AP News Digest 5:30 a.m.

Here are the AP’s latest coverage plans, top stories and promotable content. All times EDT. Find the AP’s top photos of the day in Today’s Photo Collection. For up-to-the-minute information on AP’s coverage, visit Coverage Plan in AP Newsroom.

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WEEKEND COVERAGE

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For weekend stories, please click here for the Weekend Lookahead digest.

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TOP STORIES

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MIDEAST-TENSIONS — Hezbollah launched more than 100 rockets across a wider and deeper area of northern Israel, with some landing near the city of Haifa, as Israel launched hundreds of strikes on Lebanon. The sides appeared to be spiraling toward all-out war following months of escalating tensions. By Natalie Melzer and Kareem Chehayeb. SENT: 1,100 words, photos, videos, audio. With ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS — An Israeli strike on a school kills at least 22 people, Gaza Health Ministry says; ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-AL-JAZEERA — Israel raids and shuts down Al Jazeera’s bureau in Ramallah in the West Bank; and MIDEAST-TENSIONS-THE-LATEST — SENT.

ELECTION 2024-TRUMP — Donald Trump returned to North Carolina, stumping in the southern battleground state with direct appeals to women, claiming he would be a better champion for them than Vice President Kamala Harris, who is vying to become the first female president. Trump campaigned in Wilmington, along the state’s southern coast, without Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, the GOP gubernatorial nominee and one of the former president’s top surrogates in the state, following a CNN report about his alleged posts on a pornography website’s message board. By Meg Kinnard and Erik Verduzco. SENT: 1,120 words, photos, video.

IRAN — A methane leak sparked an explosion at a coal mine in eastern Iran, killing at least 30 people and injuring 17 others, Iranian state media reported. Another 24 miners are believed to be trapped inside. By Nasser Karimi. SENT: 250 words, photo.

FATAL-SHOOTING-BIRMINGHAM — Police say four people have died and more than 20 have been wounded following a shooting in a nightlife area in Birmingham, Alabama. WBMA-TV and AL.COM report police said officers arrived at the scene and discovered two men and a woman dead while a fourth victim died at a hospital. Police say up to 21 were wounded. SENT: 220 words, developing.

NYPD-COMMISSIONER-SEARCH — New York City’s interim police commissioner, Thomas Donlon, revealed that federal authorities had executed search warrants at his homes the previous day. “On Friday, September 20, federal authorities executed search warrants at my residences. They took materials that came into my possession approximately 20 years ago and are unrelated to my work with the New York City Police Department,” Donlon said in a statement. By Michael R. Sisak, Jake Offenhartz and David B. Caruso. SENT: 510 words, photo.

UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY-TROUBLED WORLD — It’s not a great moment in world affairs right now. The world is fragmented. Conflicts and crises are raging. It’s against this backdrop that world leaders are attending this week’s annual U.N. gathering. Antonio Guterres, the head of the United Nations, is challenging them to work together not just on all the problems but on modernizing international institutions to prepare for the future. By Edith M. Lederer. SENT: 1,030 words, photos.

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SPOTLIGHTING VOICES

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CAMEROON-STATELESSNESS — Indigenous people have lived in harmony with the forests of central Africa for hundreds of years. But the government of Cameroon is trying to integrate them into mainstream society as mining and logging activities rapidly encroach. That’s complicated because many Indigenous people don’t have birth certificates, meaning they remain excluded from the full benefits of citizenship including education, healthcare and employment opportunities. By Ngala Killian Chimtom. SENT: 770 words, photos.

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RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR

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RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR — Russian strikes hit high-rise apartment blocks in Ukraine’s Kharkiv, leaving dozens wounded in a second consecutive nighttime attack this week. SENT: 170 words, photos. With UNITED-STATES-UKRAINE-ZELENSKYY — Ukrainian President Zelenskyy will visit a Pennsylvania ammunition factory to thank workers — SENT.

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MORE NEWS

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KENYA-WORLD-RHINO-DAY — The number of rhinos is slightly up but poaching has increased too. SENT: 500 words, photos.

LIBERTY-STEWART-NMDP — WNBA star Breanna Stewart raises awareness for a marrow donor program after the death of her father-in-law. SENT: 390 words, photos.

RAPPER-KILLED-TRIAL — The trial in the daytime ambush of rapper Young Dolph three years ago is set to begin in Memphis. SENT: 860 words, photos.

ALASKA-ERADICATING RATS — Why an Alaska island is using peanut butter and black lights to find a rat that might not exist. SENT: 1,050 words, photos.

GERMANY-OKTOBERFEST — Beer and merriment flow at the 189th Oktoberfest in Munich. SENT: 610 words, photos, video.

