June 28 0800 UTC Brief

In the Middle East Children in Gaza are still bearing the brunt of Israeli attacks, despite the October 2025 ceasefire. The fighting has not stopped the civilian toll, which remains grim. Separately, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Gulf leaders raised concrete concerns about Iran’s proxy network, including support for Hamas, Hezbollah, militias in Iraq, and the Houthis. He said any final deal with Tehran would have to deal with more than the nuclear file. In France France has recorded about 1,000 excess deaths during a severe heatwave, with temperatures in parts of the country topping 40 degrees Celsius. Hospitals and emergency crews are under pressure as callouts rise. On the defense side, France has taken delivery of the SSN De Grasse, the fourth Barracuda-class nuclear attack submarine. Naval Group says the boat has completed dockside trials and marks another step in a program meant to replace the older Rubis-class fleet. In the Pacific Polls have opened in New Caledonia for the first provincial elections since 2019, with about 2,500 police officers deployed to secure polling stations. The vote is being closely watched after years of political tension over the territory’s future. In Britain Labour is preparing a Canada-style refugee sponsorship system that would let community groups and employers help bring asylum seekers and refugees to Britain through new legal routes. The idea is to widen safe pathways while keeping tighter control over arrivals. Ocado chief executive Tim Steiner has collected nearly £100 million since the company floated in 2010, while the share price remains below its original listing level. Reports say the company has already approached at least one possible replacement. In tech and security Scammers are targeting people trying to recover lost crypto wallet access codes, using fake websites and dodgy software to steal seed phrases and other data. In Venezuela Rescuers are racing to find earthquake survivors before the 72-hour window for saving people alive runs out. Emergency crews are working against the clock as experts warn the chances narrow quickly after a major quake.