DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip – Israeli forces have bombarded cities, towns and refugee camps across Gaza overnight, killing dozens of people. The air and ground offensive against Hamas has widened to most of the territory, and forced thousands more to flee from homes and shelters in recent days. The war has already killed over 20,000 Palestinians and driven about 85% of the population of 2.3 million from their homes. Much of northern Gaza has been leveled, largely depopulated and isolated for weeks. Many fear a similar fate awaits the south. Israel has vowed to dismantle Hamas and bring back more than 100 hostages still held by the militants after their Oct. 7 attack into southern Israel. Some 1,200 people were killed in that assault.
MYKOLAIV, Ukraine – An AP investigation has found that Russian occupation authorities vastly and deliberately undercounted the dead in one of the most devastating chapters of the 22-month war in Ukraine – the flooding that followed the catastrophic explosion that destroyed the Kakhovka Dam in the southern Kherson region. Russia said 59 people drowned in the territory it controls. But The Associated Press determined the number is at least in the hundreds in the town of Oleshky alone. Health workers and others who were in Oleshky told the AP that Russian authorities hid the true number by taking control of the issuance of death certificates, immediately removing bodies not claimed by family, and preventing local health workers and volunteers from dealing with the dead.
ATLANTA – The list of security challenges keeps growing for election officials preparing for the 2024 presidential election. Many of the concerns from four years ago persist. Those concerns include possible cyberattacks targeting voter registration systems or websites that report unofficial results, and the potential for equipment problems or human errors to be amplified by those seeking to undermine confidence in the outcome. New risks that have emerged include death threats directed at election workers and security breaches inside election offices. Republican former President Donald Trump is already warning the 2024 vote could be rigged. Election workers are bracing for a challenging year that will have no margin for error.
DENVER – Flag football’s inclusion in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles only enhances the profile of a sport that’s growing by leaps and bounds on the women’s side. Flag football is already sanctioned as a varsity sport for girls in eight states, with more seemingly on the way. The sport has also received the backing from the NFL, which sponsors leagues, and nearly two dozen NAIA colleges are now issuing scholarships to female players. On the youth level, teams and leagues are springing up from coast to coast and even from continent to continent. It’s also creating a sense of community.
– The Associated Press