The New York Times

Here are some of the stories we're covering from around the world: As Rafah Offensive Grinds On, Hunger in Gaza Spirals Aid officials and health experts expect famine in Gaza this month unless Israel lifts barriers to aid, the fighting stops and vital services are restored. Ukraine Starts Freeing Some Prisoners to Join Its Military Ukraine has begun releasing prisoners to serve in its army, part of a wider effort to rebuild a military that has been depleted by more than two years of war and is strained by relentless Russian assaults. Three Missionaries in Haiti Killed in Gang Attack An Oklahoma-based missionary group working in Haiti’s capital was attacked by gangs on Thursday night, leaving two Americans and the group’s director dead, the organization, Missions in Haiti, announced on Facebook. @nytimes

Here are some of the stories we're covering from around the world: Advancing Russian Troops Threaten to Reverse Some of Ukraine’s Hard-Won Gains Russian troops in recent weeks have been taking ground from Ukraine all across the front line. Such losses could hurt Ukrainian morale as Russia makes advances all along the front line. China Launches Military Drills Around Taiwan as ‘Punishment’ China launched two days of military drills surrounding Taiwan in what it called a “strong punishment” to its opponents on the self-governing island, after Taiwan’s new president pledged to defend its sovereignty. Stage Collapses at Campaign Rally in Mexico, Killing at Least 9 A stage in northern Mexico where a presidential hopeful was campaigning for a local candidate collapsed after a gust of wind blew through on Wednesday night, leaving at least nine people dead and at least 70 others injured, a state governor said. @nytimes

Here are some of the stories we're covering from around the world: Under Relentless Russian Assault, Ukraine Adopts a Defensive Crouch As Moscow’s forces retake land from which they were ousted at the end of 2022, the Ukrainian military has adopted a strategy of fighting while slowly falling back to more heavily fortified positions. Sunak Announces U.K. Elections for July 4, Months Earlier Than Expected Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of Britain on Wednesday called a snap general election for July 4, throwing the fate of his embattled Conservative Party to a restless British public that appears eager for change after 14 years of Conservative government. Dominican President Abinader Wins Re-election in a Landslide In election results made official Tuesday night, President Luis Abinader easily won his re-election bid, helped by restrictions on Haitian migrants, a vibrant economy and an anti-corruption drive. @nytimes

Here are some of the stories we're covering from around the world: ‘What’s the Problem?’ Zelensky Challenges West Over Hesitations. With his army struggling to fend off fierce Russian advances all across the front, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine urged the United States and Europe to do more to defend his nation, proposing that NATO planes shoot down Russian missiles in Ukrainian airspace. Haiti’s Gangs Grow Stronger as Kenyan-Led Force Prepares to Deploy Gang leaders with suspected links to the 2021 Haitian president’s assassination now control key infrastructure, and pose a major threat to the incoming Kenya-led force. Prince Harry Cannot Include Rupert Murdoch in Lawsuit, Court Rules Prince Harry was dealt a setback in his long-running legal campaign against Britain’s tabloids on Tuesday after a high court rejected a bid to draw Rupert Murdoch into allegations about how Mr. Murdoch’s London papers dug up personal details about him and later concealed or destroyed evidence of it. @nytimes

Here are some of the stories we're covering from around the world: Faced With a Russian Onslaught, Ukraine Struggles to Keep the Lights On As Ukraine struggles to hold back Russian advances, the country’s officials say they are once again facing the formidable challenge of keeping electricity flowing as Moscow’s forces increasingly strike power plants. What We Know About the Helicopter Crash That Killed Iran’s President The deaths of Iran’s president, Ebrahim Raisi, and foreign minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, in a helicopter crash have left one of the Middle East’s most powerful and disruptive nations at a critical moment. South Africa’s Highest Court Says Jacob Zuma Can’t Serve in Parliament South Africa’s highest court on Monday ruled that former President Jacob Zuma was not eligible to serve in Parliament, a decision that may deepen political turmoil in the country just over a week before a crucial national election. @nytimes

