AP-National

By The Associated Press Satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press appear to show a new compound of tents being built near Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip as the Israeli military continues to signal it plans an offensive on the city of Rafah. Khan Younis has been targeted by repeated Israeli military operations

By ZIMO ZHONG Associated Press HONG KONG (AP) — Asian shares rose on Wednesday, led by an 2% gain in Japan’s Nikkei 225 after U.S. stocks rallied for a second straight day Tuesday, blunting the blow from what’s been a rough April. U.S. futures rose while oil prices edged lower. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 jumped

By RODNEY MUHUMUZA Associated Press KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — A U.S.-based rights group says the World Bank has suspended funding for a tourism project in Tanzania that allegedly caused the suffering of tens of thousands of villagers. The Oakland Institute says the World Bank’s decision to suspend the $150 million project, which aims to improve

By KRUTIKA PATHI Associated Press NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s main opposition party accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of using hate speech after he called Muslims “infiltrators” — some of his most incendiary rhetoric about the minority faith, days after the country began its weekslong general election. The remarks at a campaign rally Sunday drew

By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — The 68th Eurovision Song Contest is taking place in May in Malmö, Sweden. It will see acts from 37 countries vie for the continent’s pop crown. Founded in 1956, Eurovision is a feelgood extravaganza that strives to banish international strife and division. It’s known for songs that

By ANDREA RODRÍGUEZ Associated Press HAVANA (AP) — Cuban writer Leonardo Padura has managed to turn his series of detective novels into a social and political chronicle of Cuba, especially his native Havana. Born in 1955, Padura studied literature at the University of Havana and worked as a journalist for state-owned media in the 1980s.

By KONSTANTIN TESTORIDES Associated Press SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — Voters are going to the polls in North Macedonia this week for the first round of the presidential election, the seventh such vote since the Balkan country gained independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991. Seven candidates are vying for the largely ceremonial position. The

By MATTHEW LEE AP Diplomatic Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken is starting three days of talks with senior Chinese officials in Shanghai and Beijing this week. The trip comes as U.S.-China ties are at a critical point over global disputes. Ties between Washington and Beijing are tense. The rifts are growing

By EILEEN NG Associated Press KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia’s navy says two military helicopters collided midair and crashed during a training session, killing all 10 people on board. The navy said in a brief statement that the helicopters were rehearsing Tuesday at a naval base in northern Perak state for the navy’s 90th

By MARK SHERMAN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has scheduled a special session to hear arguments over whether former President Donald Trump can be prosecuted over his efforts to undo his 2020 election loss to President Joe Biden. The case, to be argued Thursday, stems from Trump’s attempts to have charges against

By MARY CLARE JALONICK, STEPHEN GROVES and FARNOUSH AMIRI Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has passed $95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars. The bill

By MARC LEVY Associated Press HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Democratic Sen. Bob Casey and Republican challenger David McCormick will face each other in Pennsylvania’s high-stakes U.S. Senate contest this fall, as Tuesday’s primary election put the men on track for a race that is expected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars and help decide

By GEOFF MULVIHILL Associated Press A new rule from President Joe Biden’s administration blocking blanket policies to keep transgender students from using school bathrooms that align with their gender identity could conflict with laws in Republican-controlled states. The clash over bathroom policy and other elements of a federal regulation finalized last week could set the

By DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writer The U.S. Supreme Court has appeared to side with Starbucks in a case that could make it harder for the federal government to seek injunctions when it suspects a company of interfering in unionization campaigns. Justices noted during oral arguments on Tuesday that Congress requires the National Labor Relations

By JENNIFER McDERMOTT Associated Press Thousands of negotiators and observers representing most of the world’s nations are gathering in the Canadian city of Ottawa this week to craft a treaty to end the rapidly escalating problem of plastic pollution. Each day, the equivalent of 2,000 garbage trucks full of plastic are dumped into the world’s

By MORIAH BALINGIT and SHARON LURYE of The Associated Press and DANIEL BEEKMAN of The Seattle Times AUBURN, Wash. (AP) — After a series of lower-paying jobs, Nicole Slemp finally landed one she loved. She was a secretary for Washington’s child services department, a job that came with her own cubicle, and she had a

By ROD McGUIRK Associated Press MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Tech billionaire Elon Musk accused Australia of censorship after an Australian judge ruled that his social media platform X must block users worldwide from accessing video of a bishop being stabbed in a Sydney church. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese responded Tuesday by describing Musk as an

By JOCELYN GECKER and STEVE LeBLANC Associated Press CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — The University of Michigan is informing students of the rules for upcoming graduation ceremonies: Banners and flags are not allowed. Protests are OK but in designated areas away from the cap-and-gown festivities. The University of Southern California canceled a planned speech by the

By SCOTT SONNER Associated Press RENO, Nev. (AP) — The Biden administration has taken a significant step in its expedited environmental review of what could become the third lithium mine in the U.S. That’s assuming it can withstand anticipated legal challenges from conservationists who fear it will lead to the extinction of an endangered Nevada

NEW YORK (AP) — The baseball players’ association has asked a federal court to confirm an arbitrator’s decision denying an attempt by a baseball agent at Bad Bunny’s Rimas Sports firm to block the agent’s decertification by the union. The Major League Baseball Players Association has decertified agent William Arroyo and denied certification to Noah