U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Kyiv on an unannounced diplomatic mission to reassure Ukraine that it has American support as it struggles to defend against increasingly intense Russian attacks. The two-day visit starting Tuesday comes less than a month after Congress approved a long-delayed foreign assistance package that sets aside $60 billion in aid for Ukraine, much of which will go toward replenishing badly depleted artillery and air defense systems. It's Blinken's fourth trip to Kyiv since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. U.S. officials say Blinken will underscore the Biden administration’s commitment to Ukraine’s defense and long-term security.

Aid workers are struggling to distribute dwindling food to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians displaced by what Israel says is a limited operation in Rafah. The two main crossings near the southern Gaza city have been closed for over a week. The U.N. says 360,000 Palestinians have fled Rafah over the past week, out of 1.3 million who were sheltering there before the operation began. Most had already fled fighting elsewhere. Israel has portrayed Rafah as the last stronghold of the militant group, even as Hamas regroups in some of the most devastated parts of Gaza that Israel had claimed to have cleared.

Fire experts and officials are warning that an intense wildfire could reach a town in western Canada this week. There are forecasts of strong winds that have fueled the out-of-control blaze approaching Fort Nelson in British Columbia. Thousands of people have evacuated. A local official said Monday that emergency crews are preparing for a “last stand” as dozens of remaining residents are urged to leave. The blaze is one of several out-of-control wildfires in western Canada threatening communities in provinces such as Alberta and Manitoba. Drought has made the fires worse.

Ukrainian officials and commanders say Russian troops are locked in intense battles with Ukrainian soldiers in the embattled town of Vovchansk and are pushing ahead with a ground offensive that opened a new front to put pressure on overstretched Ukrainian forces.  Moscow’s renewed northeast offensive, launched late last week, is the most significant border incursion since the full-scale invasion began. By Monday, only 200 to 300 residents remained inside Vovchansk, said Kharkiv Gov. Oleh Syniehubov, as Russian forces closed in from three sides. By intensifying offensive operations, Russia seeks to stretch Ukraine’s forces thin and forge breakthroughs ahead of the arrival of much-needed new munitions from the U.S.  and European allies, not expected to reach the battlefield for two months.