snarf

Unidentified governments are surveilling smartphone users via their apps' push notifications, a U.S. senator warned on Wednesday.

In a letter to the Department of Justice, Senator Ron Wyden said foreign officials were demanding the data from Alphabet's Google and Apple. Although details were sparse, the letter lays out yet another path by which governments can track smartphones.

The company, which went bankrupt in May, axed over 100 jobs before cutting huge checks for senior management in April.

The New York Times reported there was evidence Russia was responsible for blowing up the dam. Meanwhile, Kyiv thanked allies for disaster aid, following the floods caused by the dam collapse. DW has the latest.

Ukraine’s counteroffensive against Russian forces has not yet gained the momentum that some overly optimistic observers anticipated. So far it feels like the prelude to a more expansive act.

Robert Bowers, the gunman who killed 11 worshippers at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue in 2018, was convicted by a federal jury on all 63 charges against him. This was the deadliest attack ever on Jewish people in the US.

Authorities say an American man has been arrested over the death of one U.S. tourist and an assault on another near Neuschwanstein castle in southern Germany after he allegedly pushed the two women down a steep slope. The incident close to the popular tourist attraction happened on Wednesday afternoon. Police said Thursday that the 30-year-old man met the young women on a hiking path and lured them onto a trail. They said he then “physically attacked” the 21-year-old woman. When her 22-year-old companion tried to intervene, he choked her and pushed her down a slope. Police say the assailant appears to have attempted to sexually assault the younger woman before also pushing her down the slope. She died at a hospital overnight.

German lawmakers released advance payments of up to 560 million euros on Wednesday ahead of a planned purchase of the Israel-built Arrow-3 missile defence system for almost 4 billion euros ($4.30 billion) in total, a member of the budget committee told Reuters. It is the top layer of Israel's missile defence array, which extends from Iron Dome that intercepts short-range rockets to Arrow-3's long-range missiles that destroy any non-conventional warheads at a safe altitude. Berlin aims to strike a government-to-government deal with Israel on the purchase of the Arrow-3 system at the end of the year, according to procurement documents by the finance ministry that were prepared for parliament.

Storms, droughts and record high temperatures lie ahead as US scientists confirm El Niño has arrived.

Democratic state Rep. Stephanie Stahl Hamilton, who is a minister, was investigated after hiding Bibles in the Arizona House lounge. Republicans narrowly voted to censure – but could not expel – her.

Former US president makes first court appearance as he faces federal charges of mishandling classified government files.

Authorities in Kenya say the number of people who died after a pastor ordered his followers to starve to death in order to meet Jesus has surpassed 300. The death toll rose to 303 after 19 more bodies were removed from mass graves in the vast forested land where pastor Paul Mackenzie and his followers lived. Kenya's interior minister says more exhumations are planned. A regional commissioner said Tuesday that 613 people tied to the area are missing. Mackenzie is expected back in court this week after police were granted more time to hold him pending investigations.

The four small villages are the first officially publicised gains in Kyiv's counter-offensive.