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  • Ukrainian drone strike kills 1 in southern Russia and triggers fire at sea terminal

    Ukrainian drone strike kills 1 in southern Russia and triggers fire at sea terminal

    As the long-stagnant front line of the Russia-Ukraine war continues to lock both sides into costly positional conflict, Kyiv has intensified its cross-border long-range strike campaign targeting Russian military and energy infrastructure deep behind enemy lines. The latest incident unfolded Saturday in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region, where local officials confirmed a Ukrainian drone strike left one civilian dead and three others injured.

    Krasnodar Governor Veniamin Kondratyev reported that falling drone debris ignited a blaze at a coastal terminal facility. While the governor did not release specific details about the site’s function, Russian independent news outlets confirmed the damaged terminal is located in the village of Volna, a key Black Sea hub that handles exports of crude oil, petroleum products and liquefied natural gas.

    Ukraine’s General Staff has not issued an official confirmation or comment on the Krasnodar strike, but the military body did acknowledge overnight long-range operations targeting multiple sites. It confirmed successful strikes on an oil processing and pumping station in Russia’s Volgograd region, in addition to military targets in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk and southern Zaporizhzhia regions.

    The weekend strike marks the latest progression of Kyiv’s expanding deep-strike strategy, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly acknowledged earlier this week. Zelenskyy announced Wednesday that Ukrainian forces had used domestically produced FP-5 Flamingo long-range missiles to hit a key military manufacturing facility in Cheboksary, located in Russia’s Chuvashiya region more than 900 kilometers from the active front line. The facility, Zelenskyy noted, produces critical components for Russian attack drones and cruise missiles used in regular strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure.

    More than four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the roughly 1,000-kilometer front line has remained largely static. Dense drone usage from both sides has effectively repelled large-scale ground advances, leading both militaries to shift increasingly to long-range strike operations to disrupt the opponent’s logistics, supply chains and critical infrastructure.

    The latest wave of Ukrainian strikes comes just one week after high-profile attacks that damaged an oil terminal in St. Petersburg and struck a nearby Russian naval base. Those attacks occurred during a major Kremlin-hosted economic forum in Putin’s hometown, creating an embarrassing public setback for the Russian leader. In response, Putin publicly pledged to bolster Russia’s nationwide air defense network to intercept more incoming long-range weapons and drones.

    The escalation of cross-border attacks was not limited to Ukraine on Saturday: Ukrainian regional authorities reported that Russian strikes targeting the southern Dnipropetrovsk region left nine people injured. Regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha wrote in a Telegram post that Russian forces launched more than 20 separate attacks across three districts of the region, using both attack drones and aerial bombs. The strikes ignited a large fire at a local public marketplace, and six of the injured people were hospitalized for treatment, including one man in critical condition, Hanzha added.

    The Associated Press continues to provide ongoing full coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war, with additional reporting available at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine.

  • AP Was There: 1975 summit at French castle plants seed for future G7 club of wealthy nations

    AP Was There: 1975 summit at French castle plants seed for future G7 club of wealthy nations

    Fifty years after the first gathering of top Western industrial leaders that laid the foundation for one of the world’s most influential global policy blocs, the upcoming G7 summit in France has drawn fresh attention to the historic 1975 meeting that started it all. On November 15, 1975, U.S. President Gerald Ford joined the heads of government from France, West Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Japan for three days of closed-door economic brainstorming at the Château de Rambouillet, a sprawling 14th-century royal retreat 30 miles outside Paris. That initial gathering of six nations would expand one year later with the addition of Canada, giving rise to the Group of Seven, a bloc that would shape global economic, diplomatic and security policy through the Cold War and beyond. To mark the upcoming 2024 summit, the Associated Press is republishing key excerpts of its original on-the-ground reporting from the 1975 inaugural summit, filed by veteran correspondent Arthur L. Gavshon.

    Opening the first session of the summit against the backdrop of Rambouillet’s gilded royal history—where Louis XV once relaxed and Napoleon Bonaparte spent his final night in France before exile to Saint Helena—President Ford laid out an ambitious goal for the assembled leaders: pull the global economy out of a crippling mid-1970s slump and return to full prosperity by 1977. A senior presidential aide told reporters that Ford categorically rejected the growing narrative that major industrial economies could never return to the pre-recession growth rates that had defined the post-war decades. He added that the U.S. economic recovery was already outpacing early forecasts, projecting that American growth would hit between 6% and 7% through 1976.

