U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Detroit deploys a helicopter crew to conduct overflights of Canadian vessel Manitoulin trapped in a frozen Lake Erie on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025 in Buffalo, N.Y. (U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Detroit via AP)2025-01-25T19:25:22Z BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) The U.S. and Canadian Coast Guards on Saturday continued efforts to break up ice and free a freighter that has been trapped in a frozen Lake Erie for days, officials said.The Manitoulin, a 663-foot (202-meter) Canadian vessel with 17 people on board, got stuck in the ice on Lake Erie on Wednesday after it dropped off a load of wheat in Buffalo, New York, and was heading back to Canada, the U.S. Coast Guard said.The ship wasnt damaged, and its crew is safe, officials said. Freighters in the Great Lakes often encounter surface ice in the winter but sometimes run into ice that is too hard or thick to break through. A U.S. Coast Guard icebreaking ship has been working since Thursday to help the Manitoulin, and on Saturday officials said a second ship arrived to help free the freighter. The Canadian Coast Guard also has a ship assisting with the effort. A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter is at the scene conducting flights to monitor the situation. A third U.S. Coast Guard ship is also scheduled to arrive on Monday, in case the Manitoulin remains stuck.

The Tuskegee Airmen Way street sign is briefly displayed in front of a 1943 North American T6 Texan aircraft used to train pilots during WWII, at the Selfridge Air National Guard Base, in Harrison Township, Mich., Feb. 27, 2018. The street-renaming event honored the heritage of the Tuskegee Airmen at Selfridge. (Todd McInturf/Detroit News via AP, File)2025-01-25T19:57:40Z WASHINGTON (AP) The Air Force has removed training courses with videos of its storied Tuskegee Airmen and the Women Airforce Service Pilots, or WASPs the female World War II pilots who were vital in ferrying warplanes for the military to comply with the Trump administrations crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.The videos were shown to Air Force troops as part of DEI courses they took during basic military training.In a statement, the Air Force confirmed the courses with those videos had been removed and said it will fully execute and implement all directives outlined in the Executive Orders issued by the President, ensuring that they are carried out with utmost professionalism, efficiency and in alignment with national security objectives.The problem may not be with the historical videos themselves, but that they were used in Air Force basic military training DEI coursework. However, the lack of clearer guidance has sent the Air Force and other agencies scrambling to take the broadest approach to what content is removed to make sure they are in compliance. The Tuskegee Airmen, known as the Red Tails were the nations first Black military pilots who served in a segregated WWII unit and their all-Black 332nd Fighter Group had one of the lowest loss records of all the bomber escorts in the war. They flew P-47 Thunderbolt, P-51 Mustang and other fighters to escort American bombers on dangerous missions over Germany. Before the fighter escorts began accompanying the slow and heavy U.S. bombers, losses were catastrophic due to getting dive-bombed by German aircraft. President George W. Bush awarded the Tuskegee Airmen the Congressional Gold Medal in a ceremony at the Capitol Rotunda in 2007.In 2020, in his State of the Union address, President Donald Trump announced he had promoted one of the last surviving Tuskegee Airmen, Charles McGee, to brigadier general. McGee died in 2022 at age 102. The WASPs contributed to World War II by learning to fly and ferry new bombers off the assembly lines to airfields where they were needed to ship off to war freeing up male pilots to focus on combat missions overseas. They earned the right to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery just in the last decade. The Air Force, like other branches, has recently tried to broaden the number of people they reach to consider military careers like aviation that historically have had few minority service members in their ranks. ___ TARA COPP Copp covers the Pentagon and national security for the Associated Press. She has reported from Afghanistan, Iraq, throughout the Middle East, Europe and Asia. twitter mailto

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, its leader Kim Jong Un, right, inspects testing of sea-to-surface strategic cruise guided weapons at an undisclosed location in North Korea, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)2025-01-26T01:29:20Z SEOUL, South Korea (AP) North Korea said Sunday it tested a cruise missile system, its third known weapons display this year, and vowed the toughest response to what it called the escalation of U.S.-South Korean military drills that target the North.The moves suggested North Korea will likely maintain its run of weapons tests and its confrontational stance against the U.S. for now, even though President Donald Trump said he intends to reach out to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.The official Korean Central News Agency said Kim observed the test of sea-to-surface strategic cruise guided weapons on Saturday.The term strategic implies the missiles are nuclear-capable. KCNA said the missiles hit their targets after traveling 1,500-kilometer (932-mile) -long elliptical and figure-eight-shaped flight patterns, but that couldnt be independently verified. KCNA cited Kim as saying that North Koreas war deterrence capabilities are being perfected more thoroughly and affirming that his country will make strenuous efforts to defend stability on the basis of more powerfully developed military muscle. South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea had launched several cruise missiles toward its western waters from an inland area at around 4 p.m. on Saturday. It said South Korean maintains a readiness to overwhelmingly repel any provocations by North Korea in conjunction with its military alliance with the U.S. In a separate statement carried by KCNA on Sunday, North Koreas Foreign Ministry criticized the U.S. for committing serious military provocations aiming at North Korea with a series of military exercises with South Korea this month. The reality stresses that the DPRK should counter the U.S. with the toughest counteraction from A to Z as long as it refuses the sovereignty and security interests of the DPRK and this is the best option for dealing with the U.S, the Foreign Ministry statement said. DPRK stands for the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, the abbreviation of its formal name. The Foreign Ministry warning was in line with Kims vows to implement the toughest anti-U.S. policy during a year-end political meeting.North Korea views U.S. military training with South Korea as invasion rehearsals though Washington and Seoul have repeatedly said their drills are defensive in nature. In recent years, the U.S. and South Korea have expanded their military exercises in response to North Koreas advancing nuclear program. The start of Trumps second term raises prospects for the revival of diplomacy between the U.S. and North Korea, as Trump met Kim three times during his first term. The Trump-Kim diplomacy in 2018-19 fell apart due to wrangling over U.S.-led economic sanctions on North Korea.During a Fox News interview broadcast Thursday, Trump called Kim a smart guy and not a religious zealot. Asked whether he will reach out to Kim again, Trump replied, I will, yeah.Many experts say Kim likely thinks he has greater bargaining power than in his earlier round of diplomacy with Trump because of his countrys enlarged nuclear arsenal and deepening military ties with Russia. In South Korea, many worry that Trump might scale back military drills with the Asian U.S. ally and abandon the goal of the complete denuclearization of North Korea and focus on eliminating its long-range missile program, which poses a direct threat to the U.S., while leaving its nuclear attack capabilities against South Korea intact.On Monday, Trump called North Korea a nuclear power as he spoke of his personal ties with Kim during a news conference at the Oval Office after his inauguration. Washington, Seoul and their partners have long shunned describing North Korea as a nuclear state because that could be seen as accepting its pursuit of nuclear weapons in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.After his first summit with Kim in 2018, Trump baffled many in South Korea by unilaterally announcing the suspension of major summertime military drills, calling them very provocative and tremendously expensive.North Korea hasnt commented on Trumps latest overture. Sundays cruise missile tests were the Norths first known weapons launches since Trumps inauguration. HYUNG-JIN KIM Hyung-jin is an Associated Press reporter in Seoul, South Korea. He reports on security, political and other general news on the Korean Peninsula. twitter mailto

President Donald Trump boards Air Force One en route to Florida at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)2025-01-26T00:59:48Z WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump has ended his predecessors hold on sending 2,000-pound bombs to Israel, lifting a pressure point that had been meant to reduce civilian casualties during the U.S. allys war with Hamas in Gaza that is now halted by a tenuous ceasefire. In a post on his Truth Social network Saturday, Trump said, A lot of things that were ordered and paid for by Israel, but have not been sent by Biden, are now on their way! We released them today, Trump said of the bombs. He told reporters on Air Force One, theyve been waiting for them for a long time. You know, theyve been in storage for a long time and we released them today to Israel.Then-President Joe Biden halted the delivery of the large bombs in May as part of an effort to keep Israel from launching an all-out assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah. A month later, Israel did take control of the city, but after the vast majority of the 1 million civilians that had been living or sheltering in Rafah had fled. Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers, Biden told CNN in May when he held up the weapons. I made it clear that if they go into Rafah ... Im not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities, that deal with that problem. The Biden pause had also held up 1,700 500-pound bombs that had been packaged in the same shipment to Israel, but weeks later those bombs were delivered. Trumps action, five days into his term, comes as he has celebrated the first phase of a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel that has paused the fighting and seen the release of some hostages held by Hamas in Gaza in return for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Negotiations have yet to begin in earnest on the more difficult second phase of the deal that would eventually see the release of all hostages held by Hamas and an enduring halt to the fighting. The Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened to resume its war against Hamas which launched a massive assault against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 if the remaining hostages are not released. ZEKE MILLER Zeke is APs chief White House correspondent twitter mailto WILL WEISSERT Weissert covers national politics and the White House for The Associated Press. He is based in Washington. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Palestinian children are evacuated from a site hit by an Israeli bombardment on Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Saturday, July 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi, File)2025-01-25T22:27:00Z UNITED NATIONS (AP) The war in Gaza has been devastating for children: More than 13,000 have been killed, an estimated 25,000 injured, and at least 25,000 hospitalized for malnutrition, according to U.N. agencies.As Britains deputy U.N. ambassador, James Kariuki, recently told the Security Council, Gaza has become the deadliest place in the world to be a child.The children of Gaza did not choose this war, he said, yet they have paid the ultimate price.The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported Thursday that of the 40,717 Palestinian bodies identified so far in Gaza, one-third 13,319 were children. The office said Friday the figures came from Gazas Ministry of Health.The U.N. childrens agency, UNICEF, said the estimate of 25,000 children injured came from its analysis based on information collected together with Gazas Health Ministry. U.N. deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said nearly 19,000 children had been hospitalized for acute malnutrition in the four months before December.That figure also came from UNICEF, which said it was from data collected by U.N. staff in Gaza focusing on nutrition, in coordination with all pertinent U.N. agencies. The U.N. says thousands of children have also been orphaned or separated from their parents during the 15-month war.Yasmine Sherif, executive director of the U.N. global fund Education Cannot Wait, told a press conference that 650,000 school-age children havent been attending classes and the entire education system has to be rebuilt because of the widespread destruction in Gaza. Diplomats from Britain, France and other countries also cited the toll on Israeli children who were killed, injured and abducted during Hamas attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 with some still being held hostage.Israels U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon asked the Security Council whether it ever paused to consider the plight of Israeli children mutilated, tortured and murdered on Oct. 7, the 30 who were kidnapped and the tens of thousands who have been displaced, their homes destroyed. The trauma they have endured is beyond imagination, he said.Danon called Thursdays council meeting on children in Gaza an affront to common sense, accusing Hamas of turning Gaza into the worlds largest terror base and using children as human shields.The children of Gaza could have had a future filled with opportunity, he said. Instead, they are trapped in a cycle of violence and despair, all because of Hamas, not because of Israel. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Workers secure a net to prevent mudslides over the burned side of a mansion in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)2025-01-25T21:50:31Z LOS ANGELES (AP) Rain began falling in parched Southern California on Saturday in a boon for firefighters who were mopping up multiple wildfires. But heavy downpours on charred hillsides could bring the threat of new troubles like toxic ash runoff.Los Angeles County crews spent much of the week removing vegetation, shoring up slopes and reinforcing roads in devastated areas of the Palisades and Eaton fires, which reduced entire neighborhoods to rubble and ash after breaking out during powerful winds Jan. 7. Most of the region was expected to get get around an inch (about 2.5 centimeters) of precipitation over several days, but the threat is high enough to prepare for the worst-case scenario of localized cloudbursts causing mud and debris to flow down hills, the National Weather Service said on social media. So the problem would be if one of those showers happens to park itself over a burn area, weather service meteorologist Carol Smith said. That could be enough to create debris flows. The rain started along the Central Coast before moving into Ventura and LA counties in the evening. It was forecast to increase throughout the weekend and possibly last into early Tuesday, Smith said. Flood watches were issued for some burn areas, and snow was likely in the mountains. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order this week to expedite cleanup efforts and mitigate the environmental impacts of fire-related pollutants. LA County supervisors also approved an emergency motion to install flood-control infrastructure and expedite and remove sediment in fire-impacted areas. Fire crews filled sandbags for communities while county workers installed barriers and cleared drainage pipes and basins.Officials cautioned that ash in recent burn zones was a toxic mix of incinerated cars, electronics, batteries, building materials, paints, furniture and other household items. It contains pesticides, asbestos, plastics and lead. Residents were urged to wear protective gear while cleaning up. Concerns about post-fire debris flows have been especially high since 2018, when the town of Montecito up the coast from LA was ravaged by mudslides after a downpour hit mountain slopes burned bare by a huge blaze. Twenty-three people died, and hundreds of homes were damaged. While the impending wet weather ended weeks of dangerous gusts and reduced humidity, several wildfires were still burning across Southern California. Those included the Palisades and Eaton fires, which killed at least 28 people and destroyed more than 14,000 structures. Containment of the Palisades Fire reached 81%, and the Eaton Fire was at 95% containment.In northern Los Angeles County, firefighters made significant progress against the Hughes Fire, which prompted evacuations for tens of thousands of people when it erupted Wednesday in mountains near Lake Castaic. And in San Diego County, there was still little containment of the Border 2 Fire churning through a remote area of the Otay Mountain Wilderness near the U.S.-Mexico border. The rain was expected to snap a near-record streak of dry weather for Southern California. Much of the region has received less than 5% of the average rainfall for this point in the water year, which began Oct. 1, the Los Angeles Times reported. Most of Southern California is now either in extreme drought or severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Leslie Voltaire, the president of Haiti's Transition Council, talks during an interview with the Associated Press in Rome, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)2025-01-25T21:34:13Z ROME (AP) The president of Haitis transitional presidential council said the Trump administrations decisions to freeze aid programs, deport migrants and block refugees will be catastrophic for Haiti.Leslie Voltaire made the comment in an interview with The Associated Press in Rome on Saturday following a meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican. He visited the pope to ask for help for Haiti.Im knocking on the doors of people who love Haiti. The pope loves Haiti, and he is eager to help, Haitis interim president said. The pontiff and Voltaire discussed the dire situation in Haiti where gangs have killed civilians and operate across the Caribbean nation with impunity. Half of Haitis 11.4 million people are already hungry, according to Voltaire, and losing humanitarian assistance will make the situation dramatically worse. Trump said that Haiti is a shithole, so I dont think he will care about Haiti, Voltaire said, noting that thousands of people are already being repatriated from the Dominican Republic every week and gangs are terrorizing the populace. With the new U.S. policies, the situation will be catastrophic. During his first administration, President Donald Trump used bluntly vulgar language to question why the U.S. would accept immigrants from Haiti and shithole countries in Africa. At the time, the White House did not deny his remark but issued a statement saying Trump supports immigration policies that welcome those who can contribute to our society. Voltaire said there are roughly 1.5 million Haitians in the United States and roughly 150,000 who were accepted under a program called the Temporary Protection System. Trump says that he will expel all of them, Voltaire said, adding that Haiti, which is already struggling with hunger and internally displaced people, cannot handle the influx.In a report released this month, the U.N. migration agency said internal displacement within Haiti has tripled over the last year and n ow surpasses 1 million people. The situation has been largely caused by gang violence in the Caribbean country. The new figure provided by the International Organization for Migration represents a record for Haiti. IOM said that relentless gang violence in Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince has fueled a near-doubling of displacement in the city and a collapse of health care and other services and worsening food insecurity. About 200,000 people have been forcibly returned to Haiti over the last year mostly from Dominican Republic.Voltaire and his transitional government have been tasked with leading the country to general elections, an elusive goal but he is convinced they can make it happen by next November despite powerful gangs that rule 85% of the capital and are gaining ground in surrounding areas. Nevertheless, Voltaire is positive that if Haitis multinational police force is boosted with several thousand additional officers they can go ahead with elections this year.Kenya is leading the multinational police force with a total deployment of more than 600, below the 1,000 officers the countrys president pledged. An additional 150 Guatemalans and an advance team of eight Salvadorean troops have also arrived, but the force remains far below its anticipated strength of 2,500 officers. Voltaire said Benin has pledged an additional 2,000 soldiers. We have to do a referendum on a new constitution and also the election at the end of November. I say that we can do the elections because we have like eight departments, like 80% of the country. We can do the election.The power of gangs in Haiti has grown since the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Mose. Some gangs have even indicated they want to be part of the political process. Voltaire excluded that possibility, I dont think they should be around the table. I think they are criminals. More than 5,600 people were reported killed across Haiti last year, according to the United Nations. The number of killings increased by more than 20% compared with all of 2023, according to the U.N. Human Rights Office. Last week U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned that gangs could soon could overrun the capital, Port-au-Prince, leading to a complete breakdown of government authority without additional international support for the beleaguered national police.Voltaire said he asked the pontiff to organize an international conference of solidarity for Haiti. The Pope wrote international conference on a sheet of paper, Voltaire said, and later the Vatican Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, told him the Vatican would try to convince Mexico and Canada to participate in funding a conference on Haiti. TRISHA THOMAS Thomas covers events throughout Southern Europe, Italy, and the Vatican for The Associated Press based in Rome. twitter instagram mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

UN armoured personnel carriers deploy outside Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)2025-01-25T11:03:52Z GOMA, Congo (AP) Fighting with M23 rebels in eastern Congo has left at least 13 peacekeepers and foreign soldiers dead, United Nations and army officials said Saturday.M23 has made significant territorial gains in recent weeks, encircling the eastern city of Goma, which has around 2 million people and is a regional hub for security and humanitarian efforts. The U.N. Security Council moved up an emergency meeting on the escalating violence to Sunday morning (10 am EST). Congo requested the meeting, which had originally been scheduled for Monday. On Saturday, Congos army said it fended off an M23 offensive towards Goma with the help of its allied forces, including U.N. troops and soldiers from the Southern African Development Community Mission, also known as SAMIDRC.The Rwandan-backed M23 is clearly exploiting the presidential transition in the U.S. to advance on Goma putting thousands more civilians at risk, Kate Hixon, advocacy director for Africa at Amnesty International US, told the Associated Press. Congo, the United States and U.N. experts accuse Rwanda of backing M23, which is mainly made up of ethnic Tutsis who broke away from the Congolese army more than a decade ago. Rwandas government denies the claim, but last year acknowledged that it has troops and missile systems in eastern Congo to safeguard its security, pointing to a buildup of Congolese forces near the border. U.N. experts estimate there are up to 4,000 Rwandan forces in Congo. The burning wreckage of a white armored fighting vehicle carrying UN markings could be seen on a road between Goma and Sake on Saturday, where much of the fighting was concentrated in recent days.Two South African peacekeepers were killed Friday, while a Uruguayan Blue Helmet was killed Saturday, a U.N. official told The Associated Press. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they werent authorized to speak on the matter publicly. Additionally, three Malawian peacekeepers were killed in eastern Congo, the United Nations in Malawi said Saturday.Seven South African soldiers from the SAMIDRC were also killed during clashes with M23 over the last two days, South Africas department of defense said in a statement.Uruguays military in a statement issued Saturday identified its member killed in Congo as Rodolfo lvarez, who was part of the Uruguay IV Battalion. The unit, according to the statement, is working uninterruptedly to comply with the United Nations mandate, as well as to guarantee the evacuation of non-essential civilian and military personnel from the city of Goma.Various measures have been taken to improve the security of our troops, who are operating in adverse conditions, the military said. It added that four Uruguayan peacekeepers were also injured. Three of them remained in Goma while a fourth one was evacuated to Uganda for treatment.Since 2021, Congos government and allied forces, including SAMIDRC and U.N. troops, have been keeping M23 away from Goma.The U.N peacekeeping force, also known as MONUSCO, entered Congo more than two decades ago and has around 14,000 peacekeepers on the ground.South Africas defense minister, Angie Motshekga, was visiting the countrys troops stationed in Congo as part of the U.N. peacekeeping mission the day the soldiers were killed. ___Banchereau reported from Dakar, Senegal. Associated Press writer Gerald Imray in Cape Town, South Africa, and Regina Garcia Cano in Caracas, Venezuela, contributed to this report.

