HUALIEN, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan is staging military exercises to show its ability to resist Chinese pressure to accept Beijing's political control over the island. The drills Wednesday off the southeastern county of Hualien follow days of Chinese missile firings and incursions into Taiwan's sea and airspace by ships and planes from the People's Liberation Army, the military wing of China's ruling Communist Party.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The chief executive of Dubai International Airport says the hub saw a surge in passengers over the first half of 2022 as pandemic restrictions eased. Paul Griffiths, who oversees the world's busiest airport for international travel, told The Associated Press Wednesday that he expects the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar to further boost traffic to the city-state's airfield.

Scientists and students embarking on a census of Georgia lake sturgeon have found three females with mature eggs — an indication that the fish may be reproducing in Georgia for the first time in a half-century. Polluted water and markets for caviar and fish meat had wiped the species out of the Coosa River in the 1970s. University of Georgia associate professor Marty Hamel says the Georgia Department of Natural Resources began reintroducing lake sturgeon 20 years ago, after the Clean Water Act cleaned up the river

LONDON (AP) — Elon Musk has caused a stir by tweeting that he was buying the English soccer team Manchester United. But several hours later on Wednesday, he said it was a joke. It comes as the billionaire Tesla CEO faces a legal battle in the U.S. after backing out of a deal to buy Twitter for $44 billion. With his billions and seemingly unlimited potential to buy the best soccer players in the world, Musk would have been a welcome prospect for many Man United fans who want to see the club back at the top of the game.

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia’s governor has high hopes for his alma mater. Atlanta is set to become the first two-time host of college football’s national championship game in 2025. Governor Brian Kemp sees no reason the Georgia Bulldogs can’t be going for their fourth straight title when the game returns to the city. Atlanta is reveling in its selection as a repeat host, boasting that it has everything needed to pull off another thrilling event.

ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Braves have signed rookie outfielder Michael Harris II to a $72 million, eight-year contract to remain with his hometown team. The 21-year-old Harris is the youngest player in the majors. His early-season promotion has bolstered the Braves’ hopes for another championship run. The deal runs through the 2030 season with team options for 2031 and 2032. If both option years are activated, the total value of the contract would be $102 million over 10 years.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has signed Democrats’ landmark climate change and health care bill. It's the “final piece” of the president's pared-down domestic agenda as he aims to boost his party’s standing with voters ahead of midterm elections.

MASON, Ohio (AP) — Serena Williams has fallen to 0-2 in matches since announcing “the countdown has begun” on her career. She lost 6-4, 6-0 to U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu in the Western & Southern Open on Tuesday night. The 40-year-old Williams said last week in a Vogue magazine essay and an Instagram post that her career was winding down.

ATLANTA (AP) — Charlie Morton was dominant on the mound, Matt Olson and Robbie Grossman went deep, and the Atlanta Braves made it eight straight with a 5-0 victory over the NL East-leading New York Mets. After dropping four of five in New York less than two weeks ago, the Braves haven’t lost since. They made it two straight easy wins over the Mets, pulling within 3 1/2 games of the division leaders.

NASHVILLE – The U.S. Department of Justice has begun an investigation of the Southern Baptist Convention in the wake of an internal probe that found the Executive Committee had mishandled sex abuse allegations over a period of years. Executive Committee lawyers told The Associated Press that federal investigators have already issued a subpoena. They didn’t specify whether that subpoena was civil or criminal. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice is neither confirming nor denying that it is investigating, saying “grand jury matters are secret.”

NASHVILLE (BP) – A Department of Justice investigation into the Southern Baptist Convention is currently directed at one entity and no individuals. As of Monday only the SBC Executive Committee had been subpoenaed.

NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart reported better-than-expected second-quarter results as more Americans looked to cut costs on groceries at the nation’s largest retailer in the face of surging inflation. Those rising prices, however, meant that customers were cutting back on non-necessary purchases.

