Brazil prosecutors launch suit against meatpacking giant JBS

SAO PAULO (AP) – Labor prosecutors in Brazil filed a lawsuit Wednesday against meatpacking giant JBS, accusing the company of buying cattle from farms where workers were held in slavery-like conditions.

Wall Street drops from its records after fighting flares in Middle East

NEW YORK (AP) - U.S. stocks fell from their record heights, while oil prices jumped following escalations in the Middle East that may be undermining the ceasefire in the war with Iran. The S&P 500 fell 0.4% Monday, coming off its latest all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1.1%, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.2%.

Brazil's Senate blocks Lula's Supreme Court nominee

SAO PAULO (AP) – Brazil’s Senate dealt a political blow to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Wednesday by rejecting his nomination to the Supreme Court, the first in more than 130 years and a sign that the veteran leader is not popular among many important lawmakers as he seeks reelection.

Top Asia Pacific Breaking News: Latest Updates

NEW DELHI (AP) – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Hindu nationalist party on Monday wrested control of the state of West Bengal, an opposition stronghold, in a key election. The Election Commission of India released partial results showing the Bharatiya Janata Party won at least 124 seats in the 294-member West Bengal assembly.

A pin worn by Venezuela's Rodríguez on state visits riles Guyana

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) – Guyana complained to Caribbean leaders on Tuesday after Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez wore a controversial pin during official visits depicting the map of Guyana’s western region that Venezuela has long claimed as its own.

What to know as the US tries to open the Strait of Hormuz

The ceasefire in the Iran war abruptly faced its most perilous moment Monday after the United States began trying to open the Strait of Hormuz to allow hundreds of stranded commercial ships sail out.

Argentina's leader bars journalists from government HQ, raising concerns

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) – The president blocked accredited reporters from entering the government’s headquarters. He took to social media, in all caps, to insult the country’s news media as “filthy scum that claims to be journalists.” He posted an AI-generated image that showed a local TV journalist in an orange prison jumpsuit.

Editorials from The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post and others

Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad:

Violence escalates in Colombia with dozens of attacks before presidential vote

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) – A spate of attacks against civilians and military bases in Colombia’s southwestern region has raised security concerns as the country heads to a May presidential election in which crime is expected to be one of the top voter concerns.