Tsunami Evacuations, Starmer On Palestine, Odd World Record

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🗞️ FRONT PAGE​​

“Even Trump admits the hunger in Gaza,” headlines Czech daily Deník N, after U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledged for the first time on Monday that there is “real starvation” in the region, while he was visiting UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Scotland. Trump told reporters that Israel bore “a lot of responsibility” for the crisis, after Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu claimed earlier on Monday that it was a “bold-faced lie” to say Israel was causing hunger in Gaza. Trump told Israel to allow “every ounce of food” into the enclave, adding that “we can save a lot of people… So we’re going to be even more involved.” According to the UN Integrated Food Security platform, two out of three famine thresholds have been reached in Gaza: plummeting food consumption and acute malnutrition; at least 16 children under the age of 5 have reportedly died from hunger-related causes since mid-July. 

🌎 7 THINGS TO KNOW RIGHT NOW

• Massive earthquake off Russia triggers tsunami waves, evacuations across Pacific. A tsunami sent powerful waves toward coastal areas of Russia’s Kuril Islands, Japan, and the U.S. states of California, Hawaii and Alaska, after a powerful, 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck Russia’s Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula early Wednesday. The earthquake, which is among the strongest ever recorded on Earth, sparked tsunami warnings and evacuation orders across the Pacific.

• UK to recognize Palestinian state if ceasefire not reached. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that the UK will recognize the state of Palestine in September if Israel does not take “substantive steps” to reach peace in Gaza. Those include agreeing to a ceasefire, allowing the UN to supply aid and committing to not annex the occupied West Bank. Israel’s foreign ministry rejected Starmer’s statement, saying it rewards Hamas and infringes efforts to reach a ceasefire and hostage release deal. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has said the U.S. will partner with Israel to run new food centers in Gaza, without offering many details. This comes after Trump said there is “real starvation” in Gaza, breaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. For more, read this opinion piece from El Espectador, translated from Spanish by Worldcrunch: Nobel Peace Prize For Trump? Makes Perfect Sense In Our Orwellian World.

• Thailand accuses Cambodia of second ceasefire breach. On Wednesday, the Thai military accused Cambodian forces of violating the ceasefire agreement at three points along the disputed border. A Thai army spokesman told reporters this was the second breach in two days. The neighbors agreed to a ceasefire starting on Tuesday after five days of clashes that killed at least 43 people on both sides. Cambodia has denied the allegations. 

• U.S., China move to extend tariff truce, but it’s Trump’s call. U.S. and China officials agreed to work toward extending the 90-day tariff truce Tuesday after two days of talks in Stockholm, Sweden. The U.S. says President Donald Trump will ultimately decide whether to extend the truce, which expires Aug. 12, but called the meetings “very constructive.” 

• Ivory Coast’s Ouattara to seek fourth presidential term. Ivory Coast President Alassan Ouattara, 83, has said he will seek a fourth term in office, after being officially nominated as the candidate for his ruling Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP) party. Ouattara, who has ruled the West African country since 2011, faces little competition as most opposition figures have been barred from running, which they argue indicates corruption.

• First Australian-made rocket crashes after 14 seconds. The first Australian-made rocket attempting to reach orbit from the country crashed shortly after blasting off on Wednesday. The rocket, launched by Gilmour Space Technologies, flew for 14 seconds, which the company hailed as a successful first attempt. No injuries were reported. 

• News Quiz! Egmond Molina from Aruba spent the past three years preparing to break a record, captured in impressive footage recently shared by Guinness World Records. What was the record? 

A. Farthest distance to blow a pea
B. Fastest time to eat a bowl of pasta
C. Most spoons balanced on body
D. Fastest hot water bottle burst
[Answer below]

#️⃣ BY THE NUMBERS

17

Spain announced plans on Tuesday to give both mothers and fathers an extra week off work after having a baby, extending one of Europe’s most generous paid parental leave allowances to 17 weeks. The government also approved two additional weeks of paid leave, which can be taken until the child reaches the age of eight. Spain and Finland are the only EU countries to offer equal fully-paid birth leave to both parents.

📰 IN OTHER NEWS

⚖️ Since its entry into force in June 2016, a Mexican law intended to protect juvenile criminals has been flagged by the families of femicide victims as hindering their access to justice.
— VOLCÁNICAS

✍️ After a brush with death in Ukraine in 2023, Colombian writer Héctor Abad Faciolince discusses his experience, survivor’s guilt, his new book, Ahora y en la hora (“Now and in the Hour”), and the war in Ukraine.
— ETHIC

🚘 As Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government doubles down on highways and combustion engines, critics warn that ignoring electric trends and digital innovation could cost Germany its place in the global auto industry.
— DIE ZEIT

📣 VERBATIM

“It’s not social media.”

— Google-owned YouTube has argued in a statement Wednesday that it should not be blocked under Australia’s new law on social media ban for children under 16, saying the platform “offers benefit and value to younger Australians.” The government has finally decided to include YouTube in the ban, along with TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X and Snapchat, after ditching a previous exemption. Under this world-first ban, due to start in December, teenagers will still be able to view YouTube videos but will not be allowed to have an account, which is required for uploading content or interacting on channels. Several Australian media outlets reported last week that Google was threatening to sue the government if YouTube was included in the ban, arguing it would restrict political freedom.