AP-Newswatch

Friendly fire may have killed their relatives on Oct. 7. These Israeli families want answers now

KIBBUTZ BE’ERI, Israel (AP) — Relatives of civilians killed at a kibbutz in southern Israel during the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas are demanding the military immediately investigate signs that some may have been killed by Israeli security forces as they battled militants holding hostages. The military has said it will conduct a thorough investigation of all events that day once the war is over. But that’s not soon enough for some family members of 13 people killed during a violent standoff between Hamas militants and Israeli security forces at Kibbutz Be’eri, along the Gaza border. They fear valuable evidence could be lost as the war — now in its fourth month — drags on with no end in sight.

South Africa tells the UN top court Israel is committing genocide in Gaza as a landmark case begins

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — In a case that strikes at the heart of Israel’s national identity, South Africa has formally accused the country of committing genocide against Palestinians and pleaded with the United Nations’ top court to order a halt to Israeli military operations in Gaza. The allegations were aired Thursday in the International Court of Justice in the Hague. Israel was founded in the aftermath of the Holocaust and has vehemently denied the accusations. In a sign of how seriously they regard the case, Israeli leaders have taken the rare step of engaging with the court to defend their international reputation. Israel often boycotts international tribunals or U.N. investigations, saying they are unfair and biased.

Patriots’ ‘partnership’ with Bill Belichick comes to an end after 24 seasons, 6 Super Bowl titles

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Six-time NFL champion Bill Belichick has agreed to part ways as the coach of the New England Patriots, bringing an end to his 24-year tenure as the architect of the most decorated dynasty of the league’s Super Bowl era. Belichick became just the third coach in NFL history to reach 300 career regular-season wins, joining Hall of Famers Don Shula and George Halas. Belichick trails only Shula for the record for victories by a coach. But this season, finishing with a 4-13 record, was Belichick’s worst in 29 seasons as an NFL head coach.

US is investigating if Boeing made sure a part that blew off a jet was made to design standards

Federal officials are investigating Boeing’s oversight of production of a panel that blew off a jetliner in midflight last week. The Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday that the investigation is focusing on door plugs like the one that came off an Alaska Airlines Boeing jetliner over Oregon. The FAA says Boeing’s manufacturing practices need to meet high safety standards. The plane involved is a Boeing 737 Max 9, and all similar planes operated by Alaska Airlines and United Airlines remain grounded.

US pastors struggle with post-pandemic burnout. Survey shows half considered quitting since 2020

Post-pandemic burnout is at worrying levels among Christian clergy in the U.S. It has prompted many to think about abandoning their jobs. More than 4 in 10 clergy surveyed in fall 2023 had seriously considered leaving their congregations at least once since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. More than half thought seriously at least once about leaving the ministry altogether. That’s according to the Hartford Institute for Religion Research. It surveyed nearly 1,700 Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox clergy. About one in 10 clergy half often thought of quitting, it said.

Ohio woman who miscarried at home won’t be charged with corpse abuse, grand jury decides

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio woman who miscarried on a home toilet and then left will not be criminally charged for her handling of a home miscarriage. The Trumbull County prosecutor’s office says that a grand jury declined to charge 34-year-old Brittany Watts with felony corpse abuse on Thursday. Watts’ case sparked a national firestorm over the legal risks pregnant women face as states across the country hash out new laws governing reproductive health care access. Police said Watts miscarried, flushed and scooped out the toilet, then left the house — leaving her 22-week-old fetus lodged in the pipes. Watts’ attorney says Watts was demonized for a common natural occurrence.

Archeologists map lost cities in Ecuadorian Amazon, settlements that lasted 1,000 years

WASHINGTON (AP) — Archeologists have uncovered a cluster of lost cities in the Amazon rainforest that was home to at least 10,000 farmers about 2,000 years ago. The earthen mounds and buried roads in Ecuador were first noticed about two decades. But only recent mapping with laser technology revealed a network of settlements and connecting roadways tucked into the foothills of the Andes. The 6,000 earthen mounds found are thought to have been platforms for residential and ceremonial buildings. While the Mayans and Aztecs built with stone, ancient Amazonians usually built with mud. The findings were reported Thursday in the journal Science.

Emmys will have reunions, recreations of shows like ‘Lucy,’ ‘Martin,’ ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ and ‘Thrones’

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The 75th Emmy Awards will include cast reunions and recreations of classic moments from a dozen iconic shows throughout television history. The ceremony’s executive producer Jesse Collins tells The Associated Press that the shows will include “All in the Family,” “Cheers,” “Martin,” “The Sopranos,” “Game of Thrones” and “Grey’s Anatomy.” The first such moment will come within the first 10 minutes of Monday night’s show, and they’ll be spread throughout the Fox telecast hosted by Anthony Anderson. Collins says it’s a way of honoring the history of television, and most of the stars taking part are eager to do it.