New York

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump called a writer’s claims that he raped her at a Manhattan department store “the most ridiculous, disgusting story,” testifying in a deposition shown in court Wednesday that the allegations were “made up” and that the assault never happened.

Lawyers for accuser E. Jean Carroll played about 30 minutes of excerpts from the former president’s deposition, including his emphatic denial of the longtime advice columnist’s accusation that he attacked her in the mid-1990s in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations chief warned on the eve of World Press Freedom Day that the media is under attack in every corner of the world and urged all nations to stop the targeting of truth and those who report it.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the 50% increase in the killing of media workers in 2022 “unbelievable,” stressing that freedom of the press “is the foundation of democracy and justice” and it is under threat.

UNITED NATIONS, May 02 (APP)::A United Nations Security Council committee has accepted a Pakistani request to allow the acting Afghan Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, to travel to Pakistan next week to meet with the foreign Ministers of Pakistan and China, according to Ambassador Munir Akram.

“The Security Council’s Taliban sanction committee approved our request this (Monday) afternoon,” the Pakistani envoy to the UN told APP.

Muttaqi is subjected to a travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargo under Security Council sanctions.

NEW YORK, May 2. /TASS/: Match Group, the owner of the Tinder online dating service, announced that it would be withdrawing from Russia by June 30, as reported on the website of the company, based in Dallas, Texas.

"Our brands are taking steps to restrict access to their services in Russia and will complete their withdrawal from the Russian market by June 30, 2023," the company announced.

UNITED NATIONS, May 1 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Monday called on the UN Secretariat to strengthen the comprehensive peacekeeping budgetary performance.

"The Secretariat should continue to strengthen the comprehensive budgetary performance and improve internal control, so as to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of peacekeeping operations," Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, told the second part of the resumed session of the Fifth Committee of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly.

NEW YORK, May 1 (Xinhua) -- U.S. top banking group JPMorgan Chase announced on Monday it has acquired the substantial majority of assets and assumed the deposits and certain other liabilities of First Republic Bank from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

The FDIC was just appointed as the receiver of the San Francisco-based First Republic Bank, which was closed by the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation early Monday.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Russia couldn’t escape its war against Ukraine during its highly contentious presidency of the U.N. Security Council, and the war will still loom over Switzerland as it takes over the monthlong presidency Monday for the first time since becoming a full member of the United Nations in 2002.

NEW YORK (AP) — Television and movie writers declared late Monday that they will launch a strike for the first time in 15 years, as Hollywood girded for a walkout with potentially widespread ramifications in a fight over fair pay in the streaming era.

UNITED NATIONS, May 1 (APP):UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is set to host a meeting of special envoys from several countries on Afghanistan in Qatar on Monday to discuss the situation in the strife-torn nation.

“The Secretary-General will be in Doha, Qatar, on 1 and 2 May to host a meeting of special envoys on Afghanistan to reach points of commonality on key issues, such as human rights, in particular women’s and girls’ rights, inclusive governance, countering terrorism and drug trafficking,” his spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said in a statement on Sunday.

NEW YORK, May 1 (Reuters) - E. Jean Carroll returned to the witness stand in her rape and defamation civil case against Donald Trump, after the judge denied a defense request for a mistrial.

Trump's lawyer Joe Tacopina began cross-examining Carroll for a second day, hoping to show jurors inconsistencies or holes in her claims against the former U.S. president.

Carroll, 79, has accused Trump, 76, of raping her in a Bergdorf Goodman department store dressing room in late 1995 or early 1996, and then undermining her credibility and career by lying about it online.