Headline News from The Associated Press
AP Headline News - Apr 24 2024 15:00 (EDT)
AP News, I'm Ed Donohue. Today, President Biden signed a bill that sends more aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. "It's a good day for America, it's a good day for Europe, it's a good day for world peace, it's a real, it's a consequential." And American officials tell the AP for the first time Ukraine is using long-range ballistic missiles provided by the U.S. The Vice Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Christopher Grady says these missiles can disrupt Russia. "The ability of Russians to mass, the ability of Russians to bring true concentrations together to do any kind of counter-offensive that they may or may not be planning, the ability to get after deeply placed logistics nodes." These new missiles give Ukraine nearly double the striking distance. A federal judge sentenced a long-time drug enforcement administration agent John Costanzo Jr. to four years in prison for leaking DEA intelligence to defense lawyers and a bribery scheme that prosecutors say jeopardized drug cases and the lives of confidential informants. There are new rules on flying from the Biden administration. Airlines will now be required to give automatic cash refunds for canceled and delayed flights. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says fliers should love it. "Unsurprisingly, airlines are not enthusiastic about us holding them to a higher standard. But I believe that this is in the interest of the airline sector because it builds passengers confidence in airlines as a whole." Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez denied corruption allegations against his wife, but said he will consider resigning after a judicial investigation was launched into accusations she used her position to influence business deals. In New York, Columbia University averted another confrontation between students and police, but the situation remains tense with campus officials saying it would continue talks with pro-Palestinian protesters for another 48 hours. This is AP News. Tensions are rising in Gaza. An Israeli airstrike late on Tuesday hit a house in Gaza's southernmost city of Rafa, killing at least three people according to hospital authorities. The dead included two brothers. In footage captured by the Associated Press, mourners are seen sitting by the bodies wrapped in body bags, then prayer rituals performed. Abu Tamar Sheikh El Eid, a resident, says, "We were peacefully sleeping, then we heard a sound of an explosion, so we came running. They were body parts everywhere. This is a criminal act. They hit peaceful people in their homes. They weren't military targets." The strike happened, as the Israeli military signals it plans an offensive on the city, where hundreds of thousands of people have taken refuge during the war. Israel says it plans to evacuate citizens from Rafa during the anticipated offensive. I'm Charles de la Desma. The bill President Biden signed today includes about $9 billion in humanitarian aid for Gaza. I'm Ed Donahue, AP News.