Jul 17 U.S. military’s Gaza pier, built to carry humanitarian aid, will be dismantled after weather and security problems By Lolita C. Baldor, Tara Copp, Associated Press Critics call the pier a $230 million boondoggle. The military argues it got close to 20 million pounds of supplies to Gaza. The steel pier segments were shipped to the region from an Army base in Virginia. Continue reading
Jul 17 New York town is devastated by tornado. Storms flood the Ozarks and strand drivers in Toronto By Andrew DeMillo, Ed White, Associated Press Much of the U.S. and Canada is cleaning up or still dealing with a new wave of severe storms that have caused deaths and damage this week from the Plains to New England. Continue reading
Jul 17 10 years after tragedy that claimed 298 lives, relatives grieve those killed when MH17 was shot down By Mike Corder, Rod McGuirk, Associated Press Families of the victims blamed Russian-backed rebels for the missile that took down the plane, but Moscow has repeatedly denied responsibility. In 2022, a Dutch court convicted in absentia two Russians and a Ukrainian separatist for their role in the… Continue reading
Jul 17 King Charles III presides over opening of Parliament with trumpets, tiaras and tradition on display By Danica Kirka, Associated Press The monarch wore ceremonial robes and the crown of state to deliver a speech laying out the legislative program of the U.K.’s first left-leaning government in 14 years. The state opening of Parliament is one of the traditional set pieces… Continue reading
Jul 17 To showcase its improved cleanliness, Paris mayor dips into the Seine River before Olympic events By Tom Nouvian, Associated Press It’s part of a broader effort to showcase the river’s improved cleanliness ahead of the Summer Games which will kick off July 26 and host open-water swimming competitions. Daily water quality tests in early June indicated unsafe levels of E. Continue reading
Jul 16 2nd UN-backed contingent of Kenyan police arrive in Haiti to help quell gang violence By Evens Sanon, Dánica Coto, Associated Press The officers arrived in the capital of Port-au-Prince, where gangs control at least 80 percent of the city. Continue reading
Jul 16 Six people found dead in Bangkok luxury hotel, possibly poisoned By Associated Press Police identified the dead as two Vietnamese Americans and four Vietnamese nationals. Continue reading
Jul 16 The Paris Olympics are two weeks away, experts aren’t sure Seine River will be clean by then By Tom Nouvian, Suman Naishadham, Associated Press Triathlon and marathon swimming are scheduled to take place in the Seine, where has been illegal to swim for nearly a century due to pollution levels. Continue reading
Jul 16 Israeli military warns it will begin drafting ultra-Orthodox men, move that could split government By Josef Federman, Associated Press Under long-standing political arrangements, ultra-Orthodox men had been exempt from the draft, which is compulsory for most Jewish men. Continue reading
Jul 16 China, Philippines establish presidential hotline to bridge disputes over South China Sea By Jim Gomez, Associated Press The agreement came after Chinese and Philippine officials dealing with the territorial disputes held talks in Manila on July 2. Continue reading