    After nearly three hours of open, informal talks, the leaders adjourned for dinner, and host French President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing offered an early optimistic assessment to waiting reporters. “I am optimistic. I think we can arrive at something concrete,” he said. A French presidential spokesperson echoed that positivity, noting that the leaders had already achieved a “remarkable convergence of views” on core challenges. Senior British officials signaled a growing consensus among attendees that the worst of the global downturn had already passed, while U.S. Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger echoed the upbeat tone, telling reporters the first day of talks “went very well.”

    True to the French government’s deliberate low-key framing of the event as a working seminar rather than a lavish state occasion, the opening night dinner was intentionally simple, a stark departure from the opulent banquets that usually mark high-level French state events. Stuffed chicken served with solid but unexceptional French wine was the featured main course, a deliberate choice aligned with the gathering’s focus on practical problem-solving over pomp. Even the attire of the participating leaders reflected this casual working tone: Giscard d’Estaing wore a soft greenish tweed weekend suit, West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt opted for a casual light gray suit, and only Ford dressed in more formal attire—a dark blue three-piece suit paired with a white shirt.

    The event’s organizers pulled out all stops to prepare the historic chateau for the high-profile gathering, hauling priceless art, furniture and statuary from the Louvre Museum in Paris to restore the chateau’s stately rooms, with moving crews working into the early hours of Saturday morning to finish setup. More than 3,000 armed French police officers were deployed across the chateau’s hundreds of acres of wooded grounds and manicured gardens to secure the meeting. Each leader was assigned a custom-furnished private apartment in the chateau: Ford took the top suite in the Francois I tower, the chateau’s most comfortable quarters, outfitted with a Spanish-made bed, a working fireplace and a direct hotline to the White House. Harold Wilson of the UK received a mahogany-and-satin suite overlooking the garden ponds, Takeo Miki of Japan took a wood-beamed apartment with period Louis XVI furniture, Helmut Schmidt stayed in a Directoire-style suite, and Aldo Moro of Italy was assigned rooms decorated in Empire-era furnishings.

    A number of key priorities emerged from the first day of discussions. Japanese Prime Minister Takeo Miki, who opened his remarks by noting that Japan’s export-reliant economy had been hit particularly hard by collapsing global trade, immediately pushed the group to prioritize commitments to expand and liberalize cross-border international commerce. British Prime Minister Harold Wilson, working through senior aides, called on fellow leaders to back a new, strengthened global non-proliferation framework to slow the spread of sensitive nuclear technology, equipment and weapons. On the second day of the summit, Ford was set to join Giscard d’Estaing and Moro for a religious service at the local Roman Catholic church in the nearby village of Poigny la Forêt, a short 10-minute drive from the chateau.

    Unlike large multilateral summits that target binding final agreements, the 1975 Rambouillet gathering was framed from the start as a collaborative working retreat, where leaders would not reach firm final decisions but instead align on shared policy directions to tackle the era’s most pressing economic challenges: double-digit inflation, rising unemployment, and shrinking global trade. White House Press Secretary Ron Nessen told reporters aboard Ford’s transatlantic flight to the summit that the meeting could ultimately deliver tangible benefits to American consumers, noting that the president had always framed the gathering through the lens of practical impacts for everyday households.

    Four core policy domains anchored the talks, each highlighting deep shared interests and occasional disagreements between the six nations. The first was long-running Franco-American tensions over reform of the global monetary system: French officials opposed the existing regime of floating exchange rates and pushed for a return to a more rigid fixed-rate system, while the U.S. and UK favored retaining the flexibility of floating rates. Second, leaders aligned around the need for a coordinated common energy policy, with Ford earning broad backing for his argument that industrial democracies could not allow their economic and political futures to be held hostage by oil-producing nations, calling for rapid joint development of new energy supply sources and collective conservation programs. Third, the group discussed the broader global economic outlook and coordinated strategies to curb inflation, which was already eroding political stability in dozens of countries. Finally, leaders debated how to structure more cooperative relationships between three tiers of the global economy: advanced Western industrial nations, newly wealthy oil and raw material exporting states, and the world’s lowest-income developing countries.

    Over the decades since that 1975 retreat, the G7 has grown into one of the world’s most consequential global forums, with rotating annual hostings that consistently draw global headlines thanks to the bloc’s combined economic, industrial, military and diplomatic weight.

  • AP exclusive: Doctors Without Borders report found cases of abuse and exploitation by staff in Chad

    AP exclusive: Doctors Without Borders report found cases of abuse and exploitation by staff in Chad

    A confidential internal investigation from global humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has uncovered a widespread pattern of sexual abuse and exploitation targeting vulnerable displaced populations on the Chad-Sudan border, exposing deep systemic failures in the group’s safeguards against misconduct in crisis settings. The 59 verified and alleged abuses, first brought to public attention by Associated Press investigative reporting, include exploitation of underage girls, transactional sex for food and work, and even indicators of potential organized trafficking among both local and international MSF staff.

