AP News Summary at 2:54 p.m. EDT (2024)

'No one is above the law,' prosecutor says as he urges jurors to convict Hunter Biden on gun charges

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Hunter Biden's attorney told jurors the prosecution has not has not met its burden of proving its federal firearms case beyond a reasonable doubt. Defense attorney Abbe Lowell urged jurors to acquit Hunter Biden in his closing argument Monday. Earlier Monday, a prosecutor told jurors that “no one is above the law” as he urged them to convict the president's son on charges that he lied about his drug use when he bought a gun in 2018. Prosecutor Leo Wise began his closing argument soon after the defense rested without calling Hunter Biden to the witness stand. The case has laid bare some of the darkest moments of his drug-fueled past.

A military plane carrying Malawi's vice president is missing and a search is underway

BLANTYRE, Malawi (AP) — A military plane carrying Malawi’s vice president and nine others is missing and a search operation is underway. The office of President Lazarus Chakwera said the plane carrying Vice President Saulos Chilima left the capital Lilongwe Monday morning. The plane failed to land as scheduled around 45 minutes later at Mzuzu International Airport, about 230 miles to the north. The president's office says aviation authorities lost contact with the plane when it “went off radar." Chakwera has ordered a search operation and has canceled a trip to the Bahamas.

Apple expected to enter AI race with ambitions to overtake the early leaders

CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) — Apple’s annual World Wide Developers Conference on Monday is expected to herald the company’s move into generative artificial intelligence, marking its late arrival to a technological frontier that’s expected to be as revolutionary as the invention of the iPhone. The widely anticipated display of AI to be embedded on the iPhone a will be the marquee moment at an event that previews the next version of software that powers the company’s hardware lineup. And Apple’s next generation of software is expected to be packed with an array of AI designed spruce up its virtual assistant Siri and make many other tasks a more satisfying and perhaps even revelatory experience.

The far right's election gains rattle EU's traditional powers, leading Macron to call snap polls

BRUSSELS (AP) — Far-right parties rattled the traditional powers in the European Union with major gains in parliamentary seats, dealing an especially humiliating defeat to French President Emmanuel Macron, who called snap legislative elections. Some ballots in the vote for the European Parliament were still being counted Monday, but the outcome showed the 27-nation bloc’s parliament membership has clearly shifted to the right. The Christian Democrats of EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen remained by far the biggest group and de facto brokers of the ever-expanding powers of the legislature. But the surge by nationalist and populist parties will make it much harder for the assembly to approve legislation on issues ranging from climate change to agriculture policy.

The main takeaways after the far right rocks European politics, sparking a snap election in France

BRUSSELS (AP) — A four-day election has shaken the European Union's parliament to its foundations. Hard right parties rocked ruling parties in France and Germany, the EU's main driving forces. France faces snap national elections in just three weeks. The party of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, which has neo-fascist roots, won more than 28% of the national vote for the EU assembly, which would make it a key player in forming future alliances. Still, the center has held. Pro-European parties remain the biggest in the 27-nation bloc's assembly. But it will be harder to pass laws and do business there for the next five years. Environmentalist Greens and pro-business liberal groups suffered heavy defeats.

What does Israel's rescue of 4 captives, and the killing of 274 Palestinians, mean for truce talks?

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel’s dramatic rescue of four hostages from inside the Gaza Strip, in an operation that health officials say killed 274 Palestinians, comes at a sensitive time in the 8-month-old war. Israel and Hamas are weighing an American-backed proposal for a cease-fire and the release of the remaining captives. Both sides face renewed pressure to make a deal: For Israel, the complex rescue is unlikely to be replicated on a scale needed to bring back scores of remaining hostages. Hamas now has four fewer bargaining chips. But they could also dig in, as they repeatedly have over months of indirect negotiations mediated by the United States, Qatar and Egypt.

Palestine players continue push for World Cup qualification amid war back home

PERTH, Australia (AP) — Mohammed Rashid once worked as a forklift driver in a Chicago warehouse. Fast forward to these grim times and Rashid and his Palestine soccer teammates carry a heavier weight. They know success on the field offers a little respite from the war raging in Gaza. Amid the horrifying backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war, the Palestine team has produced a stirring run to reach the final round in Asia of World Cup qualifying for the first time. Palestine has never come close to reaching the World Cup but the expansion of the 2026 tournament to 48 teams has given Palestine a legitimate chance to make history. It plays Australia on Tuesday in Perth to complete the Asian second round. Both teams are already safely through to September’s next stage.

Nevada has a plan to expand electronic voting. That concerns election security experts

SCHURZ, Nevada (AP) — Voting on reservations across the country has historically been exceedingly difficult, with tribal voters sometimes having to travel long distances to their polling place or facing barriers because they don't have a physical address. In Nevada, the state has now granted tribes a new right that advocates hope will greatly expand voting access — the ability to cast ballots electronically. But what some see as a small measure of justice to equalize voting rights for a people long disenfranchised raises security concerns for others, with potential implications far beyond Nevada's 28 tribal communities.

African elephants call each other by unique names, new study shows

WASHINGTON (AP) — New research shows African elephants call each other and respond to individual names, something few wild animals do. The names are part of the elephants' low rumbles that can be heard over long distances across the savanna. Scientists believe that animals with complex social structures and family groups that separate and then reunite may be more likely to use individual names. The researchers analyzed a sound library of elephants recorded in Kenya. They also followed the elephants in jeeps to observe who called out and who appeared to respond. Their findings were published Monday

What's the Hajj, the Islamic pilgrimage, and why is it significant for Muslims?

Once a year, Muslims coming to Saudi Arabia unite in a series of religious rituals and acts of worship as they perform Hajj, one of the pillars of Islam. As they fulfill a religious obligation, they immerse themselves in what can be a profound spiritual experience of a lifetime and a chance to seek God's forgiveness and the erasure of past sins. For the pilgrims, Hajj is also seen as an opportunity to grow closer to God and to walk in the footsteps of prophets. Hajj unites Muslims of diverse races, ethnicities, languages and economic classes in performing rituals together.