Also, a man was arrested on charges of planting pipe bombs before Jan. 6. Heres the latest at the end of Thursday.

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The Red Sox acquired right-hander Johan Oviedo from the Pirates in a five-player trade that sent outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia, also known as "The Password," to Pittsburgh.

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green limped to the locker room late in the second quarter Thursday night in Philadelphia and was quickly ruled out because of a right foot injury.

After just six episodes, Heated Rivalry has the internet buzzing. The series leans into queer romance with tension-packed stares, locker-room rivalries, and stolen hotel-room moments.The Crave show dropped November 28 on Crave in Canada and HBO Max in the U.S. and Australia to much excitement. Its presence online has been massive, with fans turning the series into a full social-media takeover.The Story That Hooked PeopleThe series follows rival hockey stars Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie), whose tense competition on the ice masks a long-running, secret romance.Creator Jacob Tierney familiar to anyone who loves Letterkenny and Shoresy didnt initially set out to make a gay hockey romance. But after stumbling across a Washington Post article about hockey romance novels, Tierney tracked down Heated Rivalry author Rachel Reid on Instagram. And the rest is history. So Season 2? A Real Possibility.Crave hasnt confirmed anything. Technically, the series was marketed as limited. But the language coming from Tierney suggests it might not be limited after all.Talking with Evan Ross Katz, Tierney admitted the response caught everyone off guard:Well take it! The Best Part: Theres More Story WaitingShane and Ilyas story didnt end with the original book. Reid continued their relationship in The Long Game, the sixth entry in her interconnected Game Changers universe meaning Season 2 wouldnt need to invent new material at all.In a blog post reflecting on the TV adaptation, Reid wrote:So the author is enthusiastic. Fans are enthusiastic. And Tierney confirmed that the enthusiasm from behind the curtain is real.Tierney acknowledged that industry eyes are on Heated Rivalry, saying:Which makes sense, considering the frenzy happening online.Final CallTheres no renewal announcement yet. But the passion from fans, the availability of a sequel, and Tierneys very pointed hints make one thing clear: Season 2 isnt a long shot its a real contender.Source

Nature, Published online: 05 December 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-03937-1A panel of US vaccine advisors will vote Friday on whether to rescind guidance that all newborns should receive a hepatitis B vaccine at birth.

MLS commissioner Don Garber won't rule out adopting relegation and promotion while making clear such a decision is years or decades away.

Collin Klein, the former Kansas State quarterback and current offensive coordinator at Texas A&M, was named the Wildcats' head coach on Thursday night.

Prosecutors are looking at potential connections to a former resident, who faces a murder charge in another case.

Congress is focusing on two deaths in one strike. But nine other people died in that same attack, and the United States has killed 83 in all. Were any of those killings legal?

Cal has agreed in principle to a five-year deal to make Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi the school's next head coach, sources told ESPN's Pete Thamel on Thursday.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb was ruled out of Thursday's game against the Detroit Lions with a concussion suffered in the third quarter.

LeBron James had a chance to extend his record double-digit scoring streak but opted to pass the ball, setting up Rui Hachimura's game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer Thursday night against the Raptors.

After a judge dismissed the Trump administrations first attempt to indict the attorney general of New York State, a new grand jury effort failed, according to people familiar with the matter.

The Lions improved their playoff chances and the Cowboys' postseason hopes took a big hit.

Gianni Infantino, head of soccers governing body, has been ingratiating himself with the president to help ensure a successful 2026 World Cup.

Gianni Infantino, head of soccers governing body, FIFA, has lauded President Trump at almost every opportunity, even starting a FIFA Peace Prize after Mr. Trump didnt win the Nobel. Luke Broadwater, a White House reporter, describes the bromance.

On his first trip as pontiff, Leo XIV predictably called for peace and unity. But he also addressed technologys promise and pitfalls.

An armed group backed by the United Arab Emirates has pushed into the oil-rich province of Hadramout, a move that could reignite conflict in Yemen after years of a stalemate.

Green Bay coach Doug Gottlieb threw a chair as he walked off the court after his team blew an 11-point lead in an "embarrassing" 80-78 loss to Robert Morris.

Tyrese Maxey's block of De'Anthony Melton in the final seconds preserved the 76ers 99-98 win over the Warriors on Thursday night.

