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UNESCO has recommended that one of Italy's most popular and vulnerable tourist attractions be added to its heritage danger list.The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation has urged the Italian government to "ensure the utmost dedication" to addressing "long-standing problems" in Venice, which has long struggled with overcrowding and the consequences of climate change, reports CNN. Also read: 1st cruise ship sails through Venice since start of pandemicThe proposal to add Venice to the ‘World Heritage in Danger’ list was made by UNESCO and advisory body experts in the agency's preliminary agenda ahead of the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee, which is planned to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in September, it said.According to the draft resolution, there has been no "significant level of progress in addressing the persistent and complex issues related in particular to mass tourism, development projects, and climate change." Also read: Nine Bangladeshi artists to join Venice Biennale 2019Venice is one of 1,157 World Heritage Sites that have "outstanding universal value" because of their cultural or natural features, said the report.In recent years, Venice has dealt with a whirlwind of weather-related issues.Back in February this year, the city was experiencing such severe drought that gondolas, water taxis, and ambulances were unable to cross through several canals. Flooding was so severe in November 2019 that historical relics and structures were threatened, added the report.Overtourism has long been a problem in Venice, and UNESCO cited some measures to counteract it, such as a prohibition on big ships entering the San Marco Basin - Giudecca Canal. Also read: Top 10 Honeymoon Destinations in EuropeAccording to SkyTG24, the municipality of Venice stated that it “will carefully read the proposed decision published by the Center for Unesco’s World Heritage Committee and will exchange views with the government, which is the State Party with which UNESCO interacts.”CNN contacted the Italian Culture Ministry, which stated that no remark on the UNESCO recommendation had been issued. It also contacted the Italian Tourism Ministry and the City of Venice, but neither had answered as of Monday evening, the report concluded.

Denmark's foreign minister said Sunday the government will seek to make it illegal to desecrate the Quran or other religious holy books in front of foreign embassies in the Nordic country. Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said in an interview with the Danish public broadcaster DR that the burning of holy scriptures "only serves the purpose of creating division in a world that actually needs unity." "That is why we have decided in the government that we will look at how, in very special situations, we can put an end to mockery of other countries, which is in direct conflict with Danish interests and the safety of the Danes," he said. Denmark wants Bangladesh to join alliance against fossil fuels A recent string of public Quran desecrations by a handful of anti-Islam activists in Denmark and neighboring Sweden have sparked angry demonstrations in Muslim countries. Løkke Rasmussen said the Cabinet of Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen is determined to find "a legal tool" to prohibit such acts without compromising freedom of expression, but he acknowledged that would not be easy. "There must be room for religious criticism, and we have no thoughts of reintroducing a blasphemy clause," he told DR. "But when you stand up in front of a foreign embassy and burn a Quran or burn the Torah scroll in front of the Israeli embassy, it serves no other purpose than to mock." Denmark keen to invest in offshore wind energy in Bangladesh: Envoy His comments followed a statement issued late Sunday by the Danish government saying freedom of expression is one of the most important values in Danish society. But, it added, the descreation of the Muslim holy book in Denmark has resulted in the nation being viewed in many places around the world "as a country that facilitates insult and denigration of the cultures, religions, and traditions of other countries." Bangladesh, Sweden discuss repeated desecration of Holy Quran The government repeated its condemnation of such descecrations, say they are "deeply offensive and reckless acts committed by few individuals" and "do not represent the values the Danish society is built on." Denmark committed to support Bangladesh’s aspirations for climate-oriented economic growth: Danish Minister In Sweden, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said Sunday on Instagram that his government is analyzing the legal situation regarding desecration of the Quran and other holy books, given the animosity such acts are stirring up against Sweden. "We are in the most serious security policy situation since the Second World War," Kristersson said. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation has called an emergency remote meeting Monday to discuss the Quran burnings in Sweden and Denmark.

