Associated Press

Associated Press

UN rights chief is concerned about arrest of opposition figures in Zambia’s election

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — The United Nations human rights chief said Wednesday he is concerned over the arrest of opposition officials in connection with last week’s troubled election in Zambia. Zambian law enforcement agents raided a property on election night last Thursday where the country’s main opposition leader was present and there was […]
6 days ago

Concerns about the New World screwworm have put Texas pet adoptions on hold

Adoptions are on hold for thousands of dogs and cats in Texas, potentially putting the animals at risk of being euthanized, because of efforts to stop the spread of the New World screwworm, an insect that has crossed the border from Mexico into the United States for the first time in 60 years. The flesh-eating […]
6 days ago

‘No serious dispute’ that Comey’s seashell post could be read as a Trump threat, prosecutors say

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is defending its prosecution of former FBI Director James Comey, saying “there is no serious dispute” that a social media post of seashells he made last year could be understood as a threat against President Donald Trump. Prosecutors also called into question Comey’s account that he had found the […]
7 days ago

Woman sought in Massachusetts officer’s death co-founded mental health group for first responders

WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) — Police investigating the death of an off-duty police officer in Massachusetts in what they called a domestic matter are searching for a woman who co-founded a group that focuses on suicide and mental health issues among first responders. The officer, a 31-year veteran, was found dead at a home in Worcester, […]
7 days ago

United Arab Emirates suspends trade with Iran after coming under renewed missile fire

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United Arab Emirates suspended all trade with Iran on Wednesday after it said it had come under renewed fire from the country — a move that will further isolate the Islamic Republic, which is suffering under U.S. sanctions and a blockade. Incoming ballistic missile fire triggered nationwide warnings […]
7 days ago

Target’s comeback quarter: New merchandise, more shoppers and a $994M tariff refund

NEW YORK (AP) — Target reported its second straight quarter of comparable sales gains on Wednesday, saying a merchandising overhaul under the retailer’s new CEO is attracting more customers and boosting sales throughout its stores. Comparable sales — those coming from stores and digital channels operating for at least 12 months —rose 3.8% in the […]
7 days ago

Amazon set to expand drone delivery of lightweight packages to 500 US cities

Millions more people may be able to get smaller, lightweight Amazon packages delivered by drones by the end of the year under a plan the company announced Wednesday to expand the airborne shipping to suburban areas in nearly 500 U.S. cities. Customers could receive the drone deliveries in as fast as 30 minutes, Amazon said […]
7 days ago

Sen. Sullivan, former US Rep Peltola begin Alaska US Senate campaign after advancing from primary

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan and Democratic former Rep. Mary Peltola wasted no time preparing for their general election campaign after Tuesday’s primary in Alaska, criticizing each other’s records and previewing the next phase of a high-stakes Senate race that has drawn national attention. With control of the chamber on the […]
7 days ago

National security question trips up Sen. Darline Graham in South Carolina debate

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Darline Graham, who is competing in next week’s runoff election in South Carolina, stumbled over a question about foreign policy in a debate on Tuesday night. “Are Taiwan and the South China Sea national security issues for the United States and if so, why or how?” asked one of the moderators. […]
7 days ago

Prosecutors say bullet engraving shows Charlie Kirk was targeted for his politics

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Prosecutors in Charlie Kirk ‘s killing pointed Tuesday to an engraved bullet, arguing that the inscription “Hey Facist! CATCH!” demonstrates that Kirk was targeted for how the defendant perceived his politics. Whether defendant Tyler Robinson acted out of political animus could be key for prosecutors seeking the death penalty — […]
7 days ago

Lala strengthens to a Category 3 hurricane while moving northwest away from Hawaii

HONOLULU (AP) — The death toll in Hawaii from Lala rose to two with the discovery of a man’s body near a highway, while efforts continued to remove massive amounts of debris left behind by the storm while the number of homes and businesses without electricity dwindled. The remains of the man in his 60s […]
7 days ago

Texas teen convicted in fatal stabbing at track meet seeks a new trial and judge

DALLAS (AP) — A Texas teenager convicted of fatally stabbing a 17-year-old athlete at a high school track meet is arguing that a judge did not fairly preside over the high-profile case and is asking for a new trial. Karmelo Anthony, now 19, was convicted of murder and sentenced to 35 years in prison after […]
7 days ago

Mesmerizing jellyfish take center stage at 1st US museum dedicated solely to the floating predators

