US envoy: Balkans ‘poisoned’ by Russian disinformation
April 12, 2023 GMTSKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — A U.S. special envoy on countering global disinformation says that countries in the western Balkan region have been "pretty seriously poisoned” by Russia's influence campaigns.
Biden in Belfast will see peace marred by political crisis
April 12, 2023 GMTBELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP) — American grit was essential to getting Northern Ireland’s warring sides to make peace 25 years ago with the Good Friday Agreement.
Japan signs $2.8B long-range missile development deals
April 12, 2023 GMTTOKYO (AP) — Japan’s Defense Ministry announced Tuesday it has signed contracts worth nearly 380 billion yen ($2.8 billion) with the country’s top defense contractor, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, to develop and mass produce long-range missiles for deployment as early as 2026 amid growing fears of China's increasing military strength.
US, Panama and Colombia aim to stop Darien Gap migration
April 12, 2023 GMTPANAMA CITY (AP) — The United States, Panama and Colombia announced Tuesday that they will launch a 60-day campaign aimed at halting illegal migration through the treacherous Darien Gap, where the flow of migrants has multiplied this year.
GOP attorney joins California race for Feinstein Senate seat
April 12, 2023 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — A Republican attorney announced Tuesday he's entering the 2024 contest to replace outgoing Democratic U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, joining a growing field in a state known for its liberal political tilt.
Airstrikes on Myanmar village feared to have killed 100
April 12, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — Airstrikes by Myanmar’s military on Tuesday killed as many as 100 people, including many children, who were attending a ceremony held by opponents of army rule, said a witness, a member of a local pro-democracy group and independent media.
Navajo Nation to receive federal aid for severe flood damage
April 12, 2023 GMTWINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — The Navajo Nation is set receive federal emergency aid to help repair damage caused by severe flooding during a series of storms earlier this year.
President Joe Biden on Tuesday granted a disaster declaration for the largest Native American reservation in the U.S., which extends across Arizona, Utah and New Mexico.
Biden celebrating peace, family history in Irish visit
April 11, 2023 GMTBELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP) — President Joe Biden embarked Tuesday on a journey of diplomatic and family celebration, highlighting the U.S. role of 25 years ago in ending deadly bloodshed in Northern Ireland while catching up with distant relatives in the Republic of Ireland.
Manhattan DA sues Jim Jordan over Trump indictment inquiry
April 11, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg sued Rep. Jim Jordan on Tuesday, an extraordinary move as he seeks to halt a House Judiciary Committee inquiry that the prosecutor contends is a “transparent campaign to intimidate and attack” him over his indictment of former President Donald Trump.
Biden calls family of reporter detained as spy in Russia
April 11, 2023 GMTABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (AP) — President Joe Biden spoke to the parents of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on Tuesday, nearly two weeks after the Moscow-based journalist was detained in Russia and charged with espionage.
Blinken names ex-NSC official to be new State Dept spokesman
April 11, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday chose an ex-National Security Council communications official to be the next spokesman for the State Department.
In a statement, Blinken announced that Matthew Miller will assume the role as the daily face of American foreign policy from the State Department podium at the end of April.
Ex-candidate to face jail in child sex abuse images case
April 11, 2023 GMTPORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A wealthy former Maine gubernatorial candidate charged with possession of images depicting child sexual abuse reached an agreement with prosecutors in which he’ll spend some time incarcerated, a prosecutor said Tuesday.
Key lawmakers win access to mishandled classified docs
April 11, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has begun sharing with a bipartisan group of lawmakers known as the Gang of Eight classified documents found in the possession of former President Donald Trump, President Joe Biden and former Vice President Mike Pence, according to five people familiar with the matter.
Report: U of Minnesota ‘committed genocide’ of Native people
April 11, 2023 GMTMINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The University of Minnesota should hire more Native American faculty, offer students additional financial support and give back land to atone for its historic mistreatment of the state's tribes, a report conducted through a collaboration with the school concluded Tuesday.