Russian authorities say three Ukrainian drones attacked Moscow in the early hours on Sunday, injuring one person and prompting a temporary closure for traffic of one of four airports around the Russian capital. It was the fourth such attempt at a strike on the capital region this month and the third this week, fueling concerns about Moscow’s vulnerability to attacks as Russia's war in Ukraine drags into its 18th month. The Russian Defense Ministry referred to the incident as an “attempted terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime" and said three drones targeted the city. One was shot down in the surrounding Moscow region by air defense systems and two others were jammed. Those two crashed into the Moscow City business district in the capital. Read: Ukraine wants ships to keep exporting its grain despite Russian attacks. Some are interested Photos from the site of the crash showed the facade of a skyscraper damaged on one floor. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the attack “insignificantly damaged” the outsides of two buildings in the Moscow City district. A security guard was injured, Russia's state news agency Tass reported, citing emergency officials. No flights went into or out of the Vnukovo airport on the southern outskirts of the city for about an hour, according to Tass, and the air space over Moscow and the outlying regions was temporarily closed for any aircraft. Those restrictions have since been lifted. Moscow authorities have also closed a street for traffic near the site of the crash in the Moscow City area. There was no immediate comment from Ukrainian officials, who rarely if ever take responsibility for attacks on Russian soil. Read: PM calls for an amicable end to Ukraine war Russia's Defense Ministry reported shooting down a Ukrainian drone outside Moscow on Friday. Two more drones struck the Russian capital on Monday, one of them falling in the center of the city near the Defense Ministry’s headquarters along the Moscow River about 3 kilometers (2 miles) from the Kremlin. The other drone hit an office building in southern Moscow, gutting several upper floors. In another attack on July 4, the Russian military said four drones were downed by air defenses on the outskirts of Moscow and a fifth was jammed by electronic warfare means and forced down. Read more: South Korea to expand support for Ukraine as President Yoon Suk Yeol makes a surprise visit

Saudi Arabia will host a Ukrainian-organized peace summit in early August seeking to find a way to start negotiations over Russia's war on the country, an official said Saturday night. The kingdom and Kyiv did not immediately acknowledge the planned talks. The summit will be held in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as no authorization had been given to publicly discuss the summit. Those taking part in the summit will include Ukraine, as well as Brazil, India, South Africa and several other countries, the official said. A high-level official from U.S. President Joe Biden's administration also is expected to attend, the official said. Planning for the event is being overseen by Kyiv and Russia is not invited, the official said. Details regarding the summit, however, remain in flux and the official did not offer dates for the talks. The Wall Street Journal, which first reported on the summit, said the talks would take place Aug. 5 and 6 with some 30 countries attending, citing “diplomats involved in the discussion.” Read: US, Saudi Arabia call for warring sides in Sudan to extend ‘imperfect’ cease-fire Saudi officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press, nor did Ukraine's Embassy in Riyadh. News of the summit comes after U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan visited the kingdom on Thursday. The official who spoke to the AP said the summit would be the next step after talks that took place in Copenhagen in June. Saudi Arabia's hosting of the talks come as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in May attended an Arab League summit in Jeddah to press those nations to back Kyiv. Arab nations largely have remained neutral since Russia launched the war on Ukraine in February 2022, in part over their military and economic ties to Moscow. Read: Syrian president heads to Saudi Arabia for regional summit, sealing country's return to Arab fold Saudi Arabia also has maintained a close relationship with Russia as part of the OPEC+ group. The organization’s oil production cuts, even as Moscow’s war on Ukraine boosted energy prices, have angered Biden and American lawmakers. But hosting such talks also help raise the profile of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has sought to reach a détente with Iran and push for a peace in the kingdom's yearslong war in Yemen. However, ties also remain strained between Riyadh and the West over the 2018 killing and dismemberment of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, which U.S. intelligence agencies assess that Prince Mohammed ordered. Read more:  Arab foreign ministers meet ahead of Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia

