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A large Russian drone-and-missile attack targeted Ukraine's eastern city of Kharkiv on Saturday, killing at least three people and injuring 21, local officials said. The barrage — the latest in near daily widescale attacks — included aerial glide bombs that have become part of a fierce Russian onslaught in the three-year war. According to AP, the intensity of the Russian attacks on Ukraine over the past weeks has further dampened hopes that the warring sides could reach a peace deal anytime soon days — especially after Kyiv recently embarrassed the Kremlin with a surprising drone attack on military airfields deep inside Russia. According to Ukraine’s Air Force, Russia struck with 215 missiles and drones overnight, and Ukrainian air defenses shot down and neutralized 87 drones and seven missiles. Several other areas in Ukraine were also hit, including the regions of Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, and the city of Ternopil, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said in a post on X. “To put an end to Russia’s killing and destruction, more pressure on Moscow is required, as are more steps to strengthen Ukraine,” he said. Israel hits Southern Beirut suburbs, claims Hezbollah drone sites targeted There was no immediate comment from Moscow on the latest attack. Kharkiv’s mayor Ihor Terekhov said the strikes also damaged 18 apartment buildings and 13 private homes. Terekhov said it was “the most powerful attack” on the city since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Kharkiv’s regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said two districts in the city were struck with three missiles, five aerial glide bombs and 48 drones. Among the injured were two children, a month and a half old boy and a 14-year old girl, he added. The attack on Kharkiv comes one day after Russia launched one of the fiercest barrages on Ukraine, striking six Ukrainian territories and killing at least six people and injuring about 80. Among the dead were three emergency responders in Kyiv, one person in Lutsk and two people in Chernihiv. US President Donald Trump said this week that his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, told him Moscow would respond to Ukraine’s attack on Russian military airfields last Sunday. Trump also said that it might be better to let Ukraine and Russia “fight for a while” before pulling them apart and pursuing peace. Trump’s comments were a remarkable detour from his often-stated appeals to stop the war and signaled he may be giving up on recent peace efforts.

Europe and the United States are meeting in Paris to negotiate a resolution to an escalating tariff conflict that has serious global economic implications. Maroš Šefčovič, the European Union’s chief trade negotiator, met with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Wednesday on the sidelines of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) meeting. Šefčovič shared a photo of their handshake on social media platform X, stating that both sides are "advancing in the right direction at pace" and maintaining close contact to keep up the momentum. Germany unveils tax plan to spur investment, revive economy Despite the ongoing talks, Brussels and Washington are not expected to finalize a meaningful trade agreement during the Paris meeting due to the complexity of the issues involved. U.S. President Donald Trump continues to express frustration over the persistent U.S. trade deficit with the EU, which reached a record $161 billion last year, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. He attributes the imbalance to unfair trade practices and often criticizes the EU’s 10% tariff on imported cars. By contrast, the U.S. tariff was 2.5% before Trump raised it to 25% in April. The EU counters that its purchases of American services—especially in the tech sector—significantly offset the goods deficit. The trade tensions intensified after the Trump administration unexpectedly imposed new steel tariffs last week, shaking global markets and further complicating the broader negotiations with the EU. In response, the EU announced on Monday that it is preparing “countermeasures” against the United States. As part of its negotiating position, the EU has proposed a “zero-for-zero” deal that would eliminate tariffs on all industrial goods, including automobiles. Trump has so far rejected this proposal, though EU officials insist it remains available for discussion. The EU may be open to buying more U.S. liquefied natural gas and defense products and lowering auto tariffs. However, it is unlikely to concede on scrapping the value-added tax (VAT)—a sales tax-like levy—which the U.S. views as a trade barrier. Nor is the EU expected to open its market to more American beef. French Trade Minister Laurent Saint-Martin said in Paris on Wednesday that there is still time to negotiate. “If the discussion and negotiation do not succeed, Europe is capable of having countermeasures on American products and services as well,” he warned. Greta Peisch, who served as general counsel for the U.S. Trade Representative during the Biden administration and is now a partner at law firm Wiley Rein, suggested the zero-for-zero deal could be a viable path forward—if the Trump administration is interested in avoiding more tariffs. However, she questioned Washington’s commitment, noting Trump’s longstanding criticism of EU trade policies. Among Trump’s key complaints is the VAT system, which he and his advisers see as unfairly protectionist because it is applied to U.S. exports. However, VATs—implemented at the national level rather than by the EU itself—are applied equally to domestic and imported goods, and have traditionally not been viewed as trade barriers. Major changes to national tax systems to satisfy U.S. demands appear unlikely. European leaders are also expected to resist U.S. demands to eliminate food and safety regulations that Washington views as non-tariff trade barriers. These include bans on hormone-treated beef, chlorinated chicken, and genetically modified foods. Spain cancels contract for anti-tank missiles built by Israeli subsidiary William Reinsch, a former U.S. trade official, noted, “When you start talking about chickens or GMOs or automobile safety standards, you’re talking about the ways countries choose to regulate their economies.” While the U.S. sees such regulations as protectionist, European nations argue they are essential for public health—an enduring point of contention for over six decades.  

