In our line of work, when someone suddenly disappears for a few months, it's because they're 'offline' for secret-squirrel stuff, or maybe they went on Survivor . Weirdly, the Survivor cameo tends to be a better-kept secret.
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RUSSIA
President Trump has announced Moscow’s release of a US Marine detained for four years on claims he assaulted a police officer. Coming after a call with Putin, Trump says it was a humanitarian gesture related to Robert Gilman’s deteriorating health. (Guardian)
DR CONGO
Congolese authorities believe over 2,000 people have now died in the country’s Ebola outbreak, a grim milestone reached four times faster than the 2018-20 outbreak. Some health officials are worried the virus might be mutating. (Euronews)
CHINA
British authorities have discovered that the China-built cameras installed on their naval drones sent data to an IP address in China. (Independent)
HUNGARY
The parliament has elected former supreme court justice András Baka to the semi-ceremonial role of president, shortly after removing his Orbán-aligned predecessor. He’ll now oversee the drafting of a new constitution. (BBC)
MEXICO
Mexico has deployed 1,500 additional troops to the Pacific coastal state of Michoacán after the US announced a pause in avocado import inspections, citing security concerns. Mexico sells the US ~$4B in avocados a year. (AP)
THAILAND
Authorities have suspended new gun permits after a teen killed eight plus himself in a mass shooting that’s shocked the country. Thailand had already banned open-carry back in 2023. (The Nation)
LEBANON
Lebanon has become the first country in the Middle East to fully abolish the death penalty, after observing an unofficial halt since 2004. (Al Jazeera)Comment: All parliamentarians voted in favour of the measure, bar those aligned with Hezbollah’s political arm.
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