AP-National

By LOLITA C. BALDOR, JULIA FRANKEL and JON GAMBRELL Associated Press JERUSALEM (AP) — The construction of a new port in Gaza and an accompanying U.S. military-built pier offshore are underway, but the complex plan to bring more desperately needed food to Palestinian civilians is still mired in fears over security and how the humanitarian

MECHANICSBURG, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania school district has reversed the cancellation of an appearance by actor and children’s book author Maulik Pancholy. The Cumberland Valley School District’s board voted 5-4 Wednesday to allow Pancholy, who is gay, to speak against bullying during a May 22 assembly at Mountain View Middle School. The event was

MOSCOW (AP) — A U.S. citizen arrested on drug charges in Moscow amid soaring Russia-U.S. tensions has appeared in court and had his case adjourned until mid-May. Robert Woodland is facing charges of trafficking large amounts of illegal drugs as part of an organized group. That’s a criminal offense punishable by up to 20 years

SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Kraken will move their games to an over-the-air broadcaster and have a streaming partnership with Amazon’s Prime Video beginning with the 2024-25 season. The Kraken will be the first NHL team to have a streaming deal with Prime Video for all non-nationally televised games and will be available to Amazon

BERLIN (AP) — The German government and opposition lawmakers have assailed the far-right Alternative for Germany for its alleged closeness to Russia and China after an assistant to a legislator for the party was arrested on suspicion of spying for Beijing. This week’s arrest of an assistant to European Parliament lawmaker Maximilian Krah cast an

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The French ambassador to Manila says her country and the Philippines will start talks next month on a proposed defense pact that would allow troops from each country to hold exercises in the other’s territory. Ambassador Marie Fontanel said Thursday that French and Philippine officials will meet in Paris next month

By DÁNICA COTO Associated Press PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti opened a new political chapter Thursday with the installation of a transitional council tasked to pick a new prime minister and prepare for eventual presidential elections, in hopes of quelling spiraling gang violence that has killed thousands in the Caribbean country. Ariel Henry, the prime

By GERALD IMRAY Associated Press CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Congo’s government is questioning Apple about the tech company’s knowledge of “blood minerals” from a conflict zone in the African country that could be smuggled into supply chains. It’s demanding answers within three weeks. A group of international lawyers representing Congo said Thursday it

By LEA SKENE Associated Press BALTIMORE (AP) — The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city’s port. The Balsa 94, a bulk carrier sailing under

By DAVID SHARP and PATRICK WHITTLE Associated Press AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — U.S. Army reservists who witnessed the mental and physical decline of a colleague who would commit Maine’s deadliest mass shooting told a commission that they tried to intervene before the tragedy. Six weeks before Robert Card killed 18 people at a bar and

By ANDY WONG and SIMINA MISTREANU Associated Press JIUQUAN SATELLITE LAUNCH CENTER, China (AP) — China launched a three-member crew to its orbiting space station as part of its ambitious program that aims to put astronauts on the moon by 2030. The Shenzhou-18 spacecraft lifted off Thursday from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on the

NEW CARLISLE, Ind. (AP) — Amazon’s cloud computing unit Amazon Web Services plans to invest $11 billion to build a data center in northern Indiana that will create at least 1,000 new jobs. Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb announced the planned project Thursday, calling the data center planned near the town of New Carlisle, about 15

By EVELYNE MUSAMBI Associated Press NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Tanzania’s prime minister says flooding caused by weeks of heavy rain has killed 155 people and affected more than 200,000 others. Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa told parliament on Thursday that the El Niño climate pattern has worsened the ongoing rainy season, causing the flooding and destroying

By MICHAEL R. SISAK and DAVE COLLINS Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — New York’s highest court on Thursday threw out Harvey Weinstein ’s 2020 rape conviction with a ruling that shocked and disappointed women who celebrated historic gains during the #MeToo era and left those who testified in the case bracing for a retrial

ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — The first six of 12 Rafale multipurpose fighter jets purchased by Croatia from France have landed at an air force base near Zagreb  with a welcome ceremony attended by top officials. The deal, signed in 2021 with French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation, was said to be worth over a billion euros.

By MATT OTT AP Business Writer Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week as the labor market continues to hold up despite higher interest rates imposed by the Federal Reserve in its bid to curb inflation. The Labor Department reported Thursday that unemployment claims for the week ending April 20 fell by 5,000 to

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — The head of the top security agency in Belarus has claimed that the country has prevented attempted drone strikes from Lithuania that targeted the capital, Minsk, and surrounding areas. Lithuania’s military and National Crisis Management Center strongly denied the claim by Ivan Tertel, head of the Belarusian Committee for State Security.

By CHINEDU ASADU Associated Press ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — A Nigerian official says more than 100 inmates have escaped from a prison near the capital city of Abuja after heavy rains overnight destroyed parts of the facility, including the perimeter fence. He said that 10 of the inmates who escaped from the medium-security prison in

By JON GAMBRELL Associated Press JERUSALEM (AP) — A rapper in Iran who came to fame over his lyrics about the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini and criticizing the Islamic Republic has been reportedly sentenced to death. That’s according to his lawyer and rights activists Thursday. Confusion surrounds the death sentence purportedly issued against 33-year-old

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungary’s nationalist prime minister has called for right-wing forces to take power in upcoming European and U.S. elections, and expressed support for former President Donald Trump in his ongoing criminal trial. Viktor Orbán, a right-wing populist and the European Union’s longest-serving leader, told supporters at the CPAC Hungary conference on Thursday