US’s Blinken presses Hamas to accept new proposal for Gaza cease-fire

JERUSALEM (AP) — The United States has stepped up pressure for a cease-fire deal in Gaza. Hamas officials are in Egypt to discuss the new proposal. Ahead of a new visit to Israel this week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says he pushed Hamas to accept the latest proposal, calling it “extraordinarily generous” on the part of Israel. Terms of the proposal were not made public, and it was not known if anything had changed on a main roadblock that mediators have repeatedly crashed against: the question of the extent of a cease-fire. Meanwhile, Israeli strikes killed at least 26 people in Rafah, including nine women and six children.

Spain’s Prime Minister Sánchez says he’ll continue in office after days of reflection

MADRID (AP) — Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has vowed to stay in office and govern “with even more strength.” His announcement Monday ended days of speculation he might resign to stop what he called a smear campaign against his wife after she was accused of corruption. Sánchez shocked the country last Wednesday when he announced he would take five days off to consider his future following a court’s decision to open preliminary proceedings against his wife on the allegations. A platform linked to far-right causes accused Begoña Gómez of using her position to influence business deals. Spanish prosecutors say it should be thrown out. Gómez has not been indicted.

Iraq repatriates nearly 700 more citizens linked to the Islamic State group

BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi and Syrian officials say Baghdad has repatriated hundreds more of its citizens linked to the Islamic State group from a sprawling camp in northeastern Syria. An Iraqi official says they will undergo a rehabilitation program with the help of international agencies in an effort to distance them from extremist ideology. Despite an aggressive repatriation campaign by Baghdad, Iraqis remain the largest nationality among the nearly 43,000 residents of al-Hol camp, which houses the wives, widows, children and other family members of IS militants.

Southeast Asia copes with a sweltering heat wave

MANILA (AP) — Southeast Asia is coping with a weekslong heat wave as record-high temperatures have led to school closings in several countries and urgent health warnings throughout the region. Millions of students in all public schools across the Philippines were ordered to stay home Monday after authorities canceled in-person classes for two days. The main advice for everyone has been to avoid outdoor activities and drink plenty of water, but the young and the elderly must be especially careful. A spokesperson for Cambodia’s meteorological ministry said his country this year is facing the highest temperatures in 170 years, and temperatures in most parts of the country could reach up to 109 degrees Fahrenheit this week. Myanmar’s meteorological department also reported record-high temperatures.