Blinken says Israel agrees to a U.S.-backed proposal for a cease-fire and calls on Hamas to do the same
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Israel has accepted a bridging proposal for a cease-fire and hostage release in Gaza, and called on Hamas to do the same, without saying whether it had addressed gaps cited by the militant group. Blinken spoke after holding a 2 1/2 hour meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, and was expected to travel to Egypt on Tuesday. The United States, Egypt and Qatar have spent months trying to broker an agreement, with the talks repeatedly stalling. He did not say whether the bridging proposal addressed Israel’s demands for control over two strategic corridors inside Gaza, which Hamas has said is a nonstarter, or other issues that have long bedeviled the negotiations.
Civilians flee Pokrovsk as Russia’s army bears down on the key eastern Ukraine city
POKROVSK, Ukraine (AP) — Civilians with small children in their arms and lugging heavy suitcases are fleeing Ukraine’s eastern city of Pokrovsk, where the Russian army is bearing down fast despite a lightning Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk region. Local authorities said Russian forces are advancing so quickly that families must leave the city and other nearby towns and villages from Tuesday. Around 53,000 people still live in Pokrovsk, officials say, and some decided to get out while they could as Russia’s army menaces. People of all ages hastened to leave the city, boarding trains and buses with the belongings they could carry. Some wept as they waited to depart, and soldiers helped the elderly with their bags. Pokrovsk is one of Ukraine’s main defensive strongholds.
Democrats open their convention transformed by Harris’ ascendance but facing lingering questions
CHICAGO (AP) — A refreshed Democratic Party is looking both forward and backward as its convention opens in Chicago. The party has been transformed by the money, momentum, relief and even joy that followed Vice President Kamala Harris’ rise to the top of its ticket. Above all, the four-day gathering in Chicago is designed to celebrate and strengthen Harris as President Joe Biden’s replacement. Looking back, Biden will give the keynote address Monday night. Then Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, her running mate, must introduce themselves to Americans after not running a primary campaign.
Biden’s journey: After getting knocked down, he keeps getting back up.
CHICAGO (AP) — President Joe Biden comes to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this week both revered and resigned. Biden had consolidated his party’s support and did not have a serious competitor. But that support crumbled after a disastrous debate in June when his frailties were on unsparing public display, reinforcing his greatest liability — that at his age, he might no longer be up for the job. In Chicago, Biden has decided to get back up and show the difference between stepping aside and quitting.
House Republicans release their impeachment report on Biden but the next steps are uncertain
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans have released their initial impeachment inquiry report on President Joe Biden. The yearlong probe by Republicans stops short of alleging any criminal wrongdoing by the president over his son Hunter Biden’s business dealings. Instead, the almost 300-page report out Monday, before the Democratic National Convention, covers familiar ground. It asserts the Biden family traded on its “brand” in business ventures in corrupt ways that rise to the Constitution’s high bar for impeachment. But with Biden no longer running for reelection, next steps are highly uncertain. The White House has dismissed the House impeachment inquiry as a “stunt” and encouraged House Republicans to “move on.”
Trump will campaign across the country this week as he struggles to adjust to Harris
BEDMINSTER, N.J. (AP) — As Democrats kick off their convention in Chicago, Donald Trump’s campaign is trying to regain its footing after spending the last several weeks flailing to adjust to the new reality of Kamala Harris at the top of the Democratic ticket. Trump had appeared in denial of the reality of Harris’ rise, lashing out angrily as he claimed the large crowds she’s been drawing were generated by artificial intelligence and making racist attacks questioning her identity. The outbursts alarmed allies, who worried Trump was damaging his chance in what they believe is an eminently winnable race.
British tech magnate Mike Lynch among those missing after luxury superyacht sinks off Sicily
ROME (AP) — British tech magnate Mike Lynch and several other people are missing after their luxury superyacht sank during a freak storm off Sicily, Italy’s civil protection and authorities said. Lynch’s wife and 14 other people survived. Authorities said Monday that one body was found, six people remain missing and 15 people were rescued. The vessel had overturned around 5 a.m. off the port of Porticello. The Italian coast guard said that the superyacht had a crew of 10 people and 12 passengers. They included British, American and Canadian nationalities. Local media said a sudden fierce storm that included tornadoes over water known as waterspouts had battered the area overnight.
Flash floods from ‘training thunderstorms’ leave 2 dead in Connecticut
OXFORD, Conn. (AP) — Parts of Connecticut and Long Island are cleaning up after torrential rains washed out roads, trapped people in cars and a restaurant, and swept two people into a river. Authorities say two people died in the storm late Sunday and early Monday. It also caused problems in New Jersey. As much as 10 inches of rain fell on some parts of western Connecticut. Officials say the body of a woman who disappeared during the storm was recovered Monday about 35 miles southwest of Hartford. Crews are still looking for a second woman who washed away as firefighters tried to rescue her.
Heavy rains hit Pakistan’s south as this monsoon’s death toll rises to 209
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Officials say flash floods triggered by the latest monsoon rains have swept through streets in southern Pakistan and blocked a key highway in the north. The death toll from rain-related incidents has risen to 209 since July 1. Officials say 14 people died across Punjab province in the past 24 hours. Pakistan’s annual monsoon season runs from July through September. Scientists and weather forecasters have blamed climate change for heavier rains in recent years. The government has advised tourists to avoid affected areas. Neighboring Afghanistan also has had rains and flood-related damage.
Phil Donahue, whose pioneering daytime talk show launched an indelible television genre, has died
Phil Donahue, whose pioneering daytime talk show launched an indelible television genre, has died. He was 88. NBC’s ‘Today’ show, citing family members, said that Donahue died Sunday. Dubbed “the king of daytime talk,” Donahue was the first to incorporate audience participation in a talk show. The decision set “The Phil Donahue Show” apart from other 1960s interview shows and influenced a format that made household names of Oprah Winfrey, Montel Williams, Ellen DeGeneres and many others. Later renamed “Donahue,” it had a 26-year national run and won 20 Emmys. Donahue lived in New York with his wife, actress Marlo Thomas.
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