A view of the P4 lab inside the Wuhan Institute of Virology is seen after a visit by the World Health Organization team in Wuhan in China's Hubei province, Feb. 3, 2021. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)2025-01-25T20:41:34Z WASHINGTON (AP) The CIA now believes the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic most likely originated from a laboratory, according to an assessment released Saturday that points the finger at China even while acknowledging that the spy agency has low confidence in its own conclusion.The finding is not the result of any new intelligence, and the report was completed at the behest of the Biden administration and former CIA Director William Burns. It was declassified and released Saturday on the orders of President Donald Trumps pick to lead the agency, John Ratcliffe, who was sworn in Thursday as director.The nuanced finding suggests the agency believes the totality of evidence makes a lab origin more likely than a natural origin. But the agencys assessment assigns a low degree of confidence to this conclusion, suggesting the evidence is deficient, inconclusive or contradictory. Earlier reports on the origins of COVID-19 have split over whether the coronavirus emerged from a Chinese lab, potentially by mistake, or whether it arose naturally. The new assessment is not likely to settle the debate. In fact, intelligence officials say it may never be resolved, due to a lack of cooperation from Chinese authorities. The CIA continues to assess that both research-related and natural origin scenarios of the COVID-19 pandemic remain plausible, the agency wrote in a statement about its new assessment. Instead of new evidence, the conclusion was based on fresh analyses of intelligence about the spread of the virus, its scientific properties and the work and conditions of Chinas virology labs.Lawmakers have pressured Americas spy agencies for more information about the origins of the virus, which led to lockdowns, economic upheaval and millions of deaths. Its a question with significant domestic and geopolitical implications as the world continues to grapple with the pandemics legacy. Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Saturday he was pleased the CIA concluded in the final days of the Biden administration that the lab-leak theory is the most plausible explanation and he commended Ratcliffe for declassifying the assessment.Now, the most important thing is to make China pay for unleashing a plague on the world, Cotton said in a statement.Chinese authorities have dismissed speculation about COVIDs origins as unhelpful and motivated by politics. On Saturday, a spokesperson for Chinas U.S. embassy said the CIA report has no credibility.We firmly oppose the politicization and stigmatization of the source of the virus, and once again call on everyone to respect science and stay away from conspiracy theories, embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu said in a statement emailed to The Associated Press.While the origin of the virus remains unknown, scientists think the most likely hypothesis is that it circulated in bats, like many coronaviruses, before infecting another species, probably racoon dogs, civet cats or bamboo rats. In turn, the infection spread to humans handling or butchering those animals at a market in Wuhan, where the first human cases appeared in late November 2019. Some official investigations, however, have raised the the question of whether the virus escaped from a lab in Wuhan. Two years ago a report by the Energy Department concluded a lab leak was the most likely origin, though that report also expressed low confidence in the finding.The same year then-FBI Director Christopher Wray said his agency believed the virus most likely spread after escaping from a lab.Ratcliffe, who served as director of national intelligence during Trumps first term, has said he favors the lab leak scenario, too.The lab leak is the only theory supported by science, intelligence, and common sense, Ratcliffe said in 2023.The CIA said it will continue to evaluate any new information that could change its assessment. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

This is a locator map for Sudan with its capital, Khartoum. (AP Photo)2025-01-26T04:35:11Z DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Some 70 people were killed in an attack on the only functional hospital in the besieged city of El Fasher in Sudan, the chief of the World Health Organization said Sunday, part of a series of attacks coming as the African nations civil war escalated in recent days.The attack on the Saudi Teaching Maternal Hospital, which local officials blamed on the rebel Rapid Support Forces, came as the group has seen apparent battlefield losses to the Sudanese military and allied forces under the command of army chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan. That includes Burhan appearing near a burning oil refinery north of Khartoum on Saturday that his forces said they seized from the RSF.International mediation attempts and pressure tactics, including a U.S. assessment that the RSF and its proxies are committing genocide and sanctions targeting Burhan, have not halted the fighting. Reported attack follows RSF warningIn the Saudi hospital attack in El Fasher, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus offered the death toll in a post on the social platform X. Officials and others in the capital of North Darfur province had cited a similar figure Saturday, but Ghebreyesus is the first international source to provide a casualty number. Reporting on Sudan is incredibly difficult given communication challenges and exaggerations by both the RSF and the Sudanese military. The appalling attack on Saudi Hospital in El Fasher, Sudan, led to 19 injuries and 70 deaths among patients and companions, Ghebreyesus wrote. At the time of the attack, the hospital was packed with patients receiving care. Another health facility in Al Malha also was attacked Saturday, he added. We continue to call for a cessation of all attacks on health care in Sudan, and to allow full access for the swift restoration of the facilities that have been damaged, he wrote. Above all, Sudans people need peace. The best medicine is peace. Ghebreyesus did not identify who launched the attack, though local officials had blamed the RSF for the assault. United Nations official Clementine Nkweta-Salami, who coordinates humanitarian efforts for the world body in Sudan, warned Thursday that the RSF earlier had given a 48-hour ultimatum to forces allied to the Sudanese Armed Forces to vacate the city and indicated a forthcoming offensive.Since May 2024, El Fasher has been under RSF siege, she said. Civilians in El Fasher have already endured months of suffering, violence and gross human rights abuses under the prolonged siege. Their lives now hang in the balance due to an increasingly precarious situation.The RSF did not immediately acknowledge the attack in El Fasher, which is over 800 kilometers (500 miles) southwest of Khartoum. The city is now estimated to be home to over 1 million people, many of whom have been displaced by the war.The RSF siege has seen 782 civilians killed and over 1,140 others wounded, the U.N. said in December, warning the figures likely were higher.The Saudi hospital, just north of El Fashers airport, sits near the frontlines of the war and has been repeatedly hit by shelling. However, its doctors continue surgeries, sometimes by the light of mobile phones while the hospital is hit. However, the RSF appeared in recent days to have lost control of the Khartoum refinery, the biggest in Sudan and crucial to both its economy and that of South Sudan. Burhans forces also say they broke another RSF besiegement of the Signal Corps headquarters in northern Khartoum. The rebels claimed they were tightening the noose around that base.Sudans war sees brutality by fightersSudan has been unstable since a popular uprising forced the removal of longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2019. A short-lived transition to democracy was derailed when Burhan and Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo of the RSF joined forces to lead a military coup in October 2021.Al-Bashir faces charges at the International Criminal Court over carrying out a genocidal campaign in the early 2000s in the western Darfur region with the Janjaweed, the precursor to the RSF. Rights groups and the U.N. say the RSF and allied Arab militias are again attacking ethnic African groups in this war. The RSF and Sudans military began fighting each other in April 2023. Their conflict has killed more than 28,000 people, forced millions to flee their homes and left some families eating grass in a desperate attempt to survive as famine sweeps parts of the country.Other estimates suggest a far higher death toll in the civil war. JON GAMBRELL Gambrell is the news director for the Gulf and Iran for The Associated Press. He has reported from each of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Iran and other locations across the world since joining the AP in 2006. twitter instagram mailto

This is a locator map for Sudan with its capital, Khartoum. (AP Photo)2025-01-26T04:36:45Z ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (AP) President Donald Trump hasnt been shy about sharing his thoughts since taking office, and he added a 20-minute Q&A with reporters aboard Air Force One to the mix Saturday night. He held forth on everything from the color of the presidential plane to the fate of TikTok, Greenland and Canada. Trump popped in to the planes press cabin while flying from Las Vegas to Florida, where he was staying at his Doral golf club through Monday evening, though he insisted hed be too busy to hit the links. The new president scoffed at reporters getting a bit more access than under his predecessor, Joe Biden, and joked it was like 5,000% different meaning he was willing to answer a lot more questions. Trump called Air Force One a special plane but observed that it hasnt changed much from his last term. And, yes, he still wants to change the planes exterior colors. We want power blue, not baby blue, Trump said. Everything has its time and place. Well be changing the colors.Here are some highlights from the conversation: Trump says hes talking with potential investors about the future of TikTokTrump said hes considering several possible investors who are looking to purchase TikTok, which faces the prospect of a U.S. ban if it isnt sold by its Chinese parent company.Numerous people are talking to me, he said. Very substantial people. He said he expects to decide what happens next probably over the next 30 days.The president said hed not been in contact with Oracle about buying TikTok, despite reports that he had, and that hed not spoken to Oracles billionaire co-founder Larry Ellison, whom he called a friend. He noted Ellison lives right down the road from his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. But he said there are many other potential buyers. We have a lot of interest in it, and the United States will be a big beneficiary, Trump said of a potential sale. Id only do it if the United States benefits.He added that, I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok because he felt like it improved his standing with young voters in Novembers presidential election. Trump really wants federal workers back in the officeAsked about the series of executive orders hes signed since taking office that have placed new rules on the federal workforce, Trump said he was opposed to work-from-home concessions that became more common during the coronavirus pandemic.You have to go to your office and you have to work, he said. Otherwise, youre not going to have a job.Trump also said hes not worried about existing federal employees leaving and the talent pool to find replacements being diminished: We have very deep talent. We also have a lot of excess people.This was a gimmick for Democrats, to a certain extent, he said of existing federal worker rolls, which he suggested were too large. Trump says he still wants Greenland, and Canada should be a stateTrump reiterated his desire to somehow purchase Greenland from Denmark, despite that country insisting its not for sale. I do believe Greenland, well get because it really has to do with freedom of the world, he said. It has nothing to do with the United States, other than were the one that can provide the freedom. The president also made some of his most extensive comments about his recent suggestions that Canada could become part of the U.S.I love Canada, he said. I have so many friends up in Canada. And they like us, and they like me. But Canadas been taking advantage of the United States for years, and were not going to let that happen.He suggested that the U.S. is losing hundreds of millions annually to Canada in trade deficits while Canada does almost 90% of their business with the United States.I dont want to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on supporting the country unless that country is a state. And, if its a state, the people of Canada will pay a much lower tax.He said Canadians would also have no military problems, theyd be much more secure in every way, and I think its a great thing for Canada.I view it as, honestly, a country that should be a state, he said. Then, theyll get much better treatment, much better care and much lower taxes and theyll be much more secure. WILL WEISSERT Weissert covers national politics and the White House for The Associated Press. He is based in Washington. twitter mailto

A basketball is stuck in the net outside of a residence destroyed by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)2025-01-26T05:17:35Z LOS ANGELES (AP) After weeks of windy and dry weather, rain has fallen in parched Southern California and is expected to aid firefighters who are mopping up multiple wildfires. But potentially heavy downpours on charred hillsides could bring new troubles such as toxic ash runoff.Los Angeles County crews spent much of the past week removing vegetation, shoring up slopes and reinforcing roads in devastated areas of the Palisades and Eaton fires, which reduced entire neighborhoods to rubble and ash after breaking out during powerful winds Jan. 7. Most of the region was forecast to get around an inch (about 2.5 centimeters) of precipitation over several days, but the threat is high enough to prepare for the worst-case scenario of localized cloudbursts causing mud and debris to flow down hills, the National Weather Service said on social media. So the problem would be if one of those showers happens to park itself over a burn area, weather service meteorologist Carol Smith said. That could be enough to create debris flows. Rainfall that began late Saturday was expected to increase Sunday and possibly last into early Tuesday, forecasters said. Flood watches were issued for some burn areas, while snow was likely in the mountains. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order last week to expedite cleanup efforts and mitigate the environmental impacts of fire-related pollutants. LA County supervisors also approved an emergency motion to install flood-control infrastructure and expedite and remove sediment in fire-impacted areas. Fire crews filled sandbags for communities, while county workers installed barriers and cleared drainage pipes and basins.Officials cautioned that ash in recent burn zones was a toxic mix of incinerated cars, electronics, batteries, building materials, paints, furniture and other household items. It contains pesticides, asbestos, plastics and lead. Residents were urged to wear protective gear while cleaning up. Concerns about post-fire debris flows have been especially high since 2018, when the town of Montecito, up the coast from LA, was ravaged by mudslides after a downpour hit mountain slopes burned bare by a huge blaze. Hundreds of homes were damaged and 23 people died. While the impending wet weather ended weeks of dangerous gusts and reduced humidity, several wildfires were still burning Saturday across Southern California. Those included the Palisades and Eaton fires, which killed at least 28 people and destroyed more than 14,000 structures. Containment of the Palisades Fire reached 81% on Saturday and the Eaton Fire was 95% contained.In northern Los Angeles County, firefighters made significant progress against the Hughes Fire, which prompted evacuations for tens of thousands of people when it erupted on Wednesday in mountains near Lake Castaic. In San Diego County, there was still little containment of the Border 2 Fire as it burned through a remote area of the Otay Mountain Wilderness near the U.S.-Mexico border. The rain was expected to snap a near-record streak of dry weather for Southern California. Much of the region has received less than 5% of the average rainfall for this point in the water year, which began Oct. 1, the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday. Most of Southern California is currently in extreme drought or severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Ateasong Belts Tajoah shows a bullet scar on his neck during an interview with The Associated Press in Dschang, Cameroon, Friday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Robert Bociaga)2025-01-26T05:22:28Z DSCHANG, Cameroon (AP) In a classroom nestled in Cameroons lush highlands, a former rebel fighter teaches logic and philosophy. His students know him as calm and thoughtful, but his past tells a more turbulent story.For a year and a half, Ateasong Belts Tajoah fought with the Red Dragons, a separatist militia in the countrys conflict-ridden southwest. He joined the movement in 2017 at age 23 after local fighters came to his village and offered a chance to turn his frustrations with the government into action.Like many in the English-speaking parts of Cameroon, he felt marginalized by the government dominated by the French-speaking population. Those tensions, beginning with peaceful protests organized by lawyers and teachers, turned deadly almost a decade ago following a government crackdown.The fight for independence for English-speaking areas, which the emerging rebel groups called Ambazonia, has killed over 6,500 people and displaced over 1.1 million. As a rebel, Tajoah lived under plastic sheets in the rain, cooked for leaders and carried out attacks on military and civilian targets. You could never sleep with both eyes closed, he said, pointing to scars on his neck and stomach left by bullets. Drugs and alcohol were rampant in the camps, often used as coping mechanisms for the constant threat of ambushes or betrayal. The psychological toll was immense, Tajoah said, recalling the trauma of carrying the bodies of more than 20 fallen comrades. The rebel group believed that destroying schools would weaken the governments control over the region, a strategy that left a deep scar on the educational landscape.Armed groups enforced boycotts, burned classrooms and killed teachers who defied their orders. Nearly 488,000 children in the affected regions were out of school in 2024, according to UNICEF.Tajoah admitted to playing a role in the destruction, not sharing details but acknowledging the strategys profound harm to countless lives. The breaking point for him came with the loss of his 11-year-old child during an attack by government forces on his camp. Already disillusioned with the separatist leadership and overwhelmed by grief, he surrendered in early 2019.He entered a government-run rehabilitation center for former fighters in Buea, the capital of Cameroons Southwest region, where he spent 18 months reflecting on his past. Like many ex-combatants, Tajoah has faced a long and lonely road, with widespread stigma marking his path to reintegration into society.While the rehabilitation center promised skills training, the countrys demobilization program has faced widespread criticism for its slow implementation and lack of resources.Tajoah witnessed the prevalence of drugs, reportedly brought in by the same officials tasked with guiding ex-combatants. There were concerns that some fighters were allegedly coerced into military operations after surrendering. The government did not respond to a request for comment.Many ex-combatants have returned to armed groups, citing frustration with the rehabilitation program. In 2021, former fighters blocked streets in Buea to protest, accusing the government of not fulfilling its promise of support. Lack of oversight and transparency exacerbates the issues, according to Syndie Rhianne Makeutche, a peace researcher with the United Nations. Without these measures, the program risks losing credibility and pushing more ex-combatants back into violence, she said.Despite the challenges, Tajoah carved out a new path. He earned a masters degree in philosophy in July.Teaching is more than a job, he said. It is a way to confront my past and inspire others to avoid my mistakes.His presence in the classroom initially raised some fears. Many assumed former combatants were uneducated and dangerous, he said.With dedication and openness about his past, Tajoah gradually earned the trust of his students, their parents and the broader community.His decision to teach logic and philosophy stemmed from a long-standing interest in critical thinking and human behavior. I was fond of these subjects before becoming a fighter, he said. Today, he uses them to challenge students to think differently and to guide them toward a more constructive path.Beyond the classroom, Tajoah has become an outspoken advocate for peace. He employs a social media strategy to educate people about the dangers of rebellion, sharing images of fallen fighters to highlight the realities of armed conflict.He also risks his life traveling to villages, urging young people to put down their weapons. Some residents said his outreach has been instrumental in fostering peace, resulting in the surrender of some fighters.While some are skeptical about Tajoahs work, others see him as a beacon of change. More people understand now hes here to bring peace and encourage others to drop their guns, said Ajiawung Columbus Fortulah, a traditional chief of Atulah village, where Tajoah grew up. Some fighters have put down their weapons, and the local primary school has reopened for studies, Fortulah said.Yet Tajoahs activism has come at personal cost. His mother has been kidnapped twice by separatists, and he has received numerous death threats from separatists seeking to silence his efforts.Another ex-combatant, Okha Naseri Clovis, shares Tajoahs determination. Now studying logistics in Cameroons capital, Yaound, Clovis has been outspoken about his experiences, frequently criticizing separatist leaders. He addresses ex-combatants at rehabilitation centers, urging them to embrace reintegration and peace, and travels to remote villages to counter the narrative of separatists.Cameroonian officials have welcomed community efforts that support the rehabilitation program but have been accused by critics of not addressing the root causes of the crisis.The conflict, meanwhile, shows no signs of resolution. Peace talks with international mediators have stalled, with both sides accusing each other of bad faith.Theres a difference between the Anglophone crisis and Ambazonian terrorism, Tajoah said. Anglophones are marginalized, but guns and kidnappings wont solve it. Dialogue and action are the only way forward.He hopes his students will embrace that message.I fought to close schools, but now I teach to open minds, he said. The scars will always be there, but they dont have to define you.___The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Jannik Sinner of Italy plays a backhand return to Ben Shelton of the U.S. during their semifinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)2025-01-26T05:01:06Z MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) Defending champion Jannik Sinner will face Alexander Zverev in the first Australian Open mens final between the players ranked No. 1 and No. 2 since Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal in 2019.The top-seeded Sinner is a 23-year-old from Italy who can become the youngest man to win two consecutive trophies at Melbourne Park since Jim Courier in 1992 and 1993. Sinner also won the U.S. Open last September, shortly after being exonerated in a doping case that is still not entirely resolved.Sinner will be attempting to become the first man since Nadal at the French Open in 2005 and 2006 to follow up his first Grand Slam title by repeating as the champion at the same tournament a year later.Sinner enters Sunday on a 20-match winning streak that dates to late last season.The second-seeded Zverev is a 27-year-old from Germany who is seeking his first Grand Slam title. He is 0-2 in previous major finals and lost both in five sets. Zverev advanced to the final when Djokovic quit playing after the first set of their semifinal on Friday because of a torn muscle in his left leg. Djokovic, who was booed by some spectators as he left Rod Laver Arena, posted a photo of his hamstrings MRI on social media early Sunday, with the caption: Thought Id leave this here for all the sports injury experts out there.Play is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. local time (3:30 a.m. EST), and Sinner is listed as the favorite, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.___AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

U.N peacekeepers hold their flag in Blida, a Lebanese border village with Israel in south Lebanon, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)2025-01-26T08:26:24Z MAYS AL-JABAL, Lebanon (AP) At least three people were killed and more than 40 others injured in southern Lebanon Sunday when Israeli forces opened fire on protesters who had breached roadblocks the Israeli army set up a day before, Lebanons health ministry reported.Demonstrators, some of them carrying Hezbollah flags, attempted to enter several villages in the border area to protest Israels failure to withdraw its troops from southern Lebanon by the 60-day deadline stipulated in a ceasefire agreement that halted the Israel-Hezbollah war in late November.Israel has said that it needs to stay longer because the Lebanese army has not deployed to all areas of southern Lebanon to ensure that Hezbollah does not reestablish a military presence in the area. The Lebanese army has said it cannot deploy until Israeli forces withdraw.Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, said in a statement addressing the people of southern Lebanon on Sunday that Lebanons sovereignty and territorial integrity are non-negotiable, and I am following up on this issue at the highest levels to ensure your rights and dignity. He urged them to exercise self-restraint and trust in the Lebanese Armed Forces. The Lebanese army, in a separate statement, said it was escorting civilians into some towns in the border area and called on residents to follow military instructions to ensure their safety. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, whose Amal Movement party is allied with Hezbollah and who served as an interlocutor between the militant group and the U.S. during ceasefire negotiations, said in a statement that Sundays bloodshed is a clear and urgent call for the international community to act immediately and compel Israel to withdraw from occupied Lebanese territories. Lebanons Health Ministry said in a statement that one protester was killed and 10 others injured in the border village of Houla. Another protester was killed in the village of Aitaroun and 11 injured. A third protester was killed in the village of Blida and one person injured. The health ministry also reported injuries in the areas of Mays al-Jabal, Markaba, Bani Hayyan, Odaisseh, Rab Thalatin and Kfar Kila. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the protests.The Israeli armys Arabic language spokesman called Sunday morning in a post on X for residents of the border area not to attempt to return to their villages.An AP team was stranded overnight at a base of the U.N. peacekeeping force known as UNIFIL near Mays al-Jabal after the Israeli army erected roadblocks Saturday while they were joining a patrol by peacekeepers. The journalists reported hearing gunshots and booming sounds Sunday morning from the base, and peacekeepers said that dozens of protesters had gathered nearby.Sewell reported from Beirut. AP writer Sally Abou AlJoud contributed. KAREEM CHEHAYEB Chehayeb is an Associated Press reporter in Beirut. twitter instagram mailto ABBY SEWELL Sewell is the Associated Press news director for Lebanon, Syria and Iraq. She joined the AP in 2022 but has been based in the region since 2016, reporting and guiding coverage on some of its most significant news stories. twitter mailto

A bulldozer works to open the al Rashid main road for Palestinians who are returning from the southern parts of the Gaza Strip to the north, in Gaza City, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025, days after the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas came into effect. (AP Photo/Abed Hajjar)2025-01-26T08:29:20Z DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) A Palestinian man was killed and seven people were wounded by Israeli fire overnight, local health officials said Sunday, as crowds gathered in hopes of returning to the northern Gaza Strip under a fragile week-old ceasefire aimed at winding down the war.In a separate development, President Donald Trump suggested Saturday that most of Gazas population should be at least temporarily resettled elsewhere, including in Egypt and Jordan, in order to just clean out the war-ravaged enclave. Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinians themselves have previously rejected such a scenario.Under the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, Israel on Saturday was to begin allowing Palestinians to return to their homes in northern Gaza on foot through the so-called Netzarim corridor bisecting the territory. Israel put the move on hold until Hamas freed a hostage who Israel said was supposed to have been released that day. The man was shot and two others were wounded late Saturday, according to the Awda Hospital, which received the casualties. Another five Palestinians, including a child, were wounded early Sunday in a separate shooting, the hospital said. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.Israel has pulled back from several areas of Gaza as part of the ceasefire, which came into force last Sunday, but the military has warned people to stay away from its forces, which are still operating in a buffer zone inside Gaza along the border and in the Netzarim corridor. Hamas freed four young female Israeli soldiers on Saturday, and Israel released some 200 Palestinian prisoners, most of whom were serving life sentences after being convicted of deadly attacks. The release of four Israeli hostages Saturday comes nearly a week into a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and is part of a long and uncertain process aimed at eventually ending the war. The APs Sam Mednick explains. But Israel said another hostage, the female civilian Arbel Yehoud, was supposed to have been released as well, and that it would not open the Netzarim corridor until she was freed. It also accused Hamas of failing to provide details on the conditions of the hostages set to be freed in the coming weeks. The United States, Egypt and Qatar, which mediated the ceasefire, were working to address the dispute.The ceasefire reached earlier this month after more than a year of negotiations is aimed at ending the 15-month war triggered by Hamas Oct. 7, 2023, attack and freeing scores of hostages still held in Gaza in return for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.Around 90 hostages are still being held in Gaza, and Israeli authorities believe at least a third, and up to half of them, were killed in the initial attack or died in captivity.The first phase of the ceasefire runs until early March and includes the release of a total of 33 hostages and nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. The second and far more difficult phase, has yet to be negotiated. Hamas has said it will not release the remaining hostages without an end to the war, while Israel has threatened to resume its offensive until Hamas is destroyed.Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people in the Oct. 7 attack, mostly civilians, and abducted around 250 people. More than 100 were freed during a weeklong ceasefire in November 2023. Israeli forces have rescued eight living hostages and recovered the remains of dozens more, at least three of whom were mistakenly killed by Israeli forces. Seven have been freed since the latest ceasefire began. Israels military campaign has killed over 47,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gazas Health Ministry. It does not say how many of the dead were combatants. The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 fighters, without providing evidence.Israeli bombardment and ground operations have flattened wide swaths of Gaza and displaced around 90% of its population of 2.3 million people. Many who have returned to their homes since the ceasefire began have found only mounds of rubble where their neighborhoods once stood.___Magdy reported from Cairo and Krauss from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.___Follow APs war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

