TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel has hailed the success of its defenses in the face of an unprecedented attack by Iran. Officials said Sunday that Israel and its allies have intercepted 99% of more than 300 drones and missiles launched toward its territory and sustained little damage. But tensions remain high, amid fears of further escalation in the event of a possible Israeli counter-strike. U.S. President Joe Biden said he would convene a meeting of the Group of Seven advanced democracies to coordinate a united diplomatic response. The language indicated that the U.S. does not want Iran’s assault to spiral into a broader military conflict.
US helps Israel shoot down ‘nearly all’ Iran-launched attack drones as Biden vows support
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is lauding American forces who helped Israel down “nearly all” of the drones and missiles fired by Iran. He is also vowing to coordinate a global response to Tehran’s unprecedented attack. With regional tensions at their highest since the Israel-Hamas war began six months ago, Biden on Saturday pledged that American support for Israel’s defense against attacks by Iran and its proxies is “ironclad.” The attack marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel. Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu late Saturday. The president says he will convene a meeting of the Group of Seven advanced democracies on Sunday “to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran’s brazen attack.”
Israel’s multilayered air-defense system protected it from Iran’s drone and missile strike
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s multilayered air-defense system is credited with protecting the country from serious damage or casualties from an Iranian strike by more than 300 drones and ballistic missiles.
Trump goes after the judge and prosecutors in his hush money case in last rally before trial begins
SCHNECKSVILLE, Pa. (AP) — Former President Donald Trump lit into New York prosecutors and the criminal hush money case they brought against him during his last rally before what he called a “communist show trial” begins Monday. Trump spoke on Saturday as Israel was fighting off a retaliatory drone attack from Iran that threatened to tip into a regional war in the Middle East. After a short mention of the attack, which he claimed wouldn’t have happened if he were president, Trump turned to an extended tirade against his own legal troubles.
CHICAGO (AP) — Eight people were shot including a young girl who was killed in what Chicago police believe was gang-related violence on the city’s South Side. The 7-year-old girl was shot in the head and died, while a 1-year-old boy and a 7-year-old boy were each shot multiple times and listed in critical condition on Saturday night. Chicago Police Department Deputy Chief Don Jerome says the adult victims were between the ages of 19 and 40. The victims were standing outside at a family gathering at the time of the shooting around 9 p.m. and were transported to area hospitals by the Chicago Fire Department. Jerome says the investigation is preliminary but witness accounts described two possible shooters on foot. He says the shooting was not random.
Officer, bystanders hailed for confronting and stopping a man who killed 6 at a Sydney shopping mall
SYDNEY (AP) — A police officer and several bystanders are being hailed for running “towards danger” to confront the attacker who stabbed and killed six people at a suburban Sydney shopping center. The shopping mall, one of the country’s busiest, was a hub of activity on Saturday afternoon when 40-year-old Joel Cauchi used a knife to kill five women and one man. He also injured at least a dozen others before a police officer shot him dead. Police confirmed Sunday Cauchi had a history of mental illness and investigators weren’t treating the attack as terrorism-related. New South Wales premier and the country’s prime minister praised officer Amy Scott who shot Cauchi dead as well as others who confronted him.
World paid little attention to Sudan’s war for a year. Now aid groups warn of mass death from hunger
CAIRO (AP) — Sudan has been torn by war for a year now, torn by fighting between the military and the notorious paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The conflict has been overshadowed by the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza Strip. But relief workers warn Sudan is hurtling towards a calamity of starvation, with potential mass death in coming months. Food production and distribution networks have broken down and aid agencies are unable to reach the worst-stricken regions. At the same time, the conflict has brought widespread reports of atrocities including killings, displacement and rape, particularly in the area of the capital and the western region of Darfur.
Venezuelans living abroad want to vote for president this year but can’t meet absentee requirements
MEXICO CITY (AP) — More than half of the estimated 7.7 million Venezuelans who have left their homeland during the complex crisis that has marked Nicolás Maduro’s 11-year presidency are estimated to be registered to vote in Venezuela. But of all the Venezuelans fanned out around the world, including those who emigrated before the crisis, government figures show only about 107,000 are registered to vote outside the South American country. That’s because of costly and time-consuming government prerequisites that are nowhere to be found in Venezuela’s election law. Analysts and emigrants assert people who left Venezuela during the crisis would almost certainly vote against Maduro if given the chance.
NEW YORK (AP) — Artist and award-winning children’s book author Faith Ringgold has died. Her daughter, Barbara Wallace, told the New York Times that Ringgold died Saturday. She was 93 Ringgold was celebrated for her story quilts that combine painting, fabric and storytelling in addressing issues of race and gender. Her rise to prominence as a Black female artist wasn’t easy. Ringgold became a social activist who frequently protested the overwhelming whiteness in American museums during the 1970s and ’80s. Ringgold’s highly personal works of art can be found in private and public collections around the country and beyond.
Scottie Scheffler leads Masters by 1 shot on a wild day of movement
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Scottie Scheffler has the lead in the Masters after a wild Saturday at Augusta National. And it wasn’t even blowing as hard as the day before. Scheffler had one last birdie for a 71 to give him a one-shot lead over Collin Morikawa going into the final round. They were among six players who had a share of the lead at one point. There were charges and collapses. Bryson DeChambeau made double bogey on the 15th and holed out from the fairway for birdie on the last hole. Tiger Woods had an 82, his worst score in a major.…Read more by AP