Not many can recall the last time LeBron James scored fewer than 10 points. Why? Because it was in 2007.

Netflix would acquire Warner television and film studios as well as HBO Max in a deal that would bulk up the worlds biggest paid streaming service.

Cartel extortion is pushing up prices in Mexico and becoming a political problem President Claudia Sheinbaum cant ignore.

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott said the team would use Thursday night's loss to the Lions, and the tougher odds to make the postseason, as "fuel" with four games to go.

Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, who played through an ankle injury Thursday night, said he was willing to do "whatever it takes" to be on the field and came up big in a 44-30 win over the Cowboys.

The host said he wouldnt have been the third-most-trending person in Google searches this year without the support of loyal viewers like the president.

Real Madrid could rival Manchester United to sign Olympiacos wonderkid Christos Mouzakitis. Transfer Talk has the latest news and rumors.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has been one of the most vociferous defenders of President Donald Trumps expansive use of executive authority, withholding billions of dollars in federal funding to states and dismissing protests of the White Houses boundary-pushing behavior as the gripings of disenfranchised Democrats.But court documents reviewed by ProPublica show that a decade ago, as a House member, Duffy took a drastically different position on presidential power, articulating a full-throated defense of Congress role as a check on the president one that resembled the very arguments made by speakers at recent anti-Trump No Kings rallies around the country.In an assertive, thoroughly researched 2015 legal brief, Duffy, then a Republican representative from Wisconsin, detailed the history of Americas creation in reaction to the absolute power of the English crown, invoking the Magna Carta and the Founding Fathers as he made the case for the separation of powers.Just as Congress may not bestow upon the President Congresss own exclusive power to make, or to repeal, federal law, Duffy argued, citing a 1998 court decision, it may not bestow upon the Executive its own exclusive power of the purse.The brief went on to cite James Madisons account of the Constitutional Convention, where there was unanimous agreement that Congress, not the President, should control the purse.At the time, Duffy filed the friend-of-the-court brief in support of a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of how the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau gets funded. Duffy, who chaired the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, maintained that the agencys unique funding system its dollars come directly from the Federal Reserve System rather than by a congressional appropriation improperly bypassed lawmakers authority.The 39-page brief was filed under Duffys name along with a nonprofit group aligned with the Republican legal activist Leonard Leo and submitted by a preeminent conservative lawyer. Today, it stands in stark contrast to Duffys own actions as transportation secretary in the first year of Trumps second stint in the White House. Indeed, his attempts to restrict congressionally appropriated transportation funding across all 50 states this year have been condemned by a congressional watchdog and federal judges, resulting in stinging public rebukes from the other branches of government that echo his own 2015 position.Peter Levine, a civics expert at Tufts University, said that while it could be that Duffys views on presidential power have evolved over time, his apparent flip-flopping on something as fundamental as the meaning of the Constitution raises the prospect that Duffy may just be playing a game for power.The Constitution is a promise to continue to apply the same rules and norms over time to everybody, he added. When political actors completely ignore that, and just go after their own thing, I dont think the Constitution can actually function.In response to questions, a Department of Transportation spokesperson asked for a copy of Duffys brief. But after ProPublica provided it, the