After failed coup attempt, many Bolivians rally behind president

LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — Supporters of Bolivia’s president were rallying outside his palace, giving some political breathing room to the embattled leader as authorities made more arrests in the widening coup case. Bolivia’s government announced Thursday that a total of 17 people have been arrested over their alleged involvement in the attempted government take-over that shook the economically troubled country. They include the army chief, Gen. Juan José Zúñiga, who was arrested the day before. The South American nation of 12 million watched in shock and bewilderment Wednesday as military forces appeared to turn on the government of President Luis Arce, seizing control of the capital’s main square with armored vehicles.

68 sick and injured children and companions leave Gaza

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli authorities say 68 people — 19 sick and injured children and their companions — have been allowed out of the Gaza Strip and into Egypt in the first medical evacuation since May, when the territory’s sole travel crossing was shut down. The Israeli military body responsible for Palestinian civilian affairs says the evacuation was carried out in coordination with officials from the United States, Egypt and the international community. The children and their companions left the Gaza Strip via the Kerem Shalom crossing, and the patients were to travel to Egypt and further abroad for medical treatment. The nearly nine-month Israel-Hamas war has devastated Gaza’s health sector and forced most of its hospitals to shut down.

Two candidates drop out of Iran presidential election

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Two candidates in Iran’s presidential election have withdrawn from the race. It’s an effort by hard-liners to coalesce around a unity candidate in the vote to replace the late President Ebrahim Raisi. Amirhossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi dropped his candidacy and urged other candidates to do the same “so that the front of the revolution will be strengthened.” Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani also withdrew. Such withdrawals are common in the final hours of an Iranian presidential election, particularly in the last 24 hours before the vote is held when campaigns enter a mandatory quiet period without rallies. There are four other candidates still in the race. Analysts and experts broadly see the race at the moment as a three-way contest between two hard-liners and a reformist candidate.

Ship attacked in Red Sea in latest maritime assault carried out by Houthi rebels

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A ship traveling through the Red Sea has reported being hit in an attack carried out by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, the latest in the campaign targeting shipping over the Israel-Hamas war. The ship issued a radio call off the coast of the rebel-held port city of Hodeida saying it had been struck. That’s according to the private security firm Ambrey, which added that a warship in the area was responding to the attack. The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center later also reported the attack, saying that military authorities in the area were investigating.