From front-page news to powerful moments you may have missed, this gallery showcases today’s top photos chosen by Associated Press photo editors.
Marine One with President Donald Trump aboard lands at Painted Canyon Visitors Center in Theodore Roosevelt National Park Wednesday, July 1, 2026, near Medora, N.D. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Tubers chain together as they float along the cool waters of the Comal River in New Braunfels, Texas, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Mexico's Johan Vasquez, top left, celebrates with teammates after Raul Jimenez scored his side's second goal during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match against Ecuador in Mexico City, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)
People ride on swings on a hot summer day in Moscow, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov)
Dino Prizmic of Croatia returns the ball to Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada in their second round men's singles match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
A Red Cross volunteer helps a woman after a Russian strike on residential neighborhood in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, on Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Kateryna Klochko)
Parents of students at Lassa Day Secondary School protest following the abduction of their children after gunmen raided the school on Monday, in Askira-Uba area, northeastern Nigeria, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo)
Jeffrey Holt Adcock maintains the fountains at Union Station in Washington, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Volunteers and rescuers help to find survivors in a collapsed building in Caraballeda, La Guaira, Venezuela Tuesday, June 30, 2026, following two powerful earthquakes. (Miguel Medina/Pool Photo via AP)
Rescue workers stand on the rubble of a building that collapsed during the earthquakes that struck La Guaira, Venezuela, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. Houses in the Caribe neighborhood are seen at the top. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Khaterine Roa cries as members of the Los Angeles County Fire Department search for survivors at a building that collapsed during the earthquakes that struck La Guaira, Venezuela, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Women mourn for their children, who were killed in in a roof collapse at a tutoring center on the outskirts of Lahore, Pakistan, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)
Nuns make their way to a tent set up outside the Society of St. Pius X seminary to attend a consecration ceremony for four new bishops in Econe, Switzerland, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)
England's Harry Kane (9) celebrates after scoring a goal next to teammate Jude Bellingham (10) during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between England and Congo in Atlanta, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (Jason Getz/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)
A youngster jumps in a river as the National Weather forecaster issued an extreme heat code red warning for most parts of the country, outside 1 Decembrie, Romania, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/ Andreea Alexandru)
Danielle Grisolano brings her dogs Lincoln and Pepper with her to vote in the Democratic primaries at Denver Public Library, Tuesday, June 30, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Rebecca Slezak)
A military band conductor leads during a ceremony to mark the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Police tape surrounds a home where authorities say they removed 16 children and arrested four adults in Hamden, Ohio, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
President Donald Trump arrives at the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library on the Freedom 250 train, Wednesday, July 1, 2026, in Medora, N.D. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
The Great American State Fair on the National Mall is seen through an American flag, Tuesday, June 30, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jen Golbeck)
Click to Gallery
Marine One with President Donald Trump aboard lands at Painted Canyon Visitors Center in Theodore Roosevelt National Park Wednesday, July 1, 2026, near Medora, N.D. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Tubers chain together as they float along the cool waters of the Comal River in New Braunfels, Texas, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Mexico's Johan Vasquez, top left, celebrates with teammates after Raul Jimenez scored his side's second goal during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match against Ecuador in Mexico City, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)
People ride on swings on a hot summer day in Moscow, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov)
Dino Prizmic of Croatia returns the ball to Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada in their second round men's singles match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
A Red Cross volunteer helps a woman after a Russian strike on residential neighborhood in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, on Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Kateryna Klochko)
Parents of students at Lassa Day Secondary School protest following the abduction of their children after gunmen raided the school on Monday, in Askira-Uba area, northeastern Nigeria, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo)
Jeffrey Holt Adcock maintains the fountains at Union Station in Washington, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Volunteers and rescuers help to find survivors in a collapsed building in Caraballeda, La Guaira, Venezuela Tuesday, June 30, 2026, following two powerful earthquakes. (Miguel Medina/Pool Photo via AP)
Rescue workers stand on the rubble of a building that collapsed during the earthquakes that struck La Guaira, Venezuela, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. Houses in the Caribe neighborhood are seen at the top. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Khaterine Roa cries as members of the Los Angeles County Fire Department search for survivors at a building that collapsed during the earthquakes that struck La Guaira, Venezuela, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Women mourn for their children, who were killed in in a roof collapse at a tutoring center on the outskirts of Lahore, Pakistan, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)
Nuns make their way to a tent set up outside the Society of St. Pius X seminary to attend a consecration ceremony for four new bishops in Econe, Switzerland, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)
England's Harry Kane (9) celebrates after scoring a goal next to teammate Jude Bellingham (10) during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between England and Congo in Atlanta, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (Jason Getz/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)
A youngster jumps in a river as the National Weather forecaster issued an extreme heat code red warning for most parts of the country, outside 1 Decembrie, Romania, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/ Andreea Alexandru)
Danielle Grisolano brings her dogs Lincoln and Pepper with her to vote in the Democratic primaries at Denver Public Library, Tuesday, June 30, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Rebecca Slezak)
A military band conductor leads during a ceremony to mark the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Police tape surrounds a home where authorities say they removed 16 children and arrested four adults in Hamden, Ohio, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
President Donald Trump arrives at the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library on the Freedom 250 train, Wednesday, July 1, 2026, in Medora, N.D. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
The Great American State Fair on the National Mall is seen through an American flag, Tuesday, June 30, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jen Golbeck)
NEW YORK (AP) — A daredevil couple scaled the Empire State Building's antenna Wednesday and unfurled a banner about “the power of love” and peace, apparently as part of an audacious, high-altitude marriage proposal — soon followed by their arrest.
