Gaza City Ground War, U.S.-China TikTok Deal, El Salvador Independicia

✅ SIGN UP

This is our daily newsletter Worldcrunch Today, a rapid tour of the news of the day from the world’s best journalism sources, regardless of language or geography.

It’s easy (and free!) to sign up to receive it each day in your inbox: 👉 Sign up here

🗞️ FRONT PAGE​​

“Colombia, decertified,” titles Barranquilla-based daily El Heraldo after the U.S. dropped the South American country from its list of reliable partners in the fight against narcotics for the first time in nearly 30 years. The U.S. State Department said that President Trump “has determined that the Colombian government failed to uphold its drug control obligations” amid fraying ties between the White House and the country’s leftist President Gustavo Petro. The latter lamented the decision, saying the nation’s antidrug efforts were “not really relevant to the Colombian people” but rather “to stop North American society from smearing its noses” in cocaine.

🌎 7 THINGS TO KNOW RIGHT NOW

• Israel launches major ground operation on Gaza City, UN denounces “genocide.” Israel announced the start of its long-awaited ground offensive into Gaza City on Tuesday, with Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz declaring that “Gaza is burning” following heavy strikes overnight. Hundreds of thousands of residents were ordered to flee as the Israeli Defense Forces said it has begun “dismantling Hamas terrorist infrastructure in Gaza City.” Meanwhile, a United Nations commission of inquiry has concluded for the first time that Israel has committed “genocide” in Gaza in a bid to “destroy the Palestinians” in a new report released on Tuesday. For more, check French analyst Pierre Haski’s latest piece, translated by Worldcrunch.

• Trump and Xi to speak on Friday after framework deal reached for TikTok. U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will speak on Friday to confirm a framework agreement reached on Monday to switch video app TikTok to U.S.-controlled ownership. The deal marks a rare breakthrough between the U.S. and China amid a wide-ranging trade war that has unnerved global markets. Read more in this The Initium piece, translated from Chinese by Worldcrunch: Death Of Internet Freedom? How The U.S. And China Are Converging On Digital Sovereignty.

• Three killed in U.S. strike on second alleged Venezuelan drug boat. U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. military destroyed an alleged Venezuelan drug vessel in international waters, killing three people and leaving “big bags of cocaine and fentanyl” floating around in the ocean. The strike was the second of its kind in less than two weeks and came shortly after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro warned Caracas would defend itself against U.S. “aggression” amid escalating tensions between the two countries. 

• Zelensky calls for European air defense system. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged European leaders a “multilayered air defense system” as Russian forces launched a large attack early on Tuesday on Ukraine’s southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, killing two people and injuring at least 18. Meanwhile, Polish authorities announced the detention of two Belarusian citizens and the launch of an investigation over a drone spotted over government buildings in Warsaw before it was neutralized.

• Malawi votes in presidential elections amid economic turmoil. Malawians are heading to the polls on Tuesday to vote in a tense presidential race between incumbent President Lazarus Chakwera and former leader Peter Mutharika as the southern African nation battles soaring costs and severe fuel shortages. Though 17 names are on the ballot, the contest is seen as a rematch of the 2019 vote between the two front-runners, which was nullified over tampering and followed by a rerun.

• Australia’s gift to Papua New Guinea for its 50th independence anniversary. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the country will support the construction of a new ministerial wing for Papua New Guinea’s National Parliament as the South Pacific island nation celebrated 50 years of independence on Tuesday. This comes as both countries are set to sign a new security pact this week as the Australian government attempts to curb China’s security influence in the region.

• News Quiz! A couple from the UK was fined and expelled from the Italian city of Venice for 48 hours after doing what?

A. They fed pigeons in St. Mark’s Square with pizza
B. They raced a gondola with a kayak
C. They tried to re-enact Jeff Bezos’ wedding
D. They swam in the Grand Canal
[Answer below]

 📣 VERBATIM

“Today, the ozone layer is healing.”

— United Nations chief António Guterres highlighted the positive results of a fresh report from the UN’s World Meteorological Organization which shows that the Earth’s protective ozone layer is healing, saying this “achievement reminds us that when nations heed the warnings of science, progress is possible.” According to the report, the hole in the ozone layer should fully disappear in the coming decades, helping significantly reduce “risks of skin cancer, cataracts, and ecosystem damage due to excessive UV exposure.”

📰 IN OTHER NEWS

🇮🇷 Iran’s post-revolutionary constitution concentrated all the power in the hands of the country’s supreme leader — a mistake that is still costing Iranians today.
— KAYHAN-LONDON

📱 The singular German master director Werner Herzog, famous for his defiance and disdain for social media, suddenly opens a window onto his world. At 83, he seems gentler, yet still unmistakably Herzog.
— DIE ZEIT

🍽️ In Ratatouille, the food critic Anton Ego declares innovative a dish that is actually quite traditional. Today, many great chefs offer reinterpretations of homemade dishes from childhood. But what happens when even avant-garde cuisine becomes nostalgic?
— LUCY SULLA CULTURA