AP News Digest 2 p.m.

Here are the AP’s latest coverage plans, top stories and promotable content. All times EDT. Find the AP’s top photos of the day in Today’s Photo Collection. For up-to-the-minute information on AP’s coverage, visit Coverage Plan in AP Newsroom.

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ONLY ON AP

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IRAN-THE BALLISTIC MISSILE QUESTION — As Iran threatens to attack Israel over the assassination of a Hamas leader in the Iranian capital, its long-vaunted missile program offers one of the few ways for Tehran to strike back directly. But questions loom over just how much of a danger it poses. A new report shared exclusively with The Associated Press suggests one of Iran’s advanced missiles is far less accurate than previously thought. By Jon Gambrell. SENT: 1,590 words, photos, videos. With IRAN-THE BALLISTIC MISSILE QUESTION-TAKEAWAYS (sent).

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TOP STORIES

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RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR — Two ballistic missiles have blasted a military training facility and nearby hospital in Ukraine, killing at least 50 people and wounding more than 200 others, Ukrainian officials say, in one of the deadliest Russian strikes since the war began. By Lori Hinnant and Illia Novikov. SENT: 710 words, photos.

ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-NETANYAHU-PROTESTS — Israelis were plunged into grief and anger this weekend after the military said six hostages were killed by their captors in Gaza just as troops were closing in on their location. The rage sparked massive protests and a general strike — the most intense domestic pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu since the start of the war nearly 11 months ago. By Tia Goldenberg. SENT: 1,110 words, photos.

ELECTION 2024 — After a summer of historic tumult, the path to the presidency for both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump this fall is becoming much clearer. They will devote almost all of their remaining time and resources to just seven states, targeting voters who, in many cases, have just begun to pay attention to the election. By Steve Peoples, Thomas Beaumont and Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux. SENT: 1,440 words, photos. With ELECTION-2024-MARIJUANA — A decision on a major policy shift on marijuana won’t come until after the presidential election; ELECTION-2024-THE-LATEST (both sent).

ELECTION-2024-CHINA-SOCIAL-MEDIA — When he first emerged on social media, the user known as Harlan claimed to be a New Yorker and an Army veteran who supported Donald Trump for president. Harlan said he was 29, and his profile picture showed a smiling, handsome young man. A few months later, Harlan underwent a transformation. Now, he claimed to be 31 and from Florida. New research into Chinese disinformation networks targeting American voters shows Harlan’s claims were as fictitious as his profile picture, which analysts think was created using artificial intelligence. By David Klepper. SENT: 860 words, photos.

ASIA-POPE — Pope Francis has arrived in Indonesia at the start of the longest trip of his pontificate, hoping to encourage its Catholic community and celebrate the tradition of interfaith harmony in a country with the world’s largest Muslim population. By Nicole Winfield and Edna Tarigan. SENT: 960 words, photos, videos, audio.

CONGO-JAILBREAK — An attempted jailbreak in Congo’s main prison left 129 people dead, including some who were shot and others who died in a stampede at the overcrowded facility, authorities say. Activists alleged the death toll was higher but did not provide a figure. By Jean-Yves Kamale. SENT: 560 words, photos, audio.

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SPOTLIGHTING VOICES

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PARAGUAY-SEX-EDUCATION — In predominantly Catholic Paraguay, with the highest rate of teenage pregnancy in South America, the Ministry of Education has approved the country’s first national sex education curriculum. But it’s not what many activists hoped for. The ultraconservative program actively promotes abstinence, explains sex as “God’s invention for married people,” warns that condoms can’t be trusted, and says nothing of sexual orientation or identity. By Isabel DeBre. SENT: 1,300 words, photos.

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RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR

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MONGOLIA-RUSSIA-PUTIN — Russian President Vladimir Putin has received a red-carpet welcome to Mongolia as the country ignored calls to arrest him on an international warrant for alleged war crimes stemming from Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. SENT: 1,100 words, photos, audio.

UKRAINE-NUCLEAR-INSPECTION — The head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog was holding talks with senior officials in Ukraine over safety concerns for Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, where attacks were recently reported nearby. SENT: 410 words, photos.

UKRAINE-FASHION IN WAR — Fashion shows have returned to Ukraine with a striking statement: war veterans — both men and women — walking the runway with prosthetic limbs. SENT: 390 words, photos.

