US city declares 12-year-old boy a hero for saving his family from house fire

Boy’s Virginia home town commends ‘remarkable heroism’ after he singlehandedly rescued grandmother and siblings

A city in Virginia has awarded a hero’s proclamation to a 12-year-old boy who rescued his grandmother and two younger siblings from a fire that burned their house down recently.

The courage that Ramir Parker demonstrated when confronted with the blaze “is a shining example of resilience, responsibility and the power of instinctive leadership in our youth”, said the proclamation that officials in Petersburg gave to the local seventh-grade student.

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In effort to protect children, France bans smoking at parks and beaches – NPR

  1. In effort to protect children, France bans smoking at parks and beaches  NPR
  2. Can France, land of smoking and joie de vivre, end its cigarette habit?  The Washington Post
  3. France implements smoking ban at beaches and parks in step towards ‘tobacco-free generation’  The Guardian
  4. France: Smoking ban on beaches goes into effect  dw.com
  5. France bans smoking in outdoor public spaces  Semafor
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Lavrov Warns West Against Backing ‘Color Revolution’ in Serbia as Protests Heat Up – The Moscow Times

  1. Lavrov Warns West Against Backing ‘Color Revolution’ in Serbia as Protests Heat Up  The Moscow Times
  2. What are Serbia’s protesters demanding, and what’s next?  Al Jazeera
  3. Serbian police remove street blockades in Belgrade and make new arrests as tensions persist  ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos
  4. Kremlin says anti-government protests in Serbia could be an attempted 'colour revolution'  Reuters
  5. Police clash with anti-government protesters calling for early elections in Serbia  CNN
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Hundreds of families displaced by Israeli air strikes on Gaza, witnesses say – BBC

  1. Hundreds of families displaced by Israeli air strikes on Gaza, witnesses say  BBC
  2. Israel steps up Gaza bombardment ahead of White House talks on ceasefire  Reuters
  3. Netanyahu denounces report that Israeli soldiers have orders to shoot at Palestinians seeking aid  NBC News
  4. Israel’s Military Appears Poised to Expand Into Gaza City Amid Cease-Fire Calls  The New York Times
  5. Israel orders evacuations in northern Gaza as Trump pushes for ceasefire  BBC
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Daily Crossword: The Racing Puzzle — June 30 – Vulture

  1. Daily Crossword: The Racing Puzzle — June 30  Vulture
  2. @nascarcasm: Fake texts to EchoPark summer winner Chase Elliott  NASCAR.com
  3. Himachal Pradesh cloudburst: 4 dead, 16 missing as flash flood ravages Mandi; houses, vehicles, bridges w  Times of India
  4. On Camera, 5-Storey House Collapses In Shimla Day After Evacuation Amid Heavy Rain  NDTV
  5. Cloudbursts, landslides, building collapses, deaths: Himachal Pradesh battles monsoon fury  Hindustan Times
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Iran: Arrests and executions soar following end of Israeli assault – Middle East Eye

  1. Iran: Arrests and executions soar following end of Israeli assault  Middle East Eye
  2. Iran crackdown deepens with speedy executions and arrests  ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos
  3. Get Ready for Assassinations in Iraqi Kurdistan  American Enterprise Institute
  4. Iran carries out wave of arrests and executions in wake of Israel conflict  BBC
  5. Life in Iran After the Strikes: Executions, Arrests and Paranoia - WSJ  WSJ
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Lawyers investigate whether Hannah Thomas could sue police over alleged excessive use of force at Sydney protest

Critical incident investigation declared into arrest of former Greens candidate who says she could lose sight in right eye

Lawyers are investigating whether protesters could sue New South Wales police over alleged excessive use of force during a pro-Palestine protest in Sydney, after which the former Greens candidate Hannah Thomas said she could lose sight in her right eye.

Thomas, 35, who ran against the prime minister at the federal election, was arrested at the Belmore protest which was attended by about 60 people on Friday. She was subsequently taken to hospital and underwent surgery.

