Russian captain denies manslaughter in North Sea collision as he faces UK trial

LONDON (AP) — The Russian captain of a cargo ship that collided with a U.S. tanker in the North Sea pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter of one of his crew at a U.K. court hearing on Friday.

Vladimir Motin, 59, from St. Petersburg, appeared by video link from prison for the pretrial hearing at London’s Central Criminal Court. Assisted by a Russian interpreter, he denied a charge of gross manslaughter over the death of 38-year-old Mark Angelo Pernia.

Motin was ordered detained until his next hearing, and his trial was set for Jan. 12.

The Portugal-flagged cargo ship Solong was traveling at about 15 knots (17 mph or 28 kph) when it hit the anchored tanker MV Stena Immaculate about 12 miles (19 kilometers) off the coast of northeast England on March 10, sparking a fire that lasted nearly a week. The tanker was transporting jet fuel for the U.S. military.

Trump has long warned of a government ‘deep state.’ Now in power, he’s under pressure to expose it

NEW YORK (AP) — As he crisscrossed the country in 2024, Donald Trump pledged to supporters that voting him back into the presidency would be “our final battle.”

“With you at my side, we will demolish the deep state,” he said repeatedly on the campaign trail. “We will liberate our country from these tyrants and villains once and for all.”

Four months into his second term, Trump has continued to stoke dark theories involving his predecessors and other powerful politicians and attorneys — most recently raising the specter of nefarious intent behind former President Joe Biden's use of an autopen to sign papers. The administration has pledged to reopen investigations and has taken steps to declassify certain documents, including releasing more than 63,000 pages of records related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Yet many of Trump’s supporters say it’s not enough.

Some who take him at his word are beginning to get restless as they ask why his administration, which holds the keys to chasing down these alleged government secrets, is denying them the evidence and retribution they expected.

New Zealand hails ‘breakthrough’ in trade talks with India, but no timeline for deal

NEW DELHI (AP) — New Zealand’s deputy prime minister said on Friday that talks over a free trade agreement between his country and India were ongoing, but he didn't provide a timeline for when the two nations could eventually sign a deal.

Winston Peters, who is on a two-day visit to India, said that the negotiations were “going with real meaning now," calling them “a breakthrough in our economic relationship.”

India and New Zealand began negotiations in March for a trade pact, and had aimed to sign a deal in 60 days. The deal will significantly bolster economic ties between the two countries, but it has faced delays because of differences over tariffs on dairy products.

Bilateral trade between India and New Zealand stood at $1.7 billion in the 2023-24 financial year.

Former Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams wins libel case against BBC over claim he sanctioned killing

LONDON (AP) — Former Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams won his libel suit against the BBC on Friday over a claim that he authorized the killing of an informant inside the Irish republican movement.

A jury at the High Court in Dublin ruled in Adams’ favor and awarded him 100,000 euros ($113,000) in damages. Jurors deliberated for just under seven hours after the monthlong trial before reaching a verdict, rejecting the BBC's argument that it had acted in good faith and in a “fair and reasonable” way.

Adams sued Britain’s public broadcaster over a claim in a decade-old television documentary and online article that he sanctioned the killing of Denis Donaldson, a long-serving Sinn Fein official who acknowledged in 2005 that he had worked for British intelligence. He was shot dead at his cottage in rural Ireland four months later.

In the BBC program, broadcast in September 2016, an anonymous source claimed the shooting was sanctioned by the political and military leadership of the IRA and that Adams gave “the final say.”

Prosecutor says suspect in Liverpool soccer parade ramming used vehicle as a weapon

LONDON (AP) — The ramming suspect in Liverpool deliberately used his vehicle as a weapon when he plowed his car into a crowd of soccer fans celebrating their team’s Premier League championship, a prosecutor said Friday.

Paul Doyle, wearing a black suit, white shirt and gray tie, looked emotional and hung his head during his initial court appearance in Liverpool Magistrates’ Court.

Doyle, 53, is charged with dangerous driving and six serious assault charges alleging that he caused or tried to cause grievous bodily harm to the two children and four adults who suffered the worst wounds among the 79 people injured, prosecutor Philip Astbury said.

