Thousands pay final respects to Pope Francis as Vatican considers extending public viewing

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The public viewing of Pope Francis' casket is scheduled to resume Thursday, a day after it began with numbers that were so strong that the Vatican said it would consider longer hours to meet the demand. On Wednesday, more than 19,000 people paid their respects in the first 8 1/2 hours of the viewing at St. Peter's Basilica. Mourners from across the globe made a slow, shuffling procession up the main aisle of the basilica to pay their last respects to Francis, the Argentine pontiff remembered for creating a climate of inclusion.

Pope Francis sought to make LGBTQ+ people more welcome, but church doctrine didn't change much

The papacy of Pope Francis ended with the same core doctrine for LGBTQ+ people that he had inherited. The Catholic Church still rejected same-sex marriage and condemned any sexual relations between gay or lesbian partners as “intrinsically disordered.” Yet unlike his predecessors, Francis incrementally conveyed through his actions, formal statements and occasional casual remarks that he wanted the church to be a more welcoming place for LGBTQ+ people. Among activists, there was some frustration over the lack of a doctrinal breakthrough, but they still expressed gratitude for his warmth toward them. It was clear early in his papacy that Francis would articulate a gentler, more tolerant approach to LGBTQ+ people than any previous pope.

Trump says Zelenskyy is prolonging war in Ukraine by resisting calls to cede Crimea to Russia

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — President Donald Trump has again lashed out at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump says Zelenskyy is prolonging the “killing field” after the Ukrainian leader pushed back on ceding Crimea to Russia as part of a potential peace plan. Zelenskyy on Tuesday ruled out the idea of Ukraine ceding territory to Russia as part of any potential peace agreement. Talks are set for Wednesday in London among U.S., European and Ukrainian officials. During similar talks last week in Paris, U.S. officials presented a proposal that included allowing Russia to keep control of occupied Ukrainian territory as part of a deal. That's according to a European official.

Israeli strike in Gaza kills 23 as Arab mediators seek long-term truce

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — An overnight Israeli strike on a school-turned-shelter in Gaza City has killed 23 people and set tents ablaze, burning people alive. Arab mediators are meanwhile working on a proposal to end the war with Hamas that would include a five-to-seven year truce and the release of all remaining hostages. France, Germany and Britain say Israel’s seven-week blockade on all imports to Gaza is “intolerable." That's unusually strong criticism from three of the country’s closest allies. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on Hamas to release the hostages in order to “block Israel’s pretexts” for continuing the war.

Rubio says Iran must give up nuclear enrichment in any deal with the US

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio says Iran must give up all nuclear enrichment if it wants to make a deal during talks with the Trump administration and head off the threat of armed conflict. Iran insists its nuclear program is for civilian energy use and says it does not seek to make weapons-grade uranium to build atomic bombs. Rubio said in a podcast interview released Wednesday that Iran could import enriched material for a peaceful program. Iran has long refused to give up its ability to enrich uranium. Rubio says the U.S. is "a long ways from any sort of agreement with Iran” but is aiming for a peaceful resolution.

Trump signs executive orders targeting colleges, plus schools' equity efforts

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has ordered sharper scrutiny of America’s colleges and the accreditors that oversee them. It's part of his escalating campaign to end what he calls “wokeness” and diversity efforts in education. Trump signed a series of executive actions Wednesday, targeting universities that he views as liberal adversaries to his political agenda. One order called for harder enforcement of a federal law requiring colleges to disclose their financial ties with foreign sources. Another called for a shakeup of the accrediting bodies that decide whether colleges can accept federal financial aid awarded to students.

A dozen states sue the Trump administration to stop tariff policy

NEW YORK (AP) — A dozen states have sued the Trump administration in the U.S. Court of International Trade to stop its tariff policy, saying it is unlawful and has brought chaos to the American economy. The lawsuit filed Wednesday says the policy put in place by President Donald Trump has left the national trade policy subject to Trump's whims rather than the sound exercise of lawful authority. The lawsuit challenges Trump's claim that he could arbitrarily impose tariffs based on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. A message sent to the Justice Department for comment was not immediately returned.

India blames Pakistan for a deadly attack in Kashmir and suspends a key water treaty

SRINAGAR, India (AP) — India is blaming Pakistan for a militant attack that killed 26 people in Indian-held Kashmir, downgrading diplomatic ties and suspending a crucial water-sharing treaty. The spray of gunfire at tourists Tuesday was the worst assault in years targeting civilians in the restive region that is claimed by both countries. India’s foreign secretary, Vikram Misri, announced the diplomatic moves against Pakistan at a news conference in New Delhi late Wednesday, saying a special cabinet meeting decided that the attack had “cross-border” links to Pakistan. However, the government provided no evidence of this publicly. India describes militancy in Kashmir as Pakistan-backed terrorism. Pakistan denies this.

Musk damaged Tesla's brand in just a few months. Fixing it will likely take longer

NEW YORK (AP) — Elon Musk intends to focus more on his job as Tesla CEO, but it’s unclear if the billionaire will be able to solve a big problem of his own making: damage to its brand. Sales have plunged amid protests over Musk’s embrace of right-wing views and rival electric vehicle makers are pouncing. Investors sent Tesla's stock rising 5% a day after Musk announced he would be scaling back his cost-cutting role in Washington, but he's got his work cut out for him. Tesla's share of the U.S. electric vehicle has plunged and Musk has to deliver on promises of an upgraded Model Y and a fleet of cybercabs.

China's fast-growing EV makers pursuing varied routes to global expansion

SHANGHAI (AP) — The world's auto industry is getting a shake-up from Chinese automakers that are quickly expanding across the globe, offering relatively affordable electric vehicles designed to wow car buyers with sleek designs and the latest high-tech interiors. Companies like BYD, Great Wall, Geely and Chery Automobile are reaching outward as they build the scale they need to survive brutal competition in their home market. These are not state-run giants like SAIC, BAIC and Guangzhou Automotive. The founder of Geely started out making refrigerators. BYD first built up its expertise in battery technology, now its biggest advantage as the world's largest-selling EV maker. Some others are technology companies allied with automakers to offer autonomous driving.