Latest Episode
June 27 2000 UTC Brief
In Venezuela
The death toll from the earthquakes in Venezuela has climbed past 1,400, with thousands injured and many more still missing. Rescue teams are still digging through collapsed homes and apartment buildings, and officials say emergency operations are being expanded as shelters open and basic services slowly come back online.
International help is now part of the response, including U.S. search-and-rescue and medical personnel. It is the sort of disaster where every update is grim, and the numbers are still moving in the wrong direction.
In security and defense
The U.S. struck Iranian drone sites on Saturday morning, and Iran answered by hitting Bahrain. Separately, Israel’s defense minister says the military has been told to prepare for an extended stay in Lebanon, though no details were provided.
In the wider Pacific picture, the U.S. Air Force is also laying the groundwork for a new long-range missile family designed to hit air, land and sea targets from more than 1,000 nautical miles away, part of Washington’s effort to keep pace with China’s reach across the region.
In the U.S.
Hundreds of firefighters are battling Utah’s Cottonwood fire, which grew overnight to more than 92,000 acres and remains uncontained. Strong winds and low humidity are helping it spread through Fishlake National Forest, making it the largest active fire in the country.
In Alaska, Republican Senator Dan Sullivan failed in his bid to knock a namesake challenger off the ballot. Voter confusion remains an underrated but very real campaign strategy, apparently.
And in public health, state lawmakers introduced 107 maternal mental health bills this year across 34 states, but only a handful were substantive. Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, Missouri and Virginia enacted stronger measures, while advocates say the broader U.S. still falls short on paid leave, child care and support for new parents.
In Britain
A man has been arrested after a car struck five pedestrians in west London. Police say the driver did not stop, but officers detained him nearby. Two people were treated at the scene and three were taken to hospital, and police are not treating the incident as terrorism.
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