KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) — Three years of war have devastated much of Sudan. The impact has been pressed into the skin of survivors, and their memories.

Thousands of people are dead. Millions are displaced. Associated Press journalists spent more than a week in and around the capital after the army retook Khartoum last year. It continues to fight elsewhere against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

Here are some of the war’s survivors and their stories. A member of the military media accompanied the AP during the visit, including during interviews. The AP retains full editorial control of its content.

Soccer dreams shattered

Omer al-Toum had dreamed of playing for Sudan’s national soccer team. But everything changed in October, when an unexploded weapon went off in his house as he tried to use it to loosen a nail. He lost part of his right leg and left arm. His remaining leg was shattered.

Calm and good-natured, the 33-year-old swoons these days over his 8-month old daughter, trying to stay positive.

“When I knew that my leg had been amputated, my family expected more of a reaction from me but I didn’t show them how affected I was,” he said.

Now al-Toum can’t bathe or get out of bed alone, and some doorways in the house aren’t wide enough for his wheelchair. He wants prosthetics but must travel abroad for good ones.

He’s found solace in coaching soccer, and tells young players to stay in school to keep other options alive.

“As long as you are still breathing, you are still capable of doing many things. And when God takes something away from you, he will surely compensate you with other things,” he said.

A sister’s death

Madani remained in a hospital for six months for surgeries, battling infections and sometimes waiting for a doctor to be found after others fled.

Doctors say she should be able to walk again. Her younger brothers wheel her to school every day. She studies science and dreams of becoming a doctor.

“We are trying to forget the war,” her father said, “the nightmare we finally woke up from.”

8 years old

When her house was struck in February 2025, Fatma Ageb’s husband was asleep. Her older daughters had just discussed what to get their baby sister for her birthday. That was the last thing the 38-year-old remembers of that day.

The shelling killed her husband and their older daughters, 10 and 12. It pierced her body with shrapnel and badly injured their 8-year-old.

“If it wasn’t for Zeinab I wouldn’t want to live. She’s always calling for her sisters and father,” Ageb said, wiping tears from her cheeks.

The attack scarred her daughter’s face and she lost her right eye. She wears a glass one in its place.

Sitting beside her mother at a hospital and wearing a necklace with a character from the movie “Frozen,” Zeinab shyly held up a drawing she made and winced in pain while a doctor attended her wounds.

Friends and relatives pooled money for the girl’s operations but she needs more, and her mother doesn’t know where she’ll find the money.

While she tries to be strong for her daughter, Zeinab’s scars are a reminder of what they’ve lost.

A volunteer shaken

Tariq Abuzeid had spent years helping others, raising money to run soup kitchens out of his house and distributing medicine to the sick. When the war came to Khartoum, the construction worker kept assisting people.

But in December 2023, he was caught in intense shelling after distributing food. He lost his right leg.

Surrounded by family, the 52-year-old now tries to be stoic, yet breaks down when he thinks about how circumstances have changed.

“I used to serve people. … Now I feel like I am a burden,” he said.

The attack caused massive bleeding, which he said compromised his immune system. He takes dozens of pills a day but is still in pain. He struggles to find a good prosthetic and a wheelchair, not easy in Khartoum.

And yet his volunteer work continues. Large metal bowls were stacked in his yard as he prepared to serve others their next meal.

Fleeing sexual assault

For more on Africa and development: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-pulse

The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — As consumers worry about medication costs, states are trying to lower drug prices by reining in big companies that oversee prescription coverage for health insurers.

Some of those companies, called pharmacy benefit managers, also own pharmacies, and one of them, CVS, has spent millions of dollars fighting the regulations.

Affordability is a key issue ahead of this year’s midterm elections. Legislators in at least a dozen states passed laws this year to limit compensation to the companies, set minimum payments from the companies to pharmacists and require the companies to disclose more information to their clients, states and the public.

A Tennessee law will bar pharmacy benefit managers from operating retail pharmacies as of July 1, 2028, though CVS Health Corp. has filed a federal lawsuit to avoid having to close its 136 pharmacies there.

