Trump and Xi see tensions flare over AI, trade and Iran but still seek stability

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump is hosting Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Washington this week as economic and tech competition escalates between the two countries. Both leaders are aiming to stabilize fragile ties, though no major agreements are expected. The meeting itself is seen as significant given the deep differences and a lack of trust between the United States and China. An accelerating artificial intelligence race is a key issue, with both countries vying for dominance despite warnings about the rapid development of the technology. Along with persistent trade issues, the two leaders also are trying to maneuver around major hot spots like Iran and Taiwan.

South Korea's Lee tells AP he wants step-by-step approach to North Korea's nuclear dismantlement

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s liberal President Lee Jae Myung is calling for a practical and step-by-step approach to achieving North Korea’s nuclear dismantlement. The North has been ramping up weapons testing activities despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent push to resume diplomacy. Lee made the comments to The Associated Press in written responses to questions received Monday before he left for the U.N. General Assembly. Lee said that “to change the direction of a moving vehicle it must be brought to a halt first.” Lee said that during the U.N. General Assembly this week he would pursue “a phased and pragmatic solution to the North Korean nuclear issue and build on his vision for promoting peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Wall Street holds near its record as Brent oil falls below $100 per barrel

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street is holding near its record high after the price of Brent oil fell back below $100 per barrel. The S&P 500 was flat Tuesday and remained 0.4% below its all-time high set last month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 220 points, and the Nasdaq composite added 0.3% to its own record. The price for a barrel of Brent crude oil fell briefly below $98 before trimming its loss. That helped Treasury yields ease a bit in the bond market, which removed some more pressure on stocks. Stock indexes ticked higher in much of Europe and Asia.

Russia and Ukraine trade deadly strikes as Zelenskyy prepares to meet Trump

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Officials say Russia has bombarded at least four Ukrainian regions with missiles and drones in that attacks that have killed five people. Ukraine's special forces meanwhile said Tuesday that they have damaged another Russian oil refinery in a long-range strike. This ongoing exchange of aerial attacks comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visits the United States. Zelenskyy is meeting world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly in New York. He's seeking support to end Russia's invasion. French President Emmanuel Macron has pledged more radars to help protect Ukraine's power grid. Zelenskyy also plans to discuss de-escalation measures and request more U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems.

California farmers are struggling to sell grapes as demand for wine drops

LODI, Calif. (AP) — It’s harvest time in California wine country, but many growers are struggling to sell their grapes as Americans cut back on drinking. Farmers are tearing out their vineyards, selling their land or planting other crops as they lose faith in the wine business. Bill Berryhill can’t find buyers for grapes grown on 200 of his 500 acres of vineyards in California’s San Joaquin Valley. The third-generation grower faces another year of losing money and wasting hundreds of tons of healthy grapes. Many California growers can’t find buyers as the industry produces more wine grapes than the market wants. Wine consumption is declining globally as people drink less.

DoorDash to pay $131M for underpaying delivery workers in New York City

NEW YORK (AP) — DoorDash will pay $131.5 million to settle claims that it underpaid delivery workers in New York City. Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the agreement Tuesday. City Hall descibed the deal as the largest worker settlement in city history. It also requires the company to submit to a new monitoring system to ensure compliance with delivery worker pay laws in the city. In a statement, DoorDash admitted errors, saying: “Simply put, we screwed up.” Last year, the company agreed to pay almost $17 million to settle claims that it unfairly used customer tips to subsidize the wages of its delivery workers in New York.

What to know about Paramount's settlement and its impact on movies

NEW YORK (AP) — Movie studio Paramount has agreed to settle an antitrust lawsuit filed by 12 states, the last big obstacle blocking the company’s $81 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery in a deal that would transform the movie industry landscape. In the settlement, which still needs to be signed off on by a judge, Paramount agreed to terms including a five-year movie production plan and to invest $1.5 billion in domestic movies. State attorneys general say the settlement guarantees investment in domestic movie production and provides worker protection. But analysts say the deal is still likely to lead to less competition in the industry — and higher prices for consumers.

States settle lawsuit over Paramount-Warner merger, clearing key hurdle for $81 billion deal

CHICAGO (AP) — Twelve states and Hollywood writers challenging Paramount’s buyout of Warner Bros. Discovery have agreed to settle their lawsuits against the mega merger. Monday's announcement effectively paves the way for the $81 billion deal to cross the finish line, with some new commitments. The blockbuster deal will bring together two of Hollywood’s oldest studios, key TV networks like CBS and CNN and streaming platforms HBO Max and Paramount+. It also will consolidate as decades-old libraries with titles ranging from “Harry Potter” to “Top Gun.” The agreement calls for Paramount to increase domestic production and establish monitoring of editorial independence of the company’s news operations. The settlement still needs a final sign-off by a judge.

New York airport operations resume after disruptions across US Northeast due to technical problems

Flights are taking off and landing at New York City-area airports with some delays and cancellations after technicians repaired data lines that failed at a key regional air traffic control center in Philadelphia. That failure caused hours of flight disruptions and cancellations throughout the Northeast on Monday. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in an online post that primary and backup telecom lines were fixed by Monday evening, allowing affected airports to resume operations. Hundreds of flights were canceled at the Newark, LaGuardia, Kennedy and Philadelphia airports due to the technical problems.

The EU moves closer to free trade deal with Philippines amid global tensions

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union and the Philippines have reached substantial agreement on a new free trade deal. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the preliminary agreement Tuesday, with further negotiations needed for a full deal. EU trade negotiator Maroš Šefčovič and Philippine Trade Secretary María Cristina Aldeguer-Roque have been negotiating a deal meant to boost the nearly 30 billion euros of annual trade. The agreement aims to create a modern partnership, opening new opportunities for exporters and investors. Electronics dominate EU-Philippine trade, with the EU exporting aircraft and pharmaceuticals while importing semiconductors and machinery.