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MIDDLE EAST | Updates from regional conflicts:

• Israeli officials say one set of remains returned by Hamas yesterday was not that of Shiri Bibas, the mother of two young boys whose bodies were returned. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the Hamas claim that the body was that of the mother a “cruel and malicious violation of the [cease-fire] agreement.” [more]
• Israeli investigators say three parked buses in the Tel Aviv-region city of Bat Yam were damaged yesterday in a series of explosions thought to have been targeted by a yet-unidentified militant group. Reports note that the buses were out of service and no injuries connected to the incident were reported. [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 1093 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• Ukrainian officials say at least 12 civilians have been killed over the past day in Russian drone and missile strikes across the Donetsk, Kherson, Nikopol, and Zaporizhzhia regions. [more]
• The Financial Times cites unnamed western officials as saying that the United States appears to be opposing calling Russia the aggressor in the Russia-Ukraine conflict in a proposed G7 statement marking the third anniversary of Moscow’s full-scale invasion. [more]

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION | Among federal court proceedings today related to various initiatives undertaken by the Trump Administration are: a multi-state challenge to the freezing of trillions of dollars of grants and loans and a hearing on challenges to the administration’s cuts to medical research funding. [more]

U.S. FBI | Media personality and former Justice Department counterterrorism prosecutor Kash Patel, who has been a vocal critic of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, was confirmed by the Senate yesterday to be the new director of the Bureau. [more]

U.S. BUDGET | The Senate passed a $340 billion border security, defense, and immigration budget framework early this morning following an all-night session. The framework, which will now be considered by various Senate committees, is seen as an alternative to a single, all-in-one, budget package currently under consideration in the House. [more]

KENTUCKY | Former Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced yesterday that he will not seek re-election in 2026 – signaling an end to his more-than-40-year Senate career. [more]

U.S. AND MEXICO | Following moves by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration to designate Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced plans to propose constitutional reforms aimed at preventing “interventions, interference or any other act from abroad that could be harmful to the integrity, independence and sovereignty" of her country. [more]

FLORIDA | State Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a federal lawsuit in Florida yesterday, claiming that Target violated the Securities Exchange Act by failing to disclose “the known risks” of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, misleading and ultimately harming the store chain’s shareholders. [more]

NEW YORK | Gov. Kathy Hochul said yesterday that she will not immediately use her legal authority to remove New York City Mayor Eric Adams from office amidst the controversy over U.S. Justice Department plans to drop bribery charges against the mayor. Hochul said she would, instead, push for increased oversight over the city and its operations. [more]

GLOBAL CLIMATE | A new study in the journal Nature says that melting of global glaciers accelerated over the past decade to more than double the rate seen in the early 2000s, with a record glacier ice loss of 604 billion tons being recorded in just 2023. Study authors note that glaciers in Alaska are melting at the fastest rate of any of the 19 regions studied. [full study] [more]

AUSTRALIA | Civil authorities in Australia issued warnings to airlines flying between Australia and New Zealand today due to reports that Chinese warships were conducting live-fire training exercises in the Tasman Sea off Australia’s east coast. Several airlines are reported to have temporarily re-routed some flights due to the warnings. [more]

SOUTH SUDAN | Education authorities in South Sudan yesterday announced the closing of all of the African nation’s schools for two weeks amidst an ongoing extreme heatwave that has presented health risks to students. [more]

GERMANY | Ahead of Sunday’s general elections, reports say the latest polling suggests that Germany's mainstream political parties have seen losses in support while the country’s far-right AfD party has gained ground. [more]

SWEDEN | Swedish police are reported to be investigating a suspected new case of sabotage of an undersea telecommunications cable in the Baltic Sea. The fiber-optic cable in question connects Finland and Germany. [more]

HOCKEY | Canada beat the U.S., 3-2, last night to claim the 4 Nations Face-Off championship. The match drew heightened interest amidst ongoing political tensions between the two countries sparked by U.S. President Donald Trump's threatened import tariffs and his continuing insistence that Canada should become a U.S. state. [more]

SOCCER | The U.S. beat Colombia, 2-0, in the teams’ opening match of the SheBelieves Cup last night, extending the U.S. Women’s National Team unbeaten streak to 21 matches. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1885, the Washington Monument – the world's tallest predominantly stone structure and the world's tallest obelisk – was dedicated on the grounds of the National Mall in Washington, D.C. in honor of George Washington, the first president of the United States of America. [more history]