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MORE ON ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR

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ISRAEL-GAZA-BORDER — A narrow strip of scrubland and sand dunes on the Gaza side of the border with Egypt has emerged as a major obstacle in talks aimed at halting the Israel-Hamas war and freeing scores of hostages. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel must maintain control over the so-called Philadelphi corridor to prevent Hamas from replenishing its arsenal through a network of smuggling tunnels in the area. SENT: 1,120 words, photos.

MIDEAST-TENSIONS — Salvagers abandoned an effort to tow away a burning oil tanker in the Red Sea targeted by Yemen’s Houthi rebels as it “was not safe to proceed,” a European Union naval mission says, leaving the Sounion stranded and its 1 million barrels of oil at risk of spilling. SENT: 740 words, photos, audio. With MIDEAST-TENSIONS-THE-LATEST (sent).

LEBANON-GAZA-JOURNALIST— A young Palestinian journalist whose coverage of the widespread destruction and humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip went viral now watches the war from afar in Lebanon. Twenty-two-year-old Plestia Alaqad was just over a year out of university with a journalism degree when she found herself in the middle of a war zone. She donned a blue press helmet and vest to interview families in refugee camps and hospitals, posting the videos to Instagram. SENT: 880 words, photos.

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MORE NEWS

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OBIT-JAMES-DARREN — James Darren, ‘Gidget’ teen idol, singer and director, dies at 88. SENT: 890 words, photos, audio.

VENICE-FILM-FESTIVAL-QUEER — Venice Film Festival regular Luca Guadagnino is back on the Lido to debut his new Daniel Craig film “Queer.” SENT: 560 words, photos, video.

SOLO DINING — Party of one: Restaurants are catering to a growing number of solo diners. SENT: 1,050 words, photos, video.

GAME-OF-THRONES-AUCTION — Hundreds of ‘Game of Thrones’ props are up for auction, from Jon Snow’s sword to dragon skulls. SENT: 720 words, photos.

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WASHINGTON/POLITICS

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TRUMP-HUSH-MONEY — Manhattan prosecutors have balked at Donald Trump’s effort to delay post-trial decisions in his New York hush money criminal case while he seeks to have a federal court intervene and potentially overturn his felony conviction. However, they said they could be OK with postponing the former president’s Sept. 18 sentencing. SENT: 590 words, photos.

FORMER-HOCHUL-AID-ARRESTED — A former New York state government official who worked for former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and current Gov. Kathy Hochul was charged with acting as an undisclosed agent of the Chinese government, federal prosecutors revealed in a sprawling indictment. SENT: 650 words, photos.

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NATIONAL

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COLORADO-SUPERMARKET-SHOOTING — The man charged with killing 10 people at a Colorado supermarket in 2021 is going on trial this week. He has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. SENT: 990 words, photos, video.

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INTERNATIONAL

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FRANCE-MIGRANTS - A boat carrying migrants ripped apart in the English Channel as they attempted to reach Britain from northern France, plunging dozens into the treacherous waterway and leaving 12 dead, authorities say. SENT: 660 words, photo. With MIGRATION-LIBYA — A boat carrying Europe-bound migrants capsizes off Libyan coast, leaving 1 dead and 22 missing (sent).

LEBANON-CORRUPTION — Lebanon’s controversial former central bank governor was detained after being questioned in several corruption cases, according to three judicial officials. SENT: 380 words, photo.

SOUTH-ASIA-MONSOON-FLOODING — Officials say that heavy monsoon rains and floods killed at least 33 people in southern India and five children in Pakistan over the past two days. SENT: 350 words, photos.

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BUSINESS

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FEDERAL-RESERVE-SOFT-LANDING —When Jerome Powell delivered a high-profile speech last month, the Federal Reserve chair came the closest he ever had to declaring that the inflation surge that gripped the nation for three painful years was now essentially defeated. Yet most Americans are not in the same celebratory mood about the plummeting of inflation in the face of the high borrowing rates the Fed engineered. SENT: 1,200 words, photos.

NETHERLANDS-CLEARVIEW — The Dutch data protection watchdog has issued facial recognition startup Clearview AI with a fine of $33.7 million over its creation of what the agency called an “illegal database” of billion of photos of faces. The Netherlands’ Data Protection Agency, or DPA, also warned Dutch companies that using Clearview’s services is also banned. SENT: 380 words, photo.

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HEALTH/SCIENCE

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MED-BE-WELL-SUBSTANCE-LOOPHOLE — They’re sold in gas stations, vape shops, online and in other stores around the country in seemingly countless enticing forms: gummies, chocolate bars, chips. Their packaging lists things like delta-8 THC, micro- and macrodoses of “psychedelics” and “nootropics.” These substances are often sold through legal loopholes, despite concerns about potential health risks and a lack of oversight of how they’re produced. And in the absence of federal rules, many states have banned or have tried to ban delta-8 THC. SENT: 580 words, photo.