  • Paramount Skydance merger with Warner Bros. Discovery won’t harm competition, consumers, DOJ says

    Paramount Skydance merger with Warner Bros. Discovery won’t harm competition, consumers, DOJ says

    The U.S. Department of Justice has closed its antitrust investigation into Paramount Skydance’s proposed $81 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, announcing Friday that the blockbuster Hollywood media consolidation will not harm industry competition or harm consumer interests — a major win for the deal’s backers that still leaves the merger facing ongoing regulatory checks across the U.S. and around the globe.

    DOJ’s Antitrust Division concluded its probe with a final finding that the union will actually strengthen competition across the broader media and entertainment ecosystem, delivering tangible benefits for both U.S. consumers and industry workers. The planned combination was first announced in late February, after months of tense negotiations that saw Paramount Skydance outcompete a rival bid from streaming giant Netflix to secure the deal. The transaction follows Skydance’s acquisition of Paramount last year, bringing two of Hollywood’s biggest studio brands under single ownership.

    Executives behind the merger have long argued that combining the two companies will unlock sustainable industry growth, expand consumer access to premium content, and create a stronger market player by merging the extensive content libraries of HBO Max and Paramount+ to compete with larger streaming incumbents. But the proposal has drawn fierce pushback from across the industry and political sphere: thousands of actors, directors, writers and other entertainment professionals signed an open letter voicing unequivocal opposition, warning that further consolidation in a market already dominated by a handful of major players will trigger mass layoffs, reduce creative options for filmmakers, and limit content choices for audiences. Multiple lawmakers have also raised concerns about the deal’s anticompetitive risks.

    In its assessment, DOJ regulators closely examined the merger’s potential impact on multiple key market segments, starting with consumer video streaming. The agency found the combined entity would actually boost competition by offering a more robust, viable alternative to the sector’s largest existing streaming platforms. Regulators also addressed the role of social video platforms including YouTube and TikTok, noting that while these services compete for general consumer attention, they do not qualify as direct competitive substitutes for premium streaming services under long-standing antitrust legal precedents.

    The review also found no credible risk of reduced competition in linear television, pointing to the crowded, highly competitive market for live programming that would remain intact post-merger. For theatrical film production and distribution, regulators concluded that combining the two major studio operations would not weaken competition in development, production or theatrical distribution. Instead, the department found existing industry competition is already extensive, has driven increased output and greater diversity in film offerings, and this dynamic will remain unchanged after the merger.

    Despite the DOJ’s approval, the merger is far from cleared to close. California Attorney General Rob Bonta has publicly confirmed his state is conducting its own independent investigation into the transaction. Internationally, both European Union and U.K. regulators have launched their own probes: the European Commission has set a tentative July 7 deadline for its review, while the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority aims to issue an initial decision by early August.

    Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison has sought to ease concerns, promising to operate Paramount and Warner Bros. as separate standalone movie studios and committing to release 30 theatrical films annually from the combined entity. Company leadership has also acknowledged that the merger will lead to significant job cuts to eliminate overlapping roles and operational duplication.

    The two companies have targeted the third quarter of this year to complete the acquisition, and the timeline is already winding down. Per the merger agreement, Paramount will be required to pay shareholders a 25-cent per share “ticking fee” every quarter if the deal fails to close by September 30. The agreement also includes a $7 billion termination fee that would be paid if regulators ultimately block the transaction.

  • The college scam that promised students fleeing war a new life in Finland

    The college scam that promised students fleeing war a new life in Finland

    For thousands of young Burmese displaced by the 2021 military coup, a vocational education spot in Finland represented far more than just a degree — it was a lifeline out of conflict, poverty, and uncertainty. But for hundreds of these aspiring students, that dream has collapsed into financial ruin and exploitation, at the center of what Finnish law enforcement calls one of the largest education fraud schemes they have ever investigated.

    The story begins with the upheaval that shattered education across Myanmar after the military seized power in February 2021. Thousands of educators abandoned their posts, and pro-democracy students refused to enroll in institutions controlled by the junta. Many young people, including 19-year-old Ma Naw Phaw, fled to refugee settlements along the Thai-Myanmar border, where they scrambled to access alternative schooling in towns like Mae Sot. It was there that Ma Naw Phaw first encountered Brighter Future Way (BFW), an education recruitment agency that promised Burmese students access to vocational programs across Finland, complete with guaranteed residence permits and a clear path to stable employment that would let them support their families.

