A push to identify bodies as deaths multiply in Venezuela after twin earthquakes
LA GUAIRA, Venezuela (AP) — The rush is on across Venezuela’s north coast to identify loved ones before it’s too late. With at least 2,295 people killed in the deadly earthquakes last week, the country is overwhelmed with bodies that officials are struggling to collect, identify and preserve. Many fear mass graves are coming as they search for the bodies of loved ones who died in the earthquakes that struck the South American country on June 24.
What to know about the funeral and burial of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Mourners in Iran are preparing for a dayslong funeral for the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed at the start of the war with the U.S. and Israel. His body will be carried through cities in Iran and Iraq, with the funeral beginning Saturday in Tehran. The funeral was delayed due to the war. It now serves as a test for Iran’s theocracy to rally public support. Khamenei led Iran for nearly four decades. His son, the new supreme leader, has not been seen publicly due to injuries. The funeral coincides with an uneasy ceasefire and an interim deal with the U.S.
Venezuelan security guard pulled alive from building basement 8 days after twin quakes
CATIA LA MAR, Venezuela (AP) — Rescuers have pulled a 43-year-old security guard alive from a collapsed basement, ending a grueling dayslong operation that became a symbol of hope after the devastation of twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela eight days earlier. Hernán Alberto Gil Flores was extracted safely after being trapped since June 24 under the rubble in the basement of the Galerías Playa Grande shopping center in the coastal town in La Guaira. Rescuers initially made contact with him over the weekend. Gil Flores, who worked as a night-shift security guard at the complex, was inside his small security cabin when the first violent tremor struck.
Former Olympian indicted on felony charge over alleged Reflecting Pool vandalism
WASHINGTON (AP) — A former Olympian has been indicted on a felony charge for alleged vandalism of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. David Hearn is a former Olympic canoe racer who was indicted on a single count of property destruction in Washington, D.C. court. District of Columbia U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said he ripped up recently installed sealant and caused over $1,000 in damage. Hearn previously told The Associated Press that he reached into the pool to examine the newly peeled coating during a 64-mile bike ride. Trump has said federal authorities made “multiple arrests” of people he said were vandalizing the Reflecting Pool following a $16-million rehabilitation project he launched for the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Vatican excommunicates schismatic bishops and priests, and warns their followers
VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican has responded aggressively to a traditionalist society that consecrated bishops without the pope’s consent. The Vatican on Thursday declared that the Society of St. Pius X had formally broken with the Catholic Church and it excommunicated its bishops. It also warning its faithful they also could face the harsh sanctions. The Vatican went above and beyond the minimal sanctions foreseen by the church’s canon law to respond to the consecrations Wednesday of four new bishops at the society’s seminary in Switzerland. The Vatican has excommunicated the four new bishops and the two bishops that participated in the ceremony. It declared that the society had created a schism, or intentional rupture with the church.
Iran warns oil tankers to use approved routes in Strait of Hormuz or face a 'forceful response'
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s joint military command has warned that all oil tankers moving through the Strait of Hormuz must use its approved routes or face a “forceful response.” The statement from the Khatam al-Anbiya military command was aired on Iranian state television Thursday. It wasn’t immediately clear what sparked the threat from Iran. Ship passage through the vital waterway is continuing to rebound, even after Iran attacked two commercial vessels last week that circumvented its routes. Shipping data firm Lloyd's List Intelligence says at least 258 ships transited the strait last week, a period that includes the Iranian strikes. That's up from 138 ships the previous week.
The FBI is directing hundreds of analysts to its probe of Georgia's 2020 presidential election
ATLANTA (AP) — The FBI has asked its field offices across the country to dedicate more than 200 staffers to its investigation of the 2020 election in Georgia’s Fulton County. A memo obtained Thursday by The Associated Press calls for the FBI to “surge” 260 investigative analysts and staff operations specialists to the effort. The memo describes it as a “priority investigation.” While the memo does not describe the investigation, people familiar with the matter who insisted on anonymity to discuss internal decision-making have confirmed the request was to help with the Georgia 2020 election investigation. Georgia’s votes in that year's presidential race were counted three times, including once by hand. Each count affirmed Democrat Joe Biden’s win.
A grand jury indicts Louisiana's attorney general in a fight over changes to New Orleans courts
Louisiana’s attorney general has been indicted over accusations she threatened the jobs of New Orleans leaders who fought a Republican-led overhaul of local courts in the heavily Democratic city. The 16-count indictment against Republican Liz Murrill was handed up by a New Orleans grand jury. It charges Louisiana’s first female attorney general with intimidation and malfeasance. At the center of the case are deepening rifts between state leaders in Louisiana, which is heavily Republican, and Democrats who control the state’s most prominent city. Republican Gov. Jeff Landry has promised a swift pardon. Democratic Mayor Helena Moreno was among those accusing Murrill of threatening public officials.
'Right under our noses and nobody was able to help them.' 16 kids found in squalor shocks Ohio town
HAMDEN, Ohio (AP) — The discovery of 16 siblings living in deplorable conditions in rural Ohio has left people wondering why the life-threatening squalor wasn’t detected earlier. Seven were taken to hospitals, including one who was in critical condition when rushed to care Tuesday. Windows and doors at the home in Hamden, about 60 miles from Columbus, have been boarded up. Four people who are the children’s parents and grandparents face child endangerment charges. A defense lawyer is urging the public to withhold judgment and let the case “play out.”
ICE arrests 10,000 in 5 days, a sharp late-June surge in Trump's deportation push
WASHINGTON (AP) — Immigration and Customs Enforcement has arrested 10,000 people over a five-day period at the end of June. This marks a major push by the agency tasked with carrying out the Trump administration's mass deportations agenda. The arrests translate into roughly 2,000 per day, a sharp increase over previous periods. In June, the number of people booked into ICE detention facilities climbed to roughly 39,000. The New York Times first reported the news of the arrests. ICE doesn't publicly release arrest data, making exact comparisons difficult. The Deportation Data Project provided data showing a significant increase in arrests.
