Abortion bans raise fears inside GOP about backlash in 2024
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Leading Republicans are struggling to navigate the politics of abortion as they concede — publicly and privately — that the GOP’s anti-abortion policies are unpopular with the very voters they need to win the presidency. But in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis, a top Republican presidential prospect, is leaning in. This week, the Florida governor signed into law one of the nation’s toughest abortion bans which would outlaw the medical procedure before most women know they’re pregnant. DeSantis’ team is eager to highlight his willingness to fight for, and enact, aggressive abortion restrictions. That’s even as other Republican White House hopefuls downplay their support for anti-abortion policies for fear they may alienate women or other swing voters.
Explosive thrown at Japan PM at campaign event; no one hurt
WAKAYAMA, Japan (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has been evacuated unharmed after someone threw an explosive device at a campaign event in a western port city. Kishida was visiting Saikazaki port in Wakayama prefecture on Saturday to support his ruling party’s candidate in a local election. The explosion occurred just before he was to begin his speech. No injuries were reported and Kishida has continued campaigning. Police wrestled a suspect to the ground as screaming bystanders scrambled to get away and smoke filled the air. The incident comes only nine months after former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated while delivering a campaign speech in the western city of Nara. The assassination shocked the nation and a subsequent investigation found holes in Abe’s security.
Sudan’s army and rival force clash, wider conflict feared
KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) — Fierce clashes between Sudan’s military and the country’s powerful paramilitary force have erupted in the capital and elsewhere in the African nation. The fighting raised fears of a wider conflict in the chaos-stricken nation. In Khartoum on Saturday, the sound of heavy firing could be heard in a number of areas. In a series of statements, the Rapid Support Forces militia accused the army of attacking its forces at a base in south Khartoum. The RSF claimed it seized the city’s airport and “completely controlled” Khartoum’s Republican Palace. Tensions between the military and the RSF have escalated in recent months, forcing a delay in the signing of an internationally backed deal with political parties to revive the country’s democratic transition.
Bostonians remember deadly marathon bombing 10 years later
BOSTON (AP) — The 10th anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing will be marked with a wreath laying at the finish line to remember those who were killed, a day of community service and an event for the public to gather to reflect on the tragedy. The anniversary Saturday will happen two days before this year’s marathon and marks a decade since two bombs exploded near the finish line of the race, killing three and wounding more than 250 people. The explosions plunged Boston and its suburbs into a week of chaos amid a manhunt for two brothers who carried out the attack.
Leak suspect yearned to join military but then regretted it
DIGHTON, Mass. (AP) — The Massachusetts Air National Guardsman accused of leaking highly classified documents that have caused an international uproar had set his sights on joining the military from an early age. But more recently he had expressed disillusionment about having enlisted. Two of his former classmates told The Boston Globe that Teixeira revered the military and showed an early interest in joining, and was especially focused in the history of war and weapons. But a member of an online chat group with Teixeira, who spoke to AP but declined to give his name, said Teixeira often expressed regret about joining the military.
G7 energy, environment leaders haggle over climate strategy
SAPPORO, Japan (AP) — Energy and environment ministers of the Group of Seven wealthy nations are meeting in the northern Japanese city of Sapporo to try to forge an agreement on the best way forward in battling climate change. The officials hope to draft a communique for a G-7 summit in May, despite differences over how, and how quickly, to end carbon emissions. The war in Ukraine has deepened concerns over energy security, complicating that effort. Japan has focused its own national strategy on so-called clean coal, hydrogen and nuclear energy. U.S. officials voiced support for that approach, while others want a faster transition to renewable energy. The talks in Sapporo will also focus on biodiversity loss and other global challenges.
Spanish industry kicks off EU green hydrogen race
PUERTOLLANO, Spain (AP) — Spain wants to use its plentiful sunshine and wind to be a world leader in the production of “green” hydrogen created exclusively from renewable energy. As the price of solar power continues to fall, the country is betting it can rapidly build a new supply chain for sectors of the economy that require hydrogen for industrial processes, and which have been harder to wean off fossil fuels. Critics of Spain’s ambitions warn there is not enough renewable energy capacity to replace natural gas and coal in the making of petrochemicals, steel and agricultural products. But others are relying on the country’s vision to implant themselves in the nascent green hydrogen economy.
AP PHOTOS: Behind the scenes as Macron visits China
Between the highly choreographed handshakes and scripted meetings, an Associated Press photojournalist who covered French President Emmanuel’s trip to China wanted to capture the moments surrounding the orchestrated diplomacy. The less spectacular subjects he found while trying to show the other side of the story included security guards in dark green uniforms marching on pavements, young students excitedly pulling up smart phones and a lone woman cleaning the red carpet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing before Macron’s arrival.
Pence: Candidates must run ‘as Republicans’ to win in 2024
NEW YORK (AP) — Former Vice President Mike Pence is ramping up his criticism of fellow Republicans, trying to paint his would-be rivals as straying from party principles as he inches closer to an expected presidential run. Pence was speaking at a Republican National Committee donor summit in Nashville Friday night. In the speech, Pence planned to criticize former President Donald Trump and others, arguing the party will be better served by candidates who espouse more traditional views. That’s according to excerpts shared by aides ahead of his remarks.
US, Vietnam pledge to boost ties as Blinken visits Hanoi
HANOI (AP) — The United States and Vietnam are pledging to boost relations as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits Hanoi as part of the Biden administration’s push to counter China’s increasing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific. Blinken and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Saturday vowed to bring ties to a new level. Their meeting came just two weeks after the 50th anniversary of the withdrawal of American combat forces from South Vietnam that marked the end of America’s direct military involvement in the Vietnam war. And it came as Blinken prepared to break ground on a new $1.2 billion U.S. embassy compound in the Vietnamese capital, a project the administration hopes will demonstrate its commitment to further improving ties.