Sheriff Mark Lamb says he’s running for US Senate in Arizona
April 11, 2023 GMTPHOENIX (AP) — Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb said Tuesday he's running for the U.S. Senate in Arizona, becoming the first Republican to jump into a high-profile race for the seat now held by independent Sen.
Dems tap Chicago for 2024 convention, cite critical Midwest
April 11, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats announced Tuesday that they will hold their party’s 2024 national convention in Chicago, choosing the biggest liberal city in the Midwest as they try to keep the momentum going after a strong midterm election performance in the key battleground region.
GOP’s Moreno joins race to unseat Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio
April 11, 2023 GMTCOLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Wealthy Cleveland business owner Bernie Moreno has joined the race to unseat Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, becoming the second Republican candidate to challenge the three-term incumbent.
US, Philippines hold largest war drills near disputed waters
April 11, 2023 GMTMANILA, Philippines (AP) — American and Filipino forces on Tuesday launched their largest combat exercises in decades in the Philippines and its waters across the disputed South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait, where Washington has repeatedly warned China over its increasingly aggressive actions.
Polish leader heads to US to further strengthen defense ties
April 11, 2023 GMTWARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki flew Tuesday to the United States for meetings aimed at strengthening the economic and defense cooperation of the two nations.
Morawiecki is due to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday at the White House for talks including on further support for Ukraine.
Tsai condemns China’s military drills in the Taiwan Strait
April 11, 2023 GMTTAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen has condemned China’s military drills in the Taiwan Strait, saying Tuesday that China did not demonstrate the “responsible” behavior of a major Asian nation.
US House speaker attends rally in New Mexico swing district
April 11, 2023 GMTLAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy attended a rally in southern New Mexico on Monday for former U.S. Rep. Yvette Herrell as the GOP tries to flip a congressional swing seat back to GOP control in 2024.
North Korean leader vows ‘offensive’ nuclear expansion
April 11, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to enhance his nuclear arsenal in more “practical and offensive” ways as he met with senior military officials to discuss the country’s war preparations in the face of his rivals’ “frantic” military exercises, state media said Tuesday.
China military ‘ready to fight’ after drills near Taiwan
April 11, 2023 GMTTAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China’s military declared Monday it is “ready to fight” after completing three days of large-scale combat exercises around Taiwan that simulated sealing off the island in response to the Taiwanese president’s trip to the U.S.
Biden ends COVID national emergency after Congress acts
April 11, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. national emergency to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic ended Monday as President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan congressional resolution to bring it to a close after three years — weeks before it was set to expire alongside a separate public health emergency.
Leaked documents a ‘very serious’ risk to security: Pentagon
April 10, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The online leaks of scores of highly classified documents about the Ukraine war present a “very serious" risk to national security, and senior leaders are quickly taking steps to mitigate the damage, a top Pentagon spokesman said Monday.
US finds WSJ reporter in Russia is wrongfully detained
April 10, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration formally determined Monday that a Wall Street Journal reporter arrested in Russia on espionage charges has been “wrongfully detained.”
The designation elevates the case of Evan Gershkovich in the U.S.
Military: Syria rocket attack on US base nets no casualties
April 10, 2023 GMTBEIRUT (AP) — A rocket attack Monday targeted a base in eastern Syria where U.S. troops are based causing no injuries or damage, the U.S. military said.
The military said in a statement that one rocket struck the Mission Support Site Conoco in eastern Syria on Monday evening and another rocket was found at the attack point of origin.
County seeks cash for land to expand Arlington cemetery
April 10, 2023 GMTALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A trial underway in federal court will decide whether the U.S. government must pay up to $21 million to compensate a Virginia county for a parcel of land taken to expand Arlington National Cemetery.
Iowa won’t pay for rape victims’ abortions or contraceptives
April 9, 2023 GMTDES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Attorney General's Office has paused its practice of paying for emergency contraception — and in rare cases, abortions — for victims of sexual assault, a move that drew criticism from some victim advocates.
Health secretary slams abortion pill ruling as ‘not America’
April 9, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The nation's top health official said Sunday that a court ruling threatening the availability of a main drug used in medication abortion was “not America" and he did not rule out defying the judge's order if necessary.
