The reasons are not difficult to discern. Trump lavished extraordinary attention on Israel from the moment of his election. Much is made of which state a new president chooses for his first overseas trip, but Trump rushed to Israel within days of his victory, weeks before being inaugurated. The “Deal of the Century”, championed by his son-in-law, adviser (and Netanyahu family friend) Jared Kushner was easily the most seductive outline of a peace agreement ever put on an Israeli leader’s table....

This is a sad day in Israel. The current government has been competent, with ministers working diligently at their portfolios, exhibiting a collegiality not seen in Israeli politics for decades. Mutual cooperation for the common good was nurtured and realized in this government, even though this coalition was the broadest in Israel’s history, spanning from the right-wing Yemina Party to the Arab Islamist Ra’am Party. Prime Minister Bennett was an excellent, albeit uncharismatic leader....

“They know what our expectations are,” former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon told Newsweek. “They know what are the flaws of the agreement, we said it publicly in the past, I put it in front of the Security Council a few times.” Danon, who was appointed to his post at the U.N. just a month after the nuclear agreement—officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)—was signed in 2015 and departed five years later, pointed to allowances for certain Iranian ballistic missile activities, limited uranium enrichment, continued support for regional militias and so-called “sunset clauses” that roll back selected restrictions against Iran as obvious shortcomings in his view....

The NGO stated that it had helped coordinate the evacuation of prominent Afghan nationals, including “judges, cyclists, journalists, TV presenters, human rights activists, family members of Afghan diplomats, artists, law enforcement officers, scientists, and more.” The refugees fled the country with IsraAID and were brought to Albania, located 2,600 miles from Afghanistan along the Balkan Peninsula. There, they joined about 1,000 other Afghan refugees currently in Albania. IsraAID said that the evacuated refugees were “considered particularly vulnerable under Taliban rule,” and that “many of the women and girls among them have served as symbols of female empowerment and leadership....

But mostly the near-universal approval reflects the report’s quality. It is that rare thing in Washington, a genuinely bipartisan product. It is thorough and fair, with a sense of history and of the breadth of its mandate. Because of extraordinary, almost unprecedented access to classified documents, it provides a unique bird’s-eye view into decision making at the highest levels of government. It is also well written, rare for work that is the product of a committee....

Unstoppable Chelsea stay cool to kill off title race A wayward pass from Pieters gifted Chelsea a free-kick in the closing stages, and when he failed to clear David Luiz’s header from the resulting set-piece, Gary Cahill struck an 87th-minute winner. The Dutchman owned up to his errors and was disappointed it cost Stoke a point he felt they deserved. “I think I have to put my hand up because I made a mistake with that pass to Lee,” said Pieters in a post-match interview....

Images like that don’t fade easily. That’s why it’s important for people like me who earn our livings in the energy industry to set the record straight about today’s energy production. It’s why we need to talk about new cutting edge technologies that produce clean and efficient energy from coal. It’s why we need to explain about the investment and training taking place to diversify with renewable energy sources....

As Americans celebrated another year of economic growth with virtually no inflation, a contradictory current powered the boutique-bound: voluntary inflation. It simply cost more to be properly rich this year. You want to make a phone call? While everyone else’s telephone rates held steady, the rich were compelled to buy digital phones, if not video models. New home? While housing costs nationwide did their best to recover from their long slump, housing in wealthmaking ghettos like Seattle hit the roof, rising as much as 20 percent....

The Texas bill that just passed out of a controversial special session in Texas is one of the most egregious examples of election subversion legislation in the country. This voter suppression package included provisions that boost the power of partisan poll workers and criminalizes routine election administration procedures. These changes to how elections are run are not minor procedural updates. They fundamentally shift the power away from trusted election officials and toward partisan political actors....

To understand why, we need to take a brief tour of Democratic primary campaigns of the last 35 years. With few exceptions, the front runner stumbles, sometimes fatally, sometimes not. In 1971, Edmund Muskie was the prohibitive favorite for the 1972 nomination. He had the most money and endorsements, but he got beat by that year’s antiwar candidate, George McGovern. In 1975, Henry (Scoop) Jackson was the candidate of the Washington establishment; he went nowhere, and the nomination the next year went to an obscure former governor and peanut farmer named Jimmy Carter....

