A combined force killed a dozen militants and detained several suspects in Kandahar province after stopping a number of vehicles in pursuit of a Taliban commander of the province’s Maywand district. The force initially targeted a number of vehicles in transit across southern Maywand after intelligence indicated militant activity. Several militants were killed after they failed to respond to warnings, and others were detained. Subsequently, the combined force received hostile fire from militants in multiple vehicles maneuvering in their direction. The force returned fire, killing another group of militants. The force searched each of the vehicles and recovered a number of small-arms weapons, documents and 2,600 pounds of black-tar heroin. The force identified one of the dead as the sought-after Taliban commander of Maywand.
— A combined force detained several suspected militants after searching compounds in Wardak province known to be used by a Taliban commander and his unit responsible for several rocket and bombing attacks in the region. The force targeted the compounds near the village of Patankhel in the Sayed Abad district after intelligence indicated militant activity there. The force searched the compound without incident and detained several suspects. No shots were fired, and no one was injured in the search.
In other news from Afghanistan, international forces have responded to accusations that a U.S. servicemember burned the Quran last week in Wardak province’s Maydan Shar district.
In response to the accusations, ISAF troops conducted an investigation in conjunction with local Afghan army commanders and found the claim groundless.
A spokesman for Wardak Gov. Mohammad Alim Fadayee, and Mullah Qari of the Afghan army in Wardak, publicly stated that ISAF troops were not responsible for the desecration and found no wrongdoing by international forces.
In his public address, Mullah Qari provided the results of the investigation into the incident and offered an explanation.
“Dear brothers, recently, the incident of burning of the Quran that happened in Kowte Ashrow, it was the actions of the enemies of Afghanistan and Islam for their private purposes,” Qari said. “The enemies of Afghanistan are trying to make people go against the government in order to start riots.”
(Compiled from NATO International Security Assistance Force news releases.)
More than 80 Palestinians were killed across Gaza on Thursday, according to health officials, as Israel intensified its strikes across the strip.
The deaths, which authorities said included dozens of people seeking aid, come as negotiations to reach a ceasefire in the enclave ramp up. A source told CNN that Hamas officials were set to meet Thursday to prepare a response to the latest proposal, which has been accepted by Israel.
At a school-turned-displacement facility in Gaza City, 15 people were killed and 25 injured in Israeli strikes that left many with severe burns, the director of Al-Shifa hospital Dr. Mohammad Abu Silmiya said. The hospital is treating those wounded in the attack.
“The scene was extremely harrowing due to the charred bodies of the martyrs and children,” said Fares Afana, who heads the Emergency and Medical Services in northern Gaza, and had teams evacuating the injured from the school.
The hospital director said another 12 people were killed in other strikes in Gaza City.
In response to a CNN question on the school strike, the Israeli military said it struck a “key Hamas terrorist who was operating in a Hamas command and control center” in Gaza City. The Israeli military said that prior to the attack, “numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians, including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence.”
Earlier this morning, the Israeli army said that over the past day it struck “approximately 150 terror targets throughout the Gaza Strip, including terrorists, underground routes, military structures, weapons, sniper posts, and additional terror infrastructure sites.” CNN has requested comment from the Israeli military on Thursday’s strikes.
Images taken at the scene of the attack in Gaza City showed flames inside a building and several bodies that had been severely burned.
“Every so often, the Israelis would attack the school and bomb it, forcing us to flee, then we would return when the Israeli pressure eased. Today, as you can see, the pressure was intense,” said a woman, who did not give her name.
In southern Gaza, 35 bodies arrived at the Nasser Hospital on Thursday morning, according to the spokesman of Nasser hospital, Ahmad Al-Fara. The death toll includes fifteen people who were allegedly killed while waiting for aid in Khan Younis, and 20 others who died in strikes on encampments in the city, the hospital said.
The aid seekers were waiting near the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) distribution sites in the Al-Tahliya area of southwest Khan Younis when they were hit, according to the hospital.
“They said the American (GHF) is safe, is that what safety looks like?” one man, Awad Barbach, said at the funeral of one of those killed.
In another incident, in central Gaza near the Netzarim Corridor, crowds gathered to receive aid from trucks when chaos ensued, a witness said. Twenty-five people were killed in the incident, according to Abu Silmiya, the Al-Shifa hospital director.
