AP-Newswatch

US and Russia complete biggest prisoner swap in post-Soviet history, freeing Gershkovich and Whelan

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States and Russia have made their biggest prisoner swap in post-Soviet history. Moscow on Thursday released U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich and Michigan corporate security executive Paul Whelan along with dissidents including Vladimir Kara-Murza in a multinational deal officials say has set two dozen people free. The trade follows years of back-channel negotiations despite relations between Washington and Moscow being at their lowest point since the Cold War after Russia invaded Ukraine. Among those the Russians got back is Vadim Krasikov, who was convicted in Germany of killing a former Chechen rebel in a Berlin park. President Joe Biden is heralding the diplomatic achievement in the final months of his administration.

Who’s in the massive prisoner swap between Russia and the West?

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — One prisoner has spent over 5½ years behind bars in Russia while other, higher-profile detainees were released ahead of him. Another has been jailed for only a few months. They include journalists, veteran political activists and those simply opposed to the war in Ukraine. Among the Russians jailed in the West were alleged sleeper agents who lived double lives, while others were convicted of hacking computers or the brazen, daytime shooting of a man in a Berlin park. The youngest is 19, the oldest 71. Now they have walked free as part of the largest East-West prisoner swap in post-Soviet history.

Prisoner Swap Latest: US reporter Evan Gershkovich freed in prisoner swamp

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States and Russia have completed a 24-person prisoner swap on Thursday, the largest in post-Soviet history, with Moscow releasing journalist Evan Gershkovich and fellow American Paul Whelan in a multinational deal that set some two dozen people free. Thursday’s exchange between Washington and Moscow is the latest in the past two years, following a December 2022 trade that brought WNBA star Brittney Griner back to the U.S. in exchange for notorious arms trafficker Viktor Bout. Russia meanwhile secured the freedom of its own nationals convicted of serious crimes in the West.

Israel says it has confirmed that chief of Hamas’ military wing was killed in a July strike in Gaza

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military says it has confirmed that the head of Hamas’ military wing was killed in an airstrike in Gaza in July. The announcement about Mohammed Deif comes a day after the assassination of Hamas’ political chief in an airstrike in Iran. The killings have left U.S., Qatari and Egyptian mediators scrambling to salvage talks for a cease-fire deal in Gaza, even as international officials try to avert an all-out regional war. Hamas had no immediate comment on Israel’s announcement of Deif’s death. The militant group had previously said he survived the airstrike.

For Iran and Hezbollah, calibrating response to Israeli strikes leaves no room for error

BEIRUT (AP) — Two back-to-back strikes in Beirut and Tehran targeted high-ranking figures in Hezbollah and Hamas and have been attributed to Israel. The attacks have left Hezbollah and Iran in a quandary. Analysts agree that both strikes hit too close to home to pass without a response. Calibrating that response to restore deterrence without sparking an even more damaging escalation may be the most delicate balancing act in nearly a year of teetering on the brink of a regional war.

British prime minister announces policing plan to deal with violent clashes after fatal stabbings

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says he will set a national policing capability to crack down on violent protesters after clashes with police across England the past two nights. Starmer condemned the violence and said: “We will put a stop to it.” The announcement came after police were pelted with bottles in several cities by what Starmer called “marauding mobs” who apparently were reacting to a horrific stabbing Monday at a children’s dance class that killed three and wounded 10. The attack at a Taylor Swift-themed summer holiday dance class shocked a country where knife crime is a long-standing and vexing problem, though mass stabbings are rare.

Japan Osprey crash caused by cracks in a gear and pilot’s decision to keep flying, Air Force says

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Air Force says a deadly Osprey aircraft crash last November off Japan was caused by cracks in a metal gear and the pilot’s decision to keep flying instead of heeding multiple warnings that he should land. The Air Force released its investigation report Thursday. The crash killed eight Air Force Special Operations Command service members and led to a monthslong military-wide grounding of the Osprey fleet. The crash has driven renewed congressional investigations into the Osprey’s safety record and a split among the services about the future role for the unique warplane, which can fly like an airplane but land like a helicopter.

What polling shows about the top VP contenders for Kamala Harris

As Vice President Kamala Harris prepares to announce her running mate, a poll finds several of the top contenders are largely unknown to voters. The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey was conducted after President Joe Biden announced he was withdrawing from the race and Harris became the likely Democratic presidential nominee. The poll highlights the strengths and weaknesses different politicians could bring to the ticket. Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly stands out as a prospect who has more name recognition and higher favorability. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and others are less known nationally but could draw on a deeper well of support in their home states.

Trump ramps up his defense of Vance after one of the rockiest VP rollouts in recent memory

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is in the rare position of having to defend someone else’s controversial comments. Trump said Wednesday running mate JD Vance is “strongly family-oriented” when asked repeatedly to explain Vance’s history of criticizing childless Americans. Trump’s latest defense of his vice presidential pick came more than two weeks after he announced Vance’s selection. Since the announcement, Trump’s team has been confronted with multiple reports of the Ohio senator’s controversial statements that have made his rollout among the most turbulent in recent history. A senior Trump adviser says there has been “zero conversation” about replacing Vance as his running mate.

As India grows older, a secret shame emerges: Elders abandoned by their children

GARHMUKTESHWAR, India (AP) — In its traditions, in its religious tenets and in its laws, India has long cemented the belief that it is a child’s duty to care for his aging parents. But in a land known for revering its elderly, a secret shame has emerged: A burgeoning population of older people abandoned by their own families. Though there is no reliable count of how large the population of abandoned elders is, shelters have sprouted up in cities across the world’s most populous country. The shelters are struggling to accommodate a swell of exiles. Though India has experienced decades of phenomenal growth, economics are a major driver of abandonment. Most older people in India do not receive a pension, government assistance or health insurance and families are often looked to for support.