Plane crashes on the outskirts of South Sudan's capital, killing 14 people

JUBA, South Sudan (AP) – A Cessna aircraft crashed Monday on the outskirts of South Sudan’s capital, killing all 13 passengers and the pilot, the civil aviation authority said. The authority said preliminary reports indicate that the plane arriving from Yei town may have crashed due to weather conditions that caused poor visibility.

China blocks Meta from acquiring startup Manus as global AI rivalry deepens

HONG KONG (AP) – China on Monday blocked U.S. tech giant Meta’s acquisition of the artificial intelligence startup Manus, in an unexpected move to reverse a deal that apparently aroused Beijing’s concerns about the transfer of advanced technology.

Virginia Supreme Court considers blocking voter-approved US House map

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – Virginia Supreme Court justices on Monday questioned whether the state’s Democratic-led legislature complied with constitutional requirements when it sent a congressional redistricting plan to voters, in a case that carries high stakes for the balance of power in the U.S. House.

Editorials from The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post and others

Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad:

India and New Zealand sign a free trade agreement to deepen economic ties

NEW DELHI (AP) – India and New Zealand on Monday signed a free trade agreement to deepen economic ties and expand market access, as both countries navigate mounting global trade disruptions. The deal comes as New Delhi moves to diversify export markets to offset the impact of steep tariffs imposed by the United States.

Iran's top diplomat returns to Pakistan but Trump says the sides can talk by phone

ISLAMABAD (AP) – Iran ‘s foreign minister briefly visited Islamabad again on Sunday as Pakistan’s political and military leadership scrambled to reignite ceasefire negotiations between Tehran and Washington, but President Donald Trump said they could talk by phone instead.

Media dinner shooting suspect wrote about targeting administration officials

WASHINGTON (AP) – The man accused of opening fire at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner sent writings to family members minutes before the shooting referring to himself as a “Friendly Federal Assassin,” railing against Trump administration policies and signaling what investigators increasingly believe was a politically driven attack, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation.

Trump calls for unity and bipartisan healing after another violent incident. But will it last?

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump was somberly contemplative and unusually conciliatory after confronting what he saw as a third attempt on his life in less than two years. He suggested that his personal politics had made him a repeated target, but he also called for unity and bipartisan healing in an increasingly violent world.

16 dead in strikes across Russia and Ukraine

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – Strikes across Ukraine, Russian-occupied territory and Russia killed at least 16 people, authorities said, as the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster prompted fresh warnings about the risks posed by attacks near the plant during Russia’s more than four-year invasion of its neighbor.