20 million: Some 20 million people across the Golden State are under flood warnings amid California’s worst flooding and mudslides in decades – some areas have seen as much as 16 inches of rain in recent days. The entire community of Montecito in Santa Barbara County – home to the rich and famous, including the estranged son of King Charles III – was told to evacuate on Monday.
24: The trial of 24 aid workers accused of espionage for helping migrants arrive in Greece at the height of the 2015-2016 migrant crisis kicked off Tuesday on the island of Lesbos. The government, doubling down on its tough-on-immigration policy ahead of summer elections, claims some of the defendants monitored Greek Coast Guard radio channels and used fake license plates to access prohibited areas.
2,000: The US Navy said it seized 2,000 assault weapons traveling on a boat in the Gulf of Oman believed to have been sent by Iran to Houthi rebels in Yemen. While a UN arms embargo has long banned arms deliveries to the Houthis, the weapons appeared to have been made in …. Russia and China.
3: The European Union and NATO signed an agreement to strengthen geostrategic cooperation on issues including climate change, disinformation, and the war in Ukraine. It’s the third such pact signed between the two blocs since 2016. Some 21 EU states are already NATO members, while Sweden and Finland are pushing to join.
