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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said a Chinese pilot’s “dangerous action” in a close encounter with an

A lawyer for a Texas man urged the Supreme Court late Tuesday to let stand a lower court opinion that

Zimbabwe's national elections will take place on Aug. 23, the country's president announced Wednesday. The vote is expected to be another closely watched affair in a country with a history of violent and disputed elections. The announcement through a government gazette also set Oct. 2 for a presidential runoff vote if required. Opposition parties have already made allegations of violence and intimidation against their supporters in the buildup to the elections, and human rights groups have said President Emmerson Mnangagwa is silencing criticism. The southern African nation has only had two leaders since it gained independence from white minority rule in 1980. Robert Mugabe led Zimbabwe for 37 years until he was removed and replaced by Mnangagwa in a coup in 2017. Mnangagwa had served as a vice president under Mugabe. The last general election was held in 2018, nearly a year after the coup. Once a close ally of Mugabe, Mnangagwa, 80, has tried to present himself as a reformer despite accusations that he is even more repressive than the man he helped remove from power. Mnangagwa is expected to face a strong challenge from Nelson Chamisa, the 45-year-old leader of the main opposition party, Citizens Coalition for Change. Chamisa narrowly lost to Mnangagwa in 2018, with the Constitutional Court dismissing his claims of election rigging. Apart from the presidency, the election will also decide the composition of the 300-seat parliament and close to 2,000 local council positions. Mnangagwa’s ZANU-PF ruling party and the government have denied allegations of violence and intimidation by ruling party activists and security forces. But rights groups have accused Mnangagwa’s government of intimidation and of suppressing any criticism and opposition amid a currency crisis and a sharp rise in food prices. Zimbabwe has faced severe economic problems for years and has been under U.S. sanctions for two decades over human rights abuses. Mugabe died in 2019. Chamisa said this week he is ready for the election, but has made allegations of voting roll irregularities. Compounding that, Chamisa said his party is at a disadvantage because Mnangagwa and ZANU-PF control state–run media and hold sway over the police, other security forces and the judiciary, which are used to clamp down on dissent. On Wednesday, Fadzayi Mahere, spokeswoman for the Citizens Coalition for Change, tweeted: “No govt that’s popular & knows it’s winning behaves like this. They’re terrified cause, like all of us, they know that ZANU PF can never win a free & fair election in Zimbabwe." "That’s why they’re trying to stitch & doctor the voters’ roll but it won’t work. People want change.” Opposition parties had accused Mnangagwa of delaying announcing a date for the election that must take place before the end of August. Mnangagwa's announcement came a day after Zimbabwe's foreign ministry summoned the United States’ deputy ambassador over a series of tweets the embassy sent calling for a peaceful election. The ministry accused the embassy of “election-related social media posts bordering on activism and meddling in Zimbabwe’s internal affairs.” Deputy Ambassador Elaine French was called to a meeting with Zimbabwe foreign affairs acting permanent secretary Rofina Chikava on Tuesday following the posts on the U.S. Embassy's official Twitter account. The Zimbabwe foreign ministry said it had a particular issue with a May 26 tweet that called for Zimbabweans to “Register to vote and make sure your voice is heard.” Another tweet from the embassy said “Zimbabwe’s constitution grants citizens the right to choose their representatives in legitimate, credible, & peaceful elections.” The foreign ministry said the tweet urging people to register to vote was against diplomatic protocols. “We stand by our recent social media posts calling for peace during the election season," U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Meg Riggs said in a statement. “Elections are a part of a functioning democracy.” ___ More AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Zimbabwe releases prisoners in amnesty, reducing overcrowding AOC warns Elon Musk is ‘testing waters’ to interfere in 2024 election Nevada Republican governor approves abortion protections in rare cross-party move

US mortgage rates surged to the highest level since early November last week, stifling demand for home purchases

The Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial museum has denounced a political spot by Poland's ruling party that uses the theme of the Nazi German extermination camp to discourage participation in an upcoming anti-government march. The state-run museum attacked “instrumentalization of the tragedy” of the 1.1 million people who were murdered at the site during World War II, arguing that it is an insult to their memory. “It is a sad, painful and unacceptable manifestation of the moral and intellectual corruption of the public debate,” the state museum said. The 14-second video published Wednesday by the Law and Justice party shows images of the former death camp, including the notorious “Arbeit Macht Frei” gate, and the words: “Do you really want to walk under this slogan?” The reference is to a now-deleted tweet from journalist Tomasz Lis, who claimed that President Andrzej Duda and ruling party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski deserve to go to prison. He published the tweet amid a heated debate over a law passed by the party lawmakers and signed by Duda that is viewed by the U.S., the European Union and many Polish critics as anti-democratic. “There will be a chamber for Duda and Kaczor,” the tweet said, using a nickname for Kaczynski. He used the Polish word ”komora,” which can be simply a dark cell or chamber but which many in Poland associate with the gas chambers used by Germans in mass murder during the war. Lis has since deleted the tweet and apologized. "It is obvious that I was thinking of a cell, but I should have foreseen that people of ill will would adopt an absurd interpretation. I hope that Mr. Duda and Mr. Kaczynski will pay for their crimes against democracy, but on a human level I wish them health and long life,” Lis said. “I never wished death on anyone.” President Duda weighed in with a tweet that implied criticism of the party that supports him. “The memory of the victims of German crimes in Auschwitz is sacred and inviolable; the tragedy of millions of victims cannot be used in political struggle; this is an unworthy act," he said. The purported aim of the new law is to create a commission to investigate Russian influences in Poland. But critics fear that it will be misused ahead of fall elections to target opponents, in particular opposition leader Donald Tusk. They say the commission could be used by the ruling party to eliminate its opponents from public life for a decade. The law was approved this week by Duda, to widespread criticism in Poland and by the EU and the United States. Critics in Poland have informally dubbed it “Lex Tusk,” and its passage has energized the political opposition. Tusk plans to lead a large anti-government march on Sunday in Warsaw, the capital. The march is to be held on the 34th anniversary of the first partly free elections in Poland after decades of communism, on June 4, 1989. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Poland's president approves law on Russia's influence that could target opposition Migrants with children stuck at Poland's border wall; activists say Belarus won't let them turn back Ukraine soccer league set for a title-deciding game in a remarkable, war-hit season

Oil edged lower, extending its biggest decline in four weeks as weaker-than-expected economic data from China added to

Ron DeSantis gave his first 2024 campaign rally at an Iowa megachurch on Tuesday - attacking a predictable list of foes, including the federal government and its bureaucracy, Dr Fauci and Disney. “No excuses, I will get the job done,” the Florida governor told the audience at Eternity Church on 30 May 30, in Clive, Iowa as he warned Republicans that they faced a Democratic sweep in 2024 if they did not learn to win elections again. Earlier Mr DeSantis attacked his rival Donald Trump by saying “he’s taking the side of Disney in our fight down here in Florida. I’m standing for parents, I’m standing for children.” Meanwhile, Florida attorney Michael Sasso, chosen by Mr DeSantis to be part of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District – given responsibility for Walt Disney World’s special tax district in legislation passed in February – has resigned just three months after taking the job. This comes with Mr DeSantis facing three new lawsuits after he signed a new law just hours before announcing his presidential campaign last week making it harder to vote in the Sunshine State. Read More Culture wars, parenting and tiptoeing around Trump: Five takeaways from Ron DeSantis’s 2024 launch Ron DeSantis called out for ‘ignoring’ Hollywood beach shooting: ‘He doesn’t care’ DeSantis hits familiar targets of Fauci, Disney and ‘wokeism’ in first rally as 2024 candidate

A hacking group suspected of ties to an Asian government has broadened its targets to government agencies in

Glencore Plc is getting closer to increasing its offer for Teck Resources Ltd., in a move aimed at

