US announces criminal case against former Cuban President Raúl Castro

MIAMI (AP) — Federal prosecutors have announced charges against former Cuban President Raúl Castro in the 1996 downing of civilian planes operated by Miami-based exiles. The announcement was made Wednesday as the Trump administration escalated pressure on the socialist government. The indictment was related to Castro’s alleged role in the shootdown of two small planes operated by the exile group Brothers to the Rescue. Castro was Cuba’s defense minister at the time. The charges included murder and destruction of an airplane. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and other top Justice Department officials made the announcement in Miami at a ceremony to honor those killed in the shootdown.

Officers who defended Capitol from rioters sue to block payouts from $1.8B ‘anti-weaponization’ fund

WASHINGTON (AP) — Two police officers who helped defend the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot are suing to block anyone from receiving payouts from a new $1.776 billion settlement fund for people who claim to be victims of politically motivated prosecutions. The lawsuit was filed in federal court Wednesday in Washington. A day earlier, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the new fund during a congressional hearing. Blanche wouldn’t rule out the possibility that rioters who assaulted police on Jan. 6, 2021, would be eligible for fund payouts.

US military boards Iranian-flagged oil tanker suspected of trying to breach blockade

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military says it boarded an Iranian-flagged commercial oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman that was suspected of trying to violate the American blockade. U.S. Central Command said Wednesday on social media that the M/T Celestial Sea was searched and redirected after being suspected of trying to head to an Iranian port. It’s at least the fifth vessel to be boarded since the Trump administration began the blockade of Iranian shipping. Iran has a chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, the vital shipping lane for global oil supplies, and the U.S. military has enforced its own blockade on Iranian ports and coastline as well as seizing ships linked to Tehran further afield.

Where Trump stands with Republicans nationally, according to the latest AP-NORC poll

WASHINGTON (AP) — A new poll finds that Republicans are unhappier with President Donald Trump’s handling of the economy than they were a few months ago, but they’re largely continuing to stand behind him as the war with Iran continues. About 6 in 10 Republicans approve of how Trump is handling the economy, according to the AP-NORC poll. That’s down from about 8 in 10 in February, before the war began. That erosion isn’t translating to his overall job approval — roughly 7 in 10 Republicans approve of how he’s handling the presidency, similar to earlier this year — and he’s recovered some ground on immigration. The findings highlight Trump’s strength within the Republican Party, even as economic frustration grows among some of his supporters.

Democratic senators will test GOP unity with votes on Trump’s ‘anti-weaponization’ fund

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic senators are planning to force a vote on President Donald Trump’s new $1.776 billion settlement fund to compensate his political allies. It’ll test Republican unity as part of the debate over legislation to restore funding to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol. Passage of that immigration agencies’ bill was supposed to be straightforward for Republicans. But the fight over the settlement fund and a proposed $1 billion for the White House campus and Trump’s new ballroom have complicated the legislation. And Trump has gone to social media to unload on Republican senators who are challenging parts of his agenda.

Barney Frank, a liberal congressman and trailblazer for gay rights, dies. He was 86

WASHINGTON (AP) — Barney Frank has died. The longtime Democratic congressman from Massachusetts was a leading liberal who brought new visibility to gay rights. He also helped to craft the most significant changes to the financial system in a generation. Frank was both brusque and erudite. He was the first lawmaker to come out as gay voluntarily. Frank recently spoke to The Associated Press and he advised the left-wing of his party to be less purist and more willing to accept compromise as a form of progress. Frank died late Tuesday. He was 86.

Putin and Xi hail their friendship and growing energy trade at their meeting in Beijing

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin have hailed their strategic ties and energy trade during a meeting in Beijing. They oversaw the signing of over 40 cooperation agreements in trade, technology, and media on Wednesday. Xi described their relationship as being at the highest level in history. He also stressed the need for peace in the Middle East to ensure energy stability. China has become Russia’s top trading partner since the Ukraine invasion, despite sanctions. Both leaders highlighted their united front on international affairs. They praised each other as friends.

Ebola fears surge on the ground in Congo over rapid spread of a rare type

BUNIA, Congo (AP) — Healthcare workers in eastern Congo say they are underprotected and undertrained amid a rapidly spreading outbreak of a rare Ebola virus. Families weep as burials of loved ones continue. The virus known as Bundibugyo had spread undetected for weeks and will take months to control. So far, 51 cases have been confirmed in Congo, with two in Uganda. The World Health Organization says the outbreak poses a low global risk but local case numbers will increase. The arrival of any potential vaccine is months away. The region faces immense pressure from conflict and a collapsing health system, stretching limited resources even further.

Arizona executes inmate convicted of killing another man set on fire in a 2002 attack

FLORENCE, Ariz. (AP) — An Arizona prisoner convicted of killing another man by throwing gasoline at him and lighting a match has been put to the death in the first of three executions planned this week around the U.S. Corrections officials say 63-year-old Leroy McGill received a lethal injection Wednesday for the 2002 killing of Charles Perez. Authorities say Perez and his girlfriend accused McGill of stealing a gun from a north Phoenix apartment before they were attacked. The girlfriend survived, but Perez died. Thirteen people have been executed to date this year in the U.S. Tennessee and Florida are each scheduled to carry out an execution Thursday.

Neptune’s mysterious moon Nereid may be an original, study shows

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Neptune’s mysterious, far-flung moon Nereid may be the last of the planet’s original companions. Scientists at the California Institute of Technology reported Wednesday that they used NASA’s Webb Space Telescope to study the moon in 2024. Their observations suggest Nereid is no party crasher like Neptune’s jumbo moon, Triton, which barged in from the solar system’s frigid outskirts billions of years ago. Triton’s arrival scattered the planet’s original moons and wrecked everything, but these researchers believe Nereid survived by escaping into its extreme, elliptical orbit around Neptune. Their findings appear in the journal Science Advances.