AP-Newswatch

Israel orders new evacuations in northern Gaza, where UN says 1 in 6 children are malnourished

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel has ordered new evacuations from parts of Gaza City, an indication it still faces stiff resistance in areas it said were cleared weeks ago. UNICEF meanwhile says one in six children are acute malnourished in the isolated and largely devastated north of the territory, where the city is located. The report finds deepening misery across the territory, where Israel’s air and ground offensive, launched in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, has killed over 29,000 Palestinians, obliterated entire neighborhoods and displaced more than 80% of the population. Israel has vowed to expand the offensive to the southernmost city of Rafah, where more than half of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million has sought refuge.

The UN Security Council is voting on a Gaza cease-fire on Tuesday, with the US certain to veto

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Arab nations are putting to a vote a U.N. resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza, knowing it will be vetoed by the United States but hoping to show broad global support for ending the Israel-Hamas war. The Security Council is scheduled to vote Tuesday morning. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield says the U.S. will veto the resolution because it may interfere with ongoing U.S. efforts to arrange a deal between the warring parties that would bring at least a six-week halt to hostilities and release all hostages taken during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel. In a surprise move ahead of the vote, the United States circulated a rival Security Council resolution that would support a temporary cease-fire in Gaza.

As the Ukraine war enters a third year, Putin waits for Western support for Kyiv to wither

As the war in Ukraine enters its third year, Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to hope that he can achieve his goals by biding his time and waiting for Western support for Kyiv to wither while maintaining steady military pressure along the stalemated front line. Despite the Kremlin’s expectations of Ukraine’s collapse, however, the conflict has taken a heavy toll on Russia, draining its economic and military resources and fueling social tensions that are starting to emerge despite the tightly controlled political system. Putin has repeatedly signaled a desire to negotiate an end to the fighting, but he warns that Russia will hold onto its gains.

Navalny’s mother appeals to Putin to release her son’s body so she can bury him with dignity

The mother of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny appealed to President Vladimir Putin to intervene and turn her son’s body over to her so she can bury him with dignity. Lyudmila Navalnaya, who has been trying to get his body since Saturday, appeared in a video outside the Arctic penal colony where Navalny died on Friday. Clad in black with the prison’s barbed wire fence behind her, Navalnaya said she has spent a fifth day unsuccessfully trying to see the body but authorities refused to tell her even where it is. Navalny’s team says Russian authorities have said the cause of death is still unknown and refused to release the body for the next two weeks as the preliminary inquest into his death continues.

Biden heads to California to rev up his fundraising in anticipation of a costly rematch with Trump

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is California-bound as he looks to soak up more cash for his reelection bid with a three-day swing through the state. Biden heads first to Los Angeles on Tuesday, where he will take part in a fundraiser as he tries to fortify his campaign war chest for what is likely to be a costly rematch with former President Donald Trump, the Republican front-runner. Biden’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee say they collected $42 million in contributions during January from 422,000 donors. Biden ended January with $130 million in cash on hand.

Minnesota man who shot 2 officers and a firefighter wasn’t allowed to have guns

Court records show that a man who died after fatally shooting two police officers and a firefighter in a wooded suburban-Minneapolis neighborhood wasn’t legally allowed to have guns. He also was entangled in a yearslong dispute over the custody and financial support of his three oldest children. Authorities on Monday identified 38-year-old Shannon Gooden as the man who opened fire on police in the affluent suburb of Burnsville after they responded to a domestic disturbance call early Sunday. The caller reported that he had barricaded himself in his home with family members, including seven children aged 2 to 15 years. He was found dead inside the home hours later.

Long after pope’s abuse summit, victims still traumatized by the system meant to address their cases

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Five years ago this week, Pope Francis convened an unprecedented summit of bishops from around the world to impress on them that clergy abuse was a global problem and that they needed to do something about it. Yet five years later, the system has proven to be incapable of dealing with the problem. In fact, victims, outside investigators and even in-house canon lawyers increasingly say the church’s response is downright damaging to the very people already harmed — the victims. They are often retraumatized when they summon the courage to report their abuse through the church’s silence, stonewalling and inaction.

Ship attacks and downing US drones. Yemen’s Houthis still put up a fight despite US-led airstrikes

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels are still able to launch attacks despite a month of U.S.-led airstrikes. This week they seriously damaged a ship in a strategically important strait and apparently downed an American drone worth tens of millions of dollars. Their assaults on shipping through the crucial Red Sea corridor amid Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip underscore the challenges in trying to stop their guerrilla-style attacks. Meanwhile, the U.S.-led campaign has boosted the rebels’ standing in the Arab world, despite their own human rights abuses in a yearslong stalemated conflict with several of America’s allies in the region. And the longer their attacks go on, analysts warn the greater the risk to the global economy.

WikiLeaks founder Assange faces his last legal roll of the dice in Britain to avoid US extradition

LONDON (AP) — Julian Assange’s lawyers have begin their final U.K. legal challenge to stop the WikiLeaks founder from being sent to the United States to face spying charges. They argued in London’s High Court on Tuesday that his actions had exposed serious criminal actions by U.S. authorities and were “of obvious and important public interest.” The 52-year-old has been fighting extradition for more than a decade and has spent the last five years in a high-security prison. If the judges rule against Assange, he can ask the European Court of Human Rights to block his extradition. Supporters worry he could be put on a plane to the U.S. before that happens. Assange wasn’t in court. His lawyer said he’s unwell.

Capital One to buy Discover for $35 billion in deal that combines major US credit card companies

NEW YORK (AP) — Capital One Financial is buying Discover Financial Services for $35 billion, in a deal that would bring together two of the nation’s biggest lenders and credit card issuers. Discover Financial shareholders will receive Capital One shares valued at nearly $140, according to a news release issued by the companies Monday. Discover shares closed Friday trading at $110.49. Virginia-based Capital One was the 12th largest U.S. bank as of the third quarter. Illinois-based Discover was the 33rd biggest. Both banks have benefitted from Americans increasingly using their credit cards, but have also needed to set aside more money to guard against defaults.