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For Russia's Putin, military and diplomatic pressures mount

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin has mounted on the battlefield and in the halls of global power. Analysts say Ukrainian troops have pushed their counteroffensive to advance farther into the country’s northeast after recapturing some strategic areas this month. At a high-level summit in Uzbekistan, Putin vowed to press his attack on Ukraine despite recent military setbacks. Still, the Russian leader had to address concerns over the drawn-out conflict voiced by India and China. Western defense officials said Saturday that Russian forces appear to be setting up a new defensive line in northeastern Ukraine after Kyiv’s troops broke through the previous one.

Queen's 8 grandchildren hold silent vigil beside her coffin

LONDON (AP) — All eight of Queen Elizabeth II’s grandchildren have stood in silent vigil beside her coffin, capping another huge day in which thousands came to pay their respects to the monarch. Many mourners had huddled in line amid waits that stretched up to 16 hours, enduring London’s coldest night in months. Honoring their patience, King Charles III and Prince William made an unannounced visit Saturday to greet the waiting crowds. William and the queen's seven other grandchildren stood vigil beside her coffin later at Parliament's Westminster Hall. London police say the queen's funeral on Monday at Westminster Abbey will be the largest single policing event the force has ever handled, surpassing even the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Hungary faces reckoning with EU that could cost it billions

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungary's nationalist-populist government is facing a reckoning with the European Union after nearly a decade of accusations that it has failed to uphold the EU's democratic values. The EU’s executive arm, the European Commission, appears set to impose financial penalties against Hungary on Sunday over corruption concerns and alleged rule-of-law violations. Hungary is one of the largest net beneficiaries of EU funds in the 27-nation bloc, and the sanctions could cost Budapest billions and cripple its already ailing economy. Prime Minister Viktor Orban has denied the commission's accusations. A lawmaker who is a former member of Orban's party alleges the government has channeled large sums of EU money into the businesses of politically connected insiders.

Ukraine pays tribute to Russian woman who fought on its side

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Friends and comrades-in-arms have bid farewell to a Russian woman who was killed while fighting on Ukraine’s side in the war with her native country. Thirty-four-year-old Olga Simonova was remembered for her courage and kindness at a funeral in Kyiv on Friday. She joined the fight in the Donbas on the Ukrainian side, first as a volunteer fighter, then a paramedic and ultimately as an enlisted member of the Armed Forces. In 2017 she received Ukrainian citizenship. Friends said she died on Sept. 13, after her vehicle hit a land mine.

Alaska braces for floods, power outages as huge storm nears

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Residents on Alaska’s vast and sparsely populated western coast braced for what forecasters said could be one of the worst in recent history, accompanied by strong winds and high surf that could knock out power and cause flooding. The storm is the remnants of Typhoon Merbok. Warnings anticipate winds reaching hurricane-force speeds in places, water levels reaching up to 18 feet above normal high tide in some communities and widespread power outages and areas of flooding and erosion. The storm also is influencing weather patterns far from Alaska — a rare late-summer storm is expected to bring rain this weekend to drought-stricken parts of California.

25 years after Kentucky school shooting, a chance at parole

In December 1997, Michael Carneal opened fire on his fellow students during a morning prayer meeting at a Kentucky high school, killing three and wounding five more. Carneal was 14 at the time and received the maximum sentence for someone his age, life in prison with the opportunity for parole after 25 years. In the quarter century that has passed, school shootings have become a depressingly regular occurrence in the U.S. His parole hearing next week raises questions about the appropriate punishment for children who commit heinous crimes. Even if they can be rehabilitated, many wonder if it is fair to the victims for them to be released.

EXPLAINER: What to know about the UN General Assembly

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — After two years of virtual and hybrid summits, the world will once again convene in New York this week for the U.N. General Assembly. The opening of the 77th session comes as the world — two years into the pandemic — is beset with crises on nearly every front. Among them: Russia’s war in Ukraine, inflation and economic instability, terrorism and ideological extremism, environmental degradation and devastating floods, droughts and fires. The high-level meeting opens Monday with a summit on education. Speeches from the scores of attending leaders will begin Tuesday and run through Monday, Sept. 26.

Pelosi, other US lawmakers visit Armenia as cease-fire holds

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — A U.S. congressional delegation headed by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has arrived in Armenia. The group landed Saturday amid a cease-fire that has held for three days. Earlier this week, an outburst of fighting with neighboring Azerbaijan killed more than 200 troops from both sides. The U.S. Embassy said the trip will include a meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Pelosi told reporters in Berlin that the visit “is all about human rights and the respecting the dignity and worth of every person." Others on the visit included Rep. Frank Pallone, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and congresswomen Jackie Speier and Anna Eshoo.

Virginia governor seeks new transgender student policies

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration has rewritten Virginia’s model policies for the treatment of transgender students in public schools. A document released Friday contains guidance for school districts that would roll back some accommodations and tighten parental notification requirements. The new policies will be subject to a public comment period. The Department of Education says local school divisions then must adopt policies consistent with the new guidance. Conservatives welcomed the changes, saying they would preserve parental rights. Democrats criticized them, saying they would harm vulnerable children. The revisions mark a sharp departure to guidance that was first issued during Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam’s administration.

On the Colorado River, growing concern for trout and chub

DENVER (AP) — As America's large reservoirs on the Colorado River drop to record-low levels, fish are among those suffering the impact. From prized rainbow trout to protected native fish, declining reservoirs are threatening the existence of these creatures, and increasing the cost of keeping them alive. As the federal government faces tough decisions on managing western water, one thing is clear: finding ways to leave more water in the river and reservoirs is essential to life in the West as we know it – friends with fins, included.

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