War latest news. Macron: France will supply Ukraine with its Mirage fighter planes. Gaza, Borrell calls for independent investigation into Unrwa school attack

US President Joe Biden has said he does not intend to grant his son Hunter a pardon if he is convicted in the trial where he is accused of lying about buying a firearm while using drugs. Speaking to ABC from Normandy where he is staying for the anniversary of D-Day, the US president replied with a clear 'yes' to those who asked him if he would accept the outcome of the trial.

French President Emmanuel Macron stated that France will supply Ukraine with its Mirage fighter planes.

The Labour-Green coalition led by Frans Timmermans is ahead of the extreme right of Geert Wilders in the European elections in the countries. According to the first exit polls, in fact, the pro-European alliance would get 8 seats compared to the 7 assigned to the Party for Freedom (PvP). The first exit polls thus seem to go against the trend compared to the polls on the eve of the elections. For Wilders, who won 0 seats in 2019, this is in any case a clear victory compared to five years ago.

"Israel will comply with its obligations as an occupying power and the decisions of the Security Council, the General Assembly and the International Court of Justice to ensure full and unimpeded access to aid and open all land crossings between Israel and Gaza, as well as ensure safe conditions for the work of international humanitarian teams throughout the Gaza Strip." Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said this while meeting with White House Coordinator for Middle East and North African Affairs Brett McGurk. "Both sides," the Egyptian minister's spokesman reported, "stressed the importance for Israel and Hamas to conclude the agreement as quickly as possible and take serious and concrete steps to ensure a ceasefire in the entire Gaza Strip. Shoukry stressed that "Egypt will continue to intensify its efforts to end the war, stressing the urgent need to bring about a tangible qualitative and quantitative change in the volume of humanitarian aid and relief supplies entering the Gaza Strip, in light of the worsening humanitarian crisis."

"The danger level is very high: Russia has deployed three surface-to-air missile carriers equipped with up to 24 Kalibr missiles in the Black Sea," the Southern Defence Forces said in a statement quoted by Ukrainian media. On the night of 19 May, the missile ship Zyklo, the last cruise missile carrier in Crimea, was hit and sunk in Sevastopol.

The Lebanese Hezbollah announced a short while ago that they had succeeded, for the first time, in repelling an attack by an Israeli jet in southern Lebanon by firing surface-to-air missiles in the direction of the enemy military aircraft that had violated Lebanese airspace. According to the Lebanese media, in contact with the Hezbollah press office, this was the first time that the party fighters fired missiles at Israeli war jets. So far, four times in recent weeks Hezbollah had announced that it had shot down as many Israeli drones: two Hermes 900s and two Hermes 450s. "The distance (to reach the military jets from the ground), their size and speed are different from those of drones," Hezbollah spokesmen quoted by the Lebanese media said. "The missiles fired today are obviously different from those fired at drones."

"In February 2022, Putin has decided to launch a full-scale war. He is in total violation and commits war crimes, he tramples on international law. In fact, Russia has betrayed the message of the Landing,' said French President, Emmanuel Macron, interviewed live on TF1 and France 2 at the end of the celebrations for the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings, the so-called D-Day, which helped to liberate Europe from Nazi-fascism.

''Peace cannot be the capitulation of Ukraine,'' Macron said again. ''Peace must come through negotiation. But this is not the time because Russia continues'' to wage war against Ukraine, continued the French president, who will again receive Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was already present today at the Omaha Beach commemorations, in Paris tomorrow.

"We stand by the Ukrainians. We allow Ukraine to hit targets on those places from which Russian missiles were fired'. But "we forbid hitting civilians with our weapons," the French president said.

The ideals, values and principles for which those who liberated Europe 80 years ago fought "are once again under direct attack on the European continent. Faced with a war of illegitimate aggression, our countries reaffirm their joint adherence to these fundamental values'. This is a passage from the joint declaration signed by the leaders of all 19 countries who commemorated the Normandy landings today.

