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 his conviction could be used by autocrats, say experts
Donald Trump attacked the U.S. criminal justice system after his historic guilty verdict. He made unfounded claims of a “rigged” trial that echoed remarks from the Kremlin. Former senior White House national security adviser 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.”
South Africa’s president urges parties to find common ground in talks after election deadlock
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for his country’s political parties to overcome their differences and find “common ground” to form the first national coalition government in its young democracy. South Africa on Sunday announced its final election results confirming that no party won a majority, and unprecedented coalition talks were starting to find a way forward for Africa’s most industrialized 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 40% of the votes in last week’s election in the final count, the largest share.
A guide to what’s next for South Africa and the key figures in unprecedented coalition talks
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — South Africa’s election has decided little, other than the African National Congress that liberated the country from apartheid in 1994 has lost its 30-year majority. It remained the biggest party, though. With no one holding a majority, South Africa’s party leaders are embarking on coalition talks to form a government. South Africa has never had to do this due to the ANC’s long dominance. There are four major political parties and at least eight with significant shares of the vote after last week’s election. It’ll be complicated.
Being a patient is getting harder in a strained and complex US health care system
Health care delivery experts say patients in the U.S. need more help dealing with a system that is growing increasingly complex. They say growing insurance complications, doctor and drug shortages and a lack of communication all make life harder for anyone dealing with a serious or chronic illness. Outside care, help with the rent or utility bills also may be harder for patients to find. More care providers and employers are offering help guiding people through care, a practice the federal Medicare program has started to cover. But that assistance has limits.
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.
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.
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.
Republicans make Biden’s EV push an election-year issue as Democrats take a more nuanced approach
TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — Donald Trump and other Republicans say President Joe Biden’s policy to promote electric vehicles is unfair for consumers and amounts to government overreach. Trump even cited the issue in his remarks Friday after his criminal conviction in New York. In this election year, Biden and Democrats have been less vocal and more nuanced as they push for his climate reduction goals while promoting homegrown technology over competition from China. Interviews with about 20 people in the pivotal industrial heartlands of Ohio and Michigan reveal a more complicated dynamic among voters who may decide the winner of November’s presidential and Senate elections.
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