More than 100 people believed killed by landslide in Papua New Guinea, media reports (www.pbs.org)
Woman killed by her two XL bully dogs at home in east London (www.theguardian.com)
Rishi Sunak announces UK general election for Thursday 4 July (www.bbc.co.uk)
Putin starts tactical nuke drills near Ukraine (www.politico.eu)
Russia amps up nuclear threat.
Most Israelis dislike Netanyahu, but support the war in Gaza – an Israeli scholar explains what’s driving public opinion (theconversation.com)
Israel Responds to Move to Recognize Palestinian State by Withholding Funds (www.nytimes.com)
Israel will not transfer much-needed funds to the Palestinian Authority in the wake of the decision by three European countries to recognize a Palestinian state, the country’s finance minister said on Wednesday, as its foreign minister denounced the European moves as giving “a gold medal to Hamas terrorists.”...
Russia’s latest offensive into Kharkiv Oblast is stretching Ukrainian defenses (kyivindependent.com)
Two weeks into the offensive, one group of Russian forces is already fighting in the streets of the town of Vovchansk about 70 kilometers away from the city of Kharkiv, while the other is trying to push toward the town of Lyptsi, just under two dozen kilometers away from the city....
How the IDF extorts Gazans: 'Contact us or we'll say you reported your neighbors to Hamas' (www.haaretz.com)
The Israeli army has started to publish identifying details about Gazans it says spied on civilians for Hamas’ General Security apparatus; a military source to Haaretz: the army has received legal permission for the operation Send in e-mailSend in e-mail...
Officials from 68 countries attend Iranian president’s funeral in Tehran (www.aa.com.tr)
EU’s far-right parties expel Germany’s AfD from their group (www.theguardian.com)
The far-right German party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) has been expelled from its pan-European parliamentary group after a string of recent controversies over its policy choices and the conduct of some of its leaders....
Norway to block entry for most Russian tourists (www.reuters.com)
Norway will further restrict access for Russian tourist travellers due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, blocking almost all entry, the Nordic country’s justice ministry said on Thursday....
Spain, Norway and Ireland will recognize a Palestinian state | CNN (edition.cnn.com)
This is quite big! Kudos to them.
U.S. Military Faces Reality in Gaza as Aid Project Struggles (www.nytimes.com)
In the week since the U.S. military and allies attached a temporary pier to the Gaza shoreline, Pentagon planners have come face to face with the logistical nightmare that critics had warned would accompany the endeavor....
UN says 800,000 people have fled Rafah as Israel kills dozens in Gaza (www.aljazeera.com)
China holds military drills around Taiwan as a 'punishment' (www.dw.com)
Beijing say the drills are a “strong punishment” for “separatist acts,” three days after Taiwan’s new President Lai Ching-te was sworn in. Taiwan has condemned the “irrational provocations.”...
Israel’s military says it is fighting near central Rafah, apparently expanding its operation in the city. (www.nytimes.com)
Israel’s military said on Thursday that it was fighting in neighborhoods near the heart of the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, apparently expanding its campaign against Hamas in a week when Israel has faced mounting diplomatic and legal pressure over its war effort....
How 2 debunked accounts of sexual violence on Oct. 7 fueled a global dispute over Israel-Hamas war (apnews.com)
Working in a kibbutz that was ravaged by Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, Otmazgin — a volunteer commander with ZAKA, an Israeli search and rescue organization — saw the body of a teenager, shot dead and separated from her family in a different room. Her pants had been pulled down below her waist. He thought that was evidence of...
Man charged with helping Russian intelligence in UK (www.bbc.com)
9 dead, 121 injured as wind causes stage collapse at Mexico election rally (www.cnn.com)
Ireland to recognise Palestinian state (www.reuters.com)
Ireland will recognise a Palestinian state, Prime Minister Simon Harris said on Wednesday, adding that he expected other countries to follow in the coming weeks after talking to world leaders....
'Boiling not warming': Marine life suffers as Thai sea temperatures hit record (www.reuters.com)
Aquatic life from coral reefs to fish in the Thailand’s eastern gulf coast is suffering as sea surface temperatures hit record highs this month amid a regional heatwave, worrying scientists and local communities....
Europe’s far right is splintering (www.politico.eu)
On the eve of the EU election, France’s National Rally party sees it as too risky to team up with Alternative for Germany....
Republican bill aims to give Americans in Israeli military same benefits as US soldiers (www.middleeasteye.net)
Two Republican congressmen have introduced legislation that would provide the same employment and economic protections to Americans serving in the Israeli military as US citizens who get deployed to serve in the US military....
Whistleblowers allege widespread abuses at Israeli detention camp (www.theguardian.com)
Prisoners held at an Israeli detention camp in the Negev desert are being subjected to widespread physical and mental abuses, with at least one reported case of a man having his limb amputated as a result of injuries sustained from constant handcuffing, according to two whistleblowers who worked at the site....