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Associated Press Even in a busy year of elections, the next few days stand out. Voters go to the polls over the next week in fledgling democracies like Mauritania and Mongolia, in the Islamic Republic of Iran and in the stalwart democracies of Britain and France. U.S. President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump

AP Health Writer Walgreens is finalizing a plan to fix its U.S. business that could result in closing hundreds of additional stores over the next three years. CEO Tim Wentworth told analysts Thursday morning that “changes are imminent” for about 25% of the company’s stores, which he said were underperforming. The drugstore chain currently runs

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Sackler family members who own OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma say they’re disappointed in the Supreme Court’s rejection of a nationwide settlement that would’ve shielded them from civil lawsuits over the toll of opioids but also would’ve provided billions of dollars to combat the epidemic. They indicate they will return

Associated Press KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli authorities say 68 people — 19 sick or wounded children plus their companions — have been allowed out of the Gaza Strip and into Egypt in the first medical evacuation since early May, when the territory’s sole travel crossing was shut down after Israel captured it.

AP Business Writer Fewer people applied for unemployment benefits last week but the total number of Americans collecting jobless benefits rose to the highest level in more than two years. The Labor Department reported Thursday that jobless claims for the week ending June 22 fell by 6,000 to 233,000 from 239,000 the previous week. However,

Associated Press ISLAMABAD (AP) — Officials in Pakistan say an appeals court has upheld the conviction and seven-year prison sentence of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife for their 2018 marriage which was found to be unlawful. The decision drew strong condemnation from Khan’s supporters and his party who were expecting the couple

AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The American economy expanded at a 1.4% annual pace from January through March, the slowest quarterly growth since spring 2022, the government said in a slight upgrade from its previous estimate. Consumer spending grew at just a 1.5% rate, down from an initial estimate of 2%, in a sign

Associated Press WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — He has run for office, published hundreds of thousands of leaked government documents online, and once lobbied to save his local swimming pool. One of the most polarizing and influential figures of the information age, Julian Assange is now free after five years in a British prison and

Associated Press NICE, France (AP) — France’s landmark legislative elections are just three days away and the country’s far-right leader is asking who would be in charge of the military if her party takes over after the two-round balloting. The early elections are plunging France into uncharted territory, and political scientists are scrambling to interpret

AP Business Writer Boeing is being sanctioned by U.S. investigators for sharing information about the 737 Max 9 door plug investigation. The National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday that Boeing “blatantly violated” the agency’s investigative regulations as well as a signed agreement by providing non-public investigative information to the media and speculating about possible causes

Associated Press BANGKOK (AP) — Hundreds of people have attended the funeral of a senior monk who was fatally shot by soldiers in an incident that could undermine the cozy relationship Myanmar’s military government has tried to maintain with the country’s Buddhist clergy. The killing of the 78-year-old monk drew outrage, especially because the military

Associated Press DENPASAR, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian immigration authorities have detained 103 Taiwanese people after a raid at a villa on the resort island of Bali. An immigration enforcement official said those detained were accused of misusing their visas and residence permits. They are also suspected of conducting cybercrimes but cannot be charged in Indonesia.

Associated Press CAIRO (AP) — International experts have portrayed a grim picture for war-torn Sudan by warning in a report that 755,000 are facing famine in the coming months, amid relentless clashes between rival generals. The latest findings released Thursday come from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification or IPC. The report said that 8.5

BEIJING (AP) — Chin has expelled two former defense ministers from the ruling Communist Party over accusations of corruption that are likely to lead to sentences of life in prison. The Defense Ministry on Thursday said Li Shangfu abused his authority to enrich himself by taking bribes in exchange for granting favors. Li’s predecessor, Wei

Associated Press NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Police in Kenya’s capital have hurled tear gas to break up anti-tax protesters who have continued to gather despite President William Ruto’s repudiation of unpopular tax legislation that prompted deadly unrest earlier in the week.The finance legislation has drawn fierce resistance from the Kenyan public reeling from higher costs

Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — With graduation season over, many college grads are embarking on summer internships or their first full-time jobs. Navigating your finances when you start adult life can be challenging, from understanding your health insurance and benefits to managing a budget. Experts say one key piece of advice is making sure

Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union leaders have agreed on the officials who will be the face of the world’s biggest trading bloc in coming years for issues ranging from anti-trust investigations to foreign policy. The EU presidency of the Council said Ursula von der Leyen was approved for a second term as the

