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Gaza influencer, 11, among dozens of children killed by recent Israeli strikes | First Thing

Good morning.

Eleven-year-old Yaqeen Hammad, Gaza’s youngest social media influencer, is among the dozens of children killed by Israel in recent strikes as its forces intensify their military offensive across the Palestinian territory.

Known for her bright smile and volunteering efforts, Yaqeen was killed on Friday night after Israeli forces shelled the al-Baraka area of Deir al-Balah in northern Gaza, amid intense fighting in the region.

Yaqeen and her older brother, Mohamed Hammad, delivered food, toys and clothing to displaced families, Al Jazeera has reported.

She was also Gaza’s youngest influencer, offering practical survival tips for daily life under bombardment, such as advice on how to cook with improvised methods when there was no gas. In one social media post, Yaqeen wrote: “I try to bring a bit of joy to the other children so that they can forget the war.”

Dozens killed after Israeli attack on school used as shelter in Gaza – video report

How has Israel intensified its attacks on Gaza in recent days? Israeli airstrikes killed at least 52 people on Monday, including 31 in a school turned shelter that was struck as people slept, igniting their belongings, according to local health officials.
What is the latest with Israel’s aid blockade? A US-backed group tasked with delivering supplies said it had begun operations on Monday, in a plan endorsed by Israel but rejected by the UN.
How are Israel’s allies responding? The UK, France and Canada have called for Israel to end the siege of Gaza, with the British foreign secretary calling Israeli actions “monstrous”. But, as Patrick Wintour explains in Today in Focus, allies have not yet used all the tools at their disposal.

Trump peppers Memorial Day speech with partisan attacks

Donald Trump honored the sacrifices of military veterans in the traditional presidential Memorial Day speech at Arlington national cemetery, but also peppered his address on Monday with partisan political asides while talking up his own plans.

The US president laid a wreath, paid tribute to fallen soldiers and gave accounts of battlefield courage. But he also veered off into rally-style personal boasting and anti-immigration rhetoric. His words followed a Truth Social tirade on Monday in which he called judges stalling his deportation aims – chiefly because of his ignoring due process – “monsters” and used sweeping disparagements of undocumented immigrants.

Who else is Trump attacking? Meanwhile, the US president also said on Monday he was considering taking a further $3bn of grant money away from Harvard University and giving it to trade schools.

Russia targets Ukraine with more drone strikes as Trump says Putin has ‘gone crazy’

Moscow launched a third consecutive night of extensive drone strikes against Ukraine, killing at least six people, as Trump suggested the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, had “gone crazy”.

Overnight on Monday, Russia fired a record 355 Shahed drones as well as nine cruise missiles, in an escalating aerial campaign targeting Ukraine’s cities and communities.

The Kremlin sought to downplay Trump’s remarks, attributing them to “emotional overload”.

Here’s what Trump said on Truth Social: “Something has happened to [Putin]. He has gone absolutely CRAZY! … I’ve always said that he wants ALL of Ukraine, not just a piece of it, and maybe that’s proving to be right, but if he does, it will lead to the downfall of Russia!”
Has Trump indeed always said that Putin wants all of Ukraine? No. The idea that Trump has long been troubled by Putin’s imperial ambitions is an absolutely warped version of the real history, writes Archie Bland.

In other news …

A 19-year-old Syrian refugee in Germany has been hailed as a hero after he pinned down an assailant at Hamburg’s main railway station, helping to halt an attack in which 18 people were injured.
Liverpool football club’s English Premier League victory parade descended into chaos after a car collided with pedestrians, leaving nearly 50 people injured.
Ugandan authorities have perpetrated widespread violence against LGBTQ+ people since passing the world’s harshest anti-gay laws, a Human Rights Watch report said.
EU leaders said they were hoping for a quick trade deal with the US after Trump announced he was delaying 50% tariffs for the bloc until 9 July.

Stat of the day: Poorest 75 nations face $22bn ‘tidal wave’ of debt repayments to China in 2025, study says

Vulnerable nations are facing a $22bn “tidal wave” of debt repayments as a Chinese lending boom starts to be called in, a Lowy Institute report has said: “Now, and for the rest of this decade, China will be more debt collector than banker to the developing world.”

Don’t miss this: The rise of secret cameras

Anyone can buy a tiny spy camera and hide it in a mirror, fake smoke alarm or public toilet. But why would they? As cases of voyeurism against women soar, victims say it’s too easy to get away with it, writes Anna Moore.

Climate check: US faces another summer of extreme heat just as Trump cuts funding to address it

a woman holds a newspaper above her head

This summer promises to be among the hottest on record across the US, continuing a worsening trend of extreme weather. Only far northern Alaska may escape unusually warm temperatures, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s seasonal forecast. Meanwhile, most experts fear the Trump administration’s widespread cuts to staff and reduced funding for federal science, forecasting resources and disaster response agencies will hamper efforts to keep people safe.

Last Thing: ‘Like a face’ – discovery reinforces idea Neanderthals created art, say experts

A pebble found in Spain features what is thought to be the world’s oldest complete human fingerprint, made by a Neanderthal on what would appear to be the oldest piece of European portable art. Approximately 43,000 years old, the rock is thought to represent a face with the fingerprint as its nose, experts say. A journal article from a team of Spanish archaeologists, geologists and police forensic experts strengthens the idea Neanderthals were capable of artistic and symbolic creation.

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