A small Philippine ferry turned upside down when passengers suddenly crowded to one side in panic as fierce winds pummeled the wooden vessel, leaving at least 26 people dead while 40 others were rescued, officials said Friday. Coast guard and police said search and rescue efforts had resumed after a pause Thursday night. Officials said it remained unclear how many people were aboard the M/B Princess Aya, which capsized Thursday in Laguna de Bay in Rizal province east of Manila. When people rushed to one side of the vessel amid severe winds, the boat tilted and its outrigger broke, then the boat capsized shortly after leaving a wharf in the town of Binangonan for nearby Talim island, police and the coast guard said. Also read: Crews continue to battle cargo ship blaze that killed 2 New Jersey firefighters The accident happened only about 46 meters (150 feet) from shore, officials said at a news conference. The Rizal provincial police said that they immediately launched a rescue operation with the help of the coast guard and other local authorities, but that at least 26 people drowned. Forty others were saved. "This is really a tragic event that has to be investigated," coast guard Rear Adm. Hostillo Arturo Cornelio told reporters. Also read: At least 103 wedding guests killed when boat capsizes in northern Nigeria The ferry was supposed to carry a maximum of 42 passengers and crewmembers but was overloaded, Cornelio said. He said investigators would also look into reports that the passengers were not wearing life vests as required by safety regulations. Asked how many people were on the boat, Cornelio said it was unclear if there were more than the 66 who died or were save. "We assume there could be more," he said. The search was continuing Friday. A video released by the coast guard showed rescuers on a local government boat pulling a body out of the lake. Another video showed local fishermen aboard vessels approaching the overturned boat. Also read: Speedboat capsizes in west Indonesia; 11 dead and 1 missing Typhoon Doksuri blew away Thursday after battering the northern Philippines and whipping up seasonal monsoon rains in a large swath of the archipelago. The capsizing brought the death toll from a week of stormy weather across the main island of Luzon to 39. At least 13 people were reported killed earlier due to Doksuri's onslaught, mostly due to landslides, flooding and toppled trees and thousands were displaced, disaster response officials said. Sea travel was suspended in many ports during Doksuri's onslaught from Tuesday to Wednesday, stranding thousands of passengers and cargo trucks. The no-sail orders were gradually lifted Thursday as weather improved in many areas. Also read: Indonesian ferry capsizes off Sulawesi island, leaving at least 15 people dead and 19 others missing Coast guard Rear Adm. Armand Balilo said the boat that capsized had set out after a no-sail order was lifted for Binangonan town. Only 22 passengers were listed on the ferry's manifest and criminal complaints may be filed against the vessel's owner, skipper and two crewmen, he said. Sea accidents are common in the Philippine archipelago because of frequent storms, badly maintained boats, overcrowding and weak enforcement of safety regulations. In December 1987, the ferry Dona Paz sank after colliding with a fuel tanker, killing more than 4,300 people in the world's worst peacetime maritime disaster.  

Ukrainian officials are looking into whether Yuriy Aristov, a member of parliament, breached the law by taking a family vacation to the Maldives. Ukraine officials are not permitted to travel overseas on vacation, and males of conscription age require special authorization to leave the country, reports the BBC. Also read: Impact of Russia-Ukraine War on Asia’s climate goals The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) and Ukraine's Security Service have begun a criminal investigation to determine if Aristov provided fraudulent information in his application to leave the country. According to investigators, if convicted, he may face up to three years in prison. According to the SBI, Aristov was visiting the private island of Ithaafushi in the Maldives in mid-July with his wife and children when he was recorded as being on medical leave. He was away from June 5 to July 22, beginning with a three-day business trip to Poland. Ukrainian media first reported on him being in the Maldives, the report also said. In a speech on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned public officials that any violation of the country's interests will result in "fury." Also read: Russia rejoins key deal on wartime Ukrainian grain exports "When you constantly see and feel the moral strength gained for Ukraine by our warriors, our people, who are doing everything possible and impossible for the victory and preservation of freedom, any internal betrayal, any 'beach' [holiday] or any personal enrichment instead of Ukraine's interests triggers fury at the very least," he said. Also read: With Russia revolt over, mercenaries' future and direction of Ukraine war remain uncertain Aristov submitted a letter of resignation, which will be reviewed at the next parliamentary session, according to Parliament Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk on Facebook. Several popular Ukrainian officials quit earlier this year as Zelensky began reorganising his cabinet. Their departures coincided with the commencement of a sweeping anti-corruption campaign in Ukraine, the report concluded.