Associated Press BANGKOK (AP) — China’s space officials said Thursday they welcomed scientists from around the world to apply to study the lunar rock samples that the Chang’e 6 probe brought back to Earth in a historic mission, but noted there were limits to that cooperation, specifically with the United States. Officials said at a

Associated Press Over 1,000 new species have been added to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s “red list” as invasive species, climate change and human activities such as illicit trade and infrastructure development threaten certain animal and plant species with extinction. The updated list includes cacti species in Chile which is in demand in

AP Science Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Researchers now calculate that catastrophic Canadian warming-fueled wildfires last year pumped more heat-trapping carbon dioxide into the air than India did by burning fossil fuels and set ablaze an area of forest larger than the state of West Virginia. Scientists at the World Resources Institute and the University of

AP Business Writer LONDON (AP) — Everyone has too many passwords. The credentials we need to remember to navigate online life keep multiplying, not just for frequently used email, banking, social media, Netflix and Spotify logins, but also, say, the little-known e-commerce site you’re not sure you’ll buy from again. According to some unscientific studies,

AP Technology Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hollywood union SAG-AFTRA has been negotiating its interactive media agreement for more than a year. The contract represents about 2,500 performers, including video game voice actors. Among the sticking point in the talks? The unregulated use of AI. With a potential strike looming, performers say that their own

Associated Press NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s president has inaugurated a new parliament after national elections, listing the priorities of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in coming years, including fast-tracking economic reforms and boosting small and medium-size enterprises to create jobs. President Draupadi Murmu said India’s economy grew the fastest among the world’s major nations

Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Three bodies were found at the summit of Mount Fuji, Japan’s most famous mountain, with one of them already brought down from the slopes. Police said Thursday the identities of the people, including gender or age, are still unclear. An effort to bring back the two other bodies will continue

Associated Press WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Russia’s war against Ukraine has led many people in neighboring Poland to invest in gold. While the war is far to the east, gold investors feel the precious metal offers them safety at a time of instability. The demand peaked first during the COVID-19 pandemic, and then when Russia

AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s a scenario that terrifies America’s auto industry. Chinese carmakers set up shop in Mexico to exploit North American trade rules. Once in place, they send ultra-low-priced electric vehicles streaming into the United States. As the Chinese EVs go on sale across the country, America’s homegrown EVs — costing

AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s a scenario that terrifies America’s auto industry. Chinese carmakers set up shop in Mexico to exploit North American trade rules. Once in place, they send ultra-low-priced electric vehicles streaming into the United States. As the Chinese EVs go on sale across the country, America’s homegrown EVs — costing

AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares gained Friday as traders looked ahead to a key report on inflation that could influence the Federal Reserve’s next move on interest rates. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 jumped 0.9% in early trading to 39,711.93. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.6% to 7,803.50. South Korea’s Kospi edged up nearly

Associated Press MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Stella Assange has thanked the spectrum of lawmakers who campaigned for her husband, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, to be freed. She did so on a visit Thursday to Australia’s Parliament House, where political leaders differed over how welcome the convicted felon was in his homeland. Stella Assange said: “Julian

Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Critics say British Labour Party leader Keir Starmer is dutiful, managerial and a bit dull. The 61-year-old Labour leader is the favorite to win the country’s July 4 election. Starmer has dragged his social democratic party from the left towards the political middle ground. His message to voters is that

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Associated Press LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — Nearly a year after wind-whipped flames raced through Kim Ball’s Hawaii community, the empty lot where his house once stood is a symbol of some of the progress being made toward rebuilding after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than century destroyed thousands of homes and killed 102 people

Associated Press UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The decades-old conflict in Congo’s mineral-rich east has “drastically deteriorated” since early 2022 and gotten even worse since last October, with sharp increases in sexual violence, the number of wounded and child recruitment, the top Red Cross official in the country says. Francois Moreillon called Congo a “double-edged crisis,”

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — In a story published June 27, 2024, about severe weather in the U.S., The Associated Press erroneously reported that Jim Hruska spoke with the AP about the future of the Rapidan Dam Store, and that he runs the store with his wife. The AP actually spoke to Jim’s son, David Hruska.

Associated Press BETHEL, N.Y. (AP) — Beverly “Cookie” Grant hitchhiked to the Woodstock music festival in 1969 without a ticket and slept on straw. Ellen Shelburne arrived in a VW microbus and pitched a pup tent. Fifty-five years later, the two longtime friends finally got back to the garden, but this time in high style.