Ilhan Omar embarks on new path no longer defined by ‘firsts’
April 9, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden was winding up for a speech at a Minnesota clean energy facility when he spotted a lawmaker in the crowd whom he wanted to recognize.
“I want to thank you for being here,” Biden said, gesturing toward Democratic Rep.
Taiwan threat from China serious, House GOP chairman says
April 8, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The chairman of the House Select Committee on China said Saturday the U.S. must take seriously the threat posed to Taiwan, as Beijing launched military drills around the island in the aftermath of the Taiwanese president's meetings with American lawmakers.
Abortion pill order latest contentious ruling by Texas judge
April 8, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — A Texas judge who sparked a legal firestorm with an unprecedented ruling halting approval of the nation's most common method of abortion is a former attorney for a religious liberty legal group with a long history pushing conservative causes.
Biden’s ancestral hometowns prepare warm Irish welcome
April 8, 2023 GMTBALLINA, Ireland (AP) — Joe Blewitt is just about the busiest man in Ballina. His phone rings constantly with calls from locals and the world's media as he prepares to welcome a relative — U.S.
US investigating whether Ukraine war documents were leaked
April 8, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has launched an investigation into the possible release of Pentagon documents that were posted on several social media sites and appear to detail U.S. and NATO aid to Ukraine, but may have been altered or used as part of a misinformation campaign.
SKorea, US, Japan call for support of ban on NKorea workers
April 8, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea, the U.S. and Japan called for stronger international support of efforts to ban North Korea from sending workers abroad and curb the North’s cybercrimes as a way to block the country’s means to fund its nuclear program.
Judge in Washington orders feds to keep abortion pill access
April 7, 2023 GMTSPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — A federal judge in Washington state on Friday ordered U.S. authorities not to make any changes that would restrict access to the abortion medication mifepristone in 17 Democratic-led states that sued over the issue, countering a ruling by a judge in Texas on the same day that ordered a hold on federal approval of the drug.
Protected Iran critic speaks at sentence in plot against her
April 7, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — An Iranian opposition activist who U.S. authorities said was the target of two thwarted kidnapping or murder plots urged a federal judge in New York on Friday to hand a tough prison sentence to a woman who unwittingly funded one of the planned attacks.
Peru ex-leader Toledo wins reprieve in extradition from US
April 7, 2023 GMTSAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo Manrique has been granted two more weeks to fight his extradition from the United States on corruption charges, halting extradition proceedings that had been set to start Friday.
Tribe warns US government against moving ahead with mine
April 7, 2023 GMTPHOENIX (AP) — Native American tribal members fighting plans for an enormous copper mine on land they consider sacred say they are increasingly worried U.S. officials will publish an environmental review paving the way for the project even as they await a federal appeals court ruling in the case.
How Tennessee GOP’s majority used power to expel Democrats
April 7, 2023 GMTNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The expulsion of two Tennessee Democrats over a gun control protest is an extraordinary showcase of how the levers of single-party power in America's statehouses can be pulled not only to shut down opponents, but to also punish them.
US states consider ban on cosmetics with ‘forever chemicals’
April 7, 2023 GMTA growing number of state legislatures are considering bans on cosmetics and other consumer products that contain a group of synthetic, potentially harmful chemicals known as PFAS.
In Vermont, the state Senate gave final approval this week to legislation that would prohibit manufacturers and suppliers from selling or distributing any cosmetics or menstrual products in the state that have perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, as well as a number of other chemicals.
Uproar in suburbia as New York looks to spur development
April 7, 2023 GMTFor decades, the middle-class towns of single-family homes that ring many American cities have used zoning laws to ensure they stay much like they looked in the suburban boom after World War II.
Apartment buildings in many places are simply not allowed, an exclusion that — intentionally or not — has historically also kept out people of color.
China sanctions Reagan library, others over Tsai’s US trip
April 7, 2023 GMTTAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China retaliated for the United States House speaker's meeting with the Taiwanese president by announcing sanctions Friday against the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and other organizations, adding to strains over the self-governed island democracy Beijing claims as part of its territory.