About 6 in 10 U.S. adults said in a poll conducted earlier this year by healthcare research nonprofit KFF that they were at least somewhat worried about being able to afford their prescriptions. About 4 in 10 said costs had led them not to take medications as prescribed within the previous year, either by taking less than the prescribed dose, using over-the-counter substitutes or not filling prescriptions.

Dozens of proposals emerge across the US

Pharmacy benefit managers, particularly CVS and two other large companies, handle most U.S. prescriptions.

Lawmakers in at least 26 states introduced more than 120 bills this year on PBMs, according to an Associated Press search using the bill-tracking software Plural, with about a quarter of the bills clearing at least one chamber.

The companies manage pharmacy claims for health insurers and negotiate with manufacturers over drug prices and what medications will be covered. Critics concede that the size of the top companies gives them leverage that health plans wouldn’t have on their own.

The benefit managers argue that they’re the only player in the drug supply chain created to help push drug costs down and they claim credit for an increased used of less-expensive generic drugs, now 90% of U.S. prescriptions.

“If PBMs already didn’t exist, you’d need to invent one,” said Prem Shah, president of the CVS Health group overseeing its pharmacy and PBM operations, in a recent interview. “Blaming PBMs for high drug prices is like blaming umbrellas for the rain.”

CVS fights restrictions in Tennessee

Drug companies, PBMs and their allies have spent at least $24 million on opposing broadcast and digital advertising since the start of 2025 to influence public opinion, according to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact. CVS spent $4 million this year on ads opposing Tennessee’s new law.

CVS sued Arkansas last year after it enacted similar legislation, and a federal judge blocked its law. CVS also settled three lawsuits in which Louisiana accused it of unfair trade and deceptive practices in lobbying against legislation there last year, agreeing to pay $45 million without acknowledging wrongdoing.

The CVS lawsuit in Tennessee alleges that the company, which operates 9,000 pharmacies nationwide, is facing “naked protectionism” from lawmakers who operate independent pharmacies — including the law’s main sponsor, state Sen. Bobby Harshbarger and co-sponsor Sen. Shane Reeves.

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese authorities on Saturday said a small plane that crashed into a building in Beijing the day before had killed the pilot and injured 13 others.

The authorities of the Chaoyang district, a vibrant business area, said a two-seat light sport aircraft collided with a high-rise building near the East Third Ring Road at 5:55 p.m. on Friday and caused the casualties.

The 108-story CITIC tower, shaped like an ancient Chinese wine vessel, is one of the most recognizable skyscrapers in Beijing and is the tallest building in the city.

Flightradar24 posted on social media the path of the plane, a Sunward SA 60L Aurora, which took off from an airport about 50 kilometers (30 miles) east of Beijing. It headed westward and ended just east of the East Third Ring Road.

Associated Press photos showed on Saturday apparent marks of the crash on the glass facade on one side of the CITIC Tower. A hole there had been covered up.

It was not immediately known what caused the crash in a city with strict airspace controls, including a recent ban on drones. An investigation is underway into the situation, the authorities said.

It was also unclear whether the injured were in the building or were hit by debris, but the statement said they were receiving treatment.

The CITIC tower is just a roughly 20-minute drive from Zhongnanhai, a former imperial garden that now serves as headquarters of China’s top leadership, and a 15-minute drive from the Forbidden City, a popular tourist attraction.

Are Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce really getting married at Madison Square Garden?

Frenzied speculation surrounding the superstar singer and football player’s upcoming wedding has spiked over the past few days as reports swirl that the two are getting married the first week in July at one of New York’s iconic landmarks.

Yet nearly a year after Kelce and Swift announced their engagement with the caption “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married,” they have disclosed little about their plans.

Here’s what we know and don’t know.

Citing an entertainment industry executive and another person with knowledge of the matter, The New York Times reported that the couple were planning a gathering of 100 people at Madison Square Garden — an arena that seats up to 19,500 people — on July 2 followed by a second event at the arena for about 1,000 guests on July 3.

The Associated Press has been unable to independently confirm those details, but there are no public events planned at the Garden from June 29 until a Bon Jovi concert on July 7.

Public records show that the city issued a permit for loading and unloading theatrical materials at the arena from June 29 to July 4. Winick Productions, a company that has produced red carpet events for the Grammy and Tony award shows and movie premieres, also applied for a permit to set up a canopy or tent outside the Garden for an event involving up to 999 people.