Emergency power cuts have been introduced in Kiev and 12 regions due to the exceeding of consumption limits, Ukrainian power company Ukrenergo announced on Telegram. The blackouts are in effect in Kiev, Volyn, Donetsk, Zhytomyr, Zakarpattia, Zaporizhzhia, Lviv, Mykolaiv, Kirovohrad, Odessa, Rivne and Kharkiv. Ukrenergo also warned of possible power outages to critical infrastructure. Tomorrow and from next week, there will be power outages throughout the country as a result of the damage caused by Russian bombing.

The United States has demanded ''transparency'' from Israel about the attack on the school run by UNRWA, the UN agency that deals with Palestinian refugees, in the Gaza Strip. This was stated by State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, explaining that the United States expects Israel to be completely transparent in making information about the attack public.

Speaking to mediators for a truce agreement with Israel, the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Yahya Sinwar, is reported to have said that the organisation 'will not disarm and will not sign agreements that require it'. The Wall Street Journal reported this. Sinwar is reported to have reiterated that Hamas will only accept a proposed agreement if Israel commits to a permanent ceasefire.

PNA Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa said he was ''ready to unify'' the Palestinian leadership at the end of the war in the Gaza Strip. ''We are ready, as Palestinians, to assume our responsibilities from the day after'' the end of the Gaza war ''to help restore the unity of the Palestinian people and leadership,'' Mustafa said during a press conference in Baghdad with Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein. ''We must also be well prepared for the creation of a Palestinian state and the responsibilities that this entails,'' he added.

"Each new arms delivery to Ukraine increases the volume of tension". This was stated by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. "The responsibility lies with those countries that initiated" the conflict, he added in an interview with Izvestia.

Boeing's Starliner shuttle approached the International Space Station, but a problem with its engines prevented it from completing the manoeuvre. As a result, the docking time, initially scheduled for 6.15pm Italian time, was postponed between 6.33pm and 7.19pm. The problem initially affected two engines, which were soon recovered, but then problems also occurred with the other two engines. The shuttle was then placed in a parking orbit about 200 metres from the Space Station.

A federal judge has revoked Steve Bannon's bail: Donald Trump's former controversial strategy will have to report to prison on 1 July to begin serving his four-month sentence for contempt of Congress. Federal Judge Carl Nichols agreed with the prosecution in ordering Bannon to turn himself in as the appeals court last month rejected his attempt to overturn the conviction. Bannon was found guilty in 2022 of failing to appear to give evidence to the House Committee of Inquiry on 6 January and failing to give it access to requested documents.

At 17:45 the turnout in the Netherlands was 29%. This is much higher than in the 2019 European elections, when 24% of voters had voted at the same time. This was pointed out by the research company Ipsos. Five years ago, a turnout of just under 42% was recorded at the end of polling day. Polling stations will remain open across the country until 9pm.

'Faced with the return of war to our continent, faced with the calling into question of everything for which (the heroes of the landings, ed.) fought for, to those who would like to move borders or rewrite history, we must be worthy of those who fought here,'' said French President Emmanuel Macron, concluding his speech at Omaha Beach with a salute to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was also present at the D-Day celebrations as French tricolour arrows streaked across the Normandy sky.

- The Biden administration has warned Israel in recent weeks about the possibility that a 'limited war' in Lebanon might push Iran to intervene. Axios reports this, citing Israeli and American sources. The US and France have been trying to find a diplomatic solution to reduce tensions on the border between Israel and Lebanon but have so far been unsuccessful. The Biden administration is convinced that it will be impossible to restore calm on the border between Israel and Lebanon without a ceasefire in Gaza.