FILE- South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol attends the fourth hearing of his impeachment trial over his short-lived imposition of martial law at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (Jeon Heon Kyun/Pool Photo via AP, File)2025-01-26T10:11:33Z SEOUL, South Korea (AP) South Korean prosecutors on Sunday indicted impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on rebellion in connection with his short-lived imposition of martial law, news reports said, a criminal charges that could put him to death or jail for life if convicted.This is the latest blow to Yoon, who was impeached and arrested over his Dec. 3 martial law decree that plunged the country into huge political turmoil, shaking South Korean politics and financial markets as well as its international image. Separate from criminal judicial proceedings, the Constitutional Court is now deliberating whether to formally dismiss Yoon as president or reinstate him.South Korean media outlets, including Yonhap news agency, reported that the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office indicted Yoon over rebellion. Calls to the prosecutors office and Yoons lawyers went unanswered. Yoon, a conservative, has steadfastly denied any wrongdoing, calling his martial law a legitimate act of governance meant to raise public awareness of the danger of the liberal-controlled National Assembly which obstructed his agenda and impeached top officials. During his announcement of martial law, Yoon called the assembly a den of criminals and vowed to eliminate shameless North Korea followers and anti-state forces. After declaring martial law on Dec. 3, Yoon sent troops and police officers to the assembly, but enough lawmakers still managed to enter an assembly chamber to vote down Yoons decree unanimously, forcing his Cabinet to lift it. The martial law imposition, the first of its kind in South Korea in more than 40 years, lasted only six hours. However, it evoked painful memories of past dictatorial rules in the 1960s-80s when military-backed rulers used martial laws and emergency decrees to suppress opponents.South Koreas constitution gives the president the power to declare martial law to keep order in wartime and other comparable emergency states, but many experts say the country wasnt under such conditions when Yoon declared martial law. Yoon insists he had no intentions of disrupting assembly work i ncluding its floor vote on his decree and that the dispatch of troops and police forces was meant to maintain order. But commanders of military units sent to the assembly have told assembly hearings or investigators that Yoon ordered them to drag out lawmakers.Investigations on Yoon have intensified the countrys already serious internal division, with rival protesters regularly staging rallies in downtown Seoul.After a local court on Jan. 19 approved a formal arrest warrant to extend Yoons detainment, dozens of his supporters stormed the court building, destroying windows, doors and other property. They also attacked police officers with bricks, steel pipes and other objects. The violence left 17 police officers injured, and police said they detained 46 protesters.Yoon earlier resisted efforts by investigative authorities to question or detain him. He then was apprehended on Jan. 15 in a massive law enforcement operation at his presidential compound. Leading Yoons investigation was the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, but since his detainment Yoon has refused to attend CIOs questioning, saying it has no legal authority to investigate rebellion allegations. The CIO has said it can investigate Yoons rebellion allegation as its related to his abuse of power and other allegations.Yoon has presidential immunity from most criminal prosecutions, but the privilege does not extend to allegations of rebellion or treason.The CIO handed over Yoons case to the Seoul prosecutors office Friday and asked it to indict him on rebellion, abuse of power and obstruction of the National Assembly. By law in South Korea, the leader of a rebellion can face life in prison or the death penalty.In a statement Saturday, Yoons defense team urged prosecutors to immediately release Yoon and launch an investigation on the CIO. Yoons defense minister, police chief and several other military commanders have already been arrested over their roles in the martial law decree. HYUNG-JIN KIM Hyung-jin is an Associated Press reporter in Seoul, South Korea. He reports on security, political and other general news on the Korean Peninsula. twitter mailto

CAPTION CORRECTS YEAR A UN armoured personnel carrier burns during clashes with M23 rebels outside Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)2025-01-26T10:26:43Z GOMA, Congo (AP) Congo severed diplomatic ties with Rwanda as fighting between Rwanda-backed rebels and government forces raged around the key eastern city of Goma, leaving at least 13 peacekeepers and foreign soldiers dead and displacing thousands of civilians.The M23 rebel group has made significant territorial gains along the border with Rwanda in recent weeks, closing in on Goma, the provincial capital of around 2 million people and a regional hub for security and humanitarian efforts. Congo, the United States and U.N. experts accuse Rwanda of backing M23, which is mainly made up of ethnic Tutsis who broke away from the Congolese army more than a decade ago. Its one of about 100 armed groups that have been vying for a foothold in the mineral-rich region, where a long-running conflict has created one of the worlds largest humanitarian crises. Rwandas government denies backing the rebels, but last year acknowledged that it has troops and missile systems in eastern Congo to safeguard its security, pointing to a buildup of Congolese forces near the border. U.N. experts estimate there are up to 4,000 Rwandan forces in Congo. The Congolese Foreign ministry said late Saturday it was severing diplomatic ties with Rwanda and pulling out all diplomatic staff from the country with immediate effect. Rwanda did not comment immediately. The U.N. Security Council moved up an emergency meeting on the escalating violence in eastern Congo to Sunday. Congo requested the meeting, which had originally been scheduled for Monday. On Sunday morning, heavy gunfire resonated across Goma, just a few kilometers (miles) from the front line, while scores of displaced children and adults fled the camps at the citys outskirts and marched toward the city center.Earlier in the week, the rebels seized Sake, 27 kilometers (16 miles) from Goma, as concerns mounted that the city could soon fall. Congos army said Saturday it fended off an M23 offensive with the help of allied forces, including U.N. troops and soldiers from the Southern African Development Community Mission, also known as SAMIDRC.Two South African peacekeepers were killed Friday, while a Uruguayan soldier was killed Saturday, a U.N. official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they werent authorized to speak on the matter publicly.Additionally, three Malawian peacekeepers were killed in eastern Congo, the United Nations in Malawi said Saturday.Seven South African soldiers from the SAMIDRC were also killed during clashes with M23 over the last two days, South Africas Defense Department said.Since 2021, Congos government and allied forces, including SAMIDRC and U.N. troops, have been keeping M23 away from Goma.The U.N peacekeeping force, also known as MONUSCO, entered Congo more than two decades ago and has around 14,000 peacekeepers on the ground.

Displaced Palestinians return to Rafah, Gaza Strip, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025 a day after the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas went into effect. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)2025-01-26T09:43:56Z DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) President Donald Trumps suggestion that Egypt and Jordan take in Palestinians from the war-ravaged Gaza Strip is likely to be met with a hard no from the two U.S. allies and the Palestinians themselves who fear Israel would never allow them to return.Trump floated the idea on Saturday, saying he would urge the leaders of the two Arab countries to take in Gazas now largely homeless population, so that we just clean out that whole thing. He added that resettling Gazas population could be temporary or long term.Its literally a demolition site right now, Trump said, referring to the vast destruction caused by Israels 15-month military campaign against Hamas, now paused by a fragile ceasefire. Id rather get involved with some of the Arab nations, and build housing in a different location, where they can maybe live in peace for a change, Trump said. There was no immediate comment from Egypt, Jordan, Israel or Palestinian officials.The idea is likely to be welcomed by Israel, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus far-right governing partners have long advocated what they describe as the voluntary migration of large numbers of Palestinians and the reestablishment of Jewish settlements in Gaza.Human rights groups have already accused Israel of ethnic cleansing, which United Nations experts have defined as a policy designed by one ethnic or religious group to remove the civilian population of another group from certain areas by violent and terror-inspiring means. A History of DisplacementBefore and during the 1948 war surrounding Israels creation, some 700,000 Palestinians a majority of the prewar population fled or were driven from their homes in what is now Israel, an event they commemorate as the Nakba Arabic for catastrophe.Israel refused to allow them to return because it would have resulted in a Palestinian majority within its borders. The refugees and their descendants now number around 6 million, with large communities in Gaza, where they make up the majority of the population, as well as the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. In the 1967 Mideast war, when Israel seized the West Bank and Gaza Strip, 300,000 more Palestinians fled, mostly into Jordan.The decades-old refugee crisis has been a major driver of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and was one of the thorniest issues in peace talks that last broke down in 2009. The Palestinians claim a right of return, while Israel says they should be absorbed by surrounding Arab countries.Many Palestinians view the latest war in Gaza, in which entire neighborhoods have been shelled to oblivion and 90% of the population of 2.3 million have been forced from their homes, as a new Nakba. They fear that if large numbers of Palestinians leave Gaza, then they too may never return. A red line for countries that made peace with Israel decades agoEgypt and Jordan fiercely rejected the idea of accepting Gaza refugees early in the war, when it was floated by some Israeli officials.Both countries have made peace with Israel but support the creation of a Palestinian state in the occupied West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem, territories Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war. They fear that the permanent displacement of Gazas population could make that impossible.Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi has also warned of the security implications of transferring large numbers of Palestinians to Egypts Sinai Peninsula, bordering Gaza.Hamas and other militant groups are deeply rooted in Palestinian society and are likely to move with the refugees, which would mean that future wars would be fought on Egyptian soil, something that could unravel the historic Camp David peace treaty, a cornerstone of regional stability.The peace which we have achieved would vanish from our hands, el-Sissi said in October 2023, after Hamas attack on southern Israel triggered the war. All for the sake of the idea of eliminating the Palestinian cause.Thats what happened in Lebanon in the 1970s, when Yasser Arafats Palestine Liberation Organization, the leading militant group of its time, transformed the countrys south into a launchpad for attacks on Israel. The refugee crisis and the PLOs actions helped push Lebanon into a 15-year civil war in 1975. Israel invaded twice and occupied southern Lebanon from 1982 until 2000. Jordan, which clashed with the PLO and expelled it under similar circumstances in 1970, already hosts more than 2 million Palestinian refugees, the majority of whom have been granted citizenship.Israeli ultranationalists have long suggested that Jordan be considered a Palestinian state so that Israel can keep the West Bank, which they view as the biblical heartland of the Jewish people. Jordans monarchy has vehemently rejected that scenario. Can Trump force Egypt and Jordan to accept refugees?That depends on how serious Trump is about the idea and how far he is prepared to go.U.S. tariffs one of Trumps favorite economic tools or outright sanctions could be devastating for Jordan and Egypt. The two countries receive billions of dollars in American aid each year, and Egypt is already mired in an economic crisis.But allowing an influx of refugees could also be destabilizing. Egypt says it is currently hosting some 9 million migrants, including refugees from Sudans civil war. Jordan, with a population of less than 12 million, is hosting over 700,000 refugees, mainly from Syria.U.S. pressure would also risk alienating key allies in the region with whom Trump has had good relations not only el-Sissi and Jordans King Abdullah II, but the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey, all of whom support the Palestinian cause.That would potentially complicate efforts to broker a historic agreement between Saudi Arabia and Israel to normalize relations, something Trump tried to do during his previous term and expects to complete in his current one.___Associated Press writer Samy Magdy in Cairo contributed to this report.___Follow APs war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., responds to questions during his weekly press conference at the Capitol, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)2025-01-26T13:04:59Z WASHINGTON (AP) When Donald Trump took office in 2017 with promises to crack down on immigration, he was met by widespread protests that filled churches, airports and union halls as Democratic lawmaker vowed to fight the new Republican president at every turn. The second time around, Democrats helped send an immigration bill to his desk during his first week in office.Stinging from election losses, the Democratic Party has so far been splintered in responding to Trumps push against illegal immigration. Yet the partys soul searching comes as the stakes could hardly be higher. The new president is acting to seal off the U.S.-Mexico border border to asylum seekers and deport millions of immigrants who do not have permanent legal status.I think Donald Trump has painted the Democratic Party into a corner on immigration, and its going to take us a while to get out of the corner, said Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo. I want us acting out of conviction about what we believe about immigration rather than out of fear. Looking for areas of agreement with TrumpOn Capitol Hill, a crucial faction of Democrats are looking for places of agreement with Trump.Between the House and Senate, 58 Democrats last week voted to pass the Laken Riley Act, which requires federal authorities to detain migrants accused of theft, assaulting a police officer, or other crimes that injure or kill someone.Meanwhile, other congressional Democrats said they spent the last week addressing the fears and developing resources for those who could be deported. Rep. Juan Vargas, D-Calif., joined a priest at Our Lady of Guadalupe church in San Diego last weekend, carrying the Eucharist from home to home because so many in the congregation feared to go outside. What the Democratic votes may meanFor Republicans, the votes on the Laken Riley Act were proof that they had found a winning message amplified and led by Trump on illegal immigration. They are planning to continue pushing immigration legislation, as well as a roughly $100 billion package that would enable Trump to carry out his border and deportation plans.Democratic senators willing to back tougher enforcement could be crucial. It takes support from 60 senators to advance most legislation, meaning that at least a few Democrats will need to be on board. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority.Its a really important moment for the country. And its always good when the right thing is also the popular thing, said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., after the Laken Riley Act passed. It was named after a Georgia nursing student who was killed last year by a Venezuelan man who had entered the United States illegally and was allowed to stay and to pursue his immigration case.When asked about Democratic votes for the legislation, the partys leader in the House, New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, was circumspect.House Democrats are going to continue to make decisions based on whats right for the districts that we represent, and the politics will take care of themselves, he said.Since last year, many Democrats have steadily moved to the right on border security, emphasizing the need for stricter immigration enforcement after historic numbers of migrants arrived at times under Democrat Joe Bidens presidency. What Americans thinkHalf of U.S. adults now think increasing security at the border should be a high priority for the federal government, according to a January poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Another 3 in 10 adults say it should be a moderate priority.While most Democrats oppose deporting all immigrants who are living in the U.S. illegally, about 8 in 10 also favor deporting immigrants in the country illegally who have been convicted of a violent crime. The Biden administration prioritized for deportation those who posed a threat to national security. The Trump administration plans to go further by beginning its deportation operation with immigrants tied to crime.Sen. Ruben Gallego, a Democrat who last year won in Arizona while Trump also carried the state, was outspoken in his support for legislation such as the Laken Riley Act. He said that he was just reflecting the will of his constituents, including many Latino voters.They want sane border security, commonsense solutions, more Border Patrol, more customs officers, Gallego said. They want to see bad people get deported. They want to see an opportunity for good people to find a way for them to stay here. The search for unityImmigration advocates are frustrated by Democrats acquiescing to Trumps tough border. They fear Trump can own the narrative around immigration.Vanessa Crdenas, the executive director of Americas Voice advocacy group, acknowledged that it was a tough moment for Democrats. But, Crdenas added, They need to find their backbone and put up a fight.After the Laken Riley Act passed, leaders of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, a Democratic group that has usually played a key role in immigration policy, met with Jeffries as their party tried to formulate a united message. The group said it would focus on action to keep mixed-status families together, protect farmworkers and advocate for recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Still, the group ranges from progressive members to those who voted for the new legislation.We have to show we have the ability to build consensus internally, New York Rep. Adriano Espaillat, chair of the Hispanic caucus, told The Associated Press.At a news conference the next day, Espaillat laid out the practical concerns of mass deportations, from forcing out immigrants who have contributed to the U.S. for decades to rising food prices if agricultural laborers are targeted.The event was intended to present a united front, yet as members of the caucus took turns at the microphone, their promises varied.We are going to be here to fight back, said Rep. Nydia Velzquez, D-N.Y.Then Rep. Gabe Vasquez, D-N.M., spoke: There are opportunities for us to work with Republicans, such as fighting the cartels and coyotes who traffic women and children, provide an endless supply of drugs and hurt our border communities.__Associated Press writer Linley Sanders in Washington contributed to this report. STEPHEN GROVES Groves covers Congress for The Associated Press. twitter mailto

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. speaks during the Libertarian National Convention at the Washington Hilton in Washington, Friday, May 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)2025-01-26T14:00:06Z WASHINGTON (AP) When President Donald Trump tapped Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to become the nations top health official, his administration inherited a sprawling list of ideas to Make America Healthy Again, from banning TV drug advertisements to dropping restrictions on raw milk.While those unorthodox proposals and Kennedys discredited views on vaccines have dominated recent headlines, a slate of more familiar ideas have attracted interest on Capitol Hill and across the U.S.: making school lunches healthier, banning certain food additives and cracking down on ultraprocessed foods linked to obesity and diabetes.For decades, public health groups have called for similar steps, lobbying federal leaders and mounting public campaigns about the risks of American diets loaded with salt, sugar and fat.As Kennedy faces Senate confirmation hearings Wednesday and Thursday, health advocates find themselves in an uncomfortable position: voicing cautious support for some of Kennedys ideas while warning of the catastrophic consequences of others. If theres an opportunity to advance the public health, you have to seize it, said Dr. Peter Lurie, a former FDA official who now leads the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest. So you cant ignore the guy on everything because you oppose him on some things. Like many experts, Lurie says Kennedys record on vaccines should disqualify him from becoming health secretary. And hes deeply skeptical Kennedy can deliver on his ideas for food and nutrition. Kennedys confirmation is far from certain in the Senate, where he is expected to face pointed questioning from both Republicans and Democrats on the chambers health and finance committees. Kennedy has been downplaying his long history in the anti-vaccine movement, but experts say thats where lawmakers should focus.The elephant in the room is vaccine policy, said Dr. Tom Frieden, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under Barack Obama. In medicine we say: Above all, do no harm. Im certainly not convinced that RFK Jr. wouldnt do a lot of harm to our vaccine policy and to our kids. Still, such worries havent stopped some Democrats from finding shared interests.Former Ohio congressman Tim Ryan penned an op-ed last month titled: Hey Democrats: We should work with RFK Jr. on fixing Americas food system.Sen. Cory Booker, a vegan, told reporters that he and Kennedy are talking out of the same playbook when it comes to food reforms.Bookers office did not respond to a request for comment. Trump and Kennedy are an unlikely allianceTrumps unlikely alliance with Kennedy, a lifelong Democrat until 2023, reflects a diverse segment of Americans who increasingly worry about chemicals in their food and water and distrust medical experts, government officials, and big food and drugmakers.Supporters of Kennedys longshot presidential campaign included California parents concerned about food dyes in cereal and Midwestern factory workers resentful of COVID-19 vaccine mandates.But the clash between Trumps antiregulatory approach and Kennedys anticorporate stance has many observers skeptical that much of the so-called MAHA agenda will ever happen.Requiring healthier foods in school lunches, for example, has long been opposed by food and agriculture companies that overwhelmingly backed Trump in the last election, donating to his campaign by a nearly 4-to-1 margin over Kamala Harris, according to records compiled by Opensecrets.org.During Trumps first term, political appointees weakened school nutrition guidelines introduced as part of Michelle Obamas Lets Move campaign. The rules required schools to offer more fruit and vegetable options.Making major changes to the federal program involves coordination between the Agriculture Department, the Department of Health and Human Services and dozens of state educational programs.They dont have the policy coherence to make that happen, said Dr. Georges Benjamin of the American Public Health Association. People have been talking about improving the quality of school lunches for many years, but it takes a lot of money and collaboration to do it at a national level. Even seemingly smaller goals like banning potentially harmful food additives would require new regulations and staffers at FDA which Kennedy has vowed to clear out.U.S. foods contain hundreds of ingredients that arent permitted in Europe because American companies arent required to seek FDA approval before introducing them. Companies can self-certify that new colors or chemicals are generally recognized as safe. Efforts to reform the decades-old system have been rejected in court and defeated in Congress, with backing from industry lobbyists.Seemingly popular ideas like discouraging ultraprocessed foods could also prove untenable.I dont think most Americans know that when you talk about ultraprocessed foods youre talking about ice cream, frozen dinners, fast food, said Benjamin. Are we really talking about changing the entire American food experience? Experts hope for the best, but prepare for the worstIf Kennedy is blocked from overhauling the nations food system he would still have many other ideas to pursue.What we have is a bunch of good things that are very unlikely to happen weighed against a bunch of bad things that are very injurious but are much more feasible, Lurie said.Kennedy has threatened to fire hundreds of employees at the National Institutes of Health and slash FDA regulations on a host of unproven treatments, including stem cells, psychedelics and discredited COVID-era treatments like ivermectin.Even seemingly small changes on vaccines could have damaging consequences, experts say.Kennedy could dissolve current federal vaccine committees and staff them with advisers who are hostile to vaccines. Currently, insurers must pay for children to receive shots recommended by those experts. But the requirement would lapse if Kennedys appointees declined to endorse updated shots and immunization schedules.For now, Georgetown Universitys Larry Gostin says he and other advocates are hoping for the best but preparing for the worst.If he comes up with ideas that are good and actionable, I will be the first one to applaud and put my back into helping them succeed, said Gostin, a health attorney. Im just very skeptical that he will do that.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Pete Hegseth speaks after being sworn in as Secretary of Defense by Vice President JD Vance in the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus in Washington, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)2025-01-26T13:40:32Z WASHINGTON (AP) When Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth steps into his office on the Pentagons third floor E Ring on Monday morning, he will have a daunting array of issues to tackle from global conflicts and border security to administrative tasks.At the top of his list is addressing President Donald Trumps priority to strengthen the U.S. military presence along the southern border and reviewing whether active-duty forces should be used for law enforcement something done rarely.Dozens of other issues will compete for his attention, including developing the Pentagons massive budget, decisions about aid to Ukraine, support for the ceasefire in Gaza, troop deployments in the Middle East. Not to mention Trump directives to rid the federal government of diversity programs and personnel as well as moves to cut waste and remove any lingering Biden administration backers. In a message to the force shortly after he was sworn in Saturday, Hegseth cited the challenges he sees ahead. Some are ones his predecessors also faced, such as reorienting the military from decades of a Mideast focus and better deterring China. Continued conflict in the region, including the October 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas, has made that shift impossible to execute. Hegseth also told service members about other priorities, including strengthening the defense industrial base and getting the Pentagon to pass an audit, while ensuring that the U.S. remains the strongest and most lethal force in the world. Already, support staff have been meeting with military leaders, including Gen. CQ Brown Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. But Hegseth will get to experience what many describe as drinking from a firehose as he works to quickly get up to speed on what his 2.1 million service members and 780,000 civilians in the department are doing. Among them are tens of thousands serving overseas, including in combat zones. Then there are the cultural issues that Hegseth railed on as a media personality that did not make it into Hegseths message to the military. Many expect they will surface in the coming days. Here are some key issues that Hegseth, who was confirmed in a tiebreaking vote Friday by Vice President JD Vance, will face right away:Border deployments In trying to meet Trumps demand of securing the border, Hegseth will face a barrage of information about what troops are available, what assistance the Border Patrol needs and where, as well as how to house, feed and transport the troops and border personnel and how to ensure none of this affects other national security requirements.One of his first big decisions is whether he will recommend that active-duty troops deployed to the border get involved in law enforcement, a move that military leaders in recent years have pushed to avoid. Active-duty forces are prohibited from doing law enforcement duties on U.S. soil under the Posse Comitatus Act. Trump has signed an executive order directing that his defense and homeland security secretaries report back within 90 days on whether they think he should invoke the 1807 law called the Insurrection Act, which allows troops to be used for civilian law enforcement on U.S. soil during emergencies. During previous deployments, troops have been used for transportation, intelligence, logistics, wall-building and other support tasks, freeing up the Border Patrol to interact with migrants and conduct the law enforcement duties. Transgender troops In his first executive order, Trump again stripped protections for transgender troops that Democratic President Joe Biden had restored after Trump banned those members from serving during his first term in office. The ban previously faced legal challenges, and lawyers who represented transgender forces last time are readying to take it up in the courts again. While Trump has not announced a ban, his decision to revoke protections is seen as a first step toward that. It is unclear how many troops would be affected. The Defense Department has no exact figure on the number of transgender troops serving because not every transgender person is in the same state of medical transition and not every transgender person identifies as such in military paperwork. The department has referred queries on how many transgender troops there are to the services; the services have said they have no way to track. The budget and UkraineHegseth will have to become familiar with the complicated construction of the Pentagon budget, which right now is about $850 billion. Trump ran on a vow to make the U.S. military more lethal something Hegseth has echoed. But they also have spoken extensively about cutting waste. So Hegseths imprint on the budget will be studied to determine how thats being done.Woven into those discussions will be security assistance to Ukraine. The State Department has ordered a freeze on new funding for almost all U.S. foreign aid, and there was no indication of a waiver for military assistance for Ukraine like there was for Israel and Egypt. The Biden administration provided Kyiv with more than $66 billion in military aid and weapons during the war with Russia. It had left unspent about $3.85 billion in congressionally authorized funding to send more weapons to Ukraine from existing U.S. stockpiles a sum that is not affected by the foreign aid freeze. But it is now up to Hegseth and Trump to decide whether or not to spend it, and Trump hasnt said what he will do on Ukraine aid. Diversity, equity and inclusion rollbacksHegseth will take over the Pentagons push to implement Trumps executive order to get rid of DEI programs, coming as military officers fret over whether they will be fired for being woke, as Hegseth has pledged to do.During his Senate hearing, Hegseth affirmed his commitment to focus on lethality and to eliminate wokeness, arguing that DEI policies divide troops and do not prioritize meritocracy.Officials said the Defense Department doesnt have any full-time workers assigned to DEI so they dont expect to have to fire people, as other federal agencies have.But senior leaders have been poring over their websites to delete pages that mention diversity. Lacking clear guidance, staffers were pulling websites down in often inconsistent ways. The Army, for example, temporarily removed its sexual assault guidelines before they later came back online.Hegseth also has railed against women in combat in his books and on podcasts and said standards were lowered for them, which is not true. He has since toned down his criticism after substantial pushback from lawmakers.He most recently told senators that hes not aware that Trump wants to roll back the decision to allow women to serve in all combat jobs. Instead, he has talked about doing a review of standards.Reproductive careAfter the Supreme Court in 2022 ended constitutional protections for abortion that were set out in Roe v. Wade, then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin came out with a policy that would allow service members to take leave and be reimbursed for travel expenses to obtain reproductive care including abortions and in-vitro fertilization if the military base they were assigned to was in a state that had banned that care. Its not clear whether Hegseth will seek to further revise that policy to remove the reimbursement provisions. It has been only scarcely used, and the department does not break down what the travel was for due to medical privacy laws. LOLITA C. BALDOR Baldor has covered the Pentagon and national security issues for The Associated Press since 2005. She has reported from all over the world including warzones in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria. twitter mailto TARA COPP Copp covers the Pentagon and national security for the Associated Press. She has reported from Afghanistan, Iraq, throughout the Middle East, Europe and Asia. twitter mailto