Spain appears headed for political gridlock after Sunday's inconclusive national elections left parties on both the right and left without a clear path toward forging a new government. The conservative Popular Party won the elections, but it fell short of its hopes of scoring a much bigger victory and forcing the removal of Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. Instead, the party led by candidate Alberto Núñez Feijóo performed below the expectations of most campaign polls. Even though Sánchez’s Socialists finished second, they and their allied parties celebrated the outcome as a victory since their combined forces gained slightly more seats than the PP and the far-right. The bloc that could likely support Sánchez totaled 172 seats; the right bloc behind Feijóo, 170. “It was a Pyrrhic victory for the Popular Party, which is unable to form a government," said political analyst Verónica Fumanal, adding the conservatives will now have to reach out to the far-right, and even then it won't be enough. “I see a deadlock scenario in the Parliament.” The closer-than-expected outcome was likely to produce weeks of political jockeying and uncertainty over the country's future leadership. The next prime minister only would be voted on once lawmakers are installed in the new Congress of Deputies. But the chances of Sánchez picking up the support of 176 lawmakers — the absolute majority in the Madrid-based Lower House of Parliament — needed to form a government are not great either. The divided results have made the hardline Catalan separatist party Junts (Together) emerge as Sánchez’s potential kingmaker. If Junts asks for a referendum on independence for northeast Catalonia, that would likely be far too costly a price for Sánchez to pay. “We won’t make Pedro Sánchez PM in exchange for nothing,” Míriam Nogueras of Junts said after the results left her party holding the keys to power. READ: By pulling out of the Ukrainian grain deal, Russia risks alienating its few remaining partners With 98% of votes counted, PP is on track for 136 seats. Even with the 33 seats that the far-right Vox is poised to get and the one seat going to an allied party, the PP would still be seven seats from the absolute majority. The Socialists are set to take 122 seats, two more than they had. But Sánchez can likely call on the 31 seats of its junior coalition partner Sumar (Joining Forces) and several smaller forces to at least total more than the sum of the right-wing parties. “Spain and all the citizens who have voted have made themselves clear. The backward-looking bloc that wanted to undo all that we have done has failed,” Sánchez told a jubilant crowd gathered at Socialists’ headquarters in Madrid. After his party took a beating in regional and local elections in May, Sánchez could have waited until December to face a national vote. Instead, he stunned his rivals by moving up the vote in hopes of gaining a bigger boost from his supporters. Even if this goes to a new ballot, Sánchez can add this election night to yet another comeback in his career that has been built around beating the odds. The 51-year-old Sánchez had to mount a mutiny among rank-and-file Socialists to return to heading his party before he won Spain’s only no-confidence vote to oust his PP predecessor in 2018. But Feijóo would probably trade spots with his rival if he could. READ: Turkey's parliament won't ratify Sweden's NATO membership bid before October, Erdogan says Feijóo claimed his right to form a government as the most voted party in the election, adding he was “proud” of what his party’s first national election victory since 2016. “We have won the elections, it corresponds to us to form a government like it has always happened in Spanish democracy,” he said, addressing a crowd aflutter with Spanish flags. Feijóo focused the PP’s campaign not on what he would do as prime minister, but rather as an attack on what he called the untrustworthiness of Sánchez. The strategy failed. The Socialists and other leftist parties seem to have motivated their voters by drumming up fear of having the anti-feminist, ultra-nationalist Vox in power as a junior member of a possible coalition with the PP. A PP-Vox government would have meant another EU member has moved firmly to the right, a trend seen recently in Sweden, Finland and Italy. Countries such as Germany and France are concerned about what such a shift would portend for EU immigration and climate policies. Vox, which had hoped to force its way into power much as other far-right parties have done in other European countries, lost 19 seats from four years earlier. Vox leader