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Ukraine and Russia accuse one another of deadly attacks on Odesa port
Ukraine and Russia both accused the other of deadly attacks on Sunday. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that Moscow had targeted global food security when it struck Odesa's port. Three people were 'killed and wounded 37 times in the eastern Ukrainian city?Kharkiv?where an apartment block of multiple floors was struck, and authorities in Russias Belgorod reported that five people were killed and twenty-five wounded by a Ukrainian aerial attack. Zelenskiy claimed that a strike had damaged Odesa's port. Local authorities reported that dozens of drones, missiles and other weapons struck the southern seaside town injuring about a dozen people. Zelenskiy stated that "Russians are at war against the food security of the world in this manner." Odesa’s "seaports" are the main artery of Ukraine's agricultural exports. He also said that Russia hit nine other Ukrainian areas on Sunday. Russia bombarded Odesa to try and cut Ukraine off from Black Sea. "Everyone in Odesa knows that the most frequent target is the area around the port," said 67 year old?Ihor. His apartment narrowly avoided destruction. Ukraine has been attacking Russian oil tankers, cargo ships and other vessels in the Black Sea to disrupt Russia’s war-waging revenues. It claimed three more such attacks on Sunday. Both sides have launched an escalating campaign to undermine the logistics of the other. E-commerce warehouses and Ukrainian petrol stations were targeted heavily during the summer. Naftogaz, the state-owned oil and gas company of Ukraine, said that attacks on its facilities have increased in recent days. This includes overnight attacks on oil extraction equipment. Ukraine's Energy Ministry said that Russia had attacked power plants in the Odesa area, causing "significant" loss of electricity for residents of Odesa overnight. The company said that 90,000 customers had already regained power. The Russian Defence Ministry has said that it struck fuel storage facilities in Odesa, and Chornomorsk nearby. Pope Leo renewed his call for an end to the four-and-a half year war in the Vatican on Sunday. The pontiff told worshippers at Sunday's Angelus service that "Tragic incidents are multiplying and causing an increasing number of civilian victims including children." (Reporting and editing by Alexander Smith, Barbara Lewis and Max Hunder at the Kyiv and Moscow Bureau)
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Swiss Re warns of heatwave dangers as some parts of Germany relax trucking restrictions
The authorities failed to understand the'scale of risk' heatwaves pose to human life, according to the CEO of Swiss?Re, quoted on Sunday. This was as some German states relaxed trucking restrictions in order to reduce weather-related pressures on shipping. Europe, the continent that is warming up fastest, has seen thousands of deaths due to a record heatwave. Most of these deaths were people over 65 years old. France and Spain experienced particularly high temperatures over the past few weeks. Heat has also decreased water levels in major?rivers which have hampered shipping. This has prompted some German states to temporarily suspend curbs on truck traffic this weekend. Swiss Re CEO Andreas Berger said to the Swiss newspaper?NZZ am Sonntag that the risk of heatwaves, and their associated deaths, was understated. Berger added: "We must raise awareness about the dangers?arising? from this." Berger said that it is too early to determine the impact of excess mortality on the figures for Swiss Re, which was reported by the company in the first half 2026. Robert Koch Institute of Public Health estimated that there were approximately?11900 heat-related death in Germany in this year, mainly due to extreme temperatures late in June. North Rhine-Westphalia - Germany's largest?state - as well as Lower Saxony and Rhineland-Palatinate - as well as Saarland - lowered trucking curbs to help ease bottlenecks in transport caused by high water levels along rivers, including the Rhine. Low water levels are straining supply chains. That's why we're taking ?action and creating additional transport options by road at short notice," said Rhineland-Palatinate's state secretary for transport, Markus ?Wolf. Authorities said that the looser curbs for truck traffic on Sundays and Holidays will be in effect until August 31 and may remain in place through September in certain states. (Writing and reporting by Dave Graham, with additional reporting from Holger Hansen at Berlin; editing by Alexander Smith).
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Turkish officials claim that the passage of ships into the Black Sea is proceeding smoothly.
