Gaza set to hold first local election in two decades
(NYTimes) — Palestinian officials are making preparations for municipal elections this weekend in Deir al-Balah, a city in the Gaza Strip, one of the few places where the Israeli military did not conduct a large-scale ground invasion during two years of war. Roughly 70,000 people are eligible to vote in Saturday’s election, organizers said. The election is being organized by the Palestinian Authority, which governs the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and its involvement is notable given that it was forcibly removed from power in Gaza by Hamas in 2007. Since then, Hamas has controlled the appointment of mayors and municipal council members across the territory.
Turkey passes legislation barring children younger than 15 from social media
(NYTimes) — Turkey this week passed legislation barring children younger than 15 from social media, joining a small but growing number of nations seeking to protect underage users from the potential harms of the online world. The legislation, which the Turkish parliament passed on Wednesday, requires social media companies to ensure they do not provide services to underage users and to offer parental controls for online transactions. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to sign it into law. The measure, which will be carried out gradually, does not specify which platforms will be affected or detail how users’ ages will be verified.
Britain and Spain reject reported plans by Trump to punish them
(NYTimes) — Britain and Spain pushed back against Washington on Friday in response to a report that the Trump administration is considering whether to punish the two nations over their failure to offer full-throated support for the war against Iran. An internal Pentagon email suggested that options under review include withdrawing U.S. support for Britain’s sovereignty over the Falkland Islands — which are also claimed by Argentina — and seeking to suspend Spain from NATO. Some doubt the practicality of any threat to Spain’s position within NATO. The military alliance’s founding treaty “does not foresee any provision for suspension of NATO membership, or expulsion,” an official of the alliance said.
A disputed jet deal and US influence shake Peru’s government
(NYTimes) — Peru’s military moved ahead with a deal to buy American fighter jets despite the president’s public objections, after pressure from Washington triggered a Cabinet shake-up and political turmoil in the South American nation. The dispute erupted in the middle of the country’s turbulent presidential election, fueling debate over national sovereignty and the implications of closer military ties with Washington. This week, a $2 billion contract for a dozen F-16 aircraft was signed by an official in Peru’s air force and an initial payment to Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer, was made by the finance ministry. The moves were carried out without the approval of interim President José María Balcázar.
Kenyan court strikes down ruling protecting right to abortion
(NYTimes) — A court of appeal in Kenya on Friday struck down a ruling that had affirmed the right to an abortion. The decision, which is likely to be appealed to Kenya’s supreme court, holds that abortions deprive unborn children of the “right to life,” which it said begins at conception. “Abortion is not a fundamental right guaranteed under the constitution,” the judges wrote in their ruling. The decision overturned a 2022 ruling, which focused on a teenager who had received emergency medical care after an abortion in 2019. The court ruled then that the arrests of the teenager and her doctor were unconstitutional.
Snowstorm strands 300 vehicles overnight on Alberta, Canada highways
(NYTimes) — A spring snowstorm brought two highways in Alberta, Canada, to a standstill and left 300 vehicles stranded overnight into Friday as the authorities mobilized to bring them provisions, an official said. On Friday, Highway 63 was closed around 1 a.m. and Highway 881 was closed around 9 a.m. As of Friday evening, Highway 63 remained closed and parts of 881 were open, though travel was not recommended. The storm had created rapid whiteout conditions and dropped more than 1 foot of snow. Snowdrifts of 2 to 3 feet covered the highways in some areas.
31 sloths acquiredby Orlando animal attraction died, officials say
(NYTimes) — Thirty-one sloths that had been acquired by a planned animal attraction in Orlando, Florida, featuring the peculiar creatures died soon after they were imported into the United States, many of them from a lack of heat at a warehouse that was not authorized to keep wildlife, state and county officials said. The deaths occurred between December 2024 and February 2025, but only recently came to light. The findings have drawn intense criticism to the attraction in Orlando, which is called Sloth World. Sloth World’s president, Benjamin Agresta, told Fox 35 Orlando on Friday that Sloth World had abandoned its plans to open and would file for bankruptcy.
Camp Mystic notified that it may not receive license to reopen
(NYTimes) — Camp Mystic, where 27 children and counselors died in catastrophic flooding last year, may be denied a license to reopen this summer after state health officials deemed the camp out of compliance with Texas health and safety requirements. A review by the Texas Department of State Health Services, obtained by The New York Times, said the camp’s emergency plans must undergo major revisions in order to receive a license to reopen. The camp planned to partially reopen to campers in late May for its 100th summer — not on the site where campers died last summer, but rather on a nearby site.
While advising Kennedy, top aide had more than $25M stake in wellness company
(NYTimes) — For most of last year, Calley Means, a top aide to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., was advising on changes to America’s health system while running a rapidly growing wellness company poised to benefit from Trump administration health policies. Records released to The New York Times by an ethics office at the Department of Health and Human Services show that Means held between $25 million and $50 million in stock in the company, Truemed, through November as he continued to serve as its president. For months, Means has ignored questions from Democrats in Congress about his finances, including the extent of his stake in Truemed.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
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