“It was a trap… people were stabbing each other for the food… (then there was an) hour and a half of (Israeli) gunfire… we are not Hamas or Fatah. I’m just a civilian who wants to eat, and instead I find death,” one eyewitness, Ahmed Khella, told CNN.
“Where are (Hamas)?… they are all dogs,” he added.
Later on Thursday evening, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said seven people had been killed and 17 others injured while waiting for aid in the Tahlia area east of Khan Younis. Ambulance crews transported the injured and bodies of the deceased to Al Amal hospital, PRCS said.
This story has been updated with additional developments.
The 30,000 additional troops President Barack Obama is sending to Afghanistan will focus on reversing the Taliban’s momentum, a senior Defense Department official said last night during a “DoDLive” bloggers roundtable following the president’s announcement of his new strategy.
“What we are sending into Afghanistan by the end of next summer will be more troops, more quickly than any other proposal before the president,” said David S. Sedney, deputy assistant secretary of defense for Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia. “What we are doing here is we are putting in the hands of General McChrystal more troops sooner in order to have the impact on the momentum of the Taliban.” Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal commands U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan.
The need to slow down the Taliban’s momentum is necessary for success in Afghanistan, said Army Brig. Gen. John W. Nicholson Jr., director of the Joint Staff’s Pakistan-Afghanistan coordination cell, who accompanied Sedney during the roundtable. The improvised explosive device threat in Afghanistan has increased by 75 percent across the board, particularly in the south, he noted.
To combat that momentum, he explained, most forces deployed to Afghanistan will be used in a bridging role.
“The initial forces going in will include an additional Marine regimental combat team going to southern Afghanistan to be a part of the Marine Expeditionary Brigade Afghanistan, and they will assist in securing the population in central Helmand,” Nicholson said. Other U.S. forces will be sent to Kandahar and an additional brigade combat team involved in counterinsurgency will be deployed in the east, while trainers will assist Afghan security forces in close partnering, he added.
The close partnering is a critical component of McChrystal’s plan as forces move forward, Nicholson said.
“They become a catalyst for the accelerated development of the capability of the Afghan forces,” Nicholson added. “Additional trainers will enable greater capacity in the training base to train more Afghans to achieve acceleration and a growth in the Afghan army that we are looking for.”
He added that trainers “see a definite difference in their progress when closely partnered.”
Nicholson, who has gained extensive experience in Afghanistan over the past four years, said the Afghan security forces need U.S. assistance.
“They clearly need our help,” he said. “I would characterize that help as a bridging force to get us through the necessary combat operations to secure the population in some key areas.”
The surge of the additional troops and equipment can be accomplished by summer, the general said.
“In southern Afghanistan last year, we introduced close to 20,000 troops in about the same amount of time,” he noted. “It is very challenging, but it can be done.”
In addition to the influx of U.S. forces sent to Afghanistan, Sedney said, international partners will supply an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 troops to help with the effort. Nicholson added that NATO forces — such as troops from Romania, Denmark, Estonia, Australia, United Kingdom and Denmark — have done a lot of the heavy lifting in some of the highest combat areas, such as Helmand province.
“We have 17 nations in the southern region of Afghanistan. Six of those nations are providing a battalion or more of soldiers,” he said. “These soldiers fight, and these nations have done a lot of heavy lifting for the alliance down there.”
Despite restrictions some nations place on how their forces can be used, international partners have paid a heavy price, Nicholson said. “While certainly caveats are a concern, rightfully so, there are a lot of our allies who are operating in some very tough areas, and have taken some very high casualties,” he said.
Sedney added that the focus of the effort will be on the Afghan security forces’ ability to take the lead in security responsibilities by the summer of 2011.
“We have been building, are building, and will build even more intensively Afghan national security forces — Afghan National Army, Afghan National Police — that will fill the goal that President [Hamid] Karzai set out in his inauguration speech,” he said.
(Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg serves in the Defense Media Activity’s emerging media directorate.)
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Trump-Putin spoke for ‘nearly hour’ on ‘negotiated solution’ on Ukraine, but Russia won’t step back from its goals, senior Kremlin aide says
We are getting first lines from a senior KremlinaideYuri Ushakov on the Trump-Putin call.