Two Turkish officials said on Sunday that ships are moving'smoothly' through the Turkish Straits to?the Black Sea, despite increased safety concerns. Bloomberg News reported on Saturday that Ankara has restricted commercial ship traffic into the Black Sea after attacks against vessels, including Turkish-owned vessels. The Turkish government has repeatedly warned Moscow and Kyiv about the attacks on ships in the Black Sea. It has urged the warring parties to take steps to ensure navigational security in the region. Hakan Fidan, the Turkish Foreign Minister said that Ankara has urged Moscow and Kyiv to declare a moratorium on attacks in the Black Sea. Officials who spoke under anonymity said that Turkey had taken some temporary measures to ensure its security, as it was very uncomfortable with the situation. However, this passage is clear in terms of the?Montreux Convention. The officials did not provide any further details. The Montreux Convention of 1936 on the Regime of the Straits grants Turkey "control" over the Bosphorus, Dardanelles and the right to regulate the transit of naval warships. The agreement also allows civilian ships to pass freely in peacetime, and restricts passage for vessels not from a Black Sea country. Turkey, with NATO's second largest army, has maintained friendly relations with Kyiv and Moscow ever since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine 2022. It has refused to join Western sanction against Russia while also providing military assistance to Ukraine, including using its own stock. (Reporting and editing by Barbara Lewis; Tuvan Gumrukcu)
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Spain checks 200 Italian arrivals at the border after migration row
On the first day that border controls were reintroduced after a dispute with Italy over 'irregular migration,' Spain checked 200 passengers arriving from Italy at six of the largest airports in the country. Spain's Interior Ministry conducted checks on 199 passengers on 12 flights departing from Italy and arriving at airports in Madrid (Barcelona), Seville (Bilbao), Alicante, Valencia, and Alicante, the ministry said late on Saturday. Spain announced on Friday that border controls would continue to be in place for Italian flights and ships until September 7, after Rome implemented its own measures. Rome said the measures were motivated by a mass migration rush of 72,000 people into Spain's North African enclave, Ceuta. Italy suspended Schengen's borderless Schengen agreement with Spain on August 1, and has said that it will maintain border control until at least August 15 Rome stated that the measure will not affect Spanish or other EU nationals travelling to Italy, but instead would involve targeted checks of?non EU nationals arriving by sea or air from Spain. In an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera published on Sunday, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said: "We hope to be able?to lift the suspension as soon as?there is no longer any risk." Schengen Area allows passport free?travel between 29 European?countries. However, member states may temporarily reinstate border controls for security or public order reasons.
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Russian authorities claim that three people were killed in a drone attack by Ukraine on Belgorod.
Local authorities reported on Sunday that three people were killed and 25 others injured in a drone attack by the Ukrainians overnight against Belgorod. Alexander Shuvayev said that the incident sparked two fires which were later put out by emergency services. He said that a number of residential buildings and non-residential ones were damaged. The Russian Defence Ministry claimed that it had?destroyed?more 150 Ukrainian drones in the European part of Russia, as well as the Black Sea, Crimea and the Sea of Azov. Alexander Kravchenko, the mayor of Novorossiysk - a major Russian port located on 'the Black Sea' - said that drone debris had fallen?onto two?facilities. He did not identify these sites. According to the state-run RIA news agency, local emergency services reported that a 'Ukrainian drone' struck a building in construction and a crane at Ufa. (Reporting and editing by Alexander Smith; Maxim Rodionov)
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Australia investigates the near-miss collision between two planes at Sydney Airport
The Australian 'Transport Safety Bureau' was informed that a Jetstar A320 and a 'Qatar Airways Boeing 777' narrowly avoided colliding on the tarmac of Sydney airport on Sunday. The regulator reported that the Jetstar flight crew was taxiing to take off for Gold Coast in Queensland when they saw an aircraft tug towing a Qatar Airways plane very close by on a cross-taxiway. The Transport Safety Bureau said that "both aircraft were abruptly stopped" in a press release. The regulator reported that a cabin crew member of the Jetstar aircraft was injured and that the connection between the nose gear of the Qatar Airways plane and the aircraft tug had been damaged. Jetstar, Australia's budget airline, also said that it was looking into the incident. In a press release, a Jetstar spokesperson stated that "our?aircraft?was following Air Traffic Control's instructions when the pilots had to?brake strongly after another aircraft approached in close proximity." Qatar Airways didn't immediately respond to an?ask for comment. Airservices Australia, the government agency responsible for Sydney Airport, had implemented "departure spacing" because of a roster problem with air traffic controllers. Airservices Australia didn't immediately respond to our request for a comment.
