Hamas says latest cease-fire talks have ended. Israel vows military operation in 'very near future'
JERUSALEM (AP) — Hamas says the latest round of Gaza cease-fire talks has ended in Cairo. After recent signs of progress, the outlook appears to dim as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vows to resist international pressure to halt the war. But Israeli media reports that CIA chief William Burns, a main mediator in the talks, will meet with Netanyahu on Monday. Israel has closed its main crossing point for delivering badly needed humanitarian aid for Gaza after Hamas militants attacked it and killed three soldiers. The defense minister warns of “a powerful operation in the very near future in Rafah and other places across all of Gaza.”
Netanyahu uses Holocaust ceremony to brush off international pressure against Gaza offensive
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected international pressure to halt the war in Gaza in a fiery speech marking the country’s annual Holocaust memorial day. Netanyahu told a ceremony Sunday that “if Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone.” The message, delivered in a setting that typically avoids politics, was aimed at the growing chorus of world leaders who have criticized the heavy toll caused by Israel’s military offensive against Hamas militants and urged the sides to agree to a cease-fire. Yom Hashoah, the day Israel observes as a memorial for the 6 million Jews killed by Nazi Germany and its allies in the Holocaust, is one of the most solemn dates on the country’s calendar.
Anti-war protesters leave USC after police arrive, while Northeastern ceremony proceeds calmly
Students protesting the war in Gaza left their camp at the University of Southern California without major incident after they were surrounded by police and threatened with arrest. In Boston, Northeastern University's commencement ended peacefully at Fenway Park on Sunday. Many were watching developments closely at both campuses. Police last month arrested more than 90 people when they first broke up a pro-Palestinian encampment at USC, while police in Boston arrested about 100 protesters at a similar camp at Northeastern. The Associated Press has tallied about 2,500 arrests at about 50 campuses since April 18, based on its reporting and statements from universities and law enforcement.
Denial and uncertainty are looming over a Biden-Trump rematch 6 months out from Election Day
WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) — It's six months before Election Day, and Joe Biden and Donald Trump are locked in a presidential rematch. The race is highly in flux as many voters are only just beginning to embrace the reality of the 2024 contest. Wars, trials, the independent candidacy of Robert Kennedy Jr. and deep divisions across America have created much uncertainty. At the same time, domestic policy fights over abortion, immigration and the economy are raging. On top of that, public polling consistently shows that voters don’t like their election year options. But whether voters want to believe it or not, the general election matchup is all but set.
What a judge's gag order on Trump means in his hush money case
NEW YORK (AP) — Virtually every day of his hush money criminal trial, Donald Trump talks about how he can’t talk about it. He's told reporters outside the courtroom that a gag order in the case is “totally unconstitutional" and “a disgrace." The order bars him from making out-of-court, public comments on witnesses, jurors and some others connected to the case. The judge found that Trump repeatedly violated the order and he fined Trump $9,000. The judge also warned that jail could follow if Trump keeps it up. The order doesn’t stop Trump from talking about the allegations against him or commenting on the judge or the elected top prosecutor. And it doesn’t stop him from testifying in court if he chooses.
3 bodies in Mexican well identified as Australian and American surfers killed for truck's tires
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican authorities say relatives have positively identified three bodies found in a well as those of two Australian surfers and one American who went missing last weekend. Baja California state prosecutors said relatives from the two countries had viewed the corpses recovered from a remote well and recognized them as their loved ones. Thieves apparently killed the three, who were on a surfing trip to Mexico’s Baja peninsula, to steal their truck because they wanted the tires. They then allegedly got rid of the bodies by dumping them in a well near the coast. Three suspects are being held in connection with the case.
Last-minute candidate José Raúl Mulino wins Panama's presidential election
PANAMA CITY (AP) — José Raúl Mulino, the stand-in for former President Ricardo Martinelli in Panama's presidential election, is on his way to becoming the new leader of the Central American nation. With nearly 90% of the votes counted Sunday night, the 64-year-old former security minister’s top three competitors conceded as he led the race with nearly 35% of the vote. He had a nine-point lead over other candidates. Mulino replaced Martinelli as candidate when the firebrand former leader was banned from running after being sentenced to 10 years in prison for money laundering. The new president will face pressing challenges. Those include deep political discontent, historic migration and a lagging economy exacerbated by mass protests last year and a drought that has slashed transit in the Panama Canal.
Floods in southern Brazil kill at least 75 people over 7 days, with 103 people missing
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Authorities say massive floods in Brazil’s southern Rio Grande do Sul state have killed at least 75 people over the last seven days and another 103 are reported missing. Damage from the rains has forced more than 80,000 people from their homes. Approximately 15,000 have taken refuge in schools, gymnasiums and other temporary shelters. Landslides, flooded roads and collapsed bridges have left devastation in their are leaving a wake of devastation in the state. Operators reported electricity and communications cuts. More than 800,000 people are without water supply, according to the civil defense agency.
As storms move across Texas, 1 child dies after being swept away in floodwaters
HOUSTON (AP) — Storms in Texas are bringing additional rain to the already saturated Houston area, where hundreds of people have been rescued from flooded homes and roads. A child died early Sunday after being swept away when the car he was traveling in got stuck in floodwaters to the north in the Fort Worth area. Jeff Lindner, a meteorologist with the Harris County Flood Control District, said Sunday afternoon that “things are improving slowly" in the Houston area.
As US spotlights those missing or dead in Native communities, prosecutors work to solve their cases
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — From marches and art exhibitions to candlelight vigils, people are gathering across the U.S. to spotlight the high rate of disappearances and killings in Native American communities. Sunday marks Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day, with more events planned over the coming days. This year, the federal government is touting the hiring of special prosecutors and coordinators who are addressing systemic issues that have made tackling the crisis a generational challenge. Communication and cooperation across jurisdictions are at the top of the list. In New Mexico, authorities say they worked together to identify a prime suspect in a series of violent crimes against Native American men.