Santiago Abascal said that the Socialists’ results were “bad news for Spaniards.” READ: EU must act to stop migration at source: Italian PM “Pedro Sánchez, despite losing the elections, can block (Feijóo’s) investiture and, even worse, Pedro Sánchez could even be invested with the support of communism, the coup-seeking separatism and terrorism, all of whom will now have more leverage in the blackmail than in his previous term," he said. Yet it seems that the specter of the far-right taking a seat in government, albeit as a junior member to the PP, for the first time since the 20th-century dictatorship of Francisco Franco had proved to be key to the left’s resurgence. Feijóo had tried to distance his PP from Vox during the campaign, refusing to say that a national coalition was a possibility. But Sánchez, in moving up the election, made the campaign coincide with the PP and Vox striking deals to govern together in several town halls and regional governments following the May ballots. Even though Feijóo had pledged he would maintain his party’s commitment to fighting gender violence, Vox campaigned on rolling back gender violence laws. And they both agree on wanting to repeal a new transgender rights law and a democratic memory law that seeks to help families wanting to unearth the thousands of victims of Franco’s regime still missing in mass graves. “PP has been a victim of its expectations, and the Socialists have been able to capitalize on the fear of the arrival of Vox. Bringing forward the elections has turned out to be the right decision for Pedro Sánchez,” said Manuel Mostaza, director of Public Policy at Spanish consultancy firm Atrevia. Spain’s new Parliament will meet in a month. King Felipe VI then appoints one of the party leaders to submit him or herself to a parliamentary vote to form a new government. Lawmakers have a maximum period of three months to reach an agreement. Otherwise, new elections would be triggered. The election took place at the height of summer, with millions of voters likely to be vacationing away from their regular polling places. However, postal voting requests soared. Coming on the tail of a month of heat waves, temperatures were expected to average above 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit), or 5 to 10 degrees Celsius above normal in many parts of the country. Authorities distributed fans to many of the stations. “We have the heat, but the right to exercise our vote freely is stronger than the heat,” said Rosa María Valladolid-Prieto, 79, in Barcelona.

Russia has repeatedly fired missiles and drones at Ukrainian ports key to sending grain to the world. Moscow has declared large swaths of the Black Sea dangerous for shipping. Even the U.S. said ships are at risk of being targeted. There is still interest from ship owners in carrying Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea — if they can mitigate the risk, according to a major shipping group. And that's a big if. Despite the warnings and port attacks, which have leveled grain infrastructure, "shipping has always been very, very resilient in the face of these sorts of risks," said John Stawpert, senior manager of environment and trade for the International Chamber of Shipping, which represents 80% of the world's commercial fleet. Russia comes under pressure at UN to avoid global food crisis and revive Ukrainian grain shipments This week's strikes came after Russia pulled out of a wartime accord that the U.N. and Turkey brokered last year to provide safeguards for shipping companies in a bid to end a global food crisis. Ukraine — which, along with Russia, is a major supplier of wheat, barley and vegetable oil to developing nations — shipped 32.9 million metric tons of grain to the world and supplied 80% of the World Food Program's wheat for humanitarian aid so far this year. Following the grain deal's collapse, Ukraine sent a letter to the U.N. International Maritime Organization establishing its own temporary shipping corridor, saying it would "provide guarantees of compensation for damage." But Russia warned this week that ships traversing parts of the Black Sea would assume to be carrying weapons to Ukraine. In a seeming tit-for-tat move, Ukraine said vessels heading to Russian Black Sea ports would be considered "carrying military cargo with all the associated risks." By pulling out of the Ukrainian grain deal, Russia risks alienating its few remaining partners Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin said Friday that the navy will check vessels to ensure they are not carrying weapons before taking other action. Continued shipments from Ukraine