Plus, the tech bros of “Mountainhead.”
Before negotiations, Ukraine and Russia traded blows
Ukraine mounted one of its broadest assaults of the war against air bases inside Russia yesterday, a coordinated drone operation that left aircraft smoldering in multiple regions, including as far away as Siberia.
Kyiv also suffered a damaging blow when a Russian missile struck a Ukrainian military training base, killing at least 12 soldiers. Hours before that strike, Russia launched what Ukrainian officials said was the largest combined overnight aerial assault on the country since the start of the war.
The fighting escalated even as delegations from Ukraine and Russia were expected to sit down for cease-fire negotiations today in Istanbul.
Details: A Ukrainian security official said that Ukrainian officers had secretly transported drones on trucks into Russia and launched them from those vehicles. He said that dozens of aircraft had been damaged in the strikes.
Quotable: A Russian military blogger described the attack as a “black day for Russian long-range aviation.”
Talks: During a previous round of talks in Istanbul, both sides agreed to share their peace terms. Since then, Ukrainian officials have accused Russia of stalling.
More than 20 were killed near a Gaza aid site
Palestinians who had gathered to get food from an aid distribution center came under fire yesterday, according to local health officials. At least 20 people were killed and more than 100 were wounded, the officials said; Gaza’s health ministry gave a higher toll, of 31.
The Israeli military initially said it was unaware of injuries from Israeli fire at the aid site in Rafah, but a military official later said that troops had fired warning shots toward “suspects.”
The International Committee of the Red Cross said its field hospital in Rafah had received 179 patients, a majority of whom had gunshot and shrapnel wounds, and that “all patients said they had been trying to reach an aid distribution site.”
Context: Gazans have struggled to eat since Israel began blocking all food, fuel and medicine bound for the enclave in March. Israel began a contentious effort to provide relief there last week, and chaos has erupted at some distribution sites.
More Gaza news:
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The White House rejected Hamas’s response to a cease-fire proposal after the group sought guarantees for a permanent end to the war.
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Muhammad Sinwar, a top Hamas military leader, was killed in Israeli airstrikes last month, Israel’s military said.
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The Israeli government barred foreign ministers from several Arab states from meeting Palestinian leaders in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
For the first time, Mexico elected judges
Mexicans cast ballots yesterday to elect nearly 2,700 judges and magistrates, including those who will sit on the Supreme Court and hundreds of other local tribunals. It was a first-in-the-nation vote to overhaul the judiciary, and one of the most far-reaching judicial revamps ever attempted by a large democracy.
The election could lead to another consolidation of power for the leftist Morena party, which has elected two consecutive presidents, secured supermajorities in Congress and left the opposition figuratively clinging to life. Morena leaders said they had decided to directly elect judges to battle corruption, but experts have warned that the overhaul could have negative consequences for the checks and balances required in a healthy democracy. At the polling stations, voters had to grapple with long and complex ballots.
MORE TOP NEWS
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France: Two people died and more than 200 others were injured when celebrations of the soccer team Paris St.-Germain’s victory in the Champions League turned violent.
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Iran: The U.S. presented its first formal proposal for elements of a nuclear deal after U.N. inspectors reported a surge in Tehran’s stockpile of near-bomb-grade uranium.
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Poland: Exit polls showed the two contenders in the presidential runoff vote were neck and neck. Official results are expected today.
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India: The country sends more students to the U.S. than any other. The U.S. pause on visa interviews has upended thousands of carefully made plans.
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Malaysia: An L.G.B.T.Q. forum was canceled after it drew hateful comments and death threats online. The religious affairs minister said it promoted “deviant culture.”
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Canada: Dozens of wildfires are raging across parts of Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Here’s what to know.
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North Korea: Russia is supplying new weapons to the military, threatening the delicate balance of power on the Korean Peninsula.
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India-Pakistan conflict: After their military confrontation ended, the two neighbors turned up the heat on another conflict, over the sharing of water.
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Health: A new study adds to evidence that exercise improves cancer survival.
Business and the Economy
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Tariffs: U.S. economic advisers signaled that Trump had no plans to extend a 90-day pause on some of his steepest tariffs.
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Oil: Saudi Arabia, Russia and six other members of OPEC Plus said they would maintain ramped-up production in July for a third consecutive month.
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Retail: The Hudson’s Bay Company, which was founded as a fur trader 355 years ago, is closing its 80 department stores in Canada.
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Trade: American conservatives’ disdain for the E.U. could complicate negotiations for a trade deal.
SPORTS NEWS
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Formula 1: Max Verstappen is on the verge of a one-race ban after he seemed to deliberately collide with George Russell in the Spanish Grand Prix.
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Tennis: Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek and Frances Tiafoe all advanced to the next round of the French Open. Follow our live coverage here.
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Soccer: Paris St-Germain’s Champions League final victory over Inter Milan was one of the greatest European soccer performances ever, The Athletic writes.
MORNING READ
For many of Pakistan’s 4.4 million Hindus, a pilgrimage to an annual festival at the Hinglaj Devi temple in the mountains of Balochistan is comparable in significance to the hajj in Islam.
Many pilgrims trudge hundreds of miles on desert paths in temperatures that can reach 45 degrees Celsius. (Others drive or ride packed buses.) Our correspondents joined their trek.
Lives lived: Yasunao Tone, an experimental composer and multimedia artist associated with the Fluxus movement, died at 90.
CONVERSATION STARTERS
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Miley Cyrus: The singer has released a new album, “Something Beautiful.” In The Interview, she spoke about her journey to become one of pop’s reigning queens.
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Islands of art: The Naoshima New Museum of Art is the latest star in the constellation of more than three dozen museums and installations across three Japanese islands.
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A torrent of dance: Manuel Legris’s version of “Sylvia” for the Paris Opera Ballet is ferociously demanding of its dancers.
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A Birkin for the beach: The Boatkin bag marries the style of Hermès’s signature purse with the canvas of L.L. Bean’s Boat and Tote.
ARTS AND IDEAS
A dark comedy from the creator of ‘Succession’
The world is burning in the new HBO film “Mountainhead,” and it’s all thanks to a group of not-so-genius tech magnates who are holed up in a snowy retreat. The comedy, which premiered on Saturday, is the latest project from Jesse Armstrong, the creator of “Succession.”
While it doesn’t have the same depth, our television critic James Poniewozik writes, Armstrong’s hallmarks are still present: a brutal sense of interpersonal power dynamics, a flair for creative profanity and an abiding belief that the worst people will succeed.
For more, read our profile of Cory Michael Smith, who plays one of the moguls, and take a look at the film’s secluded $65 million ski chalet.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Cook: A spoonful of curry paste electrifies this pad prik king.
Watch: “Dept. Q,” a new cop show on Netflix, is a study in internationalism.
Listen: Our critics recommend these five classical music albums.
Train: Here’s how to avoid injuries on the tennis court.
Ogle: These homes in Italy are on offer for $1 million.
Shine: We have tips for restoring all of your rusty metal.
Play: Spelling Bee, the Mini Crossword, Wordle and Sudoku. Find all our games here.
I’m thrilled to return to your inbox for a few weeks. See you tomorrow. — Dan
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