Iranian missiles hit a hospital and wound over 200

BEERSHEBA, Israel (AP) — Israel’s defense minister threatened Iran’s supreme leader after Iranian missiles damaged a hospital in southern Israel and hit residential buildings near Tel Aviv. At least 240 people were wounded. Meanwhile Israel struck a heavy water reactor linked to Iran’s nuclear program. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz blamed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and said the military “has been instructed and knows that in order to achieve all of its goals, this man absolutely should not continue to exist.” U.S. officials said earlier this week that President Donald Trump had vetoed an Israeli plan to kill Khamenei. The White House announced Thursday that Trump will decide whether to join Israel’s campaign against Iran’s military and nuclear program within two weeks.

Russia’s economy minister says the country is on ‘the brink of recession’

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — Russia’s Economy Minister Maxim Reshetnikov says the country is on the brink of a recession. Reshetnikov delivered the warning Thursday at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, an annual event designed to highlight the country’s economic prowess and court foreign investors. “Judging by the way businesses currently feel and the indicators, we are already, it seems to me, on the brink of going into a recession,” the minister was cited by the Russian business news outlet RBC as saying, The economy has outperformed predictions since imposition of a slew of sanctions after Russia sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022. But it is unclear how long the militarized economy can keep going.

Congo and Rwanda will sign a peace deal on June 27

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Congo and Rwanda have committed to signing a peace agreement in Washington on June 27. The move was announced in a joint press release from the two nations and the U.S. Department of State. Both countries have agreed to the terms of the deal aimed at ending fighting in eastern Congo. Congo has accused Rwanda of backing M23 rebels in the east of the country and U.N. experts say the rebels are supported by about 4,000 troops from the neighboring nation. The decades-long conflict escalated in January, when the M23 rebels advanced and seized the strategic Congolese city of Goma, followed by the town of Bukavu in February.

Zelenskyy calls for more pressure on Russia after deadly missile strike in Kyiv

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is urging greater international pressure on Moscow. Zelenskyy’s remarks came two days after a Russian missile strike hit a Kyiv apartment building and killed 23 people. Zelenskyy visited the site with top officials on Thursday. He called the attack a sign that Russia is rejecting ceasefire efforts. Zelenskyy thanked allies ready to push the Kremlin to “feel the real cost of the war.” The strike was part of Russia’s largest assault on Kyiv this year amid a broader offensive along the front line. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he’s open to talks on ending the war. Putin has effectively rejected U.S. ceasefire offers.