    For Ma Naw Phaw, the opportunity felt too good to miss. “It didn’t matter what I studied,” she recalled. “I just knew I needed a degree to find a good job and earn a decent wage to lift my family out of hardship.” Like dozens of other students, she began preparing for the move, taking Finnish language courses organized by BFW and working to raise the exorbitant fees the agency charged. The 10,000 euros ($11,500) BFW demanded for language training, visa processing, and vocational school placement was a catastrophic sum for her family: it took nearly a year of sacrifice to raise, and her mother ultimately sold two plots of family farmland to cover the cost. But the investment felt worth it for a future in what agencies marketed as the “world’s happiest country,” where once students secured a study residence permit, their entire families could eventually join them.

    This marketing pitch grew increasingly powerful after Western nations including the United States and United Kingdom tightened visa rules for Burmese nationals following the 2021 coup, over concerns that student visas were being used to claim refugee status. Finland, by contrast, was positioned as a welcoming, accessible alternative, with agencies touting easy visa approval, free high-quality education, and the ability to work while studying to cover living costs. BFW, which advertised itself as a specialist service supporting Burmese students seeking to study, work, and live abroad, even had registered offices in Myanmar, Thailand, and Finland, giving it an air of legitimacy that convinced hundreds of vulnerable young people to sign up.

    But the promise quickly unraveled for most students. By April of this year, Ma Naw Phaw’s application for a Finnish residence permit was rejected — a outcome BFW had repeatedly insisted would never happen. When she reached out to BFW to demand a refund, the agency went silent. Within weeks, she learned that BFW founder Min Min Soe Shwe had been arrested by Finnish authorities, and her entire life savings were gone.

    Interviews with six affected students, a Finnish vocational institution, and BFW’s Thailand-based co-founder Phitak Pakay confirm that BFW is the agency at the center of the large-scale investigation launched by Finland’s Border Guard. The probe covers activity between 2022 and 2025, during which BFW offered placement services to roughly 350 Burmese students. Investigators suspect the scheme operated under false pretenses: the agency charged exorbitant, hidden fees for services it never delivered, leaving hundreds of students and their families deep in debt.

    Juho Sillanpää, the lead investigator on the case, told the BBC that the scam has left hundreds of students in extremely vulnerable positions, putting them at high risk of further financial or personal exploitation. While Sillanpää noted that Finnish law enforcement has investigated multiple education agent fraud cases over the years, most have been far smaller in scale. He added that the alleged conduct could amount to aggravated extortion, though he declined to name the organization or individuals under investigation publicly.

    Students who fell victim to the scheme describe a pattern of deception from the start. Ma Naw Phaw told reporters that after paying thousands of euros for Finnish language training, she arrived at BFW’s Mae Sat facility to find no qualified teachers at all — students were forced to teach one another. When she asked to withdraw after a few months, BFW representatives told her no refunds would be issued under any circumstances.

    For 21-year-old Ko Myint, the outcome has been even bleaker. His parents emptied their entire life savings and borrowed thousands of dollars from relatives to pay BFW’s 8,000 euro fee, while working as low-wage migrants at a Thai food factory earning just $305 a month. After Ko Myint already paid the lump sum, BFW suddenly demanded an extra 3,500 baht per month in accommodation fees that were never disclosed upfront. When he could not pay, he was dropped from the program despite already receiving an offer to study nursing in Helsinki. “They told me not a single baht of my money was left, but I never even got a visa,” he said. “I don’t understand how all the money could be gone.” Today, Ko Myint works back-to-back day and night shifts at the factory to pay off his family’s debt, and he faced harassment and intimidation after speaking out about his experience on social media.

    Only a tiny number of students recruited by BFW actually made it to Finland to complete their programs. One of the few, 26-year-old Ko Myo, told reporters he was allowed to defer his fees until after he graduated and found work as a nursing home employee — a flexible arrangement none of the other interviewed students received.

    Finnish vocational college EduSavo Oy had planned to accept its first cohort of BFW-recruited students in autumn 2025, but the partnership collapsed in May when BFW failed to deliver required tuition payments, just as news of the investigation broke. “We received information regarding the ongoing police investigation and information indicating that BFW was currently unable to complete the payment,” EduSavo CEO Mira Repo told the BBC. “My understanding is that Min Min Soe Shwe was detained by Finnish authorities.”

    BFW co-founder Phitak Pakay, based in Thailand, told reporters that the organization has lost all contact with Min Min Soe Shwe and will wind down operations imminently, as no students remain in BFW-provided accommodation. The BBC has reached out to Min Min Soe Shwe’s legal representation and family, both of whom declined to comment for this report.

