A new round of Gaza cease-fire talks is starting. Why is a deal so elusive?
JERUSALEM (AP) — International mediators are hoping to kickstart stalled cease-fire negotiations between Israel and Hamas with a new round of talks meant to finally clinch a deal between the sides. But the chances of a breakthrough appear slim. Israel and Hamas are set to resume discussions on Thursday, but they’ve been mulling an internationally-backed proposal for more than two months that would wind down the 10-month-long war and free the roughly 110 hostages still held in Gaza. The indirect talks haven’t advanced substantively during that time and new proposed terms have complicated progress. Meanwhile, the fighting in Gaza rages on, the hostages languish in captivity, and fears of an all-out regional war involving Iran and one of its proxies, Hezbollah, have surged.
Israel-Hamas war latest: Israeli strikes kill at least 17 in Gaza overnight, Palestinians say
Palestinian health officials say Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip overnight and into Wednesday killed at least 17 people, including five children and their parents. The latest strikes came on the eve of new talks aimed at reaching a cease-fire in the 10-month war. The United States, Qatar and Egypt are hoping to broker an agreement, but the sides remain far apart on several issues after months of indirect negotiations. The overall Palestinian death toll in the war has almost reached 40,000, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Americans give Harris an advantage over Trump on honesty and discipline, an AP-NORC poll finds
WASHINGTON (AP) — A poll finds Vice President Kamala Harris is going into the last stretch of the presidential campaign as the candidate more likely to be perceived as honest, committed to democracy and disciplined. Meanwhile, similar shares of Americans say Harris and former President Donald Trump have the right vision for the country, are strong leaders, can win the 2024 election and are capable of handling a crisis. That’s according to the survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Harris has an advantage over Trump on issues related to race and inequality, abortion policy, and health care, while Americans are slightly more likely to believe that Trump is better positioned to handle the economy and immigration.
Presented with rise in border crossings, Harris chose a long-term approach to the problem
WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris was never the “border czar,” as critics claim. She was assigned to tackle the “root causes” of migration from three Central American nations — El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras — that were responsible for a large chunk of border-crossers, administration officials said. The vice president took a long-term approach to the immediate problem, helping convince multinational corporations and Latin American businesses to invest in the region. That, she argued, would create additional jobs and give locals more reason to stay at home rather than take the arduous trek north.
Ukraine claims more advances, prisoners taken as it presses an incursion into Russia
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian forces are pushing on with their major cross-border incursion into Russia’s Kursk region for a second week. On Wednesday, they claimed to have taken more ground, captured more Russian prisoners and destroyed a jet bomber. The commander of the Ukrainian military said that since the start of the day, assault troops had advanced 1-2 kilometers (miles) in some parts of Kursk. He also said that Ukrainian troops took more than 100 Russian soldiers prisoner. The surprise Ukrainian charge onto Russian soil that began Aug. 6 has rattled the Kremlin. The ambitious Kursk operation is the largest attack on Russia since World War II and could involve as many as 10,000 Ukrainian troops backed by armor and artillery.
The Taliban are celebrating 3 years in power, but they’re not talking about Afghans
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban are celebrating their third year as rulers of Afghanistan at a former U.S. air base. But they’re not talking about Afghans. Aid agencies warn that humanitarian efforts in the country are gravely underfunded and that economic collapse and climate change are destroying livelihoods. A grand military parade Wednesday at Bagram, once the center of America’s war to unseat the Taliban, saw senior Cabinet figures laud their administration’s achievements. The parade was also a chance to showcase the hardware left by U.S. and NATO-led forces after decades of fighting.
Donald Trump is going to North Carolina for an economic speech. Can he stick to a clear message?
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Donald Trump will have an opportunity to recalibrate his presidential comeback bid with a rally and speech in North Carolina that his campaign is billing as a significant economic address. The event on Wednesday afternoon in Asheville carries both national and local implications for the former president. Aides and allies say Trump must sharpen his arguments against Vice President Kamala Harris and draw a clear policy contrast, especially on the economy. He’s not done that in recent weeks, focusing instead on personal attacks and grievances. Trump also cannot afford to lose North Carolina. The state gave him his closest statewide margin of victory over Democrat Joe Biden in 2020.
French prosecutors investigate gender-based cyber harassment of Algerian Olympic champ Imane Khelif
PARIS (AP) — French prosecutors say they are investigating a complaint made by Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif for online harassment. The Algerian boxer faced a rain of criticism and false claims about her sex during the Paris Olympics. A statement from the Paris prosecutor’s office said Monday its unit for combating online hate speech has opened a probe. Under French law, it’s up to investigators to determine which person or organization may have been at fault. The prosecutor’s office didn’t name specific suspects. Among those who posted misinformation about Khelif were Donald Trump, Elon Musk and J.K. Rowling. Khelif won gold in the women’s welterweight division, becoming a hero in Algeria.
A strengthening Ernesto is poised to become a hurricane after brushing past Puerto Rico
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Tropical Storm Ernesto is poised to become a hurricane after brushing past Puerto Rico as officials closed schools, opened shelters and moved dozens of the U.S. territory’s  endangered parrots into hurricane-proof rooms. Ernesto is expected to become a hurricane overnight as the center of the storm moves just northeast of Puerto Rico on a path toward Bermuda. Forecasters issued a hurricane watch and tropical storm warning for the U.S. and British Virgin Islands as well as the tiny Puerto Rican islands of Vieques and Culebra, which are popular with tourists. The storm moved over the U.S. Virgin Islands on Tuesday night.
Inflation likely stayed low last month as Federal Reserve edges closer to cutting rates
WASHINGTON (AP) — If the Federal Reserve needs any further evidence that the worst price spike in four decades is steadily easing, it’s likely to come Wednesday, when the government is expected to report that inflation cooled further last month. Consumer prices are thought to have risen just 0.2% from June to July, according to economists surveyed by FactSet, a pace only slightly above the Fed’s 2% annual inflation target. For months, cooling inflation has provided gradual relief to America’s consumers, who were stung by the price spikes that erupted three years ago, particularly for food, gas, rent and other necessities. Inflation peaked two years ago at 9.1%, the highest level in four decades.