Here are the AP’s latest coverage plans, top stories and promotable content. All times EDT. For up-to-the minute information on AP’s coverage, visit Coverage Plan. ————————— ONLY ON AP ————————— VICTIM COMPENSATION-REFORMS — Thousands of violent crime victims turn to compensation programs in every state for help with medical bills, relocation, funerals and other expenses. The programs disperse millions of dollars each year, but The Associated Press found racial inequities and other barriers in how claims are denied in many states. By Claudia Lauer and Mike Catalini. SENT: 1,580 words, photos, video. With VICTIM COMPENSATION-REFORMS-TAKEAWAYS. ————————— TOP STORIES ————————— DEBT LIMIT — Hard-fought to the end, the debt ceiling and budget cuts package is heading toward a crucial U.S. House vote as President Joe Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy assemble a coalition of centrist Democrats and Republicans to push it to passage over fierce blowback from conservatives and some progressive dissent. By Lisa Mascaro, Kevin Freking and Stephen Groves. SENT: 930 words, photos, videos. DEBT LIMIT-WORK RULES — A Republican attempt to expand work requirements for federal food aid in debt legislation moving through Congress would increase spending by $2.1 billion over 10 years — far from the cuts GOP lawmakers had envisioned. By Mary Clare Jalonick. SENT: 1,040 words, photos. KOSOVO-SERBIA-TENSIONS — Troops from the NATO-led peacekeeping force in Kosovo placed metal fences and barbed wire barriers in a northern town following clashes with ethnic Serbs that left 30 international soldiers wounded. Hundreds of ethnic Serbs began gathering in front of the city hall in Zvecan in their efforts to take over the offices of one of the municipalities where ethnic Albanian mayors took up their posts last week. SENT: 220 words, photos. With BOSNIA-WAR CRIMES — U.N. court issuing appeal ruling in trial of two Serbs accused of crimes in Balkan wars. ELECTION 2024-DESANTIS — Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis begins his first full day of presidential campaigning with a blitz through Iowa, trying to prioritize personally connecting with voters while proving he can handle the scrutiny of the national spotlight. By Thomas Beaumont and Will Weissert. SENT: 380 words, photos. UPCOMING: 700 words after 10 a.m. event in Sioux City. SUPREME COURT-AFFIRMATIVE ACTION — As an alternative to affirmative action, colleges from California to Florida have tried a range of strategies to achieve the diversity they say is essential to their campuses. But after years of experimentation — often prompted by state-level bans on considering race in admissions — there’s no clear solution. By Education Writer Collin Binkley. SENT: 1,240 words, photos. CHINA-ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE — China’s ruling Communist Party is calling for beefed-up national security measures, highlighting the risks posed by advances in artificial intelligence. Scientists and tech industry leaders recently issued a new warning about the perils that AI poses to humankind. SENT: 330 words, photo. ————————— MORE NEWS ————————— NEW ZEALAND-AIRLINE WEIGHING PASSENGERS — New Zealand airline is asking passengers to weigh in before their flights. SENT: 320 words, photos. MANSON FOLLOWER-PAROLE — Manson follower should be paroled, California appeals court rules. SENT: 790 words, photo. JAM MASTER JAY KILLING — Third man charged in 2002 shooting death of Jam Master Jay. SENT: 270 words, photo. WARHOL FORGERY SCHEME — Florida art dealer sentenced in Warhol forgery scheme. SENT: 180 words. GAZA-WATERMELON SALAD — Gaza’s Palestinians polarized by unorthodox watermelon delicacy. SENT: 520 words, photos. ————————— WASHINGTON ————————— CONGRESS-OVERSIGHT-BIDEN — The chairman of the House Oversight Committee said he is moving forward with holding FBI Director Chris Wray in contempt of Congress because the department has not turned over a bureau record that purports to relate to Biden and his family. SENT: 600 words, photos. ————————— NATIONAL ————————— CHILDREN REMOVED-LAWSUIT — A Massachusetts couple whose young children were taken by social workers and police in the middle of the night are suing, arguing they were unconstitutionally removed without a warrant or court order. SENT: 1,170 words, photo, video. FLORIDA BEACH SHOOTING — Police launched a search for three suspects they believe to be the gunmen who opened fire along a crowded Florida beachside promenade on Memorial Day, wounding a 1-year-old and eight others while sending people frantically running for cover. SENT: 610 words, photos, video. SCHOOL SHOOTING-FLORIDA DEPUTY — A former Florida sheriff's deputy is about to be tried on charges he failed to confront the gunman who murdered 17 at a Parkland high school five years ago. SENT: 390 words, photos. TRUMP-INDICTMENT — Ten months before Donald Trump is scheduled to stand trial in his historic New York City criminal case, Manhattan prosecutors are turning the former president’s words against him in a tug of war over precisely where he will be tried. SENT: 790 