will depend on vessels getting insurance for potential damage or injuries and deaths to crew members and how the safety risks play out. Ships that were exporting Ukrainian grain can be worth tens of millions of dollars, have 20 to 22 sailors on board and carry food also worth tens of millions, according to Jayendu Krishna, deputy head of maritime advisers at Drewry, a maritime research consultancy. All ships go through threat assessments to allow crews to protect against problems before setting sail, which have grown in importance as ships deal with piracy, terrorism and war zones. For the Black Sea, the risks for ships would be: explosive mines, becoming collateral damage at ports or being targeted themselves, which Stawpert said would be "a huge escalation." Russia pulls out of Black Sea grain deal at time of growing hunger "The million-dollar question is whether the threats to merchant shipping are serious and whether they'll be followed through. And there's no firm way of knowing that until it actually happens," Stawpert said, adding that he has not yet heard from insurers. With Russia's warnings, "it is unlikely that underwriters will want to cover that risk," said the International Union of Marine Insurance, which represents national and international marine insurers. The group thought it was unlikely owners would put their ships and crews in danger, echoed by Munro Anderson, head of operations for Vessel Protect, which assesses war risks at sea and provides insurance with backing from Lloyd's, whose members make up the world's largest insurance marketplace.   He didn't directly speak to whether underwriting businesses like his would take on the risk but said without protections for ships like they had under the grain deal, "safety conditions cannot be guaranteed." Krishna said the only way to mitigate risk was through insurance from the 12 providers making up the International Group of P&I Clubs, which offers liability coverage for about 90% of the world's cargo shipped by sea, according to its website. "P&I clubs will be wary of even insuring" without a guarantee from the U.N. or some other body, he said. The International Group of P&I Clubs said its CEO was the only one who could comment and that he was on vacation. Individual clubs either declined to comment or did not respond to calls or emails. The head of the seafarers division of the International Transport Workers' Federation, a union for crew members, said the question should be whether it's too risky right now to ask sailors to go to Ukrainian ports. Russia's threat to exit Ukraine grain deal adds risk to global food security "The minds of seafarers won't be on questions of insurance cover, but more likely on whether their lives are safe amidst the fighting," David Heindel said in a statement, adding that crews "should never be targeted just for doing their job." In the meantime, some analysts expect most of what Ukraine was going to ship through the Black Sea will get out by road, rail and river through Europe, but the transportation costs will be higher and likely lead to lower production by Ukrainian farmers. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Thursday that Ukraine has made progress in improving those routes but that the best way to export grain is through the Black Sea. That's how 75% of the country's grain got to the world before the war, analysts say. Plus, the routes have created divisions in the European Union, with five countries saying Wednesday that they want to extend a ban on Ukrainian grain imports through the end of the year. While Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria would keep allowing grain to move through their borders to world markets, their bans could create challenges like infrastructure backups that might give preference to local grain before Ukraine's products, said Carlos Mera, head of agricultural commodities markets at Rabobank. The five countries say Ukrainian grain has flooded their markets, leading to a glut that drove down prices for their farmers and stirring protests. They signed a joint declaration ahead of EU talks next week, urging officials to work out ways of getting Ukrainian food to the world without hurting their agricultural industries. It's another hurdle for Ukraine — and possibly for developing countries already struggling with high local food prices, which are helping drive hunger. Wheat prices have risen about 17% over the last week, and poorer nations that are forced to pay more on world markets for the ingredient for staples like bread and pasta means "many millions of people being pushed into food insecurity," Mera said.