As per Reuters, he told reporters:
The pair spoke for nearly an hour, stating their intention to “seek a negotiated solution” on Ukraine and Trump “raising issue of bringing Ukraine conflict to swift halt.”
But Putin insisted that Russia “will achieve its goal of removing root issues that led to Ukraine conflict” and “will not step back from its goals.”
Russia’s position is “that Ukraine peace talks are between Moscow and Kyiv”
Putin and Trump did not talk about halting of some US weapons deliveries to Ukraine.
They also had “a detailed discussion” on Iran and the Middle East.
The leaders agreed they would continue discussions going forward.
Key events
Summary
Macron says he wants EU-US deal ‘as soon as possible’
Four people injured in stabbing in Finland
Trump-Putin spoke for ‘nearly hour’ on ‘negotiated solution’ on Ukraine, but Russia won’t step back from its goals, senior Kremlin aide says
‘We will see what we can do with the EU,’ US treasury secretary Bessent says
Glovo suspends controversial bonus scheme for deliveries in high temperatures
Designer dress goes missing from Bezos-Sánchez wedding
More than 70 detained in Serbia in police crackdown on protesters
Crete wildfire forces 1,500 to evacuate as Europe heatwave continues
EU closing in on ‘framework’ trade deal with US to avoid Trump’s 50% tariffs
Zelenskyy’s comments on US aid, Trump in Denmark – snap analysis
‘Strenghten us, as you did before,’ Zelenskyy tells reporter asking what Denmark could do to help Ukraine
‘Not sure they have a lot of common topics to talk,’ Zelenskyy says on Trump-Putin call
We want Ukraine to be EU member, Zelenskyy reaffirms
Zelenskyy confirms plans for call with Trump, says Ukraine counts on continuing US support
‘Putin does not want peace, so we need to put pressure on him,’ EU’s von der Leyen says
‘Deeply disappointed’ with Russia not engaging with Trump’s peace plans, EU’s Costa says
Even more important to strenghten cooperation among doubts about continued US support, Zelenskyy tells EU leaders in Denmark
Zelenskyy appears alongside EU leaders in Denmark
Several people stabbed in Tanmere, Finnish police say
‘Will be speaking to Putin,’ Trump confirms
Russia’s Putin says he will talk with Trump later today
EU’s von der Leyen’s line on US trade talks sets expectations for Šefčovič’s meeting in Washington – snap analysis
Frederiksen’s language on Ukraine and migration a sign of Danish priorities – snap analysis
Denmark’s Frederiksen throws her support behind Ukraine’s accession to EU
EU plans to strike deal in principle with US before 9 July deadline, von der Leyen confirms
US halt to military aid would be a serious setback for Ukraine and Europe, Frederiksen says
‘Ready for deal’ with US, but ‘all instruments on table,’ EU’s von der Leyen says
Denmark needs to steer Europe through one of most challenging times in history, Frederiksen says
Zelenskyy hails new drone production deal with US company as he begins Denmark trip
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy to speak with Trump on Friday on weapon deliveries pause
European heatwave – in pictures
More details emerge about Lleida wildfire that killed two in Spain
At least five deaths linked to extreme heat in Italy
Italian seas see temperatures above 20 Celsius at 40 metres, Greenpeace warns
Zelenskyy lands in Denmark for talks on prospects for EU accession
Deputy head of Russian Navy killed by Ukraine in Kursk, official says
EU should seek to strike ‘quick, simple’ deal with US on tariffs, Germany’s Merz says
Portugal and Liverpool forward Diogo Jota dies in car crash
French air traffic controllers go on strike over pay causing travel disruptions
Wind-fuelled wildfires rage in Turkey
Morning opening: Heatwave continues with wildfire warnings in place
Summary
Vladimir Putin didn’t make any shift in Moscow’s position during a call with Donald Trumpthat lasted over an hour. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Moscow wants a negotiated end to the Ukraine war but would not step back from its original goals. He told reporters: “Our president also said that Russia will achieve the goals it has set: that is, the elimination of the well-known root causes that led to the current state of affairs, to the current acute confrontation, and Russia will not back down from these goals.” Ushakov also said that while Russia was open to continuing to speak with the US, any peace negotiations needed to occur between Moscow and Kyiv. There’s been no word from the White House so we don’t yet know what Trump made of the call, but if and when we get that it’ll be covered over on our US politics blog.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy openly spoke about “doubts about continued US support for Europe”as he repeated his call to “strengthen our cooperation and coordination” through the EU, Nato, and in bilateral relations (he said today he wants Ukraine to join the EU, which Denmark threw itself behind). He explicitly said that Ukraine needs the US and there will area where the US support is essentially irreplaceable, but it’s clear this is a source of growing concern for him. He is due to talk to DonaldTrump tomorrow, so they will no doubt discuss the US military weapons deliveries pause. Zelenskyy also made it clear that he remained supportive of the US president’s efforts to bring about a lasting peace and hinted that “a meeting at the level of leaders” would be needed to conclude any talks.