    For surviving victims like Ma Naw Phaw, the aftermath of the scam has left deep personal and financial scars. She has relocated to another city in Thailand, too ashamed to return to her family’s home in Myanmar, and the loss of the farmland strained her relationship with her mother — who only came to understand they had been scammed after news of Min Min Soe Shwe’s arrest broke.

    Finland’s Ministry of Education says it is not directly involved in the criminal investigation, but has expressed deep concern over the alleged violations. While third-party education agents like BFW have become common for international student recruitment worldwide, including in Finland, the ministry noted that new regulations set to take effect in August will eliminate the need for intermediaries: starting this year, all international students will be able to apply directly to Finnish vocational schools, cutting out predatory middlemen that exploit vulnerable applicants. Despite the forthcoming regulatory change, the hundreds of Burmese students caught in BFW’s scheme face a long, uncertain road to recover their lost savings and rebuild their shattered futures.

  • Spain back at full strength ahead of its World Cup opener against Cape Verde

    Spain back at full strength ahead of its World Cup opener against Cape Verde

    As the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage approaches, Spain has received a major boost ahead of its opening matchup against Cape Verde: every member of the national squad has cleared fitness checks and will be available for selection, after a string of pre-tournament injuries threatened to derail the team’s preparations.

    Three of Spain’s high-profile attacking players have all returned to full training in time for the tournament, with forward Víctor Muñoz rejoining group sessions on Friday. His comeback comes one day after young star wingers Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams also stepped back onto the training pitch. The Spanish side has navigated a wave of injury issues through the closing weeks of the 2025-26 club season, forcing coaching staff to adjust their training and recovery plans in the lead-up to soccer’s marquee global tournament. Midfielders Mikel Merino and Fabián Ruiz also overcame minor injury setbacks to secure their spots in the final roster, though one casualty remains: Barcelona midfield prospect Fermín López, who suffered a fractured foot and was unable to recover in time to make the squad.

    The most high-profile injury concern surrounded 18-year-old Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal, who damaged his left hamstring during a La Liga fixture in April. The teenage winger, who has already established himself as one of the most exciting talents in global soccer, is expected to be a core playmaker for Spain as the side chases its second ever World Cup title. Spain’s only World Cup triumph came in South Africa in 2010, the same year Yamal was born.

    Nico Williams, the Athletic Bilbao winger, also suffered a hamstring injury during his final club match of the season in May. Both Williams and Yamal were sidelined for the remainder of their domestic campaigns, allowing them to dedicate full time to structured rehabilitation to make it to the World Cup. Muñoz, the Osasuna forward, picked up a muscle injury in May during club play, and has now also completed his recovery program.

    While the entire squad is technically available for selection, Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente is not expected to start the three recently recovered players in Monday’s opening match against Cape Verde, hosted in Atlanta. The trio is instead on track to reach peak full fitness in time for Spain’s second group stage fixture against Saudi Arabia, which will also be held in Atlanta on June 21. Spain will close out its group stage play against South American powerhouse Uruguay on June 26 in Guadalajara, Mexico, the host city where the squad is currently based after earlier pre-tournament training sessions in Tennessee.

    Spain enters this World Cup on the back of a strong run of international form in recent years, following a disappointing 2022 tournament where the side was knocked out in the round of 16 by Morocco. Since that exit, the team claimed the 2024 European Championship title in Germany and won the 2023 UEFA Nations League, finishing as runners-up to Portugal in the 2025 edition of the tournament. Despite this recent success, Spain has not advanced past the round of 16 stage of the World Cup since its historic 2010 title win, making this tournament a key opportunity for the young, talented squad to end that drought.

  • King Charles appoints actor Helen Mirren to a select group in his birthday honors list

    King Charles appoints actor Helen Mirren to a select group in his birthday honors list

