World roundup: July 26 2024

Stories from Turkey, Burkina Faso, Venezuela, and elsewhere

TODAY IN HISTORY

July 26, 657 (give or take): The Battle of Siffin

July 26, 1847: A constitutional convention in the Commonwealth of Liberian adopts a declaration of independence and constitution establishing the Republic of Liberia as an sovereign nation. Annually commemorated as Liberian Independence Day.

MIDDLE EAST

ISRAEL-PALESTINE

The Biden administration is reportedly dispatching CIA director William Burns to Rome this weekend for what it’s hoping will be one final push to an agreement on a ceasefire and prisoner exchange in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in Washington on Thursday, where both reportedly urged him to close the deal. It didn’t occur to me yesterday but given that the Biden administration has been insisting for several weeks that Netanyahu had already agreed to the deal on the table it’s unclear what “urging” had to be done. Unless, of course, they’ve been lying about Israel’s negotiating position, but I digress.