By pulling out of a landmark deal that allowed Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea, Russian President Vladimir Putin is taking a gamble that could badly damage Moscow's relations with many of its partners that have stayed neutral or even been supportive of the Kremlin's invasion of its neighbor. Russia also has played the role of spoiler at the United Nations, vetoing a resolution on extending humanitarian aid deliveries through a key border crossing in northwestern Syria and backing a push by Mali's military junta to expel U.N. peacekeepers — abrupt moves that reflect Moscow's readiness to raise the stakes elsewhere. Putin's declared goal in halting the Black Sea Grain Initiative was to win relief from Western sanctions on Russia's agricultural exports. His longer-term goal could be to erode Western resolve over Ukraine and get more concessions from the U.S. and its allies as the war grinds toward the 17-month mark. Also read: Black Sea Grain Initiative agreement must continue to avert human catastrophe: Business leaders The Kremlin doubled down on terminating the grain deal by attacking Ukrainian ports and declaring wide areas of the Black Sea unsafe for shipping. But with the West showing little willingness to yield any ground, Putin's actions not only threaten global food security but also could backfire against Russia's own interests, potentially causing concern in China, straining Moscow's relations with key partner Turkey and hurting its ties with African countries. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who helped broker the grain deal with the U.N. a year ago, has pushed for its extension and said he would negotiate with Putin. Also read: Russia pulls out of Black Sea grain deal at time of growing hunger Turkey's role as a top trading partner and a logistical hub for Russia's foreign trade amid Western sanctions strengthens Erdogan's hand and could allow him to squeeze concessions from Putin, whom he calls "my dear friend." Turkey's trade with Russia nearly doubled last year to $68.2 billion, feeding U.S. suspicions that Moscow is using Ankara to bypass Western sanctions. Turkey says the increase is largely due to higher energy costs. Their relationship is often characterized as transactional. Despite being on opposing sides in fighting in Syria, Libya and the decades-long conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, they have cooperated in areas like energy, defense, diplomacy, tourism and trade. Also read: Russia's threat to exit Ukraine grain deal adds risk to global food security Ozgur Unluhisarcikli, director of the German Marshall Fund in Ankara, said the relationship's dual nature dates back to the sultans and czars. "Sometimes they compete, sometimes they cooperate. At other times they both compete and cooperate at the same time," he said. While the pendulum seems to have swung in Ankara's favor for now, Unluhisarcikli noted the Kremlin has a few levers to pull, such as canceling a deferment of gas payments or removing financial capital for the Akkuyu nuclear plant being built by Russia. Moscow also could hurt Turkey by restricting Russian tourists, who visit in greater numbers than any other nationality. offering a steady flow of cash. "How much weaker the relationship gets depends on how Russia responds to Turkey getting closer to the West," he said. Some observers in Moscow speculate that Russia agreed to extend the grain deal for two months in May to help Erdogan win reelection but was appalled to see his pro-Western shift afterward. Erdogan backed Sweden's membership in NATO earlier this month. In another snub to Moscow, Turkey allowed several Ukrainian commanders who led the defense of Mariupol last year to return home. They surrendered after a two-month Russian siege and then moved to Turkey under a deal that they stay there until the end of the war. Kerim Has, a Moscow-based expert on Turkey-Russia ties, said Erdogan had been emboldened by his reelection to pursue rapprochement with the West, appointing a "pro-Western" Cabinet and adopting a stance that was causing "discomfort" in the Kremlin. "It's a dilemma for Putin," Has said. "He supported Erdogan's candidacy but he will face a more active, pro-Western Turkey under Erdogan in the coming period." Moscow could try to pressure Erdogan by challenging Turkey's interests in northwestern Syria, where Ankara has backed armed opposition groups since the start of the conflict. Even though Russia has joined with Iran to shore up Syrian President Bashar Assad's government while Turkey has backed its foes, Moscow and Ankara have negotiated cease-fire deals. But Russia abruptly toughened its stand this month when it vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution backed by virtually all members to continue humanitarian aid deliveries to opposition-held areas through the Bab el-Hawa border crossing with Turkey, a key lifeline for about 4.1 million people in the impoverished enclave. Moscow warned that if its rival draft was not accepted, the crossing would be shut. The presence of 3.4 million Syrians in Turkey is a sensitive issue for Ankara. Erdogan has advocated their voluntary repatriation to parts of northern Syria under Turkish control. Dareen Khalifa, senior analyst on Syria at the International Crisis Group, says Russia's hard-line approach to the issue was an attempt to pressure Ankara. "Turkey will be