Meanwhile, just a few weeks prior, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani jokingly referenced the reports of Swift and Kelce’s wedding during a press conference. Mamdani was answering questions about safety during the World Cup when he said, “We know it coincides with July Fourth, America 250, Taylor Swift’s wedding all happening at the same time, and we are so excited to welcome the world here.”

Mamdani, however, said he was not invited to the wedding.

“I wish them a lovely wedding. I’ll listen to ‘Only the Young’ at home on my own,” he said, referencing one of Swift’s songs.

Madison Square Garden may not scream “bridal,” but the venue is available for private rentals, advertising a banquet capacity for 1,250 — or 2,000 if you are only serving cocktails. And it has hosted weddings before. Sly Stone got married to Kathy Silva there in 1974 before thousands of fans. And more than 2,000 couples were wed in a mass ceremony at the Garden officiated by the Rev. Sun Myung Moon in 1982.

Located above Penn Station, the busiest rail hub in the U.S., the Garden doesn’t scream “privacy” either.

But it does have guarded entrances, a secure garage and a lack of windows, which would allow Kelce, Swift and celebrity guests to stay out of sight of photographers or camera-equipped drones.

That need for privacy popped up earlier in June when a large tent appeared next door to Swift’s Watch Hill estate in Rhode Island. Despite organizers denying the event was for Swift, a wave of speculation bubbled up online as photographers and some Swifties headed to the town to see if they could catch a glimpse of a possible wedding.

Yet others have theorized that the MSG buzz could be an elaborate smoke screen to throw off attention to the couple’s real wedding plans. Swift did once write, “No, you can’t come to the wedding,” in her song “But Daddy I Love Him,” which some fans have been reupping lately as a reminder that the wedding isn’t supposed to be a public spectacle.

Yet just who exactly will show up is to be determined. Aside from family, Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs teammate Patrick Mahomes and his wife, Brittany Mahomes, will likely be in attendance. For Swift, close friends like Selena Gomez, Abigail Anderson Berard, the Haim sisters, Emma Stone and Gigi Hadid will all likely attend.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid said he couldn’t talk about it when asked by The Associated Press if he was going to the wedding.

“If it’s like when I got married, my wife did everything, so I just kind of followed her lead on it, showed up, right? Maybe he’s doing more but he looks like he’s pretty focused in on this job here, too,” Reid said in early June.

Swift has a history of Fourth of July parties

Perhaps another clue why the week of the Fourth of July makes sense for Swift and Kelce’s wedding is that the popstar has long been known for throwing elaborate parties over the American holiday.

It wasn’t too long ago that fans dubbed her Fourth of July events as “Taymerica,” where celebrities showed up at her Rhode Island estate wearing red, white and blue swimsuits, waving American flags and eventually shared some social media photos with the public.

The timing also works with Kelce’s football schedule, given the tight end once joked on his “New Heights” podcast, “Don’t make my friends have to choose whether or not they have to sell their tickets that week.”

___

Associated Press writers Anthony Izaguirre and Maria Sherman in New York and David Skretta in Kansas City, Missouri, contributed reporting.

Jessica High’s little boy doubled in size at just six-weeks-old – and he keeps getting bigger.

A mum is sharing the growth of her eight-month-old, who has outgrown toddler clothes and wears outfits for five-year-olds.

When Jessica High gave birth to her fourth child, weighing 7lbs 4oz, she was overjoyed. But over the next few weeks, her tiny newborn began growing rapidly to the point where he wasn’t so little anymore.

At six weeks old, he had almost doubled in size to 13lbs 6oz and at six months, he weighed in at 33lbs 7oz. Now, at eight months old, he’s wearing clothes suitable for a five-year-old `and this is starting to prove a bit snug.

Jessica, 34, says it’s a ‘two-person job’ looking after him due to his size and that although the family aren’t broke, his speedy weight gain is proving rather costly. To the tune of $5,000 (USD).

“People ask me how I carry him and I say with hope and prayer,” the business owner told creatorzine.com. “I have reduced myself to only buying him five pieces of clothing: shirts, onesies and pairs of shorts or pants.