Germany's new government on Wednesday launched a package of tax breaks and eventual tax cuts for companies, moving to encourage investment as it tries to give new momentum to an economy that has shrunk for the past two years and is expected to stagnate this year. Chancellor Friedrich Merz's Cabinet approved the so-called growth booster programme, which must still be passed by lawmakers. Its central component is a hefty tax write-off on investments in machinery and other equipment over the next three years, followed by a gradual reduction of the corporate tax rate from 15 per cent to 10 per cent between 2028 and 2032, reports AP. Spain cancels contract for anti-tank missiles built by Israeli subsidiary There will also be tax breaks over the next 2.5 years for companies that buy electric cars and measures to encourage investment in research. Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil, who is also the vice chancellor, said that “we are making Germany as a location more competitive internationally.” Germany has Europe's biggest economy. Several industry associations have already called for more help, for example, in bringing down electricity prices. The package launched Wednesday is separate from a 500 billion-euro ($570 billion) fund that Merz's coalition pushed through parliament before it even took office last month to pour money into Germany’s creaking infrastructure over the next 12 years. Klingbeil said that the government plans to launch legislation formally setting up that fund in late June.

Spain has cancelled a deal for anti-tank missile systems that were to be manufactured in Madrid by a subsidiary of an Israeli company, in a bid to move away from Israeli military technology, the Defence Ministry said Tuesday. The decision will affect the license for 168 SPIKE LR2 anti-tank missile systems with an estimated value of 285 million euros ($325 million). The systems would have been developed in Spain by Pap Tecnos, a Madrid-based subsidiary of Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defence Systems, according to local press. “The goal is clear...a total disconnection from Israeli technology,” government spokesperson Pilar Alegría told reporters, adding the government is studying “the effects of the cancellation.” Israel’s Defence Ministry referred questions on the decision to Rafael. The company’s press office said in a statement to The Associated Press that it “has not been informed of any cancellation.” Pap Tecnos, located on the outskirts of Madrid, did not comment, reports AP. Spain approved the deal on October 3, 2023, four days before an insurgent assault led by Hamas on southern Israel that sparked a devastating war in Gaza. Authorities argued at the time that the systems used by the Spanish forces were obsolete and should be replaced for up-to-date versions like those used by allied armies. Spain's leftist government says it stopped exporting arms to Israel as of October 2, 2023, but there where reports some shipments slipped through. China slams EU's protectionist measures aimed at Chinese medical device companies United States late last year opened an investigation into whether NATO ally Spain denied port entry to at least three cargo vessels reportedly transporting US weapons to Israel. Spain formally recognised a Palestinian state in May 2024 in a coordinated effort with Norway and Ireland. A month later, Spain became the first European country to ask the top United Nations court, the International Court of Justice, permission to join a case mounted by South Africa that accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza. Israel strongly denies the charge.