"Today we are all children of the landings," said French President Emmanuel Macron during his speech at the 80th anniversary celebrations of the Normandy Landings, the so-called 'D-Day', which helped liberate Europe from Nazi-fascism

Three Palestinians were killed and others wounded in Jenin in the northern West Bank during firefights with the Israeli army. This was reported by the Wafa agency, citing medical sources, according to which the Palestinians were hit "by bullets from the Israeli occupation forces". They are - Wafa added - Ibrahim Taher Muhammad al-Saadi (21), teenager Issa Nafez Jallad (17) and Uday Ayman Mar'i (24). The Israeli media reported that the IDF at the scene surrounded a house and a helicopter was also seen operating.

- Israel allegedly used American bombs in the attack on the Unrwa school in Gaza. This is according to a CNN analysis that identified the fragments of at least two small-diameter GBU-39 bombs. This is the second time in a fortnight that CNN has been able to verify the use of American munitions in Israeli attacks in the Strip.

"When this election is over, and based on what they've done, I would have every right" in the event of re-election to seek revenge" against opponents and "it would be easy," just look at "all the money and criminality" of Joe Biden and his family. Donald Trump said this in an interview with Fox, hinting that he might prosecute Biden on corruption charges.

Sitting in rows, handcuffed and with their eyes covered, they are unable to see the Israeli soldiers guarding them on the other side of the fence: they cannot speak louder than a whisper, and cannot get up or sleep unless authorised. These are the Palestinians from Gaza detained in a military hangar inside Sde Teiman, an Israeli military base in the south of the country that has become synonymous with detainees from the Strip. Describing their conditions is the New York Times to which the Israeli forces gave a brief tour of the facility, where many of those captured in Gaza for initial interrogation have been taken since the beginning of the war. Eight former detainees of Sde Teiman told the newspaper that they were punched and kicked and beaten with batons. One of them reported that his ribs were broken by a knee strike, while another that they were broken after being beaten with a rifle. Seven said they were forced to wear only a nappy during interrogations. Three recalled receiving electric shocks while being interrogated. An investigation by the New York Times, also based on a visit to Sde Teiman, revealed that at least 1,200 Palestinian civilians were detained at the facility without the possibility of making their case before a judge for up to 75 days. The detainees were also denied access to lawyers for up to 90 days and their whereabouts were kept secret from human rights groups and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

"Cynical and obscene": that is how Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin described today's statements by US President Joe Biden that Washington had given Kiev permission to bomb Russian territory with American weapons only "near the border", without endangering Moscow. "Any attempt to violate Russian territory" regardless of the region in which it occurs, "will have an appropriate response, and those who bomb us in this way will bitterly regret it," Galuzin said speaking to Tass.

We need 'an independent investigation' into the attack on the Unrwa school' in Gaza. This is what EU High Representative Josep Borrell writes on X.

- "It is not true". Military spokesman Peter Lerner said this, quoted by the Times of Israel, referring to the news spread by the Houthis that they had launched two joint military operations with the Iraqi Islamic resistance against ships in the Israeli port of Haifa. The same site added that there are no reports of what the Houthis announced

A standing ovation, followed by a very long applause, greeted the entrance of Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife into the structure welcoming authorities, veterans and the public of the most important ceremony for the 80th anniversary of D-Day. The excited Ukrainian president was dressed in a black jumper and smiled at those present before making his way towards the French president, Emmanuel Macron, who greeted him by embracing him.

The Iranian-backed Yemeni Houthi group said it had launched two joint military operations with the Iraqi Islamic Resistance against ships in the Israeli port of Haifa. "The first targeted two ships carrying military equipment in the port of Haifa, while the second targeted a ship violating the ban on entering the port," Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said on TV, as reported by Al Masirah and Israeli websites.

Ukraine announces mandatory evacuations from parts of Donetsk for children and their caregivers. "This is an important decision, especially to save the lives of our children. The security situation in the region is constantly deteriorating and the intensity of shelling is increasing,' regional governor Vadym Filashkin wrote on social media.