President Donald Trump holds up a signed executive order aiming to declassify remaining federal records relating to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr., in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)2025-01-26T13:44:45Z WASHINGTON (AP) Two months ago, in his first network television interview after the election, Donald Trump said he owed his victory to Americans anger over immigration and inflation, specifically the rising cost of groceries.When you buy apples, when you buy bacon, when you buy eggs, they would double and triple the price over a short period of time, he told NBCs Meet the Press. And I won an election based on that. Were going to bring those prices way down.But in Trumps first week back in the White House, there was little in his initial blitz of executive orders that directly tackled those prices, besides directing federal agencies to start pursuing appropriate actions. He is taking steps to lower energy costs, something that Trump hopes will have ripple effects throughout the economy. Otherwise, his focus has been clamping down on immigration, which he described as his No. 1 issue shortly after taking the oath of office. They all said inflation was the No. 1 issue. I said, I disagree, Trump said. I talked about inflation too, but how many times can you say that an apple has doubled in cost? Trump is banking on voters giving him a pass and continuing to blame former President Joe Biden for high prices. The Republicans comments reflect the reality that presidents have almost no levers to reduce inflation quickly without causing collateral damage to other parts of the economy. There is more that Trump can do on energy. He is pushing to reduce regulations and increase the amount of land available for drilling. He is trying to persuade domestic and foreign oil producers to potentially sacrifice their own profits by pumping more.During a rally Saturday in Las Vegas, Trump went after his Democratic predecessor for allowing prices to rise under his watch, and promised to take care of the problem quickly. When I think of Biden, I think of incompetence and inflation, Trump said. Inflation peaked at a 9.1% annual rate in June 2022 during worldwide supply chain problems after the economic shock of the coronavirus pandemic. Overall consumer prices have fallen since then, but have ticked up in recent months, from 2.4% in September to 2.9% in December, the latest figures available. Economists have warned that Trumps plans for tariffs and tax cuts could create new inflationary pressures and keep interest rates elevated.Vice President JD Vance, in an interview with CBS Face the Nation airing Sunday, defended the White Houses work so far. Prices are going to come down, but its going to take a little bit of time, right? he said. He added, Rome wasnt built in a day. Trumps relative shift away from addressing costs could create an opening for Democrats to say he is not helping working-class voters, hoping that argument could offer the party a path back to power in Washington. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said Trump preferred to distract people from inflation with talk of adding Greenland to the United States or seizing the Panama Canal.Its catnip and it causes everybody to stop paying attention to their actual economic agenda, which has nothing to do with lowering costs and everything to do with rigging the economy to help the Mar-a-Lago crowd, he said. During an interview on Fox News this past week, host Sean Hannity struggled to get Trump to focus on the economy. Let me get to the economy, Hannity said at one point. Im running out of time.The economy is going to do great, Trump insisted.When Trump did talk about inflation in the interview, he noted how low it was during his first term and insisted prices would not have jumped up if he had president after the 2020 election, even though higher inflation was a global trend coming out of the pandemic.It is not clear how Trump would persuade oil companies and foreign countries to quickly increase production, possibly costing them profits. The Energy Information Administration reported that domestic oil production has grown at an annual rate of roughly 8.4% over the past two years to an average of nearly 13.5 million barrels a day in October. Some Trump aides suggest that could increase by an additional 3 million barrels a day. It would be difficult to achieve that much additional production in a single year without serious changes to the global market. The International Energy Agency estimates that the oil supplied to the entire world will increase by 1.8 million barrels per day to 104.7 million barrels a day. He also has expressed opposition to climate-friendlier wind and solar energy, putting more pressure on the U.S. economy to rely on fossil fuels.EJ Antoni, a research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank in Washington, said the potential increase in energy production under Trump would ultimately flow through the economy in the form of lower prices. If youre going to bring down the cost of energy, youre going to bring down the cost of all kinds of goods and services, he said.But there is a risk that some of Trumps plans taken as a whole could raise not reduce prices. Deporting migrants who are in the United States illegally could deprive companies of lower wage workers. The cost of tariffs, which are taxes placed on foreign imports, could be passed on to consumers.Trump said that his strategy also might ultimately involve publicly pressuring the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates, saying in Davos that he would demand lower rates from central banks. The Fed sees its political independence as key for making tough choices to stabilize prices. Biden saw the independence as worth protecting, whereas Trump sees it as problematic.The Fed raised its benchmark rates starting in 2022 to make it more expensive to borrow and succeeded enough in reducing inflationary pressures that it could trim rates late last year. Trump believes that greater oil production will put him in a position to tell the Fed what to do.Asked in the Oval Office if he expects the Fed to listen to him, Trump simply said, Yeah. CHRIS MEGERIAN Megerian covers the White House for The Associated Press. He previously wrote about the Russia investigation, climate change, law enforcement and politics in California and New Jersey. twitter mailto JOSH BOAK Boak covers the White House and economic policy for The Associated Press. He joined the AP in 2013. twitter mailto

A boat is seen on the Susitna River near Talkeetna, Alaska, on Sunday, June 13, 2021, with Denali in the background. Denali, the tallest mountain on the North American continent, is located about 60 miles northwest of Talkeetna. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen, File)2025-01-26T12:58:09Z ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) North Americas tallest peak is a focal point of Jeff Kings life.The four-time winner of the 1,000-mile (1,609-kilometer) Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race operates his kennel and mushing tourism business just 8 miles (12.87 kilometers) from Denali National Park and Preserves entrance, and the 20,310-foot (6,190-meter) mountain looms large as he trains his dogs on nearby trails.King and many others who live in the mountains shadow say most Alaskans will never stop calling the peak Denali, its Alaska Native name, despite President Donald Trumps executive order that the name revert to Mount McKinley -- an identifier inspired by President William McKinley, who was from Ohio and never set foot in Alaska.For many who live near Denali, Trumps suggestion was peculiar.I dont know a single person that likes the idea, and were pretty vocal about it, King said. Denali respects the Indigenous people that have been here and around Denali for tens of thousands of years. The mountain was named after McKinley when a prospector walked out of the Alaska wilderness in 1896, and the first news he heard was that the Republican had been nominated for president. The name was quickly challenged, but maps had already been circulated with the mountains name in place.At the time, there was no recognition of the name Denali, or the high one, bestowed on the mountain in interior Alaska by Athabascan tribal members, who have lived in the region for centuries. The McKinley name stuck until 2015, when President Barack Obamas administration changed it to Denali as a symbolic gesture to Alaska Natives on the eve of his Alaska visit to highlight climate change.Trump said he issued the order to restore the name of a great president, William McKinley, to Mount McKinley, where it should be and where it belongs. President McKinley made our country very rich through tariffs and through talent. The area lies solely in the United States, and Trump, as president, has the authority to change federal geographical names within the country.In Ohio, Trumps move drew praise.I was really excited to see President Trump do that executive order, former U.S. Rep. Bob Gibbs, R-Ohio, told The Associated Press by telephone Thursday. McKinley was a great president, Gibbs said. It was the appropriate thing to do.Thats not how Alaskans see it.Trump injected a jarring note into Alaska affairs, Steve Haycox, professor emeritus of history at the University of Alaska Anchorage, wrote in the Anchorage Daily News.Historical analysis confirms that William McKinley is the wrong public figure for Alaskans to commemorate, he said.McKinley served as president from 1897 until he was assassinated in 1901. He was an imperial colonialist who oversaw the expansion of the American empire with the occupation of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Philippines and Hawaii, pushed by business interests and Christian missionaries wanting to convert Indigenous peoples, Haycox said.Trumps push to rescind the name Denali for the colonialist and white elitist McKinley is insulting to all Alaskans, especially to Alaskas Native people, and should be soundly rejected, Haycox said. John Wayne Howe, who unsuccessfully ran for U.S. House last year representing the Alaskan Independence Party, which holds that Alaskans should be allowed to vote on becoming an independent nation, said he is tired of people changing the names of stuff, period.He also is not in favor of naming anything after people because the persons that we consider absolutely perfect change over time, and it just leads to confusion.Howe said he prefers Denali because he knows McKinleys history and its the name most preferred by Alaskans.This past week, two resolutions were introduced in the Alaska Legislature to keep the name Denali.Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy, a Trump ally who praised another order by the president aimed at spurring resource development in the state, said he had not had a chance to speak with Trump about the issue but hoped to have a conversation next month in Washington about what Denali means to Alaskans, Americans and our Native folks. But Sarah Palin, a former Republican governor who is also a Trump supporter, said the McKinley name should never have been removed.Palins Secret Service code name was Denali in 2008 when she was GOP presidential nominee John McCains running mate the year they lost to Obama and Joe Biden.But in an interview with Al Arabiya News this past week, Palin said she didnt see why the mountains name needed to be changed to begin with.Its always been Mount McKinley, said Palin, who didnt respond to a message from The Associated Press. Nobody was begging for a change in name in that peak. Just put it back the way it was, more common sense. Alaskas U.S. senators, Republicans Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, have supported the name Denali. U.S. Rep. Nick Begich, a first-term Republican, sidestepped the debate.Im focused on job creation, opportunities in Alaska, Begich told Politico. And what we call a mountain in Alaska is of little concern to me.The Alaska Native Heritage Center, the statewide Indigenous cultural center in Anchorage, supports preserving Indigenous place names.Restoring and honoring them acknowledges the deep, millennia-old connection Indigenous peoples maintain with these lands and is a step toward respect and reconciliation, the centers president, Emily Edenshaw, said in a statement.The quirky Alaska community of Talkeetna, about 140 miles (225.3 kilometers) south of the park and where a cat was once mayor, is the jumping off point for climbers before making the ascent of the peak. The historic community long rumored to be the inspiration for the 1990s television series Northern Exposure is also a popular tourist stop.Joe McAneney of Talkeetna worked as a summer raft-guide for two years before moving to Alaska full time in 2012. Hes now a pilot for an air taxi company, ferrying climbers and tourists to the mountain in a small airplane outfitted with skis to land at base camp, located on Kahiltna Glacier at 7,200 feet (2,194.6 meters) above sea level.He knows once tourist season comes around, he will have to answer their questions of what he thinks about Trump changing the name. He knows what his answer will be.Its always been Denali, and it always will be, he said.The executive order can instigate the name change, but compliance is another issue.The only people that are going to adhere to that are probably the people that would have been still calling it McKinley anyway, McAneney saidThere is a long-standing Alaska trait of ignoring what the rest of the world thinks, and its usually expressed like this: We dont care how they do it Outside. Outside, which is always capitalized, refers to every place that is not Alaska.I think unofficially and officially in Alaska, itll always be Denali, McAneney said. I dont think the president can change that.For King, the decorated Iditarod musher and fan favorite, Trumps decision had a whiff of arrogance.Im surprised he doesnt want to name it Trump Mountain, he said.___Associated Press writer Becky Bohrer in Juneau, Alaska, contributed to this report. MARK THIESSEN Thiessen is an Associated Press all-formats reporter based in Anchorage, Alaska. He covers Alaska Native issues and other general assignments. twitter mailto

An aerial photograph taken by a drone shows displaced Palestinians gathering with their belongings near a roadblock on the al Rashid Street, as they wait to return to their homes in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025, days after the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas came into effect. (AP Photo/Mohammad Abu Samra)2025-01-26T12:12:42Z Ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon appeared at risk on Sunday as disputes continued over key deadlines, and local health officials said that Israeli forces opened fire on both fronts.In Gaza, Israel accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire there by changing the order of hostages it has released. Citing that, Israel has stopped thousands of Palestinians from returning to the northern part of the Gaza Strip as expected by Sunday. Local health officials said that Israeli forces fired on the crowd, killing two.Israel said civilian hostage Arbel Yehoud should have been released before the four soldiers freed on Saturday. Mediators the United States, Qatar and Egypt were working on the issue.In Lebanon, health officials said that Israeli forces opened fire on protesters in the south who demanded that Israel withdraw in line with the ceasefire agreement, killing at least 22. Separately, officials with Hamas and Jordan rejected U.S. President Donald Trumps suggestion that most of Gazas population should be at least temporarily resettled elsewhere, including in Egypt and Jordan.The war in Gaza broke out after Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people in southern Israel in an attack on Oct. 7, 2023, and abducted around 250. Israels retaliatory military operation has killed more than 47,000 Palestinians, more than half of the victims children and women, according to Gazas Health Ministry, which doesnt distinguish between combatants and civilians.Here is the latest: Palestinian president condemns Trumps suggestion to clean out the Gaza StripRAMALLAH, West Bank The office of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has sharply condemned U.S. President Donald Trumps suggestion to clean out the Gaza Strip and request that Egypt and Jordan take in more Palestinians.In a statement, the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited control over parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, says the prospect of mass displacement from the Gaza Strip constitutes a violation of the red lines that we have repeatedly warned against.Our people will not leave, the statement said. We warn of the repercussions of such a dangerous Israeli policy that contributes to severing the ties of the Gaza Strip, and displacing its people, which will lead to destabilization and security.Trumps remarks suggesting that Palestinians be encouraged to leave Gaza gets at the core of Palestinian fears that they will be driven from their remaining homeland.The Palestinian presidency said it was ready to assume its full duties in the Gaza Strip in hopes of eventually establishing an independent Palestinian state. The Palestinian Authority, based in the West Bank city of Ramallah, briefly controlled Gaza after Israeli troops withdrew in 2005, only to be driven out by its rival Hamas two years later. France will consider allowing Israeli companies to take part in Paris Air Show PARIS France will consider allowing Israeli companies to participate in the Paris Air Show in June, thanks to ceasefire agreements in Gaza and Lebanon, the French presidents office said Sunday.That was among the results of a conversation Sunday between French President Emmanuel Macron and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Macron said France hopes to help speed up the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza, two of whom are French citizens. Macron also urged Israel to allow for a massive facilitation of aid to Gazas population, and to fulfill its promises to withdraw troops from Lebanon under a truce brokered by the U.S. and France.Netanyahu asked about Israeli participation in the upcoming Paris Air Show at Le Bourget, a major industry event. The French president said Israeli participation could be favorably considered, as a consequence of the cease-fire in Gaza and Lebanon, according to Macrons office. Tensions surrounded Israels participation in two arms shows in France last year, Eurosatory and Euronaval. The French government did not want Israel displaying any weapons used in its wars in Gaza and Lebanon. Islamic Jihad group says the dispute over a hostage has been settled RAMALLAH, West Bank A spokesman for the Islamic Jihad, Gazas second-largest militant group, says the dispute over an Israeli hostage that has kept Palestinians from returning home to northern Gaza has been settled.Mohamed al-Hajj Mousa added in a statement that the group told mediators that the hostage, Arbel Yehoud, will be released before Saturday, when the next exchange of hostages from Gaza for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody is set to take place.There is no immediate comment from Israel, which has accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire by changing the order of hostages it has released. It expected Yehoud to be freed this weekend, and it has put the movement of Palestinians into northern Gaza on hold. UNRWA warns of far-reaching consequences if Israel goes ahead with its closureRAMALLAH, West Bank The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees says that if Israel carries out its threat to close its east Jerusalem headquarters on Thursday, the outsize effects will be felt acutely and immediately by tens of thousands of Palestinians.The agency, known as UNRWA, runs 12 facilities that provide critical public services across east Jerusalem, including schools enrolling at least 1,200 children and free clinics serving over 70,000 people.Thats the thing, it has an impact on peoples lives, Juliette Touma, a spokeswoman for UNRWA, said of the potential closure.In the Shuafat refugee camp, an impoverished neighborhood, people today can walk just a few meters and theyre in an excellent clinic, Touma said. But if its shuttered, she said, tens of thousands of Palestinians would have to cross a difficult checkpoint, pay for transport and, even if theyre eligible for Israeli primary health care, also pay for medicine in order to see a doctor or get a blood test.Were talking about the poorest of the poor, Touma said. Right now, they have no alternative.The closure of UNRWA schools would raise all sorts of problems given that there are already too few classrooms in the overcrowded Palestinian areas of east Jerusalem, she said. Touma said much remains unclear about the Israeli order, including whether the closure would apply to operations in east Jerusalem only or to the entirety of the Palestinian territories.Israel says the agency has allowed itself to be infiltrated by Hamas, allegations denied by the U.N.Israeli far-right leaders back Trumps suggestion to resettle Palestinians TEL AVIV, Israel Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and former National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, both want Israel to establish Jewish settlements in Gaza, supported Trumps remarks, calling it voluntary emigration.Palestinians and many of their supporters view it as code for ethnic cleansing.In a post on X Sunday, Smotrich called the idea of helping (Palestinians) find other places to start new, good lives great and said he would work with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to that end.Ben-Gvir, who quit Netanyahus government over the current ceasefire in Gaza, said Trumps remarks gave Israel the green light to move ahead on voluntary emigration.When the president of the worlds largest superpower brings it up himself, the government of Israel should implement it, he said in a statement.Netanyahu has said building Jewish settlements in Gaza is not realistic. Israel withdrew troops and settlers from Gaza in 2005 but maintains a blockade with Egypt on the territory.UNRWA says Israel ordered it to vacate Jerusalem headquarters JERUSALEM The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees says its staff was directed to vacate the premises by Thursday. Israel passed legislation last year cutting all ties with the agency and barring it from operating in its territory. It says the agency, which is the main provider of aid in the Gaza Strip, has allowed itself to be infiltrated by Hamas, allegations denied by the U.N. In a statement Sunday, the agency, known as UNRWA, said the order to vacate is in contradiction to international law obligations of U.N. member states, including Israel. United Nations premises are inviolable and enjoy privileges and immunities under the United Nations Charter.UNRWA closed its east Jerusalem headquarters last May after Israeli protesters set fire to its perimeter.Senior Hamas official rejects Trumps proposal to relocate PalestiniansDEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip Bassem Naim said that even if seemingly well-intentioned under the guise of reconstruction, the Palestinian people will never agree to such a proposal. He also said the Palestinians can rebuild Gaza even better than before if Israel lifts its blockade.Israeli forces kill 2 Palestinians in Gaza DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip Israeli forces fired on the crowds on three occasions overnight and into Sunday. Those killed included a child, according to Al-Awda Hospital, which received the casualties.There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.Israel has pulled back from several areas of Gaza as part of the ceasefire, which came into force last Sunday, but the military has warned people to stay away from its forces, which are still operating in a buffer zone inside Gaza along the border and in the Netzarim corridor.

