At least 40 killed in Islamic State-affiliated group attack on Congo villages, local group says
KINSHASA, Congo — An Islamic State-affiliated group attacked villages in Congo near the border with Uganda, killing at least 40 people and burning and looting homes, a local civil society group said on Friday. The attacks were carried out by the Allied Democratic Forces overnight from Wednesday through Thursday afternoon,...
Spain readies for evacuations as a hantavirus-hit cruise ship heads for the Canary Islands
MADRID — Spanish authorities on Friday were preparing to receive more than 140 passengers and crew members on board a hantavirus-stricken cruise ship headed for the Canary Islands, where health officials have said they will perform careful evacuations. The vessel is expected to reach the Spanish island of Tenerife, off...
Trump drives across Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to inspect new blue coating he’s putting on it
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday went on an unannounced trip to the Lincoln Memorial to see the Reflecting Pool after he had it coated in a color he calls “American flag blue.” He did more than just see it — the Republican president was driven across the new...
Southern Poverty Law Center leader pleads not guilty for organization in federal donor fraud case
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The leader of the Southern Poverty Law Center pleaded not guilty Thursday on behalf of the organization to charges that the civil rights group defrauded donors by failing to disclose that money would be paid to informants inside extremist groups. The group’s interim president and CEO, Bryan...
James Comey seeks to cancel upcoming court appearance in North Carolina in Trump threat case
WASHINGTON — Former FBI Director James Comey asked Thursday to cancel his upcoming court appearance in North Carolina, saying it was unnecessary because he had already surrendered in Virginia and faced a judge on charges that he threatened President Donald Trump. The Department of Justice is supporting the request. Comey...
U.S. isn’t looking at imminent military action in Cuba despite Trump threats, AP sources say
WASHINGTON — The United States is not looking at imminent military action against Havana despite President Donald Trump’s repeated threats that “Cuba is next” and that American warships deployed in the Middle East for the Iran conflict could return by way of the island, U.S. officials say. The officials involved...
Judge rules Trump administration’s cancellation of humanities grants was unconstitutional
The Trump administration’s cancellation of more than $100 million in humanities grants to scholars, writers, research groups and other organizations was unconstitutional, and the Department of Government Efficiency had no authority to end the funding, a federal judge in New York ruled on Thursday. U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon in...
How public health officials are tracing people who came in contact with hantavirus victims
NEW YORK — Hantaviruses do not spread easily between people, which makes health officials confident the recent outbreak on a cruise ship that has killed three people will not turn into an epidemic. But, still, they need to make sure. So health officials in several countries are contact tracing: trying...
Pentagon watchdog declines to investigate Kid Rock flights
WASHINGTON — The Defense Department’s independent watchdog is declining to investigate a U.S. Army helicopter flight near the home of musician Kid Rock and at a “No Kings” protest against President Donald Trump, according to a letter from the Pentagon’s new inspector general. The letter, dated April 24 and released...
Fetterman says he has no plans to switch parties: ‘I’d be a terrible Republican’
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman says he’d make a terrible Republican. Fetterman, a Democrat from Braddock, has drawn the ire of many in his party for breaking with them on issues like border security and Israel and for occasionally aligning with President Donald Trump and other Republicans. While Politico reported this...
U.S. military says it intercepted Iranian attacks on 3 Navy ships in Strait of Hormuz
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The U.S. military said it intercepted Iranian attacks on three Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz and “targeted Iranian military facilities responsible for attacking U.S. forces.” The exchange occurred Thursday as U.S. Navy destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Central Command said in...
Federal court rules against new global tariffs Trump imposed after loss at the Supreme Court
WASHINGTON — A federal court ruled Thursday against the new global tariffs that President Donald Trump imposed after a stinging loss at the Supreme Court. A split three-judge panel of the Court of International Trade in New York found the 10% global tariffs were illegal after small businesses sued. The...
