‘Truly international’ network of drug-facilitated rape uncovered by UK crime agency

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NCA says offenders arrange to sexually assault and film victims via online networks with crimes often taking place in trusting relationships

Criminal investigators in the UK say they have uncovered a “truly international network” of organised drug-facilitated sexual assault in which victims are sedated before being raped and sexually assaulted.

The National Crime Agency [NCA] has said online networks, “many as yet unidentified by law enforcement”, were allowing offenders to arrange to rape and abuse victims or arrange for sexual assaults to be filmed.

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Outrage over ‘cruel’ Florida move to ban undocumented students from college

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Critics condemn decision by education board aligned with hard-right Ron DeSantis to block access to college system

Immigration advocates in Florida have decried a “cruel and harmful” new rule by education officials aligned with hard-right Republican governor Ron DeSantis to ban undocumented students from state colleges and universities.

The Florida board of education voted on Tuesday to bar access to its 28 state-funded institutions to anybody not a US citizen or “lawfully present” in the country. It follows Florida’s move last year to strip discounted in-state tuition rates for certain immigrant students.

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Merz unveils sweeping reform push for Germany: Tax cuts, pension overhaul and new sick leave rules – AP News

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  1. Merz unveils sweeping reform push for Germany: Tax cuts, pension overhaul and new sick leave rules  AP News
  2. What Germany’s Economic Overhaul Means for Its Economy  WSJ
  3. Is Germany’s government finally getting its act together?  The Economist
  4. Germany's Merz announces sweeping reforms in key breakthrough  Euronews
  5. Germany news: Coalition agrees package to boost growth  dw.com
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Modi, Japan PM condemn Pakistan-backed terror, call for action against LeT, JeM | India News – Hindustan Times

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  1. Modi, Japan PM condemn Pakistan-backed terror, call for action against LeT, JeM | India News  Hindustan Times
  2. India and Japan Expand Defense and Economic Ties  The New York Times
  3. Why Japan’s Takaichi is eyeing an ‘easy win’ in India as domestic support drops  South China Morning Post
  4. The limits of Japan’s and India’s friendship  The Economist
  5. India, Japan sign pacts on AI, metals and energy after Modi-Takaichi talks  Reuters
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Canadian boy dies of rabies after waking to find bat on his face

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Eleven-year-old developed symptoms 19 days after encounter in Ontario in ‘exceedingly rare’ case

Doctors in Canada say a child who awoke to find a bat resting on his nose and mouth while visiting an Ontario cottage later died of rabies, in an “exceedingly rare case” that highlights the need for better public awareness.

In a report published this week in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, infectious disease physicians confirmed that the 11-year-old boy died from rabies, a fatality they said probably could have been prevented with greater awareness of how the virus is transmitted.

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Man who sold land for Kushner-backed Albania development probed over alleged money laundering, drug trafficking – CBS News

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  1. Man who sold land for Kushner-backed Albania development probed over alleged money laundering, drug trafficking  CBS News
  2. Albanian police fire tear gas at 'Flamingo Revolution' rally  dw.com
  3. Protests Over Kushner-Linked Project Turn Violent in Albania  Bloomberg.com
  4. Albania warned EU accession at risk over Jared Kushner-backed resort plans  The Guardian
  5. Albanian police use tear gas and pepper spray as Tirana protest turns violent  AP News
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Russian attacks kill at least 25, injures scores in Kyiv after Zelenskyy warned of ‘massive strike’ – NBC News

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  1. Russian attacks kill at least 25, injures scores in Kyiv after Zelenskyy warned of ‘massive strike’  NBC News
  2. Russia’s latest attack on Kyiv was exceptionally deadly – here is why  CNN
  3. Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, July 2, 2026  Institute for the Study of War
  4. Russia unleashes biggest attack yet on Kyiv, killing at least 21 people, officials say  CBS News
  5. Russia Bombards Ukrainian Capital With Deadly Wave of Attacks  The New York Times
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Survivors rail at government on 1,000th day since Oct. 7: ‘They’ve never taken responsibility’ – The Times of Israel

