August 20, 2024

Daily News Brief

*) Israel kills Gaza civilians as US touts progress in truce talks Israel has killed at least nine Palestinian civilians, including children, in a strike that targeted a gathering of civilians in the al Shati camp west of Gaza City, Palestine's official news agency WAFA reported. WAFA said that "the occupation's warplanes also targeted a residential tower West of Khan Younis in southern Gaza." *) Protesters flood DNC site in Chicago, voicing outrage over Gaza war Thousands of protesters have marched toward the site of the Democratic National Convention on its opening day to voice their opposition to Israel's genocidal war in Gaza, as Chicago officials said they were committed to keeping the demonstrations peaceful. Despite President Biden leaving the race and Vice President Kamala Harris set to accept the Democratic nomination this week, protesters say their plans remain unchanged. A spokesperson for the Coalition to March on the DNC, Hatem Abudayyeh, said, "We have to play our part in the belly of the beast to stop the genocide, to end US aid to Israel and stand with Palestine." *) Putin offers to mediate between Azerbaijan and Armenia for peace deal Russian President Vladimir Putin said on a visit to Baku that Moscow was still committed to its historic role of mediating peace negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Putin said, "If we can do something to sign a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia... we will be very happy to." The Russian leader said that after his Baku visit, he will contact Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to "tell him about the results of the negotiations". *) Civilians scramble to escape Ukraine's Pokrovsk as Russian forces close in Civilians have fled from Ukraine's eastern city of Pokrovsk, where the Russian army is bearing down fast despite a lightning Ukrainian incursion into the Kursk region. Local authorities said that Russian forces were advancing so quickly that families were under orders to leave the city and other nearby towns and villages starting on Tuesday. Officials said that around 53,000 people still live in Pokrovsk, and some of them decided to get out immediately. *) Yemen floods leave 60 dead, nearly 268,000 affected: UN Torrential rainfall in war-stricken Yemen has caused severe flooding, leading to at least 60 deaths since July, with 13 others still missing and a total of 268,000 people affected, according to the United Nations. Since July, flash floods in Yemen have resulted in 36 deaths in Hodeida, nine in Ibb, eight in Marib, and seven in Taiz, according to a UN humanitarian agency (OCHA) report released on Monday.