With its new pact with North Korea, Russia raises the stakes with the West over Ukraine
Behind the pageantry of President Vladimir Putin’s visit to North Korea, a strong signal came through: In the spiraling confrontation with the U.S. and its allies over Ukraine, the Russian leader is willing to challenge Western interests like never before. The pact he signed with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un envisions mutual military assistance between Moscow and Pyongyang. Putin also said Russia could provide weapons to the isolated country, a move that could destabilize the Korean Peninsula and reverberate far beyond. He described the arms shipments as a response to NATO providing Ukraine with longer-range weapons to attack Russia. And he bluntly declared Moscow is prepared to go “to the end” to achieve its goals in Ukraine.
Democrats wrestle with whether to attend Netanyahu’s address to Congress as many plan to boycott
WASHINGTON (AP) — The last time Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the U.S. Congress, nearly 60 Democrats skipped his speech nine years ago. To them, it was a slap in the face to then-President Barack Obama as he negotiated a nuclear deal with Iran. With Netanyahu scheduled to address U.S. lawmakers on July 24, the number of absences is likely to be far greater. Congressional Democrats are wrestling with whether to attend. Many are torn between their long-standing support for Israel and their anguish about the way Israel has conducted military operations against Hamas in Gaza. Some Democrats say they’ll come out of respect for Israel. Others want no part of Netanyahu’s appearance.
Thousands of Iran-backed fighters offer to join Hezbollah in its fight against Israel
BEIRUT (AP) — Iran-backed groups in the Middle East say thousands of their fighters are offering to come to Lebanon to join with the militant Hezbollah group in its battle with Israel. The offer comes amid fears the situation could escalate into a full-blown war along Israel’s northern frontier with Lebanon that has seen almost daily exchanges since the Hamas attack on southern Israel in early October. Iran-backed groups from Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and other countries fought alongside Syrian government forces during Syria’s 13-civil war. Hezbollah’s leader says it has enough fighters and doesn’t need foreigners to join. Israeli officials have threatened a military offensive in Lebanon if there is no negotiated end to push Hezbollah away from the border.
Abortion access has won when it’s been on the ballot. That’s not an option for half the states
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Abortion-rights supporters in several states have used the citizen initiative process to protect access in the two years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a constitutional right to the procedure. But voters in half the states don’t have that right, including many of the Republican-controlled states in the South that have passed near total abortion bans since the court ruling. Citizen initiatives are avenues of direct democracy that have allowed voters to circumvent their legislatures and preserve abortion and other reproductive rights in a number of states over the past two years.
Former first lady Melania Trump stays out of the public eye as Donald Trump runs for president
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — After Melania Trump missed some key events in her husband’s presidential campaign this year, she told reporters who asked about her thin schedule to “stay tuned.” But in the months since that comment in March, she’s largely refrained from public appearances. The former first lady didn’t accompany Donald Trump on any of the days of his hush money trial in New York. She didn’t appear at a 78th birthday party organized for Trump by his fan club or at any campaign rally he’s held in recent months. Despite her absence on the campaign trail, Trump often mentions his wife and shares conversations between the two, showing supporters that she’s still involved behind the scenes.
Millions in the US prepare for more sweltering heat as floodwaters inundate parts of the Midwest
Millions of Americans prepared to sweat through yet another scorching day, with the potential for rolling storms to bring relief from high temperatures for at least some. Floodwaters inundated parts of the Midwest, including a town in Iowa evacuated after being submerged up to the rooftops. From the mid-Atlantic to Maine, across much of the Midwest and throughout inland California, public officials cautioned residents sweating through the heat and humidity. The National Weather Service warned of the potential for rare tornadoes in the Northeast later Sunday.
Ukrainian drones and missiles kill 6 in Russia and Crimea, fresh bombing of Kharkiv leaves 1 dead
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian authorities say six people died and over 100 were wounded in Ukrainian drone and missile attacks while the second day of Russia’s aerial bombing of Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine killed at least one person. The dead in Russia included five people killed by falling debris from Ukrainian missiles shot down Sunday in Sevastopol, a port city in Russia-annexed Crimea. Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, citing the Health Ministry, said 124 people were wounded. The attacks came after Russia struck Kharkiv on Saturday with four aerial bombs, hitting a five-story residential building and killing three people.
Netanyahu again claims the US is withholding arms shipments, days after Washington denies it
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his Cabinet that there had been a “dramatic drop” in U.S. weapons deliveries for Israel’s war effort in Gaza. With his remarks Sunday, Netanyahu doubled down on accusations that his country’s top ally, the United States, was withholding weapons shipments, despite denials from the Biden administration. Netanyahu said the drop in arms shipments began four months ago, without specifying which weapons. The dispute underscores the strains between Israel and Washington throughout the war in Gaza. Netanyahu’s earlier claims over the weapons last week sparked an uproar among critics in Israel and was met with denial and confusion from White House officials.
Over 1,000 pilgrims died during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, officials say
CAIRO (AP) — More than 1,000 people died during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia as the faithful faced intense high temperatures at Islamic holy sites in the desert kingdom. Saudi Arabia has not commented on the death toll amid the heat during the pilgrimage, required of every able Muslim once in their life. An Egyptian official said Sunday that more than half of the dead were from Egypt. The Egyptian government has revoked the license of 16 travel agencies that facilitated the travel of unauthorized pilgrims to Saudi Arabia. The fatalities included 165 pilgrims from Indonesia, 98 from India and dozens more from Jordan, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria and Malaysia, according to an Associated Press tally. Two U.S. pilgrims were also reported dead.
UK election betting scandal widens as a fourth Conservative Party official reportedly investigated
LONDON (AP) — British media is reporting that the chief data officer of Britain’s Conservative Party has taken a leave of absence amid growing allegations that the governing party’s members have been using inside information to bet on the date of Britain’s July 4 national election. The Sunday Times and others reported that Nick Mason is the fourth Conservative official to be investigated by the U.K.‘s Gambling Commission for allegedly betting on the timing of the election before the date had been announced. The Times alleged that dozens of bets had been placed with potential winnings worth thousands of pounds. The growing scandal has dealt a fresh blow to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party, which is widely expected to lose to the opposition Labour Party.
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