words, photo. BORDER PATROL-CHIEF — The head of the U.S. Border Patrol announced that he was retiring, after seeing through a major policy shift that seeks to clamp down on illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border following the end of Title 42 pandemic restrictions. SENT: 590 words, photo. ABORTION PROTECTIONS-NEVADA — Nevada’s Joe Lombardo became one of the first Republican governors to enshrine protections for out-of-state abortion patients and in-state providers, adding the western swing state to the list of those passing new laws to solidify their status as safe havens for abortion patients. SENT: 590 words, photo. MISSING DOCTOR-MISSOURI — The body of a Missouri emergency room doctor who has been missing for more than a week has been found in northwest Arkansas, his brother told The Associated Press. SENT: 410 words, photos. BUILDING COLLAPSE-IOWA — Five residents of a six-story apartment building that partially collapsed Sunday in eastern Iowa remained unaccounted, and authorities feared at least two of them might be stuck inside rubble that was too dangerous to search. SENT: 1,270 words, photos, video. ————————— INTERNATIONAL ————————— VATICAN-MISSIONARY MONEY — Pope Francis has asked aides to get to the bottom of how at least $17 million was transferred from the Vatican’s U.S.-based missionary fundraising coffers into an impact investing vehicle run by a priest. SENT: 1,720 words, photos. An abridged version of 1,240 words is also available. SOUTH SUDAN-DEMINING A COUNTRY — Many South Sudanese are returning to areas riddled with mines left from decades of conflict as they trickle back into the country after a peace deal was signed in 2018 to end a five-year civil war that killed nearly 400,000 people and displaced millions. SENT: 640 words, photos. KOREAS-TENSIONS — North Korea’s attempt to put the country’s first spy satellite into space failed in a setback to leader Kim Jong Un’s push to boost his military capabilities as tensions with the United States and South Korea rise. SENT: 1,060 words, photos. JORDAN-ROYAL WEDDING-BRIDE AND GROOM — He’s heir to the Jordanian throne and a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad. She’s a Saudi architect with an aristocratic pedigree of her own. Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II and Rajwa Alseif are to be married Thursday. SENT: 870 words, photos. BRAZIL-REGIONAL SUMMIT — The Brazilian president’s strong support of Venezuela’s authoritarian leader marred the unity at a South American summit that Brazil convened in hopes of reviving a bloc of the region’s 12 politically polarized countries. SENT: 980 words, photos. —————————— HEALTH/SCIENCE —————————— SPACEX-CREW FLIGHT — A private SpaceX flight carrying two Saudi astronauts and other passengers returned to Earth night after a nine-day trip to the International Space Station. By Aerospace Writer Marcia Dunn. SENT: 210 words, photos, video. ————————— BUSINESS/ECONOMY ————————— CEO PAY — Pay packages for the men and women who run companies in the S&P 500 saw the smallest increase in eight years, according to a survey compiled for the AP by Equilar. By Business Writer Alexandra Olson. UPCOMING: 1,260 words, photos, graphics by 5 a.m. THERANOS-FRAUD-HOLMES-PRISON — Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes entered a Texas prison where she could spend the next 11 years for overseeing a blood-testing hoax that became a parable about greed and hubris in Silicon Valley. SENT: 910 words, photos, video. AMAZON PROTEST — Corporate workers in Amazon's Seattle headquarters will stage a walkout to protest the company's return-to-office mandate and to lobby for more accountability in the retail giant's climate change policies. SENT: 590 words, photos. FINANCIAL MARKETS — Asian stock markets sank ahead of a vote by Congress on a deal to avert a government debt default, while a downturn in Chinese factory activity deepened, adding to signs global economic activity is weakening. By Business Writer Joe McDonald. SENT: 530 words, photos. ————————— SPORTS ————————— JAPAN-FEMALE KNUCKLEBALLER — Japanese knuckleballer Eri Yoshida is taking her unusual pitch to an independent league in the United States. By Sports Writer Stephen Wade. SENT: 750 words, photos. ————————— HOW TO REACH US ————————— At the Nerve Center, Jerome Minerva can be reached at 800-845-8450 (ext. 1600). For photos, Masayo Yoshida (ext. 1900). For graphics and interactives, ext. 7636. Expanded AP content can be obtained from AP Newsroom. For access to AP Newsroom and other technical issues, contact apcustomersupport@ap.org or call 844-777-2006. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide South Sudan struggles to clear mines after decades of war as people start returning home UN court issuing appeal ruling in long-running trial of 2 Serbs accused of crimes in Balkan wars Gaza Strip's Palestinians polarized by unorthodox watermelon delicacy

French inflation eased more than anticipated, reaching its lowest level in a year in a boost to those

International Olympic Committee demands criminal investigation into sexual harassment allegations.