Il presidente ucraino Volodymyr Zelenskiy arriva a a Doha, in Qatar

American weapons will not be used to strike Moscow or the Kremlin. Joe Biden said this in an interview with ABC. American weapons to Ukraine "are authorised to be used close to the border. We're not authorising striking 200 miles inside Russia, we're not authorising attacks on Moscow or the Kremlin,' Biden pointed out.

- "Hamas leaders have informed us that they are seriously and positively studying the truce proposal and will provide their response in the coming days." A senior Egyptian source told Egypt's state broadcaster Al Qahera. Egypt invited Hamas leaders to return to Cairo soon to discuss all the details.

On the beaches of Normandy, US President Joe Biden recalled the Allied Landing and the sacrifice of young Americans while also mentioning the war in Ukraine and making an appeal to "not abandon (other countries) in the face of dictators". "Isolationism," Biden said in his speech in Colleville-sur-Mer, "was not the answer 80 years ago and it is not the answer today. Dark forces never go away." Ukraine, he said, 'is overrun by a tyrant' and 'we cannot give up in the face of dictators, it is unimaginable'.

"I welcome the EU's defence efforts but they must be complementary to NATO, not a duplication", this action "must not weaken the NATO concept. Any attempt to weaken the transatlantic bond weakens not only NATO but also Europe. Nato's responsibility for Europe cannot be questioned'. This was said by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaking at the Atlantic Council in Helsinki. 'The EU cannot defend itself alone, the EU has to deal with trade, the environment, the economy,' he added.

At least 45 people died in the attack launched this morning by the Israeli army against a UNRWA school in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the centre of the Gaza Strip. A spokesman for the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry told CNN. The hospital had earlier reported at least 14 children and nine women among the Palestinian refugees killed in the raid.

"Rafael Kauders, a 39-year-old Italian-Israeli reservist in the Israeli army, was killed following an attack by Hezbollah in northern Israel. I have just spoken with the family, active in the Italian community in Israel, to express condolences on behalf of the entire government'. This was announced by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on X.

"The celebration of the Allied landing at Normandy reminds us of the courage and determination shown for the sake of freedom and democracy. The Allies defended the freedom of Europe then, Ukrainians defend the freedom of Europe now. Unity won then, true unity can win now too'. This was written on Telegram by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who arrived in Normandy to attend the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Allied landing.

Kiev claims to have attacked a fuel depot in the Russian region of Belgorod with drones during the night. This was reported by Ukrainian media, according to which the attack was confirmed by the Russian governor of the region Vyacheslav Gladkov. The flames unleashed by the drones 'were subdued after a few hours'.

Wafa, citing medical sources in Ramallah, reported that Palestinian Muhammad Hafez Rafiq Abu Bakr (24) died as a result of wounds inflicted last night 'by Israeli occupation bullets' in the town of Yabad, near Jenin in the West Bank. According to the same source, the man was shot 'in the back near an Unrwa-affiliated school'. The Israeli army - quoted by the media - responded that there were no soldiers operating in the area and that there was no shooting, although 'sounds of explosions' were heard in the area.

Gaza, 6 Jun (Aki) - Fourteen children and nine women are among the victims of the Israeli attack on the Unrwa school in Nuseirat, which killed 40 people. The Gaza government said this in a statement, adding that among the 74 wounded in the attack, 23 are children and 18 are women. Meanwhile, Hamas condemned the IDF raid, calling it a "massacre" and a "premeditated crime".

Israel and Hamas 'accept whatever final compromise is necessary to conclude the agreement' on the ceasefire in exchange for the release of the hostages, 'there is no time to lose, it is time for the war to end'. This is what is said in a joint statement by the leaders of the countries that have their citizens captive in Gaza, in which they say they are "deeply concerned" about the hostages and express "full support" for the plan presented by Joe Biden last week.

