Federal judges have selected new congressional lines for Alabama ensuring a second district where Black voters comprise a substantial portion of the electorate

Russia’s drone strike in western Ukraine likely targeted the Khmelnytskyi nuclear power station, president Volodymyr Zelensky said. He said the strike on Wednesday presented yet more evidence that tougher sanctions were needed against Russia and its dangerous acts that bypass international sanctions. At least 20 people were injured in the attacks in Khmelnytskyi region that also led to shattered windows at the nuclear power plant and nearby sites, and destroyed power lines, causing outages, Ukrainian officials said. Power was temporarily cut to some off-site radiation monitoring stations at the power plant and hundreds of buildings in the area sustained damage. “It is highly likely that the target for these drones was the Khmelnytskyi nuclear power plant – the shockwave from the explosion shattered windows, including those on the territory of the NPP [nuclear power plant],” Mr Zelensky said in his nightly video address. “Every Russian strike, especially ones as audacious as those targeting nuclear plants and other critical facilities, is an argument that the pressure on the terrorist state is insufficient,” he said. He said the assessment of the drones used in the attack showed their “missiles, originate from various countries, various companies, including Western ones”. The International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN’s nuclear watchdog, said blasts from the drone attack did not affect the plant’s operations or its connection to the grid, but raised concerns over the proximity of the attack to the plant. “The fact that numerous windows at the site were destroyed shows just how close it was. Next time, we may not be so fortunate,” said IAEA director general Rafael Grossi. Some 1,700 buildings in the area sustained damage. These included 282 apartment blocks, more than 1,400 private homes, 41 educational institutions and six healthcare buildings, regional governor Serhiy Tyurin said. The incident also caused damage to power lines, affecting over 1,800 consumers in the neighbouring towns of Netishyn and Slavuta, resulting in power outages. The Ukrainian air force repelled all 11 Russian drone attacks overnight, the military said, adding that the damage was caused by blast waves and falling debris. "At night, the enemy struck territory near the Khmelnytskyi nuclear power plant. As a result of the explosion, windows in administrative and laboratory buildings have been damaged," the energy ministry said on the Telegram messaging app. Earlier, the Ukrainian president said Kyiv was preparing for the attacks on their energy infrastructure not only to defend but to respond, ahead of the second winter of the Kremlin’s invasion of the country. “We are preparing for terrorist attacks on our energy infrastructure,” Mr Zelensky said. “This year we will not only defend ourselves, but also respond.” Russia has launched assaults on the Ukrainian cities of Kupiansk in the north and Avdiivka, seeking to besiege the strategic grounds on the battlefield. Read More Ukraine-Russia war - live: Putin turns to new weapon for winter attacks as bombing of Avdiivka continues Russian forces simulate nuclear strike as upper house rescinds ratification of test-ban treaty Study finds ‘deepfakes’ from Ukraine war undermining trust in conflict footage

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A cease-fire agreement between the Hamas militant group and Israel has been confirmed by both parties, along with Washington and Qatar, which helped broker the deal that would bring a temporary halt to the devastating war that is now in its seventh week. The Israeli government said that under an outline of the deal, Hamas is to free at least 50 of the roughly 240 hostages taken in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack over a four-day period. Qatar, which mediates with Hamas, later confirmed the deal, saying the start time will be announced in the next 24 hours and that it will last for four days. The agreement will bring the first respite to war-weary Palestinians in Gaza, where more than 11,000 people have been killed, according to health authorities. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said before the Cabinet voted early Wednesday that the war would continue even if a deal was reached. Some 1,200 people have been killed in Israel, mostly during the initial incursion by Hamas. Currently: — Truce deal raises hopes of freeing hostages in Gaza and halting worst Mideast violence in decades — South African lawmakers vote in favor of closing Israel’s embassy and cutting diplomatic ties. — Bahrain government websites are briefly inaccessible after a cyberattack over the Israel-Hamas war. — Gaza health officials say they lost the ability to count dead as Israeli offensive intensifies — Find more of AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war Here’s what's happening in the war: US STRIKES BACK AT IRAN-BACKED MILITANTS IN IRAQ Baghdad — The United States military said Wednesday that it had carried out strikes against Iran-backed groups in Iraq that have launched attacks on U.S. forces. Two officials with Iranian-backed militias in Iraq said the strikes hit three locations in the area of Jurf al-Sakhar south of Baghdad, killing five members of the Kataeb Hezbollah militant group and wounding seven. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. Iranian-backed militants have launched dozens of attacks on bases and facilities housing U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria since Oct. 17. While most of the more than five dozen attacks have been ineffective, at least 60 U.S. personnel have reported minor injuries. The militant groups have said that the strikes are in retaliation for U.S. support of Israel in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. The U.S. Central Command said in a statement Wednesday that its forces had “conducted discrete, precision strikes against two facilities in Iraq … in direct response to the attacks against U.S. and Coalition forces by Iran and Iran-backed groups,” including one on Tuesday involving the use of close-range ballistic missiles. ___ Qassim Abdul-Zahra reported from Baghdad. FRANCE IS HOPEFUL ITS NATIONALS WILL BE AMONG THE FIRST RELEASED UNDER DEAL PARIS — France’s foreign minister says she’s hopeful that French nationals will be among the first hostages released as part of a truce deal between Israel and Hamas. “We hope that French nationals are among them and even, if possible, among the first group that will be released,” the minister, Catherine Colonna, said Wednesday morning on France Inter radio. “We are working for that.” France counts eight people missing, some of them confirmed as hostages, from the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas militants that ignited their latest and deadliest war. France also counts 40 killed in the attack. Colonna said that not all the hostages taken on Oct. 7 were captured by Hamas. But she said that in the course of negotiations, the militant group has said that “it could assemble together all of the hostages.” THE RED CROSS STANDS BY TO ASSIST ANY SWAP DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The International Committee of the Red Cross says it is standing by to assist any swap in the Israel-Hamas war. “Currently, we are actively engaged in talks with the parties to help carry out any humanitarian agreement they reach,” the Red Cross said. “As a neutral intermediary, it is important to clarify that we are not part of the negotiations, and we do not make decisions on the substance of it. Our role is to facilitate the implementation, once the parties agree.” Read More Israel and Hamas have reached a deal on a cease-fire and hostages. What does it look like? Cameron welcomes Israel-Hamas truce which paves way for hostage release Coldplay concert in Malaysia can be stopped by organizers if the band misbehaves, government says Truce deal raises hopes of freeing hostages in Gaza and halting worst Mideast violence in decades At least 50 hostages to be freed in deal for four-day ceasefire – follow live Fifty hostages in Gaza to be freed in Israel and Hamas deal after weeks of talks

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Authorities in Greece have issued fresh evacuation orders for parts of Corfu as wildfires erupted on the island. Fires in Rhodes have already forced 19,000 people to leave their homes as holidaymakers said they walked for miles in scorching heat to reach safety. "The smoke was coming. So we all set off on foot. I walked 12 miles (19 km) in this heat yesterday. It took me four hours," British tourist Chris Freestone told the Reuters News Agency. Sea evacuations have now begun from a beach in Corfu to transport individuals fleeing from the fires on the island. Around 59 people were evacuated from Nissaki Beach on the northwest coast, the Greek Coast Guard has said. The evacuation was carried out using six coast guard vessels and nine private vessels. People in Santa, Megoula, Porta, Palia Perithia and Sinies were told to evacuate to Kasiopi due to the raging fires. The Greek government’s Emergency Communication Service has said: “In Rhodes, the Civil Protection forces continue to fight the flames non-stop. Since the first light of day, 10 aircraft, and 8 helicopters, of which 2 are coordinating, have taken off and are operating consecutively. “Regarding the ground forces, there are 266 firefighters, 16 groups of infantry departments, 49 firefighting water vehicles, as well as hundreds of volunteers who support the efforts of the firefighters.” As the wildfires rage on, here is everything you need to know about how a wildfire evacuation protocol works What is a wildfire? The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) describe a wildfire as: “Any unplanned and uncontrolled wildland fire that, regardless of ignition source, may require suppression response or other action according to agency policy.” How long does a wildfire last? The National Operational Guidance (NOG) has said a wildfire