AP News Summary at 3:25 am EDT

Russia smuggling Ukrainian grain to help pay for Putin’s war

BEIRUT (AP) — An investigation by The Associated Press and the PBS series “Frontline” has documented a sophisticated Russian-run smuggling operation that has used false manifests and seaborne subterfuge to steal Ukrainian grain worth at least $530 million. The AP and “Frontline” used satellite imagery and marine radio transponder data to track three dozen ships making more than 50 voyages carrying grain from Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine to ports in the Middle East. The ongoing theft is being carried out by wealthy businessmen and state-owned companies in Russia and Syria. Some of them already face financial sanctions from the United States and European Union. Legal experts say the theft is a potential war crime.

Relatives mourn those crushed at Indonesia soccer match

JEMBER, Indonesia (AP) — Families and friends of some of the 125 people who died in a crush set off by police tear gas after an Indonesia soccer match wailed in grief as the bodies of the victims were returned home. Seventeen children were among the dead. The distressed family members were struggling to comprehend the sudden loss of loved ones at a soccer match watched only by hometown Arema FC fans because the organizer had banned visiting Persebaya Surabaya’s supporters due to Indonesia’s history of violent soccer rivalries. The crush was among the world’s deadliest disasters ever at a sporting event.

Brazil’s Bolsonaro and the right outperform, defying polls

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Jair Bolsonaro considerably outperformed expectations in Brazil’s presidential election, proving that the far-right wave he rode to the presidency remains a force and providing the world with yet another example of polls missing the mark. The most-trusted opinion polls had indicated leftist former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was far out front, and potentially even clinching a first-round victory. In the end, Bolsonaro surprised to the upside and came within just 5 percentage points – less than half the margin several surveys showed before the election. He will face da Silva in a high-stakes Oct. 30 presidential runoff.

UK scraps tax cut for wealthy that sparked market turmoil

BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) – The British government has dropped plans to cut income tax for top earners. The move was part of a package of unfunded cuts that sparked turmoil on financial markets and sent the pound to record lows. Treasury chief Kwasi Kwarteng said Monday that he would not scrap the top 45% rate of income tax paid on earnings above 150,000 pounds ($167,000) a year. The announcement comes as more lawmakers from the governing Conservative Party turn on government tax plans announced 10 days ago. the government’s announcement of 45 billion pounds ($50 billion) in tax cuts sent the pound tumbling to a record low against the dollar. The Bank of England had to step in to stabilize the bond markets.

In Hurricane Ian’s wake, dangers persist, worsen in parts

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Days after Hurricane Ian carved a path of destruction from Florida to the Carolinas, the dangers persisted, and even worsened in some places. And it was clear the road to recovery from the monster storm will be long and painful. And Ian still is not done. The storm doused Virginia with rain Sunday. It was dissipating as it moved offshore, but officials warned there still was the potential of severe flooding along Virginia’s coast, beginning overnight Monday. Ian was one of the strongest storms to make landfall in the United States.

By boat and jet ski, volunteers assist in Ian rescue efforts

SANIBEL ISLAND, Fla. (AP) — As authorities in Florida try to reach people who have been trapped by floodwaters or isolated on barrier islands since Hurricane Ian came ashore last week, concerned members of the public have been springing into action to aid the official rescue efforts. One such group, Project Dynamo, has rescued more than 20 people, many of them elderly residents who became cut off when the Category 4 storm washed away a bridge connecting the Florida mainland with Sanibel Island, a crescent-shaped sliver of sand popular with tourists that was home to about 7,000 residents. Others have joined in the rescue efforts, using boats, paddleboards, jet skis and other resources to find people stranded by floodwaters or cut off by damage.

‘We’re with you,’ Biden tells Puerto Rico ahead of visit

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden says the US government will be with Puerto Rico for the long haul as it cleans up and rebuilds after Hurricane Fiona. Biden was flying to the US territory on Monday to survey some of the damage after the Category 1 hurricane hit on Sept. 18. Fiona caused catastrophic flooding, tore apart roads and bridges, and unleashed more than 100 landslides. Biden will visit amid widespread anger and frustration over continued power outages. Tens of thousands of people continue to struggle without power and water two weeks after the storm.

Jurors to begin hearing Jan. 6 Oath Keepers sedition case

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal prosecutors are preparing to lay out their case against the founder of the Oath Keepers’ extremist group and four associates. They are charged in the most serious case to reach trial yet in the Jan. 6, 2021, US Capitol attack. Opening statements are expected Monday in Washington’s federal court in the trial of Stewart Rhodes and others charged with seditious conspiracy. Prosecutors allege a weekslong plot to stop the transfer of power from Republican Donald Trump to Democrat Joe Biden. The Oath Keepers are the first to stand trial for seditious conspiracy, which carries up to 20 years behind bars.

Black representation in Alabama tested before Supreme Court

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Congressional districts that a federal court panel said were unconstitutional because they dilute representation for Black voters in Alabama are nevertheless being used for the November election after the US Supreme Court allowed them. The high court hears arguments in the case on Tuesday. The packing of Black voters into just one of the state’s seven congressional districts leaves many of them without a voice and gives Republicans one more seat than they should have based on the state’s demographics and voting patterns. Gerrymandering has reduced the influence of Black voters for decades in a state that is synonymous with the civil rights movement.

It’s flu vaccine time and seniors need revved-up shots

Doctors have a message for vaccine-weary Americans: Don’t skip your flu shot this fall. And for the first time, seniors are urged to get a special extra-strength kind. There’s no way to predict how bad this flu season will be. Australia just emerged from a nasty one. In the US, annual flu vaccinations are recommended starting with 6-month-olds. Because seniors don’t respond as well, the US now recommends they get one of three types made with higher doses or an immune-boosting ingredient. Meanwhile, the companies that make the two most widely used COVID-19 vaccines now are testing flu shots made with the same technology.