Reformist Pezeshkian wins Iran’s presidential runoff election, besting hard-liner Jalili
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian has won Iran’s runoff presidential election, besting hard-liner Saeed Jalili. Pezeshkian has promised to reach out to the West and ease enforcement on the country’s mandatory headscarf law after years of sanctions and protests squeezing the Islamic Republic. He also said there would be no radical changes to Iran’s Shiite theocracy, and long has held Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as the final arbiter of all matters of state in the country. But even Pezeshkian’s modest aims will be challenged by an Iranian government still largely held by hard-liners, among other challenges. A vote count offered by authorities put Pezeshkian as the winner with 16.3 million votes to Jalili’s 13.5 million in Friday’s election.
Biden dismisses age questions in interview as he tries to salvage reelection effort
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — President Joe Biden has used a highly anticipated TV interview to repeatedly reject taking an independent medical evaluation that would show voters he is up for serving another term in office. He’s blaming his disastrous debate performance on a “bad episode” and saying there were “no indications of any serious condition.” Biden is fighting to save his endangered reelection effort. The 81-year-old president made it through his 22-minute interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos without any major blunders that would inflict further damage to his imperiled candidacy. But it appeared unlikely to fully tamp down concerns about his age and fitness for another four years and his ability to defeat Donald Trump in November.
Republicans turn their focus to Harris as talk of replacing Biden on Democratic ticket intensifies
NEW YORK (AP) — For years, it’s been a Republican scare tactic. A vote to reelect President Joe Biden, they charged, is really a vote for Vice President Kamala Harris — an attack line sometimes tinged with racist and misogynist undertones and often macabre imagery. But after Biden’s dismal performance at last week’s presidential debate sparked loudening calls for him to step aside in favor of a candidate who might have a better chance at beating Republican Donald Trump, in November, what was once dismissed as a far-right conspiracy could now have a chance of coming to pass. And Republicans, including Trump, seem to be scrambling to ramp up their preemptive attacks.
A NATO summit and mending EU relations are among first tasks for new UK leader Keir Starmer
LONDON (AP) — New British Prime Minister Keir Starmer doesn’t get to take a breather. After a draining six-week election campaign, the center-left politician must get straight to work assembling his government, tackling a mountain of domestic problems and putting his stamp on the U.K.’s relations with the rest of the world. Starmer says he wants Britain to take a larger role on the global stage after years of soured relations with Europe over Brexit. He’ll start next week by attending a NATO summit in Washington where Ukraine will be high on the agenda. Later this month he will host leaders from across Europe at a meeting of the 47-nation European Political Community.
Hamas clears the way for a possible cease-fire after dropping key demand, officials say
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza (AP) — A Hamas official and an Egyptian official say Hamas has given initial approval for a U.S.-backed proposal for a phased cease-fire deal in Gaza, dropping a key demand that Israel give an up-front commitment for a complete end to the war. The apparent compromise by the militant group could help deliver the first pause in fighting since November and set the stage for further talks. But all sides warn that a deal is still not guaranteed. The officials say Hamas wants “written guarantees” from mediators that Israel will continue to negotiate a permanent cease-fire deal once the first phase goes into effect.
Putin sees no need for nuclear weapons to win in Ukraine. But he’s also keeping his options open
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s message to NATO was simple and stark: Don’t go too far in providing military support for Ukraine, or you’ll risk a conflict that could quickly turn into a nuclear one. As the war slowly turns in Moscow’s favor, Putin declared he doesn’t need nuclear weapons to achieve his goals. But he also says it’s wrong for the West to assume that the possibility of using them doesn’t exist. He reaffirms that Russia’s nuclear doctrine calls for using such weapons if it perceives a threat to its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Moscow’s nuclear messaging — coming as NATO moves to shore up Ukraine’s forces — heralds what could become the most dangerous phase in the war.
France’s president called a surprise election. The result could diminish his power in world affairs
PARIS (AP) — The second round of the high-stakes legislative election on Sunday will almost certainly impact how much say France’s president has in the fields of defense and foreign affairs. French analysts say that the result could diminish Emmanuel Macron’s role as an energetic and influential figure in European and world affairs. And as one of Ukraine’s primary backers in the war against Russia. The centrist president’s bloc finished a distant third behind the surging far right in a first round of voting for a new parliament. One of the only certainties before Sunday’s decisive round two is that Macron can’t emerge strengthened.
Beryl set to strengthen on approach to Texas due to hot ocean temperatures
After hitting Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and downgrading to a tropical storm, Beryl is expected to once again become a hurricane as it hurtles towards southern Texas by Sunday evening. Hurricane Beryl’s explosive growth into an unprecedented early storm shows the literal hot water the Atlantic and Caribbean are in right now and the kind of season they can expect. Beryl smashed storm records even before its major hurricane level winds approached land in Grenada. Experts say that’s mostly due to water temperatures as hot as the peak of hurricane season, in September.
After hitting Yucatan Peninsula, Beryl churns in Gulf of Mexico as Texas braces for potential hit
TULUM, Mexico (AP) — Beryl has moved back into the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, where it is expected to strengthen after weakening to a tropical storm as it moved across Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. The U.S. National Hurricane Center expects Beryl to regain hurricane strength and forecasts predicted it would head toward northeastern Mexico and the Texas coast. State and local officials have urged coastal residents to be prepared for possible storm surge flooding, heavy rain and high winds. Some Texas cities called for voluntary evacuations in low-lying areas prone to flooding, banned beach camping and urged tourists traveling on the July 4 holiday weekend to move recreational vehicles from coastal parks.
Records tumble as dangerous heat wave scorches the US West and beyond, with the worst yet to come
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Records are tumbling across the West as a slow-moving heat wave of potentially historic proportions tightens its grip from the Pacific Northwest to Arizona. The Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the U.S. are also sweltering, with oppressive heat and humidity expected to last through Saturday or beyond. California’s Death Valley shattered its previous record high for the date by 5 degrees on Friday, with the mercury climbing to 127 degrees. Phoenix also saw a daily record, 118. Temperatures there are forecast to be 115 or higher though Wednesday. The mercury also reached a record 122 in Needles, California.
