AP News Summary at 10:52 a.m. EDT (2024)

Cross-examination of FBI agent continues in Hunter Biden's gun trial, as first lady again attends

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Testimony continued Wednesday in Hunter Biden's gun trial with the cross-examination of an FBI agent who is being questioned about messages he sent around the time of the gun purchase in question. First lady Jill Biden attended the proceedings for the third day, ahead of a trip to France. Prosecutors say the president's son had a drug problem that was ongoing when he lied on a form to buy a firearm. Hunter Biden says he’s being unfairly targeted by the Justice Department, after Republicans slammed a now-defunct plea agreement as a sweetheart deal for the Democratic president’s son.

Will Biden's new border measures be enough to change voters' minds?

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is trying to address a major liability for his reelection campaign by taking executive action to significantly restrict asylum. But it’s unclear whether his efforts will be enough to change the minds of voters who have increasingly voiced alarm over his handling of the border. Former President Donald Trump and his campaign have seized on the issue. Biden has shifted far to the right on immigration issues since his winning campaign four years ago. Many Democrats acknowledge Biden now faces a wholly different political reality. But some in his party have accused him of betraying Democratic priorities.

Gunman captured after shootout outside US Embassy in Lebanon

AUKAR, Lebanon (AP) — The Lebanese military said that its solidiers shot and captured a gunman who attacked the U.S. embassy near Beirut after a shootout that injured an embassy security guard. The attack took place Wednesday as tensions continued to simmer in the tiny Mediterranean country, where months of fighting between Hezbollah militants and Israeli troops has displaced thousands along the border. Local media reported that there was a gunfight involving at least one attacker and lasting almost half an hour. A Lebanese security official and two judicial officials familiar with the case said the gunman appeared to be a lone attacker.

Biden will mark D-Day anniversary in France as Western alliances face threats at home and abroad

PARIS (AP) — U.S. President Joe Biden is in France for the 80th anniversary of D-Day and will join other world leaders to commemorate the invasion that helped bring an end to World War II. Biden arrived in Paris on Wednesday at a time when the Western alliances that were forged in that era are being threatened in the United States and overseas. Some allies fear Donald Trump threatens to upend American commitments if he wins another term in the White House. In addition, Russia has recently gained ground in its invasion of Ukraine, where Western military support has struggled to keep up with Moscow's offensive.

In France, D-Day evokes both the joys of liberation and the pain of Normandy's 20,000 civilian dead

CARENTAN-LES-MARAIS, France (AP) — The 80th anniversary this week of D-Day brings mixed emotions for French survivors of the Battle of Normandy. They remain eternally grateful for their liberation from Nazi occupation in World War II but cannot forget its steep cost in French lives. Some 20,000 Normandy civilians were killed in the June 6, 1944, Allied invasion and as the landing forces fought inland. Young soldiers from the United States and other Allied nations are remembered for their exploits, kindness and sacrifices. One Normandy survivor who was 6 years old in 1944 says, "They will always be gods to me.” But also seared into survivors' memories are massive Allied bombing raids that pulverized Normandy towns and villages, burying victims and turning skies fire-red.

India's Modi is known for charging hard. After a lackluster election, he may have to adapt his style

NEW DELHI (AP) — Since coming to power a decade ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been known for big, bold and often snap decisions. He’s found them easy to execute thanks to the brute majority he enjoyed in India’s lower house of parliament. In his expected next term as prime minister, he will need a coalition to govern after results announced Wednesday showed his Hindu nationalist party fell short of a majority. That may mean that Modi will have to adapt to a style of governance he has little experience with, or desire for.

A year of elections in democracies around the world is revealing deep dissatisfaction among voters

In a transformative year of elections around the world, voters in democratic countries share a common sentiment: They’re unhappy with their governments and leaders. From South Korea to Poland to Argentina, incumbents have been ousted in election after election. In Latin America, leaders and their parties had lost 20 elections in a row until this past weekend’s presidential election in Mexico. The dynamic is likely to repeat itself as the European Union launches its legislative elections this week, where conservative populist parties are expected to register gains across the continent. The reasons for dissatisfaction range from the painful recovery from the coronavirus pandemic to the backlash to economic and cultural changes sparked by globalization and mass immigration.

A court ruled embryos are children. These Christian couples agree yet wrestle with IVF choices

When faced with infertility, Christians who believe life begins at or around conception must wrestle with weighty questions: How do you build a family in a way that conforms with your beliefs? Is IVF an ethical option, especially if it creates more embryos than a couple can use? The dilemma reflects the age-old friction between faith and science at the heart of the recent IVF controversy in Alabama, where the state Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos have the legal status of children. The decision and its aftermath highlighted difficult issues many couples face when they consider how to build their families.

Amanda Knox reconvicted of slander in Italy for accusing innocent man in roommate’s 2007 murder

FLORENCE, Italy (AP) — An Italian court has reconvicted Amanda Knox of slander, quashing her hope of removing a legal stain against her that has persisted after her exoneration in the brutal 2007 murder of her British roommate. The court found that Knox had wrongly accused an innocent man, the Congolese owner of the bar where she worked part time, of the killing. But she will not serve any more jail time. The three-year sentence counts as time already served. Knox showed no visible emotion as the verdict was read aloud. Her lawyers say she is “embittered” and plans to appeal to Italy’s highest court.

Jasmine Paolini reaches the French Open semifinals by beating Elena Rybakina

PARIS (AP) — Jasmine Paolini has reached the first Grand Slam semifinal of her career by beating No. 4 seed Elena Rybakina 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 at the French Open. The 12th-seeded Paolini is a 28-year-old from Italy. She had exited in the first or second round in each of the first 16 Grand Slam appearances in her career, until making it to the fourth round of the Australian Open in January. Now she’s gone two steps further by eliminating the 2022 Wimbledon champion on Wednesday. Paolini finished with 22 unforced errors, fewer than half of Rybakina’s 48.

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