Having lost to Belgium and drawn with Sweden, the Republic of Ireland need to win their Group E encounter with Italy in order to boost their chances of making the last 16 of the tournament. And Brady, who played in Italy for Juventus, Inter Milan, Sampdoria and Ascoli, believes that Martin O’Neill’s team have a “big chance” against the Azzurri. “I think Martin O’Neill will freshen things up a bit....

After drawing against Sweden and losing to Belgium in Group E, Martin O’Neill’s side take on the Azzurri in Lille needing a victory in order to boost their chances of making the last 16 of the tournament. And Duff, who played alongside Keane for Ireland throughout his career, suggested that it could well be the LA Galaxy striker’s last international game, should they fail to secure a result. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets a start [against Italy] but I think he’ll definitely get minutes,” Duff said, speaking as a pundit on RTE....

In the process Spain’s victory also snapped Italy’s record 37-game undefeated streak which had lasted over two years. La Roja did it by scoring two first-half goals through Manchester City forward Ferran Torres, while Italy went down to 10 men for a red card shown to captain Leonardo Bonucci. In an entertaining first half, Spain’s forwards had the clearest ideas on the night and Mikel Oyarzabal served up two tasty assists for Torres whose goals bookended the Bonucci red card....

This article will explore why your gums might itch and become sore and options to prevent and treat itchy gums. Causes of Itchy Gums Your gums contribute to the health of your teeth, mouth, and whole body. When they become damaged, your nerves send signals to your brain to report a problem. Signals in the brain for pain and itching work so closely together that they can become hard to distinguish from one another....

Hilton insists ITT’s yard sale doesn’t change its plans at all: it still hopes to negotiate a friendly deal with ITT, owner of Sheraton Hotels and Caesars World casinos, but will take its case to shareholders if ITT keeps balking. For now the focus is on how much the bankers get for the Garden. Araskog paid more than a half-billion dollars for ITT’s stake in the Garden; if he sells it for less, shareholders will fume....

Fedotov, 25, was ordered to be detained in St. Petersburg on Friday at the request of the military prosecutor’s office on suspicion of evading military service, according to the city’s Fontanka.ru news website. A year of military service is required under Russian law for men aged between 18 and 27. Failure to comply can result in up to two years imprisonment and a fine of up to 200,000 roubles ($3,635)....

Nova gave up a career-high four home runs vs. the Tampa Bay Rays Saturday before leaving in the fifth with right elbow soreness. The right-hander allowed eight runs and eight hits in four-plus innings before telling manager Joe Girardi he "felt his elbow." Girardi promptly took him out and he had an MRI. He is 2-2 with an 8.27 ERA for the season. ROB DIBBLE: Fear can overwhelm pitchers facing surgery...

Ivana Trump, 73, died on July 14 at her home in New York City, and her funeral will be held at Manhattan’s St. Vincent Ferrer Church at 1:30 p.m. ET on July 20, according to a report from Insider. Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump were spotted in New York City on Monday, according to a Daily Mail report. The former president is expected to attend the funeral, but it is not yet clear whether Melania Trump will be joining him....

A week ago, the president had warned that Alabama, along with the Carolinas and Georgia, was “most likely to be hit harder than anticipated.” The National Weather Service (NWS) in Birmingham, Alabama, was quick to correct the U.S. leader’s claim, asserting in a tweet that “Alabama will NOT see any impacts from Dorian” as “the system will remain too far east.” Despite the NWS’s assertions, Trump insisted throughout the week that his claim had been accurate, with the U....

A former No. 1 pick, Iverson sat at a podium in the Philadelphia 76ers facilities in front of former coaches, friends and family and spoke to how he came to the realization that he would retire. "I was kind of mentally tired of it and the passion to play wasn't there," Iverson said, via a CSNPhilly live stream. "The passion that I had to the sport is there. That will always be there....