EU formally approves €90bn Ukraine loan and 20th sanctions package against Russia

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Ursula von der Leyen hails ‘good news’ after Hungary’s lifting of vetoes allows leaders to sign off on agreements

EU leaders have welcomed the end of diplomatic deadlock over a long-awaited €90bn (£78bn) loan for Ukraine, after the bloc completed the agreement along with a 20th sanctions package against Russia.

After weeks of delay, the EU signed off on the loan on Thursday, in time for a summit in Cyprus that began in the evening and will include talks over a dinner with the Ukrainian leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

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The no-go zone paradox: Chornobyl’s wildlife thrives amid pro-nuclear shift – The Guardian

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  1. The no-go zone paradox: Chornobyl’s wildlife thrives amid pro-nuclear shift  The Guardian
  2. PHOTO ESSAY: Chernobyl liquidators return to where they faced an invisible enemy  AP News
  3. Scientists are still learning from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster  The Economist
  4. Chornobyl first responder says few survive 40 years on  Reuters
  5. Chernobyl at 40: The lies, the loss and why we can't let go  Phys.org
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More than 6 million Somalis face hunger amid climate shocks and conflict – Al Jazeera

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  1. More than 6 million Somalis face hunger amid climate shocks and conflict  Al Jazeera
  2. Drought Displaces Nearly 62,000 in Somalia as Climate Shocks Intensify  International Organization for Migration
  3. 5 things you need to know about Somalia’s humanitarian crisis  Doctors Without Borders
  4. Malnutrition Crisis Deepens in Somalia Camp Amid Severe Drought  fundsforNGOs News
  5. Drought displaces tens of thousands in Somalia: UN  Arab News PK
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Dozens of Mexican mafia members arrested in California crackdown

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Prosecutors say 43 people indicted on charges including murder, kidnapping, extortion and drug trafficking

More than two dozen members and associates of the Mexican mafia were arrested during an early morning crackdown in southern California, federal authorities said on Thursday.

The FBI and other federal and local agencies executed search and arrest warrants at locations mostly in Orange county, south of Los Angeles, according to the US attorney’s office.

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Iran’s Mehr says air defences heard ‘engaging hostile targets’ in Tehran – Reuters

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  1. Iran's Mehr says air defences heard 'engaging hostile targets' in Tehran  Reuters
  2. Iran war live: Air defences engaged over Tehran, reason unclear  Al Jazeera
  3. Israel denies it is attacking Iran after air defenses reportedly fire at 'hostile targets' over Tehran  The Times of Israel
  4. Air defenses activated in Tehran against ‘hostile targets’; Katz: Israel awaiting US green light to resume strikes  ynetnews
  5. US-Iran War Live: Iran activates air defences, engages 'hostile targets', local media reports  India Today
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Lebanese Christians rejoice over new Christ statue brought by Italian soldiers – OSV News

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  1. Lebanese Christians rejoice over new Christ statue brought by Italian soldiers  OSV News
  2. Israel jails two soldiers who damaged and photographed a Jesus statue in Lebanon  CNN
  3. How a single incident undermines Israel’s religious tolerance reputation  The Jerusalem Post
  4. IDF Replaces Smashed Crucifix In Lebanon, Metes Out Punishment To Guilty Soldier  i24NEWS
  5. Opinion | Israel Is Weaponizing Lebanon’s Diversity  The New York Times
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Trump claims US has total control over strait of Hormuz after Iran seizes two container ships

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US president says Tehran hobbled by infighting as Pentagon reportedly briefs mine clearance may take six months

Donald Trump has again said that the US has “total control over the strait of Hormuz”, adding that Iran’s leadership was so hobbled by infighting that it was unclear who was in charge.

But the US president’s claim seemed questionable in the face of the seizure of two container ships by Iranian commandos and a US report warning it could take six months to clear the strait of mines.

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Israeli killing of Lebanese journalist draws international condemnation

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Lebanese PM calls attack that killed Amal Khalil a ‘war crime’, with rescuers attempting to free her also targeted

Israel’s killing of a prominent Lebanese journalist in a double-tap strike has been greeted with international outrage as Lebanon’s prime minister described the attack as a “war crime”.

Amal Khalil, 43, who worked for al-Akhbar newspaper, was buried on Thursday. She was killed in what colleagues described as a sustained attack by Israeli forces, with rescuers attempting to dig her out of the rubble of a building also targeted and prevented from providing life-saving assistance.

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