The Russian climbers, who go by Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus, were the subject of the 2024 Netflix documentary “ Skywalkers: A Love Story ” about their “rooftopping” exploits and budding romance.
Dressed in black and wearing masks but not tethers, the two balanced on a narrow ledge and appeared to kiss atop the New York skyscraper's antenna, news helicopter video showed. The banner, reading “when the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace,” waved from the structure, which rises 1,454 feet (443 meters) above midtown Manhattan.
After lingering for a time, the two collected the banner and began to climb down, picking their way along the latticework of metal to a wider ledge, where one seemed to set up a piece of photography equipment and got down on one knee. After the two kissed again and hugged, the other person took selfies with an outstretched left hand, as if examining a ring.
Police Emergency Services Unit officers started ascending a ladder in the spindly structure to intercept them. Police body camera video showed an officer calling out a greeting and explaining, “Well, you can't be up here.”
An off-camera voice replied with what sounded like, “We are engaged.”
A few seconds later, officers reached a landing within the antenna and met the couple, who were coming down a ladder and calmly spoke with police, the video showed.
Nikolau posted images of the escapade on her social media accounts, including a photo that modeled an engagement-style ring above a bird’s-eye view of Manhattan.
The two climbers — whom police identified by their formal names, Angelina Nikolau and Ivan Kuznetsov — were arrested on burglary, reckless endangerment and other charges. It wasn't immediately clear whether they had attorneys who could speak to the allegations. Messages seeking comment were sent to the couple.
“Skywalkers: A Love Story” follows Beerkus and Nikolau as they make often unauthorized ascents of tall structures, sometimes posing as construction workers to sneak in.
It wasn’t clear how the pair gained access to the Empire State Building's antenna, which rises well above public areas of the 102-story building. Building management said in a statement that the episode was “unauthorized” and didn’t endanger anyone in the skyscraper.
The management didn’t answer questions about how the two reached the antenna and what interactions, if any, they had with security workers. Empire State Building visitors are screened and told not to bring large packages, sports equipment, costumes or masks, among other items.
Tourist Julie Morris told local TV stations that she was on one of the building's observation decks when she saw two people pass through some mesh gates into an off-limits area. She said she assumed the pair, who weren't masked, worked there.
As the stunt unfolded, onlookers gaped from the sidewalks near the Art Deco office tower.
“It's crazy — it's like being in the movies,” said Jonathan Roman, a tourist visiting from the Scottish city of Glasgow. He and his 15-year-old son had observation platform tickets but arrived to find the building blocked off because of the antenna activity.
Still, the spectacle was “probably more exciting than going up to the viewing platform for the second time,” Roman reasoned.
Daredevils have previously climbed the antenna and other parts of the Empire State Building. Those ascents have largely been unauthorized, but actor and musician Jared Leto was allowed to climb up to the base of the antenna from the 86th floor in 2023 to promote a tour.
Two people stand on the tip of the antenna of the Empire State Building in New York while holding a banner on Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (WABC-TV via AP)
Two people stand on the tip of the antenna of the Empire State Building while holding a banner on Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
Two people descend the spire of the Empire State Building, in New York, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
A person is shown atop the spire of the Empire State Building, in New York, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)