Israel says 4 soldiers killed by Hezbollah drone attack while Israeli strike in Gaza leaves 20 dead
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel’s military says four soldiers were killed in a Hezbollah drone attack on an army base Sunday evening. It’s the deadliest Hezbollah strike since Israel launched its ground invasion of Lebanon nearly two weeks ago. The Lebanon-based Hezbollah earlier claimed responsibility and called the attack retaliation for Israeli strikes on Beirut on Thursday that killed 22 people. Hezbollah and Israel have traded fire almost daily in the year since the war in Gaza began, and fighting has escalated. Inside Gaza, an Israeli airstrike has killed at least 20 people including children at a school, according to local hospitals.
Netanyahu mulls plan to empty northern Gaza of civilians and cut off aid to those left inside
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is examining a plan to seal off humanitarian aid to northern Gaza in an attempt to starve out Hamas militants. If implemented, the plan could trap without food or water hundreds of thousands of Palestinians unwilling or unable to leave their homes. Israel has issued many evacuation orders for the north throughout the yearlong war. The plan proposed to Netanyahu by a group of retired generals would escalate the pressure, giving Palestinians a week to leave the northern third of the Gaza Strip. Those who remain would be denied food, water, medicine and fuel. The chief architect of the plan says it is the only way to break Hamas in the north and pressure it to release Israeli hostages.
From the pulpit, Harris calls out Trump for hurricane misinformation. Biden surveys Florida’s damage
GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Kamala Harris has used an appearance before a largely Black church audience in battleground North Carolina to call out Donald Trump for spreading misinformation about the federal government’s hurricane response. The Democratic presidential nominee didn’t speak Trump’s name on Sunday. But the former president is most prominent among those promoting false claims that the government isn’t helping Republican storm victims. Meantime, President Joe Biden was in the St. Petersburg area of Florida surveying damage from Hurricane Milton. Harris plans a rally later Sunday in North Carolina as she campaigns in a state that narrowly supported Trump in 2020.
This could have been a year of a federal court reckoning for Trump. Judges had other ideas
WASHINGTON (AP) — A year that began with the prospect of a federal court reckoning for Trump will conclude without any chance at trial, leaving voters without an up-or-down jury verdict in the two most consequential cases against the Republican presidential nominee. Both cases, one charging him with hoarding classified documents and the other with plotting to overturn the 2020 presidential election he lost. still loom over the race. Their potential resurgence makes clear that at stake in November’s vote is not only the presidency but potentially Trump’s liberty as he faces the prospect of years of court fights.
Florida neighbors band together to recover after one-two punch from hurricanes Helene and Milton
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The devastation of Hurricanes Helene and Milton is still being tallied as a swath of Florida comes to terms with damage from the unusual dual strike of storms in just two weeks. Some longtime Floridians have grown accustomed to the annual cycle of storms that can shatter and upend lives in a state known mostly for its balmy weather, sunshine and beaches. Some say it’s the price of living in paradise. President Joe Biden arrived Sunday to tour the hurricane damage. Crews continued to reconnect electricity in storm-stricken communities. And lines for gasoline seemed considerably shorter as more stations opened.
China holds naval and air force exercises surrounding Taiwan to warn against independence
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China is holding large-scale military exercises surrounding Taiwan and its outlying islands as a warning against independence. China’s Defense Ministry said the drills were a response to Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te’s refusal to concede to Beijing’s demands that Taiwan acknowledge itself as a part of the People’s Republic of China under the rule of the Communist Party. Taiwan’s Defense Ministry called the drills a provocation and said its forces were prepared to respond. A naval official said forces in the navy, air force and missile corps were all mobilized for the drills. “This is a major warning to those who back Taiwan independence,” the spokesperson said.
Pakistan hosts a major security meeting this week as it struggles against rising insurgent violence
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan is hosting a major security meeting this week, with senior leaders from longtime ally China and archrival India among those attending. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization was established by China and Russia to discuss security concerns in Central Asia and the wider region. But Pakistan’s own security is under the microscope. Frequent and brutal attacks by insurgents give the impression that the government is struggling and raises questions about its ability to protect key sites and foreigners, let alone Pakistanis. The summit comes at a crucial time for the country’s security apparatus.
Ailing and silenced in prison, Belarus activist symbolizes the nation’s repression
TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — The last time any of Maria Kolesnikova’s family had contact with the imprisoned Belarusian opposition activist was more than 18 months ago. Fellow inmates reported hearing her plead for medical help from her tiny and dingy cell. Kolesnikova is one of several major opponents of authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko to disappear behind bars. Her father, Alexander Kolesnikov, says he knows she’s seriously ill but is rebuffed every time he tries to visit her. Kolesnikova gained prominence when protests erupted in Belarus after the widely disputed 2020 election that kept Lukashenko in power. With her close-cropped hair, broad smile and a gesture of forming her outstretched hands into a heart, she often was seen at the front of the demonstrations.
Sri Lanka closes schools as floods hammer the capital
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka closed schools in the capital Colombo and suburbs on Monday as heavy rains triggered floods in many parts of the island nation. Heavy downpours over the weekend have wreaked havoc in many parts of the country, flooding homes, fields and roads. The country’s Disaster Management Centre reported that three people drowned and some 134,000 people have been affected by flooding. The center said rains and floods have damaged 240 houses and nearly 7,000 people have been evacuated. Authorities have cut electricity in some areas as a precaution. Navy and army troops have been deployed to rescue victims and provide food and other essentials.
Indigenous Peoples Day celebrated with an eye on the election
Many Native Americans across the U.S. will come together for Indigenous Peoples Day to celebrate their history and culture and acknowledge the ongoing challenges they face with a focus on the election. There will be events on Monday ranging from a voting rally in Minneapolis to a public talk about the Native vote at Virginia Tech. The holiday comes about three weeks before Election Day. Events will be geared toward Native voter mobilization and outreach amid renewed recognition of the power of their votes. While it is not a federal holiday, Indigenous Peoples Day is observed by 17 states.