How did so many Thai farmers end up held hostage by Hamas?

BANGKOK (AP) — Five Thai nationals held hostage by Hamas since its Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel were released on Thursday. They were among 31 Thais taken by the militant group, of whom 23 have already been released. Another two have been confirmed dead, and the status of one...

West Virginia couple convicted of forced labor, human trafficking of adopted kids

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A West Virginia couple accused of neglect and forced labor involving their adopted children was convicted by a jury on Wednesday after eight hours of deliberations. Jeanne Kay Whitefeather and Donald Ray Lantz went on trial in mid-January and each faced...

A jury has convicted a West Virginia couple accused of neglect and forced labor involving their adopted children

Teenager describes tumultuous life at trial of adoptive parents accused of neglect and forced labor

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A teenager whose discovery in a locked shed led to the arrest of her adoptive parents testified Friday that she and her siblings lived tumultuous lives in substandard conditions, including being forced to sleep on the floor and use buckets as toilets. The...

Trial starts for West Virginia couple accused of subjecting their 5 children to forced labor

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A witness broke down in tears as she described children carrying heavy objects on hilly terrain at the home of a West Virginia couple who were later arrested after two of their five adopted children were found locked in an outbuilding. The trial of Jeanne...

UK lawmakers slam Shein for refusing to answer questions on its cotton supply

LONDON (AP) — A lawyer for Shein summoned to a British parliamentary hearing evaded questions Tuesday on whether the fast-fashion giant sells products containing cotton from China, angering lawmakers seeking answers on the retailer's labor practices and allegations of forced labor in its supply...

Chinese automaker BYD slams reports of poor conditions at a factory site in Brazil

BANGKOK (AP) — A spokesperson for Chinese automaker BYD has objected to reports about poor conditions at a construction site in Brazil where it is building a factory, saying the allegations were aimed at “smearing” China and Chinese brands. Earlier in the week, a task force...

Turkey's soaring costs are creating a 'lost generation' of kids forced to help their families get by

ISTANBUL (AP) — In a dim one-room apartment in one of Istanbul’s poorest neighborhoods, 11-year-old Atakan Sahin curls up on a threadbare sofa with his siblings to watch TV while their mother stirs a pot of pasta. The simple meal is all the family of six can look forward to most...

Alabama profits off prisoners who work at McDonald’s but deems them too dangerous for parole

DADEVILLE, Ala. (AP) — A storm was looming when the inmate serving 20 years for armed robbery was assigned to transport fellow prisoners to their jobs at private manufacturers supplying goods to companies like Home Depot and Wayfair. It didn’t matter that Jake Jones once had escaped or that he...

Takeaways from The Associated Press’ reporting on prison labor in Alabama

DADEVILLE, Ala. (AP) — No state has a longer, more profit-driven history of contracting prisoners out to private companies than Alabama. With a sprawling labor system that dates back more than 150 years — including the brutal convict leasing era that replaced slavery — it has constructed a...