Nation & world | South Central Florida Life

Relatives and supporters of the Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group call for their release during rally in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, June 8, 2024. Israel said Saturday it rescued four hostages who were kidnapped in the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, the largest such recovery operation since the war began in Gaza. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

A look at the prospects for a cease-fire deal after Israel rescued 4 hostages from Hamas captivity

Israel’s dramatic rescue of four hostages from inside the Gaza Strip comes at a sensitive time in the 8-month-old war, as Israel and Hamas weigh an American-backed proposal for a cease-fire and the … more

By TIA GOLDENBERG | 6/10/24

FILE - Muslim pilgrims cast stones at pillars in the symbolic stoning of the devil during the annual Hajj, in Mina near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on June 30, 2023. Once a year, Muslim pilgrims coming to Saudi Arabia from around the world unite in a series of religious rituals and acts of worshipping God as they perform Hajj, one of the pillars of Islam. Among other rituals, pilgrims throw pebbles in a symbolic stoning of the devil. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil, File)

What's Hajj, the Islamic pilgrimage, and why is it significant for Muslims?

Once a year, Muslims coming to Saudi Arabia unite in a series of religious rituals and acts of worship as they perform Hajj, one of the pillars of Islam. As they fulfill a religious obligation, they … more

By MARIAM FAM | 6/10/24

FILE - Secretary of State Antony Blinken disembarks from a plane in Tel Aviv, Oct. 16, 2023, from Jordan. Blinken is returning to the Middle East Monday, June 10, 2024, as a proposed Israel-Hamas cease-fire deal hangs in the balance following the dramatic rescue of four Israeli hostages held in Gaza in a major military raid. He will meet with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi in Cairo first before traveling on to Israel, Jordan and Qatar. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool, File)

Blinken returns to Mideast as Israel-Hamas cease-fire proposal hangs in balance after hostage rescue

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is returning to the Middle East as a proposed Israel-Hamas cease-fire deal hangs in the balance following the dramatic rescue of four Israeli hostages in Gaza. … more

By MATTHEW LEE | 6/10/24

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen walks past a screen showing the president of the French far-right National Rally Jordan Bardella at the party election night headquarters after French President Emanuel Macron announced he dissolves National Assembly and calls new legislative election after defeat in EU vote, Sunday, June 9, 2024 in Paris. First projected results from France put far-right National Rally party well ahead in EU elections, according to French opinion poll institutes. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)

Here's what happened in some key countries in the EU Parliament elections

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the EU elections. Voters cast ballots in two dozen languages in 27 countries with scores of different campaign issues. There were some key races to watch in the June … more

6/9/24

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen speaks as Jordan Bardella, president of the French far-right National Rally, listens at the party election night headquarters after French President Emanuel Macron announced he dissolves National Assembly and calls new legislative election after defeat in EU vote, Sunday, June 9, 2024 in Paris. First projected results from France put far-right National Rally party well ahead in EU elections, according to French opinion poll institutes. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)

Macron dissolves the French parliament and calls a snap election after defeat in EU vote

French President Emmanuel Macron has decided to dissolve the lower house of the parliament and to call general elections. Voters will go back to the polls in the coming weeks to choose lawmakers. … more

SYLVIE CORBET | 6/9/24

Iran's hard-line parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf sits while registering his name as a candidate for the June 28 presidential election at the Interior Ministry, in Tehran, Iran, Monday, June 3, 2024. Iran's Guardian Council on Sunday, June, 9, approved the country's hard-line parliament speaker and five others to run in the country's presidential election following a helicopter crash that killed President Ebrahim Raisi and seven others. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Iran OKs 6 candidates for presidential race, but again blocks Ahmadinejad

Iran’s Guardian Council has approved the country’s hard-line speaker of parliament and five others to run in the country’s June 28 presidential election following a helicopter crash that killed … more

6/9/24

Rescued Israeli hostages Andrey Kozlov and Almog Meir Jan arrived by helicopter at Sheba Medical Centre in Ramat Gan on Saturday. Israel said it had rescued four hostages who were kidnapped in the Hamas-led attack on October 7.

