Israel/Syria
Israel and Syria fired missiles at each other overnight. A Syrian military anti-air missile exploded in southern Israel, and Israel hit several locations around the Syrian capital Damascus. It’s not unusual for Israel to launch missile attacks on Syria, often aimed at Iran-backed targets. This latest incident could be read as a symptom of deteriorating Israel-Iran relations. BBC has a very detailed and useful write-up here.
Germany
A really interesting story out of Germany. Apparently, business leaders in the country favor Green Party candidate Annalena Baerbock to succeed Angela Merkel, who is stepping down after September’s elections. It’s the first time the Greens have contested the Chancellorship. As reported by Reuters news agency here.
India
As mentioned in previous newsletters, the COVID-19 situation in India continues to deteriorate, hospitals can’t keep up and people are now panicking. Today, 314,835 new cases were recorded. That’s the most ever recorded in a day, anywhere.
BBC has a heartrending report below. Warning: This is a very difficult watch.