Report: Russia charges Journal reporter with espionage
April 7, 2023 GMTMOSCOW (AP) — Jailed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has been charged with espionage in Russia and has entered a formal denial, two Russian news agencies reported Friday.
The state news agency Tass and the Interfax news agency said a law enforcement source informed them that Russia’s Federal Security Service, known as the FSB, had officially charged the American journalist.
US Senate leaders demand Russia release American journalist
April 7, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate's top two leaders demanded on Friday that Russia immediately release Evan Gershkovich in a rare bipartisan statement that condemned the detention of the Wall Street Journal reporter and declared that “journalism is not a crime.”
Police: Dissidents may try attacks as N. Ireland marks peace
April 7, 2023 GMTLONDON (AP) — Police have warned that armed dissident groups are planning violent attacks over the Easter holiday weekend as Northern Ireland marks 25 years since the peace accord that ended three decades of bloodshed.
Kansas passes anti-ESG bill, but it’s milder than some want
April 7, 2023 GMTTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A proposal designed to thwart investing that considers environmental, social and governance factors has cleared the Kansas Legislature, but divisions within its GOP majorities kept the measure from being as strong as some conservatives wanted.
Most oppose Social Security, Medicare cuts: AP-NORC poll
April 7, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Most U.S. adults are opposed to proposals that would cut into Medicare or Social Security benefits, and a majority support raising taxes on the nation’s highest earners to keep Medicare running as is.
Asian stocks follow Wall Street up ahead of US jobs update
April 7, 2023 GMTBEIJING (AP) — Asian stock markets followed Wall Street higher on Friday ahead of a U.S. job market update that traders hope might encourage the Federal Reserve to ease off plans for more interest rate hikes.
Troubles shadow lingers as N Ireland marks 25 years of peace
April 7, 2023 GMTBELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP) — Peter Olphert was 14 when Irish Republican Army gunmen killed his father. Forty years later, he says it’s time to set aside the past.
Mark Thompson lost his brother to British Army bullets, another victim of “the Troubles” that wracked Northern Ireland for three decades.
Biden review of chaotic Afghan withdrawal blames Trump
April 6, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden's administration on Thursday laid the blame on his predecessor, President Donald Trump, for the deadly and chaotic 2021 withdrawal of U.S.
Justice Thomas reportedly took undisclosed luxury trips
April 6, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has for more than two decades accepted luxury trips nearly every year from Republican megadonor Harlan Crow without reporting them on financial disclosure forms, ProPublica reports.
Biden vetoes bill that sought to toss EPA water protections
April 6, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Defending his administration's actions on clean water, President Joe Biden on Thursday vetoed a congressional resolution that would have overturned protections for the nation’s waterways that Republicans have criticized as overly intrusive.
Maine Mom: School wrong to help, hide gender transition
April 6, 2023 GMTPORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A Maine woman is suing a school district whose counselor encouraged her teen's social gender transition, providing a chest binder and using a new name and pronouns, without consulting parents.
Members of Congress on TikTok defend app’s reach to voters
April 6, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Jeff Jackson of North Carolina has used it to explain the complex fight over raising the debt limit. Rep. Robert Garcia of California has used it to engage with members of the LGBTQ+ community.
US ambassador and Russian diplomat discuss arrested reporter
April 6, 2023 GMTThe U.S ambassador to Russia and a top Russian diplomat met Thursday to discuss a Wall Street Journal reporter who was arrested last week on espionage charges, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
Saudi, Iran restore ties, say they seek Mideast stability
April 6, 2023 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Long-time Mideast rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia took another significant step toward reconciliation Thursday, formally restoring diplomatic ties after a seven-year rift, affirming the need for regional stability and agreeing to pursue economic cooperation.
China denies fentanyl trafficking with Mexico; blames US
April 6, 2023 GMTMEXICO CITY (AP) — China’s government on Thursday denied the country's involvement in any illegal fentanyl trafficking with Mexico and said it had not been notified by Mexico’s government of any seizures of the precursor chemicals used to make the powerful drug.