spokesperson stopped responding. A message sent to a number listed for Duffy hasnt been returned.The expansion of executive power has been a hallmark of Trumps second administration. The president issued a whopping 214 executive orders between Jan. 20 and Nov. 20, according to the The American Presidency Project at the University of California, Santa Barbara. In both number and ambition, the orders and resulting actions are exceeded on these dimensions in the last century only by Franklin D. Roosevelt, one Harvard Law School professor recently noted.Duffy has cited some of those directives as he has withheld congressionally approved transportation funds. And administration officials have defended doing so, claiming that a post-Watergate law asserting Congress power over spending improperly restrains the presidents authority.But a congressional watchdog and the courts have taken issue with that expansive interpretation of federal authority.For Duffy, the first instance came in May, when the Government Accountability Office, a nonpartisan arm of Congress, concluded that the DOT had violated the law when it halted payments in February from a $5 billion fund for electric car charging stations that Congress approved under former President Joe Bidens bipartisan infrastructure law.The Constitution specifically vests Congress with the power of the purse, the congressional watchdog wrote, arguing that the payments should resume. The Constitution grants the President no unilateral authority to withhold funds from obligation.A White House spokesperson called the GAOs opinion incorrect when it was issued and argued that the DOT was appropriately using its authority.In June, a federal judge in Washington ordered transportation officials to lift the pause after a handful of states sued Duffy and the DOT, writing that when the executive branch treads upon the will of the Legislative Branch, its up to the court to remediate the situation and restore the balance of power.The government has moved to dismiss the lawsuit, writing that it had revamped the grant application process for the charging station money and also that the states constitutional concerns were unfounded, since another part of the Constitution vests the President with broad, discretionary authority to take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed. The suit is ongoing.Separately, a federal judge last month sided with states that had challenged an attempt by Duffy to condition billions of dollars more in federal funds for highway maintenance and other core transportation functions in exchange for helping the administration detain immigrants.Should Congress have wished, it could have attempted to entice State cooperation with federal civil immigration enforcement through lawful means, and it could have sought to empower federal agencies to assist it in doing so, John McConnell Jr., the chief judge of the U.S. District Court in Rhode Island, wrote in a Nov. 4 decision blocking Duffys actions.But it didnt, he said, and instead administration officials had transgressed well-settled constitutional limitations on federal funding conditions.The Constitution demands the Court set aside this lawless behavior, he wrote.The lawsuits are among hundreds of legal actions this year challenging the constitutionality of the White Houses various actions, including its attempts to halt the disbursement of hundreds of billions of dollars in government spending that Congress had previously approved.As for the legal challenge Duffy supported in 2015, it was ultimately unsuccessful and the Supreme Court last year affirmed the constitutionality of the CFPBs funding mechanism.Yet the ruling has not insulated the bureau from the Trump administration, and officials have advanced novel legal theories to achieve what Duffy sought a decade ago. The administration now argues that since the Fed operates at a loss, it has no profits to transfer to the CFPB.As a result, the bureau is being starved. According to a recent court filing by government lawyers, it will run out of operating funds by early next year.The post Trumps Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy Once Defended Congress Power of the Purse. Now He Defies It. appeared first on ProPublica.

