Former Suriname President Chandrikapersad Santokhi dies

PARAMARIBO, Suriname (AP) – Former Suriname President Chandrikapersad Santokhi, an ex-police commissioner who investigated the 1982 killings of more than a dozen political opponents that deeply scarred the South American country, has died. He was 67.

US stocks drift higher ahead of Trump's deadline

NEW YORK (AP) - The U.S. stock market drifted higher in tentative trading ahead of a deadline President Donald Trump has set to bomb Iranian power plants. The S&P 500 rose 0.4% Monday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.4%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.5%.

 

Clowns take to the streets of Bolivia to protest decree

LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) – Dozens of clowns marched through the streets of Bolivia’s capital on Monday to protest a government decree that limits extracurricular activities, threatening their livelihoods. Wearing full face paint and their signature red noses, the clowns gathered in front of the Ministry of Education in La Paz to oppose a decree published in February.

14 million Iranians volunteer to sacrifice their lives in the war

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – Iran’s president says 14 million Iranians, including himself, have volunteered to sacrifice their lives in the war. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is "deeply troubled" by the statement suggesting that an entire people or civilization may bear "the consequences of political and military decisions.”

Chile's president vows tougher school security following recent stabbing

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) – President José Antonio Kast said Monday that his administration will tighten security measures at Chile’s schools, following two incidents involving weapons and amid growing concern about school violence in the South American country.

Sarkozy says he owes France 'the truth' as he challenges conviction

PARIS (AP) – French former President Nicolas Sarkozy maintained his innocence at an appeal hearing in Paris on Tuesday over his conspiracy conviction last year, saying that not a single cent from Libya helped fund his 2007 presidential campaign.

US reopens embassy in Venezuela months after military operation to remove Maduro

WASHINGTON (AP) – The United States has formally reopened its embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, after the restoration of full diplomatic relations with the South American country following the Trump administration’s ouster of then-President Nicolas Maduro in early January.

Editorials from The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian and others

Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad:

Brazil's dual-fuel ethanol fleet stabilizes gasoline prices despite Iran war oil shock

SAO PAULO (AP) – As the war in Iran rattles global oil markets, Brazil is partially shielded by a decades-old buffer against shocks that is both cheap and environmentally friendly: Tens of millions of drivers here can choose between filling their tank with 100% sugarcane-based ethanol or a gasoline blend that contains 30% of biofuel.