"There is no time to lose. We call on Hamas to conclude this agreement, with which Israel is ready to move forward, and to begin the process of freeing our citizens," they urge. "We note that this agreement would lead to an immediate ceasefire and the rehabilitation of Gaza, along with security guarantees for Israelis and Palestinians, and opportunities for a longer-term peace and a two-state solution. "At this decisive moment, we call on the leaders of Israel and Hamas to accept whatever final compromise is necessary to conclude the agreement and bring relief to the families of our hostages, as well as those on both sides of this terrible conflict, including the civilian populations. It is time for the war to end and this agreement is the necessary starting point,' concludes the statement signed by the leaders of the United States, Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, France, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Thailand, and the United Kingdom.

The 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings is being celebrated in the presence of numerous heads of state and government. The commemorations began in the morning with a Franco-British ceremony. King Charles III, Queen Camilla and the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, met Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron at the British memorial in Ver-sur-Mer, in the department of Calvados. The king gave a speech at the end of which the 'Red Arrows', the aerobatic group of the Royal Air Force, flew over the skies of Normandy. Two more ceremonies are planned this morning. One at Courseulles-sur-Mer (Calvados) paid tribute to the Canadian soldiers in the presence of Prince William, the Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, and the French Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal. The third Franco-American ceremony is scheduled at the American cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer. The commemoration, open to the public, will be presided over by President Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron. Eleven American veterans will receive the Legion of Honour. The event will also be attended by American actor Tom Hanks, who played an American soldier during the June 1944 landing in 'Saving Private Ryan', and the film's director, Steven Spielberg.

Militari statunitensi scortano veterani della Seconda Guerra Mondiale in sedia a rotelle mentre arrivano alla cerimonia statunitense per l’80° anniversario dello sbarco alleato in Normandia, presso il Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial di Colleville-sur-Mer, che si affaccia su Omaha Beach, nella Francia nord-occidentale, il 6 giugno 2024 (Foto di SAUL LOEB / AFP)

Israel has not yet had "a formal response" from Hamas on the roadmap for the truce and the release of the hostages. An Israeli official told Kan TV, referring to a Saudi media report that for Hamas, any proposal must include guarantees for an end to the war.

The Israeli army (IDF) says it has ascertained that there were 20-30 Hamas terrorists in the school run by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) that struck overnight in Nuseirat, Gaza Strip. This was reported by an IDF spokesman, Peter Lerner, adding that many of the fighters were killed in the airstrike. The spokesman, Al-Jazeera points out, says he is not aware of any civilian casualties.

Around 80 migrants, including at least three children, were rescued by the British authorities while on board a boat attempting to cross the English Channel. Two Border Force ships and a coastguard helicopter as well as two French ships took part in the rescue operation, which was triggered when the boat started to have serious difficulties at sea. According to the BBC, the operation went smoothly and no casualties were reported. The boat carrying the migrants, which had set off from the French coast, had reached UK waters after being followed by a Paris navy ship, only to run into difficulties. Last month, Home Office figures revealed that more than 7,500 migrants had arrived in the UK in small boats in the first four months of the year, setting a new record for the period.

Kiev's use of missiles from NATO countries in its bombing of Russia 'will not go without consequences' for the West. This was stated by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, calling President Vladimir Putin's statement yesterday on Moscow's asymmetrical response, which will provide missiles to third parties to hit "sensitive targets" of NATO countries, "very important". But "obviously" Russia does not specify to whom these missiles will be given, Peskov added, quoted by Russian agencies.

"Allies can show their support for Ukraine in different ways. Nato has no intention of deploying forces in Ukraine, we are focusing on how we can establish a stronger support framework with an institutionalised aid system". This was said by Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaking at a press conference in Helsinki together with the Finnish President, Alexander Stubb, and responding to a question on the possibility expressed by French President Macron of sending instructors to Kiev. "Finland has no intention of deploying troops in Ukraine," Stubb added for his part.

Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama and Somalia will gain a seat on the UN Security Council after a secret ballot at the General Assembly today. The 193-member world body will vote to elect five countries for a two-year term on the Council. The 10 non-permanent seats on the 15-member Council are allocated to regional groups that usually choose their own candidates, but sometimes cannot agree. This year, there should be no surprises. In fact, the regional groups proposed Somalia for an African seat, Pakistan for an Asia-Pacific seat, Panama for a Latin American and Caribbean seat, and Denmark and Greece for two predominantly Western seats.

"The government of Spain joins the trial opened by the International Court of Justice in The Hague initiated by South Africa against Israel" for the genocide allegations in Gaza. This was announced by Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares in statements to the media.

"We have been pondering this for weeks," said Foreign Minister Albares in connection with the joining of the complaint filed by South Africa from which the trial initiated by the International Court of Justice in The Hague, for alleged genocide and violation of international humanitarian law in Gaza, is based. "Our only goal is to end the war. We observe with enormous concern the 'extension of the conflict in the region,' said Albares, who did not clarify whether Spain considers the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip a 'genocide'. "We join the process for engagement with international law, to strengthen the UN and to support the role of the ICC. Spain does not rule on the crime,' said Albares, 'we participate in the complaint by supporting the court,' he added. Madrid's recognition of the State of Palestine, formalised on 29 May together with Ireland and Norway, a step later also taken by Slovenia, has aggravated the diplomatic crisis with Israel. Netanyahu's government has restricted the activities of the Spanish consulate general in Jerusalem, banning assistance to Palestinians . On Monday, Albares insisted that Israel must respect Spain's diplomatic missions and repeated that Spain, together with Norway and Ireland, would give a 'coordinated response' to Israeli pressure.

A spy working for the Israeli Mossad agency was arrested in Iran, in the northwestern province of Ardabil. The man was wanted by the Ministry of Intelligence in Tehran and was arrested yesterday during a surprise operation. This was reported by the state-run Irna news agency. The Mossad agent had moved around various Iranian provinces with the intention of going into hiding and with the ultimate goal of leaving the country. According to the Prosecutor's Office, the agent was in contact with senior Mossad officers through one of the social networks and collected information for them from inside the country under the pretext of carrying out editorial work. The arrested spy is from southern Iran.

Hungary places two conditions on the appointment of outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as NATO chief: greater respect for Budapest and an agreement on a possible Hungarian opt-out from Alliance military operations in Ukraine. In an interview with the Mandiner newspaper, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said he had 'two demands' on Rutte: the first is 'a matter of honour', the other is 'a claim of military policy'. Orban recalled Rutte's statements against Hungary, claiming that they 'make it difficult for him to get our support'. "He has to do something about this situation, he is asking for Hungary's trust for such a position, so he is expected to come forward and say something about it," he explained. "As we said when the Swedes joined Nato, Hungary must be respected more," he added. As for the second demand, the premier said Hungary could not support a Nato secretary-general in favour of mandatory participation of all member states in military operations outside the alliance's territory. "We would like to conclude an agreement with the future Secretary General that we will not participate in Nato operations against the Russians in Ukraine, even though we are members," he explained.

"Intense hostilities have severely crippled health care in Rafah, where tens of thousands of vulnerable people remain. Imc Worldwide has relocated its 160-bed field hospital from Rafah Al-Mawasi to its existing facility in Deir al Balah. Only the Rafah Al-Mawasi field hospital remains fully functional, while the Rafah city field hospital in the UAE is currently the only facility in the area providing health services but is increasingly difficult to reach due to hostilities'. World Health Organisation Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote this on X. "Insecurity and the continued closure of the Rafah crossing," he added, "continue to undermine our ability to get supplies and personnel in and around Gaza to keep health services - a lifeline for the people of Gaza - functioning. We call for a ceasefire. We call for safety for all patients and health workers. We demand protection for all civilians. We demand the opening of the Rafah crossing."

