AP-Newswatch

Biden’s campaign chair acknowledges support ‘slippage’ but says he’s staying in the race

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s campaign is insisting anew he’s not stepping aside. Biden’s campaign chair on Friday acknowledged “slippage” in support but told MSNBC the campaign sees “multiple paths” to beating Republican Donald Trump. It’s a critical weekend ahead for Biden. Isolated as he battles a COVID-19 infection in Delaware, he’s confronting the reality many Democrats at the highest levels want him to consider how stepping aside from the 2024 election could be the party’s best chance of preventing widespread losses. Biden’s campaign is calling an all-staff meeting. The Democratic National Committee is pressing ahead with planning for a virtual roll call to nominate the president ahead of the party convention in August in Chicago.

Internet outage latest | Airlines, businesses hit by global technology disruption

A major internet outage affecting Microsoft is disrupting flights, banks, media outlets and companies across the world. Problems are continuing hours after the technology company said it was gradually fixing an issue affecting access to Microsoft 365 apps and services. Airlines in the United States, Europe, Australia and India were reporting problems with some flights grounded. Retail outlets, banks, railway companies and hospitals in several parts of the world were also affected in what appeared to be an unprecedented internet disruption.

Trump urges unity after assassination attempt while proposing sweeping populist agenda in RNC finale

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Donald Trump, somber and bandaged, has accepted his party’s presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention. His speech described in detail the assassination attempt that could have ended his life just five days earlier before laying out a sweeping populist agenda, particularly on immigration. The 78-year-old former president says: ““If I had not moved my head at that very last instant, the assassin’s bullet would have perfectly hit its mark. And I would not be here tonight.” Trump’s address, among the longest convention speeches in modern history, marked the climax and conclusion of a massive four-day Republican pep rally as voters weigh an election that currently features two deeply unpopular candidates.

Drone strike by Yemen’s Houthi rebels kills 1 person and wounds at least 10 in Tel Aviv

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — An Iranian-made drone sent by Yemen’s Houthi rebels struck Israel on Friday, leaving one person dead and at least 10 wounded. The strike rumbled through central Tel Aviv, causing shrapnel to rain down and spreading shards of glass. The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack, which was their first lethal strike in Israel. The Iran-backed Houthis have launched drones and missiles toward Israel throughout the war but until Friday all were intercepted. The Houthis claimed their newest drones are capable of permeating Israel’s aerial defense system. Israel’s military said it believed the drone originated in Yemen but attributed the hit to human error.

Top UN court says Israel’s settlement policy in occupied territories violates international law

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The top United Nations court has ruled that Israel’s settlement policy in the occupied Palestinian territories violate international law. The ruling was part of a non-binding advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice on the legality of Israel’s 57-year occupation of lands sought for a Palestinian state being issued Friday. The full opinion was still being read out. The panel found that “the transfer by Israel of settlers to the West Bank and Jerusalem as well as Israel’s maintenance of their presence, is contrary to article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention.”

Russia convicts US reporter of espionage after a trial widely seen as politically motivated

YEKATERINBURG, Russia (AP) — Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has been convicted of espionage charges that his employer and the U.S. vehemently reject. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison after a secretive and rapid trial in the country’s highly politicized legal system. The conclusion of the trial could potentially clear the way for a prisoner swap between Moscow and Washington. The publisher of the Journal called it a “disgraceful, sham conviction.” Gershkovich, his head shaved, looked calm as he stood in a defendants’ cage in the Sverdlovsk Regional Court and listened impassively to the verdict. When the judge asked if he understood it, the journalist replied yes. After the verdict was read, someone in court shouted, “Evan, we love you!”

From a media perspective, it was a tale of two Trump speeches — and long enough for both

In the eyes of much of the media, Donald Trump failed to stick the landing with his acceptance speech at the Republican national convention. In a speech that lasted more than 90 minutes, Trump gave a somber and emotional recounting of the attempt on his life last weekend, then segued into an address that felt familiar to many who watch his political stump speeches. Vanity Fair said it “gave America whiplash.” The attention of the political press now turns to who will oppose Trump.

Obama’s dilemma: Balancing Democrats’ worry about Biden and maintaining influence with president

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Barack Obama has found himself in a vexing position as his old running mate Joe Biden negotiates one of the most sensitive political moments for the Democratic Party in decades. Obama in recent days has taken calls from congressional leaders, Democratic governors and key donors in which he has shared their uneasiness about the prospect of Biden’s campaign following his calamitous June 27 debate performance against Donald Trump. But even as Obama has listened to Democrats’ concerns, he has insisted in those conversations that the decision whether to remain in the race is only for Biden to make. That’s according to several people familiar with the matter who requested anonymity to discuss the private discussions.

Majority of Democrats think Kamala Harris would make a good president, AP-NORC poll shows

WASHINGTON (AP) — As President Joe Biden faces a growing drumbeat of pressure to drop his reelection bid, most Democrats think his vice president would make a good president herself. The new poll from the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that about 6 in 10 Democrats believe Kamala Harris would do a good job in the top slot. About 2 in 10 Democrats don’t believe she would, and another 2 in 10 say they don’t know enough to say. Since Biden’s massive debate debacle on June 27, many Democrats have privately and even openly looked to Harris to step in and succeed Biden as the party’s presidential nominee.

Vietnam Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong, the country’s most powerful leader, dies at age 80

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party and the country’s most powerful politician, has died following months of ill health. He was 80. The Nhan Dan newspaper says Trong died Friday “due to old age and serious illness.” Trong had dominated Vietnamese politics since 2011, when he was elected party chief. During his tenure, he worked to consolidate the Communist Party’s power in Vietnam’s single-party political system. Born in 1944 in Hanoi, Trong was a Marxist-Leninist ideologue who earned a degree in philosophy before becoming a member of the Communist Party at the age of 22. He viewed corruption as the single gravest threat in maintaining the party’s legitimacy.