National and International News in Focus: April 16

Israeli defense minister says troops will remain in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria indefinitely

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s defense minister says that troops will remain in so-called security zones in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Syria indefinitely. Israeli forces have taken over large areas of Gaza in recent weeks in a renewed campaign to pressure Hamas to release hostages after Israel ended their ceasefire last month. Israel has also refused to withdraw from some areas in Lebanon following a ceasefire with the Hezbollah militant group last year, and it seized a buffer zone in southern Syria after the overthrow of President Bashar Assad. The Palestinians and both neighboring countries view the presence of Israeli troops as military occupation in violation of international law.

Israeli raids displaced tens of thousands in the West Bank. Now few places to shelter remain

TULKAREM, West Bank (AP) — Israeli military raids in the occupied West Bank have driven about 40,000 Palestinians from their homes. It’s the largest displacement in the territory since the 1967 Mideast war. Some Palestinians found shelter in schools, wedding halls and other venues. But the holy month of Ramadan is over, and pressure is rising to use venues again. Many people have been asked to leave. There are few other options in a territory under Israeli crackdown. Israel says troops will stay in some urban refugee camps for a year. One local man who has been helping the displaced asks, “What will be their fate?”

UK’s top court says definition of a woman is based on biological sex and excludes transgender people

LONDON (AP) — The Supreme Court has ruled that the U.K. equalities law defines a woman as someone born biologically female. Justice Patrick Hodge said five judges had ruled unanimously that “the terms ‘woman’ and ‘sex’ in the Equality Act refer to a biological woman.” The ruling means that a transgender person with a certificate that recognizes them as female should not be considered a woman for equality purposes. But the court added that its ruling “does not remove protection from trans people,” who are “protected from discrimination on the ground of gender reassignment.”

Trump administration sues Maine over participation of transgender athletes in girls sports

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is suing Maine’s education department for not complying with its push to ban transgender athletes in girls and women’s sports. The lawsuit announced Wednesday by Attorney General Pam Bondi escalates a dispute over whether the state is abiding by a federal law that bars discrimination in education based on sex. The lawsuit follows weeks of feuding between the Republican administration and Democratic Gov. Janet Mills that has led to threats to cut off crucial federal funding. And there was an earlier clash at the White House when Mills told the president: “We’ll see you in court.”

Trump says he’s joining Bessent and Lutnick for trade negotiations with Japanese at the White House

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he’s joining some of his top economic advisers for negotiations at the White House over tariffs and trade with a top Japanese official who’s traveling to Washington for the talks. The Republican president says in a post on his social media platform he’ll attend the meeting Wednesday alongside Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Trump recently announced a round of global tariffs but then quickly put them on hold for 90 days after the markets tanked. Japan’s 24% across-the-board tariff is on hold. But a 10% baseline tariff and a 25% tariff on cars, auto parts, steel and aluminum exports to the U.S. remain in place.

China appoints a new trade negotiator during tariff fight with the US

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China has appointed a new trade negotiator in the midst of its tariff fight with the United States as the world’s two largest economies steadily increase tariffs on each other’s goods. The government said Li Chenggang replaces Wang Shouwen, who participated in negotiations for the countries’ 2020 trade deal. China faces 145% taxes on exports to the U.S., while the Trump administration gave dozens of other countries a 90-day reprieve for most duties. Beijing has hit back at the U.S. with 125% tariffs on American exports. China says any dialogue with the U.S. must be based on “equality, respect and mutual benefit.”

RFK Jr.’s mixed message about the measles outbreaks draws criticism from health officials

WASHINGTON (AP) — Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s efforts to contain measles outbreaks around the country have drawn criticism from a number of health officials who say he has delivered a mixed message about the effectiveness of the measles vaccine. Kennedy also has not been regularly briefed on the outbreak by his own infectious disease experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s according to two former federal health officials who would have organized such briefings for the health secretary. In another irregularity, the nation’s leading pediatric organization has not been involved in the response. Kennedy says the CDC has done “a very good job controlling the measles outbreak.”

Do you eat a meal in 20 minutes or less? It might be time to slow down

LONDON (AP) — Experts tend to focus on the kinds of foods you can eat to improve your health. But the speed at which you devour your dinner matters just as much. Scientists say you’re eating too fast if you typically finish a regular-sized meal in less than 20 minutes. That means you could have a higher risk of obesity, swallow more air that leads to bloating or have unchewed pieces of food lodged in your esophagus. Experts recommend slowing down by putting down your phone, turning off the TV and focusing on the meal itself.

The Oklahoma City bombing was 30 years ago. Some survivors worry America didn’t learn the lesson

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Thirty years after a truck bomb detonated outside a federal building in the nation’s heartland, deep scars still remain from the deadliest homegrown attack on U.S. soil. Three decades have not healed all the wounds from the Oklahoma City bombing on April 19, 1995. A mother still grieves the loss of her first-born baby daughter. A son whose father was killed in the attack never got to know his dad. One of the youngest survivors who was injured in the attack still struggles to breathe. Several survivors tell The Associated Press they fear the current political climate could spawn another deadly attack.

Nvidia drags Wall Street down as United Airlines says it’s impossible to predict this year’s economy

NEW YORK (AP) — Nvidia is pulling Wall Street lower after it said new restrictions on exports to China will chisel billions of dollars off its results. The S&P 500 fell 0.9% Wednesday. The Dow dipped 180 points, and the slide for Nvidia dragged the Nasdaq composite down a market-leading 1.7%. Tariffs and other impediments to global trade are raising uncertainties about the global economy. It’s so dynamic that United Airlines gave two forecasts for its financials this upcoming year, one if there’s a recession and another if not. Amid the tumult, U.S. shoppers accelerated their purchases of cars and electronics last month to beat possible tariffs.