HARET SAIDA, Lebanon (AP) – The warnings to flee come suddenly: Texts pinging thousands of phones, automated calls from strange numbers, hard-to-read maps shared on social media by an Israeli military spokesperson.

The Supreme Court has weakened a key tool of the Voting Rights Act that has helped root out racial discrimination in voting for more than half a century in a case concerning a Black majority congressional district in Louisiana. The court’s conservative majority found that the district, represented by Democrat Cleo Fields, relied too heavily on race.

Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad:

LONDON (AP) – In the world of diplomatic faux pas, it could have been a lot worse. At Tuesday’s state dinner honoring King Charles III and Queen Camilla, U.S. President Donald Trump said that during a private meeting earlier in the day the British monarch had agreed with him that Iran should never be allowed to have nuclear weapons.

NEW YORK (AP) – King Charles III and Queen Camilla kicked off their trip to New York City on Wednesday with a visit to the National 9/11 Memorial, where they honored victims of the 2001 attacks and spoke with relatives of those who died.

HONG KONG (AP) – China’s factory activity expanded for a second straight month in April, according to an official survey on Thursday, as its economy remained resilient despite higher energy prices due to the Iran war.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – Billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer is selling himself as a class traitor in his bid for California governor. The Democrat with a personal fortune estimated at $2.4 billion wants wealthy people and corporations to pay higher taxes.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) – Former FBI Director James Comey made his first court appearance Wednesday in a criminal case against him that legal experts say presents significant hurdles for the prosecution and will likely be a challenge for the Justice Department to win.