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Settlers torch West Bank security site, riot against ‘traitor’ IDF officer; no arrests – The Times of Israel

  1. Settlers torch West Bank security site, riot against ‘traitor’ IDF officer; no arrests  The Times of Israel
  2. Israeli settlers rampage at a military base in the West Bank  AP News
  3. Trump: I’m not talking to Iran, nor offering it anything after US obliterated nuclear sites  The Times of Israel
  4. Quiet, West Bank Pogrom in Progress  Haaretz
  5. Jewish settlers set fire to IDF security facility in West Bank  The Jerusalem Post
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The Dalai Lama, a tireless advocate for Tibet and its people – Reuters

  1. The Dalai Lama, a tireless advocate for Tibet and its people  Reuters
  2. The Dalai Lama faces a horrible dilemma  The Economist
  3. Celebrating His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 90th Birthday  The Office of His Holiness The Dalai Lama
  4. Dalai Lama hints Tibetan Buddhist institution could live on  dw.com
  5. The Bright Side: Celebrations mark Dalai Lama's 90th birthday  France 24
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Russian forces advance and take first village in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, state media say – Reuters

  1. Russian forces advance and take first village in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region, state media say  Reuters
  2. Russia has taken first village in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk, state media claims  The Guardian
  3. Russia Seizes Key Lithium Field in Challenge for U.S.-Ukraine Minerals Deal  The New York Times
  4. Russia captures village in eastern Ukraine near lithium deposit, Russian-backed official says  Reuters
  5. Ukraine-Russia war latest: Russia claims to take control of Ukrainian village in new advance  The Independent
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Jury deliberates whether Australian woman served deadly mushrooms with intent to kill her in-laws – AP News

  1. Jury deliberates whether Australian woman served deadly mushrooms with intent to kill her in-laws  AP News
  2. Australia mushroom poisoning case: Verdict due in murder trial  NBC News
  3. In a sleepy Australian town, court watchers bag spots for Erin Patterson’s mushroom lunch trial verdicts  The Guardian
  4. Jury deliberates for 2nd day in the triple murder trial of Australian accused of mushroom poisonings  ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos
  5. Erin Patterson: Jury starts deliberations in mushroom murder trial  BBC
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After months of stalling, Russia blames Ukraine, US for slow pace of peace talks – The Kyiv Independent

  1. After months of stalling, Russia blames Ukraine, US for slow pace of peace talks  The Kyiv Independent
  2. Pace of Ukraine talks hinges on efforts of Kyiv, Washington, Kremlin says  Reuters
  3. Vladimir Putin says Moscow is ready for new round of peace talks with Ukraine  Euronews.com
  4. Moscow Signals Willingness for New Peace Talks with Kyiv Amid Defense Budget Highlights  UNITED24 Media
  5. Putin Says Russia and Ukraine Nowhere Close on Peace Terms  The Moscow Times
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Israel’s Attack on Evin Prison Killed 71, Iranian State Media Report – The New York Times

  1. Israel’s Attack on Evin Prison Killed 71, Iranian State Media Report  The New York Times
  2. Iran acknowledges death toll from Israel's strike on notorious Evin prison  Fox News
  3. Survivor of Israel’s attack on Iran’s Evin prison describes a ‘slow death’ after 12-day war  AP News
  4. A devastating toll: the human cost of Israel’s strike on Tehran's Evin Prison  ایران اینترنشنال
  5. Israeli strike on Iranian prison killed more than 70, says Iran state-affiliated media  CNN
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Monday briefing: How Budapest Pride became a huge show of anti-Orbán defiance

In today’s newsletter: Hungary has relentlessly cracked down on LGBTQ+ rights – but banning Pride proved a step too far, as European politicians joined its biggest ever crowd

Good morning. In 1997, Budapest became the first capital in central and eastern Europe to hold a Pride parade. Three decades later, the march is firmly established as Hungary’s biggest LGBTQ+ event, and, in the words of one opposition MP, “a vital expression of joy, resistance and visibility”.

On Saturday, Budapest Pride took on the illiberal ambitions of Viktor Orbán and, rainbow flags flying high under a cloudless blue sky, as many as 200,000 marchers from 30 countries – the biggest turnout ever – were there to say it won. At least, for the time being.

Welfare |Vicky Foxcroft, the Labour whip who resigned in protest against disability benefit cuts, has said Keir Starmer’s concessions do not yet go far enough to win her over, as No 10 launched a fresh attempt to stem the revolt against its welfare bill.

NHS | Britain’s health service is estimated to be spending £50m a year on the effects of poverty and deprivation. One senior NHS figure said there were “medieval” levels of illnesses among poorer communities

Glastonbury | The organisers of Glastonbury have said they are “appalled” by comments made by Bob Vylan after the punk duo appeared to incite violence, something the festival said went against its ethos of “hope, unity, peace and love”.

Environment | Wildlife activists who exposed horrific conditions at Scottish salmon farms were subjected to surveillance by private spies-for-hire, including being followed and photographed, the Guardian can reveal.

Weather | Today’s temperature in the UK is expected to rise to 34C, just short of the record for the hottest ever June day, 35.6C, recorded in Southampton in 1976.

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