French president Emmanuel Macron said he wanted a EU-US trade deal “as soon as possible, with the lowest tariffs possible”, as a Washington-set deadline looms to reach an accord. His comments come as the EU’s trade chief, Maroš Šefčovič, is in Washington DC for talks with the US administration amid hopes that a framework deal can be struck ahead of the next week’s deadline to avoid punishing 50% tariffs. The US secretary of treasury Scott Bessent offered a rather cryptic answeron the progress of talks with the EU saying only: “We will see what we can do.”
Prime minister Mette Frederiksen said Denmark has to “steer Europe safely through one of the most challenging times in our history” atthe inauguration ceremony for the Danish presidency of the EU in Aarhus. In a hard-hitting speech she was clear about Denmark’s priorities with security, supporting Ukraine, and migration.
Awildfire fanned by gale-force winds forced the evacuation of more than 1,500 people on the Greek island of Crete, officials said, as large swathes of continental Europe baked in a punishing early summer heatwave linked to at least nine deaths. About 230 firefighters, along with 46 vehicles and helicopters, were battling the blaze today after it broke out 24 hours earlier near Ierapetra on the south-east coast of the country’s largest island, threatening to engulf houses and hotels.
Two wildfires that began overnight near the western Turkish resort of Izmir were raging out of control today, fuelled by high winds, officials said. Locals in at least five districts in the two areas were evacuated as a precaution but there were no immediate reports of injuries.
It comes asEurope continues to face extreme heat, with Spain, Italy, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland and Croatia all experiencing temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius today. In Italy, the fierce heat over the last week has been linked to at least five deaths, with two people, aged 75 and 60, dying on beaches in Sardinia. Italy’s health ministry placed 18 major cities on maximum ‘red’ alert for heat today, including Rome, Milan, Turin, Bologna, Genoa and Palermo, meaning the heat is so intense that it poses a risk for young and healthy people too.
Due to the climate emergency,Italian seas have reached temperatures above 20C even at depths of 40 metres, according to a report released yesterday by Greenpeace. Across the Mediterranean, 2024 marked the hottest year on record for average sea temperature in the basin, with a mean value of 21.16C.
Serbian police detained 79 protesterslate last night in a crackdown on street demonstrators calling for a snap election and an end of the 12-year rule of Aleksandar Vučić and his Serbian Progressive Party. Police and protesters clashed in the capital Belgrade and the cities of Novi Sad, Niš and Novi Pazar, the interior ministry said in a statement. Today, the European Union stronglycondemned“acts of hatred and violence” in Serbia and called for calm.
Portugal and Liverpool forward Diogo Jota died in a car crash overnight. The accident, first reported by Portuguese media and the Spanish sports newspaper Marca, took place near Zamora in northwest Spain, with local emergency services confirming two fatalities aged 28 and 26, without giving their names. The Portuguese football association confirmed the media reports in a statement, saying they “lacks the words” to describe the loss of the player. The BBC earlier said it also confirmed Jota’s death with the Spanish civil guard, Guardia Civil. Local media reported that the car went off road and was fully engulfed in flames by the time first responders arrived on scene.
Food delivery platform Glovo announcedit was suspending the introduction of financial bonuses for couriers working in high temperatures, following criticism from unions and politicians. Union leaders and politicians condemned the scheme, warning it risked turning “a health hazard into an economic incentive”, and insisted that “no compensation can justify working under extreme risk conditions”.
