Hollywood actors picketed in front of the Warner Bros. Studios building on Thursday to protest against what they call an unwillingness from top gaming companies to protect union voice actors and motion capture workers equally against the unregulated use of artificial intelligence.

Associated Press As Vice President Kamala Harris prepares to announce her running mate, a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that several of the top contenders for the role are largely unknown to Americans. Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly stands out as one with more name recognition and higher favorability, particularly

Associated Press HONG KONG (AP) — After spending five months in jail for publishing seditious Instagram posts, Joker Chan returned to a harsh reality. Chan, 30, was sentenced in 2022 for posts containing slogans like “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times,” which were popularly chanted during massive anti-government protests in the city in 2019.

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris said Wednesday that former President Donald Trump’s false assertions about her race were the “same old show” as she emphasized the need for Black women to organize for his defeat this November. Addressing the Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. — one of “Divine Nine” historically Black

Associated Press MEXICO CITY (AP) — Yenny Morales, 33, left her native Venezuela because she felt she had no other option. Her 9-year-old son has a mental health disability, and in a country where 80% of people live in poverty, she couldn’t afford a specialist. “I had to flee, because my son couldn’t see a

Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — A scuba dive boat captain has been ordered to pay about $32,000 in restitution to the families of three of the 34 people killed in a fire aboard the vessel in 2019. Jerry Boylan’s criminal negligence as captain of the Conception led to the deadliest maritime disaster in recent

Associated Press Writer TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is no longer enforcing a law making it a felony to impersonate election officials as it faces a legal challenge from critics who argue that the law has hindered efforts to register new voters. Attorneys for the state and groups suing over the law agreed on stopping

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The president of the University of California has announced he will step down after serving in the role for five years. Michael V. Drake was the first Black person to lead the system in its more than 150-year history. He began the role during the coronavirus pandemic, and he led it

Associated Press PHOENIX (AP) — Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, a Republican who defied death threats and near-constant harassment to relentlessly defend the legitimacy of Arizona’s elections, has lost his primary race this week. It’s a vote that could significantly influence the way elections are run in one of the nation’s top battleground counties. He

Associated Press HONOLULU (AP) — The parties involved in Lahaina wildfire lawsuits against the state of Hawaii, Maui County and utilities are close to a global settlement of claims that will be worth a little over $4 billion, Gov. Josh Green told The Associated Press on Wednesday. Green said he’s hoping to finalize the details

Associated Press HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Former leaders of the now-defunct Penn State fraternity where pledge Timothy Piazza fell and later died after consuming a large amount of alcohol seven years ago await sentencing after pleading guilty to misdemeanors. Brendan Young and Daniel Casey both pleaded guilty to hazing and reckless endangerment Tuesday during a