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ENTERTAINMENT

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FILM-FALL-PREVIEW — This fall, Hollywood will be trying — with everything from swaggering historical epics like “Gladiator II” to the high-seas adventure of “Moana 2” — to capture the nation’s attention at a time when much of it will be directed at the polls. Meanwhile, the young Donald Trump drama “The Apprentice” aims to be the movie version of an October surprise. SENT: 1,240 words, photos.

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SPORTS

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OLY-PARALYMPICS-ARCHER ANDERSON — There’s one thing you shouldn’t say to South African archer Shaun Anderson, who has competed at three Paralympics after two life-altering incidents. He lost his left arm in a motorbike crash in 2004 and went to the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games shooting compound archery standing up. A boating accident in 2017 then left him paralyzed from the waist down, so he learned how to shoot from a wheelchair. SENT: 680 words, photos.

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HOW TO REACH US

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The Nerve Center can be reached at 800-845-8450, ext. 1600. For photos, ext. 1900. For graphics and interactives, ext. 7636. Expanded AP content can be obtained from AP Newsroom. For access to AP Newsroom and other technical issues, contact apcustomersupport@ap.org or call 844-777-2006.

Brittni Mason from the U.S., centre, competes in the women's 100 m. T47 during the 2024 Paralympics, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Children play soccer near the Municipal Villa Ingenio stadium in El Alto, Bolivia, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)

Volunteers and rescuers move debris as they search for bodies of missing residents believed to be buried under a landslide caused by heavy rains from Tropical Storm Yagi, locally called Enteng, swept their homes in San Luis village, Antipolo city, Rizal province, Philippines on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

People swim in a public pool in Frankfurt, Germany, on a warm Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

Eighth graders take notes during a geography class at the Nueva Asuncion public school in Chaco-i, Paraguay, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. Paraguay seeks to roll out its first national sex-ed curriculum in September 2024. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)

Russian President Vladimir Putin, center left, and Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh attend their meeting at the Saaral Ordon Government Building in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. (Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Stella Maxwell poses for photographers upon arrival for the premiere of the film 'The Room Next Door' during the 81st edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Monday, Sept. 2, 2024. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)

Pope Francis is welcomed by Indonesia's Minister for Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, center, soon after landing at Jakarta's International airport Soekarno Hatta, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. Pope Francis arrived in Indonesia on Tuesday at the start of the longest trip of his pontificate, hoping to encourage its Catholic community and celebrate the tradition of interfaith harmony in a country with the world's largest Muslim population. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Rescue workers extinguish a fire of a burning electrical substation hit by a Russian bombing in Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine, Monday, Sept. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Paralympic athlete Santos Araujo, of Brasil, celebrates after winning at men's 200 m Freestyle -S2 final, during the 2024 Paralympics, Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Japan's Daisuke Ikezaki falls after colliding with Sarah Adam of the U.S. during the wheelchair rugby gold medal match between Japan and the U.S. at the 2024 Paralympics, Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

Alex de Minaur, of Australia, reacts after defeating Jordan Thompson, of Australia, during a fourth round match of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)

Revelers gather during the West Indian Day Parade on Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

New York police officers escort a man injured during a shooting at the West Indian Parade, Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (Nancy Siesel via AP)

People wade through a flooded road after heavy rains in Vijayawada, India, Monday, Sept. 2, 2024. (AP Photo)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris poses for a photo with daughters of a union member as she campaigns with President Joe Biden at the IBEW Local Union #5 union hall in Pittsburgh, on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Demonstrators light a bonfire during a protest demanding a cease-fire deal and the immediate release of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip after the deaths of six hostages in the Palestinian territory, in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Monday, Sept. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

PRAGUE (AP) — Another night of torrential rains pounding Central Europe forced massive evacuations in the hardest hit areas in the Czech Republic, where floods reached extreme levels on Sunday.

Meteorologists have warned the situation still might get worse as waters in most rivers are rising, the flood wave made its way through the country and more heavy rains could return overnight.

Authorities declared the highest flood warnings in almost 90 places across the country and in two northeastern regions that recorded the biggest rainfall in recent days, including the Jeseniky mountains near the Polish border.

In the city of Opava, up to 10,000 people out of a population of some 56,000 have been asked to leave their homes for higher ground. Rescuers used boats to transport people to safety in a neighborhood flooded by the raging Opava River.