Lauren Sánchezpacked 27 designer dresses for her wedding to the billionaire Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos, in Venice last week, but left with only 26 after one went missing. Sources familiar with the situation confirmed that a dress had gone missing but denied it was stolen. It is unclear where the dress disappeared and when.
Four people were injured in a stabbing in Tampere, Finland. Police said there were no fatalities, and investigators believe there is no reason to suspect “a terrorist or racist motive”.
Frenchair traffic controllers began a two-day strike demanding better working conditions, causing disruption to air travel as the summer season gets under way.Ryanair said it had to cancel 170 flights disrupting 30,000 passengers, with a secondary effect on flights flying over France to other destinations. Air France, France’s largest airline said it had adapted its flight schedule, without giving details, but that it was maintaining long-haul flights.
Kremlin aid Yuri Ushakov also said that while Russia was open to continuing to speak with the US, any peace negotiations needed to occur between Moscow and Kyiv.
That comment comes amid some indications that Moscow is trying to avoid a trilateral format for any peace negotiations. The Russians asked American diplomats to leave the room during such a meeting in Istanbul in early June, Ukrainian officials have said.
Trump and Putin did not talk about a face-to-face meeting, Ushakov added.
On Iran, Yuri Ushakov said:
The Russian side emphasised the importance of resolving all disputes, disagreements and conflict situations exclusively by political and diplomatic means.
Trump last month sent US military bombers to strike three Iranian nuclear sites, in a move condemned by Moscow as unprovoked and illegal.
Here’s more detail on the call between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump which, from the Russian side, suggests that Putin did not make any shift in Moscow’s position during the conversation with the US president.
As we reported earlier, a Kremlin aide said Moscow wants a negotiated end to the Ukraine war but will not step back from its original goals.
In the wide-ranging conversation, Trump “again raised the issue of an early end to military action” in Ukraine, Yuri Ushakov told reporters, adding:
Vladimir Putin, for his part, noted that we continue to seek a political and negotiated solution to the conflict.
Putin briefed Trump on the implementation of agreements reached between Russia and Ukraine last month to exchange prisoners-of-war and dead soldiers, Ushakov said, and told him that Moscow was ready to continue negotiations with Kyiv. He went on:
Our president also said that Russia will achieve the goals it has set: that is, the elimination of the well-known root causes that led to the current state of affairs, to the current acute confrontation, and Russia will not back down from these goals.
The phrase “root causes” is shorthand for the Kremlin’s argument that it was compelled to go to war in Ukraine to prevent the country from joining Nato and being used by the western alliance as a launch pad to attack Russia.
Jakub Krupa
We are still waiting to hear from Donald Trump on his call with Putin.
But be assured that we will bring you the US view on the phone call when we have it.
That’s all from me for today, but Lucy Campbell will guide you through the evening.
Macron says he wants EU-US deal ‘as soon as possible’
Separately, French president Emmanuel Macron said he wanted a EU-US trade deal “as soon as possible, with the lowest tariffs possible”, as a Washington-set deadline looms to reach an accord, AFP reported.
“The right deal for me is the deal that is struck as soon as possible, with the lowest tariffs possible, and that must be fair and firm,” Macron said.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron (C) drinks liquor during a one-day visit in Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, southern France, to mark the 100th anniversary of the Roquefort sheep milk blue cheese’s protected designation of origin (AOP). Photograph: Valentine Chapuis/AFP/Getty Images
His comments come as the EU’s trade chief, Maroš Šefčovič, is in Washington DC for talks with the US administration amid hopes that a framework deal can be struck ahead of the next week’s deadline to avoid punishing tariffs (17:27 and 17:59).
Four people injured in stabbing in Finland
We now have more details on the stabbing in Tampere, Finland (16:23, 17:43), with police confirming that four people were injured in the attack.
They added that there were no fatalities, and investigators believe there is no reason to suspect “a terrorist or racist motive.”
Police cordon off the area outside the Ratina shopping centre in Tampere, Finland. Photograph: Saara Peltola/AP
Trump-Putin spoke for ‘nearly hour’ on ‘negotiated solution’ on Ukraine, but Russia won’t step back from its goals, senior Kremlin aide says
We are getting first lines from a senior KremlinaideYuri Ushakov on the Trump-Putin call.
