AP World News

By AAMER MADHANI and JOSH BOAK Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump expressed certainty his big gamble to directly assist the Israelis delivered a knockout blow to Iran’s nuclear program — even as many supporters and detractors alike were warning that U.S. military action could draw the United States into an expansive regional

By YURAS KARMANAU and JOANNA KOZLOWSKA Associated Press TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Belarus has freed Siarhei Tsikhanouski, a key dissident figure and the husband of exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, and 13 others following a rare visit by a senior U.S. official, Tsikhanouskaya’s team announced on Saturday. Tsikhanouski, a popular blogger and activist who was

By ELÉONORE HUGHES Associated Press RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A hot-air balloon caught fire and tumbled from the sky on Saturday in Brazil ’s southern state of Santa Catarina, killing eight people, firefighters said. Footage shared by local news outlet G1 showed billows of smoke coming from the balloon, which was in flames as

By SALVATORE CAVALLI and GIADA ZAMPANO Associated Press PORTICELLO, Italy (AP) — A British-flagged luxury superyacht that sank off Sicily last year, killing U.K. tech magnate Mike Lynch and six others, was lifted from the water Saturday as salvage recovery crews completed the complex operation to bring it ashore for further investigation. The white top

By BRIAN MELLEY Associated Press LONDON (AP) — As the sun rose Saturday on the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, a crowd erupted in cheers at Stonehenge where the ancient monument in southern England has clocked the summer solstice over thousands of years. The orange ball crested the northeast horizon behind

By FRANKLIN BRICEÑO Associated Press LIMA, Peru (AP) — Pope Leo XIV has said there should be no tolerance in the Catholic Church for any type of abuse – sexual, spiritual or abuse of authority — and called for “transparent processes” to create a culture of prevention across the church. Leo made his first public

By SAMYA KULLAB Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s president said that Russia repatriated at least 20 of its own dead soldiers in recent exchanges with Ukraine, describing it as a result of Moscow’s disorganization in carrying out large swaps of wounded POWs and remains of troops. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that an Israeli citizen

By KANIS LEUNG Associated Press HONG KONG (AP) — A top Beijing official overseeing Hong Kong affairs on Saturday warned of persisting threats in the city as a China-imposed national security law approaches its fifth anniversary, while seeking to allay concerns about the law’s impact on the financial hub’s openness. Speaking at a forum about

By EVELYNE MUSAMBI, KAREEM CHEHAYEB and JAMEY KEATEN Associated Press KAKUMA, Kenya (AP) — At a refugee camp in northern Kenya, Aujene Cimanimpaye waits as a hot lunch of lentils and sorghum is ladled out for her and her nine children — all born while she has received United Nations assistance since fleeing her violence-wracked

PARIS (AP) — A year after it captivated crowds during the Paris Olympics, a centerpiece of the summer Games made a comeback Saturday to light up the French capital’s skyline. The iconic helium-powered balloon that attracted myriads of tourists during the summer Games has shed its Olympic branding and is now just called the “Paris

By PIYUSH NAGPAL Associated Press NEW DELHI (AP) — Tens of thousands of people across India stretched in public parks and on sandy beaches Saturday to mark the 11th International Day of Yoga. The mass yoga sessions were held in many Indian states, where crowds attempted various poses and practiced breathing exercises. Indian military personnel

ROME (AP) — A British-flagged luxury superyacht that sank off Sicily last year, killing U.K. tech magnate Mike Lynch and six others, resurfaced Saturday as salvage recovery crews finalized the complex operation to bring it ashore for further investigation. The white top and blue hull of the 56-meter (184-foot) Bayesian was visible on the surface

By SAM MEDNICK, AAMER MADHANI and DAVID RISING Associated Press TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The United States struck three sites in Iran early Sunday, inserting itself into Israel’s war aimed at destroying the country’s nuclear program in a risky gambit to weaken a longtime foe despite fears of a wider regional conflict. Addressing the

By FARNOUSH AMIRI and SARAH EL DEEB Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — When Ellie, a British-Iranian living in the United Kingdom, tried to call her mother in Tehran, a robotic female voice answered instead. “Alo? Alo?” the voice said, then asked in English: “Who is calling?” A few seconds passed. “I can’t

