Amna Nawaz:
In the day’s other headlines: Extreme heat baked the West and south again, as millions of Americans spent the holiday outdoors. In Phoenix and other cities, people have flocked to public splash parks this week in temperatures topping 110 degrees, with more to come this week.
Heat waves are also scorching China and North Africa. And scientists with the U.S. National Weather Service report that, yesterday, July 3, was the hottest day on record worldwide.
Despite the heat, presidential candidates turned out for July 4 events around the country. Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis joined parade-goers in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. Former Vice President Mike Pence walked alongside locals at a parade in Urbandale, Iowa. And, in Washington, President Biden hosted a late-afternoon White House barbecue for active-duty military families.
In Israel, a Palestinian man drove his car into a Tel Aviv bus stop today and stabbed people in the crowd, wounding eight. Police arrived shortly afterward. They said an armed civilian shot and killed the attacker. The extremist group Hamas claimed responsibility.
And in the occupied West Bank, smoke rose over Jenin as Israeli troops began withdrawing after a two-day hunt for militants. The Israel Defense Forces said a soldier was shot and killed this evening in the ongoing conflict. Palestinians say 10 Palestinians have been killed there in recent days.
Russian President Vladimir Putin worked today to calm concerns about his government’s stability. It came at an Asian security summit, his first such gathering since a short-lived revolt. Putin spoke via video link to a group including China, India, and Pakistan, and sent a message of Russian solidarity.
