Iran Executes ISIL Members; Russian Attacks Damage UNESCO Heritage Site; China Adds Pressure in the Pacific

Good Morning,

Domestic military deployment has arrived in Los Angeles with 700 Marines responding to ICE-related protests, while California's governor challenges federal authority through legal action. Meanwhile, China is deploying two aircraft carriers simultaneously in the Pacific for the first time, signaling a significant shift in regional power dynamics. Across the globe, violence continues to grip multiple regions: Iran has executed nine Islamic State members in connection with a deadly 2018 attack, Russian forces have damaged the UNESCO-protected St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv during overnight strikes, and Colombia faces deadly coordinated attacks on police stations that have claimed at least seven lives. Adding to global challenges, South Africa battles severe weather conditions as a brutal cold front brings flooding and fatal accidents across the nation.

Top Stories

• 700 Marines arrive in L.A. area amid ICE protests as Newsom files suit to block deployment - CBS

• China Sends Two Aircraft Carriers Into the Pacific for the First Time - New York Times

• Iran says it executed nine members of so-called Islamic State group over 2018 attack - Euro News

• UNESCO World Heritage site St Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv damaged in Russian overnight attack - Euro News

• At least 7 killed in explosions and attacks outside police stations in southwest Colombia - Associated Press

• South Africa Hit by Severe Cold Front, Flooding, and Fatal Accidents - ABC

United States

• 700 Marines arrive in L.A. area amid ICE protests as Newsom files suit to block deployment - CBS

• 5 Lawmakers in California and New York Are Denied Access to Federal Detention Facilities - New York Times

• RFK Jr. ousts entire 17-person CDC vaccine advisory committee - PBS

• Investigators seize enough drugs to kill 48 million in largest fentanyl bust in Georgia history - Atlanta News

• Southern Baptist delegates at national meeting overwhelmingly call for banning same-sex marriage - Associated Press

Africa

• Sudan Accuses Libyan Forces of Attacking Border Posts - Sudan Tribune

• Zimbabwe to Ban Export of Lithium Concentrates from 2027 - Bloomberg

• US Pressures Rwanda to Withdraw Troops from Congo Before Peace Deal - Reuters

• South Africa Hit by Severe Cold Front, Flooding, and Fatal Accidents - ABC

• Famine threat looms over parts of Sudan, WFP warns - Brussels Times

Middle East

• Israeli gunfire kills 17 people near Gaza aid site, health officials say - Reuters

• Israel Strikes Houthi Targets in Yemen’s Hodeidah Port - Al Jazeera

• UK Sanctions Far-Right Israeli Ministers for ‘inciting violence’ - BBC

• Iran says it executed nine members of so-called Islamic State group over 2018 attack - Euro News

• Israel deports Greta Thunberg after Gaza-bound ship she was on was seized - Associated Press

Indo-Pacific

• Analysts react to US-China trade agreement - Reuters

• China Sends Two Aircraft Carriers Into the Pacific for the First Time - New York Times

• Senators return the impeachment case against Sara Duterte to the Philippine House - Associated Press

• New Zealand central bank says former head quit over funding dispute - NZ Herald

• Why red tape is a bigger challenge than US for China’s military-civilian fusion plan - SCMP

Europe

• Death toll in Austria school shooting rises to 11 after victim dies in hospital - BBC

• UNESCO World Heritage site St Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv damaged in Russian overnight attack - Euro News

• Russia carries out one of largest attacks against Kyiv; second group of Ukrainian POWs comes back home under Istanbul deal - Kyiv Independent

• Europe heaps harsh sanctions on Russia, saying ‘strength is the only language’ Moscow understands - CNN

• NATO chief calls for a fourfold increase in Europe's air defense spending - NBC

Latin America

• Colombian authorities charge 15-year-old with attempted murder of presidential candidate - Associated Press

• Gang Violence Grips Peru as Extortions and Killings Rise - New York Times

• Bolsonaro takes the stand in historic Brazil coup trial - NPR

• El Salvador passes fiscal overhaul key to IMF deal - Reuters

• At least 7 killed in explosions and attacks outside police stations in southwest Colombia - Associated Press

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