☕ Millions on tsunami-watch

Good morning!

Tsunami waves have now reached the U.S. after a huge earthquake off the coast of Russia. We have the latest on this developing situation.

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Some headlines from this morning:

• UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he will recognize Palestinian statehood unless Israel announces a ceasefire by September. The announcement requires Israel to commit to avoiding West Bank annexation and engaging in peace negotiations that would establish Palestine as a state. The policy shift comes as pressure mounts on Israel to stop restricting aid deliveries to Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the move "rewards Hamas and punishes its victims," warning that a Palestinian state would threaten Britain's future security.

• President Trump said his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein ended after the disgraced financier "stole" underage staff from his Mar-a-Lago estate. "He took people, I say 'don't do it anymore', you know they work for me... beyond that, he took some others," Trump said during an interview. Trump claimed he ended the relationship after Epstein repeatedly recruited his employees. The comments come as pressure builds on the Trump administration to release Epstein-related documents after officials refused to do so last month.

• The Senate confirmed Susan Monarez as the new director of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in a 51-47 party-line vote. During her confirmation hearing, Monarez told senators she supports vaccines while Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. reassesses their effectiveness across federal health programs. Monarez holds a PhD in immunology and microbiology and has pledged to restore public trust in the CDC. She also committed to modernizing America's health data systems as part of her leadership priorities.

• Archaeologists in Europe have unearthed an ancient Celtic settlement filled with thousands of artefacts including jewellery, coins and ceramics. It’s believed the settlement, located in the Czech Republic’s Bohemia region, would have formed part of a major trading and manufacturing hub some 2,200 years ago. Local museum and university researchers teamed up for the project, which led them to discover what they’ve called a “completely exceptional settlement,” connected to long-distance trade routes. Archeologists also discovered 22,000 bags of artifacts, including “everyday objects as well as an unusually rich collection of jewelry.”

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Police believe the man who killed four people in a shooting in New York City yesterday was targeting the offices of the National Football League. Here’s what you need to know.

What happened

On Monday afternoon (local time), a 27-year-old man walked into a New York City office building with an AR-15-style rifle.

The man shot and killed a police officer in the lobby of the building before catching the elevator to the two floors, where he killed a further three people. He died by suicide at the scene.

Targeting NFL offices

Police found a note in the man’s pocket that suggested he was targeting the NFL’s New York office, one of several businesses with offices in the building he attacked.

Officials said the man took the wrong elevator. None of those murdered worked for the NFL.

One NFL employee was wounded but survived.

Police said the man’s note requested an autopsy be performed to determine whether or not he had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) from playing football in high school.

CTE is a neurodegenerative disease linked to repeated head trauma. It can only be diagnosed post-mortem.

The NFL and CTE

The NFL admitted there was a link between CTE and football in 2016 and has since paid out more than $1.6 billion in settlements to its former players.

NFL boss Roger Goodell described Monday’s shooting as “an unspeakable act of violence”.

I’ve got 2 minutes

An 8.8-magnitude earthquake has struck the east coast of Russia, believed to be the world’s strongest since 2011. This morning, tsunami waves began hitting the U.S. and Japan. Here’s what you need to know.

Earthquake

An 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday morning.

According to the Associated Press, it is the world’s strongest earthquake since 2011. A tsunami with waves up to four metres was recorded in parts of the region shortly after.

Strong aftershocks are expected.

Warnings

Soon after the quakes hit, a tsunami warning was also issued for the U.S. states of Hawaii and Alaska. The Governor of Hawai’i has issued an emergency proclamation and asked residents to “take this situation seriously”.

The tsunami warning in effect warns of waves of up to 10 feet.

Japanese authorities have also issued evacuation orders across the country’s east coast, saying they expected to see waves of up to three meters. More than 1.9 million have been evacuated from the Japanese coast.

Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has asked residents to “act in close consideration with local governments... under the principle of prioritising human life above all else”.

Hawai’i and Japan hit

At 8 pm on Tuesday, 4-foot tsunami waves began hitting Hawai’i, with the tallest wave measured hitting Haleiwa, Oahu. When the waves arrived, they were 12 minutes apart, and authorities warned it would be hours before they could give the all-clear.

Half an hour later, Governor of Hawaii Josh Green said, "So far we have not seen a wave of consequence". He added that the water line had still receded significantly, a warning sign that more was to come.

4.3-foot waves also hit the northern side of Japan, according to the nation's weather agency.

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