- In Israel, military service debate spotlights ultra-Orthodox Jews and their growing clout apnews.com
- AG says government must up enforcement against draft evaders, 83% of whom are Haredim timesofisrael.com
- Israeli Government Passes Controversial Legislation Atlanta Jewish Times
- The Orthodox will not only join the IDF in large numbers – they will influence it The Jewish Chronicle
- Israel Ultra Orthodox dailyrecordnews.com
French civil servant drugged us to make us urinate on ourselves, say accusers
More than 200 women accuse Christian Nègre of drugging them to make them urinate - two share their stories.
French civil servant drugged us to make us urinate on ourselves, say accusers
More than 200 women accuse Christian Nègre of drugging them to make them urinate - two share their stories.
UK relies on heat-stressed countries for fruit and veg it could grow itself – report
Food Foundation sounds alarm over supply risks and price shocks as about 40% of Britain’s food is imported
The UK is vulnerable to food price shocks because of its dependence on imports of fruit and vegetable from countries even more exposed to the climate crisis, researchers say.
Much of Britain has sweltered under a record five heatwaves this year and endured drought and wildfires, with the hot, dry conditions damaging crops and reducing yields of domestic produce.
Continue reading...South Korea, US scale back annual military drills after Trump’s order
Seoul says the duration of the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise has been reduced from 11 days to five.
Attackers go ‘house to house’ killing 25 villagers in central Nigeria
An attack on a village in Nigeria’s central Plateau state has killed at least 25 people.
Iran’s latest warning to the US signals the hardliners are just getting started – CNN
- Iran’s latest warning to the US signals the hardliners are just getting started CNN
- The 60-day deadline for an Iran peace deal is expiring. Here’s where things stand AP News
- 60 days after signing Iran deal, Trump stuck in quagmire as war drags on The Washington Post
- Iran says it will escalate if US does not honour deal within weeks Reuters
- Fighting While Talking: The Iran War Enters Its Bargaining Phase lawfaremedia.org
Tourists on pastry quest overrun scenic spot in Italian mountains
Alpine communities hit out after influencer videos draw huge queues to Friedrich August refuge in Dolomites
Hundreds of people overwhelmed a mountain hut in the Italian Dolomites, not for the panoramic views but in search of a creamy pastry, reigniting the debate about social-media-driven tourism.
The visitors ventured en masse to the Friedrich August refuge – perched at 2,300 metres (7,500ft) above sea level, between Col Rodella and Passo Sella in Val di Fassa – some reportedly waking up at dawn or camping overnight, just to ensure they could buy a freshly baked krapfen, a traditional German pastry similar to a doughnut, before they ran out.
Continue reading...Trump pauses new tariffs on Canada for three days, saying deal close
The US president says the two sides are finalising documents to avert import taxes targeting a range of Canadian goods.
China’s Top Envoy to Visit Seoul as Trump Shakes US-Korea Ties – Bloomberg.com
- China’s Top Envoy to Visit Seoul as Trump Shakes US-Korea Ties Bloomberg.com
- China's Wang Yi in South Korea for talks amid Trump push to revive North Korea diplomacy Reuters
- World in Brief: Donald Trump threatens Oman; China and South Korea get closer The Economist
- Wang Yi heads to Seoul as Trump cuts South Korea drills, opening door for China South China Morning Post
- China's top diplomat to visit Indonesia after South Korea trip Anadolu Ajansı
Five Australian rules footy players suspended amid police investigation
The suspensions, for drinking and inviting women to a hotel, come as police investigate an alleged sexual assault.
Iranian academic writes of US detention ‘hell’ over link to 1979 hostage crisis
The immigration status of Maryam Tahmasebi was revoked because her husband is the son of a prominent figure in Iran.
Husband and mother-in-law charged over Indian bride’s death
Twisha Sharma, a model and actor, had been married for just five months when she was found dead in May.
‘I don’t want to send you to prison’, witness tells Tupac accused in combative testimony
A member of Tupac Shakur's entourage said he was threatened with contempt of court if he did not testify in the murder trial of Duane "Keffe D" Davis.
US-led drills to end six days early, South Korea says, amid Trump push for Kim Jong-un talks
South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff said the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise would end on 21 August at the request of the US
South Korea’s military has confirmed that joint military drills with the US will be cut short, days after Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to scale back the exercises.
In a statement on Wednesday, South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff said at the request of the US side, the Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise – which began on Monday would end on Friday, six days earlier than originally planned.
Continue reading...Taiwan’s Tanks: Taipei’s Counter-landing Ground Forces – USNI News
Fear grips children after deadly earthquake in eastern Indonesia leaves thousands displaced – apnews.com
- Fear grips children after deadly earthquake in eastern Indonesia leaves thousands displaced apnews.com
- Thousands in Indonesia await aid after quake kills 68, overshadowing Independence Day apnews.com
- At Least 47 Dead as 7.7-Magnitude Earthquake Rocks Indonesia The New York Times
- Indonesian mother 'grateful' after emergency birth during 7.7 quake Reuters
- Indonesia: Education disrupted for over 8,000 children after earthquake Vatican News
Pro-Israel Groups Want You to Believe That Israel’s National Security Minister… Doesn’t Represent Israel – Zeteo | Substack
- Pro-Israel Groups Want You to Believe That Israel’s National Security Minister… Doesn’t Represent Israel Zeteo | Substack
- Germany Condemns Israeli Minister’s ‘Dehumanizing’ Comments Bloomberg.com
- Germany condemns Israeli minister's Gaza 'killings' remarks DW.com
- Senior Israeli official calls for killing of "30 to 40" people in Gaza every night: "They're not even people" CBS News
- Israeli minister calls for killing ’30 to 40′ Palestinians in Gaza nightly Al Jazeera
PM, Kushner clashed over continued Israeli strikes on Oct. 7 terrorists — officials – The Times of Israel
- PM, Kushner clashed over continued Israeli strikes on Oct. 7 terrorists — officials The Times of Israel
- Morning news brief NPR
- In Israel, Kushner tries to break deadlock over Trump's Gaza plan, but secures no guarantees Le Monde.fr
- Inside Kushner's Hamas meeting: What comes next in Gaza Axios
- Why White House envoys cannot sway Israel’s war leader Al Jazeera
US condemns ‘unnecessary escalation’ after Israeli airstrikes on Syrian airbase
Damascus called the attacks "an unjustified act of aggression" that imperilled regional security.