• How the Iran war is reshaping global tourism
  • Trump Claims on Iran Are 'False and Baseless'
  • Australia Threatens Facebook and Others Over Child Account Ban
  • King Charles III to Address US Congress
  • Pope Taps Australian Lawyer as Chief Legal Expert
Russia claims full control of Ukraine's Luhansk region but Kyiv denies it

Russia’s armed forces have taken control of the entire Luhansk region of Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed Wednesday, but a Kyiv military official denied the claim as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy prepared for talks with U.S. envoys trying to mediate an end to Moscow’s invasion.

EU and Australia sign free trade pact and new defense partnership

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) – The European Union and Australia on Tuesday agreed on the final text of a free trade agreement, some two years after negotiations broke down over Australian demands for more red meat market access and complaints about Australian products labeled with traditionally European names such as prosecco.

India has begun its long-delayed population census. Here's why it matters

NEW DELHI (AP) – India has begun the world’s largest national population count, which could reshape welfare programs and political representation across the country. The previous census in 2011 recorded a population of 1.21 billion. It’s now estimated to be more than 1.4 billion, making India the most populous nation.

 

Retail sales rise 0.6% in February, but Iran war threatens to derail spending

NEW YORK (AP) – Shoppers increased their spending in February, particularly on cars and clothing, after pulling back at the start of the year due to severe winter storms. Retail sales rose a better-than-expected 0.6% in February, from a revised 0.1% decline in January, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.

 

Europe scrambles to contain price shock from Iran war

BERLIN (AP) – German growth forecasts for 2026 and 2027 were cut by experts on Wednesday as governments across Europe implement measures aimed at reducing the price impact of the Iran war.

Advocacy groups urge YouTube to protect kids from 'AI slop' videos

Advocacy groups and experts condemned YouTube for serving up low-quality artificial intelligence-generated videos to its most vulnerable audience: children. In a letter to YouTube, children’s advocacy group Fairplay expresses “serious concern” about the spread of AI-generated videos on both YouTube and YouTube Kids.

Trump claims Iran wants a ceasefire, Iran says remarks are 'false and baseless'

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday claimed Iran’s president wanted a ceasefire ahead of his speech to the American people. Trump made the claim on his Truth Social website. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Trump’s remarks were “false and baseless.” The aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush is slated to go to the Middle East along with three destroyers.

Trans-Atlantic rift widens as Trump lashes out at NATO allies over Mideast war

LONDON (AP) – U.S. President Donald Trump says he’s strongly considering pulling the United States out of NATO, ratcheting up his criticism of European allies and exposing a wider rift in the trans-Atlantic alliance – this time over the Iran war.

Top Asia Pacific Breaking News: Latest Updates

ISLAMABAD (AP) – Pakistan and Afghanistan held the first round of peace talks on Wednesday, with China mediating to broker a durable ceasefire after weeks of fighting, two Pakistani officials said. But even as the talks were held, Afghanistan accused Pakistan of firing mortars into its territory.