As per Reuters, he told reporters:
The pair spoke for nearly an hour, stating their intention to “seek a negotiated solution” on Ukraine and Trump “raising issue of bringing Ukraine conflict to swift halt.”
But Putin insisted that Russia “will achieve its goal of removing root issues that led to Ukraine conflict” and “will not step back from its goals.”
Russia’s position is “that Ukraine peace talks are between Moscow and Kyiv”
Putin and Trump did not talk about halting of some US weapons deliveries to Ukraine.
They also had “a detailed discussion” on Iran and the Middle East.
The leaders agreed they would continue discussions going forward.
‘We will see what we can do with the EU,’ US treasury secretary Bessent says
We are still waiting to get any updates on the Trump-Putin call, but in the meantime the US secretary of treasury Scott Bessent offered a rather cryptic answer on the progress of talks with the EU saying “we will see what we can do,” Reuters reported.
As you know, EU’s trade chief Maroš Šefčovič is in Washington tonight, with the bloc hoping they could get a high-level deal in place to avoid 50% tariffs on all exports from next week (17:27).
Glovo suspends controversial bonus scheme for deliveries in high temperatures
Lorenzo Tondo
in Palermo
A day after the food delivery platform Glovo introduced financial bonuses for couriers working in high temperatures, the company announced on Thursday it was suspending the initiative following criticism from unions and politicians.
Glovo workers pass by Via Paolo Sarpi in Milan, Italy. Photograph: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images
Glovo had offered a 2% bonus for deliveries made in temperatures between 32°C and 36°C, 4% between 36°C and 40°C, and 8% for temperatures above 40°C — a move that sparked a backlash in Italy.
Union leaders and politicians condemned the scheme, warning it risked turning “a health hazard into an economic incentive”, and insisted that “no compensation can justify working under extreme risk conditions”.
On Thursday, the platform said it had “decided to temporarily suspend nationwide the bonus system for deliveries carried out during the hottest hours of the day”.
Responding to the controversy, Glovo issued a statement:
“The bonus is not an incentive to work. Riders are fully free to choose.
The current collaboration model guarantees each rider maximum freedom to decide when and how to work, even in challenging weather conditions.
In this context, the so-called bonus during periods of extreme heat is intended as a compensatory measure and in no way represents an incentive to work. The bonus is activated automatically once certain temperature thresholds are exceeded.”
Jakub Krupa
I have earlier promised you I would keep an eye on the developments in Finland, where police reported that several people were stabbed near a shopping centre in Tampere.
The latest update from the emergency services is that they cordoned off the scene of the incident and are interviewing witnesses.
But the Finnish Broadcasting Company, of Yle, says there is still little clarity as to how many people were wounded in the attack and the extent of their injuries.
I will let you know if or when we know more.
Designer dress goes missing from Bezos-Sánchez wedding
Angela Giuffrida
in Rome
Lauren Sánchez packed 27 designer dresses for her wedding to the billionaire Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos, in Venice last week, but left with only 26 after one went missing.
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sànchez pictured in Venice. Photograph: SGP/Shutterstock
The couple, who are now honeymooning in Taormina, Sicily, were wed during a star-studded three-day celebration in the lagoon city.
They left Venice on Sunday, but mystery over the missing dress has generated chatter in Venice, with Corriere della Sera claiming that it was stolen, possibly by someone who evaded security and gatecrashed a party on the tiny island of San Giorgio, where the couple exchanged rings, on Friday.
The newspaper said the number of gatecrashers to the event was such that officers from the local unit of Italy’s anti-terrorism squad, Digos, were called to the island.
Sources familiar with the situation confirmed that a dress had gone missing but denied it was stolen. It is unclear where the dress disappeared and when. The couple lodged at the seven-star Aman hotel, where the bride’s wedding outfits were reportedly kept under close watch.
The sources stressed that no legal complaint about the missing dress had been made to police, with the expectation being that the garment would eventually “turn up”. They also denied the report that a dress caught fire and that the celebrations had been infiltrated by gatecrashers.