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German Minister wants to tie bonuses for Deutsche Bahn to targets
The new German transport minister has said he wants to tie bonuses to the struggling national 'rail operator' meeting government targets. In an interview with 'newspaper Bild am Sonntag published on Sunday, Steffen Bielger said: "It would have a tangible impact on bonuses paid to managers at Deutsche Bahn if the government targets are not met." Transport experts believe that the problems of Deutsche Bahn are due to decades of 'underinvestment' in infrastructure despite an increase in rail usage, as well as 'its status as a JSC aiming to make a profit while providing a public service. Bilger, who was appointed last month and is now in charge of the network, has said that he wants to improve punctuality. He said, "The figures so far are totally inadequate." It will take some time. According to the current agreement, the long-distance train punctuality is supposed to reach 70% by 2029. This is up from around 60% during the first half this year. He said, "There won't be 100% in the near future." "I don’t believe it exists in any other country in Europe." (Written by Dave Graham, edited by Andrea Ricci).
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Turkish Minister: NATO Article 5 is the same as NATO Article 4 in Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia defense pact
Hakan Fidan, Turkish Foreign Ministry, said that the Article 5 Mutual Defence Agreement of NATO is the same as a defence pact between Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. The accord does not target Iran, he added. Fidan said that Turkish President Tayyip Erdoan wanted the alliance to expand and that Egypt, among other countries, was a possible candidate for membership. The regional powers have signed the "Mecca Joint Defence Agreement", bringing together Sunni Muslim U.S. Allies who are alarmed by a regional conflagration which has seen Iranian missiles fire on Gulf oil exporters. In a statement released jointly, the parties said that the agreement was intended to increase 'collective deterrence' against any acts of aggression. It also stipulates that any armed attack on any of the three countries would be considered an attack on them all. Fidan told the Anadolu News Agency that the new alliance wasn't aimed at Iran or other countries, but was rather "a general pledge" to support the security of the three allies. Fidan said that in consultations, the allies will decide what level, format, and form of support they want to receive in the event that an attack occurs. However, he added that no country is considered a threat if a member state has not been attacked. The Turkish army is the second largest in NATO. It has stated that it was open to expanding to other countries of the region and not to replace existing alliances. "NATO is an alliance of 32 nations. "We have?started as three countries, and we must take very modest but concrete steps," said he. He added that efforts to finalise this pact have been underway for the past two years and eight months. He said that an alliance would include a similar committee of ministers to NATO, as well as a Saudi Arabia-based general secretariat. However, operational details will be decided at the first meeting of the committee. "Our President's Vision is that we do not remain limited to just three countries. We grow and bring all (regional countries)?under one roof," he added, adding Egypt may join the pact after certain technical issues are resolved. Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, as well as?Egypt, have formed a group in recent months to discuss regional issues, including the war against Iran. Turkey said that the group, dubbed R4, aims to strengthen its partnership by using concrete mechanisms. Fidan said that Turkey should also be part of an international coalition in order to protect Red Sea shipping from Houthi attacks, because Ankara's interest is shipping safety. Tuvan Gumrukcu, Susan Fenton, and Topra Chopra edited the article.
Trump's Freedom Trucks celebrate the US 250th Anniversary with a 'gift of God' message
In the six "Freedom Trucks," which will travel across the nation to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, an AI-generated George Washington welcomes visitors. He says: "Thy Rights are a Gift from God," under a ceiling that reads "In God We trust."
The "Freedom 250", a fleet of mobile museums, have been parked from Washington State, on the west coast, to North Carolina, on the east coast, in anticipation of the Independence Day holiday. The trucks are part of what supporters call a 'year-long patriotic salute' to the American Revolution and nation it spawned.
Freedom 250's spokesperson Rachel Reisner stated that the organization is "sparking a unifying motion across all 50 States which celebrates the American Spirit and showcases America at its best." The trucks have also sparked some criticism. Local media in Massachusetts reported in June that residents in one town had objected against a Freedom Truck visit and it was cancelled. The critics say that the Freedom Trucks and other celebrations present an overly-religious version of American History and gloss over issues such as slavery and racism. Democrats claim that private donations and taxpayer money for Freedom 250 and the trucks are not accountable. The Institute of Museum and Library Services (an independent federal agency) provided a grant of $14 million for six trucks, which was paired with $10 million by Freedom 250.