Associated Press NOGALES, Mexico (AP) — Ana Ruiz was dismayed seeing migrants from some countries released in the United States with orders to appear in immigration court while she and other Mexicans were deported on a one-hour bus ride to the nearest border crossing. “They’re giving priority to other countries,” Ruiz, 35, said after a

Associated Press DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza (AP) — Children in sandals trudge through water contaminated with sewage and scale growing mounds of garbage in Gaza’s crowded tent camps for displaced families. People relieve themselves in burlap-covered pits, with nowhere nearby to wash their hands. In the stifling summer heat, Palestinians say the odor and filth surrounding

Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wasn’t with his better-known rivals, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, when they debated Thursday in Atlanta. But Kennedy responded in real time to the same questions — about inflation, the COVID-19 response and abortion — that were posed to

Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — Thursday’s presidential debate starts at 9 p.m. Eastern. It will be hosted by CNN and moderated by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Dana Bash. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are taking part. Not only is it the first-ever matchup between a sitting president and a former one, but

Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — A raspy and sometimes halting President Joe Biden tried repeatedly to confront Donald Trump in their first debate ahead of the November election, as his Republican rival countered Biden’s criticism by leaning into falsehoods about the economy, illegal immigration and his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection. Biden’s

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A solid majority of Americans say Supreme Court justices are more likely to be guided by their own ideology rather than serving as neutral arbiters of government authority, a new poll finds, as the high court is poised to rule on major cases involving former President Donald Trump and other

Associated Press HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A new report by Connecticut’s Inspector General says the ambush killings of two Connecticut police officers was likely fueled by an angry interaction the gunman had with police earlier, along with building pressures in his personal life and his abuse of alcohol and drugs. The report also says a

Associated Press CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange returned to his homeland Australia aboard a charter jet and raised a celebratory clenched fist as his supporters cheered Wednesday after he pleaded guilty to obtaining and publishing U.S. military secrets in a deal with Justice Department prosecutors that concludes a drawn-out legal saga. Assange

Associated Press No human remains have been found after search and rescue crews combed through 1,300 damaged and destroyed structures in a New Mexico mountain community hit hard by a pair of wildfires. Authorities made the announcement Wednesday evening during a public meeting, easing the concerns of many who had been working to whittle down

AP Basketball Writer NEW YORK (AP) — First, Victor Wembanyama, now Zaccharie Risacher. These days, American college players have to wait their turn in the NBA draft. It’s someone else’s time at the top. Vive la France! The Atlanta Hawks took Risacher with the No. 1 pick Wednesday night and France landed three players in

AP Film Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Bill Cobbs, the veteran character actor who became a ubiquitous and sage screen presence as an older man, has died. He was 90. Cobbs died Tuesday at his home in the Inland Empire, California, surrounded by family and friends, his publicist Chuck I. Jones said. Natural causes is

Associated Press LAS VEGAS (AP) — An ailing former Los Angeles-area gang leader has been denied release from a Las Vegas jail ahead of his trial in the 1996 killing of music legend Tupac Shakur, despite a bid by a hip-hop music figure to underwrite his $750,000 bond. A Nevada judge rejected house arrest with

Associated Press/Report for America DENVER (AP) — Former Republican U.S. Rep. Ken Buck resigned from Congress frustrated by a flank of the GOP’s unwavering devotion to former President Donald Trump. Now he will likely be replaced by one of their most boisterous leaders, Rep. Lauren Boebert. Boebert’s political gambit of switching districts mid-election season paid

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Most U.S. adults plan to watch some element of Thursday’s presidential debate and many think the event will be important for the campaigns of both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Both men remain

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — George Latimer’s decisive victory over Rep. Jamaal Bowman in suburban New York dealt the left-flank its first electoral defeat this cycle. It is now raising concerns about how other incumbents might fare in the coming months and whether the progressives party’s recent ascension in Washington is coming to an end.

Associated Press INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb says the state plans to resume executions for the first time in over a decade after acquiring a drug used for lethal injection. Holcomb’s Wednesday announcement says the state is seeking an execution date for Joseph Corcoran, a man convicted in the killings of four

LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — The president of Bolivia is a 60-year-old leftist whom many see as an opponent of Washington-backed free-market and neoliberal policies. Luis Arce was the target of a failed coup Wednesday when the general commander of the army led rebels to Bolivia’s government palace. Arce named a new army commander, and

Associated Press HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) — The state of Texas has executed a man who kidnapped, sexually assaulted and fatally shot an 18-year-old woman in 2001. Inmate Ramiro Gonzales was pronounced dead after a chemical injection Wednesday evening at the state penitentiary in Huntsville. The 41-year-old man was condemned to die for killing Bridget Townsend