    LONDON – Acclaimed British actor Helen Mirren, 80, has been appointed a Companion of Honour by King Charles III as part of the monarch’s 2026 birthday honors, a distinction reserved for only 65 living recipients at any time for extraordinary long-term contributions to British national life. One of the highest honors bestowed by the British Crown across the United Kingdom and Commonwealth, the Companion of Honour places Mirren in an exclusive circle that already includes prominent figures such as legendary environmental broadcaster David Attenborough, celebrated Canadian author Margaret Atwood, and former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Mirren’s appointment stands as one of the most high-profile recognitions in the annual mid-year honors, a twice-yearly tradition – held each New Year and June to mark the ruling monarch’s official birthday – that honors extraordinary contributions from celebrities, public figures and ordinary members of the public alike. Nearly 1,200 recipients are recognized in the 2026 birthday round of honors. Mirren’s latest honor specifically recognizes her decades of outstanding service to drama. A decorated veteran of stage and screen, she has long been a leading advocate for equal representation and opportunity for female actors, building her career starting in the 1960s with classical roles at the National Youth Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Company before breaking into film. Her early iconic big screen credits include *The Long Good Friday*, *Excalibur*, and *The Madness of King George*, and she captivated British television audiences for seven seasons as the sharp, trailblazing Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison in the landmark series *Prime Suspect*. The career highlight that cemented her global stardom came in 2007, when she won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her searing portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in *The Queen*, a drama exploring the British royal family’s response to the 1997 death of Diana, Princess of Wales. First established in 1917 by King George V, the Companion of Honour was created to recognize major sustained contributions to the arts, sciences, medicine, or government. Membership is held for life, with new appointments only made when existing members pass away. Mirren fills the vacancy created by the recent death of David Hockney, one of the most influential British artists of the 20th century, with the next potential new appointment expected at the 2027 New Year honors. Beyond Mirren’s historic appointment, the 2026 birthday honors recognized a wide range of achievement across sectors. Beloved children’s author Julia Donaldson, whose total global book sales have surpassed 50 million copies to make her the top-selling author of all time in the UK, outranking *Harry Potter* creator J.K. Rowling, was appointed a dame – the highest female equivalent of a knighthood, an honor Mirren herself received in 2003. “Receiving this honor has been a very happy surprise,” said the 77-year-old author of *The Gruffalo* and *The Highway Rat*. “It’s really gratifying to have children’s books recognized in this way.” The sports world also saw multiple prominent honorees. Rugby league legend Kevin Sinfield was knighted for his decorated playing career and groundbreaking fundraising work for motor neuron disease (MND) research and family support. Since his close friend and former teammate Rob Burrow died from the neurological disorder in 2024, Sinfield has raised more than £11 million (nearly $15 million USD) to back the cause. Two-time Ryder Cup-winning captain Luke Donald was awarded an Order of the British Empire, as he prepares to make history next year when he leads Team Europe against the United States in Ireland, aiming to become the first captain ever to secure three consecutive Ryder Cup victories. Chloe Kelly, who scored the match-winning penalty for England’s women’s national football team at Euro 2025, was appointed a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire alongside six of her Euro-winning teammates. In the arts, Black Sabbath founding guitarist Tony Iommi received honors for his contributions to music and charity, coming just under a year after the death of the band’s iconic frontman Ozzy Osbourne. Welsh musician and broadcaster Cerys Matthews, former lead singer of Catatonia, was also recognized for her service to music. Unlike many high-profile public recognitions, the UK honors system intentionally centers ordinary people as well as household names. All recipients are selected by independent civil service committees from public and government nominations, and medals and titles are usually presented by King Charles or a senior royal, most often at Windsor Castle where the monarch resides full-time. One notable non-celebrity honoree is Debbie Lewis, who founded the bereavement support organization COVID-19 Families U.K. after losing her father to COVID-19 in 2020, just four months after her mother’s death. After Lewis posted a public message on Facebook saying she was grieving alone and hoping to connect with others who shared similar loss, 40 people reached out to her within the first week. Six years later, her support network now serves more than 4,500 people navigating pandemic-related bereavement. “I’m still a little bit in shock,” the 56-year-old said of her honor. “I know it’s a huge achievement and I’m just a little bit overwhelmed at the moment.”

  • London judge sentences Palestine Action activists for raid at Israeli defense factory

    London judge sentences Palestine Action activists for raid at Israeli defense factory

    On a Friday ruling at Woolwich Crown Court, a London judge imposed multi-year prison sentences on four Palestine Action activists, convicting their 2024 raid on a British-based Israeli defense factory as a terror-connected act, amid widespread debate over protest rights and counter-terrorism policy in the United Kingdom.

    The targeted facility, operated by Israeli defense contractor Elbit Systems, is located in Bristol. On August 6, 2024, the activists carried out a coordinated break-in: 30-year-old Charlotte Head drove a van through the factory’s perimeter gates, and all four activists, clad in matching red jumpsuits, used sledgehammers and crowbars to destroy production equipment. Their stated goal was to halt manufacturing of drones that they argued would be used to kill Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip.

    The break-in caused an estimated £1.2 million ($1.6 million) in property damage, and escalated into a violent confrontation with on-site security and responding law enforcement. During the clash, 23-year-old defendant Samuel Corner struck responding police Sergeant Kate Evans twice in the back with a 3.2-kilogram sledgehammer, fracturing her spine. Corner was separately convicted of inflicting grievous bodily harm for the attack. In testimony to the court, Evans said she continues to suffer long-term physical and psychological harm from the incident, including persistent sleep disturbance, recurring panic attacks and distressing nightmares. She also told the court she has received abusive online messages accusing her of collaborating with what the senders called the “Zionist occupation of Britain.”