Gaza's Health Ministry says 274 Palestinians were killed in Israeli raid that rescued 4 hostages

Gaza's Health Ministry says at least 274 Palestinians were killed in the Israeli air and ground raid that rescued four hostages held by Hamas. The ministry said Sunday that around 700 people were … more

By WAFAA SHURAFA and SAMY MAGDY | 6/9/24

In this photo taken on Friday, April 26, 2024 and released by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, a Russian soldier poses for a photo next to a 2A65 "Msta-B" howitzer at a position in an undisclosed location in Ukraine. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

Ukraine says it struck one of Russia's most advanced warplanes

Ukraine says its forces hit an ultra-modern Russian warplane stationed on an air base nearly 370 miles from the front lines, after its Western allies allowed Kyiv to use their weapons for limited … more

By SUSIE BLANN | 6/9/24

People sit on the beach of Agios Nikolaos from where British doctor and television presenter Michael Mosley, is believed to have set out, on the southeastern Aegean Sea island of Symi, Greece, Friday, June 7, 2024. Greek police say an ongoing major search and rescue operation on the small eastern Aegean island of Symi has still not located British doctor and television presenter Michael Mosley, who went missing on Wednesday afternoon after reportedly going for a walk. (AP Photo/Antonis Mystiloglou)

Body believed to be missing TV presenter Michael Mosley found on Greek island

ATHENS (AP) — Police said that a body believed to be that of missing British TV presenter Michael Mosley was found on a Greek island Sunday morning. A police spokesman, who spoke on condition of … more

By DEMETRIS NELLAS | 6/9/24

FILE - Migrants, mainly from sub-Saharan Africa, are stopped by Tunisian Maritime National Guard at sea during an attempt to get to Italy, near the coast of Sfax, Tunisia, on April 18, 2023. Tens of thousands of migrants are trapped in an increasingly violent limbo in camps In Tunisia, blocked from reaching Europe but too poor to go home, and facing backlash from local residents. (AP Photo, File)

Stranded migrants confront violence and despair as Tunisia partners to keep them from Europe

Europe's efforts to partner with neighboring countries to curb migration have resulted in thousands of migrants being stranded in Tunisia. Tunisia's authorities with EU funds have successfully … more

By SAM METZ | 6/9/24

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen casts her ballot to vote for the European election, Sunday, June 9, 2024 in Henin-Beaumont, northern France. Polling stations opened across Europe on Sunday as voters from 20 countries cast ballots in elections that are expected to shift the European Union's parliament to the right and could reshape the future direction of the world's biggest trading bloc. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

Polls open in 20 EU countries as voting for the European Parliament enters its final day

Polling stations have opened across Europe as voters from 20 countries cast ballots in elections that are expected to shift the European Union’s parliament to the right and could reshape the future … more

By LORNE COOK | 6/9/24

This photo provided by South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff and released by South Korea Defense Ministry, shows a balloon presumably sent by North Korea, on the Han River in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, June 9, 2024. North Korea flew hundreds of trash-carrying balloons to South Korea again in its third such campaign since late May, the South’s military said, just days after South Korean activists floated their own balloons to scatter propaganda leaflets in the North. (South Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff via AP)

Seoul to restart anti-Pyongyang loudspeaker broadcasts in retaliation to the North's trash balloons

South Korea has announced it would resume anti-North Korean propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts in border areas in retaliation to the North sending over 1000 balloons filled with trash and manure over … more

By KIM TONG-HYUNG | 6/9/24

US WWII veteran Harold Terens, 100, left, and Jeanne Swerlin, 96, arrive to celebrate their wedding at the town hall of Carentan-les-Marais, in Normandy, northwestern France, on Saturday, June 8, 2024. Together, the collective age of the bride and groom was nearly 200. But Terens and his sweetheart Jeanne Swerlin proved that love is eternal as they tied the knot Saturday inland of the D-Day beaches in Normandy, France. (AP Photo/Jeremias Gonzalez)

