Iranian missiles strike Beersheba hospital on seventh night of war

Today's news: Paetongtarn Shinawatra's phone call to Hun Sen threatens to bring down the Thai government; Bipartisan resolution in the US Congress on Tibet on the 90th birthday of the Dalai Lama; South Korea's new government launches another economic manoeuvre in Seoul; Armenians concerned about possible repercussions of the situation in Iran.

ISRAEL-IRAN-GAZA

On the seventh night of war since the start of hostilities, as heavy Israeli raids continued on Tehran and other targets, Iran struck back at Israel, inflicting serious damage by hitting the hospital in Beersheba, in the south of the country, causing numerous casualties. Meanwhile, attacks continue in Gaza: Palestinian sources report 140 new deaths in the last 24 hours.

AFGHANISTAN-IRAN-ISRAEL

An 18-year-old Afghan citizen, Abdul Wali, is among the confirmed victims of the Israeli raids in Iran. His father said that Abdul worked and lived on a construction site in north-east Tehran, near a military building. According to the United Nations, 4.5 million Afghans live in Iran.

THAILAND

Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been forced to make a public apology and is on the verge of losing her government after an audio recording of a phone call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen was leaked, in which she blames the Thai army, “her opponent”, for the tensions with Phnom Phen that have been ongoing in the north of the country for days. The conservative Bhumjaithai party has announced that it is withdrawing its support for the government.

CHINA-TIBET-UNITED STATES

Ahead of the Dalai Lama“s 90th birthday on 6 July, members of the US Congress have introduced bipartisan resolutions in both houses to honour the Tibetan spiritual leader and designate the anniversary as a 'Day of Compassion”.. The resolution reaffirms that only the Dalai Lama himself should determine his successor and that any attempt by Beijing to select or appoint one would constitute ‘invalid interference’ and a violation of religious freedom rights.

SOUTH KOREA

South Korea's new government has unveiled a budget worth 20.2 trillion won (.7 billion) aimed at revitalising domestic consumption and supporting the economy, including the distribution of cash subsidies to all citizens. This is a second intervention after a similar one launched a few weeks ago by the previous administration and deemed insufficient by the new president, Lee Jae Myung. ‘The government will support economic recovery by promoting consumption, encouraging investment and increasing spending on construction,’ said the Ministry of Economy and Finance. South Korea's economy has recorded near-zero growth for the fourth consecutive quarter.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE

For a week now, access to mobile and telephone networks has been blocked in the border area with Ukraine in the Russian region of Rostov “for security reasons”, in an attempt to prevent Ukrainians from using them as a bridge for the transmission of military information, as the regional authorities have admitted, leaving many citizens without any connection.

ARMENIA-AZERBAIJAN

The central council of the Armenian association Aj Dat, which aims to support the preservation of Armenian culture and society, has expressed its concern over Azerbaijan's threats to the border region of Sjuni, where there has been an aggressive escalation in relation to the instability caused by the Israeli conflict with Iran.