Maduro locked in standoff with opponents as each side claims victory in presidential elections
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela’s opposition and President Nicolas Maduro’s government are locked in a high-stakes standoff as each side claims victory in Sunday’s presidential vote, which millions in the long-suffering nation saw as their best shot to end 25 years of single-party rule. Several foreign governments, including the U.S., held off recognizing the results as election officials delayed releasing detailed vote tallies after proclaiming Maduro the winner with 51% of the vote, to 44% for retired diplomat Edmundo González. Meanwhile, on the streets of Caracas, a mix of anger, tears and loud pot banging greeted the announcement of results by the Maduro-controlled National Electoral Council.
Blinken says US has ‘serious concerns’ about announced result of Venezuelan election
TOKYO (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the United States has ‘serious concerns’ about the announced result of Venezuela’s hotly contested presidential election that authorities say was won by incumbent Nicolas Maduro. Speaking in Tokyo on Monday shortly after the announcement was made, Blinken said the U.S. was concerned that the result reflected neither the will nor the votes of the Venezuelan people. He called for election officials to publish the full results transparently and immediately and said the U.S. and the international community would respond accordingly.
Israel-Hamas war latest: Israeli strike killed 2 people in southern Lebanon, Lebanese media say
Lebanon’s state-run news agency says Israeli strikes killed two people and injured three others in southern Lebanon early Monday. The report came as Israel mulls its response to a rocket attack from Lebanon over the weekend that killed 12 children and teenagers in a town in the Israel-controlled Golan Heights. Monday’s strikes did not appear to be Israel’s response to the deadly weekend attack but more routine fighting. Lebanese state media said a Monday morning strike hit a motorcycle traveling close to the Lebanon-Israel border, killing two riders and injuring a child. No more information about the dead or injured was immediately available. Also Monday, two were injured in a separate strike in southern Lebanon, Lebanese state media reported.
Trump and Harris enter 99-day sprint to decide an election that has suddenly transformed
ST. CLOUD, Minn. (AP) — Barely a week ago, a sense of inevitability loomed over the presidential election. But now, just 99 days before Election Day, a fundamentally new race is taking shape with new candidates, a new issue focus and a new outlook for both parties. Vice President Kamala Harris is smashing fundraising records, taking over social media and generating levels of excitement not seen since former President Barack Obama’s historic candidacy. On the other side, Republicans are fearful and frustrated as they struggle to accept the new reality that Donald Trump’s victory is no sure thing. The incredible speed with which the election was transformed over the last week is a stark reminder that, in the Trump era, little is certain and the conventional wisdom is often wrong.
California firefighters make progress as wildfires push devastation and spread smoke across US West
FOREST RANCH, Calif. (AP) — Firefighters have made progress in the battle against wildfires covering massive areas and leaving a trail of damage in the western United States. The Park Fire in California had scorched an area greater than Los Angeles and was one of more than 100 blazes burning in the U.S. Sunday. Some were sparked by the weather during blistering heat and bone-dry conditions. A man accused of setting the Park Fire is due in court Monday. Firefighters increased containment to 12% on Saturday, aided by cooler temperatures and more humidity. About 2,000 people were ordered to evacuate because of a fire sweeping through Southern California’s Sequoia National Forest. Millions of people were under air quality alerts in the northwestern U.S. and western Canada.
Biden unveils plan for Supreme Court changes, says US stands at ‘breach’ as public confidence sinks
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has unveiled a long-awaited proposal for changes to the U.S. Supreme Court. He’s calling on Congress to establish term limits and an ethics code for the court’s nine justices. Biden also is pressing lawmakers to ratify a constitutional amendment that would limit presidential immunity. The White House has detailed the contours of Biden’s court plan. But it appears to have little chance of being approved by a closely divided Congress with just 99 days to go before Election Day. Biden is expected to speak about his proposal Monday during an address at the LBJ Presidential Library in Austin, Texas.
The Galapagos Islands and many of their unique creatures are at risk from warming waters
GALÁPAGOS ISLANDS, Ecuador (AP) — The wondrous Galapagos Islands and its many creatures have always been sensitive to changes in ocean temperatures. But the significant warming from climate change in recent years has meant more pressure on the sea lions, marine iguanas and many other species in the remote islands hundreds of miles off the coast of Ecuador. As if that weren’t enough, non-native species are a problem on land — that means feral cats, dogs, pigs, goats and cattle. Experts say cats and pigs compete with the Galápagos giant tortoise for food. And feral pigs can wipe out a tortoise nesting site quickly.
Ten years on, many Yazidis uprooted by Islamic State onslaught struggle to find stable homes
SINJAR, Iraq (AP) — Ten years ago, Islamic State militants launched an onslaught on villages and towns of the Yazidi religious community in northern Iraq. Thousands were killed or captured — including women and girls subjected to human trafficking and sexual abuse. As the anniversary of the onslaught arrives, tens of thousands of Yazidis face a tough choice: Remain in displacement camps that — for all their harshness — they’ve called home for many years. Or return to hometowns that many say remain unsafe. A government order to clear out the displacement camps adds new urgency to the decision-making.
Paris Olympics Day 2: Simone Biles and LeBron James shine as Americans step up at the Games
PARIS (AP) — On the first sunny day of the Paris Olympics, the stars from the United States shined bright. Simone Biles and LeBron James dazzled, so did the U.S. women’s soccer team. Torri Huske grabbed some of the spotlight, and Haley Batten made a name for herself by earning a silver medal in mountain biking for the best finish ever by an American rider. Although it was French swimmer Léon Marchand who received the most boisterous cheers in crushing the field to win gold in the men’s 400-meter individual medley, the U.S. had a strong Sunday on Day 2 of the Games.
Triathlon cancels Olympic swim training for the second day over poor water quality in the Seine
PARIS (AP) — Concerns about the water quality in the Seine River led officials to call off the swimming portion of an Olympic triathlon training session for a second straight day. Organizers overseeing the event at the Paris Games are optimistic that triathletes will be able to swim in the city’s famed waterway when the competition starts Tuesday. The sport’s governing body, its medical team and city officials, are banking on sunny weather and higher temperatures to bring the levels of E. coli bacteria below the necessary limits to stage the swim portion of a race that also includes biking and running.
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