will burn over a period of time in areas that provide the space over which the fire can move. The NOG said the behaviour of the wildfire is dependent on a number of variables, these include: “its movement across the landscape” which “brings instability within the fire environment caused by changes to the available fuel” as well as “its combustibility and arrangement, the shape of the topography and the effects of weather.” According to the Guinness World Records, the longest wildfire was the Chinchaga Fire in 1950 which grew out of control and ended five months later on 31 October in Alberta - in that time, it burned approximately 1.2 million hectares (3 million acres) of boreal forest. When should you evacuate? According to Readyforwildfire.org, people should leave as soon as an evacuation is recommended by emergency services. Make sure you leave as soon as you receive the news and do not wait for authorities to come to you or to be ordered directly by authorities to leave. “Evacuating the forest fire area early also helps firefighters keep roads clear of congestion, and lets them move more freely to do their job. In an intense wildfire, they will not have time to knock on every door. If you are advised to leave, don’t hesitate,” readyforwildfire.org has said on its website. Here are some steps you can take: Emergency services will know exactly which areas will need to be evacuated and which escape routes you can take, so be on high alert. Be sure to follow the orders authorities give you. Always stay informed, you can do this by checking the latest on your phone, on social media, radio or television. Officials may direct you to a temporary assembly point, where you will be transferred to a safe location. Readyforwildfire.org has said on its website that people should not return to their homes until fire officials determine it is safe. “Notification that it is safe to return home will be given as soon as possible considering safety and accessibility,” it added. Does the UK government help if you’re affected by a crisis abroad? The official government website has said the help the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) can give may be limited. It said before you travel you should: Make sure you are covered by travel insurance. Find out if your holiday is financially protected and what your flights are during your holiday. There has been a Crisis Management Unit set up to respond to the situation in Rhodes. They can be contacted at +30 210 368 1730 / +30 210 3681259 / +30 210 3681350. However, people have been advised to contact their airline or travel operator who can assist with a return to the UK. The government website has also said during hot temperatures, people should take extra caution and follow NHS guidelines on how to cope during hot weather. What have airlines said? Jet2 and Tui have cancelled all flights to Rhodes. The Jet2 planes were scheduled to depart full of tourists bound for the Greek island. But the planes were empty and will be used to evacuate holidaymakers fleeing the blaze. On Sunday (23 July), Jet 2 put out a statement on Twitter and said they are “keeping the situation under constant review”. In its full statement, the airline said: “The situation in Rhodes continues to evolve quickly and our absolute priority is the health, safety and well-being of customers and colleagues in the affected areas. We can confirm that: Our in-resort teams are working hard to comply with the guidance of local authorities, and we are continuing to bring more customer helpers and local authorities colleagues to the area.” The airline said it will continue to ask customers in affected areas to follow the advice of the local authorities, as well as “staff in their hotels” It said it was “contacting customers as quickly as possible. The statement continued: “Due to these extraordinary circumstances, we have cancelled all flights and holidays that are due to depart to Rodes up to and including Sunday 30th July. We believe this is the right thing to do for everything, and we will be contacting affected customers with regard to their refund or rebooking options. “We will fly those aircraft to Rhodes with no customers on board so that we can continue to bring customers back to the UK on their scheduled flights.” TUI has also put out a statement and said their teams are “working hard with local authorities in Greece to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all our customers currently on holiday in Rhodes and impacted by the wildfires.” Read More Greece wildfires: Holiday and travel advice as Jet2 and Tui flights cancelled amid extreme weather UK airlines still selling tickets to Rhodes despite wildfire inferno Greece fires – live: Corfu evacuations begin as tourists fleeing Rhodes inferno spend second night in airport ‘Like hell on earth’: Brits evacuated from Rhodes describe Greek wildfires horror Greece wildfires: Rhodes tourists sleep on airport floor awaiting evacuation New evacuations ordered in Greece as high winds and heat fuel wildfires

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