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WASHINGTON/POLITICS

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BIDEN-QUAD — President Joe Biden told Indo-Pacific allies that he believes China’s increasing military assertiveness is an effort to test the region at a turbulent moment for Beijing. SENT: 1,300 words, photos, video, audio.

ELECTION-2024-AL-SMITH-DINNER — Vice President Kamala Harris will skip this year’s Al Smith charity dinner in New York, breaking with presidential tradition so she can campaign instead in a battleground state less than three weeks before Election Day. SENT: 420 words, photos.

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NATIONAL

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SAN-FRANCISCO-HOMELESS-ENCAMPMENTS — The number of people sleeping outdoors dropped to under 3,000 in January, the lowest the city of San Francisco has recorded in a decade, according to a federal count. And that figure has likely dropped even lower since Mayor London Breed, a Democrat in a difficult reelection fight this November, started ramping up enforcement of anti-camping laws in August following a U.S. Supreme Court decision. SENT: 1,180 words, photos, video.

ILLINOIS-PRISON-REPLACEMENT — The Illinois Department of Corrections has spent September moving hundreds of inmates from Stateville Correctional Center in suburban Chicago in preparation for replacing the century-old lockup. The move has been staunchly opposed by the employees’ union. Workers want to keep Stateville open while its replacement is under construction. SENT: 900 words, photos.

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INTERNATIONAL

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SRI-LANKA-ELECTION — Sri Lanka’s presidential election has gone into a second round of vote counting for the first time in history as the incumbent liberal President Ranil Wickremesinghe has been eliminated. Marxist lawmaker Anura Kumara Dissanayake leads early official results in Sri Lanka’s presidential election, according to tallies released by the Election Commission. SENT: 700 words, photos, videos.

GERMANY-STATE-ELECTION — A state election is taking place in Brandenburg three weeks after a far-right party made gains in two other states in eastern Germany. The vote is being watched closely for signs about the country’s political direction. The latest polls showed the far-right Alternative for Germany neck-and-neck with the Social Democrats. SENT: 440 words, photos.

SAHEL-INSECURITY-EXPLAINER — Over the last decade, the Sahel has been plagued by extremist uprisings and military coups. Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso are now ruled by military leaders. The security situation has worsened since these juntas took power. SENT: 1,070 words, photos.

HAITI-KENYA-PRESIDENT — Kenya’s President William Ruto arrived in Haiti on Saturday, claiming that because of a Kenyan police force battling gangs “the country’s security has significantly improved.” Ruto’s claim was contradicted by a United Nations security expert, who just days earlier warned that violence in the country was worsening as gangs expand their control over the Caribbean nation. SENT: 330 words, photos.

JAPAN-HEAVY-RAIN — Rescue workers searched for at least six people missing after heavy rain pounded Japan’s northcentral region of Noto, triggering landslides and floods and leaving one person dead in a region still recovering from a deadly Jan. 1 earthquake. SENT: 500 words, photos.

SWITZERLAND-BIODIVERSITY-VOTE — Swiss voters are casting final ballots on a proposal to increase protections for the Alpine country’s cherished plant and animal life. The biodiversity initiative, if passed, would set aside more land and waterways as protected areas and compensate farmers and others affected. SENT: 480 words, photos.

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SPORTS

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T25-AP-TOP-25-TAKEAWAYS — Lincoln Riley has yet to deliver the level of success Southern California fans hoped for when he made a shocking move west from Oklahoma after the 2021 regular season. The school Riley left behind also played its first game in a new league, and No. 15 Oklahoma made it clear it will not be challenging for a Southeastern Conference championship. So who’s better off, Riley’s new team or his old? SENT: 1,290 words, photos.

WHITE-SOX-PADRES — The Chicago White Sox tied the American League record with their 119th loss when Xander Bogaerts and Elias Díaz each hit a two-run homer to help the San Diego Padres win 6-2 and move closer to a playoff spot. SENT: 590 words, photos.

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HOW TO REACH US

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The Nerve Center can be reached at 800-845-8450, ext. 1600. For photos, Donald E. King ext. 1900. For graphics and interactives, ext. 7636. Expanded AP content can be obtained from AP Newsroom. For access to AP Newsroom and other technical issues, contact apcustomersupport@ap.org or call 844-777-2006.