Pa. Senate votes to end auto emission inspections
The state Senate this week passed a bill that would end Pennsylvania’s emissions inspection program for non-commercial vehicles, splitting the legislative body along regional lines. The program — well-known to motorists as the second inspection sticker that goes on their windshields every year — has been around since the federal...
U.S. will start revoking passports for thousands of parents who owe child support
WASHINGTON — The U.S. State Department will begin revoking the U.S. passports of thousands of parents who owe a significant amount of unpaid child support. The department told The Associated Press on Thursday that the revocations would begin Friday and be focused on those who owe $100,000 or more. That...
Hamas says a son of its chief negotiator was killed in an Israeli strike on Gaza
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — The son of Hamas’ lead negotiator died after being wounded by an Israeli strike on Gaza, the militant group said Thursday, as another Israeli strike killed three Hamas security forces, according to local officials. Israel meanwhile said it killed three Hezbollah militants in a strike...
Man arrested on suspicion of weapon possession after report former Prince Andrew was threatened
LONDON — A man has been arrested on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon after reports that the former Prince Andrew was threatened by a masked man while walking dogs near his home. Norfolk Constabulary said that the arrest came Wednesday evening after a man was reported “behaving in an...
FDA’s new playbook: Lots of media announcements but not much rulemaking
WASHINGTON — In one of his first major announcements as health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called a news conference to unveil a plan to “phase out” synthetic food dyes. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary opened the event by saying his agency was “removing all petroleum-based food dyes”...
Vatican and State Department stress solid ties after Rubio’s fence-mending visit over Trump attacks
VATICAN CITY — The Vatican raised the “need to work tirelessly in favor of peace” in talks Thursday with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who came to Rome on a fence-mending visit after President Donald Trump’s criticisms of Pope Leo XIV over the Iran war. Both the Vatican and...
Russia says Ukraine launched a major drone attack after Moscow shunned ceasefire offer
Russian air defenses shot down 347 Ukrainian drones overnight, Russia’s Defense Ministry said Thursday, in what appeared to be a major attack after Moscow spurned Kyiv’s ceasefire earlier in the week and tension mounted over safety at Russia’s upcoming Victory Day celebrations. Incoming drones were destroyed over 20 Russian regions,...
These numbers show the global impact of Iran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz has jolted the world economy, causing a spike in fuel prices that has rippled through other sectors with effects far beyond the Middle East. It has also left tens of thousands of mariners and hundreds of ships stranded in the Persian Gulf. Iran...
Investigators searching home connected to killer of California college student Kristin Smart
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Authorities plan Thursday to enter the second day of their search of a home connected to the man convicted of killing 19-year-old college student Kristin Smart in 1996, according to law enforcement. The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office served the warrant Wednesday in the...
Health officials track dozens who left hantavirus-stricken ship after 1st fatality
MADRID — Health authorities across four continents Thursday were tracking down and monitoring passengers who disembarked a hantavirus-stricken cruise ship before its deadly outbreak was detected, and trying to trace others who may have come into contact with them since then. In Argentina, a team of investigators has yet to...
Mount Everest season opens late, with climbers undeterred by huge ice block and high travel costs
KATHMANDU, Nepal — An unstable ice block dangerously hanging over the key trail on Mount Everest, high travel costs and increased permit fees haven’t deterred hundreds of climbers from attempting to scale the world’s highest mountain. Around 464 climbers and an equal number of their Nepali climbing guides are at...
China signals again that Taiwan is a priority ahead of Trump-Xi meeting
BEIJING — China again signaled that Taiwan would be a priority topic ahead of a highly anticipated summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping next week, saying that U.S. must adhere to the “one China principle” for a stable relationship with Beijing. Last week, China’s top...
Greece, birthplace of democracy, seeks to put humanity ahead of AI in updated constitution
ATHENS, Greece — Greece is preparing major constitutional changes, including an amendment requiring that artificial intelligence serve human society. Conservative Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis outlined the proposed revisions on Thursday, casting them as necessary to safeguard future generations given global concerns about AI’s risks to democratic governance and humanity itself....