In this photo released by Belarus' Presidential Press Service, President Alexander Lukashenko, center, visits the Minsk Automobile Plant in Minsk, Belarus, Jan. 21, 2025. (Belarus' Presidential Press Service via AP, File)2025-01-26T05:01:34Z The smiling face of President Alexander Lukashenko gazed out from campaign posters across Belarus on Sunday as the country held an orchestrated election virtually guaranteed to give the 70-year-old autocrat yet another term on top of his three decades in power.Needed! the posters proclaim beneath a photo of Lukashenko, his hands clasped together. The phrase is what groups of voters responded in campaign videos after supposedly being asked if they wanted him to serve again.But his opponents, many of whom are imprisoned or exiled abroad by his unrelenting crackdown on dissent and free speech, would disagree. They call the election a sham much like the last one in 2020 that triggered months of protests that were unprecedented in the history of the country of 9 million people.The crackdown saw more than 65,000 arrests, with thousands beaten, bringing condemnation and sanctions from the West. His iron-fisted rule since 1994 Lukashenko took office two years after the demise of the Soviet Union earned him the nickname of Europes Last Dictator, relying on subsidies and political support from close ally Russia. He let Moscow use his territory to invade Ukraine in 2022, and even hosts some of Russias tactical nuclear weapons, but he still campaigned with the slogan Peace and security, arguing he has saved Belarus from being drawn into war.Its better to have a dictatorship like in Belarus than a democracy like Ukraine, Lukashenko said in his characteristic bluntness. Fearing a repeat of election unrestHis reliance on support from Russian President Vladimir Putin himself in office for a quarter-century helped him survive the 2020 protests.Observers believe Lukashenko feared a repeat of those mass demonstrations amid economic troubles and the fighting in Ukraine, and so scheduled the vote in January, when few would want to fill the streets again, rather than in August. He faces only token opposition.The trauma of the 2020 protests was so deep that Lukashenko this time decided not to take risks and opted for the most reliable option when balloting looks more like a special operation to retain power than an election, Belarusian political analyst Valery Karbalevich said.Lukashenko repeatedly declared that he wasnt clinging to power and would quietly and calmly hand it over to the new generation.His 20-year-old son, Nikolai, traveled the country, giving interviews, signing autographs and playing piano at campaign events. His father hasnt mentioned his own health, even though he was seen having difficulty walking and occasionally spoke in a hoarse voice.The successor issue only becomes relevant when a leader prepares to step down. But Lukashenko isnt going to leave, Karbalevich said. Top political opponents imprisoned or exiledLeading opponents have fled abroad or were thrown in prison. The country holds nearly 1,300 political prisoners, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, founder of the Viasna Human Rights Center.Since July, Lukashenko has pardoned more than 250 people. At the same time, authorities have sought to uproot dissent by arresting hundreds more in raids targeting relatives and friends of political prisoners. Authorities detained 188 people last month alone, Viasna said. Activists and those who donated money to opposition groups have been summoned by police and forced to sign papers saying they were warned against participating in unsanctioned demonstrations, rights advocates said.Lukashenkos four challengers on the ballot are all loyal to him.Im entering the race not against, but together with Lukashenko, and Im ready to serve as his vanguard, said Communist Party candidate Sergei Syrankov, who favors criminalizing LGBTQ+ activities and rebuilding monuments to Soviet leader Josef Stalin.Candidate Alexander Khizhnyak, head of the Republican Party of Labor and Justice, led a voting precinct in Minsk in 2020 and vowed to prevent a repeat of disturbances.Oleg Gaidukevich, head of the Liberal Democratic Party, supported Lukashenko in 2020 and urged fellow candidates to make Lukashenkos enemies nauseous.The fourth challenger, Hanna Kanapatskaya, managed 1.7% of the vote in 2020 and says shes the only democratic alternative to Lukashenko, promising to lobby for freeing political prisoners but warning supporters against excessive initiative. Opposition leader calls election a senseless farceOpposition leader-in-exile Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who fled Belarus under government pressure after challenging the president in 2020, told The Associated Press that Sundays election was a senseless farce, a Lukashenko ritual.Voters should cross off everyone on the ballot, she said, and world leaders shouldnt recognize the result from a country where all independent media and opposition parties have been destroyed and prisons are filled by political prisoners.The repressions have become even more brutal as this vote without choice has approached, but Lukashenko acts as though hundreds of thousands of people are still standing outside his palace, she said. The European Union rejected the election in Belarus on Sunday as illegitimate and threatened new sanctions.Todays sham election in Belarus has been neither free, nor fair, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and EU enlargement commissioner Marta Kos said in a joint statement. Shortly after voting in Minsk on Sunday, accompanied by his white Pomeranian dog, Lukashenko told journalists that he did not seek recognition or approval from the EU. The main thing for me is that Belarusians recognize these elections and that they end peacefully, as they began, he said. Speaking at an hourslong news conference, Lukashenko said that he didnt rule out running for the top job again in 2030. Media freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders filed a complaint against Lukashenko with the International Criminal Court over his crackdown on free speech that saw 397 journalists arrested since 2020. It said that 43 are in prison.Fears of vote-riggingAccording to the Central Election Commission, there are 6.8 million eligible voters. However, about 500,000 people have left Belarus and arent able to vote.Two hours before polls closed at 8 p.m. local time (1700 GMT), the commission said that turnout stood at 81.85%, but a dearth of independent monitoring made that figure near-impossible to verify.At home, early voting that began Tuesday has created fertile ground for irregularities with ballot boxes unguarded until election day, the opposition said. A record 41.81% of voters cast ballots in five days of early voting. Meanwhile, Viasna activists reported internet issues across the country, and alleged Lukashenkos government was blocking access to VPN services commonly used to evade censorship. Polling stations have removed the curtains covering ballot boxes, and voters are forbidden from photographing their ballots a response to the oppositions call in 2020 for voters to take pictures to make it more difficult for authorities to rig the vote.Police conducted large-scale drills before the election. An Interior Ministry video showed helmeted riot police beating their shields with truncheons as a way to prepare for protest dispersals. Another featured an officer arresting a man posing as a voter, twisting his arm next to a ballot box. Belarus initially refused to allow observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which monitored previous elections. It changed course this month and invited the OSCE when it was already too late to organize a monitoring mission.Increasing dependence on RussiaLukashenkos support for the war in Ukraine has led to the rupture of Belarus ties with the U.S. and the EU, ending his gamesmanship of using the West to try to win more subsidies from the Kremlin.He spoke of Russian nuclear weapons deployed in Belarus as a guarantee of peace, and said he would pick Moscow as his first official visit if hes reelected. Until 2020, Lukashenko could maneuver and play Russia against the West, but now when Belarus status is close to that of Russias satellite, this North Korea-style election ties the Belarusian leader to the Kremlin even stronger, shortening the leash, said Artyom Shraybman, a Belarus expert with the Carnegie Russia and Eurasia Center.After the election, Lukashenko could try to ease his total dependence on Russia by again seeking to reach out to the West, he predicted.Lukashenkos interim goal is to use the election to confirm his legitimacy and try to overcome his isolation in order to at least start a conversation with the West about easing sanctions, Shraybman said.American woman released from detentionAn early sign of Minsks desire to reengage with the West came on Sunday, as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on X that Belarus had unilaterally released a U.S. citizen, Anastassia Nuhfer. It took the public and even Belarusian rights activists by surprise her name hadnt been publicly released, and hadnt featured on lists of political prisoners. YURAS KARMANAU Karmanau is an Associated Press journalist covering Belarus and the CIS countries. He has worked in Belarus and Ukraine, as well as other countries in the region, for more than 20 years. He is part of the team that covers the Russia-Ukraine war. mailto

Emil Bove, attorney for former US President Donald Trump, sits Manhattan criminal court during Trump's sentencing in the hush money case in New York, Jan. 10, 2025. (Jeenah Moon/Pool Photo via AP, file)2025-01-26T16:55:11Z CHICAGO (AP) Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove visited Chicago on Sunday to witness the start of ramped-up immigration enforcementin the nations third-largest city promised by the Trump administration, though few details of the operation were made public. Bove said he was in Chicago on Sunday morning and observed Department of Homeland Security agents, along with assisting federal agencies including the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. He didnt say where the operations took place in the city or detail any arrests. We will support everyone at the federal, state, and local levels who joins this critical mission to take back our communities, Bove said in a statement. We will use all available tools to address obstruction and other unlawful impediments to our efforts to protect the homeland. Most importantly, we will not rest until the work is done. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Jeff Carter said the agency began conducting enhanced targeted operations Sunday in Chicago but declined other details, citing an ongoing operation. Spokesmen for the FBI, ATF and the Drug Enforcement Administration confirmed their involvement but didnt give other information. Chicago residents, especially in immigrant circles, have already been on edge for months in anticipation of large-scale arrests touted by the Trump administration. The atmosphere has been especially tense the past week as top Trump officials vowed to start immigration enforcement operations in Chicago the day after Trumps inauguration before walking back those statements. Immigrant rights groups have tried to prepare with campaigns for immigrants to know their rights in case of an arrest. City officials have done the same, publishing similar information at public bus and train stations. On Friday, Chicago Public Schools officials mistakenly believed ICE agents had come to a city elementary school and put out statements to that effect before learning the agents were from the Secret Service. Word of immigration agents at a school which have long been off limits to immigration agents until Trump ended the policy last week drew swift criticism from community groups and Gov. JB Pritzker. The Democratic governor, a frequent Trump critic, questioned the aggressive approach of the operations and the chilling effect for others, particularly for law-abiding immigrants who have been in the country for years.We need to get rid of the violent criminals. But we also need to protect people, at least the residents of Illinois and all across the nation, who are just doing what we hope that immigrants will do, Pritzker said Sunday on CNNs State of the Union. Chicago has been one of Trumps favorite targets. The city has some of the strongest sanctuary protections, which bar cooperation between city police and immigration agents. On Saturday, several Chicago-based immigrant rights groups filed a lawsuit against ICE, seeking an injunction prohibiting certain types of immigration raids in Chicago.Immigrant communities who have called Chicago their home for decades are scared, said Antonio Gutierrez from Organized Communities Against Deportation, one of the plaintiffs. We refuse to live in fear and will fight any attempts to roll back the work weve done to keep families together. ___Durkin Richer reported from Washington. ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Richer is an Associated Press reporter covering the Justice Department and legal issues from Washington. twitter mailto

Colombia's President Gustavo Petro arrives at the opening ceremony of COP16, a United Nations' biodiversity conference, in Cali, Colombia, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara, file)2025-01-26T17:45:02Z BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that he was ordering tariffs, visa restrictions and other retaliatory measures to be taken against Colombia after its government rejected two U.S. military flights carrying migrants.Trump said the measures were necessary because the decision of Colombian President Gustavo Petro jeopardized national security in the U.S.These measures are just the beginning, Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social. We will not allow the Colombian Government to violate its legal obligations with regard to the acceptance and return of the Criminals they forced into the United States.Earlier Sunday, Petro said his government would not accept flights carrying migrants deported from the U.S. until the Trump administration creates a protocol that treats them with dignity. Petro made the announcement in two X posts, one of which included a news video of migrants reportedly deported to Brazil walking on a tarmac with restraints on their hands and feet. A migrant is not a criminal and must be treated with the dignity that a human being deserves, Petro said. That is why I returned the U.S. military planes that were carrying Colombian migrants... In civilian planes, without being treated like criminals, we will receive our fellow citizens. Colombia accepted 475 deportation flights from the United States from 2020 to 2024, fifth behind Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and El Salvador, according to Witness at the Border, an advocacy group that tracks flight data. It accepted 124 deportation flights in 2024. Last year, Colombia and other countries began accepting U.S.-funded deportation flights from Panama.The U.S. government didnt immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press regarding aircraft and protocols used in deportations to Colombia.U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a statement said Petro canceled his authorization for the flights when the aircraft were in the air. No official order had been issued as of Sunday afternoon that would allow for the implementation of the measures Trump announced. This is a clear message we are sending that countries have an obligation to accept repatriation flights, a senior administration official told the AP. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss issue publicly.Colombians emerged in recent years as a major presence on the U.S. border with Mexico, aided in part by a visa regime that allows them to easily fly to Mexico and avoid trekking though the treacherous Darien Gap. They ranked fourth with 127,604 arrests for illegal crossings during a 12-month period through September, behind Mexicans, Guatemalans and Venezuelans.Mexico hasnt imposed visa restrictions on Colombians, as they have on Venezuelans, Ecuadoreans and Peruvians.The government of Petro, a former leftist guerrilla, in a statement later announced that the South American countrys presidential aircraft had been made available to facilitate the return of migrants who were to arrive hours earlier on the U.S. military airplanes and guarantee them dignified conditions. As part of a flurry of actions to make good on Trumps campaign promises to crack down on illegal immigration, his government is using active-duty military to help secure the border and carry out deportations. Two U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo planes carrying migrants removed from the U.S. touched down early Friday in Guatemala. That same day, Honduras received two deportation flights carrying a total of 193 people.In announcing what he called urgent and decisive retaliatory measures, Trump explained that he ordered 25% tariffs on all goods coming into the United States, which would be raised to 50% in one week. He said he also ordered A Travel Ban and immediate Visa Revocations on Colombian government officials, allies and supporters.All Party Members, Family Members, and Supporters of the Colombian Government, Trump wrote will be subject to Visa Sanctions. He did not say to which party he was referring to or provide any additional details on the visa and travel restrictions. Trump added that all Colombians will face enhanced customs inspections.Trumps actions would seem to undercut his goal to reduce his countrys trade deficit. Unlike Mexico or China, Colombia is one of the few countries with a trade deficit with the U.S., of around $1.4 billion, according to U.S. trade data.Colombia is the U.S.s fourth-largest overseas supplier of crude oil, shipping about 209,000 barrels of oil per day last year, although booming domestic production has reduced the U.S. dependence on foreign oil. Other imports include coal, coffee and gold. Colombia is also the U.S. largest supplier of fresh cut flowers, and with Valentines Day just weeks away, the price of saying I love you could be impacted.___Regina Garcia Cano reported from Caracas, Venezuela. Jill Colvin in New York, Joshua Goodman in Miami, and Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to this report.

Myrtle Felton, from left, Sharon Lavigne, Gail LeBoeuf and Rita Cooper, members of RISE St. James, conduct a live stream video on property owned by Formosa on March 11, 2020, in St. James Parish, La. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)2025-01-26T14:30:06Z For four years, the Environmental Protection Agency made environmental justice one of its biggest priorities, working to improve health conditions in heavily-polluted communities often made up largely of Black, Latino and low-income Americans. Now that short-lived era is over.President Donald Trump in his first week eliminated a team of White House advisors whose job it was to ensure the entire federal government helped communities located near heavy industry, ports and roadways. Trump eliminated the Justice40 initiative the Biden administraton had created. It required 40% of the benefits from certain environmental programs go to hard-hit communities.When the government reviews new facilities now, experts say officials are likely to ignore how any pollution they create may exacerbate what communities already experience. Trumps actions will likely halt funds from Biden administrations signature climate law, the Inflation Reduction Act, for climate programs and environmental justice. President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More In making the decision this week, Trump eliminated federal policy dating back to the Clinton-era, which had established a government priority of addressing environmental health problems for low-income and minority groups. He also withdrew the nation from the Paris Agreement aimed at combatting climate change. The new administrations moves combine two goals: clawing back what Trump officials say are onerous environmental policies that constrain development and fighting diversity, equity and inclusion, according to Joe Luppino-Esposito, federal policy chief with the free-market law firm Pacific Legal Foundation. Weve had this discussion at the Supreme Court and otherwise for many years, past discrimination is not an excuse for future discrimination, he said, adding that Trumps executive orders allow the law to be enforced without a specific racial tinge to it. Many experts say Biden accomplished more than any previous administration in this area.An EPA-funded study found, for example, that Black people at all income levels are more likely to breathe pollution that causes heart and lung problems. Under Biden, regulators wrote public health rules, tighter air pollution standards and proposed mandates for harmful lead pipes. The EPA issued the largest-ever fine under the federal Clean Air Act and said it slashed more than 225 million pounds of pollution in overburdened communities. Federal grants went to communities to clean up Superfund sites or buy low-emissions school buses. The EPA set up an office to facilitate its substantial environmental justice work.What Im grappling right now with is both the grief of these losses, and the fact that we were on an upward swing, if you will, just weeks ago, said Jade Begay, an Indigenous rights and climate organizer in New Mexico.For years, government support for grassroots environmental justice efforts rose and fell depending who occupied the White House. Scrappy, local groups found ways, sometimes with help from foundations, to get their work done regardless. The Biden administration spent time, attention and resources on the issue, making it higher profile and a bigger target, according to Christophe Courchesne, a law professor and interim director of the Environmental Law Center at the Vermont Law and Graduate School. Environmental justice got swept up into this pitched battle over diversity, equity and inclusion, Courchesne said. This developed over time into a target of conservative activism.Daniel Gall, an EPA spokesman, said the agency under Trump will work for clean air, land and water.EPA is working to diligently implement President Trumps executive orders, he said. The Fifth Ward Elementary School and residential neighborhoods sit near the Denka Performance Elastomer Plant, back left, in Reserve, La., Sept. 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File) The Fifth Ward Elementary School and residential neighborhoods sit near the Denka Performance Elastomer Plant, back left, in Reserve, La., Sept. 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More The policy changes diverge from the last time Trump was president. Scott Pruitt, who headed the EPA for part of Trumps first term, once called environmental justice conversations critical to improving environmental and public health outcomes. Trumps new orders are more sweeping; moves that Rena Payan, chief program officer at the Oakland, California nonprofit Justice Outside, called rolling back decades of progress in addressing environmental discrimination. The Trump administration is not only ditching long-standing policies, it is directing agencies to eliminate jobs dedicated to environmental justice and diversity, equity and inclusion issues, according to a recent memo.They are not limited to the public sphere. The new administration is also looking to remove diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the private sector a step that goes further than some anticipated, according to Julius Redd, an environmental attorney at Beveridge & Diamond P.C.Anne Rolfes, director of the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, which helps communities in the heart of the petrochemical industry, echoed other advocates and said the Biden administration did some great things, but didnt do nearly enough to enforce the law, allowing polluters too much free reign in heavily industrialized Louisiana. Now itll get worse and an already industry-friendly state is likely to let polluters build even more quickly. We just have to buckle up and get ready, she said.That change feels disheartening to Ash LaMont, national campaigns director for Honor The Earth, a non-profit focused on raising awareness and support for environmental issues in Native American communities. Weve been spending a lot of time really figuring out what is our next step, what are the things that we can do that will last, despite the administration, and what are the very apparent needs of our community members, she said.Trumps decision to cut off support will hurt, but many of these local organizations will return to operating without federal support, said Peggy Shepard, co-founder and executive director of WE ACT for Environmental Justice in New York. Advocacy will shift to the state and local level. That might work in some places, but itll be an uphill battle in Republican-controlled states like Louisiana and Texas where theres little receptivity to that advocacy, she said.They were finally beginning to get support at the EPA and at the White House, she said, and this is a big step back for the communities who are front line to some of these issues.___St. John reported from Detroit.___Associated Press writer Matthew Daly contributed reporting from Washington.___The Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. MICHAEL PHILLIS Phillis is an Associated Press reporter covering the environment with a focus on water. He is based in St. Louis. mailto ALEXA ST. JOHN St. John is a climate solutions reporter for The Associated Press, based in Detroit. She covers the ways people and communities create viable and scalable solutions to the planets warming. twitter mailto

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs for a touchdown against the Washington Commanders during the first half of the NFC Championship NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)2025-01-26T22:23:03Z PHILADELPHIA (AP) Saquon Barkley sprinted 60 yards for a touchdown on his first carry of the NFC championship game and the Eagles running back had a 4-yard scoring run on his second carry to roaring MVP! MVP! chants each time.Barkley ran for 85 yards in the first half Sunday and helped the Eagles lead the Washington Commanders 27-15 at halftime.His 2,005 yards rushing in the regular season left him only 101 shy of breaking Eric Dickersons record of 2,105 in 1984 with the Los Angeles Rams. Including the playoffs, Barkley extended an NFL record Sunday with his seventh rushing touchdown of 60-plus yards in a season. Again, postseason included, Barkley had 2,414 total yards rushing by halftime, just 63 yards away of breaking Terrell Davis mark of 2,476 yards set in the 1998 season when the Denver Broncos won the Super Bowl.The Commanders got a field goal on the opening drive of the NFC title game to take some of the air out of the frenzied crowd at Lincoln Financial Field. Barkley had them going wild on the Eagles first offensive play from scrimmage when he cut left, spun around a pair of defenders and took off on the touchdown run. The Eagles recovered a fumble on the next drive and Barkley added the 4-yard run making him 2 for 2 on carries and touchdowns for a 14-3 lead.Stuck at just two career playoff games in six seasons with the New York Giants, Barkley rushed for 324 yards combined against Green Bay and the Los Angeles Rams in his first two playoff games with the Eagles. ___AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL DAN GELSTON Gelston is an an Associated Press sports writer covering major college and pro sports in Philadelphia, including the 76ers, Flyers, Eagles, Phillies and Villanova. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Senate Budget Committee Chair Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., arrives for a hearing on the nomination of Russell Vought, President Donald Trump's choice for Director of the Office of Management and Budget, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)2025-01-26T17:40:39Z DORAL, Fla. (AP) A key ally of President Donald Trump said the White House pardoning rioters who fought with police while storming the U.S. Capitol in 2021 is sending the wrong signal and expressed concern about the future ramifications of issuing sweeping clemencies. I have always said that, I think, when you pardon people who attack police officers, youre sending the wrong signal to the public at large, Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican who is close to Trump, told CNN on Sunday. Its not what you want to do to protect cops. Within hours of taking office last week, Trump issued a sweeping clemency order covering around 1,500 rioters for their role on the Capitol attack that attempted to block congressional certification of Joe Biden s 2020 election victory on Jan. 6, 2021. Among those released from prison was Stewart Rhodes, founder of the far-right extremist group the Oath Keepers, who orchestrated the plot that resulted in the attack. Rhodes was among a large group of supporters who were standing and cheering behind Trump on stage when the president delivered a speech at the Circa resort and Casino in Las Vegas on Saturday, before flying to Florida to spend the rest of the weekend at his resort in Doral. Asked about Rhodes attending the rally, Graham said, I dont think theres a restriction on him being there. The senator also noted that Biden had used his own string of pardons, including using his final hours in office to issue blanket clemencies for his relatives and leading government officials. I dont like this. I dont like it on either side. And I think the public doesnt like it either, Graham said. So, if this continues, if this is the norm, there may be an effort to rein in the pardon power of the president as an institution. He said he saw what occurred with blanket clemencies as a bigger precedent and that he was worried about the future consequences. I have said clearly I do not like it when President Trump pardoned people who beat up cops. But I didnt like it when Biden pardoned all of his family going out the door, he said. The senator made similar comments Sunday on NBCs Meet the Press, saying that though Trump had the legal authority to issue such pardons, I fear that you will get more violence.Pardoning the people who went into the Capitol and beat up a police officer violently I think was a mistake, he said.Graham isnt the only Trump ally who has struggled with Trumps pardons for the Jan. 6 rioters. Vice President JD Vance said more than a week before Trump issued the clemencies, Obviously, if you committed violence on that day, you shouldnt be pardoned. But, in an interview on CBS Face the Nation that aired on Sunday, Vance said Trump and his team carefully reviewed the individual cases of Capitol rioters and made the right decision with the pardons. WILL WEISSERT Weissert covers national politics and the White House for The Associated Press. He is based in Washington. twitter mailto

Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson (65) celebrates a touchdown by quarterback Jalen Hurts during the second half of the NFC Championship NFL football game against the Washington Commanders, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)2025-01-26T23:33:24Z PHILADELPHIA (AP) The Washington Commanders jumped offsides four times in a sequence of five plays while trying to stop Philadelphias vaunted tush push earning them a warning from a referee that he could award the Eagles a touchdown if the Commanders did it again.The Eagles had a first-and-goal in the fourth quarter as they tried to stretch their lead in Sundays NFC championship game.The Commanders Jonathan Allen was whistled for lining up in the neutral zone. That was the first penalty. After Washington stopped Jalen Hurts once, linebacker Frankie Luvu jumped over the Eagles offensive line on second down and was penalized for encroachment. Second-and-goal again. Luvu leaped over the line and was flagged again. Repeat second-and-goal. This time, Allen was flagged for encroachment.At that point, referee Shaun Hochuli had seen enough.Washington has been advised that referees can award a score if this type of behavior happens again, he told the crowd.The Commanders stayed onside on the next play, and Hurts rewarded the Eagles with a 1-yard touchdown for a 41-23 lead.___AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley runs against the Washington Commanders during the second half of the NFC Championship NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)2025-01-26T23:31:43Z PHILADELPHIA (AP) Saquon Barkley dashed 60 yards for a touchdown on Philadelphias first play and finished with 118 yards and three scores, Jalen Hurts rushed for three TDs and the Eagles soared into the Super Bowl with a 55-23 win over the Washington Commanders on Sunday.Hurts and the Eagles are in the Super Bowl for the second time in three seasons, and this time Barkley is along for the ride. The Eagles will play either the Buffalo Bills or former Eagles coach Andy Reids Kansas City Chiefs.The 55 points are the most any team has scored in a conference championship game since the 1970 merger. Hurts, wearing a brace on his left knee, also threw for 246 yards and a touchdown pass and the Eagles had a towel-waving crowd in a frenzy for the NFC championship game at Lincoln Financial Field. A.J. Brown caught six passes for 96 yards and a touchdown and the Eagles scored a season high in points to usher the franchise into their fifth Super Bowl. The Commanders played a role in getting the NFC title game to Philly with two straight road wins including last weeks stunner at No. 1 seed Detroit that set the stage for the second-seeded Eagles to host. Jayden Daniels threw for 255 yards with one touchdown, one interception and fell short in his bid to become the first rookie quarterback to lead his team to the Super Bowl. The Commanders were doomed by four turnovers, including a lost fumble by Austin Ekeler in the third quarter and the Commanders down 34-23. The Eagles won their only Super Bowl in the 2017 season and Nick Foles, the QB in that game against New England, was the honorary captain. The Eagles cut to other stars from that game in attendance on the big screen and now two years after coach Nick Siriannis Eagles lost to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl the franchise has a chance at winning their second one.Much as he has all season, Barkley led the way for the Eagles. After the Commanders opened the game with an 18-play drive and a field goal that quieted a raucous crowd, Barkley whipped the fans that included actor Bradley Cooper into a frenzy on the Eagles first offensive play from scrimmage. Only the ninth running back to rush for 2,000 yards in a season, Barkley took the pitch from Hurts and cut left, spun around a pair of defenders and took off on the touchdown run.The Eagles recovered a fumble on the next drive and Barkley added a 4-yard run making him 2 for 2 on carries and touchdowns for a 14-3 lead.Including the playoffs, Barkley extended an NFL record Sunday with his seventh rushing touchdown of 60-plus yards in a season.Daniels, who led the Commanders to six consecutive victories, made his share of big plays that included a 36-yard touchdown pass to Terry McLaurin that pulled them to 14-12.Hurts, who hurt his knee when he was sacked last week by the Rams, had his best game yet in a postseason where the Eagles played all three games at home. He closed the first half with a tush push 1-yard touchdown and threw a 4-yard scoring pass to Brown to send the Eagles into halftime with a 27-15 lead. Hurts secured the Super Bowl berth with a tush push touchdown in the fourth quarter after a humorous moment when an official said hed award the Eagles a touchdown if Washington didnt stop jumping offside and his ninth career postseason rushing score gave them a 41-23 lead.Small amounts of green confetti started to fly from the upper deck at that point at the countdown was officially on for the Super Bowl.The Commanders desperate gasp at another late comeback win ended with a thud when Nolan Smith sacked Daniels on fourth down in the fourth quarter. Will Shipley gave Barkley a needed breather in the blowout and punched in a 2-yard touchdown run for a 55-23 lead. The E-A-G-L-E-S! Eagles! chants began in earnest and its sure to ring loud in New Orleans.InjuriesEagles: Pro Bowl center Cam Jurgens was active but did not start because of a back injury. Landon Dickerson moved from left guard to center and Tyler Steen started at left guard. ... Dickerson suffered a knee injury. ... RB Kenneth Gainwell was evaluated for a concussion suffered in the third quarter.Up nextThe Eagles head to New Orleans for a Feb. 9 matchup against the AFC champion.___AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl DAN GELSTON Gelston is an an Associated Press sports writer covering major college and pro sports in Philadelphia, including the 76ers, Flyers, Eagles, Phillies and Villanova. twitter mailto

Buffalo Bills cornerback Christian Benford (47) leaves the field after injury against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first half of the AFC Championship NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)2025-01-27T00:18:37Z KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) Buffalo Bills cornerback Christian Benford was ruled out of the AFC title game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night with a concussion.Benford was carted from the field after a helmet-to-helmet hit with teammate Damar Hamlin while trying to make a tackle in the first quarter.Benford, who spent the week in the concussion protocol before getting cleared in time for the game, was ruled out just moments after he was driven up the tunnel in the corner of Arrowhead Stadium.Benford was chasing Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy near the Bills sideline when he clashed helmets with Hamlin, who wears a Guardian Cap on his own. Benford was shaky while standing up and tried to return to the field, but Bills cornerback Rasul Douglas stopped him in his tracks and made sure Buffalo trainers checked on him.The loss was a big one for Buffalo, which was counting on Benford to help cover the Chiefs fleet of wide receivers. He made a nice play earlier in the game to break up a pass deep downfield intended for Marquise Brown.The Bills already were thin in the secondary without safety Taylor Rapp, who was inactive with back and hip injuries. He would have played a significant role in covering Chiefs tight ends Travis Kelce and Noah Gray.___AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL DAVE SKRETTA Skretta is a Kansas City-based sports writer for The Associated Press. He covers the Royals, the Chiefs and college sports along with auto racing, the Olympics and other sports. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

El logotipo de TikTok en un telfono en San Francisco, el viernes 17 de enero de 2025. (AP Foto/Jeff Chiu)2025-01-26T20:42:30Z WASHINGTON (AP) Perplexity AI has presented a new proposal to TikToks parent company that would allow the U.S. government to own up to 50% of a new entity that merges Perplexity with TikToks U.S. business, according to a person familiar with the matter.The proposal, submitted last week, is a revision of a prior plan the artificial intelligence startup had presented to TikToks parent ByteDance on Jan. 18, a day before the law that bans TikTok went into effect.The first proposal, which ByteDance hasnt responded to, sought to create a new structure that would merge San Francisco-based Perplexity with TikToks U.S. business and include investments from other investors.The new proposal would allow the U.S. government to own up to half of that new structure once it makes an initial public offering of at least $300 billion, said the person, who was not authorized to speak about the proposal. The person said Perplexitys proposal was revised based off of feedback from the Trump administration. If the plan is successful, the shares owned by the government would not have voting power, the person said. The government also would not get a seat on the new companys board. ByteDance and TikTok did not immediately responded to a request for comment.Under the plan, ByteDance would not have to completely cut ties with TikTok, a favorable outcome for its investors. But it would have to allow a full U.S. board control, the person said. Under the proposal, the China-based tech company would contribute TikToks U.S. business without the proprietary algorithm that fuels what users see on the app, according to a document seen by the Associated Press.The proposal seems to mirror a strategy Steven Mnuchin, treasury secretary during Trumps first term, discussed Sunday on Fox News Sunday Morning Futures that a new investor in TikTok could simply dilute down the Chinese ownership and satisfy the law. Mnuchin has previously expressed interest in investing in the company. But the technology needs to be disconnected from China, he added. It needs to be disconnected from ByteDance. Theres absolutely no way that China would ever let us have something like that in China.The Perplexity proposal comes as several investors are expressing interest in TikTok. President Donald Trump said late Saturday that he expects a deal will be made in as soon as 30 days. On a flight from Las Vegas to Miami on Air Force One, Trump also said he hadnt discussed a deal with Larry Ellison, CEO of software maker Oracle, despite a report that Oracle, along with outside investors, was considering taking over TikToks global operation. Numerous people are talking to me. Very substantial people, Trump said. We have a lot of interest in it, and the United States will be a big beneficiary. ... Id only do it if the United States benefits.Under a bipartisan law passed last year, TikTok was to be banned in the United States by Jan. 19 if it did not cut ties with ByteDance. The Supreme Court upheld the law, but Trump then issued an executive order to halt enforcement of the law for 75 days. Trump, on Air Force One, noted that Ellison lives right down the road from his Mar-a-Lago estate, but added, I never spoke to Larry about TikTok. Ive spoken to many people about TikTok and theres great interest in TikTok.TikTok briefly shut down in the U.S. a week ago, but went back online after Trump said he would postpone the ban. TikTok CEO Shou Chew attended Trumps inauguration Jan. 20, along with some other tech leaders whove been forging friendlier ties with the new administration. Congress voted to ban TikTok in the U.S. out of concern that TikToks ownership structure represented a security risk. The Biden administration argued in court for months that it was too much of a risk to allow a Chinese company to control the algorithm that fuels what people see on the app. Officials also raised concerns about user data collected on the platform. However, to date, the U.S. hasnt provided public evidence of TikTok handing user data to Chinese authorities or allowing them to tinker with its algorithm. ___Hadero reported from South Bend, Indiana. HALELUYA HADERO Haleluya covers Amazon, retail and technology. twitter mailto CHRISTOPHER RUGABER Rugaber has covered the Federal Reserve and the U.S. economy for the AP for 16 years. He is a two-time finalist for the Gerald Loeb award for business reporting. twitter mailto

This combination photo shows National Intelligence Director nominee Tulsi Gabbard, left, Oct. 27, 2024, in New York and FBI Director nominee Kash Patel, in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP Photo)2025-01-27T05:04:07Z LONDON (AP) As Russia moved closer to invading Ukraine nearly three years ago, the United States and its allies took the extraordinary step of declassifying and sharing intelligence to expose Moscows plans. Information flew across the Atlantic from U.S. spy agencies to NATO and Western partners showing that Russia was poised to launch the biggest attack on a European country since World War II. It was designed to muster support for Kyiv, and on the strength of the U.S. warning, some nations sent weapons to Ukraine, which moved some equipment out of the range of Russian strikes.Now, officials are bracing for a potentially changed security landscape under President Donald Trump. He has criticized Americas allies and lambasted its intelligence agencies. Hes been accused of disregarding secrecy rules and hoarding classified documents. Tulsi Gabbard, Trumps pick for director of national intelligence, has parroted Russian propaganda while his nominee to lead the FBI, Kash Patel, has promised changes that could significantly curtail the flow of intelligence to Americas friends. Both are expected to face sharp questioning from lawmakers during confirmation hearings Thursday. The Associated Press spoke with 18 current and former senior European and U.S. officials who worked in NATO, defense, diplomacy or intelligence. Many raised questions and concerns about Trumps past relationship with Americas spies and their ability to share information at a time of heightened terror threats and signs of greater cooperation between U.S. adversaries. The importance of trustThe U.S. and its allies routinely share top-secret information, be it about potential terror threats, Chinese cyberattacks or Russian troop movements. Americas closest intelligence partners are New Zealand, Australia, Canada and Britain, and it often shares with other nations or sometimes even adversaries when lives are at stake.In July, the U.S. helped foil a Russian plot to assassinate the head of a German arms manufacturer that produced weapons for Ukraine. In August, the CIA said it provided intelligence to Austrian authorities that allowed them to disrupt a plan, allegedly inspired by the Islamic State group, to attack a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna.Cooperation particularly between the U.S. and the U.K. is strong and robust enough to withstand some turbulence at the political level, said Lord Peter Ricketts, former U.K. national security adviser and current chair of the European Affairs Committee of the upper chamber of the British Parliament. However, any strong intelligence relationship is underpinned by trust, and what if trust isnt there? Ricketts said.There was some skepticism about U.S. intelligence ahead of the invasion of Ukraine due to the faulty American information that led to the invasion of Iraq in 2001, said Oana Lungescu, a fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London and formerly NATOs longest-serving spokesperson. But when combined with information from its security partners, Americas remarkable intelligence enabled the NATO alliance to raise the alert about Russia, Lungescu said. European leaders are working to convince Trumps administration that threats on the continent also are relevant for the United States.There shouldnt be much debate, said former U.S. Ambassador to Russia, Mike McFaul, who said theres a direct relationship between U.S. intelligence sharing and national security. He noted that U.S. authorities have warned of escalating terror threats.One of our great advantages is that we have incredible intelligence capabilities and we have allies that we share that with its a force multiplier for us, said McFaul, who now teaches at Stanford University. Well lose that if were no longer considered trustworthy.The Trump team has an open mind and is in a listening mode, Norways Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stre said, adding that was a good sign because when you come in with a new administration in a very eventful, rapidly changing environment, getting on the same footing is a challenge. Predicting Trumps moves, however, is difficult. He has criticized NATO allies for not spending enough on defense. He even suggested he would encourage Russia to invade countries that didnt pay what he thought they should. But he didnt follow through on the threat. Last time it didnt turn out so badly: He was going to throw NATO under the bus, but he didnt do that, former U.S. Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte said. The rhetoric turned out to be transactional.Spokespeople for the White House and Gabbard did not respond to questions about Trump and his nominees or how they planned to handle intelligence sharing with Americas allies.NATO members have hiked their defense spending as Trump has demanded and the alliance is now bigger than before, with Sweden and Finland joining after Russia invaded Ukraine. There is a big risk of continuing to take American support for European, NATO countries ... and defense of Ukraine for granted, said Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.But it would also be risky to assume the U.S. is simply leaving. On that question, Kristersson said, the jury is very much out.Concerns about Trumps intel picks Trumps choice of Gabbard to oversee more than a dozen intelligence agencies has alarmed lawmakers from both parties and many current and former intelligence officials. Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman who later became a Trump ally, met since-deposed Syrian President Bashar Assad in 2017 in Damascus and has promoted Russian propaganda about its invasion of Ukraine.If confirmed, Gabbard would have the power to declassify information and direct some intelligence sharing with allies.A European intelligence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, said that while there is concern around some of Trumps nominations, there is no reason to think we cant trust them because of who is in power. The official suggested nominees like Gabbard and Patel havent heard all the facts yet and could grow and learn when presented with the full picture.With thousands of professionals working in a multitude of agencies, the day-to-day operations of Americas spy services may look very similar under the Trump administration. And there are safeguards, current and former officials told the AP, that include agencies sharing intelligence but not sources. But those in top positions will have a huge impact if they lead to staff departures, curtail longstanding surveillance programs as Patel has suggested or politicize their offices in ways that can be exploited by Moscow and other adversaries.The task for Europe is to convince everybody to focus on Russia, the real troublemaker, the intelligence official said.Alongside Gabbard, Patel has rattled intelligence insiders in the U.S. and elsewhere because hes criticized surveillance programs like the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which U.S. authorities use to keep tabs on suspected spies and terrorists overseas. The United States shared intelligence gathered through that law with Russia when public safety was at stake, passing along a warning before a deadly concert attack in Moscow in March that killed 145 people. It is not clear if Moscow tried to act on the warning. Allies heavily depend on US intelligenceThe European Union must be realistic that if the U.S. is reducing its participation in Europe, European members have to be ready to fill any gap, said former Finnish President Sauli Niinist, who has called for the 27-nation bloc to create its own intelligence agency.Many global tech and communication firms such as Google, Apple and Microsoft as well as Elon Musks X are based in the U.S., giving American law enforcement and spy agencies an advantage over their foreign counterparts, which may lack the political or legal means to obtain information.Niinist hosted a summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2018, in which Trump openly questioned his own intelligence agencies finding that Russia meddled in the 2016 U.S. election to his benefit, restating Putins claim that Moscow was not involved.Niinist, whose country borders Russia, described his discussions with Trump while in office as clear, open and frank.I tried to tell him: We need you, but you need us, too, Niinist said. ___Klepper reported from Washington. EMMA BURROWS Burrows is an Associated Press reporter covering Russia, Belarus, Central Asia and the Caucasus. She is based in London. twitter

Vehicles ply at a slow pace through a street with Dubai's iconic skyline in the background, United Arab Emirates, on Dec. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)2025-01-27T05:58:31Z DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Skyscraper-studded Dubai has been on a hot streak for the last five years and some residents are starting to feel burned.The city-state has seen record-breaking real estate transactions and as more and more people come to live there, and its state-owned airline Emirates is booking record earnings. But all that growth comes with strains for the citys population.Traffic feels worse than ever on Dubais roads. The price of housing continues to spike even with new real estate projects being announced almost daily. Caught in the middle are both its Emirati citizens and the vast population of foreigners who power its economy sparking rare public expressions of concern. Dubai is on steroids but affordability risks are increasing, warned Hasnain Malik in a starkly titled report he wrote for the global data firm Tellimer, where hes a managing director. Skyrocketing housing pricesUnder Dubais current plans, the city aims to have 5.8 million residents by 2040, adding more than half its current estimated population in just 15 years. Since 1980, its population has already soared from around 255,000 to around 3.8 million.Real estate lit the fire in Dubais growth in 2002, when the desert sheikdom began allowing foreigners to own property. After sharp falls during both the 2008-2009 financial crisis and Dubais brief coronavirus lockdown, prices have been soaring. Today, average prices per square foot are at all-time highs, according to Property Monitor. Rental prices increased as much as 20% in key neighborhoods last year, with further rises likely this year, with some residents moving to communities further out in the desert, the real estate firm Engel & Vlkers said. Jammed roadsEven before the boom, some people who worked in Dubai chose to live in the neighboring emirate of Sharjah, some 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of the citys downtown, or further away. Some 1 million commuters from other emirates jam the 12-lane Sheikh Zayed Road that runs through the center of the city and other highways every day, as studies suggest that as many as four out of five employees drive to work alone. That traffic has only intensified with Dubais new arrivals. While the rest of the world saw as much as a 4% increase in the number of registered vehicles in the last two years, the citys Road and Transportation Authority says theres been a 10% increase in the number of vehicles. So many vehicles have been registered that the city has had to make license plates longer. And while the city keeps building new flyovers and other road improvements, more cars are coming from more directions than ever before. Dubai is very attractive, more and more people are coming, said Thomas Edelmann, the founder and managing director of RoadSafetyUAE, which advocates about traffic issues. I think its easier to get people quickly to come to Dubai and to convince them about Dubai, then to build a new intersection or a new highway. Boom concerns also raised by EmiratisCongestion has got so bad that its driving even prominent Emiratis to break their customary silence on public affairs.Habib Al Mulla, a prominent Emirati lawyer, wrote on the social platform X in December that while authorities were working on congestion, the problem demanded a set of immediate and long-term mechanisms. He followed up by publishing an opinion piece twice mentioning congestion as being among pressing issues for global cities like Dubai.While phrased in mild language, Al Mullas comments represented rare public criticism in the United Arab Emirates, where speech is tightly controlled by criminal law and social norms favor raising issues at a majlis a semiprivate setting convened by a traditional ruler. The concentration of wealth and opportunities created in global cities may cause income inequality that pushes out lower-income residents, Al Mulla warned in the English-language Khaleej Times newspaper on Jan. 15. The problem becomes acute when the wealth and opportunities remain inaccessible to segments of the national population who witness the citys allure being seized by outsiders. This may carry significant social risks, if not mitigated. Then theres demographic concerns as the Emirati share of the population dwindles. While the number of citizens isnt public, a back-of-the-envelope, informal calculation shared for years by experts suggests Emirati citizens represent around 10% of the countrys overall population of more than 9 million people, a number thats likely falling as foreigners rush in.In December, sermon scripts issued for the Dec. 13 Fridays prayers directly touched on the duty of having more children. Increasing offspring is both a religious obligation and a national responsibility, as it contributes to the protection and sustainability of nations, the sermon read, according to a transcript issued by the federal governments General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments. A search for high-tech solutionsFor Dubais autocratic government, overseen by ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, possible solutions to the grinding traffic have ranged from the practical to the fanciful. The government in recent months has repeatedly encouraged companies to allow more remote work options, including in a report released in November that also suggested staggered and flexible working hours. Adding as many as five remote workdays a month, along with the other steps, can reduce morning peak travel time across Dubai by 30%, the study stated. Dubais road toll system, known as Salik, has added gates to charge drivers more and will institute surge pricing at the end of the month. Dubais Metro, which boasts the worlds longest self-driving rail line, will also grow beyond its broadly north-south routes in a nearly $5 billion expansion.Then theres the flying taxi project. Since 2017, Dubai has been announcing plans for airborne cabs in the city. A first vertiport is being built by Dubai International Airport with the aim of offering the service from next year.Dubai also plans 3,300 kilometers (2,050 miles) of new pedestrian paths, although during Dubais summer months pedestrians have to contend with high humidity and heat of around 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit). In the coming years, residents of Dubai will be able to move around by walking, cycling, its extensive network of roads and bridges, the Metro and its new lines, water taxis, or flying taxis on specific air routes, Sheikh Mohammed said on X in December. But for now, Dubai keeps attracting more people and more cars and the traffic jams only get longer. JON GAMBRELL Gambrell is the news director for the Gulf and Iran for The Associated Press. He has reported from each of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Iran and other locations across the world since joining the AP in 2006. twitter instagram mailto

The wreckage of a Boeing 737-800 plane operated by South Korean budget airline Jeju Air lies at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea, on Dec. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File)2025-01-27T06:40:22Z SEOUL, South Korea (AP) The first report on last months Jeju Air crash in South Korea confirmed bird strikes in the planes engines, though officials havent determined the cause of the accident that killed all but two of the 181 people on board.The preliminary accident report released Monday said feathers and bird blood stains were found in both engines.The samples were sent to specialized organizations for DNA analysis, and a domestic organization identified them as belonging to Baikal Teals, the report said, referring to a migratory duck. The report also said the planes black box stopped recording about 4 minutes before the crash.South Korea earlier announced that it will remove a concrete structure at the end of the airports runway that was involved in the crash.Some experts have said that Muan International Airports localizer a set of antennas in a concrete structure that guide aircraft during landings likely made the crash of the Jeju Air plane worse. The Boeing 737-800 skidded off the airports runaway on Dec. 29 after its landing gear failed to deploy, slamming into the concrete structure and bursting into flames. Many observers said the structure should have been made with lighter materials that could break more easily upon impact.Investigators have said that air traffic controllers warned the pilot about possible bird strikes two minutes before the aircraft issued a distress signal confirming that a bird strike had occurred, after which the pilot attempted an emergency landing.