“He used his vehicle deliberately as a weapon to injure those individuals,” Astbury said.

Islamic State group claims first attack on Syrian government forces since Assad’s fall

BEIRUT (AP) — The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for two attacks in southern Syria, including one on government forces that an opposition war monitor described as the first on the Syrian army to be carried out by the extremists since the fall of Bashar Assad.

IS said in a statement on Thursday that in one attack, a bomb targeting a “vehicle of the apostate regime" detonated, leaving seven soldiers dead or wounded. It said the attack occurred “last Thursday,” or May 22, in the al-Safa area in the desert of the southern province of Sweida.

In a separate statement, the group said another bomb attack occurred this week in a nearby area, targeting members of the U.S.-backed Free Syrian Army. It claimed that it killed one fighter and wounded three.

There was no comment from the government on the claims. A spokesperson for the Free Syrian Army didn't immediately respond to a request for comment by The Associated Press.

Officials say at least 10 people are dead and 6 are missing after stone quarry collapse in Indonesia

BANDUNG, Indonesia (AP) — A natural stone quarry in Indonesia’s West Java province collapsed on several people who were working in it on Friday, killing at least 10 people and leaving six workers missing, officials said.

More than two dozen people were trapped in the rubble when the mine in Cirebon district collapsed, local police chief Sumarni said, and rescuers were able to pull a dozen injured people from the debris during a grueling search effort.

“Authorities are still investigating the cause of the collapse, and we have been questioning the owner and workers of the quarry,” said Sumarni, who like many Indonesians uses a single name.

She said police, emergency personnel, soldiers and volunteers were trying to locate any remaining workers, supported by five excavators, but were hampered by unstable soil that risked further slides.

Hong Kong pro-democracy and gay rights activist Jimmy Sham released after 4 years in prison

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong's prominent pro-democracy and LGBTQ+ activist Jimmy Sham was released from prison on Friday after serving over four years in the city's biggest national security case under a Beijing-imposed law.

Sham's activism made headlines during 2019 anti-government protests, when he was the convenor of a now-disbanded pro-democracy group that organized some of the biggest peaceful marches that year, including one that drew an estimated 2 million people.

Sham was among 47 activists arrested in 2021 for their roles in an unofficial primary election. He was sentenced with 44 other activists last year after judges ruled that their plans to effect change through the primary would have undermined the government’s authority and create a constitutional crisis. Only two of the original defendants were acquitted.

Even behind bars, Sham continued to fight for recognition of his same-sex marriage registered overseas at the city's top court, which later ruled the government should provide a framework for recognizing same-sex partnerships. It was a landmark decision for the city’s LGBTQ+ community.

Half of world’s population endured extra month of extreme heat due to climate change, experts say

Scientists say 4 billion people, about half the world’s population, experienced at least one extra month of extreme heat because of human-caused climate change from May 2024 to May 2025.

The extreme heat caused illness, death, crop losses, and strained energy and health care systems, according to the analysis from World Weather Attribution, Climate Central and the Red Cross.

“Although floods and cyclones often dominate headlines, heat is arguably the deadliest extreme event,” the report said. Many heat-related deaths are unreported or are mislabeled by other conditions like heart disease or kidney failure.

The scientists used peer-reviewed methods to study how much climate change boosted temperatures in an extreme heat event and calculated how much more likely its occurrence was because of climate change. In almost all countries in the world, the number of extreme heat days has at least doubled compared with a world without climate change.

No surprise: Trump couldn’t legally levy tariffs

A decision by the U.S. Court of International Trade confirmed Wednesday what everybody already knew: that U.S. President Donald Trump can’t use trumped-up emergency powers to address magically created emergencies and then implement trade tariffs at his whim.

China forms new global mediation group with dozens of countries

HONG KONG (AP) — Dozens of countries joined China on Friday in establishing an international mediation-based dispute resolution group.

