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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the past 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
The European Court of Human Rights yesterday unanimously found Russia responsible for a series of human rights violations in respect of its actions in Ukraine between 2014 and 2022 as well as the 2014 downing of the MH17 passenger jet over eastern Ukraine. The court found Russia to have exercised control over the separatists, and to have been responsible for “widespread and flagrant abuses of human rights” in Ukraine, including summary executions, torture, rape, looting and the transfer of children to Russia in violation of human rights. A Kremlin spokesperson told Russian news agencies that Moscow has “no intention” to abide by the ruling. Nataliya Vasilyeva reports for the New York Times.
Hundreds of Russian drones attacked Kyiv from all directions overnight into today, in the second consecutive night of Moscow’s intense attacks on Ukraine. According to authorities, the attack killed at least two people and injured 16 others. Lex Harvey, Victoria Butenko, and Kosta Gak report for CNN; Gleb Garanich and Frank Jack Daniel report for Reuters.
Russia is increasingly targeting the Ukrainian army’s recruitment centres, Ukrainian authorities say, citing recruitment centers coming under fire five times in the first few days of July in attacks that killed three and wounded 88 others. Serhiy Morgunov reports for the Washington Post.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR — U.S. RESPONSE
The United States has resumed deliveries of artillery shells and mobile rocket artillery missiles to Ukraine, two U.S. officials told Reuters yesterday. According to the Ukrainian foreign minister, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will also meet with U.S. officials today to discuss the adoption of the next package of U.S. sanctions against Russia. Gleb Garanich and Frank Jack Daniel report; Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart report for Reuters.
A vote on a bipartisan bill sanctioning countries that continue purchasing Russian oil could come as soon as this month, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said yesterday, stating that “substantial progress” had been made on the legislation. Robert Jimison reports for the New York Times.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov today on the sidelines of an Association of Southeast Asian Nations meeting in Malaysia, according to a senior State Department official. Kylie Atwood reports for CNN.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — U.S. RESPONSE
The United States is sanctioning Francesca Albanese, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced in a social media post yesterday, over Albanese’s alleged “support for terrorism,” “antisemitism,” and “efforts to prompt [International Criminal Court] action against U.S. and Israeli officials, companies, and executives.” In a recent report, Albanese accused a number of U.S. companies of profiting “from the Israeli economy of illegal occupation, apartheid and now genocide” and called for the ICC “to investigate and prosecute” the corporations involved. Jennifer Hansler reports for CNN; Jacob Wendler reports for POLITICO.
Former DOGE staffer and the acting director of the State Department’s Office of Foreign Assistance, Jeremy Lewin, waived nine mandatory counterterrorism and anti-fraud safeguards to fast-track the approval of a $30 million grant for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) last month, according to an internal memorandum seen by Reuters. Lewin signed off on the grant despite an assessment that the GHF’s plan did not meet “minimum technical or budgetary standards,” the document shows. Jonathan Landay reports.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday wrapped up his second meeting with President Trump in as many days without a public announcement of a breakthrough in the ongoing ceasefire and hostage release talks. According to sources, the U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, also pushed back his planned flight to Qatar, although he still hopes to travel to Doha to help bring the deal across the finish line at a further point in time. A truce may be possible within one or two weeks, but is not likely to be secured in a day’s time, a senior Israeli official said yesterday. Trump had previously predicted that a deal could be reached this week. Jacob Magid and Lazar Berman report for the Times of Israel; Matt Spetalnick reports for Reuters.
Israeli airstrikes on Gaza killed at least 40 Palestinians, including 10 members of a family sheltering in a tent, hospital officials said yesterday. Wafaa Shurafa and Kareem Chehayeb report for AP News.
A fuel shortage is threatening to paralyze Gaza’s largest medical centre, the Al-Shifa hospital, with patients facing imminent danger, doctors at the hospital said. According to the hospital’s director, the Al-Shifa’s dialysis department has already been shut down to protect the intensive care unit and operating rooms, which require a constant electricity supply. Ali Sawafta, Mahmoud Issa, and Hussam El Masri report for Reuters.
ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH CEASEFIRE
The Israeli military yesterday announced its first ground incursions in months into parts of southern Lebanon in “targeted operations” to locate and destroy Hezbollah infrastructure. Under the Israel-Hezbollah truce agreement, both parties were expected to withdraw from the area. The military did not specify when the operations were carried out. Euan Ward reports for the New York Times.
HOUTHI DEVELOPMENTS
Rescuers have rescued ten crew members from a ship sunk by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in an attack that killed three people, according to the European Union’s Operation Aspides naval mission. In a social media post, the U.S. Embassy in Yemen yesterday said the rebels “have kidnapped many surviving crew members” from the ship and called for their “immediate and unconditional safe release.” David Gritten reports for BBC News.
U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS
In a letter to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, Trump yesterday announced he plans to impose a 50% tariff on all Brazilian imports from August 1, partly in retaliation for “the way that Brazil has treated former President Bolsonaro” and “Censorship Orders to U.S. Social Media platforms”. Lula responded by stating that Brazil is a “sovereign country with independent institutions that will not accept being abused by anyone” and would reciprocate against the tariffs. Bolsonaro is facing trial over his alleged involvement in an attempt to stage a coup against Lula. Jack Nicas reports for the New York Times; Elisabeth Buchwald reports for CNN.
Trump also announced yesterday that the United States would levy a 50% tariff on copper imports starting August 1 and released a second wave of letters threatening new tariff rates for the Philippines, Brunei, Algeria, and Libya if they fail to reach a trade agreement with the United States. Kelly Kasulis Cho reports for the Washington Post; Daniel Desrochers, Ari Hawkins, Doug Palmer, and Megan Messerly report for POLITICO.
The United States is shifting “from A.I.D to trade,” Trump the leaders of Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal in a White House meeting yesterday, during which Trump also asked the leaders to work with the United States on agreements to take in deported migrants who are not citizens of their nations. Trump also complimented Liberian President Joseph Boakai on his mastery of English, Liberia’s official language. Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Ruth Maclean report for the New York Times; Robbie Gramer, Alexander Ward, and Tarini Parti report for the Wall Street Journal; Reuters reports.
The United States yesterday sanctioned 22 companies in Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, and Turkey over their role in facilitating sales of Iranian oil, the Treasury Department said. Reuters reports.
OTHER GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
The United Kingdom and France are set to announce the details of a new defense partnership that will include a pledge to have their nuclear arsenals work together in the event of an “extreme threat to Europe,” according to a statement from the British defense ministry. Experts say the announcement would be a small step in the direction of a guarantee of nuclear protection for European nations. Michael D. Shear and Lizzie Dearden report for the New York Times.
The Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s armed insurgency against the Turkish state is over and will be replaced by a peaceful political struggle, the PKK’s imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan declared in a video released yesterday. Ben Hubbard and Safak Timur report for the New York Times.
The French police yesterday raided the headquarters of France’s far-right National Rally party in connection with an investigation into the party’s campaign finances, the Paris prosecutor’s office said. Aurelien Breeden reports for the New York Times.
Thousands of Syrian refugees are set to return to Syria from Lebanon under the first, U.N.-backed plan offering financial incentives, the Lebanese social affairs minister said. Timour Azhari reports for Reuters.
U.S. IMMIGRATION DEVELOPMENTS
A senior Immigration and Customs Enforcement official yesterday told a court that “most” of the names of student protesters ICE was asked to investigate were found on a pro-Israel website that aims to blacklist pro-Palestinian students and academics. Holmes Lybrand reports for CNN.
The State Department yesterday announced changes to the duration and conditions of entry for visitor visas issued to travellers from Cameroon, Ethiopia, and Nigeria. Chiamaka Enendu and Mansur Abubakar report for BBC News.
U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) yesterday suggested he would not cast the deciding vote to confirm Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth again, saying it is now “clear [Hegseth is] out of his depth as a manager of a large, complex organization.” Tillis also said that he would oppose any of Trump’s future nominees who have expressed support for the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, but that he would “probably” vote to advance the nomination of Emil Bove for a judgeship. CNN reports; Annie Karni reports for the New York Times; Cheyanne M. Daniels reports for POLITICO; Hailey Fuchs reports for POLITICO.