Here are some of the stories we're covering from around the world: Struggling on Front Lines, Ukraine Strikes Harder at Russian Energy Struggling to contain Russian advances on the battlefield, Ukraine is increasingly taking the fight to Russia beyond the front lines in an effort to disrupt its military operations and put pressure on its economy — targeting airfields, logistics hubs and critical energy facilities with missiles and drones. Gunman Kills Three Spanish Tourists in Central Afghanistan Three Spanish tourists and one Afghan were killed by a gunman in central Afghanistan on Friday, Taliban officials said, in the first fatal attack on tourists in the country since the Taliban seized power in 2021. French Police Shoot and Kill Man Who Set Fire to Synagogue The police shot and killed a man in northern France on Friday after he set fire to a synagogue in the city of Rouen and attacked officers who tried to stop him, the French authorities said. @nytimes

Here are some of the stories we’re covering from around the world: Zelensky Visits Embattled North as Russia Presses Broad Assaults President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine traveled to the embattled region of Kharkiv on Thursday, meeting with top commanders as their forces fought to slow a new offensive push in the northeast while facing fierce assaults elsewhere on the front line. Calls to Pause Slovakia’s E.U. Election Campaigning Raise Questions Calls are growing in Slovakia for political parties to suspend campaigning for the European Union elections, just three weeks away, in the wake of the assassination attempt on the prime minister in the sharply polarized country. Swiss Court Convicts Ex-Gambian Minister of Crimes Against Humanity A former interior minister and enforcer for a violent and autocratic Gambian president was convicted of crimes against humanity on Wednesday for the torture and executions of civilians and sentenced to 20 years in prison by Switzerland’s federal court. @nytimes

Here are some of the stories we're covering from around the world: Who Is Robert Fico, the Slovakian Prime Minister? Slovakia’s prime minister, Robert Fico, was shot and critically wounded on Wednesday in what the government called an assassination attempt. A suspect was detained at the scene, according to Slovakia’s president. Wildfire Approaches Canada’s Largest Oil-Producing Area. Again. A wildfire was nearing Canada’s largest oil producing region prompting the evacuation since Tuesday of about 6,600 people from Fort McMurray, Alberta. Dutch Right-Wing Parties Reach Preliminary Deal to Form a Government Four right-wing parties in the Netherlands said on Wednesday that they had reached a preliminary agreement to form a government that would exclude Geert Wilders, a populist politician, from becoming prime minister. @nytimes

Here are some of the stories we're covering from around the world: Russia Detains Senior General, Widening Military Purge Russian security agents detained a senior general early Tuesday, widening a purge of the country’s sprawling Defense Ministry amid President Vladimir Putin’s broader shake-up of his government. The Other Busing Program: Mexico Is Pushing Migrants Back South In response to pressure from the Biden administration to curb migration flows, Mexico has quietly bused thousands of migrants away from the U.S. border to sites deep in the country’s south. German Court Fines Far-Right Leader for Using Nazi Phrase A German court on Tuesday found a prominent far-right politician from the Alternative for Germany party guilty of using a banned Nazi slogan during a campaign speech in 2021. @nytimes

Here are some of the stories we're covering from around the world: Facing Russian Advance, a Top Ukrainian General Paints a Bleak Picture Ukraine’s military is confronting a “critical” situation in the country’s northeast, facing troop shortages as it tries to repel a Russian offensive that has been advancing for several days, a top Ukrainian general said on Monday. Storms Pummel Mumbai, Killing at Least 8 Heavy rains accompanied by strong winds ripped through Mumbai, the financial capital of India, on Monday, killing at least eight people, uprooting trees and causing power outages in many parts of the city, officials said. Chinese Woman Jailed for Reporting on Covid Is Set to Be Freed Zhang Zhan, thought to be the first person in China imprisoned for documenting the early days of the coronavirus pandemic in the country, was expected to be released on Monday, after serving a four-year sentence. @nytimes