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End of a mission, Biden's Covid diagnosis, and Adele's 'big break' from music

 
Today's international story

US military declares end to Gaza pier aid mission 

What happened
Pentagon officials on Wednesday announced the completion of the "maritime surge mission" that saw a massive floating pier constructed off the Gaza coastline to bring sea-borne aid to the beleaguered Palestinian territory. 

Who said what
The pier, estimated to cost approximately $230 million, "has done exactly what we intended it to do," Vice Adm. Brad Cooper said to reporters, adding that the mission was "complete" so "there's no more need" to use it. The pier had only been fully operational for some 20 days since being installed in May, and had been "bedeviled by bad weather and mechanical malfunctions," CBS News said. The whole mission has been "extraordinary, but troubled," said Reuters. Although the pier enabled the delivery of nearly 20 million pounds of much-needed supplies, the aid groups "expected to distribute the food once it reached land were reluctant to do so, citing persistent fears for their workers' safety," The Washington Post said. 

What next?
Aid intended for the war-torn Palestinian territory is now expected to be shipped from Cyprus to the Israeli port city of Ashdod, before being transferred to trucks and driven to Gaza. 

 
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Today's election story

Biden tests positive for Covid in fresh blow to campaign

What happened
President Joe Biden tested positive for Covid-19 on Wednesday, shortly after saying he would consider dropping his controversial reelection bid if presented with a "medical condition." The White House said the president was "experiencing mild symptoms" of the virus but would still carry out his full duties while self-isolating at his Delaware home.

Who said what
The Covid diagnosis comes amid growing calls from Democrats for Biden to drop out of the 2024 race owing to concerns about his age and mental acuity. In an interview with BET's Ed Gordon that aired Wednesday, Biden said he would reconsider his bid for another term "if I had some medical condition that emerged" or "if doctors came to me and said, you got this problem and that problem."

The comments are the "latest in a series of shifting explanations" about what it would take for him to end his campaign, The New York Times said. It marked the "first time Biden opened the door to a theoretical medical condition" pushing him from the race, Politico said. 

What next?
The president has had his first dose of the antiviral drug Paxlovid and said in a post on X yesterday that he was "feeling good." But the Covid diagnosis put a "screeching halt" to a "key campaign event meant to shore up support with Latino voters," said CNN, and comes at a "critical juncture in the election." Biden is stuck "behind closed doors at a time when Democratic lawmakers have been clamoring to see him out front."

 
 
Today's ENTERTAINMENT Story

Adele announces 'big break' from music

What happened
Adele is to take a "big break" from music. The British singer will perform in Europe next month for the first time since 2016, with 10 concerts in Munich's Messe exhibition centre, but will then do "other creative things just for a little while," she told German broadcaster ZDF.

Who said what
"My tank is quite empty at the minute," she said. "I don't have any plans for new music at all," added the 36-year-old, who released her most recent album "30" in November 2021 after a five-year hiatus and divorce. "I don't even sing at home at all. How strange is that?"

"I like that I get to make music all the time … but the fame side of it I absolutely hate."

What next?
Adele's two-year weekend residency in Las Vegas concludes in November. The sell-out shows at Caesars Palace have been "an emotional exchange," she said.

 
 

It's not all bad

Copenhagen has launched a program offering visitors the chance to earn credits for free meals, museum admissions and other perks by engaging in eco-friendly activities, such as picking up litter around the city or using zero-emissions transportation like a bicycle. Running through Aug. 11, the initiative, called CopenPay, aims to promote sustainable behavior among tourists in the Danish capital. A GPS map leads the participating tourists to more than 20 establishments offering freebies.

 
 
Under the radar

Ethiopia's kidnapping epidemic

More than 100 people, mostly students, are being held for ransom by kidnappers in Ethiopia. They are the latest victims of a wave of abductions in the troubled country. 

The kidnappings are centered in the unstable Oromia region. Buses traveling from a university in the area to the capital Addis Ababa this month were attacked and the passengers were taken. 

Such incidents are nothing new. It's now "very rare" to find a family "that has not been affected by kidnapping," one local said to The Guardian in January. "The government has no control" over the problem. 

Not all abductions are for "political aims," said The Guardian. In Ethiopia's "broken economy," collecting ransoms is seen as "easy money," and "anyone can be a target." 

Last year, the nongovernmental Ethiopian Human Rights Council said victims of the kidnapping scourge "often endure torture, cruel treatment and detainment under inhumane conditions, constituting severe crimes against human dignity." 

Last summer, more than 50 passengers traveling from the Amhara region to Addis Ababa were kidnapped, and in late 2019, 18 university students in Oromia were said to have been captured by armed attackers. Although Oromia is a "hot spot" for abductions, kidnappers also operate elsewhere, said the BBC, such as the "war-scarred regions" of Tigray and Amhara. 

The government's response has been "ham-fisted," characterized by "arbitrary arrests and unlawful killings," according to the state-appointed Ethiopian Human Rights Commission. The U.S. Department of State has issued a traveling warning for Oromia since 2016.

 
 
On this day

July 18, 2013

Detroit officially filed for bankruptcy, making the Michigan metropolis the largest U.S. city ever to do so. The Chapter 9 bankruptcy marked a low point for Detroit, which had once been among the most economically prosperous cities in the country due to its auto industry. Detroit emerged from its bankruptcy a year later. 

 
 
TODAY’S newspaperS

The "mutiny is back on", says the New York Post, as "push comes to shove" for Joe Biden, with two-thirds of Democrat voters wanting him out of the presidential race, and his Covid diagnosis adding to the pressure. Prominent House Democrat Adam Schiff also "wants Biden to end his bid," says the Los Angeles Times. By contrast, The Wall Street Journal says, Donald Trump has "wrested back control of the GOP." And despite "talk of toning down" the rhetoric, says The Boston Globe, the Republicans are continuing their "personal attacks" on Trump's Covid-stricken rival.

► See the newspaper front pages

 
 
Tall tale

Getting that escar-glow

Snail mucin, mucus secreted by snails as they scoot along, is skin care's latest wonder ingredient. Data analyzed by Glimpse shows online searches for it are up by 110% in the past year. Research on snail mucin is limited, but proponents say it fades dark spots, hydrates skin and improves texture. Consumers are excited to try these products. In the last 30 days, Amazon has sold more than 100,000 bottles of COSRX Snail Mucin 96% Power Repairing Essence facial serum.

 
 

Morning Report was written and edited by Theara Coleman, Nadia Croes, Catherine Garcia, Scott Hocker, Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, Justin Klawans, Harold Maass, Summer Meza, Chas Newkey-Burden, Devika Rao, Rafi Schwartz and Peter Weber, with illustrations by Stephen Kelly and Julia Wytrazek.

Image credits, from top: U.S. Central Command via Getty Images; Scott Olson / Getty Images; Kevin Mazur / Getty Images for AD; Illustration by Julia Wytrazek / Shutterstock