People walk on a public beach in the southern city of Tyre, Lebanon, Thursday, April 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Nation

new york

Weinstein accuser takes stand

NEW YORK — Court ended early for the day at Harvey Weinstein’s rape retrial after his accuser struggled on the witness stand. It happened Thursday after a defense lawyer showed jurors a previously undisclosed note that the woman wrote to herself two days after the alleged assault in 2013.

The note described her feeling “emotionally attached” to someone and wanting a loving partnership. Weinstein’s defense pointed out that the note says nothing about the alleged rape two days earlier in a Manhattan hotel.

district of columbia

Senate bans bets on prediction markets

WASHINGTON — The Senate has approved a bipartisan resolution to prevent its members from using prediction markets.

A resolution passed by voice vote Thursday bans senators and their staff from making bets on upcoming events. It’s a change to the Senate’s rules, so it will go into effect immediately. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer calls the move a “no-brainer” and he’s encouraging the House and Trump administration to follow suit.

idaho

Transgender residents sue state

BOISE — Six transgender Idaho residents are suing the state over a strict new bathroom ban. They want a federal judge to declare it unconstitutional.

The law, effective in July, is the strictest in the nation. It penalizes people for using bathrooms that don’t match their sex assigned at birth, even in private businesses.

Violators face jail or prison time. The American Civil Liberties Union and Lambda Legal represent the plaintiffs. They argue the law forces them to risk harassment or arrest, and that it causes emotional harm and violates privacy rights.

World

ukraine

Zelenskyy seeking details on proposal

KYIV — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he’s seeking more details about a short-term ceasefire that Russia proposed to U.S. President Donald Trump.

Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed a May 9 ceasefire to coincide with Victory Day in Russia in a phone call to Trump Wednesday. Zelenskyy said Thursday that Ukraine is seeking a longer-term ceasefire.

united kingdom

National terror threat level raised

LONDON — The British government has declared antisemitism in the U.K. an emergency and announced plans to spend millions on increasing security around Jewish sites.

Security services raised the U.K.’s official terror threat level from substantial to severe after a stabbing attack that injured two Jewish men. Severe means an attack is considered highly likely in the next six months. This follows a string of arson attacks and a double stabbing in London’s Golders Green neighborhood. Two Jewish men were seriously injured and a suspect has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

venezuela

First flight to country in 7 years lands

CARACAS — The first direct commercial flight between the United States and Venezuela has arrived in the Venezuelan capital Caracas.

Thursday’s nonstop flight comes seven years after the U.S. Homeland Security Department suspended flights over safety concerns. Flight AA3599 departed Miami in the morning.