Trump tells prosecutors to stand down on Venezuela leader

MIAMI (AP) – The Trump administration has quietly instructed federal prosecutors in Miami to avoid pursuing criminal investigations into Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez, a longtime target of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, according to current and former U.S. law enforcement officials, in the latest sign of warming relations between the White House and the oil-rich nation.

US stocks gain ground, adding to their records, as Dell soars

Stock indexes closed higher on Wall Street. The S&P 500 added 0.2% Friday. Tech stocks led the way, with Dell Technologies in a stunning 32.8% gain. The Dow added 0.7%, and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.2%. European and Asian markets mostly rose. Brent crude fell 1.7%.

5 things to know about the protests challenging Bolivia's new president

LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) – Less than six months ago, the inauguration of centrist President Rodrigo Paz seemed to usher in a new reality for Bolivians reeling from the worst economic crisis in a generation and fed up with two decades of almost uninterrupted socialist leadership.

Top Asia Pacific Breaking News: Latest Updates

BANGKOK (AP) – Rescue workers in Laos said Saturday they have safely evacuated four villagers trapped in a flooded cave for 10 days, the day after another one was successfully extracted. Two men remain missing. Lao and Thai rescue groups posted about the successful operation on social media, along with photos of the men lying on stretchers, wearing oxygen masks and being wrapped in foil blankets.

Brazil to invest $75 million in highway through Amazon, fueling deforestation concerns

SAO PAULO (AP) – Brazil’s government announced Wednesday that it will invest $75 million in the BR-319 highway cutting through the Amazon rainforest, a project environmentalists say could accelerate deforestation and worsen climate change.

Russian spies are aggressively seeking Western technology as sanctions bite

STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) – Russia’s intelligence agencies have grown more aggressive in their efforts to steal Western technology and defense secrets as sanctions squeeze the country’s wartime economy, three senior European intelligence officials told The Associated Press.

Brazil's Flávio Bolsonaro scandal shakes his presidential bid

SAO PAULO (AP) – A year ago, Brazilian Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro touted his family’s connection with U.S. President Donald Trump as a major political asset. This week, Bolsonaro is in Washington leaning into that relationship again in an attempt to shore up his weakening presidential bid after he received millions of dollars from a disgraced banker.

Editorials from The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian and others

Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad:

Global heritage group to work improving conditions at Machu Picchu

LIMA, Peru (AP) – A global heritage foundation that works to improve conditions at famous archaeological sites offered on Tuesday to work with Peruvian authorities on the famed Machu Picchu, where tourists often face hours of lines, overcrowding and unreliable local transport.