LIMA, Perú (BP) – Una asociación continua entre la Primera Iglesia Bautista de Hesperia, California, y Morado de Dios en Lima, Perú, ha sido una bendición para ambas iglesias, dijo el pastor de la Primera Iglesia Bautista, Richard Spring. El viaje más reciente de First Baptist a Perú resultó en 102 salvaciones.

NASHVILLE (BP) – John Yeats, who served 25 years as Southern Baptist Convention recording secretary, describes the SBC Annual as “one big aggregation” of all that Southern Baptists accomplish in the span of two days each June.

ALPHARETTA, Ga. – The last few years have witnessed world-changing events that have disrupted supply chains and limited access to food for many people. Southern Baptists will, on Aug. 28, recognize Global Hunger Sunday to raise support for those in need.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — U.S. officials have announced that two U.S. states reliant on water from the Colorado River will face more water cuts as they endure extreme drought. The move affecting Arizona and Nevada came Tuesday as officials predict levels at Lake Mead, the largest U.S. reservoir, will plummet even further than they have. The cuts will place officials in those states under extraordinary pressure to plan for a hotter, drier future and a growing population.

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — The family of a Georgia woman killed by gunfire last year as sheriff's deputies executed a search warrant at her cousin's home are asking the Justice Department to investigate. Attorneys for 37-year-old Latoya James' family say the case bears striking similarities to the 2020 drug raid that resulted in the death of Breonna Taylor in Kentucky.

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Opposition figure Raila Odinga says he will challenge the results of Kenya’s close presidential election with “all constitutional and legal options.” Odinga spoke Tuesday, a day after Deputy President William Ruto was declared the winner. His promise of a challenge brought new uncertainty to East Africa’s most stable democracy. Now the country faces weeks of disputes and the possibility that the Supreme Court will order another election.

DALLAS (AP) — American Airlines says it has agreed to buy up to 20 supersonic jets that are still on the drawing board and years away from flying. American announced the deal Tuesday with Boom Supersonic. Neither company is giving financial details, such as how much American is paying in what they call a non-refundable deposit. It has been nearly 20 years since the last supersonic passenger flight by Concorde, the British-French plane.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. regulators have finalized a long-awaited rule that's expected to allow millions of Americans to buy hearing aids without a prescription. The rule announced Tuesday by the Food and Drug Administration goes into effect this fall. It creates a new class of hearing aids that don’t require a medical exam, a prescription and other specialty services. Instead, the devices will be sold online or over-the-counter at pharmacies and other retail stores.

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Stetson Bennett could’ve gone out on top. Instead, the former walk-on will suit up again in the red and black, looking to lead Georgia to a repeat as football national champion. Bennett’s return as the Bulldogs quarterback was somewhat surprising. But having such an experienced player at such a key position helps counter massive losses for the Bulldogs, especially on the defensive side.

LIMA, Peru (BP) – An ongoing partnership between First Baptist Church Hesperia, Calif., and Morado de Dios in Lima, Peru, has been a blessing for both churches, First Baptist Pastor Richard Spring said. First Baptist’s most recent trip resulted in 102 salvations.

Home Depot’s sales rose in its fiscal second quarter, buoyed by continued demand for items related to home improvement projects. Revenue for the three months ended July 31 rose 6.5% to $43.79 billion. This beat the $43.35 billion that analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research were calling for.

KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — First lady Jill Biden has tested positive for COVID-19 and is experiencing “mild symptoms.” The White House announced it on Tuesday. The first lady has been vacationing with President Joe Biden in South Carolina and began experiencing symptoms Monday. She has been prescribed the antiviral drug Paxlovid and will isolate at the vacation home for at least five days.

LIVINGSTON, Texas (BP) – About 200 of the inmates at the Allan B. Polunsky Unit – a Texas Department of Criminal Justice maximum-security prison near Livingston – are housed on Death Row, where prisoners typically spend 23 hours a day in a small, single-occupancy cell. But Terry Joe Solley, an inmate in the general prison population who devotes 12 to 14 hours a day to visiting those otherwise-isolated prisoners, is committed to turning Death Row into “Life Row.”