Israel-Palestine, South Africa, El Salvador.
Today's three stories you should know.
Israel-Palestine
Israeli forces have stormed into the Al-Aqsa Mosque, one of the holiest sites in Islam, firing tear gas and stun grenades as worshippers finished early morning prayers. Muslims are celebrating the holy month of Ramadan and the mosque compound, revered by Jews as the Temple Mount, was raided frequently at the same time last year. As tensions boiled over in 2021, Israel began an 11-day bombardment of the occupied Gaza Strip, killing 232 Palestinians, 65 of them children. Israeli police claimed they entered the mosque today because a “violent” group had remained after prayers and rocks had been thrown at the Western Wall, a holy site in Judaism.
More from Al Jazeera here.
South Africa
The death toll from flooding in South Africa’s Kwazulu-Natal Province has risen to a heartbreaking 395. Officials say the number may rise even higher with houses buried under mud and entire families still unaccounted for. Roads and bridges have been washed away, hampering search and rescue efforts, and helicopters have now fanned out across the province in an increasingly desperate effort to locate survivors.
More from The Free Press Journal here.
El Salvador
El Salvador’s escalating struggle with powerful crime gangs and President Nayib Bukele’s newly-urgent crackdown on them has been covered in several recent newsletters. Today, the Associated Press News agency published an excellent piece on the background to the situation should any of you which to dive deeper.
More from AP here.