Times Union

The European Union is seeking to strengthen Operation Aspides, its naval mission protecting commercial shipping from attacks in the Red Sea. The move would boost the EU's maritime security presence along one of the world's most important trade routes, which has faced repeated disruption. Details on the scale and timing of the reinforcement remain limited.

The Council of the European Union has decided to extend the mandate of EUBAM Rafah, the EU Border Assistance Mission at the Rafah crossing point, until 30 June 2027. The announcement was made by the European External Action Service. The mission monitors the crossing between Gaza and Egypt, and the extension signals the EU's continued commitment to a role at the border amid the ongoing situation in Gaza.

Bank unions in India have deferred a planned three-day strike that would have disrupted branch services across the country. The Times of India reports that customers were asking whether banks would be open or closed, prompting unions to clarify the postponement and explain what it means for services such as cash withdrawals, cheque clearing and branch visits.

Nurses at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston have voted to authorize an open-ended strike, giving union leadership the ability to call a walkout at any time if contract negotiations fail. The authorization signals escalating tensions between the nurses and hospital management over staffing, wages and working conditions, and raises the prospect of a major disruption at one of the country's leading academic medical centers.

The union representing workers at New York's Whitney Museum of American Art has announced a strike date, timed just ahead of the museum's major Roy Lichtenstein retrospective. The move raises pressure in ongoing labor negotiations at one of the country's most prominent art institutions, with a high-profile exhibition giving workers added leverage.