- Monday, 29 December 2025
AP
Ship with Ukrainian corn anchored off Turkey for inspection
The first cargo ship to leave Ukraine since the Russian invasion was anchored at an inspection area in the Black Sea off the coast of Istanbul Wednesday morning, awaiting an inspection.
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Kansas voters protect abortion rights, block path to ban
Kansas voters on Tuesday protected the right to get an abortion in their state, rejecting a measure that would have allowed their Republican-controlled Legislature to tighten abortion restrictions or ban it outright.
Arizona GOP primary tests power of Trump’s election lies
The Republican Party’s embrace of Donald Trump’s election lies will be tested Tuesday as voters in Arizona choose between candidates who say they wouldn’t have certified the results of the 2020 campaign and those who argue it’s time to move on.
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More rain, more bodies in flooded Kentucky mountain towns
Another round of rainstorms hit flooded Kentucky mountain communities Monday as more bodies emerged from the sodden landscape, and the governor warned that high winds could bring another threat — falling trees and utility poles.
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1st ship carrying Ukrainian grain leaves the port of Odesa
The first ship carrying Ukrainian grain has set off from the port of Odesa, Turkey’s defense ministry said Monday.
Western flames spread, California sees its largest 2022 fire
Crews battling the largest wildfire so far this year in California braced for thunderstorms and hot, windy conditions that created the potential for additional fire growth Sunday as they sought to protect remote communities.
Dangerous Pacific Northwest heat wave suspected in 7 deaths
By REBECCA BOONE, BOISE, Idaho, July 31: Authorities in the Portland, Oregon, region said they would keep cooling shelters open through Sunday night as a likely record-breaking heat wave brought scorching weather to the normally temperate region.At least seven people are suspected to have died from hyperthermia since the hot spell began a week ago. The most recent suspected heat-related death was announced by Clackamas County officials on Saturday, Portland television station KOIN-TV reported. County officials said the elderly man died in his home, where he did not have a working air conditioner. The other six suspected hyperthermia deaths occurred earlier in the week in Multnomah, Umatilla and Marion counties.Jessica Mokert-Shibley, a spokesperson with Multnomah County, said the county, the city of Portland and other organizations would keep overnight cooling centres open through Sunday evening. Nearly 250 people used the overnight shelters on Friday night, she said.Temperatures have neared the triple digits in Portland the entire week, hitting a high of 102 degrees Fahrenheit (38.9 Celsius) on Tuesday.The National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning for both the Portland and Seattle, Washington, regions lasting through late Sunday evening, with temperatures expected to reach as high as 103 degrees (39 C). Shawn Weagle, a NWS meteorologist based in Portland, said Saturday that the region had likely tied its record for its longest heatwave with six consecutive days in a row topping 95 degrees (35 C). A new record could be set on Sunday, Weagle said.The temperatures have remained abnormally high at night — only dropping to about 70 degrees (21 C) — making it hard for residents to adequately cool off their homes before the sun rises, Weagle said. Many homes in the region lack air conditioning.“It’s an increasingly common issue with our heatwaves, the lack of recovery at night,” Weagle said. “That really impacts people who don’t have air conditioning. It’s the ‘urban island effect’ — the downtown Portland core has been built up so much, and that concrete is slower to cool down overnight than a rural valley or even suburban neighbourhood would.”The region’s heat waves also seem to be getting stronger in general, Weagle said. He expects relief from the hot weather will come mid-week.“Right now it’s looking like Tuesday, we’ll start to get closer to normal but still in the 80′s, and by Wednesday we should be a touch below normal temperatures,” he said.The Seattle region was slightly cooler but still topped 90 degrees (32 C) on Saturday for a fifth straight day, compared to normal temperatures in the high 70s.Weagle said people should drink plenty of water, do what they can to stay cool and check on their neighbours, particularly older people and those who are at greater risk of heat-related illnesses.Climate change is fueling longer heat waves in the Pacific Northwest, a region where weeklong heat spells were historically rare, according to climate experts.Residents and officials in the Northwest have been trying to adjust to the likely reality of longer, hotter heat waves following last summer’s deadly “heat dome” weather phenomenon that prompted record temperatures and deaths.About 800 people died in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia during that heat wave, which hit in late June and early July. The temperature at the time soared to an all-time high of 116 F (46.7 C) in Portland and smashed heat records in cities and towns across the region. Many of those who died were older and lived alone.
New York City declares monkeypox a public health emergency
Officials in New York City declared a public health emergency due to the spread of the monkeypox virus Saturday, calling the city “the epicenter” of the outbreak.
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Some Appalachia residents begin cleanup after deadly floods
Some residents of Appalachia returned to flood-ravaged homes and communities on Saturday to shovel mud and debris and salvage what they could, while Kentucky’s governor said search and rescue operations were ongoing in the region swamped by torrential rains days earlier that led to deadly flash flooding.
Wildfires in West explode in size amid hot, windy conditions
Wildfires in California and Montana exploded in size overnight amid windy, hot conditions and were quickly encroaching on neighborhoods, forcing evacuation orders for over 100 homes Saturday, while an Idaho blaze was spreading.
In race for monkeypox vaccines, experts see repeat of COVID
Moves by rich countries to buy large quantities of monkeypox vaccine, while declining to share doses with Africa, could leave millions of people unprotected against a more dangerous version of the disease and risk continued spillovers of the virus into humans, public health officials are warning.
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Separatists say shelling killed Ukrainian prisoners of war
At least 40 Ukrainian prisoners of war captured during the fighting for Mariupol have been killed by Ukrainian shelling, Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine said.
Courts block abortion bans in Wyoming, North Dakota
Abortion bans set to take effect this week in Wyoming and North Dakota were temporarily blocked Wednesday by judges in those states amid lawsuits arguing that the bans violate their state constitutions.
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Ukraine forces strike key bridge in Russian-occupied south
Ukrainian troops have struck a strategic bridge essential for Moscow to supply its forces occupying the country’s south, as Russia pounded several areas in Ukraine with rocket and artillery strikes.
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US military making plans in case Pelosi travels to Taiwan
U.S. officials say they have little fear that China would attack Nancy Pelosi’s plane if she flies to Taiwan. But the U.S. House speaker would be entering one of the world’s hottest spots where a mishap, misstep or misunderstanding could endanger her safety. So the Pentagon is developing plans for any contingency.
