AP-National

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Cyprus says it won’t let up on a course of strict fiscal discipline while supporting economically vulnerable groups and the middle class after credit ratings agency Standard & Poors upgraded the country’s rating to BBB+ from BBB. Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides said in a statement Saturday that the ratings upgrade affirms

By TOM NOUVIAN Associated Press PARIS (AP) — The water quality of the Seine river in Paris is raising concerns ahead of the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games. The collective “Eau de Paris”, responsible for collecting data for the city of Paris, published results on Friday showing high levels of E. coli and enterococci bacteria,

By JAMEY KEATEN and AAMER MADHANI Associated Press OBBÜRGEN, Switzerland (AP) — Dozens of world leaders converged on a Swiss resort Saturday to discuss how to bring peace to war-ravaged Ukraine, though any hopes of a real breakthrough were muted by the absence of Russia. More than two years into the war, the combatants remain

By JADE LE DELEY and ELISE MORTON Associated Press PARIS (AP) — Anti-racism groups are joining French unions and a brand-new left-wing coalition in protests in Paris and across France against the surging nationalist far right. The demonstrations on Saturday afternoon come as parties engage in frenzied campaigning for snap parliamentary elections. Protesters fear that

By The Associated Press Charles Barkley said Friday that next season will be his last on TV, no matter what happens with the NBA’s media deals. The Hall of Fame player has spent the last 24 years working as a studio analyst for TNT, which could lose the rights to broadcast NBA after next season.

By FATMA KHALED and WAFAA SHURAFA Associated Press DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Last summer, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip celebrated the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha the way it’s supposed to be: with large family feasts, meat shared with those less fortunate, and new clothes and gifts for children. But this year, after

By JON GAMBRELL Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. military has unleashed a wave of attacks targeting radar sites operated by Yemen’s Houthi rebels after one merchant sailor went missing and the vessel he was on caught fire in the latest Houthi strike in the Red Sea. The military’s Central Command

By DAVE COLLINS, JUAN A. LOZANO and JIM VERTUNO Associated Press HOUSTON (AP) — Bombastic conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has been ordered to liquidate his personal assets as he owes $1.5 billion for his false claims that the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, which killed 20 first graders and six educators in Newtown, Connecticut,

By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH Associated Press The mailings promised “Life Without Pain!” via stem cell injections or IVs administered in a patient’s own home. The allure was obvious: more than 20% of U.S. adults endure chronic pain. The flyers invited Iowans to free dinners across the state. Afterward, sales people traveled to potential customers’ homes for

By ROD McGUIRK and CHARLOTTE GRAHAM-McLAY Associated Press MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Chinese Premier Li Qiang has arrived in Australia on a relations-mending mission. Panda diplomacy, rock lobsters and China’s global dominance in the critical minerals sector are high on the agenda. China’s second-most powerful politician is expected to visit Adelaide Zoo, a Chinese-controlled lithium

By SAMY MAGDY Associated Press MOUNT ARAFAT, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Following the footsteps of prophets beneath a burning sun, more than 1.83 million Muslims from around the world congregated Saturday at a sacred hill in Saudi Arabia for worship and reflection amid a sweltering heat. The ritual at Mount Arafat, known as the hill

By TRÂN NGUYỄN Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The efforts to tamp down organized retail theft in California this year have largely boiled down to two paths. The first one is a ballot initiative that would create harsher penalties for repeat offenders. The second is a legislative package of bills that would give more

By ISABELLA VOLMERT Associated Press INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana Republicans rejected Sen. Mike Braun’s choice for lieutenant governor on Saturday, instead nominating a podcasting pastor with far-right views to be his running mate. Braun, who is leaving the Senate, endorsed state Rep. Julie McGuire for his running mate when he became the GOP nominee for

By JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER and GENE JOHNSON Associated Press HONOLULU (AP) — A group of midwives who focus on traditional Native Hawaiian birth practices are trying to block a Hawaii law that requires midwives to obtain licenses. The midwives say the law would force them to participate in costly trainings that don’t align with customary