“I was buying whole wardrobes and he was outgrowing the clothes before I could even get the tags off. He was so big that his bedside bassinet would not rock properly. If he were not positioned in the middle, it would tilt and get stuck.

“We eventually had to get a handmade bassinet that’s essentially the size of a mini crib. Axyl can’t fit in an umbrella stroller and he’s within weeks of not fitting in his jogging stroller, either.

“At restaurants, he doesn’t fit highchairs. And, at this point, we’re not sure what we can do car seat-wise. His grandpa can’t walk him, nor can his aunt.

“It takes two people to get him strapped in and out of everything. We are by no means broke, but in a mere eight months, we’ve had to buy everything for a newborn all the way up to a toddler.

“It’s insane, because everything we’ve just bought is already useless for him.”

Jessica, from North Carolina, US, says Axyl is “heavier than an SUV tire without the rim”. The mum-of-four shares Seth, 17, Pyper, 12, Phoenix, five and Axyl, eight months, with husband, Jade, 43.

Their three other children never grew to this extent; and so each day is a lesson. Even while in the womb, she would need to use a wheelchair as he would kick her “so hard” she couldn’t walk.

Axyl, despite not walking or crawling, is already in for a challenge when it comes to buying shoes, as his feet are currently too wide for any baby ones. Jessica says that although Axyl attracts a crowd wherever he goes, the reaction is mixed.

She said: “We can never go out and be in a hurry anymore because we’re stopped so often. The people at the mall kept asking me: ‘You’re back again?’ as I was there every two weeks.

“There have been speculations from my own family that he was ‘too big’ or that he’s ‘not hungry, just gassy.’ On the internet, people say he’s got a metabolic issue, or that I’m forcing food down his throat.

“Some people think I’m purposefully making him obese, even though he is perfectly healthy. I don’t owe anybody an explanation.

“As I’m around him every day, the size isn’t drastically noticeable. But when I look at pictures on my phone, it seems like six months have gone past ` when it’s really only been three weeks.”

Axyl’s diet consists of 37oz of formula a day, along with two jars of baby food. He’s monitored every eight weeks by a well-accredited paediatrician who has zero concerns.

While it’s unclear how big he might get, Jessica doesn’t care ` she’s only bothered about having a healthy baby.

She added: “I prayed for healthy babies and I’ve been blessed with four. My biggest hope for Axyl is that he grows up to be kind and confident. We’ve been given a rare opportunity to share our family and Axyl’s extraordinary growth journey with people all over the world.

“He has supporters from India, the UK, Australia, and across the United States, and we’re incredibly grateful for the kindness we’ve received. To us, he’s not ‘the giant baby of the internet’ ‘ he’s simply our son. My hope is that this platform can be used to spread positivity, bring awareness to children who grow outside the norm, and maybe remind people that different doesn’t mean bad.”

Get more Daily Record exclusives by signing up for free to Google’s preferred sources. Click HERE.

There are two artisan markets taking place in the borough.

The Crofters craft and makers market will roll into the grounds of the popular bar and restaurant from 11am.

Posters (Image: Agency)

There will be art, crafts, jeweller, knits, scents and much more all produced by talented local traders.

The market runs until 3pm at the venue on Bradshaw Road, with refreshments available in the pub.

The market is the latest to be held in the borough, building on its reputation as a market town.

Heaton Fold Garden Centre’s popular Artisan Fair returns from 10am to 3pm, which will include homebaked produce, candles and more.

Howfen Farmers Market (Image: Kyria Kyriacou)

Next Saturday, July 4, the Farmers Market will return to Westhoughton.

Organised by Andreana Bateman of Kyria Wellness Studio on Market Street, the Howfen Farmers’ Market gave residents the chance to sample exciting local goods directly from the producers themselves when it first launched in May.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) confirmed that a commercial building on Pretoria Road, Oldham is ablaze.

A spokesperson said: “Shortly after 9:40 this evening (Saturday 27^th June), three fire engines from Ashton, Oldham and Hollins fire stations were called to fire involving a commercial building on Pretoria Road, Oldham.

“Crews arrived quickly and worked to extinguish the flames. Firefighters remain in attendance at this time.”