AP

By Associated Press BEIJING — Dozens of African leaders gathered Thursday in Beijing for a summit that signals China’s influence in a continent that it hopes will be a key ally in pushing back against a U.S.-led global order. Chinese President Xi Jinping promised the leaders billions of dollars in loans and private investment over

By Associated Press PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived Thursday in Haiti to reaffirm the U.S. government’s commitment to a multinational mission to fight gangs in the Caribbean country and push for long-awaited general elections. Some 400 Kenyan police have been deployed to Haiti to lead a U.N.-backed mission to quell

By Associated Press WASHINGTON — In the first court hearing in nearly a year, a lawyer for Donald Trump clashed Thursday with the judge in the federal election interference prosecution of the former president after suggesting the government was rushing forward with an “illegitimate” indictment at the height of the White House campaign. Prosecutors and

By Associated Press CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Much will be on the line Saturday when No. 19 Kansas faces Illinois at a sold-out Memorial Stadium. The Jayhawks (1-0) will be looking for a signature road win. The Illini (1-0) want to erase the bad taste in their mouths left by a 34-23 shellacking by Kansas last

By Associated Press CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado on Thursday vowed to keep the pressure on President Nicolás Maduro to leave office in January. She also urged the international community to rise to the occasion by immediately recognizing her faction’s presidential candidate as the winner of the election in July, and

By Associated Press LOS ANGELES — Hunter Biden pleaded guilty to federal tax charges Thursday in a surprise move that spares President Joe Biden’s son and his family another likely embarrassing and painful criminal trial. Hunter Biden’s stunning decision to plead guilty to misdemeanor and felony charges without the benefits of a deal with prosecutors

By Associated Press DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg resigned his position Tuesday after serving more than seven years in office to take the helm of the state’s bankers association. Gregg said in a statement that “my time in public service must come to a close.” Also Tuesday, the Iowa Bankers Association

By Associated Press IOWA CITY, Iowa — The former manager of the machine shop at the University of Iowa’s Department of Physics and Astronomy deposited nearly $1 million that should have gone to the university into his own personal accounts, according to a state audit released Wednesday. The report from State Auditor Rob Sand said

By Associated Press COLUMBIA, Mo. — The hole left in the Missouri backfield after last season was a mere 5 feet, 9 inches tall, yet it seemed so much bigger than that, given the way Cody Schrader performed during his final season with the Tigers. First-team All-American. Doak Walker Award finalist. The SEC’s leading rusher.

By Associated Press WINDER, Ga. — The teen charged with opening fire at a Georgia high school denied threatening to carry out a school shooting when police interviewed him last year about a menacing post on the social media site Discord, according to a sheriff’s report obtained Thursday. Conflicting evidence on the post’s origin left

By Associated Press DENVER — Police in the Denver suburb of Aurora say a Venezuela street gang with a small presence in the city has not taken over a rundown apartment complex — yet the allegation continues to gain steam among conservatives and was amplified by former President Donald Trump in a Wednesday Fox News

By Associated Press UZHHOROD, Ukraine | This week marks the start of the school year in Ukraine, a pivotal time for any student, especially for teenagers in their final year of high school. Ukrainian teens have more than just grades and university choices on their minds — they are grappling with the realities of war.

By Metro Creative The importance of maintaining dental hygiene is emphasized from the time most people are small children. Indeed, parents start early by cleaning kids’ teeth the moment the first one pushes its way through a baby’s gums, and that hopefully kick-starts a lifelong devotion to dental care. Appearance may be the main reason

By Metro Creative While the dinner table might be where families catch up and share stories of their day, breaking bread at breakfast time can be just as enjoyable. That’s especially true when families take the time to create homemade breakfasts, such as the following recipe for “Orange Whole-Wheat Waffles with Yogurt and Fresh Berries”

By Associated Press Tommy Pham hit his first home run for Kansas City, a tiebreaking, three-run drive in a four-run fourth inning, and the Royals stopped a season-high, seven-game losing streak with a 4-1 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday night. Seth Lugo (15-8) allowed one run and five hits in seven innings. He

By Associated Press INDIANAPOLIS — Caitlin Clark became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 100 3-pointers in a season and finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for her second career triple-double as the playoff-bound Indiana Fever beat the Los Angeles Sparks 93-86 on Wednesday night. Clark connected on her second

By Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea | North Korea is flying more trash-carrying balloons toward South Korea, officials said Thursday, in the latest round of Cold War-style psychological warfare between the rivals. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected more balloons launched from North Korea on Thursday morning following launches the previous evening.

By Associated Press WASHINGTON | Vice President Kamala Harris used a campaign stop in New Hampshire on Wednesday to propose an expansion of tax incentives for small businesses, a pro-entrepreneur plan that may soften her previous calls for wealthy Americans and large corporations to pay higher taxes. Describing small businesses as “an essential foundation to

By Associated Press NEW YORK — They have millions of followers online. They have been major players in right-wing political discourse since Donald Trump was president. And they worked unknowingly for a company that was a front for a Russian influence operation, U.S. prosecutors say. An indictment filed Wednesday alleges a media company linked to

By Associated Press JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel must keep open-ended control of Gaza’s border with Egypt, digging in on his stance on an issue that has threatened to derail cease-fire efforts. Netanyahu’s comments came as the United States is developing a new proposal for a cease-fire and hostage

By Associated Press NEW YORK — Latin music superstar Daddy Yankee, the Grammy winning “King of Reggaeton,” hopes his memoir will inspire others to believe in themselves. HarperCollins Publishers announced Wednesday that it will release Daddy Yankee’s “ReaDY! The Power To Change Your Story” in English and Spanish in April 2025. The 48-year-old rapper, whose

By Associated Press WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris has accepted the rules set forth for next week’s debate with former President Donald Trump, although the Democratic nominee says the decision not to keep both candidates’ microphones live throughout the matchup will be to her disadvantage. The development, which came Wednesday by way of a