Il fumo si alza su Rafah dopo un attacco aereo condotto dall’esercito di Israele (EPA/HAITHAM IMAD)

Hamas rejected the Israeli proposal for an agreement on the release of hostages and the implementation of a cease-fire. This was reported by the Israeli broadcaster Kan. Hamas claims that the proposal put forward by Israel is 'fundamentally different from the one presented by US President Joe Biden, and guarantees nothing more than a temporary ceasefire'.

The death toll from last night's Israeli attack on a UNRWA school housing displaced persons in Nuseirat, in the central Gaza Strip, which the Israeli military said was used as a shelter by Hamas, has risen to 37, according to hospital sources in Gaza. The Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Hospital in Deir al Balah announced that it had received "37 martyrs" since the attack on the Unrwa school, thus updating an earlier death toll released by the Hamas press office that indicated 27 dead.

The WHO in a note confirmed the death of a man in Mexico from human infection with the avian influenza A (H5N2) virus. This is the first case in the world. The deceased is a 59-year-old man suffering from a number of illnesses. The case had been reported by the Mexican authorities on 23 May. Based on the available information, the WHO assesses the current risk to the general population posed by this virus as 'low'.

(REUTERS)

More legal trouble for Vietnam's billionaire businesswoman Truong My Lan for alleged money laundering, almost two months after she was sentenced to death in a $12 billion fraud case, according to reports in the Tuoi Tre newspaper. According to police, Lan, along with 33 other people, is expected to be prosecuted for allegedly embezzling assets, money laundering and illegal cross-border currency transportation related to the real estate company Van Thinh Phat Holdings Group and the Saigon Commercial Bank, or SCB, the newspaper reported, citing information from the Ministry of Public Security.

La miliardaria vietnamita Truong My Lan, già condannata a morte per corruzione, nei guai anche per appropriazione indebita (AFP)

Russian air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 19 Ukrainian drones over Crimea and the Belgorod region and a Neptune anti-ship missile over the Rostov region overnight. This was reported by the Russian Defence Ministry.

Russia has lost 515,000 soldiers in Ukraine since the beginning of the war on 24 February 2022. This was reported by the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. This number includes 1,300 casualties suffered by Russian forces in the last day. According to the report, Russia also lost 7,828 tanks, 15,076 armoured fighting vehicles, 18,360 vehicles and fuel tanks, 13,433 artillery systems, 1,095 multiple-launch rocket systems, 831 air defence systems, 357 aircraft, 326 helicopters, 10,846 drones, 27 boats and one submarine.

China has condemned the 'political theatre' of foreign consulates in Hong Kong on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown, after several diplomats were seen on 4 June evening near Victoria Park, the site of commemorative vigils held for more than 30 years in memory of the bloody events of 1989. The Chinese Foreign Ministry's office in the former colony expressed 'strong opposition' against the US, British and EU consulates accused of 'creating division, inciting conflict and maliciously defaming China's image'.

Manifestazioni per la «liberazione» di Hong Kong (REUTERS)

The Israeli army announced that it had eliminated in an exchange of fire "three terrorists who had approached" the security zone in the Rafah area. The military spokesman made this known, adding that soldiers working in the area had "identified several suspects who were approaching the border in an attempt to cross the security zone". Two of them, the spokesman explained, were "killed by an IDF aircraft" while another "was eliminated by artillery". A fourth may have managed to return to Gaza, but none of them - the spokesman concluded - "managed to cross the fence built along the Strip".

(REUTERS)

At the Hamas site attacked in Nuseirat inside an Unrwa school "terrorists from Hamas and Islamic Jihad who belonged to the Nukhba Force and took part in the murderous attack of 7 October on Israeli communities" were operating. The IDF military spokesman said this, adding that "the terrorists had directed terror from the area of the school while using it as a shelter". Prior to the attack, the source added, "steps were taken to reduce the risk of harming uninvolved civilians, including aerial surveillance and other intelligence information".