We need to question the strikes legality. But we also need to see how they fit into the Trump administrations larger effort to change America.

There were so many details in the womens reports to law enforcement that were hard for me to read. That they were just little girls when it happened. That a man many knew as the fun uncle had touched them sexually under their skirts and tops. And that it happened in church or while swimming at the lake or during games of hide-and-seek. They were as young as 5 years old, according to the police reports. Some could even remember what they were wearing when it happened: a fluffy multicolored skirt; a pair of jeans with purple flowers on them.But by the time my co-reporter from the Minnesota Star Tribune, Andy Mannix, and I got those accounts spanning from the early 1990s to the 2010s the girls abuser, Clint Massie, had already pleaded guilty to four counts of felony sexual conduct with victims under 13. In March of this year, he began a 7 1/2 year prison sentence. Arguably, the case was over.But we kept hearing from the victims and alleged victims, former church members, investigators and prosecutors that the outcome had fallen far short of true accountability. Massie, they told us, was a symptom of a much larger problem within the Old Apostolic Lutheran Church, or OALC, which he and his victims attended. They told us the leaders of this little-known faith tradition pressured victims to forgive Massie, then to forget about the abuse and never speak of it again. In some cases, these forgiveness sessions took place between the children and Massie; one girl described the terror she felt being hugged by Massie as her father and a preacher looked on.These sessions allowed Massie to evade arrest and prosecution for years. Even after the victims came forward to law enforcement as adults, attempts to silence them continued, according to the prosecutor who charged the case.This was like a fucking machine, said assistant St. Louis County attorney Mike Ryan, that was basically trying to roll over these girls.That sentiment hit me especially hard the day I received a roughly 40-minute video of an interview between sheriffs detectives in St. Louis County, where Duluth is located, and two OALC preachers. My attention was on Daryl Bruckelmyer, a preacher and leader of the church in Duluth; several of Massies victims claimed that either they or their parents had disclosed the abuse to Bruckelmyer, but that he did little beyond a forgiveness session.We had hoped to sit down with Bruckelmyer and ask him about his involvement with the Massie case, but also about his church, its beliefs and its customs. But he declined to comment or to answer a detailed list of questions. A spokesperson for the Woodland Park OALC in Duluth also said in a statement that the church has fully complied with the law in the referenced case, and its a matter of legal record. He declined to comment further. Massie also did not respond to requests for comment.So the video was the first and only time I heard Bruckelmyer explain himself in his own words. Heres what stood out to me as I watched the recording and what helped me understand the mechanisms that allowed repeated sexual abuse to continue as an open secret.Massies Preacher Knew of the AbuseI had wondered if Bruckelmyer might deny ever hearing about Massies abuse. But he did not.How many female victims do you think have come forward and said something to you? Sgt. Adam Kleffman, the lead investigator, asked.Theres only been a few, Bruckelmyer responded. One, two, three.Its not every day you see a recording of someone admitting that they knew about the abuse of children yet did little about it.Bruckelmyer implied that he misunderstood mandated reporter laws in Minnesota (though another detective explained the law to him just three years earlier) and that he had warned Massie to stay away from children. He insisted that they made no attempt to hide Massie and encouraged victims to go to law enforcement.But the words he chose stood out to me as well: We dont protect either one.Kimberly Lowe, a lawyer and crisis manager for the church, said its preachers are unpaid and therefore might not be legally required to report sexual abuse of children. Asked if she believes the preachers are mandated reporters under Minnesota law, Lowe would only say that the language of the statute is unclear.Sgt. Adam Kleffman, right, of the St. Louis County Sheriffs Office was the investigator on the Clint Massie case. Leila Navidi/The Minnesota Star TribuneChurch Policies Did Not Align With Minnesota LawAt one point, Bruckelmyer pulled out two sheets of paper and passed them across the table to the investigators. It was a list of tools to help prevent violence, harassment and sexual abuse from occurring, issued by the Old Apostolic Lutheran Church of America.We have guidelines in the church that we are told and instructed as a protection for both, Bruckelmyer explained.Many of the guidelines made sense: education, counseling for victims and so forth. But when I obtained a copy of the document, I zeroed in on the part of the policy that seemed to describe a forgiveness session: When harm has taken place: Individual conversations with the victim If possible, individual conversations with the abuser. Later, but only if appropriate, a conversation with both parties together.The document did not mention mandatory reporting laws and instead seemed to give preachers wide latitude on whether to involve law enforcement.As soon as I watched that document slide across the table, it was clear to me that this issue went beyond Minnesota. The OALC has 33 locations spread across the U.S. and Canada. In our months of reporting, we