“There’s no reason to wait,” Mayor Tomáš Navrátil told the Czech public radio. He said the situation was worse than during the last devastating floods in 1997, known as the “flood of the century.”

“We have to focus on saving lives,” Prime Minister Petr Fiala told the Czech public television Sunday. His government was to possibly meet Monday to assess the damages.

Thousands of others also were evacuated in the towns of Krnov and Cesky Tesin. The Oder River that flows to Poland was expected to reach extreme levels in the city of Ostrava and later in Bohumin.

Towns and villages in the Jeseniky mountains, including the local center of Jesenik, were inundated and isolated by raging waters that turned roads into rivers. The military sent a helicopter to help with evacuations.

Four people who were swept away by waters were missing, police said.

About 260,000 households were without power Sunday morning in the entire country while traffic was halted on many roads, including the major D1 highway.

A firefighter died after “slipping on stairs” while pumping out a flooded basement in the town of Tulln, the head of the fire department of Lower Austria Dietmar Fahrafellner told reporters on Sunday.

Authorities declared the entire state of Lower Austria a disaster zone. The situation remains tense, especially at the water reservoir of Ottenstein, which is expected to reach its maximum capacity on Sunday.

Romanian authorities said Sunday that another person had died in the hard-hit eastern county of Galati after four were reported dead there a day before following unprecedented rain.

In Poland, one person was presumed dead in floods in the southwest, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Sunday.

Tusk said the situation was “dramatic” around the town of Klodzko, with some 25,000 residents, located in a valley in the Sudetes mountains near the border with the Czech Republic.

In Glucholazy, rising waters overflowed a river embankment and flooded streets and houses. Mayor Paweł Szymkowicz said, “we are drowning” and appealed to residents to evacuate to high ground.

Energy supplies and communications were cut off in some flooded areas and regions may resort to using the satellite-based Starlink service, Tusk said.

Several Central European nations have been hit by severe flooding, including Romania, Austria, Germany, Slovakia and Hungary, as a result of a low-pressure system from northern Italy dumping heavy rainfall in the wide region.

The weather change arrived following a hot start to September in the region. Scientists have documented Earth’s hottest summer, breaking a record set just a year ago.

A hotter atmosphere, driven by human-caused climate change, can lead to more intense rainfall.

Associated Press writer Monika Scislowska in Warsaw, Poland, video journalist Philipp-Moritz Jenne in Vienna and Stephen McGrath in Bucharest, Romania, contributed to this report.

A fireman walks to a house through a flooded street in Jesenik, Czech Republic, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Flooded houses in Jesenik, Czech Republic, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Flooded houses in Jesenik, Czech Republic, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

A resident carries sandbags to protect his house during floods Jesenik, Czech Republic, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

A group of people stand next to a flooded street in Opava, Czech Republic, Sunday Sept. 15, 2024. (Jaroslav Ozana/CTK via AP)

A firefighter wades through flooded streets in Opava, Czech Republic, Sunday Sept. 15, 2024. (Jaroslav Ozana/CTK via AP)

A dog runs through mud during floods in Jesenik, Czech Republic, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Residents watch the river during floods Jesenik, Czech Republic, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

An army helicopter flies over the flooded Jesenik, Czech Republic, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

A man wades through flood water in Opava, Czech Republic, Sunday Sept. 15, 2024. (Jaroslav Ozana/CTK via AP)

Residents cross a bridge during floods in Jesenik, Czech Republic, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

A resident looks at the flooded city center of Jesenik, Czech Republic, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

A resident looks at the flooded city center of Jesenik, Czech Republic, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

A dog stands near the flooded city center of Jesenik, Czech Republic, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

The flooded city center of Jesenik, Czech Republic, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

A resident carries bottles of water during floods in Jesenik, Czech Republic, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Residents cross a bridge during floods in Jesenik, Czech Republic, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Firemen help a resident during floods in Jesenik, Czech Republic, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

A resident looks at the flooded streets of Jesenik, Czech Republic, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Cars submerge in flood water in Jesenik, Czech Republic, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

A flooded house in Jesenik, Czech Republic, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Residents fill sand bags to protect their houses during floods in Jesenik, Czech Republic, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

The Bela River flows past a church during floods in Mikulovice, Czech Republic, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Firemen attend to a house during floods in Jesenik, Czech Republic, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Firemen drive through flooded streets of Jesenik, Czech Republic, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Firemen help residents during floods in Jesenik, Czech Republic, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Flooded streets and houses in Jesenik, Czech Republic, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)