Investigations and Indictments: Sabotage in the Baltics, Yoon’s Legal Troubles, and Gaza’s Returnees

Good Morning,

Swedish prosecutors have opened a preliminary investigation into suspected sabotage after a vessel, the Vezhen, allegedly damaged an underwater fiber optic cable between Latvia and Gotland, South Korea’s prosecutors have indicted impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on charges of leading an insurrection, and Israel has begun allowing thousands of Palestinians to return to the heavily destroyed northern Gaza Strip after the ceasefire.

Top Stories

● Sweden seizes vessel suspected of ‘sabotage’ after undersea data cable rupture in Baltic Sea (AP)

● China's industrial profits fall 3.3% in 2024, third year in the red (Reuters)

● Israel lets Palestinians return to northern Gaza for the first time in over a year as truce holds (AP)

● Costco shareholders reject call for review of diversity programs (CNBC)

● South Korea prosecutors indict impeached President Yoon for insurrection (AJ)

United States and Canada

● Top Trump administration officials in Chicago for start of immigration enforcement crackdown (AP)

● CIA says ‘more likely’ COVID-19 originated from a lab (AJ)

● Trump administration memo tells USAID to put "America First" in reviewing foreign aid (Reuters)

● US Senate confirms Kristi Noem as homeland security secretary (AJ)

● Belarus releases American woman who was detained last month "as gesture of goodwill" (CBS News)

● Idaho Lawmakers Want Supreme Court to Overturn Same-Sex Marriage Decision (NYT)

Latin America

● Colombia offers $700,000 reward for information on ELN rebel leaders (AP)

● US, Colombia reach deal on deportations; tariff, sanctions put on hold (Reuters)

● Mexican sailor returns home to festivities after 14 months in Houthi rebel captivity (AP)

● Colombia's Army announces 20 minors desert FARC faction (Reuters)

Africa

● At least 20 Nigerian soldiers killed in attack on remote army base (AJ)

● 70 killed in attack on hospital as Sudan war escalates (AN)

● Rwanda-backed M23 rebels claim major Congolese city, which Congo calls a ‘declaration of war’ (AP)

● Three South African soldiers killed in DR Congo clashes (AN)

● Sierra Leone says it is investigating reports that Dutch drug kingpin took refuge in country (Reuters)

● Fighting intensifies following death of DR Congo governor (AN)

Middle East

● 22 reported killed in Lebanon before agreement to extend deadline for Israeli forces to withdraw (AP)

● Trump says Jordan, Egypt should take in Palestinians from Gaza; Egypt and Jordan push back (Reuters)

● Turkey says joint fight needed against Kurdish militants, Islamic State in the region (Reuters)

● Al Jazeera reporter caught in Israeli gunfire at Gaza’s Netzarim Corridor (AJ)

● As Hegseth takes charge at the Pentagon, here’s what changes could be in store (AP)

● UN experts decry arrest of pro-Palestinian American journalist in Switzerland (Reuters)

Indo-Pacific

● Philippines stops research survey in disputed sea amid China’s ‘harassment’ (AJ)

● South Korean plane crash report says bird remains were found in engines, but no cause yet revealed (AP)

● Extreme fire danger grips Australia's southeast amid heatwave (Reuters)

● Pakistani court sentences 4 people to death for blasphemy (AP)

Europe

● Exit poll shows Lukashenko with 87.6% of vote in Belarus presidential race (AJ)

● Zelenskiy again replaces commander of Ukraine's key eastern front (Reuters)

● Thousands in Ireland still without power after Storm Éowyn, as more wild weather wallops UK, France (AP)

● Britain to tighten laws on buying knives after Southport murders (Reuters)

● Romanian prehistoric gold treasures stolen from Dutch museum (Reuters)

● Archbishop Anastasios, who revived the Orthodox Church in Albania, dies at 95 (AP)

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