Palestinians returning to Khan Younis after Israeli withdrawal find an unrecognizable city
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Streams of Palestinians have filed into the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis to salvage what they could from the vast destruction left in the wake of Israel’s offensive. Displaced Palestinians have been making their way back to the city since the Israeli military announced it was withdrawing troops from the area. Many came back to the Gaza Strip’s second-largest city to find their former hometown unrecognizable. Israel’s withdrawal of troops from Khan Younis signaled the end of a key phase in its war against Hamas. But it also cleared the way for some Palestinians to make their way back to the area to comb through the mountains of debris to try to hold on to any possessions that remained.
Nicaragua urges top UN court to halt German military aid to Israel because of its assault in Gaza
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Nicaragua is calling on the United Nations’ top court to halt German military aid to Israel, arguing that Berlin’s support enables acts of genocide and breaches of international humanitarian law in Gaza. The case at the International Court of Justice is against Germany, which is the second-largest supplier of arms to Israel after the U.S. But it also indirectly takes aim at Israel’s 6-month-old military campaign. The war has left tens of thousands of Palestinians dead and devastated Gaza. Nicaragua’s allegations represent the latest legal attempt by a country with historic ties to the Palestinian people to stop Israel’s offensive. South Africa has accused Israel of genocide at the court. They come amid growing calls for Israel’s allies to stop supplying the country with weapons.
Vatican blasts gender-affirming surgery, surrogacy and gender theory as violations of human dignity
VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican has declared that gender-affirming surgeries and surrogacy are grave violations of human dignity. A new document from the doctrine office puts them on par with abortion and euthanasia as practices that violate God’s plan for human life. In its most eagerly anticipated section, the Vatican flat-out rejected “gender theory” or the idea that one’s gender can be changed. It said God created man and woman as biologically different, separate beings, and said people must not tinker with that plan or try to “make oneself God.”
Trump declines to endorse a national abortion ban and says it should be left to the states
NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump has declined to endorse a national abortion ban and says he believes abortion should be left to the states. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee released a video outlining his position Monday. Trump says whatever the states decide “must be the law of the land — in this case, the law of the state.” Trump declines to lay out a timeline for when he believes abortion should be banned. President Joe Biden’s Democratic campaign says Trump is “endorsing every single abortion ban in the states, including abortion bans with no exceptions.” One of the country’s most prominent groups opposed to abortion rights says it’s “deeply disappointed” in Trump’s position.
Latino voters are coveted by both major parties. They also are a target for election misinformation
PHOENIX (AP) — Experts expect a surge of misinformation targeting Spanish-speaking voters with a high-stakes presidential election in the fall as candidates vie for support from the rapidly growing number of Latino voters. Much of that is expected to come through audio, whether it’s over the radio or through podcasts or social media platforms such as WhatsApp and YouTube. In Arizona, an important presidential swing state with a large Latino population, Radio Campesina is leading an effort to empower Latino voters by discussing election-related misinformation narratives and fact-checking conspiracy theories on air.
Ukraine denies a Russian claim that it launched drone strikes on a major nuclear power plant
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A senior Ukrainian official has denied Russian accusations that his country’s army fired drones at a nuclear reactor at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant. The Kremlin’s forces have been occupying and running the plant in southern Ukraine since shortly after the war began more than two years ago. The spokesperson for Ukraine’s military intelligence agency suggested there had been no attack, saying Russian forces routinely fabricate strikes on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. However, the strikes on this occasion were confirmed by U.N.’s atomic watchdog agency, though it didn’t attribute responsibility for the attack to either side. The plant has repeatedly been caught in the crossfire since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and seized the facility.
Brazil Supreme Court justice orders investigation of Elon Musk over fake news and obstruction
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A crusading Brazilian Supreme Court justice is adding Elon Musk to an investigation over the dissemination of fake news and investigating him separately for alleged obstruction. Justice Alexandre de Moraes noted that Musk began a “disinformation campaign” regarding the top court’s actions, including saying the social media platform X would cease to comply with the court’s orders to block certain accounts. De Moraes in the decision Sunday said the “incitement of crime” and lack of cooperation “disrespect the sovereignty of Brazil.” On Saturday, Musk wrote on X that the platform would lift all restrictions on blocked accounts and predicted the move would force the company to shutter its local office. “But principles matter more than profit,” he wrote.
UConn, Purdue set to collide in NCAA title game after dominating in a romp-filled March Madness
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — UConn and Purdue have dominated this year’s NCAA Tournament. Now they’re set to meet for the national championship on Monday night. The Huskies are going for the first repeat men’s title since Florida in 2006 and 2007. They have beaten five tournament opponents by an average of 25 points per game, with the closest margin coming by 14 points. The Boilermakers are in the title game for the first time since falling to UCLA in 1969 in their lone appearance. Purdue is winning its tournament games by an average margin of 19.6 points.
Salvage crews have begun removing containers from the ship that collapsed Baltimore’s Key bridge
BALTIMORE (AP) — Salvage crews have begun removing containers from the deck of the cargo ship that crashed into and collapsed the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, an important step toward the full reopening of one of the nation’s main shipping lanes. Officials said Sunday that the removal of the containers from the deck of the Dali would continue this week as weather permits. Crews are progressing toward removing sections of the bridge that lie across the ship’s bow to eventually allow it to move. The Dali has been trapped under mangled steel in the Patapsco River since it slammed into the bridge on March 26, killing six workers.
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