ISRAEL, HAMAS BOTH CRITICIZED FOR METHODS
JERUSALEM» The chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court raised concerns Sunday that Israel and Hamas may have committed war crimes during a current flare-up of violence in the Gaza Strip.
In a statement, Fatou Bensouda’s office expressed “grave concern” over the shootings of Palestinians by Israeli troops during mass protests along Gaza’s border with Israel.
Bensouda is already in the midst of a “preliminary examination” of possible war crimes, launched in the wake of a 2014 war between Israel and Hamas. That is the first step toward a formal war crimes investigation.
Kimmel apologizes for joke.
YORK» Late-night comic NEW
Jimmy Kimmel has apologized for a joke about first lady Melania Trump’s accent and moved to de-escalate a feud with Fox News host Sean Hannity.
Kimmel says in a Twitter post made Sunday his exchanges with Hannity have been fun but he doesn’t want to add to the “vitriol” of their spat. He says such animosity is “harmful to our country.”
Kimmel says he hopes Hannity will “continue his newlyfound advocacy for women, immigrants and First Ladies.”
Da Silva backers remain outside jail.
Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva woke up in jail Sunday as the first current or former president in Brazil’s modern history to be incarcerated, adding a measure of unpredictability to the country’s upcoming presidential elections.
Foreshadowing possible unrest in the weeks to come, about 500 supporters remained outside of the jail hours after police shot rubber bullets and sprayed tear gas to disperse the crowd.
The Workers’ Party said eight people were injured during the previous night’s clashes and one was hospitalized. No serious injuries were reported.
“The police cowardly attacked us last night, but we accept that we have to stay outside the perimeter. We will respect it,” said Roberto Baggio, local coordinator of the Landless Workers’ Movement. “We are expecting people from southern Brazil to arrive here today. We are not leaving until Lula is freed.”
Woman blames wind for cocaine.
FORT PIERCE,
Authorities say a Florida woman is blaming a windy day for the cocaine that police found in her purse.
Kennecia Posey was one of two passengers in a car stopped by Fort Pierce police in late March. Police say an officer smelled marijuana and that, after searching the car, cocaine and marijuana in separate bags were found inside a purse Posey had on her lap.
Authorities say they questioned Posey about the drugs. According to the police report, Posey responded: “It’s a windy day. It must have flown through the window and into my purse.”
“A Quiet Place” makes some noise.
YORK» John Krasinkski’s NEW “A Quiet Place” has opened with a thunderous $50 million in ticket sales for the year’s second-best debut after “Black Panther.”
The Paramount Pictures thriller far exceeded expectations to land one of the top opening weekends for a horror release. Directed by Krasinski, and starring him and real-life wife Emily Blunt, “A Quiet Place” is a badly needed hit for Paramount. It’s the studio’s best non-franchise opening since 2014’s “Interstellar.”
Steven Spielberg’s virtualreality adventure “Ready Player One” slid to second with $25.1 million in its second weekend. The R-rated comedy “Blockers” also shrugged off a recent comedy slump in theaters for a solid $21.4 million debut. — Denver Post wire reports