Good morning.
One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded triggered a series of tsunami warnings and evacuation orders stretching across Japan, the US west coast and much of the Pacific, with reports of waves up to 4 meters high in some remote regions of eastern Russia.
The 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck at a depth of 19.3km (12 miles) and was centred 126km (80 miles) south-east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a city along Russia’s Avacha Bay, the US Geological Survey said.
Initial reports suggested damage was most significant in Russia, where a tsunami with a height of 3 to 4 meters was recorded along parts of the shore.
What was the damage in the US? Smaller surges hit Hawaii, although a major, destructive tsunami was not expected and no damage was recorded. Hours later, parts of the US west coast were being hit by waves.
What have people been told to do? Officials said residents should stay away from the water, saying the first waves were not necessarily the most powerful.
This is a developing story. Follow live updates here.
UK to recognize state of Palestine in September unless Israel holds to a ceasefire
The UK will formally recognize the state of Palestine this September as a result of the “increasingly intolerable” situation on the ground in Gaza, unless Israel abides by a ceasefire and commits to a two-state solution in the Middle East.
Keir Starmer’s cabinet has agreed a roadmap for peace in the region after coming under intense domestic pressure over the mounting humanitarian crisis in the territory, and calls to follow France in acknowledging statehood.
The prime minister recalled his cabinet from its summer break to approve the plan after holding talks with Donald Trump in Scotland. The US president said the issue had not come up but that he did “not mind” the UK taking a position, even if he would not.
The Israel prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, posted on X that Starmer had rewarded “Hamas’s monstrous terrorism”.
What will recognizing Palestine mean? It is in effect a formal, political acknowledgment of Palestinian self-determination – without the need to engage in thorny practicalities such as the location of its borders or capital city. Read our explainer here.
What else is happening? A group of high-profile Israeli public figures, including academics, artists and public intellectuals, have called for the international community to impose “crippling sanctions” on Israel amid mounting horror over its starvation of Gaza.
US placed on rights watchlist over health of its civil society under Trump
A group of global civil society organizations have placed the US on a watchlist for urgent concern over the health of its civic society, alongside Turkey, Serbia, El Salvador, Indonesia and Kenya.
A report released by the non-profit Civicus placed the US on its watchlist after “sustained attacks on civic freedoms” across the country, according to the group.
What did Civicus say about the US? “[It] appears to be sliding deeper into the quicksands of authoritarianism. Peaceful protests are confronted with military force, critics are treated as criminals, journalists are targeted, and support for civil society and international cooperation have been cut back,” Mandeep Tiwana, Civicus’s secretary general, said in a statement.
In other news …
Donald Trump suggested yesterday that Jeffrey Epstein, the late sex offender, “stole” Virginia Giuffre and other young female staffers by hiring them away from the US president’s Mar-a-Lago country club.
The Senate yesterday confirmed Emil Bove, a former defense attorney for Trump, to a lifetime seat on a federal appeals court, despite claims by whistleblowers that he advocated for ignoring court orders.
Trump shortened his deadline for Russia to end its invasion of Ukraine to 10 days. The president told reporters he had not heard from Vladimir Putin, adding: “It’s a shame.”
Taiwan’s president, Lai Ching-te, will delay an expected trip to allies in Latin America due to domestic issues, amid reports the US opposed a stopover in New York.
Stat of the day: UCLA agrees to $6.5m settlement with Jewish students over pro-Palestinian protests
The University of California, Los Angeles, will pay nearly $6.5m to settle a lawsuit by Jewish students and a professor who said the university allowed antisemitic discrimination to take place on campus during last year’s pro-Palestinian protests. The protests attracted national attention after counter-protesters staged a violent attack on pro-Palestinian demonstrators. UCLA also faces a lawsuit from more than 30 pro-Palestinian protesters.
Don’t miss this: We face daunting global challenges. Here are eight reasons to be hopeful
The world is an awful place in many ways, and the crises we face are daunting, writes John D Boswell. Looking past the dark headlines, however, there are profound reasons to be optimistic for our future: we are actually making incredible progress on global poverty, health, longevity and climate change.
… or this: Brain injuries and legal battles – the NFL’s persistent problem with CTE
Though the motive for Monday’s evening’s shooting at the NFL headquarters remains unclear, police found a note in which the shooter railed against the NFL and blamed football for giving him CTE, an incurable brain illness. Whatever the truth, his note is sure to reopen the existential debate that has followed the sport for decades.
Climate check: Trump administration moves to scrap climate rule tying greenhouse gases to public health harm
Lee Zeldin, Trump’s director of the Environmental Protection Agency, yesterday proposed revoking a scientific declaration that has long been the central basis for US action to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and fight the climate crisis. The “endangerment finding” is the legal underpinning of a host of climate regulations under the Clean Air Act for motor vehicles, power plants and other pollution sources that are heating the planet.
Last Thing: Salvador Dalí painting bought for $200 at house clearance sale valued at $26,000-$40,000
A painting bought for £150 ($200) at a house clearance auction in the UK has been identified as a work by Salvador Dalí and is now valued at £20,000 to £30,000 ($26,000 to $40,000). The 1966 illustration of an “old sultan” attracted only two bidders at the time of sale, but has since been confirmed as an original by the Spanish surrealist.
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