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) — Polling stations have opened in Mexico in a presidential election that will likely bring the country’s first female president. Voters are choosing 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. Nearly 100 million people are registered to vote in the race to replace outgoing President AndrĂ©s Manuel LĂłpez Obrador. Voters will also elect governors in nine of the country’s 32 states, and choose candidates for both houses of Congress, thousands of mayorships and other local posts, in the biggest elections the nation has seen and ones that have been marked by violence.
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.
South Africa’s ‘humbled’ ANC talking to all parties as country looks for way forward after election
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — A top official with South Africa’s African National Congress party says it’s talking to everyone in an effort to form a stable coalition government for Africa’s most advanced economy after it lost its 30-year majority in last week’s election. ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said Sunday the party was open to negotiations, even with the main opposition Democratic Alliance. The DA has led the chorus of criticism of the ANC but a coalition agreement is viewed by many analysts as the most stable coalition option for South Africa. The ANC received just over 40% of the vote to lose its long dominance of South African politics and Mbalula said it had been “humbled.”
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.
Paris is aiming for the most sustainable Olympics yet. Organizers acknowledge the plan isn’t perfect
PARIS (AP) — Organizers of the Paris Olympics have set ambitious goals for environmental sustainability. They aim to reduce the Olympics’ overall carbon footprint by half compared with the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Games. Organizers say they’ll slash carbon emissions by building as little as possible, instead using existing or temporary venues for most sports. They’re favoring local and meat-free foods. And they’re using 100% renewable energy. They say they took sustainability into account early in their planning. Some experts say they’re planning well, as businesses would for emissions. But the plans also face questions about some carbon-intensive sponsors and doubts about their long-term future in a warming world facing a growing climate crisis.
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