AP News Summary at 11:55 p.m. EDT (2024)

Britain's Labour on track for landslide victory, exit poll suggests, amid anger with Conservatives

LONDON (AP) — An exit poll and partial returns indicate Britain’s Labour Party is headed for a landslide victory in a parliamentary election, as voters punish the governing Conservatives after 14 years of economic and political upheaval. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak acknowledged the defeat early Friday and said he called center-left Labour’s leader Keir Starmer to congratulate him on becoming the country’s next prime minister. Starmer will face a jaded electorate impatient for change against a gloomy backdrop of economic malaise, mounting distrust in institutions and a fraying social fabric.

The Latest | UK leader Sunak concedes that Labour has won the election

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says the British people have “delivered a sobering verdict” as he conceded that the Labour Party has won the election. He said he took “responsibility” for his party’s loss, and that he had called Labour leader Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory. An exit poll suggested that the left-of-center Labour Party is headed for a huge majority. The exit poll results suggested that after 14 years in power under five different prime ministers, Sunak’s Conservatives are set to have their seats in the 650-seat House of Commons cut down to 131. That would be the Tories’ worst result in the party’s two-century history. The Labour Party is expected to win 410 seats.

Biden heads into a make-or-break stretch for his imperiled presidential campaign

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is opening a critical stretch in his effort to salvage his imperiled reelection campaign. There's a growing sense that Biden may have just days to make a persuasive case that he’s fit for office before Democratic support for him completely evaporates in the aftermath of his disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump. Already, some financial backers are holding off or canceling upcoming fundraisers. And Biden himself acknowledged to Democratic governors that he needs to get more sleep and limit late events so he can be fit and rested for the job.

Brazilian police indict ex-President Bolsonaro in undeclared diamonds case, sources say

SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazilian police have indicted former President Jair Bolsonaro for money laundering and criminal association in connection with undeclared diamonds the far-right leader received from Saudi Arabia during his time in office, according to a source with knowledge of the accusations. A second source confirmed the indictment, although not for which specific crimes. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly. Brazil’s Supreme Court has yet to receive the police report with the indictment. Once it does, the country’s prosecutor-general will analyze the document and decide whether to file charges and force Bolsonarotostandtrial. The former president has denied wrongdoing.

Fireworks light up the skies across the US as Americans endure searing heat to celebrate July Fourth

Millions of Americans are celebrating the Fourth of July despite heat warnings, a projected record number of travelers and so many beachgoers that officials had to close some parks to latecomers. In the nation’s capital, neon bursts of light illuminated the night sky above the Washington Monument. The Boston Pops performed a musical fireworks spectacular at that city’s Hatch Memorial Shell. And at parades all across the country, revelers dressed up in red, white and blue and waved the Stars and Stripes in commemoration of the country’s Independence Day. The July Fourth holiday generally unites Americans in their shared love of country, but the 2024 version comes against a backdrop of deep political polarization and a divisive presidential race.

Millions swelter under dangerous Fourth of July heat wave

The National Weather Service says that around 134 million people in the U.S. are under alerts as an extremely dangerous and record-breaking heat wave broils much of the country. Regions that may see temperatures above 90 degrees or much higher into the triple digits include nearly all of the West Coast, the southern Plains, most of the lower Mississippi Valley into the Ohio Valley and parts of Florida. It’s a dangerous weather pattern hitting as fires burn in northern California, and just in time for a holiday weekend. Experts urge people to drink plenty of water and find air conditioning.

Israel approves plans for nearly 5,300 new homes in West Bank settlements

JERUSALEM (AP) — An Israeli anti-settlement monitoring group says the government has approved plans to build nearly 5,300 new homes in settlements in the occupied West Bank. It's the latest effort by Israel’s hard-line government to beef up the settlements as part of a strategy to cement Israel’s control over the West Bank and prevent a future Palestinian state. Peace Now says the government’s Higher Planning Council approved or advanced plans for 5,295 homes in dozens of settlements. Also on Thursday, Gaza cease-fire talks appeared to stir back to life, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office saying he's decided to send negotiators to resume negotiations. Hamas on Wednesday gave mediators its latest response to a U.S.-backed proposal for a deal.

Hurricane Beryl strengthens back into a Category 3 storm as it nears Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula

TULUM, Mexico (AP) — After leaving a trail of destruction across the eastern Caribbean and at least nine people dead, Hurricane Beryl has strengthened back into a Category 3 storm as it chugs over open water toward Mexico’s resort-studded Yucatan Peninsula. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Beryl, which was the earliest Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic, now had winds of 115 mph (185 kph ) after weakening earlier Thursday. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador issued a statement saying Beryl may make a direct hit on Tulum, which, while smaller than Cancun, still holds thousands of tourists and residents.

Parent company of Saks Fifth Avenue to buy Neiman Marcus for $2.65 billion

NEW YORK (AP) — The parent company of Saks Fifth Avenue has signed a deal to buy upscale rival Neiman Marcus Group, which owns Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman stores, for $2.65 billion, with online behemoth Amazon holding a minority stake. The new entity would be called Saks Global, which will comprise the Saks Fifth Avenue and Saks OFF 5TH brands, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman, as well as the real estate assets of Neiman Marcus Group and HBC, a holding company that purchased Saks in 2013. The deal comes after months of rumors that the department store chains had been negotiating a deal. But the twist is Amazon’s minority stake, which adds “a bit of spice” to an otherwise anticipated pact, according to Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData, a research firm.

World swimming federation confirms US federal investigation into Chinese swimmers' doping tests

GENEVA (AP) — The international swimming federation says its executive director has been ordered to testify as a witness in a U.S. criminal investigation into the case of 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a banned substance in 2021 yet were allowed to continue competing. World Aquatics confirmed to The Associated Press that Brent Nowicki “was served with a witness subpoena by the United States government.” In May, a House Committee on China asked the Justice Department and the FBI to launch an investigation under a federal law that allows investigations into suspected doping conspiracies even if they occurred outside the U.S. The swimmers were allowed to compete at the previous Olympics in Tokyo despite testing positive for a banned heart medication.

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