directly impacted by that if the mechanism ends," he said. Others were skeptical Russia could use the border crossing issue to strong-arm Ankara. "I do not think Russia is in a position to increase its pressure on Turkey in Syria," Has said. Joseph Daher, a Swiss-Syrian researcher and professor at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy, observed that Russia could be trying to pressure the West by raising the prospect of a new wave of refugees in Europe. Richard Gowan, U.N. director of the International Crisis Group, noted that along with the tougher stand on Syria, Russia's "disruptive" actions included support for Mali's push to expel U.N. peacekeepers. "It looks like Russia is looking for ways to annoy the West through the U.N," he told The Associated Press. Reflecting Moscow's increasingly muscular stand, Russian military pilots recently have harassed U.S. aircraft over Syria in incidents that added to tensions between Moscow and Washington. The Pentagon described Russia's maneuvers as unprofessional and unsafe, while Moscow sought to turn the tables by accusing the U.S. of violating deconfliction rules intended to prevent collisions over Syria. Amid the hardball at the U.N. and in Syria, Russia has been courting African nations with promises of support. The Kremlin has emphasized it stands ready to provide poor countries in Africa with free grain after the termination of the Black Sea deal, and Putin is set to woo African leaders at a summit in St. Petersburg later this month. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow's offer of free grain shipments would be on the agenda. The Black Sea deal allowed Ukraine to ship 32.9 million metric tons of grain and other food to global markets. According to official data, 57% of the grain from Ukraine went to developing nations, while China received the most — nearly a quarter. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that 60,000 metric tons of grain destroyed by Russia's strike on the port of Odesa on Wednesday were bound for China. Putin, in turn, accused the West of using the grain deal to "shamelessly enrich itself" instead of its declared goal of easing hunger. Despite such rhetoric, the Russian move won't play well in African countries. Even as the Kremlin tried to contain the damage to those ties, it unleashed more attacks on Odesa and other ports to thwart Ukrainian attempts to continue grain shipments. Moscow described them as " strikes of retribution " for Monday's attack that damaged the Kerch Bridge linking Moscow-annexed Crimea with Russia. Hard-liners in Moscow praised Putin for halting the deal, which they have criticized as a reflection of what they described as the Kremlin's futile hope to compromise with the West. Pro-Kremlin commentator Sergei Markov lauded the retaliatory strikes and argued that the withdrawal from the deal was long overdue. "The grain deal's extension led to a drop in the government's ratings and was fueling talk about betrayal on top," he said.  

The extraordinary heatwave that Italy is suffering, its third of the summer, was approaching its peak on Tuesday, with the possibility that temperatures will reach record highlights in some cities.     Indeed, Rome has set up 28 heat help points dotted around the city with the aim of preventing people having bad turns, with the temperature in the capital forecast to reach a new high of 42° Celsius.     Temperatures are forecast to climb to 47° Celsius in areas of southern Sardinia this week and 45 or 46° in Sicily. California's Death Valley sizzles as brutal heat wave continues     On Tuesday 20 major Italian cities are on red alert due to the heat - Ancona, Bologna, Bolzano, Brescia, Cagliari, Campobasso, Florence, Frosinone, Latina, Messina, Naples, Palermo, Perugia, Pescara, Rieti, Rome, Trieste, Venice, Verona and Viterbo.     On Wednesday Bari, Catania, Civitavecchia and Turin will join them, while Bolzano drops down to yellow alert. 'Heat storm' hits Italy     That means that only four of the nation's 27 biggest cities will not be on red alert on Wednesday.     A city is on red alert when the heat is so intense it poses a threat to the whole population, not just vulnerable groups such as the sick, the elderly and small children.     The health ministry has sent a circular letter to Italy's regional governments with a series of recommendations to manage the impact of the heat.     These recommendations include setting up a 'heat code' at emergency rooms with special, priority procedures for people suffering heat-related health issues. No respite from heat, with 3rd wave bringing record temperature in Italy     They also call for the creation of special USCAR units to provide care for people at home, especially for vulnerable groups like the elderly, and prevent ERs being overwhelmed by people going to casualty with problems that could be solved elsewhere.     The letter tells the regions to boost out-of-hours doctor services too.     A study coordinated by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health and published in the Nature Medicine journal last week estimated that over 18,000 people died in Italy due to the intense heat the nation endured last summer.     Scientists say the climate crisis caused by human greenhouse gas emissions is making extreme weather events such as heat waves, droughts, supercharged storms and flooding more frequent and more intense.