Representatives of more than 30 other countries, from Pakistan and Indonesia to Belarus and Cuba, signed the Convention on the Establishment of the International Organization for Mediation in Hong Kong to become founding members of the global organization, following Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

The support of developing countries signaled Beijing's rising influence in the global south amid heightened geopolitical tensions, partly exacerbated by U.S. President Donald Trump's trade tariffs.

At a ceremony, Wang said China has long advocated for handling differences with a spirit of mutual understanding and consensus-building through dialogue, while aiming to provide “Chinese wisdom” for resolving conflicts between nations.

Judge wrestles with far-reaching remedy proposals in US antitrust case against Google

WASHINGTON (AP) — The fate and fortunes of one of the world’s most powerful tech companies now sit in the hands of a U.S. judge wrestling with whether to impose far-reaching changes upon Google in the wake of its dominant search engine being declared an illegal monopoly.

U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta heard closing arguments Friday from Justice Department lawyers who argued that a radical shake-up is needed to promote a free and fair market. Their proposed remedies include a ban on Google paying to lock its search engine in as the default on smart devices and an order requiring the company to sell its Chrome browser.

Google’s legal team argued that only minor concessions are needed and urged Mehta not to unduly punish the company with a harsh ruling that could squelch future innovations. Google also argued that upheaval triggered by advances in artificial intelligence already is reshaping the search landscape, as conversational search options are rolling out from AI startups that are hoping to use the Department of Justice’s four-and-half-year-old case to gain the upper hand in the next technological frontier.

It was an argument that Mehta appeared to give serious consideration as he marveled at the speed at which the AI industry was growing. He also indicated he was still undecided on how much AI’s potential to shake up the search market should be incorporated in his forthcoming ruling. “This is what I’ve been struggling with,” Mehta said.

What’s in a name? A small fortune for businesses around Fort Bragg

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — When it came to picking a name for his business, Ralph Rodriguez rolled the dice. He went with Fort Liberty Pawn & Gun.

It’s going to cost him about $30,000.

“That’s signage, uniforms, stationery, business cards, advertising, and state licensing changes and federal changes,” he said.

When he was filing his incorporation papers last fall, Rodriguez knew one of President Donald Trump ’s campaign promises was to restore the names of Confederate officers — like Gen. Braxton Bragg — to military installations rebranded under the Biden administration. But it seemed to Rodriguez that he should go with the installation's name as it was at the time.

Chief Justice agrees to pause court orders requiring DOGE to turn over records about its operation

WASHINGTON (AP) — Chief Justice John Roberts agreed Friday to temporarily pause orders that would require Elon Musk ’s Department of Government Efficiency to publicly disclose information about its operations.

The order came after the Trump administration appealed to the Supreme Court in a lawsuit filed against DOGE by a government watchdog group.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington argues that DOGE, which has been central to President Donald Trump’s push to remake the government, is a federal agency and must be subject to the Freedom of Information Act.

But the Trump administration says DOGE is just a presidential advisory body aimed at rooting out waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government, which would make it exempt from requests for documents under FOIA.

Colorado couple found guilty over cross burning meant to draw sympathy for Black candidate

DENVER (AP) — A couple who staged a cross burning to generate voter sympathy for the man who became Colorado Springs’ first Black mayor was convicted Friday of conspiring to set the fire and spread false information about it.

Prosecutors argued that Ashley Blackcloud, who is indigenous and Black, and Derrick Bernard, who is Black, orchestrated and then broadcast the hoax to aid the candidate. However their actions still amounted to a criminal threat, prosecutors said.

The cross burning happened in 2023 during the run-up to a mayoral election in the state's second-largest city. Images and video of the cross, which was burned in front of a campaign sign defaced with a racial slur, were emailed to local news outlets to boost the campaign of Yemi Mobolade.

A jury found Blackcloud and Bernard guilty of using interstate commerce — the internet and email — to make a threat or convey false information about an attempt to intimidate Mobolade with a fire. They were also found guilty of conspiring to do that.

Trump says US Steel will keep HQ in Pittsburgh in a sign he’ll approve bid by Japan-based Nippon

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Friday that U.S. Steel will keep its headquarters in Pittsburgh as part of what he called a “planned partnership” that seemed to signal that he’ll approve a bid by Japan-based Nippon Steel to make a big investment in the iconic American steelmaker, if not buy it outright.

