International
UK lawmakers back a bill to allow terminally ill adults to end their lives
LONDON (AP) — U.K. lawmakers on Friday approved a bill to allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales to choose to end their lives, taking it one step nearer to becoming law. The vote backing what is generally termed ” assisted dying ” — sometimes referred to as “assisted suicide” — is potentially the biggest change to social policy in the U.K. since abortion was partially legalized in 1967. Members of Parliament voted 314-291 to back the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill following an impassioned debate. The majority of 23 was less than the 55 when they last voted on the issue in November, meaning that some lawmakers changed their minds in the intervening months.
A week into their war, Israel and Iran launch new strikes
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel and Iran have struck at one another again a week into their war as President Donald Trump weighs U.S. involvement and new diplomatic efforts appear to be taking place. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Geneva on Friday for meetings with diplomats from the European Union, United Kingdom, France and Germany. Trump has been weighing whether to attack Iran by striking a uranium enrichment facility so deeply buried it is considered safe from all but America’s “bunker-buster” bombs.
Food rations are halved in one of Africa’s largest refugee camps after US aid cuts
KAKUMA, Kenya (AP) — Martin Komol sighs as he inspects his cracked, mud-walled house that is one rain away from fully collapsing. Nothing seems to last for him and 300,000 other refugees in this remote Kakuma camp in Kenya — now, not even food rations. Funding for the U.N. World Food Program has dropped after the Trump administration paused support in March, part of the widespread dismantling of foreign aid by the United States, once the world’s biggest donor. Food rations have been halved. Previous ration cuts led to protests in March. Monthly cash transfers that refugees used to buy proteins and vegetables to supplement the rice, lentils and cooking oil distributed by WFP have ended this month.
Russian drones slam into 2 Ukrainian cities, killing at least 1 person in nighttime attack
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Authorities say Russian drones have slammed into two Ukrainian cities, killing at least one person in nighttime attacks. Officials said Friday that Russia’s overnight drone assault targeted the southern Ukraine port city of Odesa and the northeastern city of Kharkiv, hitting apartment blocks. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the barrage injured almost two dozen civilians, including girls aged 17 and 12. Russia is pressing a summer offensive and has kept up long-range strikes that have hit civilian areas. A Kremlin official says he expects an announcement next week on dates for a fresh round of direct peace talks.