July 6, 2023

UKRAINE | Today is day 497 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• Authorities in the western Ukraine city of Lviv say at least four people were killed and nine others were injured early today when Russian forces targeted the city with cruise missiles. Reports suggest the attack was the largest on Lviv since the beginning of the Russian invasion and note that Ukrainian air force officials say seven of the 10 Russian cruise missiles that targeted Lviv were intercepted. [more]
• International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Grossi said today that the IAEA is seeking increased access to the Russia-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southern Ukraine to “confirm the absence of mines or explosives at the site.” The statement came as Ukraine and Russia continue to accuse each other of planning to sabotage the nuclear plant. [more]

TRUMP INVESTIGATIONS | Walt Nauta, a former Navy valet to then-President Donald Trump who currently serves as Trump’s personal aide, is scheduled to be arraigned today before a federal magistrate in Miami on charges that he conspired with Trump to conceal classified documents from federal authorities. [more]

TAP WATER CONTAMINATION | A study released today by the U.S. Geological Survey suggests that at least 45% of tap water in the U.S. is estimated to contain one or more types of chemicals known as per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances — also called ‘forever chemicals’ due to their resistance to natural breakdown — which have been linked to potential health risks, including   for various cancers, high blood pressure, and low birth weight. [full study] [more]

NEVADA | Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford said yesterday that Walgreens has agreed to pay his state $285 million to settle allegations that the pharmacy chain contributed to the opioid crisis. [more]

U.S. AND CHINA | U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen begins a four-day visit to China today during which she is scheduled to meet with various Chinese officials for talks aimed at easing economic tensions between the world’s two largest economies. [more]

NATO | Ahead of next week’s NATO summit in Lithuania, foreign ministry, intelligence, and national security officials from Turkey, Sweden, and Finland are scheduled to meet with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels today to discuss Turkey’s objections to Sweden becoming a member of the alliance. [more]

CHINA | Amidst the region’s ongoing heat wave, authorities in the Chinese capital of Beijing ordered employers today to stop outdoor work and issued the government's highest level of warning for extreme temperatures. Temperatures in Beijing are expected to reach 104 degrees Fahrenheit, or 40 degrees Celsius, today. [more]

ISRAEL AND LEBANON | Reports say two rockets were fired toward Israel from southern Lebanon early today and that Israeli forces responded by shelling a disputed border region between the two countries. No claims of responsibility for the initial rocket attack have yet been made, but reports note that the powerful Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group that controls southern Lebanon has carried out such attacks previously. [more]

GERMANY | Federal prosecutors in Germany say nine recent Central Asian emigres have been arrested — seven in Germany and two in the Netherlands — on suspicion of founding a “domestic terrorist group,” raising money for the Islamic State terrorist organization, and planning to carry out IS-inspired attacks within Germany. [more]

COVID-19 | The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention says 239 people in China died from COVID-19 in June — up from 164 in May and zero in both March and April. [more]

IRAN AND SUDAN | Iran’s official IRNA news agency reports that a meeting between the Iranian and Sudanese foreign ministers took place today for the first time since their countries severed diplomatic ties in 2016. According to the IRNA report, the talks were “directed at resolving misunderstandings between the two countries and strengthening the political and economic relations between Tehran and Khartoum.” [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1995, Bosnian Serb forces began an attack on Srebrenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, ultimately killing more than 7,000 Bosniak Muslim boys and men. The massacre was the worst episode of mass murder in Europe since World War II.  [more history]