Jakub Krupa
… and on a slightly lighter note …
More than 70 detained in Serbia in police crackdown on protesters
Serbian police detained 79 protesters late on Wednesday in a crackdown on street demonstrators calling for a snap election and an end of the 12-year rule of the President AleksandarVučić and his Serbian Progressive Party, Reuters reported.
Police and protesters clashed in the capital Belgrade and the cities of Novi Sad, Niš and Novi Pazar, the interior ministry said in the statement.
Law enforcement officers try to detain a man during road blockades organised by students and anti-government demonstrators demanding snap elections and release of arrested protesters in Belgrade, Serbia. Photograph: Amir Hamzagic/Reuters
On Wednesday evening, police moved to remove students in front of the entrance of the Law Faculty in Belgrade, and briefly detained dozens, N1 TV reported.
On Thursday, the European Union strongly condemned “acts of hatred and violence” in Serbia and called for calm, AFP said.
“We strongly condemn all acts of hate and violence. The rights of peaceful demonstration, freedom of assembly and freedom of expression are to be upheld,” the EU delegation in Serbia posted on X.
The statement said, “police action must be proportionate and respect fundamental rights.”
Agencies are also noting that tennis superstar Novak Djoković pumped his arms when celebrating a win over Dan Evans at Wimbledon – a gesture that has become a symbol of the protests.
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic celebrates winning his second round match against Britain’s Daniel Evans. Photograph: Andrew Couldridge/Reuters
Crete wildfire forces 1,500 to evacuate as Europe heatwave continues
Jon Henley Europe correspondent and Angela Giuffrida in Rome
A wildfire fanned by gale-force winds has forced the evacuation of more than 1,500 people on the Greek island of Crete, officials have said, as large swathes of continental Europe baked in a punishing early summer heatwave linked to at least nine deaths.
People watch a firefighting helicopter flying near a wildfire burning near Ierapetra, on the island of Crete, Greece. Photograph: Stefanos Rapanis/Reuters
About 230 firefighters, along with 46 vehicles and helicopters, were battling the blaze on Thursday after it broke out 24 hours earlier near Ierapetra on the south-east coast of the country’s largest island, threatening to engulf houses and hotels.
A fire brigade spokesperson, Vassilis Vathrakogiannis, said: “There are wind gusts in the area, some measuring 9 on the Beaufort scale, triggering rekindling and hindering firefighting efforts.” He added that four settlements had been evacuated.
Residents and tourists were taking shelter at an indoor stadium and some had left Crete by boat, authorities said. Local media reported some homes had been damaged. An estimated 5,000 more holidaymakers left south-east Crete independently.
Vladimir Putin told Donald Trump he “will not back down” from Russia’s goals in Ukraine during a phone call today, the Kremlin has said.
The Russian president spoke to his US counterpart for almost an hour, and Mr Trump “again raised the issue of an early end to military action” in Ukraine, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters.
In response, Mr Putin said “Russia will not back down” from its aims there, which include “the elimination of the well-known root causes that led to the current state of affairs,” Mr Ushakov said.
The phrase “root causes” is shorthand for Moscow’s argument that it was compelled to invade Ukraine in order to prevent the country from joining NATO.
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2:50
Trump and Putin’s latest call on Ukraine
Ukraine and its European allies say this is a pretext to justify what they call an imperial-style war, but Mr Trump has previously shown sympathy with Russia.
At the same time, Mr Putin told the US president that Russia is ready to continue negotiating, the aide said.
The Russian president said any prospective peace deal must see Ukraine give up its NATO bid and recognise his country’s territorial gains.
Image: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, seen with Mr Trump in June, is pushing for Ukraine to join NATO. Pic: Reuters
He also briefed Mr Trump on agreements made last month, which saw Russia and Ukraine exchange prisoners of war and dead soldiers.
Specific dates for the third round of peace talks in Istanbul were not discussed – nor was the US decision to halt some shipments of critical weapons to Ukraine.
Mr Trump later addressed the call while speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews, where he said he “didn’t make any progress with [Putin] today”.
The conversation came after the Pentagon confirmed some weapons due to be sent to Ukraine have been held as it reviews military stockpiles.
The paused shipments include air defence missiles and precision-guided artillery, two people familiar with the situation have said.
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The decision led to Ukraine calling in the acting US envoy to Kyiv on Wednesday to underline the importance of military aid from Washington.