By ERIC TUCKER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The family of a retired FBI agent presumed dead after vanishing in Iran 18 years ago is calling for any deal between the United States and Iran to include the return of his remains. Robert Levinson disappeared on March 9, 2007, when he was scheduled to meet

By DAVID BAUDER AP Media Writer Layoff notices were sent Friday to 639 employees of Voice of America and the U.S. agency that oversees it, effectively shutting down the outlet that has provided news to countries around the world since World War II. They included employees at VOA’s Persian-language service who were suddenly called off

Associated Press The Associated Press is calling the current conflict between Israel and Iran a war, given the scope, intensity and duration of military activities on both sides. Other news organizations also have decided to refer to the conflict as a war, while some are still sticking with words such as “conflict” or “fighting.” Why

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — President Vladimir Putin said Friday he has secured Israel’s pledge to safeguard Russian personnel at Iran’s Russia-built nuclear power plant and that he has reached out to both sides to try to end the week-old war. Answering questions on a variety of issues at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum,

By The Associated Press A week into their war, Israel and Iran exchanged more strikes on Friday as new diplomatic efforts led by the Europeans took place in Geneva. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held several hours of talks with the European Union’s top diplomat and counterparts from the United Kingdom, France and Germany. Afterwards,

By SUZAN FRASER Associated Press ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he plans to strengthen the country’s deterrence capabilities so that no country would dare attack it. Erdogan announced plans this week to step up Turkey’s production of medium- and long-range missiles, as the war between Israel and Iran escalates.

By MELANIE LIDMAN Associated Press RAMAT GAN, Israel (AP) — Aziza Melech felt her body relax for the first time in days when she settled onto her inflatable mattress in an underground station of Israel’s light rail system on a recent evening. For the next few hours, at least, the 34-year-old event planner wouldn’t need

By LORNE COOK Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — The success of a key NATO summit hung in the balance on Friday, after Spain announced that it cannot raise the billions of dollars needed to meet a new defense investment pledge demanded by U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump and his NATO counterparts are meeting for two

By ILLIA NOVIKOV Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian drones slammed into two Ukrainian cities, killing at least one person in nighttime attacks, authorities said Friday, as a Kremlin official said he expected an announcement next week on dates for a fresh round of direct peace talks. Russia’s overnight drone assault targeted the southern

By SAM MEDNICK, JON GAMBRELL and DAVID RISING Associated Press TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel and Iran traded strikes a week into their war on Friday as President Donald Trump weighed U.S. military involvement and key European ministers met with Iran’s top diplomat in Geneva in a scramble to de-escalate the conflict. But the

By PAN PYLAS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — U.K. lawmakers on Friday approved a bill to allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales to choose to end their lives, taking it one step nearer to becoming law. The vote backing what is generally termed “ assisted dying ” — sometimes referred to as “assisted

By JAMEY KEATEN Associated Press GENEVA (AP) — Iran’s foreign minister plans to meet in Geneva on Friday with leading European counterparts, who hope to open a window for a diplomatic solution to the week-old military conflict that has seen Israeli airstrikes target Iranian nuclear and military sites and Tehran firing back. British Foreign Secretary

By JUSTIN SPIKE Associated Press BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — As Hungary heads toward national elections next spring and the populist government’s popularity slumps, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has zeroed in on a central theme he hopes will sway voters: an alleged threat posed by neighboring Ukraine. While most European Union countries have offered political, financial,

By KEN MORITSUGU Associated Press BEIJING (AP) — The prime minister of New Zealand stressed the mutual benefits of trade with China in a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Friday, while acknowledging their disagreements on geopolitical issues. Christopher Luxon, on his first visit to China since becoming prime minister in late 2023, flew

By FABIOLA SÁNCHEZ and LUIS ALBERTO CRUZ Associated Press ACAPULCO, Mexico (AP) — Authorities in southern Mexico were still assessing damage and watching rising rivers Friday as rain from the remnants of Hurricane Erick doused the region. Torrential rains over steep coastal mountains and the landslides and flooding they could generate became the ongoing concern