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China-Russia Relations
China and Russia's navies to exercise together this summer

China and Russia's navies will hold a joint exercise later in June, the Chinese Defense Ministry said, according to Reuters.

After the exercise, parts of the forces will continue to the Pacific Ocean for joint patrols.

The exercise is an annual one and aims to "meet common security challenges and maintain regional peace and stability," the ministry said in a statement.

British military: Ship attacked in the Red Sea

A cargo ship in the Red Sea reports that it has been attacked off the coast of Yemen, the British military said.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Yemen's Houthi movement has threatened to start attacking ships again but has so far not done so.

Somali pirates have also been active further afield in the Gulf of Aden in recent times.

The information is being investigated by authorities, according to the British organization UKMTO, which monitors shipping. The attack is said to have taken place southwest of al-Hudaydah (Hodeidah).

“Ships are urged to sail with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO,” the organization writes on X.

Middle East crisis  Iran war
American voters give thumbs down to Iran war

58 percent of American voters do not believe that the Iran war was worth the cost, a new opinion poll by the Financial Times shows.

44 percent believe that the US position towards Iran has been weakened by the war, while 31 percent believe that it has been strengthened.

The poll also shows strong support for NATO membership: 53 percent believe that the US should remain in the alliance, and 23 percent want to withdraw.

The White House has recently asked Congress for an additional $67 billion for the war effort.

Hurricane season
Dangerous “super typhoon” approaches islands in the Pacific

A so-called super typhoon is approaching the US territories of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific, several media outlets report. Around 210,000 people live on the islands.

The storm, which has been named Bavi, is already the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane and is expected to make landfall on Monday. Wind speeds could reach up to 92 meters per second in the villages.

The local weather service warns of “catastrophic” effects, and the island of Rota in the Northern Mariana Islands is expected to become “uninhabitable for weeks” if the eye of the storm passes as close as expected, writes the New York Times.

The super typhoon is being strengthened by the ongoing marine heat wave that is currently prevailing in large parts of the Pacific Ocean.