AP-Newswatch

UN demand for Gaza cease-fire provokes strongest clash between US and Israel since war began

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations Security Council issued its first demand for a cease-fire in Gaza, with the U.S. angering Israel by abstaining from the vote. Israel responded to Monday’s vote by canceling a visit to Washington by a high-level delegation in the strongest public clash between the allies since the war began. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the U.S. of retreating by allowing the vote to pass without conditioning the cease-fire on the release of hostages held by Hamas. The resolution was approved 14-0 by the 15-member council after the U.S. decided not to use its veto power.

Putin blames Islamic extremists for last week’s concert massacre

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the gunmen who carried out the deadly concert hall attack in a Moscow suburb last week were “radical Islamists.” Speaking in a meeting with government officials, Putin said the killings were carried out by extremists “whose ideology the Islamic world has been fighting for centuries.” Putin, who said over the weekend the four attackers were arrested while trying to escape to Ukraine, didn’t mention the affiliate of the Islamic State group that claimed responsibility for the attack. He again refrained from mentioning IS in his remarks Monday. He also stopped short of saying who ordered the attack.

How the deadliest attack on Russian soil in years unfolded over the weekend

It was minutes before the start of a concert by the rock band Picnic at a massive auditorium at Crocus City Hall on the northwestern outskirts of Moscow. Then, concertgoer Dave Primov heard the first popping sounds, but thought it was fireworks. As events unfolded, it became clear that it was the deadliest attack on Russian soil in years. The massacre turned into a manhunt, with authorities saying they detained four men in Russia’s Bryansk region. President Vladimir Putin sought to tie Ukraine to the attack, but an affiliate of the Islamic State group claimed responsibility — which U.S. intelligence officials confirmed. Kyiv denied any involvement. Sunday was a day of mourning across Russia.

As Biden tours the country and visits swing states, Trump is fundraising and playing golf

WASHINGTON (AP) — As President Joe Biden campaigns for reelection at a furious pace, his 2024 rival, Donald Trump, is behind closed doors. Trump has held just a single campaign event since he locked up the Republican presidential nomination on March 12. Biden, meanwhile, has been barnstorming the country. After Tuesday, he will have touched down in all of the 2024 swing states in the less than three weeks since his State of the Union address. The differing approaches underscore the deficits each side must overcome. Trump faces a serious money shortfall and mounting legal bills, while Biden is working to combat persistent voter concerns about his age.

Supreme Court again confronts the issue of abortion, this time over access to widely used medication

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is considering a new abortion case affecting women across the U.S. Abortion opponents want the high court in arguments Tuesday to ratify a ruling from a conservative federal appeals court that would limit access to a medication called mifepristone, which was used in nearly two-thirds of abortions last year. The case comes two years after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, enabling bans or severe restrictions on abortion in many Republican-led states. A decision should come by late June. Like the 2022 ruling, this decision could become a political campaign issue. Mifepristone is made by New York-based Danco Laboratories. An early ruling from a U.S. district court judge in Texas would’ve revoked the drug’s approval.

Abducted as babies in the 1970s, these Argentines found a way toward their true identity

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Claudia Poblete and Pedro Alejandro Sandoval are two of the 133 “recovered grandchildren” of Argentina. That is, their biological families found them years after they were abducted as infants during the country’s military dictatorship, which took power on March 24, 1976. On their paths toward reconstructing their identities, these grandchildren have grappled with guilt, anger and disbelief. But through years of processing their own history, they now feel closer to a life of freedom and one that keeps the memory of their parents alive.

Boeing CEO to exit in broad management shakeup as manufacturing issues plague storied plane maker

Boeing CEO David Calhoun will step down from the embattled plane maker at the end of the year as part of a broad management shakeup Monday after a series of mishaps at one of America’s iconic manufacturers. Boeing has been under intense pressure since early January, when a panel blew off a brand-new Alaska Airlines 737 Max. Fallout from the Jan. 5 blowout has raised scrutiny of Boeing to its highest level since two Boeing 737 Max jets crashed in 2018 in Indonesia and 2019 in Ethiopia. In all, the crashes killed 346 people.

North Korea says Japan’s prime minister offered to meet with leader Kim Jong Un soon

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea says Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has offered to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un soon but stressed that prospects for any summit would depend on Tokyo tolerating its weapons program and ignoring past abductions of Japanese nationals. In a parliamentary session, Kishida said a meeting with Kim is “crucial” to resolve the abduction issue, a major sticking point in bilateral ties. But North Korean senior official Kim Yo Jong said there will be no breakthrough as long as Kishida’s government is engrossed in the abduction issue. Some experts say North Korea is seeking to weaken the partnership Japan has with the U.S and South Korea while Kishida wants to boost his declining approval rating at home.