G7 leaders tackle the issue of migration on the second day of their summit in Italy
BARI, Italy (AP) — Leaders of the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations are turning their attention to migration on the second day of their summit. They will discuss on Friday ways to combat human trafficking and increase investment in countries from where migrants start out. The topics at the G7 summit, held in a luxury resort in Italy’s southern Puglia region, also include financial support for Ukraine, the war in Gaza, artificial intelligence and climate change, as well as China’s industrial policy and economic security. But some divisions also are emerging over the wording of the summit’s final declaration, with disagreement reported over the inclusion of a reference to abortion.
Pope Francis will be the first pontiff to address a G7 venue. He’s raising the alarm about AI
BARI, Italy (AP) — Francis will address G7 leaders at their gathering in southern Italy. His speech at the venue in southern Italy on Friday is a first for a pope. He’s joining the chorus of countries and global bodies pushing for stronger guardrails on AI following the boom in generative artificial intelligence kickstarted by OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot. The Argentine pope used his annual peace message this year to call for an international treaty to ensure AI is developed and used ethically. He argues that technology lacking human values of compassion, mercy, morality, and forgiveness is too perilous to develop unchecked.
The US pier in Gaza is facing its latest challenge — whether the UN will keep delivering the aid
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S.-built pier to bring food to Gaza is facing one of its most serious challenges yet. The United Nations is deciding if it can keep safely delivering supplies from the U.S. sea route to starving Palestinians. The U.N. has paused its work with the pier since June 8. That’s when an operation by Israeli security forces rescued four Israeli hostages and killed more than 270 Palestinians. The U.S. and Israel say no part of the pier was used in the raid but an Israeli helicopter used a spot near the pier. The U.N. and aid groups say they fear relief workers cooperating with the pier being seen as aligned with Israel and becoming targets.
Muslims start the Hajj against the backdrop of the destructive Israel-Hamas war
MINA, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Muslim pilgrims have converged on a vast tent camp in the desert near Mecca, Saudi Arabia, officially beginning the annual Hajj. Saudi officials say more than 1.5 million foreign pilgrims have arrived in Mecca so far. They expect the number to exceed participation last year, when more than 1.8 million people performed Hajj. This year’s Hajj comes with the backdrop of the war in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas, which pushed the entire Middle East to the brink of regional conflict. After their stay in the desert camp, the pilgrims will move for a daylong vigil on Mount Arafat, a hill where the Prophet Muhammad is said to have delivered his final speech.
Takeaways from Supreme Court ruling: Abortion pill still available but opponents say fight not over
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court unanimously upheld access to a drug used in the majority of U.S. abortions, though abortion opponents say the ruling won’t be the last word in the fight over mifepristone. The narrow decision on Thursday came two years after the high court overturned the nationwide right to abortion. Rather than fully dive into the issue, the high court found that anti-abortion doctors lacked the legal right to sue. That could leave an opening for anti-abortion states or other opponents to keep up the legal fight.
A peace summit for Ukraine opens in Switzerland, but Russia won’t be taking part
GENEVA (AP) — Switzerland will host scores of world leaders this weekend to try to map out first steps toward peace in Ukraine. Russia, which launched and is continuing the war, won’t take part. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government didn’t want Russia involved, and the Swiss – aware of Moscow’s reservations about the talks – didn’t invite Russia. The Swiss have said Russia must be involved at some point, and hope it will join the process one day. Zelenskyy’s top adviser says Ukrainians too are considering that possibility.
Demolition of the Parkland classroom building where 17 died in 2018 shooting is set to begin
PARKLAND, Fla. (AP) — A crew is scheduled to begin tearing down the three-story classroom building where 17 people died in the 2018 mass shooting at Parkland, Florida’s, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The victims’ families have been invited to watch the first blows and hammer off a piece themselves Friday if they choose. Officials plan to complete the weekslong project before the school’s 3,300 students return in August from summer vacation. Most were in elementary school when the shooting happened. The building had been kept up to serve as evidence at the shooter’s 2022 penalty trial. Jurors toured its bullet-pocked and blood-stained halls, but spared him a death sentence. He’s serving a term of life without parole.
Florida prepares for the next round of rainfall after tropical storms swamped the southern part of the state
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Forecasters have warned Floridians to prepare for additional flash flooding after a tropical disturbance dumped as much as 20 inches of rainfall in the southern parts of the state earlier this week. Conditions are expected to worsen Friday. The disorganized storm system was pushing across Florida at roughly the same time as the early June start of hurricane season. This year is forecast to be among the most active in recent memory amid concerns that climate change is increasing storm intensity. The National Weather Service says even smaller amounts of precipitation could impact saturated areas, causing more flash floods on Friday.
Elon Musk wins back his $44.9 billion Tesla pay package in a shareholder vote
DETROIT (AP) — Tesla shareholders have voted to restore CEO Elon Musk’s record $44.9 billion pay package that was thrown out by a Delaware judge earlier this year. Vote totals were not immediately announced. The favorable vote doesn’t mean CEO Musk will get the all-stock compensation anytime soon. The package is likely to remain tied up in the Delaware Chancery Court for months as Tesla appeals the rejection. The court ruled in January that Musk essentially controlled the Tesla board when it approved the package in 2018, and that it failed to fully inform shareholders who approved it the same year. Tesla has said it would appeal but asked shareholders to reapprove the package at Thursday’s annual meeting.
Micro communities for the homeless sprout in US cities eager for small, quick and cheap solutions
ATLANTA (AP) — In downtown Atlanta, shipping containers have been transformed into an oasis for dozens of previously unsheltered people who now proudly call a former parking lot home. It’s just one example of micro communities that have been popping up across the U.S. In Denver, 1,500 people have been moved indoors through that city’s own micro-community program. Faced with years of rising homelessness rates and failed solutions, city officials across the U.S. have been embracing rapid housing options emphasizing three factors: small, quick, and cheap. Officials believe that micro-communities, unlike shelters, offer residents stability that, when combined with wraparound services, can more effectively put them on the path to secure housing.
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