Blinken in Kyiv says US arms will make a difference

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is seeking to rally the spirits of glum Ukrainians facing a fierce new Russian offensive, assuring them that they are not alone and that billions of dollars in American military aid on its way to the country would make a “real difference” on the battlefield. On an unannounced visit to Kyiv, Blinken told Ukrainian leaders that despite a monthslong delay in U.S. assistance that left them vulnerable to renewed Russian military strikes more weaponry is coming and some has already arrived. He made the case as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed to him for more air defense systems to protect civilians.

EU agrees on a new migration pact

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union nations have officially endorsed a major overhaul of the bloc’s failed asylum system. Tuesday’s move wraps up years of work and comes just as campaigning for next month’s Europe-wide elections gathers pace. Migration could be an important issue. The New Pact on Migration and Asylum lays out rules for handling people trying to enter Europe without authorization, from how to screen them to deporting them if they’re not allowed to stay. Mainstream political parties believe it solves the problems that have divided EU nations since well over 1 million migrants arrived in 2015. But the reforms will only enter force in 2026. Critics say the system is aimed at keeping people out and will restrict asylum rights.

Billboard that collapsed in Mumbai storms killed at least 14 and injured 75

MUMBAI, India (AP) — A large billboard that collapsed amid raging thunderstorms in Mumbai killed at least 14 people and injured 75 others, reports said on Tuesday. A rescue operation was ongoing Tuesday morning, and authorities told the Press Trust of India news agency that 89 people had been rescued since the incident occurred on Monday evening. The rains and high winds caused the 100 foot-tall billboard to fall over a gas station in the suburb of Ghatkopar on Monday evening. Officials told PTI that police say the billboard was illegally installed. India has heavy rain and severe floods during the monsoon season, and the deluge often causes extensive damage.

Cave-in leaves 2 miners dead, 1 missing and 12 injured at a coal mine in Poland

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Mine authorities in southern Poland say that two miners are dead and one is missing while 12 others were hurt following a cave-in at the Myslowice-Wesola coal mine. A company official said the cave-in happened early Tuesday in an underground area where 15 miners were working. Eleven were immediately brought to the surface, with various degree of injuries. Three of those missing were brought out of the mine and a doctor declared two of them dead. The search continues for one miner. Six teams of rescuers are working in the area. In 2023, 15 miners were killed in mine accidents in Poland.