The Israeli army says it investigates itself. Where do those investigations stand?
JERUSALEM (AP) — Throughout the seven-month Israel-Hamas war, Israel has been heavily criticized for alleged wrongdoing by its forces. Israel says it can investigate itself and has launched many probes into the conduct of its soldiers. But in the wake of a deadly strike on a tent camp in Rafah, there’s mounting international skepticism that Israel can fairly and diligently pursue those investigations.
Trump’s attacks on US justice system after guilty verdict could be useful to autocrats like Putin
After his historic guilty verdict, Donald Trump attacked the U.S. criminal justice system. He made unfounded claims of a “rigged” trial that echoed remarks from the Kremlin. Former senior White House national security advisor Fiona Hill and other analysts say Trump’s attacks could be useful to Russian President Vladimir Putin and other autocrats. Those leaders hope to boost their standing among their own citizens, potentially sway the upcoming U.S. presidential election in which Trump is the presumptive Republican nominee, and undermine the United States’ global influence. Moscow agreed with Trump’s assessment of Thursday’s verdict. A Kremlin spokesman called it the “elimination of political rivals by all possible legal or illegal means.”
Iran’s hard-line former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad registers for June 28 presidential election
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s hard-line former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has registered as a possible candidate for the June 28 presidential election, seeking to regain the country’s top political position after a helicopter crash killed the nation’s president and seven others. The populist former leader’s registration puts pressure on Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In office, Ahmadinejad openly challenged the 85-year-old cleric, and his attempt to run in 2021 was barred by authorities. The firebrand, Holocaust-questioning politician return also comes during a time of heightened tensions between Iran and the West over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program, its arming of Russia in its war on Ukraine and its wide-reaching crackdowns on dissent.
Zelenskyy accuses China of pressuring other countries not to attend upcoming Ukraine peace talks
SINGAPORE (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused China of helping Russia to disrupt a Swiss-organized peace conference on the war in Ukraine. Speaking Sunday at a news conference at the Shangri-La conference in Singapore, Zelenskyy said that China is pressuring other countries and leaders not to attend. He implied that China is doing Russia’s bidding, saying it is regrettable that such a powerful country as China is being used by Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Zelenskyy made the remarks after speaking at an annual Asia-Pacific security conference. He said he is seeking Asian attendance at the peace conference, which is being organized by Switzerland.
Mexico votes in an election likely to choose the country’s first female president
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexicans will likely choose the first female president in the country’s history between a former academic who promises to further the current leader’s populist policies and an ex-senator and tech entrepreneur who pledges to up the fight against deadly drug cartels. Turnout appeared to be high Sunday with long lines of voters trying to cast their ballots early as much of the country continued to suffer a heatwave. Voters said security and their concerns over violence in many parts of the country was top of mind as they stepped into voting booths. Nearly 100 million people are registered to vote in the race to replace outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
Most US students are recovering from pandemic-era setbacks, but millions are making up little ground
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — America’s schools have just started making progress toward getting students back on track after they fell behind by historic margins during the pandemic. But improvement has varied widely by geography and economic status. Millions of students including those who are poor or marginalized have made up little or none of the ground they lost during pandemic school closures. The Education Recovery Scorecard project at Harvard and Stanford says Virginia students were behind in reading by the equivalent of 70% of a grade level in 2023. The state has added $418 million to boost recovery efforts. But among other states with lagging progress, few say they are changing their strategies to speed up improvement.
Energy shutdowns hit Ukraine after Russian attacks target infrastructure
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine has imposed emergency power shutdowns in most of the country a day after Russia unleashed large-scale attacks on energy infrastructure and claimed it made gains in the eastern Donetsk province. The shutdowns Sunday are in place in all but three regions of Ukraine following Saturday’s drone and missile attack on energy targets that injured at least 19 people. Sustained Russian attacks on Ukraine’s power grid in recent weeks have forced the government to institute nationwide rolling blackouts. Without adequate air defenses to counter assaults and allow for repairs, though, the shortages could still worsen as need spikes in late summer and the bitter-cold winter.
South Africa’s president urges parties to find common ground in talks after election deadlock
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa has announced its final election results that confirm no party won a majority, and unprecedented coalition talks are starting to find a way forward for Africa’s most advanced economy. The African National Congress party had already lost its 30-year majority after more than 99% of votes were counted by Saturday and showed it couldn’t surpass 50%. The ANC received around 40% of the votes in last week’s election in the final count, the largest share. Without a majority, though, it will need to agree on a coalition with another party or parties for the first time to govern South Africa and reelect President Cyril Ramaphosa for a second term.
A growing community of breast milk donors in Uganda gives mothers hope
KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — A community of breast milk donors has formed in Uganda after women struggled with finding ways to keep their babies with health issues alive. The nonprofit is the only group outside a hospital setting in the East African country that conserves breast milk in substantial amounts. More than 200 mothers have donated breast milk to support over 450 babies since mid-2021. The administrator says that “every mother who has given us milk, they are kind of attached to us. They are we; we are them.”
Democrats wanted an agreement on using artificial intelligence. It went nowhere
WASHINGTON (AP) — As campaigns nationwide experimented with artificial intelligence earlier this year, the Democratic National Committee approached their committees with a request that they sign on to guidelines to use the technology in a “responsible” way. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the draft agreement. It was hardly full of revolutionary ideas, but still the plan went nowhere. The proposal’s demise highlights both internal divisions over campaign tactics and the party’s uncertainty over how to best use AI.
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