An Estonian naval ship sails in the Baltic Sea on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, as part of stepped-up NATO patrols in the region following suspected sabotage of undersea cables. (AP Photo/Hendrik Osula)2025-01-26T17:57:02Z RIGA, Latvia (AP) Swedish prosecutors announced Sunday night that they have opened a preliminary investigation into suspected aggravated sabotage and ordered the detention of a vessel in the Baltic Sea suspected of damaging an underwater fiber optic cable connecting Latvia and the Swedish island of Gotland earlier that day.Several authorities, including the National Police Operations Department, the Coast Guard and the Armed Forces, are involved in the investigation, said Mats Ljungqvist, senior prosecutor at the National Security Unit, according to a press release.The Swedish Coast Guard confirmed to the newspaper Expressen that they were on site near the vessel which the paper identified as the Malta-flagged Vezhen, at anchor near the port of Karlskrona.We are directly on site with the seized ship and are taking measures as decided by the prosecutor, said Mattias Lindholm, spokesperson for the Coast Guard. According to data from Vesselfinder, the vessel departed from the Russian port of Ust-Luga several days earlier and was navigating between Gotland and Latvia at the time the damage was suspected of having occurred. Latvias state-run radio and TV center said Sunday that it recorded disruptions in data transmission on the cable running from the town of Ventspils to the Swedish island of Gotland, and concluded there was a rupture.The media organization said it was able to operate using other data transmission routes, while it was taking steps to have the cable repaired. At the moment, there is reason to believe that the cable is significantly damaged and that the damage is caused by external influences, Vineta Sprugaine, head of corporate communications at LVRTC, was quoted as saying by the LSM state broadcaster.Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silia wrote on X that her government was working together with our Swedish Allies and NATO on investigating the incident, including to patrolling the area, as well as inspecting the vessels that were in the area. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson wrote on X that at least one cable belonging to a Latvian entity was believed to have been damaged and that he has been in close contact with Silia during the day Sunday.Sundays rupture follows a string of incidents that have heightened fears of Russian sabotage and spying in the strategic region. There have been previous incidents reported of ruptures of data cables running on the Baltic sea bed, allegedly linked to Russias shadow fleet hundreds of aging tankers of uncertain ownership that are dodging sanctions and keeping oil revenue coming into the country. Earlier this month, NATO began a new mission dubbed Baltic Sentry which included frigates, maritime patrol aircraft and a fleet of naval drones to provide enhanced surveillance and deterrence in the Baltic Sea which the transatlantic alliance says is to protect undersea cables and pipelines. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Trees and bushes growing around the old railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, in Oswiecim, Poland, Thursday, Jan. 23. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)2025-01-27T05:01:32Z OSWIECIM, Poland (AP) During World War II, men, women and children were transported from across Europe to Auschwitz-Birkenau, horrendous journeys in which they were packed into cramped cattle cars.They arrived onto an unloading platform, known as the ramp, where Nazi doctors made selections, deciding who would be murdered immediately and who would be used for slave labor.Many of those rail tracks are abandoned but still exist within the site of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, stark reminders of the industrial nature of the killing. But they also extend beyond the memorial site, cutting through fields and running along family homes and a bus station, aging testaments of the horrors making their mark on life today. Snow blankets railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, in Oswiecim, Poland, Thursday, Jan. 23. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Snow blankets railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, in Oswiecim, Poland, Thursday, Jan. 23. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, are seen next to the former camps parking in Oswiecim, Poland, Thursday, Jan. 23. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, are seen next to the former camps parking in Oswiecim, Poland, Thursday, Jan. 23. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More In all, 1.1 million people perished at Auschwitz in gas chambers or from disease, starvation and exhaustion. About 90% of the victims were Jewish, while Poles, Roma and Sinti, and Soviet prisoners of war were also among the victims. The camp was liberated by Soviet troops on Jan. 27, 1945. Snow blankets railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, cuts through a field in Oswiecim, Poland, Thursday, Jan. 23. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Snow blankets railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, cuts through a field in Oswiecim, Poland, Thursday, Jan. 23. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Nazi Germany established its largest extermination camp in Oswiecim the name of the Polish town that was called Auschwitz under German occupation because it was centrally located in Europe, with the railway infrastructure making it possible to transport Jews there from all across Europe from Belgium, France and the Netherlands, from Italy and from Hungary. Railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, runs along stores in Oswiecim, Poland, Saturday, Jan. 25. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, runs along stores in Oswiecim, Poland, Saturday, Jan. 25. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More On the grounds of Birkenau there is a memorial in the form of a rail carriage dedicated to the memory of the 420,000 Hungarian Jews who were deported to Auschwitz from May to July 1944. On Monday, the world will mark the 80th anniversary of the camps liberation, with elderly survivors of Nazi atrocities gathering with state leaders and royalty. Old railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, runs next to a bus station in Oswiecim, Poland, Saturday, Jan. 25. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Old railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, runs next to a bus station in Oswiecim, Poland, Saturday, Jan. 25. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Old railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, runs along a road in the town of Oswiecim, Poland, Thursday, Jan. 23. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Old railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, runs along a road in the town of Oswiecim, Poland, Thursday, Jan. 23. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Snow blankets railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, cuts through a field in Oswiecim, Poland, Saturday, Jan. 25. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Snow blankets railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, cuts through a field in Oswiecim, Poland, Saturday, Jan. 25. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Old railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, cuts through a field in Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, Jan. 24. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Old railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, cuts through a field in Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, Jan. 24. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Old railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, cut through the town of Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, Jan. 24. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Old railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, cut through the town of Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, Jan. 24. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Old railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, cut through the town of Oswiecim, Poland, Thursday, Jan. 23. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Old railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, cut through the town of Oswiecim, Poland, Thursday, Jan. 23. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More People visit the former Nazi German concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau in Oswiecim, Poland, Thursday, Jan. 23. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) People visit the former Nazi German concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau in Oswiecim, Poland, Thursday, Jan. 23. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Old railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, cut through the town of Oswiecim, Poland, Saturday, Jan. 25. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Old railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, cut through the town of Oswiecim, Poland, Saturday, Jan. 25. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Flowers lie on the old railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, at the former Nazi German concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau in Oswiecim, Poland, Thursday, Jan. 23. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Flowers lie on the old railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, at the former Nazi German concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau in Oswiecim, Poland, Thursday, Jan. 23. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More People visit railroad tracks and a carriage used for prisoner transports in WWII, just outside the former Nazi German concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau in Oswiecim, Poland, Saturday, Jan. 25. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) People visit railroad tracks and a carriage used for prisoner transports in WWII, just outside the former Nazi German concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau in Oswiecim, Poland, Saturday, Jan. 25. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Old railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, run outside the Memorial and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau in Oswiecim, Poland, Thursday, Jan. 23. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Old railroad tracks once used to transport Jews and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, run outside the Memorial and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau in Oswiecim, Poland, Thursday, Jan. 23. 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More

South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, attends the fourth hearing of his impeachment trial over his short-lived imposition of martial law at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Jan.23, 2025. (Jeon Heon Kyun/Pool Photo via AP)2025-01-27T07:13:41Z SEOUL, South Korea (AP) South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has become the countrys first leader to be indicted, less than two weeks after he was the first to be detained. The impeached, jailed president, who had been holed up in his presidential compound for weeks after issuing a shocking martial law decree last month, now faces rebellion charges that are punishable by the death penalty or life in prison. Its part of a tortuous saga that has plunged South Korea into political turmoil and further riven an already divided society. And its not the only legal headache Yoon faces. A separate proceeding will determine whether to formally dismiss Yoon as president or reinstate him.As Seoul prepares for double court hearings, continuing chaotic protests and increasingly harsh rhetoric from pro-and anti-Yoon forces, heres what to expect next: What happens now? Yoon will stay in jail. He will be brought from a detention facility to a Seoul court for hearings in the rebellion trial, which is expected to last about six months.Prosecutors say that Yoon directed a rebellion when he briefly imposed martial law on Dec. 3. Yoon has presidential immunity from most criminal prosecutions, but not on charges of rebellion or treason. Yoons defense minister, police chief and several other military commanders have already been arrested and indicted on alleged rebellion, abuse of power and other charges related to the martial law decree. Meanwhile, rival protests look likely to continue in downtown Seoul.After a local court on Jan. 19 approved a formal arrest warrant to extend Yoons detention, dozens of his supporters stormed the court building, destroying windows, doors and other property. They also attacked police officers with bricks, steel pipes and other objects. The violence left 17 police officers injured, and police detained 46 protesters. What about his other court case? Yoon also has to worry about the Constitutional Court, which has until June to determine whether to formally dismiss or reinstate him as president. Observers expect a ruling to come sooner than the deadline. In the cases of two past impeached presidents, Roh Moo-hyun in 2004 and Park Geun-hye in 2016, the court spent 63 days and 91 days respectively before determining to reinstate Roh and dismiss Park. If the Constitutional Court removes Yoon from office, an election to choose his successor must be held within two months. Recent public surveys show that governing and opposition party candidates are running neck-and-neck in a possible presidential by-election race.How are the two camps taking the indictment?Both are promising that this is just the beginning. Shin Dong-wook, a spokesperson for the governing conservative People Power Party, is warning that prosecutors will face unspecified legal and political consequences for their wrong indictment of Yoon. Yoons defense team says the prosecutors who indicted the president are trying to curry favor with political forces who want Yoon gone. They called the indictment a shame in the history of South Korean prosecutors.The main opposition liberal Democratic Party, which led Yoons Dec. 14 impeachment, called his indictment and arrest the beginning of the punishment of the ringleader of a rebellion. Party spokesperson Han Min-soo warned Yoon to stop what he called his attempt to incite far-right supporters based on groundless delusion. Yoon has steadfastly denied any wrongdoing and says his declaration of martial law was a legitimate act of governance meant to raise public awareness of the danger of the liberal-controlled National Assembly, which obstructed his agenda. After declaring martial law on Dec. 3, Yoon sent troops and police officers to the assembly, but enough lawmakers still managed to enter an assembly chamber to unanimously vote down Yoons decree, forcing his Cabinet to lift it. The martial law imposition, the first of its kind in South Korea in more than four decades, lasted only six hours. But it evoked painful memories of the military-backed rulers who used martial law and emergency decrees to suppress opponents in the 1960s through the 80s.___Klug reported from Tokyo. HYUNG-JIN KIM Hyung-jin is an Associated Press reporter in Seoul, South Korea. He reports on security, political and other general news on the Korean Peninsula. twitter mailto FOSTER KLUG Klug is the APs news director for the Koreas, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. Hes covered Asia since 2005 and has reported from across the region, including multiple trips to North Korea. twitter

Survivors and relatives attend a ceremony at the Auschwitz-Birkenau former Nazi German concentration and extermination camp, in Oswiecim, Poland, Monday, Jan. 27. 2025.(AP Photo/Oded Balilty)2025-01-27T08:13:30Z OSWIECIM, Poland (AP) The 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz by Soviet troops is being marked on Monday at the site of the former death camp, a ceremony that is widely being treated as the last major observance that any notable number of survivors will be able to attend.Nazi German forces murdered some 1.1 million people at the site in southern Poland, which was under German occupation during World War II. Most of the victims were Jews killed on an industrial scale in gas chambers, but the Germans also murdered many Poles, Roma, Soviet prisoners of war, gay people and others who were targeted for elimination in the Nazi racial ideology.Elderly camp survivors, some wearing blue-and-white striped scarves that recall their prison uniforms, walked together to the the Death Wall, where prisoners were executed, including many Poles who resisted the occupation of their country. They were joined by Polish President Andrzej Duda, whose nation lost 6 million citizens during the war. He carried a candle and walked with Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum director Piotr Cywinski. At the wall, the two men bowed their heads, murmured prayers and crossed themselves. We Poles, on whose land occupied by Nazi Germans at that time the Germans built this extermination industry and this concentration camp, are today the guardians of memory, Duda said to reporters afterward. He spoke of the unimaginable pain inflicted on so many people, especially the Jewish people, and described the dozens of survivors attending the observances Monday as the last survivors coming to this site.May the memory of all the dead live on, may they rest in peace, he said.In all, the Germans murdered 6 million Jews from all over Europe, annihilating two-thirds of Europes Jews and one-third of all Jews worldwide. In 2005, the United Nations designated Jan. 27 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Across Europe, officials and others were pausing to remember.The Holocaust was a collective endeavor by thousands of ordinary people utterly consumed by the hatred of difference, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement. That is the hatred we stand against today and it is a collective endeavor for all of us to defeat it.Later in the day, world leaders and royalty will join with elderly camp survivors, the youngest of whom are in their 80s. Politicians, however, have not been asked to speak this year. Due to the advanced age of the survivors, about 50 of whom are expected, organizers are choosing to make them the center of the observances. Among the leaders expected to attend are Germanys Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Germany has never sent both of its highest state representatives to the observances before, according to German news agency dpa.It is a sign of Germanys continued commitment to take responsibility for the nations crimes, even amid a growing far-right movement that would like to forget.French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will also attend, while Britains King Charles III will also be there, along with kings and queens from Spain, Denmark and Norway. Russian representatives were in the past central guests at the anniversary observances in recognition of the Soviet liberation of the camp on Jan. 27, 1945, and the huge losses suffered by Soviet forces in the Allied defeat of Nazi Germany. But they have not been welcome since Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.Associated Press writers Jill Lawless and Danica Kirka in London contributed.___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Displaced Palestinians return to their homes in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, days after the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas came into effect. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)2025-01-27T05:17:24Z DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) Israel on Monday began allowing thousands of Palestinians to return to the heavily destroyed north of the Gaza Strip for the first time since the early weeks of the 15-month war with Hamas, in accordance with a fragile ceasefire.The opening was delayed for two days over a dispute between Hamas and Israel, which said the militant group had changed the order of the hostages it released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Mediators resolved the dispute overnight.Palestinians who have been sheltering in squalid tent camps and schools-turned-shelters for over a year are eager to return to their homes -- even knowing that they have likely been damaged or destroyed. Many had feared Israel would make their exodus permanent, and expressed similar concerns about an idea floated by President Donald Trump to resettle large numbers of Palestinians in Egypt and Jordan. Ismail Abu Matter, a father of four who had waited for three days before crossing with his family, described scenes of jubilation on the other side, with people singing, praying and crying as they were reunited with relatives. Its the joy of return, said Abu Matter, whose family was among the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who fled or were driven out of what is now Israel during the 1948 war surrounding its creation. We had thought we wouldnt return, like our ancestors. Hamas said the return was a victory for our people, and a declaration of failure and defeat for the (Israeli) occupation and transfer plans.The ceasefire is aimed at winding down the deadliest and most destructive war ever fought between Israel and Hamas and securing the release of dozens of hostages captured in the militants Oct. 7, 2023, attack, which triggered the fighting.Israel ordered the wholescale evacuation of the north in the opening days of the war and sealed it off shortly after ground troops moved in. Around a million people fled to the south in October 2023, while hundreds of thousands remained in the north, which had some of the heaviest fighting and the worst destruction of the war. Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel would continue to enforce the ceasefire, and that anyone violating it or threatening Israeli forces will bear the full cost.We will not allow a return to the reality of Oct. 7, he wrote on the platform X.Hostage dispute rattled week-old ceasefireIsrael had delayed the opening of the crossing, which was supposed to happen over the weekend, saying it would not allow Palestinians north until a female civilian hostage, Arbel Yehoud, was released. It also accused Hamas of failing to provide information on whether the remaining hostages set to be freed in the first phase are alive or dead.Hamas in turn accused Israel of violating the agreement by not opening the crossing.The Gulf nation of Qatar, a key mediator with Hamas, announced early Monday that an agreement had been reached to release Yehoud along with two other hostages before Friday.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that the hostage release which will include female soldier Agam Berger will take place on Thursday. That release will be in addition to the one already set for next Saturday, when three hostages should be released. Hamas also handed over a list of required information about the hostages to be released in the ceasefires six-week first phase.Starting at 7 a.m., Palestinians were allowed to cross on foot without inspection through part of the so-called Netzarim corridor, a military zone bisecting the territory just south of Gaza City that Israel carved out early in the war. A checkpoint for vehicles was to open later with an inspection mechanism, the details of which were not immediately known. A second and more difficult phase awaitsUnder the first phase of the ceasefire, which runs until early March, Hamas is to free a total of 33 hostages in exchange for the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. The militants have released seven hostages, including four female soldiers, in the current ceasefire, in exchange for more than 300 prisoners, including many serving life sentences for deadly attacks on Israelis.The second and far more difficult phase of the agreement has not yet been negotiated. Hamas says it will not release the remaining 60 or so hostages unless Israel ends the war, while Netanyahu says he is still committed to destroying the militant group and ending its nearly 18-year rule over Gaza.Hamas started the war when thousands of its fighters stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting another 250. Around 90 hostages are still inside Gaza, and Israel believes around a third are dead.Israels air and ground war has killed over 47,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gazas Health Ministry. It does not say how many of the dead were combatants. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.Israeli bombardment and ground operations have displaced around 90% of Gazas 2.3 million people, often multiple times, and flattened entire neighborhoods. ___Magdy reported from Cairo and Krauss from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.___Follow APs war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

People displaced by the fighting with M23 rebels make their way to the center of Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)2025-01-27T09:02:10Z GOMA, Congo (AP) Residents in eastern Congos largest city, Goma, were fleeing on Monday after Rwanda-backed rebels claimed to have captured the regional hub from Congolese forces as fighting escalated in recent days despite calls from the U.N. Security Council for the insurgents to withdraw. Gunshots rang out across Goma overnight before dozens of rebels in military uniform early Monday morning marched into the capital of North Kivu province, which sits on the border with Rwanda. The Congolese government has not confirmed the fall of Goma, 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) east of capital Kinshasa, after severing ties with Rwanda on Saturday. The Rwanda-backed M23 rebels are one of about 100 armed groups vying for a foothold in the mineral-rich region in the decades-long conflict, one of Africas largest. The rebels temporarily took over Goma in 2012, before they were forced to pull out under international pressure, and resurfaced in late 2021, with increasing support from Rwanda, according to Congos government and United Nations experts. Rwanda has denied such support. Analysts have warned the latest escalation of hostilities could further destabilize the region, which is already home to one of the worlds largest humanitarian crises with more than 6 million people displaced. More than a third of North Kivus population are among the displaced, according to a U.N. report. UN calls on the rebels to withdrawIn a statement late Sunday, the U.N. Security Council called on the M23 to immediately reverse its advances.The members of the Security Council condemned the ongoing flagrant disregard for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC and that the M23 put an end to the establishment of parallel administrations in the DRC territory, the statement added, referring to Congos formal name, the Democratic Republic of Congo. The rebels announced early Monday they had captured the city just as a deadline they gave to Congolese security forces to surrender was about to expire. The rebels asked the Congolese military to assemble at the central stadium and urged residents to remain calm. Congolese government officials have said the country is in a war situation and accused Rwanda of committing a frontal aggression (and) a declaration of war. Congo cut ties with Rwanda over the weekend as re cent attempts at diplomatic talks between the two countries failed. The advance into Goma is the culmination of a prolonged battle between the rebels and the Congolese security forces that saw several towns along the Rwandan border falling to the insurgents.Residents seek safety across the border in RwandaOn Sunday, hundreds of residents marched in the heat and through the night along roads with heavy traffic as they tried to flee Goma into Rwanda, carrying their babies, clothes and other belongings on their backs and heads. Many were still on the run on Monday morning.We are fleeing because we saw soldiers on the border with Rwanda throwing bombs and shooting, said Safi Shangwe, who was among those on the move.The U.N. special representative for Congo Bintou Keita told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council late Sunday that we are trapped, with the airport shut down and roads blocked. At least 13 U.N. peacekeepers have been killed in the hostilities in the past week. The U.N. peacekeeping force, also known as MONUSCO, entered Congo more than two decades ago and has around 14,000 peacekeepers on the ground.The Uruguayan army, in Goma serving with the U.N. peacekeeping mission, said in a statement on the social platform X late Sunday that more than 100 Congolese soldiers were laying down their weapons.___Asadu reported from Abuja, Nigeria; and Mednick, from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Monika Pronczuk and Wilson McMakin in Dakar, Senegal and Edith M. Lederer in New York contributed to this report. SAM MEDNICK Mednick is the West and Central Africa reporter for the Associated Press. She focuses on conflict, humanitarian crises and human rights abuses. twitter

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One as he travels from Las Vegas to Miami on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)2025-01-26T20:34:41Z DORAL, Fla. (AP) President Donald Trumps push to have Egypt and Jordan take in large numbers of Palestinian refugees from besieged Gaza fell flat with those countries governments and left a key congressional ally in Washington perplexed on Sunday. Fighting that broke out in the territory after ruling Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023 is paused due to a fragile ceasefire, but much of Gazas population has been left largely homeless by an Israeli military campaign. Trump told reporters Saturday aboard Air Force One that moving some 1.5 million people away from Gaza might mean that we just clean out that whole thing. Trump relayed what he told Jordans King Abdullah when the two held a call earlier Saturday: I said to him, Id love for you to take on more because Im looking at the whole Gaza Strip right now, and its a mess. He said he was making a similar appeal to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi during a conversation they were having while Trump was at his Doral resort in Florida on Sunday. Trump said he would like Egypt to take people and Id like Jordan to take people. Egypt and Jordan, along with the Palestinians, worry that Israel would never allow them to return to Gaza once they have left. Both Egypt and Jordan also have perpetually struggling economies and their governments, as well as those of other Arab states, fear massive destabilization of their own countries and the region from any such influx of refugees. Jordan already is home to more than 2 million Palestinian refugees. Egypt has warned of the security implications of transferring large numbers of Palestinians to Egypts Sinai Peninsula, bordering Gaza.Trump suggested that resettling most of Gazas population of 2.3 million could be temporary or long term.Jordans foreign minister, Ayman Safadi, said Sunday that his countrys opposition to what Trump floated was firm and unwavering. Some Israel officials had raised the idea early in the war. Egypts foreign minister issued a statement saying that the temporary or long-term transfer of Palestinians risks expanding the conflict in the region. Trump does have leverage to wield over Jordan, which is a debt-strapped, but strategically important, U.S. ally and is heavily dependent on foreign aid. The U.S. is historically the single-largest provider of that aid, including more than $1.6 billion through the State Department in 2023. Much of that comes as support for Jordans security forces and direct budget support.Jordan in return has been a vital regional partner to the U.S. in trying to help keep the region stable. Jordan hosts some 3,000 U.S. troops. Yet, on Friday, new Secretary of State Marco Rubio exempted security assistance to Israel and Egypt but not to Jordan, when he laid out the details of a freeze on foreign assistance that Trump ordered on his first day in office.Meantime, in the United States, even Trump loyalists tried to make sense of his words.I really dont know,' said Sen. Lindsey Graham, when asked on CNNs State of the Union about what Trump meant by the clean out remark. Graham, who is close to Trump, said the suggestion was not feasible. The idea that all the Palestinians are going to leave and go somewhere else, I dont see that to be overly practical, said Graham, R-S.C. He said Trump should keep talking to Mideast leaders, including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and officials in the United Arab Emirates.I dont know what hes talking about. But go talk to MBS, go talk to UAE, go talk to Egypt, Graham said. What is their plan for the Palestinians? Do they want them all to leave?Trump, a staunch supporter of Israel, also announced Saturday that he had directed the U.S. to release a supply of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel. Former President Joe Biden had imposed a hold due to concerns about their effects on Gazas civilian population.Egypt and Jordan have made peace with Israel but support the creation of a Palestinian state in the occupied West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem, territories that Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast War. They fear that the permanent displacement of Gazas population could make that impossible. In making his case for such a massive population shift, Trump said Gaza is literally a demolition site right now. Id rather get involved with some of the Arab nations, and build housing in a different location, he said of people displaced in Gaza. Where they can maybe live in peace for a change. ___Associated Press writers Samy Magdy in Cairo and Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington contributed to this report. WILL WEISSERT Weissert covers national politics and the White House for The Associated Press. He is based in Washington. twitter mailto