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  1. Survivors rail at government on 1,000th day since Oct. 7: ‘They’ve never taken responsibility’  The Times of Israel
  2. Gaza faces uncertain future as Palestinians and Israelis mark 1,000 days of war  AP News
  3. ‘We won’t give up’: Crowd marking 1,000 days since Oct. 7 vows to keep demanding state inquiry  The Times of Israel
  4. 'Mom and dad are not alive': Slain Oct. 7 victims' family shares haunting never-before-seen footage  The Jerusalem Post
  5. Gaza war’s 1,000 days: 90% of strip ‘destroyed’, 80% ‘seized’ by Israel  Al Jazeera
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Russian State Duma deputy accuses government of concealing scale of fuel crisis, warns it could cost certain officials their seats in September elections – Meduza

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  1. Russian State Duma deputy accuses government of concealing scale of fuel crisis, warns it could cost certain officials their seats in September elections  Meduza
  2. ‘The crisis is deep’: The view from Russia as fuel shortages worsen  Al Jazeera
  3. Russia is burning, but don’t expect Putin to blink  CNN
  4. Ukrainian drone attacks on oil refineries plunge Russia into a summer fuel crisis  AP News
  5. EXCLUSIVE: Russia buys gasoline from India to tackle shortages, sources say  Reuters
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Unprecedented European Heatwave Has Killed More Than 20,000, New Study Claims – Gizmodo

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  1. Unprecedented European Heatwave Has Killed More Than 20,000, New Study Claims  Gizmodo
  2. Net-zero champion Europe snared by climate change on its doorstep  Reuters
  3. Europe’s record heat has overwhelmed Paris mortuaries and left families in distress  AP News
  4. June heatwave may have killed around 20,000 people in Europe  New Scientist
  5. Scenes from the Paris Heat Wave  The New Yorker
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Europe is fighting over air conditioning. What’s going on? – USA Today

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  1. Europe is fighting over air conditioning. What's going on?  USA Today
  2. Europe Is Hot as Hell. Why Doesn’t It Want Air Conditioning?  WSJ
  3. Opinion | The Heat Wave Proves That We Need to Adapt to Climate Change  The New York Times
  4. The Overlooked Reason Europe Doesn’t Have AC  The Atlantic
  5. Yes, Europe’s heat waves are deadlier than American gun violence  Fortune
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Australians have more negative view of Israel than of China, Guardian Essential poll finds

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Poll also finds perception of Donald Trump has soured since his re-election, with fewer than a third of respondents viewing him positively

Australians have a more negative view of Israel than of China, the latest Guardian Essential poll has found, with women and middle-aged people exhibiting the least positive perception of Israel.

The poll also finds Australians’ perceptions of Donald Trump have tumbled since his re-election, with fewer than a third of voters having a positive response to the US president.

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Even as It Bombards Kyiv, Russia’s Wider Military Campaign Has Largely Stalled – The New York Times

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  1. Even as It Bombards Kyiv, Russia’s Wider Military Campaign Has Largely Stalled  The New York Times
  2. Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, July 1, 2026  Institute for the Study of War
  3. The Russia-Ukraine War Report Card, July 1, 2026  Russia Matters
  4. Russia seizes 84 sq km in June, but rate of advance slows – DeepState  Українська правда
  5. Ukraine frontline frozen in June as Russian momentum falters, June data shows  Euronews
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German prosecutors accuse Kyiv of ordering 2022 Nord Stream sabotage

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Indictment against alleged leader of gas pipeline attack claims former Ukrainian army officer was directed by state

German prosecutors have accused Ukrainian “state authorities” of ordering the 2022 explosives attack on the Nord Stream gas pipelines linking Russia with Europe, a charge likely to ignite tensions between Kyiv and Berlin, its biggest military backer.

The sabotage in the Baltic Sea by a team of assailants almost entirely destroyed the seafloor infrastructure of the key source of Russian gas to Germany.

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Dutch and U.K. Governments Apologize for Their Roles in Forced Adoptions – The New York Times

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  1. Dutch and U.K. Governments Apologize for Their Roles in Forced Adoptions  The New York Times
  2. Britain's apology for the scandal of forced adoption can never heal the pain for people like me | David Batty  The Guardian
  3. UK's Starmer apologises over forced adoptions, decries a 'stain on our history'  Reuters
  4. UK formally apologizes for state's role in forcing unwed mothers to give up babies for adoption  ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos
  5. Forced adoptions 'a stain on our history' says Starmer as he gives formal apology  BBC
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