Ukraine downs 18 drones, two of which are found to carry pro-Russian slogans, as Ukrainian residents prepare for curfew after night of heavy shelling. Plus, the dazzling, troubling history of California superbloom tourism

Good morning.

There’s been another night of substantial Russian missile attacks and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities, which has become something of a pattern in the last week or so after a period of relative calm. In the aftermath of Russia’s claims that Ukraine targeted the Kremlin with its own drones and tried to assassinate Vladimir Putin, Moscow launched a wave of kamikaze drones mainly targeting Kyiv and Odesa.

What has Volodymyr Zelenskiy said about the Kremlin attack? He has denied Russian claims that Ukraine was involved in a drone attack on the Kremlin that Russia says was intended to kill Vladimir Putin. Zelenskiy said on Wednesday: “We don’t attack Putin or Moscow, we fight on our territory and defend our towns and cities. We leave it to the tribunal.”

What else is happening? Zelenskiy will have a meeting at the international criminal court (ICC) in The Hague during a visit to the Netherlands today, the court has said, Reuters reports.

What did Sandy Senn say? “We told them: ‘Don’t take us down this path again for the third time in six months – you will regret it.’ And so we made them regret it,” said the state senator of the male Republican senators continuously pushing abortion restrictions in her state – including in an earlier attempt this year to make abortion a crime punishable by the death penalty. Abortions remain legal until 22 weeks in the state, which has become a safe haven for abortion in a region with increasingly limited options.

World Press Freedom Index report warns disinformation and AI pose mounting threats to journalism. Plus, the shocking history of British royal crowns

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Good morning.

Media freedom is in dire health in a record number of countries, according to the latest annual snapshot, which warns that disinformation, propaganda and artificial intelligence pose mounting threats to journalism.

Are things bad everywhere? The environment for journalism today is considered “bad” in seven out of 10 countries, and satisfactory in only three out of 10, according to RSF. The UN says 85% of people live in countries where media freedom has declined in the past five years.

Why has it never been harder to be a journalist? On World Press Freedom Day, readers can make a difference to struggling independents via supporter models that beat the censors. Here nine journalists from around the world describe the realities of trying to do their job and what they are doing differently.

Who is behind the course? The course is the creation of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the beef industry’s main lobby group, and on after completing it I can tell you that you do not actually get a master’s degree, despite its name.