WSAV-TV (Savannah, GA)

BERLIN (AP) — The far-right Alternative for Germany is in a buoyant mood as it holds a convention this weekend. It is capitalizing on the unpopularity of a government that’s trying to reform the sluggish economy, and eyeing promising prospects of power in an eastern region this fall. Yet the anti-migration nationalist party is as polarizing as ever. Its meeting is expected to draw tens of thousands of protesters to the eastern city of Erfurt.

LA GUAIRA, Venezuela (AP) — Speaking in a hushed voice, Rosa López recalled how she had to sidestep the rows of bodies lying under a harsh sun as she helped her daughter search for her missing husband. Even her years working as a nurse did not prepare her for the sight of the dozens of dead wrapped in sheets or blankets. “We saw a lot of bodies that had not yet been identified,” López said.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Like plenty of local boys before him, Neil has come home to the stretch of Australian coast where he was born. Unlike most of them, he trails fame, fans and property damage in his wake. He is also a 1,000 kg (2,200 pound) elephant seal. In June, the bellowing and blubbery 5-year-old mammal hauled himself onto land for his twice-yearly tour of beachside towns in southern Tasmania state after months of feeding at sea.

REALP, Switzerland (AP) — Train enthusiasts will celebrate the 100th anniversary of a historic Swiss railway this weekend as vintage steam locomotives ferry tourists through the stunning Alpine scenery as part of the celebration. The Furka Pass, at an altitude of 2,431 meters (7,976 feet), is among Switzerland’s highest Alpine passes and famous for its hairpin curves featured in the 1964 James Bond “Goldfinger” movie.

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Lam Wing-kee, a former Hong Kong bookseller who became a symbol of resistance to Beijing’s crackdown on speech freedom after he was seized by Chinese authorities in late 2015, has died in Taiwan, the island’s official Central News Agency reported, citing an unnamed source. The news agency didn’t give a cause of death, but said the 70-year-old Lam had a cancer relapse last year and was admitted to MacKay Memorial Hospital in Taipei on Tuesday.

Despite severe fuel shortages across Russia, President Vladimir Putin appears unbothered by Ukraine’s increasing attacks on his country’s oil refineries. He has shrugged off the setback for one of the world’s leading oil producing nations as “not critical,” dismissed ceasefire proposals and insisted the war will continue until his goals are met.

Today will be a fairytale. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding is slated to take place Friday at Madison Square Garden, where the couple’s closest friends and family — and several hundred more — will attend what is expected to be an elaborate event inside the iconic New York venue.

LONDON (AP) — Prime Minister Keir Starmer formally apologized Thursday for the British state’s role in separating tens of thousands of unmarried mothers from their babies, a practice that lasted for decades until the 1970s. He said in Parliament that “we are deeply and profoundly sorry” for what he called a “stain on our history.” An estimated 185,000 babies of unmarried mothers were adopted in England and Wales between 1949 and 1976.

SAVANNAH. Ga. (WSAV) — Community members gathered Thursday to honor and remember the man killed in last week’s officer involved shooting. Thirty-five-year-old Nicholaus Oxendine was shot and killed on June 23 near the intersection of East Victory Drive and Bull Street. He was found loitering outside of a closed business and when questioned by an officer he attempted to attack another officer, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigations.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A powerful general who leads Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard emerged from hiding as Tehran prepared Friday for the dayslong funeral for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Photos published online by Iranian state media showed Gen.