General News

Israeli strikes kill 6 in Gaza; rockets fired from Lebanon

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Israeli airstrikes killed at least six people across the Gaza Strip and destroyed the home of an extended family early Wednesday. The military said it widened its strikes in the Palestinian territory’s south to blunt continuing rocket fire from Hamas, while a separate barrage also came from Lebanon.
Spanish TV probing derogatory comments during women’s game

MADRID — Spain’s public television channel is investigating derogatory comments made during a women’s soccer match last weekend.
Maine CDC warns of E. coli infection connected to store

AUGUSTA, Maine — Patrons of a Maine store might be at risk of a foodborne illness because of an infected worker who handled food there for several weeks, the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention said.
Sparse supply drives up home prices even as pandemic wanes

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Housing prices in Rhode Island are up compared to a year ago driven by shortages in supply and construction materials.

New Missouri license plate to honor Negro Leagues Museum

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missourians will soon be able to purchase license plates highlighting the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, after Gov. Mike Parson signed legislation creating the plate.

Business

More drops in Big Tech pull stocks lower; Bitcoin drops 19%

Stocks were broadly lower in early trading Wednesday as the market's downturn entered into a third day. Meanwhile the price of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies dropped sharply.

Europe

Belgian manhunt for soldier on terror-watch list goes on

BRUSSELS — Belgian forces kept up their manhunt for an armed soldier who is on a terror watch list because of his extreme right sympathies while the government remained nonplussed over how a known threat to society could have had access to an array of heavy weapons.

Europe

Barcelona president preparing club’s revamping process

MADRID — With or without Lionel Messi, Barcelona will look different next season.

Benjamin Netanyahu

The Latest: Biden tells Netanyahu he expects de-escalation

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden has called for “significant de-escalation” from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Entertainment

CBS bets on ‘CSI’ revival, ‘NCIS,’ ‘FBI’ franchises in fall

LOS ANGELES — CBS is reviving its hit “CSI: Crime Investigation” brand with a series that brings original cast members William Petersen and Jorja Fox back home.

Europe

Russian lawmakers vote to follow US out of overflight treaty

MOSCOW — The Russian parliament's lower house voted Wednesday to withdraw from an international treaty allowing surveillance flights over military facilities following the U.S. departure from the pact.

Latin America

Mexico City marks 500 years since conquest battle began

MEXICO CITY — There are two ways of remembering the Spanish siege of Tenochtitlán, the Aztec capital now known as Mexico City: as the painful birth of modern Mexico, or the start of centuries of virtual enslavement.

Europe

The Latest: France outdoor cafes reopen after 6 months

PARIS — It’s a grand day for the French. Cafe and restaurant terraces are reopening Wednesday after a pandemic shutdown of more than six months deprived people of what feels like the essence of life in France.

Sports

AP Top 25 Podcast: David Shaw on Pac-12, CFP and practice

Stanford coach David Shaw says if he were king of college football it would take him about 30 minutes to fix the playoff.

General News

Officials: Several rockets fired from Lebanon toward Israel

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Lebanese security officials say several rockets have been fired from southern Lebanon toward Israel.

Noah Jupe

Summer Movie Calendar, from ‘Cruella’ to ‘The Suicide Squad’

A rundown of notable films coming out this summer:

Europe

Iceland band won’t play at Eurovision after positive test

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands — Iceland’s popular Eurovision Song Contest entrant Dadi og Gagnamagnid will not perform live at the event after one of the group tested positive for coronavirus, organizers announced Wednesday.

Europe

Germany welcomes US sanctions U-turn on Russia gas pipeline

BERLIN — Germany’s foreign minister on Wednesday welcomed the Biden administration’s decision to waive sanctions against entities and individuals involved in a controversial Russian pipeline, describing the move as “constructive.”

Lifestyle

10 things to be excited about at the movies this summer

After more than a year of uncertainty and ever-fluctuating release schedules, there will be a summer movie season. The blockbusters are back. The smell of popcorn is in the air.

Entertainment

‘I am proud.’ Demi Lovato comes out as nonbinary

Singer Demi Lovato revealed on Wednesday they identify as nonbinary and are changing their pronouns, telling fans the decision came after “self-reflective work.”

Europe

Angry French police hold huge, emotional rally at parliament

PARIS — French police officers held a huge demonstration outside parliament Wednesday to press for a law that protects the protectors who are feeling vulnerable to attacks, angry and useless.

Business

Southwest says flights are more full and fares are rising

DALLAS — Southwest Airlines said Wednesday that bookings are improving and leisure-travel fares for June are approaching pre-pandemic levels, further signs that the airline industry is recovering from a deep slump.

Entertainment

Demi Lovato is non-binary and is changing pronouns

Singer Demi Lovato revealed on Wednesday they identify as nonbinary and are changing their pronouns, telling fans the decision came after “self-reflective work.”

Business

How to ease out of mortgage forbearance, avoid foreclosure

American homeowners were given more opportunity to hit pause on their mortgage payments because of the financial ravages of the pandemic, but that relief is slowly coming to an end.

Lifestyle

Cabo’s world-class golf scene revving back up after pandemic

CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico — The opening of Rancho San Lucas Golf Club was a grand affair.

Asia Pacific

Israel accuses Chinese state TV of ‘blatant antisemitism’

BEIJING — Israel’s Embassy in China is protesting what it describes as “blatant antisemitism” on a program run by the overseas channel of state broadcaster CCTV discussing the ongoing violence in Gaza and elsewhere.

Europe

Chelsea youngster Gilmour selected by Scotland for Euro 2020

GLASGOW, Scotland — Uncapped Chelsea midfielder Billy Gilmour was included Wednesday in Scotland's squad for the European Championship.

Europe

JetBlue sets date for start of flights between US and London

JetBlue Airways said Wednesday it will start transatlantic service late this summer, competing against bigger rivals on the lucrative route between New York and London.

Business

Target’s profit surges as Americans cast restrictions aside

NEW YORK — Target's sales and profits surged in the first quarter as Americans emerged from the pandemic eager to spend.

Africa

Malawi burns 20,000 expired AstraZeneca doses despite pleas

Blantyre, Malawi — Malawi has burned nearly 20,000 doses of expired AstraZeneca vaccines, defying calls not to do so from the World Health Organization and the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Europe

Putin, Xi initiate projects in show of warming ties

BEIJING — Chinese leader Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin joined Wednesday in a videoconference to initiate a series of nuclear energy projects, an event intended to display warming ties between two nations that have paired-up as the chief geopolitical rivals to the United States.

Europe

UK inflation spikes as retailers respond to lockdown easing

LONDON — Britain’s inflation rate more than doubled in April as energy prices soared and clothing retailers hiked prices as the country's coronavirus lockdown was eased, official statistics showed Wednesday.

Europe

Green governor sets bold climate goals for rich German state

BERLIN — Germany’s only state governor from the rising Green party on Wednesday announced ambitious new climate targets that includes boosting new technologies so that “Tesla will soon only see our tail lights.”

NYC State Wire

A guide to New York’s new rules on masks and distancing

ALBANY, N.Y. — New York eased its mask and social distancing mandates again on Wednesday, but people shouldn't be throwing their face coverings in the garbage just yet.