Midday Roundup: Kurdish forces win major battle against ISIS in Syria

ISIS rout. Kurdish forces in Syria celebrated a major victory over Islamic State (ISIS) militants, reclaiming the strategic town of Tal Abyad on the Turkish border. Tal Abyad has served as a major supply route for ISIS, and analysts say its loss could cripple the militant group. It’s also been a gateway for fighters joining the group to travel freely from Turkey into ISIS-controlled areas in Syria. Reclaiming the territory will allow Kurdish fighters to connect several of the territories it controls, giving the group a contiguous power base. The Kurds, considered a terrorist group itself in Turkey, have been fighting for independence for decades. Despite mixed support for their fighters in the West and the Middle East, the Kurds have shows the best ability to take on ISIS.

Rain, rain … Texans are battening down the hatches today as Tropical Storm Bill makes landfall. The storm, the first to pummel the area in about five years, could dump as much as a foot of rain on the already waterlogged region. Last month, heavy rain caused severe flooding in Houston and Central Texas, catching many people off guard. Officials warned people to expect street flooding. Schools in the area are closed, and some businesses are allowing workers to stay home and off the roadways.

Leader killed. Al-Qaeda officials confirmed today that last weekend’s U.S. airstrike in Yemen did kill the group’s leader. Nasser al-Wuhayshi was a close associate of Osama bin Laden and had a $10 million bounty on his head. He had led al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula since 2009. The group is considered al-Qaeda’s strongest affiliate and claimed responsibility for the attack on a French satirical newspaper earlier this year. Analysts say al-Wuhayshi’s death is a severe blow to the organization.

Sentence affirmed. An Egyptian court has upheld the death sentence against ousted President Mohamed Morsi for orchestrating a jailbreak during the uprising that propelled his predecessor from office. Morsi also is serving a life sentence for a separate incident. The sentences are widely seen as part of an official crackdown on Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood, which briefly held power following democratic elections in the country after the 2011 uprising against former President Hosni Mubarak. The judge in today’s proceeding called the coup that toppled Morsi a “bright dawn after a long, black night,” demonstrating the current government’s bias against the Islamist group.

Deadly accident. At least five people died in Berkeley, Calif., last night when a balcony at an apartment complex collapsed. Several others have serious injuries. Some of the victims were students visiting from Ireland. “My heart goes out to the families and loved ones of the deceased and those who have been injured in this appalling accident,” Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan told Sky TV. The complex, Liberty Gardens, was built in 2006 and is just one block from the University of California, Berkeley campus. Witnesses told police the apartment residents were hosting a party at the time of the collapse, but officials are still trying to determine what might have caused the accident.

Ice victory. The Chicago Blackhawks beat the Tampa Bay Lightning last night to claim the National Hockey League’s Stanley Cup for the third time in six years. Although the team won at home—the first time since 1938—the party that started outside the ice rink quickly moved to the more iconic Wrigley Field. Fans celebrated into the early morning hours, but police made few arrests.