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JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military says nine soldiers have been killed in separate attacks in ongoing Gaza fighting. It says four soldiers were killed in a mortar attack earlier today, and that another five soldiers were killed in combat in Gaza. The announcement brings the toll of soldiers killed to 52. Three civilians have also been killed on the Israeli side. Palestinian health officials say more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began the three weeks ago. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier said today that Israel must be ready for a "prolonged" military operation in the Gaza Strip.
SHAKHTARSK, Ukraine (AP) — A team of Dutch and Australian police had hoped to be at the site of the Malaysia Airlines crash in Ukraine today, searching for remaining victims and gathering forensic evidence. But for a second day, fighting between government troops and pro-Russia rebels in the region kept the investigators away. A Ukrainian official said today that data from the recovered flight recorders show that Flight 17 crashed due to a massive, explosive loss of pressure after being punctured multiple times by shrapnel.
PLYMOUTH, Calif. (AP) — Fire officials say a private drone trying to record footage of a Northern California wildfire nearly hindered their air assault. A state fire spokeswoman says the drone was sighted above the fire burning in the Sierra Nevada foothills east of Sacramento yesterday. The person controlling the unmanned aircraft was trying to get video of the blaze and was told to stop by authorities because of the potential danger to firefighting planes. The fire — one of two that has forced evacuations in California — has burned through a little under 6 square miles and is 65 percent contained. Some of the roughly 1,200 people under evacuation orders were allowed to return to their homes this morning.
SACO, Maine (AP) — Police in Maine say a suicidal man having financial problems killed his wife, three children and then himself. Detectives say Joel Smith shot his family inside their apartment about 11:30 p.m. Saturday with a 12-gauge shotgun. Police say the wife had told a family friend the night of the shooting that Smith recently had threatened suicide.
NORTH CONWAY, N.H. (AP) — Police are charging a 34-year-old man with kidnapping a New Hampshire teenage girl who returned home recently after vanishing nine months ago. Authorities say they arrested Nathaniel Kibby without incident at his home today. He is charged with felony kidnapping. Abby Hernandez returned to her home sometime the night of July 20.
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