Israeli airstrike hits Beirut and kills 1 person in escalating tensions with Hezbollah
BEIRUT (AP) — Israel has carried out a rare strike on Beirut, killing at least one person and raising the stakes in the escalating tensions with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. The Israeli military says the strike targeted the militant commander allegedly behind the deaths of 12 youths in a weekend rocket attack on the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights. Israel has blamed the rocket attack on the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which has denied any role. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency says Tuesday’s strike was carried out with a drone that launched three rockets, and that it killed one woman and wounded several other people. It was not immediately clear if the intended target of the strike was hurt.
Criticism mounts against Venezuela’s Maduro and the electoral council that declared him a victor
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — International criticism of Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro is mounting after electoral authorities declared him the victor in Sunday’s presidential election that the opposition claims to have won by a landslide. The Organization of American States chastised Maduro for his government’s sustained repression of the opposition and lambasted the National Electoral Council, which is loyal to the ruling party, for its delay in showing precinct-level results backing Maduro’s victory. The opposition says it has obtained more than 84% of Sunday’s tally sheets, and that they show its candidate, Edmundo González, won more than double Maduro’s votes. The opposition is urging its supporters to remain calm and has invited them to gather peacefully Tuesday.
The Democratic contest to be Harris’ running mate will likely be decided in the next week
AMBLER, Pa. (AP) — Democratic governors and other officials under consideration to be Kamala Harris’ vice presidential running mate are practicing a time-honored tradition in presidential campaigns. They’re walking the line between open self-promotion and loyal advocacy for the potential boss in what amounts to unofficial auditions. Three people familiar with the vice president’s plans said Tuesday that she and her yet-to-be-named running mate would begin traveling to battleground states next week — suggesting that a decision could be coming soon. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro campaigned for Harris on Monday outside Philadelphia, and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear campaigned over the weekend in Georgia. Harris is said to also be considering Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, among others.
Trump says he ‘probably’ will debate Harris but can ‘make a case for not.’ Her team says he’s scared
NEW YORK (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign says former President Donald Trump is scared to debate her. Trump has backed away from his earlier commitment to debate Harris, telling Fox News Channel on Monday night he “probably” will debate but “can also make a case for not doing it.” The Republican ex-president had been willing to debate President Joe Biden when Biden was the Democratic nominee. But with Harris poised to take Biden’s place, Trump has been questioning the terms of the debate he agreed to with Biden. Harris’ campaign says it’s clear Trump is scared he’d have to “defend his running mate’s weird attacks on women or his own calls to end elections in America.”
Acting Secret Service director says he’s ‘ashamed’ after the Trump assassination attempt
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Secret Service’s acting director says he considers it indefensible that the Pennsylvania roof used by the gunman in the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump was unsecured. Ronald Rowe on Tuesday faulted local law enforcement for not circulating urgent information ahead of the shooting and for not adequately protecting the scene. Rowe also testified he recently visited the shooting site and said what he saw made him “ashamed.” Rowe assures lawmakers “people will be held accountable.” The Republican former president was struck in the ear by a bullet or a bullet fragment in the July 13 assassination attempt before a Secret Service counter-sniper killed the gunman.
Police identify 3 girls killed in stabbing rampage at UK dance class
LONDON (AP) — Three young girls killed in a stabbing rampage at a dance and yoga class in northwestern England have been identified. Eight children and two adults remained hospitalized Tuesday after the attack at a Taylor Swift-themed summer vacation activity for children aged about 6 to 11. Police are questioning a 17-year-old suspect arrested minutes after the rampage in the seaside town of Southport. Swift said on Instagram that she was “completely in shock” and still taking in “the horror” of the event. Local people left flowers and stuffed animals in tribute at a police cordon.
Investigation finds at least 973 Native American children died in US government boarding schools
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A federal investigation has found that at least 973 Native American children perished in the U.S. government’s abusive boarding school system over a 150-year period. Interior Department officials released the findings Tuesday and called on the government to apologize for the schools. Officials say the deaths were caused by sickness, accidents and abuse. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland says the schools isolated thousands of children from their families and denied them their identities as Native Americans. Former students at the schools, which operated until the 1960s, previously shared their experiences during a series of listening sessions that highlighted the harsh and often degrading treatment they endured.
Meta agrees to $1.4B settlement with Texas in privacy lawsuit over facial recognition
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Officials say Meta has agreed to a $1.4 billion settlement with Texas in a privacy lawsuit over allegations that the tech giant used biometric data of users without their permission. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said Tuesday that the settlement is the largest secured by a single state. A judge in 2021 approved a $650 million settlement with the company, formerly known as Facebook, over similar allegations of users in Illinois. Meta says in a statement that the company is pleased to resolve the matter. The Texas lawsuit said that Meta was in violation of a state laws that prohibits capturing or selling a resident’s biometric information, such as their face or fingerprint, without their consent.
Simone Biles and Team USA earn ‘redemption’ by powering to Olympic gold in women’s gymnastics
PARIS (AP) — “The Redemption Tour” ended in a familiar spot for Simone Biles: atop the Olympic podium. The American gymnastics star and her singular brilliance powered a dominant U.S. women’s team in the finals inside a raucous Bercy Arena. With Biles at her show-stopping best, the Americans’ total of 171.296 was well clear of Italy and Brazil and the exclamation point of a yearlong run in which Biles has cemented her legacy as the greatest ever in her sport and among the best in the history of the Olympics.
Hugo Chávez statues targeted across Venezuela in post-election unrest
LA GUAIRA, Venezuela (AP) — Anti-government activists across Venezuela are toppling giant statues of Hugo Chávez to express their anger over the alleged stealing of elections by the late president’s handpicked successor, Nicolás Maduro. A video provided to AP shows one such monument being torn down in the seaside city of La Guaira. A protester told AP that the statue was then dragged by motorcycles across the plaza before being set on fire. This isn’t the first time monuments honoring El Comandante have been attacked. But the simultaneous nature and high number of attacks underscores the depth of anger many Venezuelans feel after Maduro was declared winner in Sunday’s presidential election. The opposition says its candidate more than doubled the incumbent’s vote count.
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