Arizona Diamondbacks' Corbin Carroll, right, and Milwaukee Brewers' Eric Haase, middle, look up at a foul ball during the second inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani runs from first on his way to stealing second during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

A member of the Police Music Band jumps over the welcome mat before the arrival of Kenya's President William Ruto at the Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump is reflected in the sunglasses of Lara Trump at a campaign rally at Wilmington International Airport, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Wilmington, N.C. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Joe Biden greets from left, Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Biden, and Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, at the Quad leaders summit at Archmere Academy in Claymont, Del., Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

A woman walks past a house hit by a rocket fired from Lebanon, in Moreshet, northern Israel, on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo//Ariel Schalit)

Israeli security and rescue forces work at the site hit by a rocket fired from Lebanon, in Kiryat Bialik, northern Israel, on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Gil Nechushtan)

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) — Lebanon’s Hezbollah launched over 100 rockets early Sunday across a wider and deeper area of northern Israel, with some landing near the city of Haifa, as the sides appeared to be spiraling toward all-out war following months of escalating tensions.

The rocket barrage overnight sent thousands of people scrambling into shelters. The Israeli military said rockets had been fired “toward civilian areas,” pointing to a possible escalation after previous barrages had mainly been aimed at military targets.

The barrage came after an Israeli airstrike in Beirut on Friday killed at least 37 people, including one of Hezbollah’s top leaders as well as women and children. The militant group was already reeling from a sophisticated attack that caused thousands of personal devices to explode just days earlier.

Here’s the latest:

The United Nations special coordinator for Lebanon has urged calm in the Middle East as Israel and Hezbollah continued to trade fire on Sunday, raising fears of a regional war.

“With the region on the brink of an imminent catastrophe, it cannot be overstated enough: there is NO military solution that will make either side safer,” Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert wrote in a post on X.

Hennis-Plasschaert has earlier criticized the attack that saw thousands of devices explode in Lebanon and warned that it marks “an extremely concerning escalation in what is an already unacceptably volatile context.”

BEIRUT, Lebanon — An umbrella group of Iran-backed Iraqi militias, the Islamic Resistance, says it has launched drones targeting a military base in Israel.

The attack comes amid escalating fire exchanges between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, heightening fears of a broadening conflict.

The Israeli military says it intercepted multiple aerial devices approaching Israel from the direction of Iraq. It added that the targets did not cross into Israeli territory and no injuries were reported.

Pro-Iranian militias in Iraq have claimed responsibility for drone attacks on Israel multiple times since the outbreak of the war in Gaza almost a year ago.

BEIRUT, Lebanon — The death toll following an Israeli strike on a southern Beirut suburb has risen to 45, Lebanon’s health ministry says, as search operations continue for the third day.

The statement also says some remains have been collected and are yet to be identified

Ali Harake, a local official and engineer at the scene says they are still looking for “around 15 bodies.” Meanwhile, the local municipality has brought in a crane in an attempt to retrieve people’s belongings from the damaged buildings.

Friday's strike killed a top Hezbollah official Ibrahim Akil among a dozen other members of the militant group. Civilians, including at least two children, were among those killed in the busy neighborhood.

Israeli firefighters work at a house that was hit by a rocket fired from Lebanon, near the city of Safed, northern Israel, on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo//Leo Correa)

Israeli security forces examine the site hit by a rocket fired from Lebanon, in Kiryat Bialik, northern Israel, on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo//Ariel Schalit)

Israeli security forces work at a house hit by a rocket fired from Lebanon, in Kiryat Bialik, northern Israel, on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo//Ariel Schalit)

Israeli soldiers carry the flag-draped casket of reservist Major Nael Fwarsy, one of two soldiers killed by a Lebanese drone attack on northern Israel, during his funeral in Maghar, Israel, Friday, Sept 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept rockets that were launched from Lebanon, in northern Israel, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

Israeli security and rescue forces work at the site hit by a rocket fired from Lebanon, in Kiryat Bialik, northern Israel, on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Gil Nechushtan)

An Israeli police officer examines the site hit by a rocket fired from Lebanon, in Kiryat Bialik, northern Israel, on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo//Ariel Schalit)

An Israeli firefighters plane uses a fire retardant to extinguish a fire after a rocket fired from Lebanon hit an open area near the city of Safed, northern Israel, on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Israeli firefighters work at a house that was hit by a rocket fired from Lebanon, near the city of Safed, northern Israel, on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo//Leo Correa)

Israeli security forces examine the site hit by a rocket fired from Lebanon, in Kiryat Bialik, northern Israel, on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo//Ariel Schalit)

People look at the site hit by a rocket fired from Lebanon, in Kiryat Bialik, northern Israel, on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo//Ariel Schalit)

Israeli security and rescue forces work at the site hit by a rocket fired from Lebanon, in Kiryat Bialik, northern Israel, on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Gil Nechushtan)