UN court order demanding that Israel halt its Gaza offensive further isolates the US position
WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.N. court’s order that Israel halt its offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah is deepening a disconnect with the United States. The military operation faces mounting international condemnation, but American officials describe it, at least for now, as limited and targeted. The decision Friday by the International Court of Justice in The Hague adds to the pressure facing an increasingly isolated Israel. Yet the harsh global rhetoric stands apart from the stance of the Biden administration, which has made clear its opposition to a major offensive in Rafah while also insisting that the steps Israel has taken so far have not crossed red lines.
Scuffles erupt between police, protesters demanding return of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza
JERUSALEM (AP) — Scuffles between Israeli police and protesters have erupted in Tel Aviv after thousands gathered to demonstrate against the government and demand that it bring back the hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza. Some of the protesters carried photos of the female soldiers who appeared in a video earlier in the week showing them soon after they were abducted during the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7. Also on Saturday, a small U.S. military vessel and what appeared to be a strip of docking area washed up on a beach near the southern Israeli city of Ashdod, not far from the U.S.-built pier on which the Israeli military said humanitarian aid is moving into the Palestinian territory.
Trump, accustomed to friendly crowds, confronts repeated booing during Libertarian convention speech
WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump was booed repeatedly while addressing the Libertarian Party National Convention in Washington, with many in the crowd shouting insults during his speech and decrying him for running up towering federal deficits and enriching pharmaceutical companies with the COVID-19 vaccine development. When he took the stage Saturday night, many on hand booed while some supporters clad in “Make America Great” hats and T-shirts cheered and chanted “USA! USA!” Though the audience was divided, it was a rare moment of Trump coming face-to-face with detractors, which is highly unusual for someone accustomed to staging rallies in front of ever-adoring crowds.
Tornado warning issued for parts of Oklahoma amid severe storms as heat scorches South Texas
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning for parts of Oklahoma. The service’s office in Norman said Saturday night that the warning was for northern Noble and far southern Kay counties, north of Oklahoma City. Excessive heat is the danger in South Texas, where the heat index is forecast to approach 120 degrees Fahrenheit over the holiday weekend. The region is on the north end of a heat dome stretching from Mexico to South America. Brownsville and Harlingen near the Texas-Mexico border set new record highs Saturday for the May 25 calendar date, of 99 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit, respectively.
Chile accuses volunteer firefighter and ex-forestry official with causing huge fire that killed 137
SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — A Chilean judge has ordered a volunteer firefighter and a former forestry official detained for allegedly planning and causing a mammoth forest fire that caused 137 deaths and made 16,000 people homeless in February. The court in Valparaiso ruled Saturday that the two men can be held for 180 days while they are investigated. The chief prosecutor in the case says the main suspect is Francisco Mondaca, a 22-year-old volunteer firefighter in Valparaiso who is accused of physically starting the fire. The prosecutor says flares and fireworks were found in Mondaca’s vehicle. The other suspect is identified as Franco Pinto, a former employee of the National Forest Corporation. He is accused of planning the crime.
Richard M. Sherman, who fueled Disney charm in ‘Mary Poppins’ and ‘It’s a Small World,’ dies at 95
NEW YORK (AP) — Richard M. Sherman, one half of the prolific, award-winning pair of brothers who helped form millions of childhoods by penning classic Disney tunes, has died. He was 95. Sherman, along with his late brother Robert, wrote hundreds of songs together, including songs for “Mary Poppins,” “The Jungle Book” and “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” — as well as the most-played tune on Earth, “It’s a Small World (After All).” The Walt Disney Co. announced that Sherman died Saturday due to age-related illness. The brothers won two Academy Awards for Walt Disney’s 1964 smash “Mary Poppins.” Robert Sherman died in London in 2012.
Chinese and Japanese leaders travel to South Korea for their first trilateral meeting since 2019
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Chinese and Japanese leaders are set to arrive in Seoul and meet with South Korea’s president separately, ahead of their trilateral gathering. On Sunday, Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida are to hold bilateral talks with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to discuss ways to promote cooperation. On Monday, they will gather for a trilateral meeting, the first of its kind in more than four years. No major announcement is expected from the trilateral meeting. But just resuming their highest-level, three-way meeting is a good sign and suggests the three Asian neighbors are intent on improving their relations.
Millions vote in India’s grueling election with Prime Minister Modi’s party likely to win third term
NEW DELHI (AP) — Millions of Indians are voting in the next-to-last round of a grueling national election in the searing summer heat. The combined opposition is trying to rattle Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s campaign for a third-consecutive term for himself and his Hindu nationalist party. Saturday’s voting in 58 constituencies, including seven in New Delhi, will complete polling for roughly 90% of 543 seats in the lower house of Parliament. The voting for the remaining 57 seats on June 1 will wrap up a six-week election. The votes will be counted on June 4. This election is considered one of the most consequential in India’s history and will test the limits of Modi’s political dominance.
Grayson Murray dies at age 30 a day after withdrawing from Colonial, PGA Tour says
Two-time PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray has died at the age of 30. The PGA Tour and his management company GSE Worldwide confirmed the death Saturday. There were no immediate details how Murray died. He opened with a 68 at the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial. The next day he was 5 over for his round when he withdrew with two holes to play. Murray won the Sony Open this year with a 40-foot birdie putt in a playoff. He also won the Barbasol Championship in 2017. Murray made his Masters debut in April.
Rare blue-eyed cicada spotted during 2024 emergence at suburban Chicago arboretum
LISLE, Ill. (AP) — The 2024 cicada emergence is underway in Illinois. A rare, blue-eyed female Magicicada cassini cicada was spotted Friday at The Morton Arboretum in suburban Chicago. A lucky few saw it before it was released back into the world to join its red-eyed relatives. The collections manager of the Department of Entomology at the Smithsonian Institute says the blue-eyed cicada is rare, “but it is impossible to estimate how rare.” Periodical cicadas emerge every 13 or 17 years. The 17-year brood is starting to appear in spots in northern Illinois. Both broods will converge in the southern part of the state.
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