Trump downplays Moscow visit by CIA director as ‘semi-routine’

President denies visit was to gain support for Iran sanctions or due to fears that Putin plans to ‘test Nato resolve’

Donald Trump has downplayed a visit to Moscow by the CIA director, John Ratcliffe, as “semi-routine” after he turned up in the Russian capital unannounced, triggering a wave of speculation about the reasons for his trip.

Ratcliffe was reported to have flown to Moscow on a government transport plane on Tuesday in a rare visit after taking off from the Andrews air force base in Maryland.

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Hundreds missing and many feared dead after massive flash flood hits Nepal-China border – CNN

  1. Hundreds missing and many feared dead after massive flash flood hits Nepal-China border  CNN
  2. What triggered the catastrophic flood on the Nepal-Tibet border?  Reuters
  3. Deadly Nepal Flood May Have Been Caused by Ice Snapping Off Glacier, Scientists Say  The New York Times
  4. Deadly flash floods in Nepal leave hundreds missing, including tourists from US  WAVY.com
  5. Hundreds missing after Nepal floods  BBC
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A Wildberries depot in Russia is destroyed as Ukraine extends its drone campaign – AP News

  1. A Wildberries depot in Russia is destroyed as Ukraine extends its drone campaign  AP News
  2. Fire destroys drone-hit Wildberries warehouse in Russia's Tambov region, governor says  Reuters
  3. Russia's second-biggest online retailer Ozon targeted in Ukrainian strikes  BBC
  4. Ukraine is targeting Russia’s retail giants. Ozon is the next economic pressure point  CNBC
  5. Ukraine Knocks Out 8 of Wildberries’ 10 Major Warehouses, Wiping Out 81% of Combined Space  UNITED24 Media
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How to lose Trump’s trade war: test Canada’s resolve with threats to hockey sticks

The US president expected Ottawa to bow to tariff demands, but Canada is striking back – and it could cost Americans

Earlier this year, a survey found that Canada, along with Switzerland, was the best-liked country in the world. We all know this kind of polling is about as scientific as a high school popularity contest, but at least anecdotally, Canadians have a reputation for being friendly and welcoming, respectful and polite. Many people would find it difficult to dislike Canadians.

But not Donald Trump, who in a “hold my beer” moment this week demonstrated that he, at least, finds it easy to resent Canadians. The US president called the country “difficult and unreasonable”, and in a particularly hysterical moment, threatened to rename a lake, after trade talks collapsed.

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Being a mom is hard — the heat is making it harder. – The Verge

  1. Being a mom is hard — the heat is making it harder.  The Verge
  2. Climate change exposes 580 million children to 20 extra ‘heat-stress days’ every year  Carbon Brief
  3. Climate change heat stress puts 145 m Indian children at risk of dehydration, heatstroke: Study  The Indian Express
  4. Climate change: 56 crore children globally exposed to 30 'extra' heat stress days  Deccan Herald
  5. Climate change adds month of dangerous heat for 560 mln children: study  Xinhua
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France is not ready to face cheap drones yet, warns top general – politico.eu

  1. France is not ready to face cheap drones yet, warns top general  politico.eu
  2. Explosive drone at German airport linked to Russian military intelligence, US intel source says  ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos
  3. Europe eyes Russia in attacks on weapons and cargo. But Germany treads lightly.  The Washington Post
  4. Germany's Merz warns attackers will 'pay price' after drone incident  BBC
  5. Germany news: Third drone found in Leipzig airport probe  DW.com
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US issues sanctions against UK-based direct action group Palestine Action

US labels group ‘global terrorist’ as Palestine Action challenge against proscription in UK nears supreme court hearing

The US ⁠has ​issued sanctions against ⁠the UK-based direct action organisation Palestine ⁠Action, describing it as a “transnational terror group”.

The US Department of the Treasury labelled Palestine Action a specially designated global terrorist on Wednesday, which allows the US to freeze the assets of foreign individuals and entities.

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Opinion | The Ukrainian Nord Stream pipeline attack is a lesson for the U.S. – The Washington Post

  1. Opinion | The Ukrainian Nord Stream pipeline attack is a lesson for the U.S.  The Washington Post
  2. Ukraine war briefing: Nord Stream bombings were not us, Zelenskyy insists  The Guardian
  3. Zelenskiy says Ukraine not behind Nord Stream blasts, cooperating with probe  Reuters
  4. Putin clashes with Tusk over Nord Stream  TVP World
  5. Zelenskyy repeats Ukraine not behind Nord Stream attack  dw.com
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Europe eyes Russia in attacks on weapons and cargo. But Germany treads lightly. – The Washington Post

  1. Europe eyes Russia in attacks on weapons and cargo. But Germany treads lightly.  The Washington Post
  2. French intelligence chief warns of more ‘violent, hostile action’ after Leipzig drone attack  politico.eu
  3. Explosive drone at German airport linked to Russian military intelligence, US intel source says  ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos
  4. Germany's Merz warns attackers will 'pay price' after drone incident  BBC
  5. Third drone and suspected military explosives found near Leipzig airport  The Guardian
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Police not ruling out links to A66 crash after two killed in Middlesbrough house fire

Murder inquiry launched after blaze in Grangetown area, amid investigation into collision in which seven died

A murder investigation has been launched after two people were killed in a house fire in Middlesbrough, with police not ruling out links to organised crime or the crash on the A66 on Saturday that killed seven people including two police officers.

