AP News Summary at 3:07 a.m. EDT

Jordan shoots down 5 Iranian missiles as US unleashes ‘heavy wave’ of strikes against Iran

CAIRO (AP) — Jordan’s air defenses have shot down five missiles launched from Iran. This happened Thursday morning, according to the state-run Petra news agency. The U.S. military had earlier announced a heavy wave of strikes against Iran in response to an Iranian missile attack on a U.S. base in Jordan. No casualties were reported from Jordan’s interception. The U.S. Central Command said it struck dozens of Iranian targets, including military command centers and missile facilities. The flare-ups have raised the risk of a return to all-out war, highlighting the difficulty of winding down the conflict.

US-Iran conflict enters new phase as Saudi Arabia helps hit proxies and diplomacy stalls again

WASHINGTON (AP) — The stop-start fighting between the United States and Iran appears to have entered a new phase as Saudi Arabia has publicly joined military escalations against Tehran-backed proxies. At the same time, an already untenable diplomatic effort to end the war has faltered once again as mistrust deepens between the longtime adversaries. Despite several days of relative calm, both sides carried out military strikes in the last 24 hours that once again risk a return to all-out war — and further expansion in the region. Late Wednesday, the U.S. military said it had launched a “a powerful response” against Iran. Little is clear about what strategy, if any, American or Iranian officials have for a path forward.

Hope dwindles for rescue in southwestern Japan quake as death toll climbs to 23

KUMAMOTO, Japan (AP) — The Kumamoto prefectural government says the powerful earthquake that hit southwestern Japan earlier this week has now killed at least 23 people. The magnitude 7.1 earthquake on Tuesday set off an explosion at a mall, toppled a factory chimney and flattened homes in the Kumamoto area on Japan’s southern main island of Kyushu. Time was running out to find survivors as rescuers continued to work. The total number of those missing was unclear. The quake left at least 63 people injured, five of them seriously, the prefectural government said.

Cooler weather and potential rain move into the French region torched by wildfires

LEGE-CAP FERRET, France (AP) — Higher humidity, cooler temperatures, and rain are raising hopes of relief for southwestern France. This region has been battling wildfires that have charred an area four times the size of Paris. The national weather service forecasts light rain in Lege-Cap Ferret, a leading edge of the devastated area. Local officials reported a calm night, with the fire not growing beyond 42,000 hectares. Fire crews remain fully mobilized with 2,200 firefighters and over 20 aircraft. Temperatures are set to drop, and an orange heat wave alert has been lifted. The fires are part of a wider emergency affecting southern Europe.

Wildfires near Bordeaux bring more troubles to France’s wine industry

SADIRAC, France (AP) — Wildfires near Bordeaux are hurting the wine region’s economy. The fires have burned an area four times the size of Paris and forced 220,000 people to evacuate. The inferno is impacting tourism. Winemaker Edouard le Grix de la Salle is concerned that government warnings to avoid the area will hurt his family’s wine business. The fires add to existing economic struggles, rising energy costs and declining wine consumption. A regional business leader says the blaze is an economic apocalypse. Bordeaux’s mayor is pushing back against other officials’ pleas for people to avoid the region.

Russian strikes across Ukraine, from east to west, kill at least 8 and wound dozens

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian attacks across Ukraine have killed at least eight people and wounded dozens more. The heaviest casualties and aftermath from the strikes overnight into Thursday were reported in the eastern Dnipropetrovsk and western Lviv regions. In Dnipropetrovsk, a Russian attack killed six people, including children. In Lviv, a missile attack injured at least 30 people and damaged residential buildings and schools. In Kyiv, Russian ballistic missiles killed a man and wounded two other people. Five people were also wounded in the Brovary district of the Kyiv region.

Australian watchdog files legal action against Telegram, saying it failed to remove violent content

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australia’s online safety watchdog has taken legal action against Telegram for what the watchdog says is a failure to remove extremist content. The platform allegedly failed to take down videos of mass shootings and Islamic State beheadings. The United Arab Emirates-based app could face a fine of up to 54.6 million Australian dollars, or $38 million, if convicted. Telegram denies the claims and plans to contest them in court. The case tests Australia’s 2021 law requiring tech platforms to keep illegal material off their networks. The watchdog says Telegram remained noncompliant despite being alerted. Telegram claims it has blocked over 150,000 “terrorist-related communities” this year.

Trump touted his tariffs in Michigan despite rising costs. Even some of his supporters are worried

MILFORD, Mich. (AP) — President Donald Trump says car companies are thriving due to tariffs and other key policies he’s instituted as president. During a rally this week at a General Motors facility in Michigan, he drove the point home repeatedly, saying tariffs had revived domestic auto production. However, tariffs have cost Michigan businesses billions and fueled inflation. Michigan, in particular, faces economic challenges given its deep ties to Canada, which Trump has singled out for a new round of import levies. Some auto companies plan to increase U.S. production, but the benefits from those efforts won’t be immediate. While Trump’s base remains loyal, economic worries are beginning to surface.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Todd Blanche’s nomination to become attorney general has stalled as lawmakers scrapped a planned committee vote. Key Republicans have demanded more assurances about the settlement of President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service. The Senate Judiciary Committee had been scheduled to vote Thursday to advance Blanche’s nomination to the floor. But Republican Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis have threatened to withhold their support without more answers from the Justice Department about the controversial settlement. A spokeswoman for the committee said in a statement Wednesday night that the vote would be postponed.

Police: Bullets that killed 2 bystanders at Seattle festival weren’t from teen shooter’s gun

SEATTLE (AP) — Bullets recovered from two bystanders killed during a shootout at a Seattle festival last weekend do not appear to have come from the gun that a 15-year-old arrested at the scene was firing, police said in court documents filed Wednesday. The King County prosecutor’s office filed charges of first-degree assault with a firearm enhancement as well as unlawful possession of a handgun by someone under 18. In a statement supporting the charges, police said the teen was seen firing an untraceable ghost gun into a crowd, but preliminary testing of bullets recovered from two bystanders killed showed they did not match that weapon. Shell casings found at the scene of Sunday’s shooting indicate four weapons were fired during the shootout.…Read more by AP