    In his ruling, Justice Jeremy Johnson found that the offense extended far beyond standard criminal damage, because the activists’ actions were intended to force Elbit Systems to cease operations in the U.K. and compel the British government to end arms production ties with Israel. Johnson ruled that this intent gave the crime a clear “terrorist connection.”

    “Each defendant agreed to take part in high-level actions, and did so with the shared aim of shutting down Elbit and ending what they regarded as British complicity in Israeli war crimes,” Johnson stated. “The action was designed to influence the U.K. government and also to intimidate a section of the public, and was for the purpose of advancing an ideological or political cause.”

    The sentencing handed down reflected the judge’s terror ruling: Corner received a sentence of seven years and eight months, Head and 30-year-old Leona Kamio each got five years, and 21-year-old Fatema Rajwani was sentenced to four years and eight months. The terror conviction also means all four activists must serve at least two-thirds of their sentences before becoming eligible for parole, and will require formal Parole Board approval to be released.

    The 2024 Bristol raid was a key event cited by the British government when it proscribed Palestine Action as a designated terrorist organization last year. Official Home Office data shows the ban led to more than 1,600 arrests of pro-Palestine protesters between July and September 2024 alone. While London’s High Court has since ruled the original proscription decision was unlawful, the ban remains in effect pending an appeal ruling scheduled for Monday. Even as Friday’s sentencing proceeded inside the Woolwich Crown Court, more than 100 pro-Palestine protesters were arrested outside the southeast London courthouse by law enforcement.

    The four activists were originally convicted of criminal damage during a May 2025 retrial. The case originated from an earlier trial where jurors acquitted six other defendants on charges of aggravated burglary and violent disorder, but could not reach a consensus on criminal damage counts. Two additional co-defendants were ultimately acquitted during the retrial.

    Human rights organizations have sharply criticized the ruling, warning it sets a dangerous precedent for the criminalization of political protest in the U.K. Amnesty International’s UK chief executive Kerry Moscogiuri called the sentencing “a new low” in what the group describes as a broader national crackdown on peaceful protest activity. “It is completely disproportionate to treat protest-related offending as terrorism,” Moscogiuri said in a post-sentencing statement.

  • EU agrees to launch membership talks with Ukraine next week even as war with Russia drags on

    EU agrees to launch membership talks with Ukraine next week even as war with Russia drags on

    BRUSSELS – In a landmark decision with far-reaching geopolitical consequences for a war-ravaged Eastern Europe, the 27 member states of the European Union formally agreed Friday to launch full membership accession negotiations with Ukraine and neighboring Moldova, with the official opening ceremony scheduled to take place next Monday at an intergovernmental conference in Luxembourg.

    This move marks one of the most significant strategic choices the bloc has made in years, framing the future of the European continent amid Russia’s ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine. For Kyiv, which submitted its EU accession application barely five days after Russian forces crossed its border in February 2022, membership in the world’s largest single trading bloc is viewed as a critical cornerstone of long-term security and stability following the end of the current conflict. While Kyiv has also prioritized NATO membership for collective defense, that path remains blocked: the former Trump administration has repeatedly ruled out Ukrainian membership in the military alliance, other Western powers oppose accession while active hostilities continue, and Moscow cites NATO expansion as a core justification for its 2022 invasion. Notably, Russia has not publicly opposed Ukraine’s EU membership bid, unlike its fierce pushback against NATO integration.

    Moldova, like Ukraine, has long sought to escape Moscow’s sphere of influence, and Friday’s agreement brings the small Eastern European nation onto the same integration path as its larger neighbor.

    EU leadership praised the two countries for their progress on reform, even amid unprecedented wartime and political pressure. “This is a recognition of the determination, courage and hard work shown by both countries in advancing reforms, even in the face of immense challenges,” EU Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a joint statement. The pair framed the decision as a strategic investment that will strengthen “peace, security and prosperity across our continent,” adding that it sends a clear message “that the EU’s offer of peace, stability and opportunity is unmatchable.”

    The accession process is a years-long, rigorous path that requires candidate countries to negotiate alignment with 35 distinct EU policy chapters, covering everything from agricultural regulation to internal trade standards. The opening conference on Monday will kick off negotiations on the first cluster of chapters, focused on the core founding values and principles that underpin the EU bloc. Every step of the process – from opening each individual chapter to closing it ahead of full accession – requires unanimous approval from all 27 existing EU members. For years, Hungary maintained a hardline blockade on opening negotiations, but the recent formation of a new government in Budapest has softened the country’s opposition, clearing the way for Friday’s unanimous agreement.