spoke to over a dozen alleged victims, some of whom named other church members as possible perpetrators in Delaware, Michigan, Wyoming, Washington state and South Dakota.We plan to continue this reporting.An Intentional Isolation From the Modern WorldAt one point in the video, Kleffman asked Bruckelmyer if he was aware of how sexual abuse scandals have played out in other churches specifically, he said, that once one victim comes forward, its common for more victims to speak out as well. He cited a recent, local example: the conviction of a youth pastor from Vineyard Church in Duluth for felony sexual conduct with underage parishioners.But Bruckelmyer said he was unfamiliar with the case.I was struck by the lack of understanding that some church leaders and members demonstrated when it came to the impact of sexual assault on children, as well as an ignorance of other, similar sexual abuse scandals. But it seemed to go hand in hand with the ways that OALC members cut themselves off from certain aspects of modern life.Former members told us that dancing, music, movies and television are all considered sinful. One former church member told my reporting partner that, as a child, she overheard a Taylor Swift song and was desperate to find another church member to confess to or risk going to hell.We attended a Sunday service in Duluth, at the invitation of a spokesperson for the church, and were provided with literature that described some of the OALCs history and philosophy.We Christians want to follow Jesus example and live a life that is simple and modest, whether it be our dress, our home or our way of life, the booklet reads. We do not believe it is right, nor do we have a need, to engage in worldly pleasures, alcohol and other drugs. The friendship we have in the church is so much more.Bruckelmyer was on the dais with the other preachers but would not come speak with us. So I tried to take in what I could: the hymns sung without accompaniment, the scarves on womens heads and the toys in childrens hands.During the three-hour service, I sat in a pew, fascinated by this small glimpse into a faith tradition and a lifestyle that I previously knew nothing about. Watching these families, particularly the young mothers with daughters in their arms, I couldnt help thinking again about what wed read in those police reports in particular, the allegations that this sexual abuse has affected multiple generations of families. What these women and girls went through, not just the abuse but the silence that followed, shocks the conscience. We wrote this story to break that silence. Maybe it could prevent this from happening again.The post What a Recorded Interview Between Police and Preachers Reveals About How a Minnesota Church Handled Sexual Abuse appeared first on ProPublica.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attends a joint news conference with Cyprus' President Nikos Christodoulides in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Dan Bashakov)2025-12-05T10:39:28Z KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Russian drones struck a house in central Ukraine, killing a 12-year-old boy, officials said, while long-range Ukrainian strikes reportedly targeted a Russian port and an oil refinery as U.S. peace efforts continued out of public view.U.S. President Donald Trumps special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner, were set to meet Thursday in Miami with a Ukrainian delegation but there was no official confirmation whether the meeting took place.Those scheduled talks came after discussions between President Vladimir Putin and the U.S. envoys at the Kremlin on Tuesday.Previous diplomatic attempts to break the deadlock have come to nothing and the nearly four-year war has continued unabated. Officials largely have kept a lid on how the latest talks are going, though Trumps initial 28-point plan was leaked. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his countrys delegation in Miami wanted to hear from the U.S. side about the talks at the Kremlin.Zelenskyy, as well as European leaders backing him, have repeatedly accused Putin of stalling in peace talks while the Russian army tries to press forward with its invasion. Zelenskyy said in a video address late Thursday that officials wanted to know what other pretexts Putin has come up with to drag out the war and to pressure Ukraine.Meanwhile, Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov, who accompanied Putin on a visit to India on Friday, repeated the Russian leaders recent criticism of Europes stance on the peace talks. Kyivs European allies are concerned about possible Russian aggression beyond Ukraine and want a prospective peace deal to include strong security guarantees. Kyivs allies in Europe are constantly putting forward demands that are unacceptable to Moscow, Ushakov told Russias state-owned Zvezda TV. Putting it mildly, the Europeans dont help Washington and Moscow reach a settlement on the Ukrainian issues. In Ukraines central Dnipropetrovsk region, a Russian drone attack Thursday night destroyed a house where the boy was killed and two women were injured, according to the head of the regional military administration, Vladyslav Haivanenko.The Ukrainian air force said Russia fired 137 drones of various types during the night.Ukrainian drones attacked a port in Russias Krasnodar region on the border with Ukraine. The attack sparked a fire at the Temryuk sea port and damaged port infrastructure, officials said.Ukrainian drones also aimed deeper inside Russia, attacking the city of Syzran on the Volga river, Mayor Sergei Volodchenkov said without providing more details.Unconfirmed media reports said Ukrainian drones hit an oil refinery in Syzran, about 800 kilometers (500 miles) east of the border with Ukraine.The Russian Defense Ministry said its air defenses intercepted 85 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions and the illegally annexed Crimea overnight.___Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Syrian refugee Hayat Fatah, 65, cleans dishes at her home in Irbil, Iraq, Nov. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Farid Abdulwahed)2025-12-05T12:17:56Z When President Donald Trump suspended the refugee program on day one of his current administration, thousands of people around the world who had been so close to a new life in America found themselves abandoned.Many had already sold possessions or ended leases in preparation for travel. They had submitted reams of documents supporting their cases, been interviewed by U.S. officials and in many cases already had tickets to fly to America.As part of Trumps crackdown on both legal and illegal migration, the Republican president has upended the decades-old refugee program that has served as a beacon for those fleeing war and persecution. In October, he resumed the program but set a historic low of refugee admissions at just 7,500 mostly white South Africans. A litany of new restrictions was announced after an Afghan national became the suspect in the shooting of two National Guard members last week. The Trump administration also plans a review of refugees let in during the Democratic Biden administration. Trumps administration has cited economic and national security concerns for its policy changes. About 600,000 people were being processed to come to the U.S. as refugees around the world when the program was halted, according to the administration. Dozens of white South Africans have been let in this year. But only about 100 others have been admitted as a result of a lawsuit by advocates seeking to restart the refugee program, said Mevlde Akay Alp, a lawyer arguing the case. Its important that we dont abandon those families and that we dont abandon the thousands of people who were relying on the promise of coming here as refugees, said Akay Alp, with the International Refugee Assistance Project. The Associated Press spoke to three families whose lives have been thrown into disarray because of the changing policies. Syrian refugee Mohammed Dawood, 30, left, poses for a photo with his parents, Hayat Fatah, 65, center, and Abdulilah Amin Dawoud, 73, at their home in Irbil, Iraq, Nov. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Farid Abdulwahed) Syrian refugee Mohammed Dawood, 30, left, poses for a photo with his parents, Hayat Fatah, 65, center, and Abdulilah Amin Dawoud, 73, at their home in Irbil, Iraq, Nov. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Farid Abdulwahed) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More A family separated by tightened restrictionsThe Dawoods had waited years for the opportunity to come to the U.S. After fleeing civil war in Syria, they settled in northern Iraq. They hoped to find a home that could provide better medical care for a daughter who had fallen from the fourth floor of the familys apartment building.After they were accepted as refugees to the U.S., son Ibrahim and his sister Ava relocated to New Haven, Connecticut, in November 2024. His parents and one of his brothers were scheduled to fly in January. But just two days before they were to board their flight, mother Hayat Fatah fainted at a medical check and her departure was postponed. Mohammed, another sibling, didnt want to leave his parents behind.I said: This is it. The chance is gone. But I had to stay with my father and mother, Mohammed said.Nearly a year later, he and his parents are still waiting. Without a residency card, Mohammed cant work or travel outside of their home in the city of Irbil. The family gets by on money sent from relatives abroad.Mohammed had dreams for his hoped-for new life in America: starting a business or finishing his studies to become a petroleum engineer; getting married and building a family. Whether it was now, a year from now, two years later or four years, I will wait and hope that I will go, he said.In America, Ibrahim often wakes up early to tutor people online before going to his job as a math teacher at a private school, and then he takes care of his sister when he gets home. He said his mother often cries when they talk because she wishes she were in America to help care for her daughter. Ibrahim said one solace has been the welcome hes received in the U.S. Volunteers have stepped in to take him and his sister to frequent doctor appointments and helped them adjust to their new lives. I really appreciate the kindness of the people here, he said. Lu Taizhi, a Chinese Christian who is waiting to be resettled in the United States, points to the webpage of the International Rescue Committee, which is under maintenance and not operational in Ban Wawee village, Chiang Rai Province, Thailand, Nov. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/ Tian Macleod Ji) Lu Taizhi, a Chinese Christian who is waiting to be resettled in the United States, points to the webpage of the International Rescue Committee, which is under maintenance and not operational in Ban Wawee village, Chiang Rai Province, Thailand, Nov. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/ Tian Macleod Ji) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More After a decade in limbo, a Chinese pastor wonders when his turn will comeChinese Christian Lu Taizhi fled to Thailand more than a decade ago, fearing persecution for his beliefs. Hes lived in legal limbo since, waiting to be resettled in the United States.Lu said he has long admired the U.S. for what he calls its Christian character a place where he feels he and his family can seek freedom. He said he was disappointed that people like him and his family who applied for refugee status legally face so many difficulties in going to the U.S.I oppose illegal immigration. Many are fake refugees, or illegal immigrants, theyve never faced oppression. Im opposed to this, Lu said. But I hope America can accept people like us, real refugees who faced real oppression. Its really disappointing.Lu comes from a long lineage of dissent: He was born into a family branded as hostile elements by the Chinese Communist Party for its land ownership and ties to a competing political party. A teacher and poet, Lu grew interested in history banned by the Chinese state, penning tributes to the bloody 1989 Tiananmen crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Beijing. In 2004, Lu was arrested after police found poems and essays he secretly published criticizing Chinese politics and the education system. After his release, Lu became a Christian and began preaching, drawing scrutiny from local authorities. Year after year, officers knocked on his door, warning him not to organize protests or publish commentary criticizing the Party.With Chinese leader Xi Jinpings rise to power, controls tightened. When Beijing arrested hundreds of rights lawyers in 2015, Lu took his family and fled, worried police would come for him. After traveling across Southeast Asia, Lu and his family settled in Thailand, where they applied for refugee status with the United Nations.Eight years later, the U.N. notified Lu the U.S. had accepted his application. But their first flight, in April 2024, was postponed because Lus sons passports had expired. A second, scheduled for Jan. 22, 2025, was canceled without explanation, and the most recent one, scheduled for Feb. 26, was canceled shortly after Trumps inauguration. His application has been put on hold indefinitely, Lu said. Today, Lu is scraping a meager living as a teacher and pastor in Northern Thailand. Hes separated from his wife and children in Bangkok, Thailands capital, but says he has no choice if he wants to earn money and support his family.I am very supportive of all of Trumps policies because I think only President Trump can dismantle the CCP, Lu said, using an acronym referring to the Chinese Communist Party. So I dont have any complaints. I just wait silently. Louis, a Congolese refugee, stands for an anonymous portrait at the International Rescue Committee (IRC) office, Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry) Louis, a Congolese refugee, stands for an anonymous portrait at the International Rescue Committee (IRC) office, Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More I dont want to lose herLouis arrived in the United States as a refugee in September 2024. He left his wife and two children in East Africa, hoping they could soon be reunited in the U.S. But that dream faded a few months later with Trumps return to the presidency.Louis, who insisted on being identified only by his first name out of concern that speaking publicly could complicate his case, was told in January that a request he had made to bring his family to the U.S. had been frozen due to changes in refugee policies.Now, the family members live thousands of miles apart without knowing when they will be reunited. His wife, Apolina, and the children, 2 and 3 years old, are in a refugee camp in Uganda. Louis is in Kentucky.I dont want to lose her, and she does not want to lose me, said Louis, who resettled in Kentucky with the help of the International Rescue Committee. The hope that I had went slowly down. I thought that we would never meet again, he said referring to the moment when he received the notice.Louis and Apolinas families applied for refugee status after fleeing war in the Democratic Republic of Congo.Louis application, initiated by his parents, was approved, Apolinas, made separately by her parents, was not. They hoped if Louis applied for family reunification in the U.S., that would ease the way to bring over Apolina and the two children.Apolina thought that, as the wife of a refugee, it would take her no more than one year to reunite with her husband, who now works in an appliance factory and has already applied for permanent residency. The separation hasnt been easy for her and the children, who live in a tent in the refugee camp. The younger one, who was 7 months old when Louis left, cries every time he sees his father in a video call. The older one keeps asking where Louis is and when he will see him.Apolina fears that as time drags on, the children will forget their father.I feel terrible because I miss my husband very much, said Apolina in a phone interview from Uganda. I pray for him that God enables him to be patient until we meet again.___Santana reported from Washington, Kang from Beijing and Salomon from Miami. Associated Press writers Evelyne Musambi in Nairobi, Kenya, and Salar Salim in Irbil, Iraq, contributed to this report. REBECCA SANTANA Santana covers the Department of Homeland Security for The Associated Press. She has extensive experience reporting in such places as Russia, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. twitter mailto DAKE KANG Kang covers Chinese politics, technology and society from Beijing for The Associated Press. Hes reported across Central, South, and East Asia, and was a Pulitzer finalist for investigative reporting in China. twitter mailto GISELA SALOMON Salomon is a Miami-based reporter who covers Latin America and immigration affairs for The Associated Press.Salomon es una periodista que desde Miami cubre asuntos latinoamericanos y de inmigracion. twitter mailto