A child was one of those killed in the blaze in the early hours of Wednesday and a woman was in a critical condition in hospital. Three other people sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Two men aged 23 and 31 have been arrested on suspicion of murder.

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Iran warns of military ship ban in Hormuz under potential deal with Oman, and other Middle East news – AP News

  1. Iran warns of military ship ban in Hormuz under potential deal with Oman, and other Middle East news  AP News
  2. Iran war live: Trump says US ‘not in a hurry’ over talks with Tehran  Al Jazeera
  3. U.S. crude hovers around $80 as oil prices sink on Hormuz deal hopes  CNBC
  4. Live updates: Trump claims US sanctions will win war over Iran as oil prices sink  CNN
  5. Iran and Oman still working on Strait of Hormuz accord, says senior Iranian source  Reuters
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FDA gives expedited approval to new groundbreaking pancreatic cancer drug

FDA officials approve first-of-a-kind pill called daraxonrasib to fight one of the deadliest types of cancer

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a groundbreaking new drug for the most common form of pancreatic cancer, offering US patients a more effective treatment against one of the deadliest types of the disease.

FDA officials gave expedited approval to the first-of-a-kind pill, called daraxonrasib, that blocks a mutated protein which fuels tumor growth in more than 90% of pancreatic cancer cases. It’s an approach that has eluded drugmakers for decades.

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2026 hurricane season maps tracker: Current storms, forecast – The Weather Channel

  1. 2026 hurricane season maps tracker: Current storms, forecast  The Weather Channel
  2. Tropics remain very active across the Pacific with three named storms, four waves  WPEC
  3. Tropical Storm Iselle weakening far from Hawaii in East Pacific  Honolulu Star-Advertiser
  4. Tropical Storm Iselle expected to absorb Tropical Storm Julio in the Pacific Ocean  AP News
  5. Hurricane forecasters track 9 systems across Atlantic, Pacific  USA Today
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‘Escape wizard’ who has broken out of four prisons is arrested in Spain

Albanian criminal has cut bars, descended sheets and even used human pyramid in escapes in Italy and Belgium

Police in Spain have arrested a dangerous Albanian criminal nicknamed the “escape wizard” who has managed to break out of four jails in Italy and Belgium by sawing through bars, clambering down knotted sheets and even using a human pyramid to breach prison walls.

The fugitive, who has not been officially named, was arrested after officers from the Policía Nacional force discovered he was living in the north-eastern Spanish city of Tarragona. He was the subject of a European arrest warrant issued by the Italian authorities.

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Liturgy Wars—The Latest Volley: A Papal “Thus” – Diane Montagna’s Substack

  1. Liturgy Wars—The Latest Volley: A Papal “Thus”  Diane Montagna's Substack
  2. Pope at Audience: Active participation in liturgy leads us to relationship with God  Vatican News
  3. Pope Leo says Vatican II's liturgical reform was 'necessary' for lay involvement  National Catholic Reporter
  4. To experience true relationship with God in the liturgy, faithful’s participation cannot be passive, pope says  OSV News
  5. Pope Leo XIV’s summer catechesis: Understanding the sacred liturgy  EWTN News
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Trump’s Top Gaza Official Says Israel Is Jeopardizing the Cease-Fire – The New York Times

  1. Trump’s Top Gaza Official Says Israel Is Jeopardizing the Cease-Fire  The New York Times
  2. Board of Peace envoy knocks Israel’s ‘unacceptable’ Gaza policy as disarmament plan stalls  The Times of Israel
  3. Mladenov says Israel, Hamas failing to uphold ceasefire, harming peace process  The Jerusalem Post
  4. Board Of Peace: Hamas Is Rebuilding Tunnels In Gaza  i24NEWS
  5. Live updates • Board of Peace envoy: Israel must honor commitments for Gaza truce to advance  Haaretz
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Putin Moves to Escalate War in Ukraine as Talks at Dead End – Bloomberg.com

  1. Putin Moves to Escalate War in Ukraine as Talks at Dead End  Bloomberg.com
  2. Why Even a Cornered Putin Won’t Press the Red Button  Foreign Policy
  3. Russia prepares to intensify strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian oblasts – Bloomberg  Українська правда
  4. Kremlin sources tell Bloomberg that Putin is preparing to escalate the war in Ukraine. A growing number of Russian officials believe that could eventually mean a tactical nuclear weapon.  Meduza
  5. What Vladimir Putin’s Shifting Vocabulary Reveals About Russia’s Ukraine War  Newsweek
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Russia’s NORSI refinery halts oil processing after drone attack, sources say – Reuters

  1. Russia's NORSI refinery halts oil processing after drone attack, sources say  Reuters
  2. Ukraine Says It Hit Major Oil Refinery in Russia’s Volga Region  Bloomberg.com
  3. Two killed, refinery on fire in Russia’s Krasnodar after drone attack  Al Jazeera
  4. Ukrainian drones target Moscow, one of Russia's largest oil refineries in Yaroslavl, sparking fire, media reports  The Kyiv Independent
  5. Deadly Ukrainian Strikes in Southern Russia Force Oil Refinery to Shut Down  The Moscow Times
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