The Senate yesterday voted 53-43 to confirm longtime airline executive Bryan Bedford as the next administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration. Karoun Demirjian reports for the New York Times.
CEO of X, Linda Yaccarino, yesterday announced she is stepping down from her role. Yaccarino’s departure was reportedly not related to the recent incident in which X’s AI, Grok, posted antisemitic content on the platform. Aaron Pellish reports for POLITICO.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACTIONS
On CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s referral, the FBI is investigating whether former CIA Director John Brennan and former FBI Director James Comey made false statements to Congress, a source says. The referral came a week after the release of a review that criticized the process by which the intelligence community assessed that Russian President Vladimir Putin sought to intervene in the 2016 election on Trump’s behalf. Evan Perez and Katie Bo Lillis report for CNN.
Law enforcement authorities followed former FBI Director James Coney and his wife and tracked the location of his cellphone the day after he posted an image on social media that Trump’s allies said amounted to an assassination threat, government officials say. Michael S. Schmidt and Eileen Sullivan report for the New York Times.
The U.S. Army has avoided responsibility and shirked oversight after the deadly January midair collision between a passenger jet and a military helicopter, dozens of loved ones and family members of those killed in the disaster said in a letter to Army Secretary Dan Driscoll yesterday. An Army official said that senior Army leaders have acknowledged the frustrations and intend to meet with families later this month. Alex Horton reports for the Washington Post.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s response to the deadly Texas floods last week was slowed by cost-cutting rules recently enacted by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, FEMA officials say. According to multiple sources, the rules, which require every contract and grant over $100,000 to have Noem’s personal signoff, have caused multiple delays, including holding up FEMA’s deployment of its Urban Search and Rescue teams by 72 hours after the flooding began. Gabe Cohen and Michael Williams report for CNN.
The Secret Service has suspended several agents involved in securing the Pennsylvania rally where Trump was wounded in an assassination attempt, multiple sources say. At least two agents are appealing the suspensions, the sources added. Whitney Wild and Holmes Lybrand report for CNN.
At least 2,000 senior-ranking NASA employees are set to leave the agency under a push to shed staff, according to documents reviewed by POLITICO. Sam Skove reports.
The Homeland Security Department yesterday subpoenaed Harvard University in an effort to force the school to hand over information about its international students, Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. A Harvard spokesperson said that while the subpoenas are “unwarranted,” the school “will continue to cooperate with lawful requests and obligations.” Bianca Quilantan reports for POLITICO.
The Justice Department has issued subpoenas to clinics that provide gender-affirming care and major manufacturers of “the drugs used in trans-related medical interventions” in connection with “transition-related investigations,” DOJ Chief of Staff Chad Mizelle said yesterday. Theresa Gaffney reports for StatNews.
Trump yesterday named Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy as the interim NASA administrator. Samantha Waldenberg and Kristen Holmes report for CNN.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION
The Trump administration yesterday filed a lawsuit challenging California’s policies that allow transgender students to play on sports teams of their choice, alleging the policy violates Title IX, the federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination at schools that receive federal aid. Hannah Rabinowitz reports for CNN.
Did you miss this? Stay up-to-date with our Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Actions
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ICYMI: yesterday on Just Security
The Just Security Podcast: Unpacking the European Court of Human Rights Decision on Russia’s Violations in Ukraine
By Tom Dannenbaum, Rebecca Hamilton, Ryan Goodman, Maya Nir, and Isaac Rubenstein
The Lost Archive: France’s Highest Court Should Follow WWII-Era Rejection of Head of State Immunity
By Dan Plesch and Steve Kostas
The Trump Administration’s Multi-Front Assault on Federal Research Funding
By Lisa Larrimore Ouellette
Our Duty to Explain Israel’s Operation to “Concentrate and Move Population” in Gaza is a Manifest War Crime
By Eyal Benvenisti and Chaim Gans
