Manhunt In Charlie Kirk Killing, Israel vs. Qatar/Gaza/Yemen, Martian Traces

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🗞️ FRONT PAGE​​

“NATO cannot back down,” titles Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza after Russian drones crossed into Poland during strikes on western Ukraine, forcing the military alliance to confront a potential threat in its airspace for the first time. The drone incursion caused NATO to send fighter jets to shoot them down, raising fears that the war in Ukraine could spill over. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk vowed on Thursday to push ahead with a “great modernization program” for his country’s military while the Polish Air Navigation Agency announced it was introducing air traffic restrictions in the eastern part of the country. Read more in this piece by French analyst Pierre Haski, translated by Worldcrunch.

🌎 7 THINGS TO KNOW RIGHT NOW

• Manhunt underway after Trump backer shot dead on Utah campus. A manhunt is underway after conservative activist Charlie Kirk, a prominent ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, was fatally shot while participating at a public event in Utah Valley University. Kirk, 31, was a social media figure well-known for mobilizing young conservatives on campuses. Trump called his assassination a “dark day for America.” Read more about political violence here.

• Qatar says Netanyahu “killed hope” of hostage release. A senior Qatari official condemned Israel’s recent strike targeting Hamas leaders in Doha, saying it “destroyed any chance” of freeing hostages held by the group. Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani has called for Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu to be “brought to justice” for “state terrorism.” Search efforts continue at the site of the attack on Qatar’s capital. Meanwhile in Gaza, the IDF continues to target and destroy apartments in Gaza City after issuing an evacuation order for its population.

• Israeli airstrikes on Yemen kill at least 35. Houthi officials report that a series of Israeli airstrikes in Yemen’s northern regions have killed at least 35 people and wounded more than 130. The attacks targeted what Israel described as military installations linked to Iranian-backed groups, and are thought to be in retaliation to a Sunday drone attack by Houthi rebels on an airport near Eilat, southern Israel. For more, we offer this Daraj article, translated and adapted from Arabic by Worldcrunch: Terrorist Or Not? The UN Can’t Have It Both Ways With The Houthis.

• Brazil judge votes to acquit Bolsonaro. In a surprise move, Supreme Court Justice Luiz Fux broke with two of his peers and voted to annul the proceedings against former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, accused of plotting a coup after losing the 2022 presidential election. All eyes are now on the last two judges of the five-justice panel as the high-stakes trial continues. More on Bolsonaro’s trial here, courtesy of Agência Pública, translated and adapted from Portuguese by Worldcrunch.

• Cuba suffers fifth nationwide blackout in a year. Cuba experienced its fifth nationwide power outage within a year, triggered by the shutdown of the island’s largest thermoelectric plant. As the Cuban electricity system faces mounting strain, authorities are scrambling to restore power amid growing public frustration and economic challenges. 

• Spain says “¡No!” to shorter work week. Lawmakers in Spain voted against a proposal to shorten the work week from currently 40 to 37.5 hours, marking a setback for the government and labor reform advocates. The decision comes amid debates over productivity and workers’ rights. Check out our tour du monde of shorter work week experiments here.

• News Quiz! Scientists say NASA’s Perseverance Rover may have found the strongest hint of potential past life on Mars yet. What did it find?

A. Leopard-spotted rocks
B. Oxygen vapors
C. Fossilized fern
D. Tire tracks
[Answer below]

#️⃣ BY THE NUMBERS

$383.2 billion

Elon Musk was briefly overtaken as the “world’s richest person” on Wednesday, when Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison’s wealth surged by $89 billion to $383.2 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The jump came when the U.S. company’s shares soared more than 40% due to increasing demand for its data center capacity from AI customers. But as of market close on Wednesday, Musk regained his title with a net worth of $384.2 billion, beating out Ellison’s by $1 billion.

📰 IN OTHER NEWS

🚘 Sales are falling, rivals are surging, and China no longer craves the four rings. Audi CEO Gernot Döllner is cutting bureaucracy, betting on speed, and trying to steer the brand through a maze of tariffs, scandals, and shifting markets.
— DIE ZEIT

🇺🇬 Family ties are shaping Uganda’s Parliament. People who die in office are increasingly succeeded by close relatives and often with strong support from political parties and local communities.
— GLOBAL PRESS JOURNAL

🇶🇦 Once a fortress of neutrality and wealth, Qatar now finds itself on the front lines of an escalating regional conflict, as Israel, Iran, and Gulf powers maneuver for strategic advantage.
— LA STAMPA