Pro-marriage campaign in Japan, with direct intervention by Tokyo City Hall. Called 'Tokyo Futari Story', the City Hall's new website aims to create couples (in Japanese 'futari') in a country where it is increasingly common to be 'hitori', or lonely. A mobile application is being developed, with the hope of offering it within the year, a City Hall official said Thursday. Marriage is on the decline in Japan, where the birth rate has been nosediving for years. Details of the campaign have yet to be finalised. The municipality declined to comment on Japanese media reports that confirmation of identity and tax records will be required. Japan is trying to solve the severe labour shortage by providing more financial incentives to young families and relaxing immigration policies to attract foreign workers.

La campagna del Municipio di Tokyo per le coppie

The Colombian Ministry of Trade is recommending restrictions on coal sales to Israel, Bloomberg News reports, citing an internal document and a person with direct knowledge of the matter. The ministry is reportedly seeking to impose limits on coal shipments by a committee on tariffs and foreign trade.

A group of South Korean activists flew large balloons carrying propaganda leaflets towards North Korea, which in response threatened to send more balloons with manure and rubbish across the border. The launches are exacerbating animosities, with South Korea suspending an agreement to ease tensions with Pyongyang and preparing to resume frontline military activities. North Korea had stopped the flights of the rubbish balloons, but threatened to resume them if South Korean activists sent leaflets again.

Un volantino di propaganda anti Kim (AFP)

The Netherlands is preparing to kick off the dance of the 2024 European elections. This morning at 7.30 a.m., the Dutch polling stations will be the first to open in the EU, inaugurating an electoral session that in four days will bring more than 370 million voters from Lisbon to Tallinn to the polls.

Bandiere europee sventolano all’Aia: l’Oland è il primo Paese Ue a votare per le Europee (AFP)

Russian forces launched 18 kamikaze drones against Ukraine overnight, 17 of which were shot down by Kiev's air defences, the Ukrainian Air Force announced on Telegram. The Russians, it added, also launched two Iskander-M ballistic missiles over the Dnipropetrovsk region. The downed drones were intercepted in the Mykolaiv, Kherson, Zaporizhizha and Khmelnytsky regions.

Forze speciali ucraine a lavoro sul fronte con la Russia (REUTERS)

The press office of the Hamas-run Gaza government announced that at least 27 people were killed and dozens injured in last night's Israeli attack on a UNRWA school housing displaced persons in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip, the Reuters news agency reported on its website. Ismail Al-Thawabta, director of the press office, rejected Israel's claims that there was a Hamas command post in the UNRWA school in Nuseirat. The Hamas press office accused Israel of committing a 'horrific massacre', reports the BBC.

World leaders are arriving in Normandy for the ceremonies of the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the Allied landing on 6 June 1944 to liberate Europe from the Nazis. US President Joe Biden will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Support for Kiev amid celebrations and state visits from Macron. In Omaha Beach also Mattarella, Scholz and King Charles.

"We are ready for very strong action in the north. One way or another we will restore security," says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "An agreement only with the end of the war and the withdrawal of the army," Hamas leader Haniyeh says meanwhile, emphasising that only "then will we seriously and positively negotiate the understanding."

"We could provide missiles that hit Nato countries in response to Western weapons attacks against Russia." The delivery of Western weapons to Ukraine is a 'very dangerous step'. Russian President Vladimir Putin said this in an exclusive interview with some of the leading international agencies, stressing however that it is 'crazy' to think that Moscow wants to attack NATO: 'Who came up with this? It is nonsense, nonsense." "Look at our potential and Nato's potential," he added, concluding that "Russia has no imperial ambitions". Responding to a question from Ansa, he said: 'We see that Italy's position (towards Russia) is more restrained than other European countries and we take that into consideration. We hope that when the situation regarding Ukraine begins to stabilise, we will be able to re-establish relations with Italy perhaps even faster than with some other countries'. And after warning that there is no Russian disinformation on the US elections and that Moscow attaches no importance to who will win the elections in the US, Putin again raised the spectre of nuclear power: 'All means are at our disposal to defend our integrity.