French President Emmanuel Macron's decision to recognize a Palestinian state, prompting similar moves from other Western nations, angered Israel and its U.S. ally by putting a two-state solution back at the heart of diplomatic efforts to end the devastating war in Gaza.
In a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week, Macron wrote that "our determination to see the Palestinian people have their own state is rooted in our conviction that lasting peace is essential to the security of the state of Israel."

Seen from the air, a Florida freshwater spring is a bit of liquid heaven, luring humans and wildlife to enjoy its aquamarine cool. With at least 1,000 of them — more than any other state — the springs serve as beaches for large swaths of central and northwestern Florida far from the ocean, with teenagers backflipping from docks and snorkelers peering into the crystalline depths.
But these treasures are under threat from agricultural pollution, rapid development and climate change.

Since sending the National Guard to Los Angeles and Washington, President Donald Trump has openly mused about sending troops to some of the nation's most Democratic cities — including Chicago and Baltimore — claiming they are needed to crack down on crime.
The threats to expand a federal intervention have legal experts and some military officials raising concerns that Trump is considering novel ways to use National Guard troops in American cities that could set up conflicts not seen since the civil rights era.

Rescuers in Pakistan raced to evacuate tens of thousands of people stranded by floods, with many left without food or medical supplies Friday as the government struggled to provide aid and prevent Lahore and other cities from deluges.
The floods in the eastern Punjab province began Monday when an abnormal amount of rain triggered sudden water releases from Indian dams on the Sutlej, Chenab and Ravi rivers. The rising floodwaters were the first to hit the region in four decades.

A move in Brazil to suspend a soybean moratorium has scientists and environmentalists warning that losing the agreement could undermine years of progress in cutting deforestation in the Amazon.
A federal judge has temporarily paused the regulator's order while the case is reviewed, keeping the moratorium in effect for now as the dispute plays out at Brazil's competition regulator, CADE, and in court.

The last photos taken by Mariam Dagga show the damaged stairwell outside a hospital in the Gaza Strip where she would be killed by an Israeli strike moments later.
Dagga, a visual journalist who freelanced for The Associated Press, was among 22 people, including five reporters, killed Monday when Israeli forces struck Nasser Hospital twice in quick succession, according to health officials.

Ronaldo is still a name above all others when attention turns to the Saudi football league's season-opening round.
Just like it was earlier this month when more than 30,000 fans turned out in Hong Kong to watch Al-Nassr defeat Al-Ittihad 2-1 in the first semifinal of the Saudi Super Cup on Aug. 19, he's part of the league's growth and marketing plans.

Jose Mourinho's fall from grace in elite soccer accelerated Friday when the charismatic Portuguese coach left Turkish club Fenerbahce, two days after failing to get back into the Champions League after a long absence.
His latest short managerial spell — this one lasted barely a year, in a second-tier European league — leaves the 62-year-old Mourinho's career at a crossroads, with top teams potentially no longer wanting to take a chance on a coach whose best days might be behind him.

Turkey announced Friday it was closing its airspace to Israeli government planes and any cargo of arms for the Israeli military while closing its ports to maritime trade between third countries and Israel.
The announcement by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan came on top of a ban on direct trade between Turkey and Israel announced in May of 2024.

France, Britain and Germany have initiated the process of triggering the " snapback mechanism " that automatically reimposes all United Nations sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, saying Iran has willfully departed from their 2015 nuclear deal that lifted the measures.
The U.N. sanctions that were in effect before the 2015 deal included a conventional arms embargo, restrictions on ballistic missile development, asset freezes, travel bans and a ban on producing nuclear-related technology.
