An effort to get aid to Gaza by sea is moving ahead. But the first ship is still waiting in Cyprus
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — An effort to get aid to Gaza by sea is moving ahead. But the first ship to test that new corridor is still waiting in Cyprus with 200 tons of food. The ship was expected to leave this weekend. But now the groups behind it said Sunday that it would leave “as soon as possible.” A separate U.S. Army vessel carrying equipment to build a temporary pier in Gaza is heading to the Mediterranean. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are going hungry after five months of war. The push for aid comes as the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins Monday in much of the world.
‘Oppenheimer’ crowned best picture at an Academy Awards shadowed by war
LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Oppenheimer,” a solemn three-hour biopic that became an unlikely billion-dollar box-office sensation, was crowed best picture at a 96th Academy Awards that doubled as a coronation for Christopher Nolan. The most closely watched contest of the Academy Awards went to Emma Stone, who won best best actress for her performance as Bella Baxter in “Poor Things.” Christopher Nolan and Cillian Murphy have won their first Oscars. Robert Downey Jr. won best supporting actor at the Academy Awards, notching his first Oscar and handing the 58-year-old actor a crowning moment in an up-and-down career. Protests over Israel’s war in Gaza snarled traffic around the Academy Awards on Sunday, slowing stars’ arrival at the red carpet and turning the Oscar spotlight toward the ongoing conflict.
Exhaustion, dwindling reserves and a commander who disappeared: How Ukraine lost Avdiivka to Russia
SLOVIANSK, Ukraine (AP) — The loss of the city of Avdiivka last month marked the end of a long, exhausting defense for the Ukrainian military. One brigade had defended the same block of buildings for months without a break. Another unit had been in the city for nearly two years. Ammunition was low, and the Russians conducted dozens of airstrikes every day. Kremlin soldiers came in waves. Then on Feb. 9, a battalion commander disappeared after getting into a car with two other Ukrainian soldiers. One was found dead. The officer and the other are missing. Within a week, Avdiivka fell to Russia.
Youth activist groups jointly endorse Biden. They say his achievements matter more than his age
WASHINGTON (AP) — Fifteen youth activist groups have announced that they are jointly endorsing President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign, backing the oldest president in U.S. history despite polls consistently showing voter concerns about his advanced age. Young voters tend to be more left-leaning than their older counterparts, meaning the activists’ collective pledge of support for the president is little surprise. Still, the combined endorsement could soften the political blow of months of polls showing that most voters — even a majority of Democrats — don’t want him running again and expressing concerns about the president’s advanced age.
GOP lawmakers resist calls to tweak abortion bans. Some say they’ll clarify the laws’ few exceptions
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — In Republican-led states across the U.S., conservative legislators are refusing to reevaluate abortion bans — even as doctors and patients insist the laws’ exceptions are dangerously unclear, resulting in denied treatment to some pregnant women in need. Instead, GOP leaders accuse abortion rights advocates of deliberately spreading misinformation and doctors of intentionally denying services in an effort to undercut the bans and make a political point. At the same time, however, some states are taking steps that they say will provide more clarity about when abortions can be legally performed. Abortion rights advocates say those steps will likely not be enough to solve the problem.
Why the AP retracted the first official photo of the Princess of Wales since her abdominal surgery
LONDON (AP) — The first official photo of Kate, the Princess of Wales, since she underwent abdominal surgery nearly two months ago was pulled from circulation by The Associated Press and other news organizations because it appeared to have been manipulated. Kensington Palace had issued the image Sunday as speculation swirled on social media about the whereabouts of the princess who hadn’t been seen in public since December. But efforts to tamp down rumors and theories may have backfired after royal observers noticed inconsistencies in the photo’s details. While there was no suggestion the image was fake, the AP pulled it from circulation because it did not meet the new agency’s photography standards.
Muslims spot Ramadan crescent moon in Saudi Arabia, meaning month of fasting starts Monday for many
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Officials in Saudi Arabia have declared the start of the fasting month of Ramadan after sighting the crescent moon Sunday night. The announcement marks the beginning of Ramadan for many of the world’s 1.8 billion Muslims. Saudi Arabia is home to the holiest sites in Islam. The sacred month sees those observing abstain from food and water from sunrise to sunset. It’s a period of religious reflection, family get-togethers and giving across the Muslim world. But Ramadan this year comes as the Middle East remains inflamed by the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.
A Turkish artisan has kept the Istanbul skyline lit during Ramadan for decades. He may be the last
ISTANBUL (AP) — In the heart of Istanbul, on top of the towering minarets that dot the city’s skyline, 68-year-old Kahraman Yildiz toils away at a craft that has illuminated the Muslim holy month of Ramadan for generations. Yildiz, a master of Mahya, the unique Turkish tradition of stringing religious messages and designs between minarets, is facing the twilight of a practice deeply ingrained in Turkish culture that is also taken for granted. For half a century, Yildiz has been a guardian of this art form, creating intricate designs that light up the night sky, encouraging faith and charity among observers. However, with no apprentice as a successor in sight, the future of Mahya hangs in the balance.
Portugal is in suspense after an election produces no clear winner and a surging populist party
LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Portugal’s political future is hanging in the balance after a general election that has left two moderate mainstream parties closely contesting the race and an unprecedented surge in support for a populist party that finished third. They will have to wait weeks for a decision on the winner as the counting of votes cast abroad decide the distribution of four seats. The center-right Social Democrat-led Democratic Alliance won 79 seats in the 230-seat National Assembly. The center-left Socialist Party, in power the past eight years, got 77 seats. The hard-right Chega (Enough) party captured 48 seats in an unprecedented challenge to politics-as-usual, underscoring a drift to the right in the European Union.
At US universities, record numbers of Indian students seek brighter prospects — and overseas jobs
As India’s booming youth population outpaces the growth of its education system, historic numbers of students are turning abroad for higher education. India estimates 1.5 million students are studying at foreign universities, an eightfold increase since 2012. No nation has attracted more than the United States, where India is soon expected to replace China as the largest international presence on college campuses. For India, it’s seen as an alarming loss of talent. Yet it’s a boon for U.S. schools, where international students are charged higher tuition rates and offer a source of stability even as fewer Americans enroll in higher education.