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi pose for a photo prior to their talks in New Delhi, India, Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. (Mikhail Tereshchenko, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)2025-12-05T05:11:33Z NEW DELHI (AP) Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday at an annual summit and agreed to diversify mutual economic ties, as the United States presses India to revise its decades-old partnership with Russia.The 23rd Russia-India Summit comes at a pivotal moment as the U.S. pushes for a Ukraine peace deal while seeking global cooperation. It will test New Delhis efforts to balance relations with Moscow and Washington as the nearly four-year war in Ukraine grinds on. Putin was received by Modi at an airport in New Delhi on Thursday. The Indian leader gave Putin a bear hug and a tight handshake with the gusto of an old friend. Leaders outline Russia-India expanding tiesAfter the talks, Putin and Modi announced that India and Russia have finalized an economic cooperation program until 2030, which will help diversify mutual businesses to boost annual trade to $100 billion by 2030. They also emphasized strong energy ties.Bilateral trade between the two countries stood at $68.7 billion in the last fiscal year ended March. The trade is heavily skewed in favor of Russia with deep deficits for India, which it is looking to bridge by pushing exports.To achieve this significant goal, a program for the development of Russian-Indian economic cooperation until 2030 has been agreed upon, Putin said. He said work is underway on an agreement for India to establish a free trade zone with the Eurasian Economic Union, a Moscow-dominated economic grouping of several ex-Soviet nations, adding that it could help increase trade. Stay up to date with the news and the best of AP by following our WhatsApp channel. Follow on Russia is a reliable supplier of energy resources and everything necessary for the development of Indias energy sector, Putin said. We are ready to continue ensuring the uninterrupted supply of fuel for the rapidly growing Indian economy. Before the summit talks, the Russian leader said the two countries have a very trusting relationship when it comes to military-technical cooperation. Modi, for his part, said after the talks that the two countries will work toward early conclusion of a free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union. He also announced that India will soon start issuing free electronic visas for Russian tourists and groups visiting the country.The Indian leader said energy security has long anchored India-Russia ties, with civil nuclear cooperation spanning decades. He added that such cooperation will continue, alongside collaboration in clean energy, shipbuilding, fertilizers and labor mobility.US seeks to push India away from RussiaWhile India has historically maintained deep ties with Russia, critics say Putins visit could strain relations with the European Union and the United States and might jeopardize negotiations for major trade agreements with both that are seen as critical for Indias exports.U.S. President Donald Trump raised tariffs on Indian goods to 50% in August, citing New Delhis discounted Russian oil. India has been the second biggest importer of Russian crude after China.The U.S. says purchases of Russian oil help finance Moscows war machine. In October, the U.S. sanctioned two of Moscows biggest oil producers to force countries like India to cut down on imports. Indian officials have said New Delhi has always abided by international sanctions and would do so in the case of Russia oil purchases as well. India and the U.S. set a target for the first tranche of a trade deal by the fall, but the deal hasnt come through yet amid strains in relations. India is also in the final stages of talks on a trade agreement with the EU, which sees Russias war in Ukraine as a major threat.Putins India visit, given the timing and geopolitical context, underscores New Delhis strategic tightrope walk between the West and the rest, chiefly Russia, said Praveen Donthi, a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group.Donthi said Indias tilt toward Russia dates back to the Cold War and persists despite its official nonaligned position. The significant change now is its desire to be a strategic partner with the U.S. at the same time, which will be a diplomatic challenge, he added. Defense and trade expansion on cardsIndian officials earlier said that Modi in the meeting with Putin would push for faster delivery of two further Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile systems. It has already received three under a 2018 deal worth about $5.4 billion. The delay has been tied to supply chain disruptions linked to the war in Ukraine.The two sides signed a pact in February to improve military cooperation, exercises, port calls, disaster relief assistance and logistics support. Moscows State Duma ratified the same ahead of Putins India visit.India is also expecting to upgrade its Russian-made Su-30MKI fighter jets and accelerate deliveries of critical military hardware.India is keen to increase exports of pharmaceuticals, agriculture and textiles to Russia and is seeking the removal of non-tariff barriers. New Delhi is also seeking long-term supplies of fertilizers from Moscow. Another key area where the two countries hope to finalize an agreement is the safety and regulation of migration of Indian skilled workers to Russia.Putin last visited India in 2021. Modi was in Moscow last year, and the two leaders briefly met in September in China during a Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit.___Hussain reported from Srinagar, India. RAJESH ROY Roy brings over two decades of journalistic experience in covering a spectrum of big stories spanned across defense, geopolitics, business and local politics. Mostly found in the corridors of power: talking, scooping and writing. twitter mailto AIJAZ HUSSAIN Hussain is a senior reporter for The Associated Press covering the Kashmir conflict, Indian politics and strategic affairs, and climate. He has worked for the AP for nearly two decades. twitter mailto