Zelenskyy says Ukrainian forces shot down drones in war in Iran

KYIV, Ukraine — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian military personnel shot down Iranian-designed Shahed drones in multiple Middle Eastern countries during the Iran war, describing the operations as part of a broader effort to help partners counter the same weapons used by Russia in Ukraine.

He made his first public acknowledgment of the operations Wednesday in remarks to reporters that were embargoed until Friday.

Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces took part in active operations abroad using domestically produced, battle-tested interceptor drones.

Five people charged with murder

in deadly Calif. warehouse explosion

Five people have been charged with murder in a deadly Northern California explosion at a fireworks warehouse that killed seven people, authorities said Friday night.

Yolo County Deputy District Attorney Clara Nabity said Friday the charges stem from a grand jury indictment that found five people, including a former Yolo County Sheriff lieutenant, responsible for the explosion.

The deadly fireworks explosion near the small farming community of Esparto in Yolo County sparked a massive fire and led to nearby Fourth of July celebrations being called off.

Federal court hears new case

against Trump’s latest global tariffs

NEW YORK — The centerpiece of President Donald Trump’s economic policy — sweeping taxes on global imports — is under legal assault again.

The U.S. Court of International Trade is hearing oral arguments Friday in an attempt to overturn the temporary tariffs Trump turned to after the Supreme Court in February struck down his preferred choice — even bigger, even more sweeping tariffs.

Defeated at the high court, Trump reached for a stopgap solution — imposing temporary worldwide tariffs under a 1974 trade law.

Now two dozen states and some businesses are challenging the president’s authority to impose the new tariffs.

Teachers in Chicago seek day off

on May 1 to celebrate May Day

CHICAGO — A tangled political fight over whether Chicago’s public schools will hold classes on May Day is coming down to the wire, confusing tens of thousands of students and parents.

The influential teachers union, an ally of Mayor Brandon Johnson, wants educators to participate in protests in the nation’s third-largest city on May 1, coinciding with workers’ rights rallies worldwide.

But the newly named leader of Chicago Public Schools has rejected the pitch to cancel classes.

The standoff has created uncertainty for the families of more than 315,000 students.

Prince Harry sued for defamation

by charity he set up in Africa

LONDON — Prince Harry is being sued for defamation by Sentebale, an African charity he co-founded in honor of Princess Diana.

The charity, which supports young people with HIV in Botswana and Lesotho, filed the lawsuit in London’s High Court last month.

The charity says it is taking action over “a coordinated adverse media campaign.” Harry’s spokesperson said he rejects “these offensive and damaging claims.” Disagreements surfaced in 2023 over a fundraising strategy, leading Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho to step down as patrons in March 2025.

The Charity Commission for England and Wales investigated, criticizing both sides for public disputes but found no widespread bullying in an August 2025 report.

The Associated Press