AP Top News at 10:12 p.m. EDT
Trump lays out Mideast vision as he looks to revamp US approach in Iran, Syria and beyond
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday held out Saudi Arabia as a model for a reimagined Middle East, using the first major foreign trip of his term to emphasize the promise of economic prosperity over instability in a region reeling from multiple wars. Offering partnership to longtime foes, Trump said he would move to lift sanctions on Syria and normalize relations with the new government led by a former insurgent, and he touted the U.S. role in bringing about a fragile ceasefire with Yemen’s Houthis. But Trump also indicated his patience was not endless, as he urged Iran to make a new nuclear deal with the U.S.
Trump says he will ease sanctions on Syria and move to restore relations with new leader
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he will ease sanctions on Syria and move to normalize relations with its new government to give the country “a chance at peace.” Trump made the announcement shortly before he was set to meet Wednesday in Saudi Arabia with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, the onetime insurgent who last year led the overthrow of longtime leader Bashar Assad. Trump said the effort at rapprochement came at the urging of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi de facto ruler, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. “There is a new government that will hopefully succeed,” Trump said of Syria, adding, “I say, good luck, Syria.
Judge reduces Menendez brothers’ murder sentences, putting them a step closer to freedom
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Erik and Lyle Menendez will have a new shot at freedom after 35 years behind bars for murdering their parents, a judge ruled Tuesday. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic reduced the brothers’ sentences from life without parole to 50 years to life. That means they’re now eligible for parole under California’s youthful offender law because they committed the crime under the age of 26. The state parole board must still decide whether to release them from prison. While the sentence reduction is a major win for the brothers, defense attorney Mark Geragos said he had been seeking to have their charges reduced to manslaughter, which would have allowed them be immediately released.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ ex-girlfriend Cassie testifies at his trial about abuse and ‘freak offs’
NEW YORK (AP) — Cassie, the R&B singer and former girlfriend of Sean “Diddy” Combs, testified Tuesday that the mercurial music mogul — powerful, abusive and controlling — beat her mercilessly and ordered her to have “disgusting” sex with strangers during drug-fueled, multi-day marathons he called “freak offs.” Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, sniffled and dabbed her eyes with a tissue, sighed heavily and paused to compose herself through about five hours of testimony at Combs’ sex trafficking trial. In humiliating detail, she recounted a turbulent 10-year relationship with Combs that she said was consumed by violence and his obsession with a form of voyeurism where “he was controlling the whole situation.” That included directing her encounters with male sex workers right down to the copious amounts of baby oil she applied to maintain the “glistening” look he desired.
Kim Kardashian testifies about being bound and held at gunpoint during Paris robbery
PARIS (AP) — Kim Kardashian said a silent prayer — for her sister, her best friend, her family — as a masked man pulled her toward him in a Paris hotel room during the 2016 jewelry heist that changed her life. She wore a bathrobe. Her hands were zip-tied. Her mouth was taped. She thought she wouldn’t survive. “I was certain that was the moment that he was going to rape me,” she told a Paris court Tuesday. “I absolutely did think I was going to die.” She said she was getting ready for bed when she heard stomping on the stairs.
Federal grand jury indicts Wisconsin judge in immigration case, allowing charges to continue
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A federal grand jury indicted a Wisconsin judge Tuesday on charges she helped a man in the country illegally evade U.S. immigration authorities looking to arrest him as he appeared before her in a local domestic abuse case. Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan’s arrest and ensuing indictment has escalated a clash between President Donald Trump’s administration and local authorities over the Republican’s sweeping immigration crackdown. Democrats have accused the Trump administration of trying to make a national example of Dugan to chill judicial opposition to the crackdown. Prosecutors charged Dugan in April via complaint with concealing an individual to prevent arrest and obstruction.
Zelenskyy says he will be waiting for Putin in Ankara on Thursday for talks
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that he will be waiting for his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in the Turkish capital this week to conduct face-to-face talks about the more than 3-year war, amid heavy pressure from the U.S. and European leaders to reach a settlement. Putin hasn’t yet said whether he will be at the talks, which U.S. President Donald Trump has urged the two sides to attend as part of Washington’s efforts to stop the fighting. Zelenskyy told reporters in Kyiv that he will be in Ankara on Thursday to conduct the negotiations. He will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the two will wait for Putin to arrive, he said.
In one Indian city, reflective paint and bus stop sprinklers offer relief from killer heat
AHMEDABAD, India (AP) — For 20-year-old Mayank Yadav, riding a crowded bus in the summer months in this western Indian city can be like sitting in an oven. That makes it a treat when he steps off and into a bus stop outfitted with sprinklers that bathe overheated commuters in a cooling mist. “Everyone is suffering from the heat,” Yadav said. “I hope they do more of this across the city.” Rising heat is a problem for millions of people in India. In Ahmedabad, temperatures this year have already reached 42 degrees Celsius (107 Fahrenheit), a level usually not seen for several more weeks, prompting city officials to advise people to stay indoors and stay hydrated.
MLB reinstates Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson, making them Hall of Fame eligible
NEW YORK (AP) — Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson were reinstated by baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred on Tuesday, making both eligible for the sport’s Hall of Fame after their careers were tarnished by gambling scandals. Rose’s permanent ban was lifted eight months after his death and came a day before the Cincinnati Reds will honor baseball’s career hits leader with Pete Rose Night. Manfred announced Tuesday he was changing the league’s policy on permanent ineligibility, saying bans would expire at death. MLB said 17 individuals had their status changed by the decision, including all eight banned members of the 1919 Chicago Black Sox, former Philadelphia Phillies president Williams D.
Pacers eliminate top-seeded Cavaliers 114-105, advance to the Eastern Conference Finals
CLEVELAND (AP) — Tyrese Haliburton scored 31 points, Pascal Siakam added 21 and the Indiana Pacers advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second straight year with a 114-105 victory over Cleveland on Tuesday night, eliminating the top-seeded Cavaliers in five games. Donovan Mitchell, who missed the second half of Sunday’s game due to a sprained left ankle, led Cleveland with 35 points. Evan Mobley added 24 points and 11 rebounds. The fourth-seeded Pacers will now await the winner of the matchup between the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks. New York has a 3-1 advantage in the series with Game 5 on Wednesday night in Boston.