Still, Trump's statement left it vague as to whether he is approving Nippon Steel's bid after he vowed repeatedly to block the deal to prevent U.S. Steel from being foreign-owned.

More recently, Trump suggested that Nippon Steel would invest in U.S. Steel, not buy it, and one union official suggested Friday that the federal government will have a role in the company's management going forward. But investors seemed to take Trump's statement as a sign that he's approving some sort of merger, sharply pushing up U.S. Steel's shares, and the companies issued approving statements.

Nippon Steel said the partnership is a “game changer — for U.S. Steel and all of its stakeholders, including the American steel industry, and the broader American manufacturing base.” U.S. Steel said it “will remain American, and we will grow bigger and stronger through a partnership with Nippon Steel that brings massive investment, new technologies and thousands of jobs over the next four years."

See a penny, pick it up? In the future, probably not as often – and, some say, that matters

NEW YORK (AP) — Ask someone for their thoughts: Could it now cost you a nickel? If you want to call somebody stingy, would you say they're a quarter-pincher? And if they spend money unwisely, are they now dime-wise but pound-foolish?

OK, maybe those are some minor, small-stakes, dare we say penny-ante concerns in the wake of the U.S. Treasury confirming Thursday that it will stop making shiny new penny coins after the current production run is complete.

But it is the end of an era in the United States. While there will still be over a billion already existing pennies in circulation, rattling around in jars, gathering dust under the sofa cushions and waiting to be picked up from sidewalks, no new cents will be joining their ranks for the first time in more than two centuries.

Answering advocates' demands to abandon the coin

The penny costs nearly 4 cents to make. Here’s how much the US spends on minting its other coins

NEW YORK (AP) — The impending “death” of the U.S. penny has spotlighted the coin's own price tag — nearly 4 cents to make and distribute each, or quadruple its value.

Months after President Donald Trump called on his administration to cease penny production, the U.S. Mint announced this week that it had made its final order of penny blanks — and plans to stop making new 1 cent coins after those run out.

Coin production costs vary thanks to different raw metals used, complexity of their designs, labor needed and more. Many of those expenses have been on the rise — and the penny isn't the only coin entering our wallets today that costs more to make than it's worth (enter the nickel debate).

Here's a rundown of U.S. Mint production costs from the government's latest fiscal year.

Trump signs executive orders to boost nuclear power, speed up approvals

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed executive orders Friday intended to quadruple domestic production of nuclear power within the next 25 years, a goal experts say the United States is highly unlikely to reach.

To speed up the development of nuclear power, the orders grant the U.S. energy secretary authority to approve some advanced reactor designs and projects, taking authority away from the independent safety agency that has regulated the U.S. nuclear industry for five decades.

The order comes as demand for electricity surges amid a boom in energy-hungry data centers and artificial intelligence. Tech companies, venture capitalists, states and others are competing for electricity and straining the nation's electric grid.

“We’ve got enough electricity to win the AI arms race with China,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said. “What we do in the next five years related to electricity is going to determine the next 50" years in the industry.

Here’s a look at recent aircraft tragedies, mishaps and close calls

At least three people were killed when a private jet crashed into a San Diego neighborhood Thursday morning, adding to the long list of aviation disasters this year.

About 100 people had to be evacuated after the plane struck at least one home and jet fuel caught fire throughout the neighborhood. The Federal Aviation Administration said six people were aboard the plane. It wasn't clear how many died, although music agency Sound Talent Group said its co-founder and two other employees died in the crash.

Many people are concerned about aviation safety after all the aircraft collisions and near-misses.

Disasters have ranged from the midair collision that killed 67 people near Washington, D.C., in January to an airliner clipping another in February while taxiing at the Seattle airport. In March, an American Airlines plane caught fire after landing in Denver, sending 12 people to the hospital. A sightseeing helicopter broke apart and crashed into the Hudson River between New York City and New Jersey last month, killing six people.