2nd man convicted in ‘91 Hawai‘i killing seeks exoneration
HONOLULU — The brother of a Hawai‘i man recently released after more than 20 years in prison for the killing and rape of a tourist has filed a similar request seeking exoneration.
Trump charged with 34 felony counts in hush money scheme
NEW YORK — A stone-faced Donald Trump made a momentous courtroom appearance Tuesday when he was confronted with a 34-count felony indictment charging him in a scheme to bury allegations of extramarital affairs that arose during his first White House campaign.
Analysis: Trump hush-money case raises thorny legal issues
NEW YORK — The coverup is worse than the crime, the expression goes. And in the hush money case against former President Donald Trump, prosecutors say the coverup made the crime worse.
Donald Trump’s arraignment day a throwback for news outlets
NEW YORK — For the country and for Donald Trump, the indictment of a former president represented an unprecedented day. For TV news organizations, it felt like a throwback.
Dangerous severe storms again hitting Midwest, South
DES MOINES, Iowa — People still sorting through the wreckage of their homes after deadly weather hit over the weekend braced for another wave of strong storms, including tornadoes, that began rolling into parts of the Midwest and South beginning Tuesday evening. Officials warned residents to have shelter ready before going to sleep.
Caregivers: Returning orca Lolita to Northwest is risky
SEATTLE — A plan announced last week to return Lolita, a killer whale held captive for more than a half-century, to her home waters in Washington’s Puget Sound thrilled those who have long advocated for her to be freed from her tank at the Miami Seaquarium.
Antiwar officer from Putin’s elite security team defects
LONDON — On Oct. 14, a Russian engineer named Gleb Karakulov boarded a flight from Kazakhstan to Turkey with his wife and daughter. He switched off his phone to shut out the crescendo of urgent, enraged messages, said goodbye to his life in Russia and tried to calm his fast-beating heart.
Relief, but some mixed feelings, as Finland joins NATO
HELSINKI — The selling points of the charming bed-and-breakfast are its century-old buildings, its spacious rooms and its proximity to Russia, a short cross-country ski trip to the east.
Israeli police clash with worshipers at Jerusalem holy site
JERUSALEM — Israeli police raided Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City early Wednesday and attacked Palestinian worshippers, Palestinian media reported, raising fears of wider tensions as Islamic and Jewish holidays overlap.
Taiwan defies China pressure before U.S. House speaker meeting
TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwan pushed back against threats of retaliation by China, ahead of an expected meeting between the island’s president and the U.S. House speaker Wednesday that will underscore her government’s claim to sovereignty.
Queen Camilla: Charles’ wife gets title on coronation invite
LONDON — King Charles III’s wife has been officially identified as Queen Camilla for the first time, with Buckingham Palace using the title on invitations for the monarch’s May 6 coronation.
Trump returns to New York to face historic criminal charges
NEW YORK — Former President Donald Trump returned to New York on Monday to face his historic booking and arraignment on hush money charges related to allegations of sexual encounters. The nation’s largest city bolstered security and warned potential protesters it was “not a playground for your misplaced anger.”
Biden pushes econ policy as Trump indictment gets attention
FRIDLEY, Minn. — President Joe Biden ventured to suburban Minneapolis on Monday to talk about factory jobs and contrast his agenda with “the last guy who had this job.” The “last guy,” as Biden calls Donald Trump, was simultaneously touching down in New York to become the first former president to be arrested.
Alaska oil plan opponents lose 1st fight over Willow project
JUNEAU, Alaska — Environmentalists lost the first round of their legal battle over a major oil project on Alaska’s petroleum-rich North Slope on Monday as a judge rejected their requests to halt immediate construction work related to the Willow project, but they vowed not to give up.
Officials: Epic California snowpack among biggest on record
LOS ANGELES — This year’s epic snowpack in California’s Sierra Nevada could top records, state officials said Monday, and significant flooding is expected when it melts and flows down from the mountains.
McDonald’s temporarily closes U.S. offices ahead of layoffs
McDonald’s has closed its U.S. offices through Wednesday and told its corporate staff to work remotely as it prepares to announce a round of layoffs.
With no peace in sight, NATO countries eye more Ukraine help
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine’s Western allies have sent the country 65 billion euros ($70 billion) in military aid to help thwart Russia’s full-scale invasion, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday, and with no peace negotiations on the horizon the alliance is gearing up to send more.
Finland doubling NATO’s border with Russia in blow to Putin
BRUSSELS — The blue-and-white Finnish flag rises outside NATO headquarters Tuesday afternoon, making Finland a member and doubling Russia’s border with the world’s biggest security alliance.
Russia rejects U.S. claims its U.N. council presidency is a joke
UNITED NATIONS — Russia’s U.N. ambassador on Monday dismissed U.S. and European Union descriptions of its presidency of the Security Council this month as an April Fool’s joke and announced a meeting to be chaired by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on defending the principles of the U.N. Charter, which Moscow is widely accused of breaking by invading Ukraine.
Autopsies show 30 people died from gunfire in Peru protests
LIMA, Peru — In autopsy after autopsy, Peruvian anti-government protesters share the same cause of death: “firearm projectile.”