CHAPLYNE, Ukraine (AP) — A Ukrainian official says the death toll from a Russian rocket attack on Ukraine's Independence Day has risen to 25. The deputy head of the Ukrainian presidential office reported Thursday that the victims included an 11-year-old boy found under the rubble of a house and a 6-year-old killed in a car fire near a train station that was the target. Russia’s Defense Ministry said Thursday that its forces used an Iskander missile to strike a military train carrying Ukrainian troops and equipment to the front line in eastern Ukraine.

NEW YORK (AP) — Fewer Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week as the labor market continues to stand out as one of the strongest segments of the U.S. economy. Applications for jobless aid for the week ending Aug. 20 fell by 2,000 to 243,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The four-week average for claims, which evens out some of the week-to-week volatility, rose by 1,500 to 247,000.

HONOLULU (AP) — An ambulance fire in Hawaii has left a patient dead and a paramedic in critical condition. Emergency Services Director Jim Ireland says the ambulance caught fire and apparently exploded for reasons that aren't immediately understood. The 91-year-old patient and the paramedic caring for him were in the back of the ambulance as it pulled up to Adventist Castle Health in Kailua. The ambulance's driver escaped injury.

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the Russian military to increase the size of the country's armed forces by 137,000 amid Moscow’s military action in Ukraine. Putin’s decree signed Thursday didn’t explain whether the military will beef up its ranks by drafting a bigger number of conscripts, increasing the number of volunteer soldiers or using a combination of both. The Kremlin has said that only volunteer contract soldiers take part in what it calls the “special military operation” in Ukraine, rejecting claims that it was pondering a broad mobilization.

The Savannah Bananas are leaving the Coastal Plain League to focus full attention on their professional barnstorming team. The Bananas joined the summer league for college players in 2016, playing in historic Grayson Stadium after the departure of the city’s longtime minor league team. The amateur team was an immediate sensation, on and off the field, winning three championships, selling out every game and drawing attention from national media.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Kyle Wright allowed two hits over seven efficient innings and the Atlanta Braves drilled the sloppy Pittsburgh Pirates 14-2 to complete a three-game sweep. Wright struck out eight and walked one while improving to 16-5, tied for the most wins in the majors. Matt Olson hit his fifth career grand slam, a 420-foot blast that bounced into the Allegheny River. Atlanta has won 14 of 16 to keep the pressure on the NL East-leading New York Mets.

UVALDE, Texas (AP) — The Uvalde school district’s embattled police chief has been fired following allegations that he made several critical mistakes during a mass shooting that left 19 students and two teachers dead. The district’s board of trustees said Wednesday day that it voted to dismiss Chief Pete Arredondo, who has faced criticism since the May 24 massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Officials say that recent heavy rains have wreaked havoc across Pakistan since mid-June, with 903 dead and about 50,000 people homeless. The National Disaster Management Authority said on Wednesday that 126 people were killed in flood-related incidents in the past 48 hours. It says most of the victims are women and children.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has announced his long-awaited plan to deliver on his campaign promise to provide $10,000 in student debt cancellation for millions of Americans — and up to $10,000 more for those with the greatest financial need. Biden announced in a Wednesday tweet that borrowers who earn less than $125,000 a year, or families earning less than $250,000, would be eligible for the $10,000 loan forgiveness.

Ukraine’s president says Russian forces have launched a rocket attack on a train station in central Ukraine on the country’s Independence Day, killing 22 people. The lethal strike Wednesday came after warnings from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in recent days that the Russians might “try to do something particularly nasty, something particularly cruel” this week. Wednesday is a national holiday in Ukraine commemorating the country’s declaration of independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA's new moon rocket makes its debut next week in a high-stakes test flight before astronauts get on top. The 322-foot rocket will attempt to send an empty crew capsule into a far-flung lunar orbit. If all goes well, astronauts could strap in as soon as 2024. Liftoff from Florida's Kennedy Space Center is set for Monday morning. The launch comes 50 years after NASA's famed Apollo moonshots.

The Georgia Bulldogs are trying to prove they aren't one-year wonders. The Bulldogs are seeking to repeat as national champions, but Southeastern Conference rival Alabama is preseason No. 1. Sixth-ranked Texas A&M is also in hot pursuit. The Bulldogs lost 15 NFL draft picks from the championship team that beat the Crimson Tide in the national title game. But quarterback Stetson Bennett and tight end Brock Bowers are back. Alabama returns two of the nation's top players in Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Bryce Young and national defensive player of the year Will Anderson.

