AP-Newswatch

Israel orders evacuations as it widens offensive but Palestinians are running out of places to go

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel’s military has renewed calls for mass evacuations from the southern town of Khan Younis, as it widened its ground offensive and bombarded targets across the Gaza Strip. Tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians have sought refuge in the town in recent weeks. The expanded operations follow the expiration of a weeklong cease-fire. They are aimed at eliminating Gaza’s Hamas rulers, whose Oct. 7 attack into Israel triggered the deadliest Israeli-Palestinian violence in decades. The war has already killed thousands of Palestinians and displaced over three-fourths of the territory’s population of 2.3 million people, who are running out of safe places to go.

Biden’s allies in Senate demand that Israel limit civilian deaths in Gaza as Congress debates US aid

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Bernie Sanders and a robust group of Democratic senators say they’re done “asking nicely” for Israel to do more to reduce civilian casualties in its war against Hamas in Gaza. The lawmakers are warning President Joe Biden’s national security team planned U.S. aid to Israel must be met with assurances of concrete steps from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hard-right government. It’s all but inconceivable Congress would vote down the wartime aid. And the Democratic senators are adamant that’s not their intent, as strong supporters of Israel’s right of self-defense against Hamas. But the fact pressure is building shows the fractures in Congress as the aid debate drags on.

Former career US diplomat charged with secretly spying for Cuban intelligence for decades

MIAMI (AP) — The Justice Department says a former American diplomat who served as U.S. ambassador to Bolivia has been charged with serving as a covert agent for Cuba’s intelligence services since at least 1981. Newly unsealed court papers allege that Manuel Rocha engaged in “clandestine activity” on Cuba’s behalf for decades, including by meeting with Cuban intelligence operatives. The complaint was filed in federal court in Miami, includes charges of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government and other crimes. He is due in court later Monday. It was not immediately clear if he had a lawyer.

Recordings show how the Mormon church protects itself from child sex abuse claims

HAILEY, Idaho (AP) — A former Mormon bishop whom a top church official said committed “sexual transgression” with his own daughter was excommunicated after making a religious confession. Recordings obtained by The Associated Press show that instead of helping prosecutors, the church used a legal playbook that keeps sex abuse secret. Within weeks, prosecutors dropped the charges, and the former bishop is now a free man. The recordings provide an unprecedented record of the steps the church normally takes behind closed doors to keep allegations of child sex abuse secret – steps that can leave predators free and children at risk.

The Supreme Court wrestles with OxyContin maker’s bankruptcy deal, with billions of dollars at stake

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is wrestling with a nationwide settlement with OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma that would shield members of the Sackler family who own the company from civil lawsuits over the toll of opioids. The justices on Monday seemed by turns reluctant to break up an exhaustively negotiated agreement, but also leery of somehow rewarding the Sacklers. The agreement hammered out with state and local governments and victims would provide billions of dollars to combat the opioid epidemic. The Sacklers would contribute up to $6 billion and give up ownership of the company, but retain billions more. The company would emerge from bankruptcy as a different entity, with its profits used for treatment and prevention.

Gore blasts COP28 climate chief and oil companies’ emissions pledges at UN summit

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Former Vice President Al Gore says don’t trust the oil and gas industry to report their actual carbon pollution and he adds that the man running United Nations climate talks runs one of the dirtiest oil companies out there. In an interview with The Associated Press, the Nobel Prize winning climate activist, author and filmmaker blasts Sultan al-Jaber, the president of the United Nations climate talks, who is also president of the national oil company of the host nation, United Arab Emirates. Gore says al-Jaber’s ADNOC is one of the largest and one of the dirtiest oil companies in the world.

3 commercial ships hit by missiles in Houthi attack in Red Sea, US warship downs 3 drones

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. military says three commercial ships in the Red Sea were struck by ballistic missiles fired from Houthi-controlled Yemen, and a U.S. warship shot down three drones in self-defense during the hourslong assault. The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels claimed responsibility. The attacks marked an escalation in a series of maritime attacks in the Mideast linked to the Israel-Hamas war as multiple vessels found themselves in the crosshairs of a single Houthi assault for the first time in the conflict. U.S. Central Command says the attacks represent a direct threat to international commerce and maritime security.

Divers have found wreckage, 5 remains from Osprey aircraft that crashed off Japan, US Air Force says

TOKYO (AP) — The U.S. Air Force says divers have discovered wreckage and the remains of five crew members from a U.S. Air Force Osprey aircraft that crashed last week off southwestern Japan. The CV-22 Osprey carrying eight American personnel crashed last Wednesday off Yakushima island during a training mission. The body of one victim was recovered and identified earlier. The Air Force Special Operations Command says the five newly located remains are being recovered and their identities have yet to be determined. Ospreys have had a number of crashes, including in Japan, where they are used at U.S. and Japanese military bases, and the latest accident has rekindled safety concerns.

Europe’s world-leading artificial intelligence rules are facing a do-or-die moment

LONDON (AP) — Hailed as a world first, European Union artificial intelligence rules are facing a make-or-break moment. Negotiators will meet to hammer out the draft’s final details this week, but the talks have been complicated by the sudden rise of generative AI. First suggested in 2019, the AI Act was expected to be the world’s first such comprehensive regulations. But the process has been bogged down by a last-minute battle over how to govern systems that underpin general purpose AI services like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard chatbot. Big tech companies are lobbying against what they see as overregulation that stifles innovation. European lawmakers, meanwhile, want added safeguards for the cutting-edge AI systems those companies are developing.

AP’s top songs of 2023: ‘On My Mama,’ ‘Flowers,’ ‘Monaco’ and more

LOS ANGELES (AP) — It’s that time of the year! These are The Associated Press’ top ten songs of 2023, as determined by The Associated Press Music Writer Maria Sherman. From Victoria Monét’s “On My Mama”, Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers,” Bad Bunny’s “Monaco” and Ice Spice and PinkPantheress’ “Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2” to NewJeans’ “OMG,” Paramore’s “Crave,” Troye Sivan’s “Rush” and Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves’ “I Remember Everything” to 100 gecs’ “Dumbest Girl Alive” and Danny Brown’s “Tantor,” there were a lot of amazing songs released in 2023. These just happen to be the best across pop, R&B, K-pop, Latin, country, hyperpop and more.