AP-Newswatch

Entrenched incumbent Maduro is declared winner of Venezuela’s disputed presidential election

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has been formally declared the winner of his country’s disputed presidential election. The announcement came Monday, a day after the political opposition and the entrenched incumbent both claimed victory in the contest. The National Electoral Council, which is loyal to Maduro’s ruling party, handed him a third six-year term as the leader of an economy recovering from collapse and a population desperate for change. There was no immediate comment from the opposition. Opposition leaders planned to hold a news conference later in the day. Demonstrators began to gather in Caracas, the capital, and some attempted to block freeways.

Trump agrees to be interviewed as part of an investigation into his assassination attempt, FBI says

WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI says former President Donald Trump has agreed to be interviewed as part of its investigation into his attempted assassination in Pennsylvania. A special agent said Monday the expected interview with the 2024 Republican presidential nominee is part of the FBI’s standard protocol to speak with victims of federal crimes during investigations. The FBI says Trump was struck by a bullet or bullet fragment during the July 13 assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The FBI disclosed the planned conversation with Trump as it revealed new details about the gunman, including internet searches that reveal an interest in mass shootings and the attempted assassination this year of Slovakia’s prime minister.

2 children dead and 11 people injured in stabbing rampage at a dance class in England, police say

LONDON (AP) — Police say two children have died and 11 other people have been injured in a stabbing in northwest England. Merseyside Police said a 17-year-old boy was arrested and a knife seized after the bloody attack Monday in Southport, a seaside town near Liverpool. Police say the attack happened at a community center where a Taylor Swift-themed dance and yoga event for primary school-aged children was held. A nearby shop owner says he saw between seven and 10 bleeding children run from the building. Prime Minister Keir Starmer calls the attack “horrendous and deeply shocking.”

Israeli military detains 9 soldiers over alleged abuse of a detainee at a shadowy military facility

SDE TEIMAN BASE, Israel (AP) — The Israeli military says it is holding nine soldiers for questioning following allegations of “substantial abuse” of a detainee at a shadowy facility where Israel has held Palestinian prisoners throughout the war in Gaza. The military did not disclose additional details surrounding the alleged abuse. It says its top legal official has launched a probe. An investigation by The Associated Press and reports by rights groups have exposed abysmal conditions at the Sde Teiman facility, Israel’s largest detention center. The military has generally denied ill-treatment of detainees. The detentions of soldiers prompted an outcry among members of Israel’s far-right government.

With DUI-related ejection from Army, deputy who killed Massey should have raised flags, experts say

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Authorities say the Illinois sheriff’s deputy charged in the shooting death of Sonya Massey was kicked out of the Army for the first of two drunken driving convictions in which he had a weapon in his car. Law enforcement experts say Sean Grayson’s convictions should have raised questions when he was hired as a Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy. Grayson has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in Massey’s July 6 death. A U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel issues said Grayson was discharged from the Army after being convicted of driving under the influence in Illinois in 2015. Policing experts say his record should have raises concerns for police agencies hiring him.

Infants’ tongue-tie may be overdiagnosed and needlessly treated, American Academy of Pediatrics says

NEW YORK (AP) — A prominent doctors’ group worries that a condition in infants that can affect breastfeeding known as tongue-tie is being overdiagnosed in the U.S. and too often treated with unnecessary surgery. The American Academy of Pediatrics is the latest and largest medical society to sound an alarm about the increasing use of scissors or lasers to cut away some infants’ tongue tissue when breastfeeding is difficult. The academy’s new report was released Monday. It encourages pediatricians and other medical professionals to consider nonsurgical options for ankyloglossia. The report cites a study that suggests less than half of the kids with the characteristics of tongue-tie actually have trouble breastfeeding.

California firefighters make progress as wildfires push devastation and spread smoke across US West

FOREST RANCH, Calif. (AP) — Firefighters have made progress in the battle against wildfires covering massive areas and leaving a trail of damage in the western United States. The Park Fire in California had scorched an area greater than Los Angeles and was one of more than 100 blazes burning in the U.S. Monday. Some were sparked by the weather during blistering heat and bone-dry conditions. A man accused of setting the Park Fire is due in court Monday. Firefighters increased containment to 12% on Saturday, aided by cooler temperatures and more humidity. About 2,000 people were ordered to evacuate because of a fire sweeping through Southern California’s Sequoia National Forest. Air quality alerts have been issued for Monday in the northwestern U.S. and western Canada.

Simone Biles to compete on all four events at Olympic team finals despite calf injury

PARIS (AP) — A calf injury isn’t going to slow down Simone Biles. The American gymnastics star is in the lineup for all four events during Olympic women’s team finals. Biles tweaked her left calf while warming up for floor exercise during qualifying. She retreated briefly to have the calf taped but then returned and posted the top scores on floor and vault on her way to topping the all-around.