Netanyahu hints at expanded war in Gaza but former Israeli military and spy chiefs object

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is hinting at wider military action in devastated Gaza even as some former army and intelligence chiefs call for an end to the war. The new pressure on Netanyahu comes as Gaza’s Health Ministry on Tuesday said the war’s Palestinian death toll has surpassed 61,000. Previous leaders of Israel’s Shin Bet internal security service, Mossad spy agency and the military are among those speaking out. Meanwhile, health officials have reported new deaths of hungry people seeking food. Families of the 50 hostages remaining in Gaza fear that hunger endangers them too, and they blame Hamas.

NATO to coordinate regular and large-scale arm deliveries to Ukraine

BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO has started coordinating regular deliveries of large weapons packages to Ukraine, most bought from the U.S. Sweden said Tuesday that it would work with neighbors Denmark and Norway to provide $500 million worth of air defenses, anti-tank weapons, ammunition and spare parts. It follows a Dutch announcement of air defense equipment and ammunition worth $578 million. NATO says the weapons “packages will be prepared rapidly and issued on a regular basis.” The equipment is based on Ukraine’s priority needs on the battlefield. Air defense systems are in greatest need. The United Nations has said Russia’s relentless pounding of urban areas has killed more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians.

Switzerland’s president rushes to Washington in effort to avert steep US tariffs

GENEVA (AP) — Switzerland’s president and other top officials are traveling to Washington in a hastily arranged trip aimed at striking a deal with the Trump administration over steep tariffs. The proposed tariffs have cast a pall over Swiss industries like chocolates and watchmaking. President Karin Keller-Sutter is leading a delegation to the U.S. capital after last week’s announcement that exports of Swiss goods to the U.S. will face a whopping 39% percent tariff starting Thursday. That is over 2 1/2 times higher than the rate on European Union goods exported to the U.S.

Pakistan arrests over 200 activists as they rally to support former leader Imran Khan

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — Officials say police arrested more than 200 supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in various parts of Pakistan as they attempted to hold rallies to mark the second anniversary of Khan’s arrest. The detainees included the 73-year-old Rehana Dar, who is known for her fiery speeches against the government. Zulfiqar Bukhari, a spokesman for Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, or PTI, said police on Tuesday also used batons and fired tear gas to disperse demonstrators in various cities, including the eastern city of Lahore and Karachi, the capital of southern Sindh province, and elsewhere.