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The floating tentacled predators pulse and swirl in hypnotic patterns in the dark museum space, lit primarily by images projected on the walls and the glowing light from the saltwater tanks. The private Jellyfish Museum in Pompano Beach, Florida, just north of Fort Lauderdale, is believed to be the first […]
7 days ago

Shares fall in Asia, with Kospi down 5.2%, while oil prices jump

BANGKOK (AP) — Shares slipped Wednesday in Asia after Wall Street pulled further from its all-time high as artificial-intelligence stocks resumed their decline. South Korea’s Kospi led the regional retreat, dropping 5.2% to 6,515.97. The two biggest companies benefiting from the AI boom tracked losses for their U.S. rivals. Samsung Electronics shed 6.9%, while memory […]
7 days ago

South Korea says the South Korean and US militaries have agreed to shorten their drills

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea said Wednesday the South Korean and U.S. militaries have agreed to shorten their drills at the U.S.’s request. South Korea’s military said in a statement the ongoing drills with the U.S. would end Friday, not Aug. 27 as initially planned. It said the allies also agreed to downsize […]
7 days ago

Ex-Fauci adviser pleads guilty to plotting to conceal COVID-19 research records during pandemic

GREENBELT, Md. (AP) — A former senior adviser to infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci pleaded guilty Tuesday to plotting to conceal federal records related to research on the origins of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. David Morens is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 12 by U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis in Greenbelt, Maryland. Morens […]
7 days ago

Amazon set to expand drone delivery of lightweight packages to 500 US cities

Millions more people may be able to get smaller, lightweight Amazon packages delivered by drones by the end of the year under a plan the company announced Thursday to expand the airborne shipping to suburban areas in nearly 500 U.S. cities. Customers could receive the drone deliveries in as fast as 30 minutes, Amazon said […]
7 days ago

In Meta’s trial, families of social media victims see a pivotal moment for online safety

As opening statements kicked off Tuesday in a trial for Meta Platforms, advocates and parents of social media victims gathered outside the federal courthouse in Oakland, California, with a banner that stretched several feet across. Written on it in black ink were the names of children and young adults who have died from social media […]
7 days ago

Before-and-after NASA images show crater carved by a SpaceX rocket that slammed into the moon

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A NASA spacecraft circling the moon is providing the sharpest views yet of the crater carved by a crashing SpaceX rocket. The space agency released before-and-after photos of the impact area on Tuesday. The Falcon rocket’s upper stage plowed into the moon at 5,400 mph (8,700 kph) on Aug. 5 […]
7 days ago

AI-assisted tool helped secure satellite communication system after 2022 Russian hacking

WASHINGTON (AP) — On the same day it invaded Ukraine in 2022, Russia disabled thousands of satellite modems across Ukraine and other European countries, aiming to disrupt communications. A new AI-assisted tool aims to help close that kind of vulnerability amid concerns about continued Russian aggression and newer Iranian threats to cyber infrastructure. The cybersecurity […]
7 days ago

US hits ICC president and senior prosecutor with sanctions in another move against the court

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on the president of the International Criminal Court and one of its top prosecutors as it continues a campaign to dismantle the tribunal, which it accuses of trying to unfairly prosecute U.S. and Israeli soldiers for alleged crimes in Afghanistan, Iraq and Gaza. The State Department […]
7 days ago

Ohio death row inmate Tyrone Noling gets a rare chance to ask parole board for a pardon

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Tyrone Noling has spent 30 years on death row for the double murder of an elderly Ohio couple that he insists he didn’t commit. He had a rare chance Tuesday to make his case for a full pardon to the Ohio Parole Board. Noling, 54, of Alliance, assembled a growing body […]
7 days ago

US Navy destroyer with 300 sailors aboard broke down for four days in the Pacific

WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. Navy destroyer with about 300 sailors aboard suffered a major breakdown in the Pacific Ocean last month that left it without power for four days, the Navy confirmed in a statement. The USS Benfold “reported an engineering casualty involving its generators, causing a loss of power” on July 24, Navy […]
7 days ago

Georgia man charged with burglarizing NASCAR driver Greg Biffle’s home after plane crash

STATESVILLE, N.C. (AP) — A Georgia man burglarized former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle’s home after learning Biffle and his family died in a plane crash, a North Carolina sheriff said Tuesday. Terrell Williams, 44, has been charged with second-degree burglary, safe cracking, money laundering and other felonies, Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell announced at a […]
7 days ago