- Iran says deal on Strait of Hormuz is close but will not open the waterway by itself NBC News
- Iran war live: IRGC says Hormuz to open after US ‘fully’ accepts conditions Al Jazeera
- Former Trump cabinet official says Iran-Oman Strait of Hormuz deal could be ‘very bad outcome’ Fox News
- Iran Sees an Opening to Kick the U.S. Out of the Gulf WSJ
- What's holding up the Iran-Oman proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz PBS
Lion saved as cub from Ukraine war and brought to US battles rare fungal disease
Four-year-old Taras, who now resides at a Minnesota sanctuary, was diagnosed with an often fatal infection
A lion that escaped the war in Ukraine after being found as a four-month-old cub inside a duffel bag at Odesa railway station is facing an even greater battle for survival in his new home in Minnesota from a rare and often fatal fungal disease.
Taras, his two sisters Lesya and Stefania, and an unrelated, slightly older cub from Kyiv named Prada, were brought to the US in November 2022 by the Wildcat Sanctuary, a secluded private reserve near Sandstone, Minnesota, that arranged their rescue with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).
Continue reading...Trump loyalist Todd Blanche confirmed by Senate as US attorney general
Major win for president as former personal lawyer wins approval despite outcry over $1.8bn slush fund
The US Senate voted to narrowly confirm Todd Blanche as attorney general in a major win for Donald Trump, who will now have his one-time personal attorney sitting atop the nation’s law enforcement apparatus.
Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana cast the deciding vote in Blanche’s favor after two other Republicans – Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska – voted against him. Every Democrat rejected Blanche’s nomination as the Republican-led Senate voted 50-49.
Continue reading...Senate passes funding bill to prevent shutdown through US midterms
Bill must still be approved by House but would keep government running at current funding levels
The US Senate on Friday passed a government funding bill that will prevent a shutdown through the midterm elections, though it still must be approved by the House of Representatives.
The continuing resolution (CR) passed by a 90-6 vote will keep the government running at its current funding levels until 11 December, more than a month past the midterms in which Democrats are hoping to regain control of Congress and block Donald Trump’s legislative agenda for the final two years of his presidency.
Continue reading...Families retrieve bodies after a 14-year-old killed at least 7 in a shooting outside Bangkok – AP News
- Families retrieve bodies after a 14-year-old killed at least 7 in a shooting outside Bangkok AP News
- 12-year-old student among those killed in Thailand’s deadliest school shooting in years CNN
- 'Mom, don't call me': Inside Thailand's deadly school shooting Reuters
- Boy Kills Grandparents and Then Five Teachers, Thai Authorities Say The New York Times
- Teen kills classmates, teachers, and his grandparents in Thai gun rampage, police say Yahoo
Ukraine Strikes Oil Refinery in Russia’s Krasnodar Region in Drone Attack – themoscowtimes.com
- Ukraine Strikes Oil Refinery in Russia's Krasnodar Region in Drone Attack themoscowtimes.com
- Ukraine Drone Strike Sparks Fire at Russia’s Ilsky Refinery Bloomberg.com
- Live: Russian strikes kill four near Kyiv as Zelensky makes landmark visit to Serbia France 24
- Fire caused by drones at oil refinery in Russia's Yaroslavl has been extinguished, governor says Reuters
- Ukraine strikes more oil facilities deep inside Russia, Zelenskyy says AP News
Switzerland is a neutral nation but has more nuclear bunkers than any country in the world – NPR
Yemen Teeters on Civil War as Regional Stability Hangs in the Balance – The New York Times
- Yemen Teeters on Civil War as Regional Stability Hangs in the Balance The New York Times
- Yemen attacks Houthis, Turkey’s Kurdish peace bill wins approval, and other Middle East news AP News
- Houthis on Alert for Possible Attack by Govt Forces on Multiple Fronts ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English
- Yemeni armed forces launch multi-front operation against Houthis; warn against further escalation Big News Network.com
- Yemen's army attacks Houthis, Turkey’s Kurdish peace bill wins approval, and other Middle East news SFGATE
The Bond effect? How MI6 fascinates spy watchers around the world
Britain’s spooks take quiet satisfaction from survey ranking Secret Intelligence Service Europe’s top espionage agency
MI6 has the swagger of James Bond; its French equivalent, DGSE, the complexities of the television drama Le Bureau. The film and TV shows may be fictional, but a survey run by a French magazine that placed the British spy agency above the French as No 1 across all of Europe this week is not.
L’Express, a news weekly, conducted a Eurovision-style poll of 60 current and former spies from across the continent, plus the CIA and Israel’s Mossad. Each was asked to rank their top five foreign intelligence agencies, in secret, naturally enough. MI6 was first with 251 points ahead of DGSE on 169, with other agencies trailing behind.
Continue reading...Yemen’s collapsing healthcare forces the sick to seek alternative medicines
Patients in Yemen who cannot afford healthcare or access relevant treatment are turning to alternative medicine.
Nazi shipwrecks emerge from the depths as Europe’s Danube dries up
Unexploded ordnance and a military motorcycle also recovered following record heat and drought conditions
Record-low water levels in the Danube have exposed remnants of Europe’s Nazi past, with dozens of second world war ships emerging from the riverbed during an intense drought.
In the middle of the river on the Serbian and Romanian border, a broken-up hull was visible on a sandbank that is normally underwater. Other vessels were partly submerged, some still believed to be laden with weapons.
Continue reading...How Israel’s occupation fuels resistance
Israel is trapped in a cycle it created.
EU’s Internal Borders Start to Harden as Dispute Grows Over Migrants – WSJ
- EU’s Internal Borders Start to Harden as Dispute Grows Over Migrants WSJ
- Spain imposes border checks on Italian travelers in tit-for-tat move over Ceuta migrants row AP News
- Spain to establish border controls on travellers from Italy amid migration dispute Reuters
- ‘We have no tents or blankets’: Ceuta migrants struggle to survive brutal heat and freezing nights The Guardian
- Spain's migrant surge reignites debate over Europe’s Islamist terror threat Fox News
Trump’s former personal lawyer narrowly confirmed as US attorney general
US Senate confirms Todd Blanche in narrow vote despite concerns over independence of office.
Drones spotted above German military base two days after suspected drone attack – Reuters
- Drones spotted above German military base two days after suspected drone attack Reuters
- U.S. Intel Links Russia to Explosive Drone at German Airport WSJ
- Drones Sighted Over German Military Base After Airport Incident Bloomberg.com
- Germany warns of ‘new threat’ after explosives-packed drone targets airport CNN
- The Leipzig drone bomb marks a dangerous escalation for Europe The Guardian
Fiji rugby player dies in Japan of suspected heatstroke as high of 35C hit
Saimoni Vunilagi was hospitalised with symptoms of heatstroke after rugby team training on Monday, but died on Friday.
Mount Etna ash suspends arrivals at Italy’s Catania airport
Catania international airport services the eastern part of Sicily, one of Italy's most popular tourist destinations.
A Lost Civilization Is Baffling Experts and Rewriting China’s Origin Story – WSJ
Newcastle say they “didn’t want to sell” Guimaraes, as Arsenal move looms
Bruno Guimaraes looks set to move to Premier League champions Arsenal, but Newcastle say they did not want to sell.
US announces $400m investment in Australian rare earth mine
Deal aims to secure scandium supply as China restricts exports for defence products.