Candidate attacked, Ukraine/Russia to sign deal, China endures heat wave

Headlines for July 22, 2022:

Gubernatorial candidate attacked: New York gubernatorial candidate Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) was attacked and nearly stabbed at a campaign event outside of Rochester Thursday night. He was able to escape the attack without serious injury, and the attacker was taken into custody.

“Thank you to everyone who reached out following tonight’s attack in Fairport,” Rep. Zeldin tweeted after the incident. “Someone tried to stab me on stage during this evening’s rally, but fortunately, I was able to grab his wrist and stop him for a few moments until others tackled him.”

The attacker climbed onto a low stage where Zeldin was speaking. A video posted on Twitter shows the two falling to the ground as other people try to intervene.

Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY), Zeldin’s opponent in November, condemned the attack. She said she was “relieved to hear that Congressman Zeldin was not injured and that the suspect is in custody.”

Ukraine, Russia to sign grain export deal: Russia and Ukraine are set to sign a deal Friday that would resume grain exports from Ukrainian Black Sea ports. Russia sent its defense minister and Ukraine its infrastructure minister to sign the deal. The signing was expected to be overseen by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The move is seen as a positive step towards easing concerns over a global food crisis as a result of Russia’s invasion. The block in exports caused the prices of vital commodities like wheat and barley to soar worldwide.

“What we’re focusing on now is holding Russia accountable for implementing this agreement and for enabling Ukrainian grain to get to world markets,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement. “It has been for far too long that Russia has enacted this blockade.”

Heat waves to target China: The heat waves seen around the world in recent weeks are expected to impact China. Parts of the country are expected to experience temperatures around 104 degrees Fahrenheit Friday and Saturday, similar to the record-setting temperatures seen in Great Britain earlier this week. It’s also expected to be similar in scope as heat waves seen in China earlier this month.

The heat wave comes as millions of residents are still locked down due to China’s COVID-19 zero tolerance policy.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.