RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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In our news wrap Friday, a heat wave is breaking records across Europe, record-breaking rainfall triggered flooding across several cities in Japan, Hawaii is preparing for significant rain and strong winds from Tropical Storm Lala and authorities in Italy recovered a trio of stolen artworks by Renoir, Cézanne and Matisse. William Brangham: We begin the day's other headlines across the Atlantic, where a heat wave driven in part by human-caused climate change is breaking records across Europe. Today, Belgium hit its highest temperature this summer, baking fields along the Semois that are normally some of the greenest in the country. Now they are scorched from a brutal drought. The conditions pose a challenge for fire crews who are battling blazes across the continent. Fast-spreading flames engulfed several homes in the U.K. And in Croatia, authorities say one person was killed after an inferno ignited overnight. Slavko Tucakovic, Croatia Chief Fire Commander (through interpreter): It's a firestorm, ash, smoke and embers flying and burning everything in their path. Unfortunately, a large number of houses were damaged. A large number of vehicles burned on the road. It will take many years for all of this to be restored. William Brangham: Meanwhile, it's heating up here at home as well. The National Weather Service warns that dangerous temperatures will last through the weekend. Parts of the Southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley with humidity will feel as hot as 115 degrees Fahrenheit. In Japan, record-breaking rainfall triggered flooding across several cities east of Tokyo, killing at least five people and stranding thousands more. Stormwater cascaded through buildings and submerged cars and railway tracks. With travel snarled, many people spent the night sleeping in airports and train stations. Authorities say three months' worth of rain fell in just 12 hours. Floodwaters receded somewhat today, but weather officials warned more rain is in the forecast. And roughly 20 million Americans also remain under flood watches in parts of the Midwest. A number of communities in Indiana, Illinois, and Ohio have been evacuated as floodwaters there only slowly start to recede. Some parts of the Midwest have been drenched by heavy rains for six straight days. There's similar concern for Americans out in the Pacific. Hawaii is now preparing for significant rain and strong winds from Tropical Storm Lala, which is expected to strengthen into a hurricane as it approaches the island this weekend. The National Hurricane Center has issued hurricane warnings for Hawaii's Big Island. The storm could dump as much as 25 inches of rain across parts of that island, along with the threat of mudslides and rip currents. Ukrainian officials say a wave of Russian drones overnight and today killed at least three people and left more than two dozen injured across the country. Local authorities said one such strike on a home in Sumy region killed a mother and her 9-year-old son. They are the latest attacks after the United Nations said July was the deadliest for Ukrainian civilians since 2022, when Russia's full invasion of Ukraine began. Moscow has stepped up its bombardment in recent months, as Ukraine has also struck targets deeper inside Russia. In Britain, far right Reform U.K. Party leader Nigel Farage has regained his seat in Parliament after winning a special election that he triggered by quitting last month. Farage, who is widely seen as a potential candidate for prime minister, defeated a slew of unorthodox candidates, including a political satirist who wears a trash can on his head. Farage left the House of Commons last month after facing investigations over campaign finances and millions in undisclosed donations. Farage said he would rather let the voters judge him than Parliament. Nigel Farage, Reform Party Leader: Because I wanted the people of Clacton, the voters of this constituency, to be my judge, not the mainstream media in Britain... (Cheering) Nigel Farage: ... and the political establishment, who paint us out to be criminals and bad people every day. William Brangham: Farage will still face investigations into the gifts and donations he received. The U.K.'s parliamentary watchdog today called the inquiries active once again. Farage has denied all wrongdoing. An American missionary who was kidnapped in West Africa back in October has now been released. Kevin Rideout is in good health and in the care of U.S. officials, according to his Christian mission organization. He'd been working in Niger for 19 years. President Trump celebrated Rideout's release on social media today. No armed group has claimed responsibility for the abduction. Historically, Niger has seen frequent attacks from armed groups with links to both al-Qaida and the Islamic State. Authorities in Italy have recovered a trio of stolen artworks by Renoir, Cezanne and Matisse altogether worth millions. Five people were detained for the robbery. Back in March, a group of masked burglars broke into a private museum near Parma and in just three minutes stole the treasured paintings. An investigation into that heist is ongoing. This all follows another high-profile heist that saw some of the French crown jewels stolen from the Louvre in Paris last year. Those stolen jewels have not been found. And momentum slowed on Wall Street, ending the week with modest losses. The Dow Jones industrial average slipped by 0.2 percent. The Nasdaq fell nearly 0.3 percent. And the S&P 500 edged back from its recent all-time high.
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