A World War II veteran just married his bride near Normandy's D-Day beaches. He's 100, she's 96

World War II veteran Harold Terens and his sweetheart Jeanne Swerlin proved that love is eternal as they tied the knot near the D-Day beaches in Normandy, France. He’s 100, she’s a youngster of … more

By JOHN LEICESTER | 6/8/24

Kate, Princess of Wales, apologizes for missing Irish Guards final rehearsal before king's parade

Kate, the Princess of Wales, wished the Irish Guards good luck on their final rehearsal before the Trooping of the Color parade in honor of the king’s birthday. Kate, who has been recovering from … more

6/8/24

A Palestinian looks at the aftermath of the Israeli strike on a U.N.-run school that killed dozens of people in the Nusseirat refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, Thursday, June 6, 2024. The Israeli military said that Hamas militants were operating from within the school. (AP Photo/Ismael Abu Dayyah)

Israel rescues 4 hostages kidnapped in a Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7

Israel says it has rescued four hostages who were kidnapped in a Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7. It is the largest such hostage recovery operation since the war with Hamas began in Gaza. The army … more

By SAM MEDNICK and JACK JEFFREY | 6/8/24

FILE - Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May speaks to the media outside her official residence of 10 Downing Street in London, Tuesday April 18, 2017. Theresa May, who succeeded David Cameron after he resigned following Britain's vote to leave the European Union in a referendum in June 2016, sought to capitalize on the Conservative Party's big opinion poll lead and called an early general election for June 2017. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)

Rishi Sunak's D-Day departure is just the latest in a long line of gaffes in UK election campaigns

LONDON (AP) — The decision by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to leave D-Day commemorations in northern France early has caused a political storm that threatens to derail his Conservative … more

By PAN PYLAS | 6/8/24

Temperatures keep rising in the Gaza Strip while displaced Palestinians in Jabaliya camp, north of the enclave, continue to struggle with water scarcity. Families line up for hours under the sun, in front of water barrels waiting to fill up their buckets and containers with water that they need to carefully ration. (AP/ Mahmoud Issa. Production by Wafaa Shurafa)

UN will declare that both Israel and Hamas are violating children's rights in armed conflict

The U.N. secretary-general will tell the Security Council next week that both Israel and Hamas are violating children’s rights and leaving them exposed to danger in their war to eliminate each … more

By MICHAEL WEISSENSTEIN | 6/8/24

FILE - Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico arrives to a round table meeting at an EU summit in Brussels, Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024. Fico, has been released from hospital where he was treated after an assassination attempt on May 15. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert, File)

Slovaks and others go to the polls in EU elections under the shadow of an assassination attempt

Voters in Slovakia are casting the ballots in European Parliamentary elections just weeks after an attempt to assassinate populist Prime Minister Robert Fico. Analysts say the attack that sent the … more

By KAREL JANICEK | 6/8/24

FILE - Iranians attend a funeral ceremony for the late President Ebrahim Raisi and his companions who were killed during a helicopter crash on Sunday in a mountainous region of the country's northwest, in Tehran, Iran, on May 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File)

Iran helicopter crash shows Tehran's reliance on an aging fleet as well as its challenges at home

While the cause of the May 19 helicopter crash that killed Iran's president and others remains unknown, the sudden death of the hard-line protégé of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei … more

By JON GAMBRELL | 6/8/24

FILE - President Joe Biden, right, and French President Emmanuel Macron arrive at the international ceremony at Omaha Beach, June 6, 2024, in Normandy, France. Biden is being feted with a state visit this weekend by Macron in Paris.(AP Photo/Virginia Mayo, Pool)

Macron is hosting Biden for a state visit as the two leaders try to move past trade tensions

President Joe Biden is being feted by French President Emmanuel Macron with a state visit this weekend in Paris. The two allies aim to show off their partnership on global security issues and move … more

By CHRIS MEGERIAN, ZEKE MILLER and SYLVIE CORBET | 6/8/24