Polish Election Reversal, Ukraine’s Daring Strike, Bangkok Pride

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🗞️ FRONT PAGE​​

Polish daily Dziennik Polski was right about one thing when it went to press: the country’s president was indeed elected “by a whisker” — but unlike what the front page shows, it ended up not being Warsaw’s liberal mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, despite what first exit polls suggested. Instead, in a historic turnaround, right-wing historian Karol Nawrocki emerged victorious, winning 50.9% to Trzaskowski’s 49.1%.

🌎 7 THINGS TO KNOW RIGHT NOW

• Talks begin after Ukraine’s major drone-attack. Ukraine and Russia are set to begin a second round of direct peace talks in Istanbul, but expectations for a breakthrough remain low due to deep divisions, with Russia continuing to reject Ukraine’s demand for an unconditional ceasefire. The talks come after Ukraine launched one of its most daring drone attacks deep inside Russia on Sunday, destroying at least 13 Russian bombers, in a move seen as both strategic and symbolic ahead of negotiations. Read this Ukrainian analysis on the “simple” nature of the conflict.

• Israel denies responsibility for killings at Gaza aid site. At least 31 people were killed and over 170 wounded on Sunday near an aid distribution site in Rafah, Gaza, as witnesses accused Israeli forces of firing on crowds seeking food, though Israel denied targeting civilians and said it only fired warning shots. The deadly incident, the worst yet involving the new Israeli-backed aid system, has drawn sharp criticism from humanitarian groups, who warn that the system has turned aid delivery into a “death trap.” Amid ongoing violence, ceasefire negotiations remain stalled. More than 54,000 people have been killed in Gaza during Israel’s offensive since the war began in October 2023.

• Fatal floods hit central Nigeria. More than 200 people have been confirmed dead with more 500 others missing after catastrophic floods swept through Mokwa in central Nigeria late last week. Torrential rains destroyed homes, livelihoods, and infrastructure, leaving survivors devastated and prompting plans to exhume buried bodies to prevent disease. 

• Man attacks pro-Israel gathering in Colorado. ​​A man shouting “Free Palestine” hurled a makeshift flamethrower and Molotov cocktails at a pro-Israel protest on Sunday in Boulder, Colorado, injuring eight people in what the FBI is investigating as a terrorist act. The suspect, identified as 45-year-old Egyptian national Mohamed Sabry Soliman, was arrested at the scene, and had reportedly overstayed a U.S. visa. It’s the second violent U.S. incident linked to the Gaza conflict in recent weeks after two Israeli embassy staffers were killed in Washington on May 21.

• China counters U.S. claims about recent Geneva deal. China firmly rejected U.S. accusations that it violated a recent tariffs deal, calling the claims baseless and contrary to the facts. The dispute follows a 90-day tariff reduction agreement reached in Geneva, which U.S. officials now say China is “slow-rolling.” Beijing on Monday countered that Washington is promoting Cold-War style confrontation and warned it will take strong actions if the U.S. doesn’t honor the agreement.

• War-crime trial opens against Bangladesh former prime minister. Proceedings against ex-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina began on Sunday, accusing her of ordering a violent crackdown during last year’s student uprising that left up to 1,400 dead. Hasina, currently in exile in India, is charged with crimes against humanity including mass killings, violence against civilians, and obstructing medical aid. The interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, has banned Hasina’s Awami League party and amended laws to allow prosecution for its role in the unrest.

• News Quiz! An Indian man returning from Thailand was arrested at Mumbai airport. What was he carrying in his checked-in luggage?

A. 2,000 counterfeit Pokémon cards
B. 47 venomous vipers
C. Rare cilantro seeds
D. 15 kilos of sand from the ​​Phuket beach

[Answer below]

#️⃣ BY THE NUMBERS

269,678

A total of 269,678 unregistered pilgrims were stopped from entering Mecca ahead of this year’s Hajj pilgrimage, according to Saudi authorities. The crackdown underscores the kingdom’s strict enforcement of permit regulations to manage crowd safety, and punishments include $5,000 fines and deportation. The Saudi government also mentioned that the illegal Haji participants make up a large sum of the 1,300 people who died in last year’s summer heat. There are currently an estimated 1.4 million visitors in Mecca, and those numbers will only go up in the coming days.

📰 IN OTHER NEWS

🚬 As famine grips Gaza under Israel’s blockade, drones drop cartons of cigarettes and hookah tobacco into the Strip. Lebanon-based journalism platform Daraj investigates the perverse profiteering that thrives in war zones.
— DARAJ

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 The murder of a 14-year-old girl in Italy by her ex-boyfriend has sparked reflection on how patterns of control and possession, long associated with adult relationships, are now increasingly present among adolescents.
— LA STAMPA

✍️ Author Jorge Dioni López argues that digital porn reflects and reinforces modern capitalism, reshaping masculinity and normalizing emotional detachment. Pornography, he says, is both a symptom and a driver of today’s cultural and social malaise.
— LA MAREA

📣 VERBATIM

“We must be able to fight tonight.”

— On the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue defense summit in Singapore, Germany’s top military officer, General Carsten Breuer, warned, “We must be able to fight tonight,” citing Russia’s rapid military buildup as a serious threat to NATO. He noted Russia is producing 1,500 tanks and millions of artillery shells annually, with many aimed at future stockpiles near NATO’s eastern flank. Breuer said an attack on Baltic states could come by 2029 — or sooner — and urged NATO members to urgently rebuild their forces. Despite differing views within the alliance, he insisted NATO remains unified and aware of the growing threat.