Kyiv also cautioned that the move would weaken Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against intensifying Russian airstrikes and battlefield advances.
Mr Putin and Mr Trump’s phone call was the sixth they have publicly disclosed since the US president returned to the White House in January.
Multiple attacks in recent days have killed and injured scores of Palestinians at sites hosting displaced people and others attempting to access essential supplies, according to a statement from UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric on Thursday.
“The Secretary-General strongly condemns the loss of civilian life,” Mr. Dujarric said.
On just one day this week, nearly 30,000 people were forced to flee under new Israeli relocation orders, with no safe place to go and clearly inadequate supplies of shelter, food, medicine or water, he added.
Critical systems shutting down
With no fuel having entered Gaza in over 17 weeks, the UN chief is also “gravely concerned that the last lifelines for survival are being cut off.”
“Without an urgent influx of fuel, incubators will shut down, ambulances will be unable to reach the injured and sick, and water cannot be purified,” Mr. Dujarric said.
“The delivery by the United Nations and partners of what little of our lifesaving humanitarian aid is left in Gaza will also grind to a halt.”
The Secretary-General reiterated his call for safe and sustained humanitarian access so aid can reach people in desperate need.
“The UN has a clear and proven plan, rooted in the humanitarian principles, to get vital assistance to civilians – safely and at scale, wherever they are,” Mr. Dujarric said.
The Secretary-General reiterated his call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and the unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups. He reminded all parties that international humanitarian law must be upheld.
Displacement continues
Displacement remains relentless. On Wednesday, Israeli authorities issued a new evacuation order in parts of Gaza City, affecting some 40,000 people and including a displacement site, a medical point and one of the few neighbourhoods that had remained untouched by such orders since before the March ceasefire.
Since that ceasefire collapsed, over 50 such orders have been issued, now covering 78 per cent of Gaza’s territory.
“Add the Israeli-militarized zones and that percentage jumps to 85 – leaving just 15 per cent where civilians can actually stay,” Mr. Dujarric said, briefing reporters at the UN Headquarters, in New York.
Those areas are overcrowded and severely lacking in services or proper infrastructure.
“Imagine having just over two million people in Manhattan – which is actually slightly bigger – but instead of buildings, the area is strewn with the rubble of demolished and bombed-out structures, without infrastructure or basic support,” the UN Spokesperson said.
“And in Gaza, these remaining areas are also fragmented and unsafe.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin told United States President Donald Trump in a phone call on Thursday that Moscow wants a negotiated end to the Ukraine war, but will not step back from its original goals, a Kremlin aide said.
In a wide-ranging conversation that also covered Iran and the Middle East, Trump “again raised the issue of an early end to military action” in Ukraine, the aide, Yuri Ushakov, told reporters.
“Vladimir Putin, for his part, noted that we continue to seek a political and negotiated solution to the conflict,” Ushakov said.
Putin briefed Trump on the implementation of agreements reached between Russia and Ukraine last month to exchange prisoners-of-war and dead soldiers, Ushakov said, and told him that Moscow was ready to continue negotiations with Kyiv.
“Our president also said that Russia will achieve the goals it has set: that is, the elimination of the well-known root causes that led to the current state of affairs, to the current acute confrontation, and Russia will not back down from these goals,” he added.
There was nothing in the Kremlin readout to suggest that Putin had made any shift in Moscow’s position during the conversation with Trump, who took office with a promise to end the war swiftly but has voiced frequent frustration with the lack of progress between the two sides.
The phrase “root causes” is shorthand for the Kremlin’s argument that it was compelled to go to war in Ukraine to prevent the country from joining Nato and being used by the Western alliance as a launch pad to attack Russia.
Ukraine and its European allies say that is a specious pretext for what they call an imperial-style war, but Trump in previous public comments has shown sympathy with Moscow’s refusal to accept Nato membership for Ukraine.
Putin and Trump did not talk about the US decision to halt some shipments of critical weapons to Ukraine, Ushakov said.
On Iran, he said, “The Russian side emphasised the importance of resolving all disputes, disagreements and conflict situations exclusively by political and diplomatic means.”
Trump last month sent US stealth bombers to strike three Iranian nuclear sites, in a move condemned by Moscow as unprovoked and illegal.
