Commented

‘Insane’: Xi’s call for ethnic Chinese to tell Beijing’s story stirs anger (www.aljazeera.com)

Millions of people of Chinese origin are nationals of countries other than China and they don’t back Beijing....

Ukraine denies US requested to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries (newsukraine.rbc.ua)

Ukraine did not receive calls from the United States to cease attacks on Russian oil refineries, according to the advisor to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Mykhailo Podolyak. Earlier, the media reported on Washington’s alleged request to Kyiv....

$3 billion deal with the UK gets Australia closer to having a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines (apnews.com)

Rupert Murdoch and new 'Washington Post' CEO accused of cover-up in hacking scandal (www.npr.org)

In Gaza, starving children fill hospital wards as famine looms (www.reuters.com)

Reuters saw 10 badly malnourished children during a visit last week to the al-Awda health centre in Rafah, arranged with nursing staff who gave the news agency unimpeded access to the ward.

Sex trade to slavery: A UN agency says criminals reap $236B a year in profits from forced labor (apnews.com)

Illegal profits from forced labor worldwide have risen to the “obscene” amount of $236 billion per year, the U.N. labor agency reported Tuesday, with sexual exploitation to blame for three-fourths of the take from a business that deprives migrants of money they can send home, swipes jobs from legal workers, and allows the...

Global eradication of polio ‘tantalisingly close’ with UK urged to keep up funding (www.theguardian.com)

After no reported cases of wild polio for 19 weeks, vaccination efforts boosted at last endemic spots in Pakistan and Afghanistan...

The trade route from China to Mexico soars by 60% in January and establishes itself as one of the largest in the world (english.elpais.com)

Russians cast ballots on Day 2 of an election preordained to extend Putin's rule (apnews.com)

Voters across Russia cast ballots Saturday on the second day of an election set to formalize six more years of power for President Vladimir Putin, who faces no serious challengers after crushing political dissent over his nearly 25 years of rule....

Zelensky’s phone call to Macron to inform him that the invasion started (vimeo.com)

After Russia lost 2 prized A-50 planes, Ukraine struck a factory that's replacing them, reports say (www.businessinsider.com)

Ukraine carried out drone strikes on an aircraft plant in southern Russia, reports say....

No crops, no brides: how rising seas are killing India’s coastal villages (www.theguardian.com)

As the sea inundates Odisha’s coastline, livelihoods have withered with the harvest and weddings are a rarity as young women refuse to move to areas where they see no future...

Netanyahu vows to defy Biden’s ‘red line’ on Rafah (www.politico.eu)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he intends to press ahead with an invasion of the city of Rafah on the southern border of the Gaza Strip in defiance of United States President Joe Biden, who has warned such an offensive would be a “red line.”...

Philippine and Chinese vessels collide in disputed South China Sea and 4 Filipino crew are injured (apnews.com)

Russian authorities using video footage to identify and arrest people who attended Navalny’s funeral — Meduza (meduza.io)

Gaza ceasefire talks appear to stall days before Ramadan (www.theguardian.com)

Negotiations aimed at brokering a ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza war appear to have stalled, days before an unofficial deadline of the beginning of Ramadan....

Man charged after bringing nail gun to demonstration in Thornhill, Ont.: police (toronto.ctvnews.ca)

A pro-Israel man attacked peaceful protesters by shooting a nail gun at them.

Israel reportedly close to accepting six-week Gaza ceasefire, US official says (www.theguardian.com)

Israel is reported to be close to accepting a six-week ceasefire proposal for Gaza, a senior Biden administration official told several US news outlets on Saturday, two days after more than 100 Palestinians died while attempting to access aid trucks in the territory....

Major manhunt after hundreds of drug addicts escape Vietnam rehab clinic (www.independent.co.uk)

‘Why are you asleep?’ Rahul Gandhi pleads with India’s low castes to vote out Modi (www.theguardian.com)

Hungary and Sweden agree on defense deal ahead of final vote on Sweden's NATO accession (apnews.com)

The prime ministers of Hungary and Sweden concluded a defense industry agreement on Friday that will expand Budapest’s fleet of Swedish-built fighter jets, paving the way for Hungary’s likely ratification of Sweden’s long-delayed NATO bid....

Hundreds are set to descend on Tahiti for Olympic surfing. Can locals protect their way of life? (apnews.com)

In response to criticism, now 98% of Olympic housing will be within the homes of locals, with athletes accommodated on a cruise ship anchored nearby. The size of the judging tower has been scaled back and new infrastructure plans are being drawn up to minimize the need for new construction....

world