Netanyahu says there’s no room for Hamas in postwar Gaza

CAIRO (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed “there will be no Hamas” in postwar Gaza. Netanyahu made the comments on Wednesday. U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Israel had agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and urged Hamas to accept the deal before conditions worsen. The U.S. leader has been increasing pressure on the Israeli government and Hamas to broker a ceasefire, and hostage agreement and bring about an end to the war. Hamas said in a brief statement Wednesday that it had received a proposal from the mediators and is holding talks with them to “bridge gaps” to return to the negotiating table to try to reach a ceasefire agreement.

Spanish wildfire kills 2 people as parts of Europe bake in severe heat wave

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Europe’s continuing heat wave on Wednesday helped fuel a deadly wildfire in Spain while the European Union presented plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under scorching temperatures. The blaze that broke out late on Tuesday created an enormous thick plume of ash and smoke that rose 45,000 feet into the sky, making it the largest registered by firefighters in Catalonia, a northeastern region of Spain. Two farmers were killed while apparently trying to flee in a vehicle, local authorities said Wednesday. Firefighters said that the fire spread at 17 mph at one point as it consumed 16,000 acres mostly of grain fields.

Russia ramps up offensives on 2 fronts in Ukraine as both sides seek an advantage

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — An emboldened Russia has ramped up military offensives on two fronts in Ukraine. That is scattering Kyiv’s precious reserve troops and threatening to expand the fighting to a new Ukrainian region as each side seeks an advantage before the fighting season wanes in the autumn. Analysts and military commanders say Moscow aims to maximize its territorial gains before seriously considering a full ceasefire. Ukraine wants to slow the Russian advance for as long as possible and extract heavy losses. Kremlin forces are steadily gaining ground in the eastern logistics hub of Pokrovsk. Its capture would hand them a major battlefield victory. The fighting there has also brought combat to the border of the neighboring Dnipropetrovsk region.

Military helicopter crashes at airport in Somalia, killing five people on board

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Five people were killed when a military helicopter serving the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia crashed Wednesday at the airport in the capital, Mogadishu, according to Ugandan authorities. The helicopter, a Mi-24, originally belonged to the Ugandan Air Force but was being operated by the African Union peacekeeping mission. Uganda’s military said in a statement that the helicopter carrying eight people was on “a routine combat escort mission” when it crashed. That statement said the pilot, co-pilot and flight engineer survived the crash with serious injuries and severe burns.