Jean-Michel Gisnel cries out while praying with other congregants at the First Haitian Evangelical Church of Springfield, Sunday, January 26, 2025, in Springfield, Ohio. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao)2025-01-26T21:43:28Z SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (AP) At the end of his Sunday service, the pastor of the First Haitian Evangelical Church of Springfield, Ohio, asked ushers and musicians to form a circle around him as he knelt in prayer, flanked by the flags of Haiti and the United States.Many had come to receive his blessing and hear his guidance on how to deal with federal agents in case of raids stemming from President Donald Trumps crackdown on immigration. Other congregants stayed home out of fear and growing uncertainty.I asked God to protect my people, the Rev. Reginald Silencieux said after the service, reflecting on his final prayer. I prayed especially for the Haitian community, and I prayed for U.S.A. too, because Trump is our president. As a church, we have an obligation to pray for him because hes our political leader right now. Some of Springfields estimated 15,000 Haitians are seeking solace and divine intervention in their churches or at shops that sell spiritual products. Community leaders say many are overwhelmed by fears Trump will end or let expire the Temporary Protected Status program that allows them to remain in the U.S. legally. Congregants worship at the First Haitian Evangelical Church of Springfield, Sunday, January 26, 2025, in Springfield, Ohio. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao) Congregants worship at the First Haitian Evangelical Church of Springfield, Sunday, January 26, 2025, in Springfield, Ohio. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Ushers at the First Haitian Evangelical Church of Springfield hold hands during Sunday service, January 26, 2025, in Springfield, Ohio. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao) Ushers at the First Haitian Evangelical Church of Springfield hold hands during Sunday service, January 26, 2025, in Springfield, Ohio. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More The community is panicking. said Viles Dorsainvil, the leader of Springfields Haitian Community Help and Support Center. They see the arrests on TV in other parts of the country and they dont know whats going to happen.The majority of immigrants in the U.S.A. are not criminals, and theyre hard-working people, he added. Any administration with common sense would rather work with those kinds of immigrants than deport them.Last year, Trump falsely accused Haitians in Springfield of eating their neighbors cats and dogs. The false rumors exacerbated fears about division and anti-immigrant sentiment in the mostly white, blue-collar city of about 59,000.In the weeks after his comments, schools, government buildings and the homes of elected officials were targeted with dozens of bomb threats.Before, we had a different type of fear it was a fear of retaliation, whether it was the far right, the Proud Boys, said Jacob Payen, a Haitian community leader and owner of Milokan Botanica, a religious shop that sells Haitian spiritual and natural healing products.Now, theres a fear of deportation. That keeps a lot of people from going out and has caused a lot of people to have left, he said, pointing to the usually busy commercial plaza where his business is located and that was now more quiet than usual. Jacob Payton talks to customers at the entrance of Milokan Botanica, his religious supply shop that sells Haitian spiritual and natural healing products, in Springfield, Ohio, Saturday, January 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao) Jacob Payton talks to customers at the entrance of Milokan Botanica, his religious supply shop that sells Haitian spiritual and natural healing products, in Springfield, Ohio, Saturday, January 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Dieutela Charles comforts her 6-month-old daughter while getting guidance on her U.S. residency from Haitian community leader Jacob Payton at his store in Springfield, Ohio, on Saturday, January 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao) Dieutela Charles comforts her 6-month-old daughter while getting guidance on her U.S. residency from Haitian community leader Jacob Payton at his store in Springfield, Ohio, on Saturday, January 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Cards with information on the Temporary Protected Status, which allows thousands of Haitian immigrants to reside legally in the United States, sit on display at Milokan Botanica, a religious supply shop that sells Haitian spiritual and natural healing products, in Springfield, Ohio, Saturday, January 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao) Cards with information on the Temporary Protected Status, which allows thousands of Haitian immigrants to reside legally in the United States, sit on display at Milokan Botanica, a religious supply shop that sells Haitian spiritual and natural healing products, in Springfield, Ohio, Saturday, January 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Between selling religious candles and spiritual ointments, Payne guided customers with immigration forms, employment authorization cards and questions on their TPS applications.Brutus Joseph, 50, who works installing solar panels, said he came to the botanica to find spiritual relief. But he also wanted to speak his mind.I dont feel right at all. I have a lot in my chest, Joseph said in Creole through an interpreter. My wife and I cant even sleep because were so worried. Were law-abiding citizens all we did is to be Haitian. We didnt think wed be treated like this by the (Trump) administration. Im praying to God that the president changes his mind.Joseph especially worries about the future for his five children, including one who is a senior in high school in Springfield and plans to attend college this year.If I leave here, theres no future for my children. My children can get raped and killed if I go back, so I have everything to lose, he said, making an appeal to Trump as a fellow family man who is married to an immigrant.The Rev. Philomene Philostin, one of the pastors at the First Haitian Evangelical Church, bemoaned the lower-than-usual attendance at Sundays service.They dont have to be scared. They have to be alert, she said. They shouldnt be scared to the point where they dont come to church. The Rev. Reginald Silencieux kneels to pray, surrounded by the choir and worship team at the First Haitian Evangelical Church of Springfield, Sunday, January 26, 2025, in Springfield, Ohio. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao) The Rev. Reginald Silencieux kneels to pray, surrounded by the choir and worship team at the First Haitian Evangelical Church of Springfield, Sunday, January 26, 2025, in Springfield, Ohio. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Suzette Cleophat worships with fellow congregants at the First Haitian Evangelical Church of Springfield, Sunday, January 26, 2025, in Springfield, Ohio. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao) Suzette Cleophat worships with fellow congregants at the First Haitian Evangelical Church of Springfield, Sunday, January 26, 2025, in Springfield, Ohio. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More The migration concerns of clergy and other community members in Springfield are shared by many faith leaders nationwide. In several cities, including New York, Philadelphia and Portland, Oregon, interfaith groups are discussing how to provide security and support to migrants in their communities, including those who are undocumented.During his first administration, Trump used bluntly vulgar language to question why the U.S. would accept immigrants from Haiti and shithole countries in Africa. His 2024 campaign focused heavily on illegal immigration, often referring in his speeches to crimes committed by migrants.Thousands of temporary Haitian migrants have legally landed in Springfield in recent years under the TPS program, as longstanding unrest in their home country has given way to violent gangs ruling the streets.Everything changed because Trump is president. People are scared right now. Most are staying in their homes they dont want to go outside, said Romane Pierre, 41, who settled in Springfield in 2020 under the TPS program after fleeing violence in his native Haiti.I love my country, but you cant live there; its terrible right now, said Pierre, who works at the Rose Gaute, a popular Haitian restaurant in Springfield. So where do you go back to?Last year, his 8-year-old daughter got ill in the middle of the night. Gunshots rang in their neighborhood in the capital of Port-Au-Prince, and her mother felt it was too dangerous to take her to the hospital. She died in the morning in front of the hospital entrance. Pierre couldnt get a permit on time to return for her funeral.Sometimes, life is difficult, he said pensively on a break from work.The TPS, which allows him and thousands of others to remain legally in Springfield, expires on February 2026. He still hopes Trump will keep in mind the violence in Haiti and renew it.Think about Haitians because Haiti is not a place to return to right now, he said. God, talk to Mr. Trump and do something for Haitians.The migrants fears were echoed by the president of Haitis transitional presidential council, who said the Trump administrations decisions to freeze aid programs, deport migrants and block refugees will be catastrophic for Haiti. Congregants leave First Haitian Evangelical Church of Springfield after Sunday service in Springfield, Ohio, January 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski) Congregants leave First Haitian Evangelical Church of Springfield after Sunday service in Springfield, Ohio, January 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Leslie Voltaire made the comment in an interview with The Associated Press in Rome on Saturday following a meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican.The pontiff and Voltaire discussed the dire situation in Haiti where gangs have killed civilians and operate across the Caribbean nation with impunity. Half of Haitis 11.4 million people are already hungry, according to Voltaire, and losing humanitarian assistance will make the situation dramatically worse.This story has been updated to correct the spelling of the Rev. Philomene Philostins last name from Philo.___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. LUIS ANDRES HENAO Henao is a multimedia reporter on the APs Global Religion team. He focuses on features and has reported for the AP from Alaska, Antarctica and the Amazon. twitter instagram mailto

Igor Abramovich surveys heavy damage to a house from the 14-month war between Hezbollah and Israel in Kibbutz Manara, on the border with Lebanon, northern Israel, Jan. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)2025-01-27T06:02:56Z KIBBUTZ MANARA, Israel (AP) Kibbutz Manara in northern Israel is so close to the Lebanese border that patrons of a local pub joke, with gallows humor, that the militant group Hezbollah could see if they were eating sunflower seeds or potato chips with their beers.The proximity made Manara so vulnerable in the war between Israel and Hezbollah that rockets and explosive drones damaged the majority of homes, turning the tiny community into a symbol of the heavy price of fighting. The kibbutzs 300 residents were among the 60,000 Israelis evacuated by the government from communities along the Lebanese border during the 14-month war.A tenuous ceasefire has largely held, though it was tested on Sunday as a 60-day deadline passed for Israel and Hezbollah to withdraw their forces from southern Lebanon. Health officials in Lebanon said at least 22 people were killed by Israeli fire when demonstrators attempted to enter villages still under Israeli control. Israel says it is committed to withdrawing but says the process will take additional time. For now, residents of Israels north are taking their time returning, uncertain when or if they will go back to shattered communities. Many wonder what future they can have in a place so exposed to violence. The vast majority of displaced families still havent returned home. In hard-hit places like Manara, some who have ventured back have found unlivable, blackened homes. It will take years to rebuild. We are trying to understand what we can fix, what we can do better, how we can prepare for the next round (of fighting), said Igor Abramovich, who remained in Manara during the war and believes its just a matter of time before fighting erupts.All homes on the ridge facing Lebanon are destroyed, with gaping holes left by missile strikes or fires that burned so hot that cars partly melted. Because the kibbutz is so exposed, 70 meters (yards) from the border in some places, firefighters sometimes couldnt respond to the blazes. Instead, the emergency squad was forced to watch on security cameras as fires burned. Hezbollah began launching rockets and missiles toward Israeli border communities on Oct. 8, 2023, a day after the deadly Hamas attack that sparked the war in Gaza. Soon after, Israel evacuated dozens of towns, villages and kibbutzim along the border, including Manara.In Lebanon, at the height of the war, more than 1 million people were displaced, and reconstruction will take years there as well. Piles of rubble that were once homes can be seen in towns across the border.Hezbollah rockets killed 77 people in Israel, more than half of them civilians. No one was killed in Manara. Israeli air and ground assaults killed more than 4,000 people in Lebanon, including hundreds of civilians.Israel made returning the displaced residents to their homes an aim in its war against Hezbollah and has promised incentives to entice them back. The return has been slow, in part because many residents are skeptical of the governments pledges to ensure their safety and because much work remains to rehabilitate communities. Remote kibbutzim on the bordersManara is prone to howling winds and snow usually once a winter, attracting a hardy, close-knit group of people. Such remote kibbutzim were an integral element of the Israeli pioneer ethos, and Israel as a fledgling state once relied on them to protect its borders in the face of threats from neighboring Arab countries. Those threats appeared to have waned until Hamas attacked into southern Israel and Israeli authorities assessed that Hezbollah was planning a similar cross-border raid in the north.The war was a clear reminder for Israelis that the country still depends on the border communities and needs to ensure their viability so that the country doesnt collapse toward its center.Many in Manara are determined to return and restore their homes.Its really a physical thing. They miss the air here, said Orna Weinberg, 58, who has lived on the kibbutz her entire life.Weinberg was displaced to a town about 45 minutes south, but she coordinated with the army and returned to Manara almost every day during the war, helping other evacuated residents who asked her to save photo albums, transfer the kibbutzs archives or carry out other tasks to keep the community from falling apart. Now shes involved in coordinating Manaras rehabilitation, both physical and emotional. She and Abramovich spend hours walking through the kibbutz with appraisers for different government agencies to determine the financial losses and compensation. They also need to check the kibbutzs infrastructure, including gas, water and electricity lines. All suffered damage. The question no one asksOut of 157 homes or apartments in the kibbutz, 110 were damaged, including 38 that were completely destroyed. In the part of Manara that faces Lebanon, all houses were destroyed. The ones facing the valley and the city of Kiryat Shmona are damaged but likely salvageable.Abramovich said an initial estimate of rebuilding costs is at least NIS 150 million ($40 million).Were having this weird discussion now, who has it better, someone whose house is partially destroyed or totally destroyed, said Hagar Erlich, 72, whose father was one of Manaras founders and is living in a hotel in the city of Tiberias with other kibbutz members. It may be cheaper and faster to demolish and rebuild rather than renovate, she said.The kibbutz is committed to reopening the nursery school by Sept. 1, convinced that if young families dont return as soon as possible, the communitys future is in danger, Abramovich said.So far, none of Manaras residents have announced they are leaving. The Ambramovich family Igor, his wife and two daughters will return in February, the first family to do so.Its hard for people to say, Im not coming back, Erlich said. We decided that we are not asking that question, not as an organization, and not as individuals.The community even wants to continue an expansion of 92 housing units that was planned before the war started.Signs of life are reemerging.In late December, 50 Manara residents gathered to work in the community garden, the hub of the kibbutz where they mark important celebrations and gatherings. The older members cooked a feast as children ran through the weeds and removed rocks from the garden beds to get them ready for new plants.It was the first time since the war began where I heard voices of people talking and chatting around here, Weinberg said. Whenever I think about that, thats home. MELANIE LIDMAN Lidman is an Associated Press reporter based in Tel Aviv, Israel.

The cargo ship Vezhen is anchored outside Karlskrona, Sweden, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, for examination by Swedish authorities. (Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency via AP)2025-01-27T11:42:03Z SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) A Bulgarian shipping company on Monday denied that one of its ships had intentionally damaged an underwater fiber optic cable connecting Latvia and the Swedish island of Gotland.In a statement, Navibulgar CEO Alexander Kalchev said it was possible that the Vezhen ship had caused a cable to break but dismissed any possibility of sabotage or any other action on the part of the crew.He cited information obtained from the crew that the ship was sailing late on Sunday in extremely bad weather. Eventually, the crew discovered that the left anchor was apparently being dragged along the seabed.Kalchevs statement followed the announcement that Swedish prosecutors had launched a preliminary investigation on suspicion of sabotage, after the ship was detained in the Baltic Sea.He added that the automatic ship identification system clearly showed that the Vezhen passed over the cable, and that it was not clear when exactly it was cut. I hope that the investigators will quickly establish that this is not a matter of any intentional action, but a technical incident due to bad weather, and that the ship will be released, Kalchev said.The Maltese-flagged Vezhen was sailing to South America, loaded with fertilizer. The 32,000-ton vessel was launched in 2022, Kalchev said.

Workers secure a net to prevent mudslides over the burned side of a mansion in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)2025-01-27T11:31:19Z LOS ANGELES (AP) More rain fell Monday on parts of Southern California after causing mudflows over the weekend, helping firefighters but boosting the risk of toxic ash runoff in areas scorched by Los Angeles-area wildfires.Flood watches were in effect for burn areas from recent fires that broke out around the Pacific Palisades neighborhood in Los Angeles, Altadena and Castaic Lake, said Joe Sirard, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Oxnard.All these fresh burns are very susceptible to rapid runoff, Sirard said, warning of even small amounts of rain in a few minutes time. What that means is we have a fairly high danger of mud and debris flows once we get above those thresholds.A portion of the Pacific Coast Highway in Los Angeles County was closed as of Sunday afternoon due to mudflows in Topanga Canyon, the California Department of Transportation said. Snow fell in the mountains. One benefit that could come from the rain: It may help firefighters who are reining in multiple wildfires after weeks of windy and dry weather.Los Angeles County crews spent much of last week removing vegetation, shoring up slopes and reinforcing roads in devastated areas of the Palisades and Eaton fires, which reduced entire neighborhoods to rubble and ash after breaking out during powerful winds on Jan. 7. The Palisades Fire, the largest of the blazes that destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 11 people, reached 90% containment Sunday. The Eaton Fire, which broke out near Altadena and has killed at least 16 people, was 98% contained. The Hughes Fire, which ignited last week north of Los Angeles and caused evacuation orders or warnings for more than 50,000 people, was 95% contained as of Sunday evening.In San Diego County, firefighters made progress to contain the smaller Border 2 Fire as it burned through a remote area of the Otay Mountain Wilderness near the U.S.-Mexico border. Most of the region was forecast to get about an inch (about 2.5 centimeters) of precipitation over several days, but the weather service warned of a risk of localized cloudbursts causing mud and debris to flow down hills. So the problem would be if one of those showers happens to park itself over a burn area, weather service meteorologist Carol Smith said on social media. That could be enough to create debris flows. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order last week to expedite cleanup efforts and mitigate the environmental impacts of fire-related pollutants. LA County supervisors also approved an emergency motion to install flood-control infrastructure and expedite and remove sediment in fire-impacted areas.Fire crews filled sandbags for communities, while county workers installed barriers and cleared drainage pipes and basins.Officials cautioned that ash in recent burn zones was a toxic mix of incinerated cars, electronics, batteries, building materials, paints, furniture and other household items. It contains pesticides, asbestos, plastics and lead. Residents were urged to wear protective gear while cleaning up. Concerns about post-fire debris flows have been especially high since 2018, when the town of Montecito, up the coast from Los Angeles, was ravaged by mudslides after a downpour hit mountain slopes burned bare by a huge blaze. Hundreds of homes were damaged and 23 people died. The rain snapped a near-record streak of dry weather for Southern California. Most of Southern California is currently in extreme drought or severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Vaccines are prepared for students during a pop-up immunization clinic at the Newcomer Academy in Louisville, Ky., on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Mary Conlon, File)2025-01-27T12:01:37Z HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) Vaccination bills are popping up in more than 15 states as lawmakers aim to potentially resurrect or create new religious exemptions from immunization mandates, establish state-level vaccine injury databases or dictate what providers must tell patients about the shots.Many see a political opportunity to rewrite policies in their states after President Donald Trumps return to the White House and anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. s nomination as the next secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. The agency oversees virtually every aspect of vaccination efforts in the U.S., from funding their development to establishing recommendations for medical providers to distributing vaccines and covering them through federal programs.Childhood vaccination rates against dangerous infections like measles and polio continue to fall nationwide, and the number of parents claiming non-medical exemptions so their kids dont get required shots is rising. In 2024, whooping cough cases reached a decade-high and 16 measles outbreaks, the largest among them in Chicago and Minnesota, put health officials on edge. Most states are below the 95% vaccination threshold for kindergartners the level needed to protect communities against measles outbreaks. About half of Americans are very or extremely concerned that those declining childhood vaccination rates will lead to more outbreaks, according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Yet only about 4 in 10 Americans oppose reconsidering the governments recommendations for widely used vaccines, while roughly 3 in 10 are in favor. The rest about 3 in 10 are neutral. Scott Burris, director of Temple Universitys Center for Public Health Law Research, has tracked public health legislation for years, and watched backlash against COVID-19 vaccines grow to include more routine vaccines as anti-vaccine activists take hold of powerful political pulpits. I think COVID and the politics gave standard vaccine denialists a lot of wind in their sails, he said.Its hard to predict what will pass into law in the states, Burris said, considering the vast majority of proposed bills in any state go nowhere. But the proposed legislation offers a glimpse into lawmakers thoughts, and what else might follow.Religious exemptions lead the packReligious exemptions for school vaccine requirements are among the most popular proposals so far. Lawmakers in New York, Virginia, Connecticut and Mississippi have introduced bills that would allow more people to waive routine shots. Indiana lawmakers will weigh religious exemptions for medical students. Earlier this month, West Virginia Republican Gov. Patrick Morrisey issued an executive order on his first day in office that enabled families to receive religious exemptions from required school vaccinations. Thats a huge step, said Brian Festa, co-founder of the law firm We The Patriots USA, which works on vaccination-related cases throughout the country. Thats a state that never had a religious exemption. Now, only four states allow just a medical exemption from childcare and K-12 immunization requirements: Connecticut, California, New York and Maine.Festa credited West Virginias new religious exemption to Trumps nomination of Kennedy, as well as a 2023 federal court ruling that required Mississippi to allow residents to cite religious beliefs when seeking exemptions from state-mandated vaccinations for children.I think the writings on the wall and they did feel the pressure, Festa said of West Virginia.In Connecticut, at least four Republican bills will try to revive the states religious exemption for schools, colleges and daycares something a contentious 2021 state law eliminated for students without an existing exemption. Connecticut health experts said at the time there was a slow but steady increase in the number of religious exemptions and declining vaccination rates in some schools. The state has historically maintained some of the highest childhood vaccination rates in the county, and in the 2023-2024 school year, more than 97% of kindergarteners protected against chickenpox, measles, tetanus, diphtheria, polio and more. Given that the U.S. Supreme Court last year rejected a challenge to the Connecticut law and the statehouse is controlled by Democrats, GOP state Sen. Eric Berthel said hes not optimistic legislative leaders will allow debate on his exemption bill, but does believe the broader cultural shift means maybe there is a bit of an appetite to look at things like this again.I think that were not being fair to families who have a true faith-based reason to not vaccinate their child, he said.Theres one outlier so far among statehouse trends on exemptions. Hawaii, where legislators are looking to move in the opposite direction with a bill to eliminate all non-medical waivers after struggling for years with high exemption rates. Vaccine injuries and consent lawsOther vaccine-related bills touch on some of the opposition thats been growing since the pandemic.Oklahoma and Alabama have proposals that would require parental consent for any vaccine given to minors. Bills in Wyoming, Oregon and Oklahoma would prohibit discrimination against people who arent vaccinated against COVID-19 or other diseases. New York and Oklahoma have bills that would require providers to give people getting shots a full ingredient list, and Florida legislation would ban edible vaccines, though none are approved for use in the U.S. and research is still in early stages.Vaccine injury is also a popular topic, and bills in Indiana and North Dakota propose creating state versions of the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System a federal database that drew the attention of vaccine skeptics during the pandemic. Anyone can file a report about a potential issue after a vaccine, though the CDCs website notes a report doesnt prove the shot caused a health issue.North Dakota Republican state Sen. Dick Anderson said hes not against people getting vaccines he got one COVID-19 shot himself but proposed the bill because many people dont trust the CDC. We have to do something to restore trust in the system, Anderson said. But experts note state databases are unnecessarily duplicative. A lot of these proposals, theyre trying to fix something thats not broken and really working to counter the goal of preventing the spread of communicable disease, said Andy Baker-White, senior director of state health policy for the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.Policy should be focused on getting rid of barriers to vaccination, not adding to them, said Dr. Susan Kressly, a pediatrician and president of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Many families miss vaccinations not because of ideology, she said, but because of lack of transportation or not having primary care doctors or clinics nearby, among other things. But because most Americans are vaccinated, they havent seen the effects of dangerous infections like bacterial meningitis that Kressly fielded calls about from fearful parents early in her career. Vaccines are really an American success story, she said.___Shastri reported from Milwaukee.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. SUSAN HAIGH Haigh covers the Connecticut General Assembly, state government, politics, public policy matters and more for The Associated Press. She has worked for The AP since 2002. twitter mailto DEVI SHASTRI Shastri is a public health reporter for The Associated Press, based in Milwaukee. She covers housing access, the social safety net, medical misinformation and other topics that influence the health of communities broadly. twitter mailto