By MARC LEVY Associated Press HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania is seeing lots of action targeting gaps in its vote-by-mail laws. The problem is that it’s in the courtroom and not the legislature. That could make the most populous presidential swing state a hotbed of challenges and conspiracy theories if the November election is close,

By MARY CLARE JALONICK Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Three years ago, Donald Trump had few friends left in the Senate. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell declared in a speech that Trump was “practically and morally responsible” for the violent Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by spreading “wild falsehoods” about election fraud and

By JOHN HANNA Associated Press TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A rivalry is flaring up as Kansas lawmakers try to snatch the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs away from Missouri. The Kansas Legislature expects to consider a plan to help both the Chiefs and professional baseball’s Kansas City Royals finance new stadiums even though economists

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE and WILL WEISSERT Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — Some of Hollywood’s brightest stars headlined a fundraiser for President Joe Biden that took in a record $30 million-plus for a Democratic candidate, according to his campaign, in hopes of energizing would-be supporters for a White House contest they said may rank among

By AAMER MADHANI Associated Press OBBÜRGEN, Switzerland (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris is pledging America’s full support in backing Ukraine and global efforts to achieve “a just and lasting peace” in the face of Russia’s invasion. Harris represented the United States at an international gathering Saturday in Switzerland on the war. She held a

By SAMYA KULLAB Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian firepower has been improving since U.S. lawmakers approved a much-needed military aid package this spring, though not quickly enough to halt the Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine. Although the influx of Western munitions has shrunk Kyiv’s glaring artillery disadvantage, Moscow’s forces are still gaining in

LITTLEROCK, Calif. (AP) — A Los Angeles County firefighter has been killed after responding to a vehicle fire at a quarry in a desert community north of Los Angeles. L.A. County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone says an explosion occurred shortly after a firefighting crew arrived at the quarry in Littlerock around 2:10 p.m. Friday, killing

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer DALLAS (AP) — There were two options for the Dallas Mavericks. Pack for Boston, or pack for vacation. Boston awaits. These NBA Finals are not over, thanks to one of the biggest blowouts in title-round history. Luka Doncic scored 25 of his 29 points in the first half, Kyrie

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) — A couple hiking in the desert south of Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California has been rescued after running out of water. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office says a man called 911 and reported that his girlfriend was dehydrated and weak. A search and rescue helicopter crew on June 9

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Emergency crews have rescued 28 people after they were stuck for about half an hour dangling upside down high on a ride at a century-old amusement park in Oregon. Portland Fire and Rescue says firefighters worked with engineers at Oaks Park to manually lower the ride Friday afternoon, but responders had

QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — Ecuadorian Vice President Verónica Abad, for now, will not be indicted in a corruption case against her son after lawmakers blocked the move Friday. Lawmakers denied authorizing Abad’s criminal prosecution in a vote prompted by an order from the country’s National Court to decide whether prosecutors could move forward. As a

NEW YORK (AP) — An investigation into New York’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic finds former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s “top down” approach of dictating public health policy through his office sewed confusion during the crisis. However the independent probe commissioned by current Gov. Kathy Hochul and released Friday said the fatality rates at nursing homes

By CLAIRE SAVAGE and ALEXANDRA OLSON Associated Press CHICAGO (AP) — A lawsuit challenging federal rules entitling workers to time off and other accommodations for abortions lacks standing, a federal judge in Arkansas ruled on Friday. Republican attorneys general from 17 states, led by Arkansas and Tennessee, sued the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in April,

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Mainers are going to decide in November whether to adopt a new flag, but the state needs to settle on a design first. Secretary of State Shenna Bellows announced Friday a contest in which anyone can submit a proposed design. However it must be based on the state’s first flag, featuring

WASHINGTON (AP) — ABC’s “This Week” — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen; Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C. ___ NBC’s “Meet the Press” — Reps. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif. ___ CBS’ “Face the Nation” — Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio; Microsoft founder Bill Gates; Neel Kashkari, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. ___ CNN’s

By JEFF AMY Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia’s state government is demolishing a building that once housed a Coca-Cola museum. Excavators continued Friday to knock down the former World of Coca-Cola in downtown Atlanta near the state capitol. The site will become a parking lot. The Coca-Cola Co. moved the attraction across downtown to