Catholic faithful pay their final respects to Pope Francis in St. Peter's Basilica

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Thousands of people are filing through the central aisle of St. Peter’s Basilica to pay their final respects to Pope Francis. Wednesday is the start of three days of public viewing ahead of the pontiff’s funeral. Throngs of ordinary faithful made their way slowly to the 16th-century basilica’s main altar. Francis’ simple wooden casket was perched on a slight ramp, as four Swiss Guards stood at attention. Cardinals, meanwhile, met in private to finalize preparations for Saturday’s funeral and plan the conclave to elect Francis’ successor. Francis died on Monday at age 88. His 12-year pontificate was characterized by his concern for the poor and message of inclusion, but also criticism from conservatives who sometimes felt alienated by his progressive bent.

Pope Francis had a troubled course on dealing with clergy sexual abuse

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis had a learning curve on clergy sexual abuse, with the turning point coming in 2018. Few people could have predicted that a comment he made then, dismissing victims of Chile's most notorious pedophile, would blow up into the biggest crisis of his papacy. But it was one that eventually set the Catholic Church on a new path of accountability for clergy sexual abuse. Years later, Francis recognized that the Chile trip was his “conversion” moment, when he came to realize he had been misled about just how bad the problem was.

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.

Dialysis patients struggle to get treatment in blockaded Gaza. Officials say hundreds have died

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Health officials in the Gaza Strip say more than 400 dialysis patients have died during the 18-month Israel-Hamas war because of lack of proper treatment. Israel has restricted the supply of humanitarian aid throughout much of the war and imposed a complete blockade more than six weeks ago. Its numerous evacuation orders across much of the territory have challenged patients' ability to reach regular care. Six of the seven dialysis centers in Gaza have been destroyed during the war. That's according to the World Health Organization earlier this year. Patients who should be having three weekly dialysis visits are now getting two and for shorter periods.

London talks on ending Russia-Ukraine war pared down as Vance says it's decision time on peace deal

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A planned meeting between top U.S., British, French and Ukrainian diplomats to push forward a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine has been scrapped at the last minute. At the same time, U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Wednesday negotiations are reaching a moment of truth. Vance told reporters during a visit to Agra, India that the U.S. has issued “a very explicit proposal” to the Russians and the Ukrainians. He said "it’s time for them to either say yes or for the United States to walk away from this process.” He said the proposal would freeze territorial lines at some level close to where they currently stand, with both sides having to give up some territory they currently hold. He did not provide further details of the proposal.

Investigators probe deadly attack in disputed Kashmir as India vows to punish perpetrators

SRINAGAR, India (AP) — Security has been beefed up across Indian-controlled Kashmir a day after an attack killed at least 26 people, most of them tourists, as Indian forces launched a manhunt for the perpetrators of one of the deadliest attacks in the restive Himalayan region. As investigators began probing the attack, many shops and businesses in Kashmir closed to protest the killings. Tens of thousands of armed police and soldiers fanned out across the region and erected additional checkpoints. Police called it a “terror attack” and blamed militants fighting against Indian rule. “Kashmir Resistance,” a previously unknown militant group, claimed responsibility for the attack on social media. The group’s messages could not be independently verified.

Disputed Kashmir witnesses deadliest attack on civilians in years, sparking fears of rising tensions

NEW DELHI (AP) — At least 26 people have been killed and 17 others wounded after gunmen opened fire on a group of tourists in Indian-controlled Kashmir, the worst assault in years targeting civilians in the restive region that has seen an anti-India rebellion for more than three decades. Tuesday’s attack took place in the picturesque town of Pahalgam in the Himalayan mountains, popular with Indian visitors. Police accused rebels of masterminding the attack. The region has seen a spate of militant attacks in remote mountains in recent years, but violence has largely declined in the Kashmir Valley. India and Pakistan have each laid claim to Kashmir since war broke out following the British partition of the subcontinent in 1947.

Harvey Weinstein’s rape retrial is set for opening statements at a different #MeToo moment

NEW YORK (AP) — Five years after Harvey Weinstein’s original #MeToo trial delivered a searing reckoning for one of Hollywood’s most powerful figures, the ex-studio boss is on trial again after an appeals court threw out his landmark rape conviction. Opening statements are set for Wednesday in a trial that could take six weeks. Weinstein’s retrial is happening at the same Manhattan courthouse as the 2020 trial and two accusers from that trial are expected to testify again. Weinstein’s retrial is playing out at a different cultural moment than the first, and along with the charges being retried, he faces an additional charge based on an allegation from a woman who wasn’t a part of the first case.

Stock market today: Markets bounce after Trump says he won't try to fire Fed Chair Powell

U.S. markets are poised to open with big gains, a clear sign of relief after President Donald Trump said he would not attempt to fire the head of the Federal Reserve. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 1.9% before the bell Wednesday, while S&P 500 futures rose 2.6%. Nasdaq futures climbed a full 3%. Investors were also relieved by comments from U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who said the ongoing tariffs showdown with China is unsustainable and he expects a “de-escalation” in the trade war. Technology companies, including Nvidia and Meta, were leading the market's rise early Wednesday.

IRS turmoil: Leadership churn, worker exodus and threats to groups' tax-exempt status roil agency

WASHINGTON (AP) — The height of tax season was the height of turmoil at the IRS. The agency has churned through acting directors and is preparing to lose tens of thousands of workers to layoffs and voluntary retirements. All the while, President Donald Trump is weighing in on which nonprofits should lose their tax-exempt status. The incursion into the IRS' typically apolitical stance threatens to further erode trust in federal institutions and weaponize enforcement efforts. Just three months into Trump’s second term, the government’s fly-under-the-radar tax collector has become the latest platform for the Republican administration’s vision to cut and control the federal bureaucracy.