    While the EU has praised Ukraine for pushing through ambitious reforms even amid active war, deep concerns remain among member states about persistent corruption gaps and shortcomings in judicial standards. The path to full membership remains uncertain, with multiple European capitals pushing for alternative interim arrangements to bring Ukraine closer to the bloc faster without granting full membership rights immediately. Last month, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called on EU partners to consider a new model of associate membership for Ukraine, a proposal designed to reinvigorate efforts to reach a resolution to the conflict more than two and a half years after Russia’s full-scale invasion. Under Merz’s framework, Ukraine would participate in EU meetings and hold non-voting observer positions in both the European Commission and European Parliament, stopping short of full membership. France and the Netherlands have also floated similar incremental models to accelerate integration while bypassing the full accession process’ slower timelines.

    Friday’s decision comes as the EU grapples with shifting global diplomatic dynamics: U.S.-mediated peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow remain stalled, with U.S. foreign policy attention increasingly diverted to escalating tensions related to the Iran conflict. Some European capitals are now weighing whether the bloc should pursue its own direct negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin to move the peace process forward, though no consensus on that step has yet emerged.

  • Pope Leo XIV’s flight home from Spain was grounded so the king came to his aid

    Pope Leo XIV’s flight home from Spain was grounded so the king came to his aid

    After a busy seven-day apostolic visit across Spain that carried a strong message on migration policy and marked a historic milestone for Barcelona’s iconic Sagrada Familia, Pope Leo XIV’s journey back to Rome hit an unforeseen snag Friday at Tenerife North–Ciudad de La Laguna Airport in Spain’s Canary Islands. The Iberia Airlines charter jet scheduled to carry the pontiff and his delegation home developed a critical mechanical issue that grounded the aircraft, leaving the Vatican team stranded before a last-minute act of generosity from Spain’s monarch resolved the crisis.

    The problem emerged after Pope Leo had already boarded the plane: the aircraft’s engine failed to start, and initial attempts by the ground crew to repair the fault were unsuccessful. All passengers were required to exit the aircraft, and an investigation into the root cause of the malfunction was launched immediately. With the Canary Islands located off the northwest coast of Africa, far closer to the African continent than to mainland Spain, sourcing a replacement aircraft locally was not feasible. In response to the emergency, King Felipe VI extended an offer of his personal private jet, a Falcon, to transport the pope back to the Vatican.

    The Spanish king accompanied Pope Leo to the aircraft on the airport tarmac, where the pontiff and his core delegation boarded the jet. The plane departed more than three hours behind the original scheduled departure time, marking an unusual end to a visit that had otherwise proceeded without a hitch. The remaining passengers, including approximately 70 Vatican correspondents and support staff, were set to be picked up by a backup Iberia jet dispatched from Madrid, the airline confirmed.

    The unplanned aircraft swap is an extremely rare event in modern papal travel. Veteran Vatican journalists who cover papal visits could only recall a handful of similar disruptions during the decades-long pontificate of St. John Paul II. In 1986, a snowstorm closed Rome’s airports en route back from India, forcing John Paul II to divert to Naples before completing the journey by special train. Two years later, severe weather forced an unscheduled landing in South Africa during a trip to Lesotho – a country the pontiff was visiting as part of a tour that intentionally excluded apartheid-era South Africa over its policy of racial segregation.

    Papal air travel follows longstanding standard protocols: typically, Italy’s national carrier ITA Airways transports the pope to his destination, and the host country’s national carrier handles the return flight. For particularly long journeys or trips to nations without the capacity to host large papal charter flights, ITA Airways often handles the full round-trip. Papal charters are structured with the pope, his delegation, and security detail in the forward section of the aircraft, while traveling journalists occupy standard economy seating.

    Earlier in the visit, Iberia had publicly celebrated its role as the host carrier, releasing official video footage of Pope Leo sitting in the cockpit of the jet during his flights between Madrid, Barcelona, and the Canary Islands. In the clips, the pontiff is seen smiling and waving to Spanish military escort pilots – a traditional honor provided by the host nation for visiting top dignitaries.

    During the week-long visit, Pope Leo prioritized advocacy on migration issues, delivering multiple sharp speeches calling out global indifference to the plight of migrants crossing dangerous Atlantic routes to reach the Canary Islands. He also made history by inaugurating the completed final tower of the Sagrada Familia, Antoni Gaudí’s unfinished architectural masterpiece that has been under construction for more than 140 years.