Short news for quality minds. Power your niche.Smartly curated short news for quality minds. Want your own niche feed? Integrate with us today.
Germany has repeated calls for the European Union to send a force to Lebanon to replace UN peacekeepers by year-end. Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said, "We should examine in the EU whether we can ensure that no security vacuum arises." This mission aims to help the Lebanese military fill the void.
US strikes on Iran hit an airport, a railway station, and two bridges on Friday, according to Iranian state media. The attacks left seven people dead in Hormozgan province. Meanwhile, American forces boarded a ship in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday to enforce a renewed blockade of Iranian ports.
Andy Burnham will become the leader of the Labour Party on Friday. On Monday, King Charles III will formally ask him to become the country’s 59th prime minister. Burnham got the nickname “King of the North” after he said, “It is frankly disgraceful,” during a viral moment in October 2020.
The United States hit Iran for a sixth night in a row, striking bridges and power lines across the south. Iran hit back, launching missiles at Gulf countries and US bases. Iran said 38 people died since June 22. Power outages hit many areas as the regional conflict got worse.
Documents posted by the White House on Thursday night showed a C.I.A. analysis of Venezuelan voting technology. It found no evidence of large-scale fraud by Smartmatic. "Neither Smartmatic nor the Venezuelan government had the capability to manipulate the outcome of an election outside Venezuela," the analysis said. Smartmatic stopped operations there.
President Trump and the Department of Homeland Security claimed on Thursday that 278,000 noncitizens are registered to vote in four states. Officials in Nevada and Pennsylvania rebuffed these claims, noting no evidence was provided. Al Schmidt said, "All evidence has shown that noncitizen voting is extremely rare across the country."
Andy Burnham faces a tough path as he approaches Downing Street to become the next prime minister. History showed that leaders often lose support once they start the job. He must now manage high expectations while dealing with the harsh realities of governing, as his popularity will likely never be higher.
Andy Burnham will on Friday lunchtime be anointed Labour leader after a year of planning. His team worked hard to secure the crown that eluded him in 2010 and 2015. A cabinet minister said, "There wasn't a moment of opportunity or weakness that wasn't exploited to the fullest." They were unrelenting.
Major General Rahim Safavi said Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordered a plan to close the Strait of Hormuz 15 years ago. After US-Israeli strikes killed Khamenei in February, Iran started targeting commercial shipping there. One regime insider said, "The nuclear issue can be negotiated. Hormuz cannot," as tensions continue to rise.
Japan’s parliament enacted a historic revision to the Imperial House Law on Friday, insisting only paternal-lineage men can become emperor. Expert Hideya Kawanishi said, “It’s a declaration to prevent female monarchs and to defend the male-lineage at all costs.” These new measures allow adopting distant male relatives to father future heirs.
Donald Trump accused China of interfering with the 2020 election during a Thursday address at the White House. He claimed the electoral system falls catastrophically short of fairness. Critics warned he used these unverified claims to sow confusion and challenge the results of the upcoming congressional midterm elections this year.
Protests erupted in Ukraine after President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov. Hundreds of people took to the streets in Kyiv to demand he be reappointed after his sudden exit. Fedorov fell out with General Oleksandr Syrskyi, who he accused of blocking his work. Ihor Klymenko may replace him.