On March 3, a group of U.S. Senate Democrats wrote to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to ask why government funds were being directed to "a privately owned entity that is not accountable to the American people," and whether these funds are mixed with private funds, "potentially from foreign sources."
According to Senate staff, they haven't yet received a reply.
House of Representatives Democrats are investigating whether funds appropriated by Congress to fund "America 250" celebrations have been diverted instead to the White House Freedom 250 celebration. At a House of Representatives hearing, Democratic Representative Jared Huffman, of California, said that the soaring achievements of our secular, enlightenment based founding are obscured by a gauzy Christian nationalism fiction. He was speaking about Freedom 250 sponsored events, such as the truck museum. Republicans challenged Democratic characterisations during congressional hearings. Bruce Westerman of Arkansas reminded Democrats of a preamble to the Declaration of Independence that states: "We believe these truths are self-evident. That all men are equal, and that they are endowed with certain unalienable rights by their Creator." In May Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Interior Department refused to answer a Freedom of Information Act Request for documents about Freedom 250 funding and activity. The group is also investigating reports that federal workers are being used to promote private entities, funds are being used to push a political agenda and Trump's access is being sold.
Aaron Lloyd, senior counsel at PEER, said that all the decisions about what events to attend, how much money to spend, and where money goes are in a "black box". "I want to see the documents from the government that show where money was spent."
The White House didn't directly respond to questions regarding the role of religion within the truck exhibitions or 250th anniversary celebrations. In an email statement, Davis Ingle stated that "2026 will see a renewed patriotism" and "national pride."
A "JUBILEE of PRAYER"
On May 17, a Freedom Truck with its side painted in the iconic painting "Washington Crossing the Delaware" was parked only blocks from the U.S. Capitol. It served as the anchor for a "Rededicate 250 : A National Jubilee of Prayer Praise and Thanksgiving." The White House website features a Freedom 250 page entitled "America Prays." The site encourages visitors to spend an hour per week in prayer for the U.S. The site lists "pray.com", as a participant organization. The social network for religious organizations says that it collects data about its users, which it could share with other firms.
Freedom Trucks was developed by Hillsdale College - a private Christian liberal arts school - and PragerU - a non-university that creates "edutainment", or content, promoting Judeo-Christian principles. PragerU created a video that?explores the ways in which elections can be robbed, showcasing mail-in ballots as a suspect, echoing Trump's widely debunked claims since he lost to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020.
"Pride Month: Why do we do this?" Another video. The June celebrations of LGBTQ communities were questioned.
PragerU has not responded to requests for comment regarding financial arrangements that it obtained from Freedom 250.
A RELIGION INFLUED BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION? Some historians question the relevance of religious presentations to the celebration of the 250th anniversary by the Trump White House.
Kate Carte is a Southern Methodist University professor of history who specializes in early American history. She noted that, during the American Revolution both Protestant "British" loyalists in the American colonies and the opposing "patriots", believed they were following their religious values.
Carte said in a phone interview last week that "the conflict between Britain's colonies and Britain really had nothing to do with the religion." She added that America's founding fathers were "very aware" that religion can be divisive and decided to avoid establishing a central religion. A study conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2023-2024 found that 62% of U.S. adult citizens identify themselves as Christians. The evangelical Protestants make up 23% of this group. This is more than any single faction. Around 29% of American adult are "religiously non-affiliated". Atheists, agnostics, and 19% of Americans who say they are "nothing" in particular make up this group.
The semiquincentennial of the United States is not just about religion.
The Trump administration is embroiled in court cases for its attempts to remove interpretive material from national parks, including exhibits on slavery and climate changes. People who remember the 1976 U.S. Bicentennial remember it as a more peaceful celebration.
Alan Spears is the senior director of Cultural Resources at the National Parks Conservation Association. He said that 50 years ago the U.S. did not engage in public discussions about the contributions made by its African American and indigenous people.
Spears added that "the 1980s changed this," adding that the country has moved away from portraying its history as "guys riding horses with swords." (Reporting and editing by David Gregorio; Richard Cowan)
(source: Reuters)