ATLANTA - The Georgia State Patrol is competing in this year's "America's Best Looking Cruiser" contest. The contest, conducted by the American Association of State Troopers, is in its 9th year.  The winner, determined by popular vote, will receive the "America's Best Looking Cruiser" award and be featured on the cover of the association's 2023 wall calendar, which will feature the top 13 paint schemes.

ATLANTA – Gov. Brian Kemp this week announced increased funding to address COVID learning loss and build school-based health centers in Georgia. On Monday, Kemp said $37.4 million will go to organizations helping Georgia students recover from COVID learning loss. On Tuesday, the Republican governor said he is allocating an additional $125 million to pay for school health centers.    

As the school year kicks off at colleges and universities around Georgia, students are greeted by friendly faces and helping hands courtesy of Georgia Baptist Collegiate Ministries. Whether it’s through help moving into a new dorm room at Gordon State, a muffin snack at Valdosta State or a slice of pizza at Georgia Highlands, BCM students are eager to share the love of Christ with fellow students.

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — A federal judge in Texas has temporarily blocked the federal government from enforcing a legal interpretation that would require hospitals in the state to provide abortion services if the life of the mother is at risk. Texas sued Department of Health and Human Services and Secretary Xavier Becerra last month, arguing that the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, which is a federal law, doesn’t require doctors to provide abortions if doing so would violate a state law.

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — A 17-year-old pilot became the youngest person to fly solo around the world in a small aircraft after he landed in Bulgaria. That's the country where Mack Rutherford's journey kicked off five months ago. Rutherford landed on an airstrip west of Bulgarian capital Sofia on Wednesday to complete his task and to claim two Guinness World Records.

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Authorities in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region say Ethiopia’s military has launched a “large-scale” offensive for the first time in a year. But Ethiopia's government says Tigray forces attacked first. It's a significant setback to mediation efforts and humanitarian work to feed millions of people starved of food and other needs.

WHITESIDE, Tenn. (AP) — Officials say two Tennessee law enforcement officers died when a helicopter crashed in a wooded area after hitting a power line. Highway Patrol Capt. Travis Plotzer said a Tennessee Highway Patrol officer and a Marion County deputy sheriff were killed in the crash on Aetna Mountain, near Whiteside, Tennessee.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine is nervously bracing for what President Volodymr Zelenskyy warns could be especially brutal Russian attacks as the country observes its Independence Day and marks the war’s six-month point. Conditions are considered too dangerous to allow any major public celebrations in the capital. Residents of Kyiv woke up to air raid sirens Wednesday, but there were no immediate attacks.

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Thousands of pairs of shoes and socks are being distributed to people affected by flooding in eastern Kentucky last month. The Samaritan’s Feet organization partnered with the University of Kentucky men’s basketball coach John Calipari, the Kentucky basketball team and state officials to give away bags containing shoes and socks Tuesday. The Calipari Foundation sponsored the events at Jenny Wiley State Resort Park in Prestonsburg and Buckhorn Lake State Resort Park in Buckhorn.

PRESTONSBURG, Ky. (AP) — Nearly a month after torrential rainfall brought devastating floods to eastern Kentucky, many victims remain in shelters. Some people housed at Jenny Wiley State Resort Park vow to rebuild on land they still call home. Others plan to leave, and there are some who still haven't decided. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said 455 people were still being housed in Kentucky state parks, churches, schools and community centers late last week.

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Dozens of Palestinians have taken up bird trapping in recent years, capturing parakeets along the heavily guarded frontier with Israel and selling them to pet shops. It’s a rare if meager source of income in Gaza, which has been under a crippling Israeli-Egyptian blockade since the militant Hamas group seized power 15 years ago. The ring-necked parakeet is an invasive species of tropical bird that has proliferated in Israel and the Palestinian territories in recent years.

A former head of security at Twitter alleged that the company misled regulators about its poor cybersecurity defenses and its negligence in attempting to root out fake accounts that spread disinformation, according to a whistleblower complaint filed with U.S. officials. Peiter Zatko, Twitter’s security chief until he was fired early this year, filed the complaints last month with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice.

BEIJING (AP) — Tropical Storm Ma-on is headed for Hong Kong and other parts of southeastern China after displacing thousands in the Philippines. The Hong Kong Observatory on Wednesday warned of flooding in low-lying areas and advised people to stay away from the shoreline. The storm is expected to make landfall around noon Thursday in Guangdong province, about 120 miles west of Hong Kong, before moving inland toward the Guangxi region and northern Vietnam.