Inflation in the 20 countries that use the euro fell to 1.9 per cent in May from 2.2 per cent in April, clearing the way for more rate cuts from the European Central Bank to support growth in the face of US President Donald Trump's tariff offensive. Lower energy prices helped bring consumer prices in May to below the ECB's 2 per cent target for the first time since September. Increasing signs that inflation is back under control after a painful outbreak in 2021-23 leaves room for the ECB to turn its attention to worries about the impact of a slew of new import taxes on EU goods in the US that threaten to slow Europe's export-oriented economy. Reductions in the ECB's benchmark rate, currently at 2.25 per cent, lower borrowing costs throughout the economy, making it easier to buy things on credit and stimulating economic activity and investment. Higher rates combat inflation, but for the moment that battle appears to have been won. Asian markets rise as US stock indexes near records amid easing trade tensions The ECB's rate-setting council meets on Thursday under bank President Christine Lagarde to determine the next step on rates. Analysts expect a cut of a quarter percentage point and for Lagarde to indicate that at least one more cut is possible at future meetings. Trump has raised tariffs on steel, aluminium and autos from almost all trading partners to 25 per cent, and has now said he will raise the rate to 50 per cent on steel, as well as proposing a 20 per cent tariff on all European Union goods. That last tariff has been paused ahead of a July 14 deadline pending negotiations with EU officials. Worries about the impact of tariffs on growth led the European Union's executive commission to cut its growth forecast for the 20 euro member countries this year to 0.9 per cent from 1.3 per cent in its fall 2024 forecast.

Sicily’s Mount Etna put on a fiery show Monday, sending a cloud of smoke and ash several kilometers (miles) into the air, but officials said the activity posed no danger to the population. The level of alert due to the volcanic activity was raised at the Catania airport, but no immediate interruptions were reported. An official update declared the ash cloud emission had ended by the afternoon. Guatemala's volcano erupts, prompting evacuations Italy’s INGV National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology said the spectacle on Europe’s most active volcano was caused when part of the southeast crater collapsed, resulting in hot lava flows. It was the 14th eruptive phase in recent months. The area of danger was confined to the summit of Etna, which was closed to tourists as a precaution, according to Stefano Branca, an INGV official in Catania. Sicily’s president, Renato Schifani, said lava flows emitted in the eruption had not passed the natural containment area “and posed no danger to the population.” Volcano erupts in southwestern Iceland after a nearby town and spa are evacuated The event was captured in video and photos that went viral on social media. Tremors from the eruption were widely felt in the towns and villages on Mount Etna's flanks, Italian media reported. The video showed tourists running along a path on the flank of the vast volcano with smoke billowing some distance in the background. Excursions are popular on Etna, which is some 3,300 meters (nearly 11,000 feet) high, with a surface area of some 1,200 square kilometers (about 460 square miles).

Explosions caused two bridges to collapse and derailed two trains in western Russia overnight, officials said Sunday, without saying what had caused the blasts. In one of the incidents, seven people were killed and dozens were injured. The first bridge, in the Bryansk region on the border with Ukraine, collapsed on top of a passenger train on Saturday, causing the casualties. The train's driver was among those killed, state-run Russian Railways said. Hours later, officials said a second train derailed when the bridge beneath it collapsed in the nearby Kursk region, which also borders Ukraine. Explosion at Iranian Port tied to missile fuel kills 25, injures 800 In that collapse, a freight train was thrown off its rails onto the road below as the explosion collapsed the bridge, local acting Gov. Alexander Khinshtein said Sunday. The crash sparked a fire, but there were no casualties, he said. Russia’s Investigative Committee, the country’s top criminal investigation agency, said in a statement that explosions had caused the two bridges to collapse, but did not give further details. Several hours later, it edited the statement, which was posted on social media, to remove the words “explosions” but did not provide an explanation. The committee said that it would be investigating the incidents as potential acts of terrorism. Rescue workers cleared debris from both sites, while some of those injured were transported to Moscow for treatment. Photos posted by government agencies in Bryansk appeared to show train carriages ripped apart and lying amid fallen concrete from the collapsed bridge. Other footage on social media was apparently taken from inside vehicles on the road that had managed to avoid driving onto the bridge before it collapsed. Bryansk regional Gov. Alexander Bogomaz announced three days of mourning for the victims, starting Monday. Damage to railway tracks was also found Sunday by inspectors working on the line elsewhere in the Bryansk region, Moscow Railway said in a statement. It did not say whether the damage was linked to the collapsed bridges. In the past, some officials have accused pro-Ukrainian saboteurs of attacking Russia’s railway infrastructure. The details surrounding such incidents, however, are limited and cannot be independently verified. Ukraine’s military intelligence, known by the Ukrainian abbreviation GUR, said Sunday that a Russian military freight train carrying food and fuel had been blown up on its way to Crimea. It did not claim the attack was carried out by GUR or mention the bridge collapses. Russia and Ukraine swap hundreds more prisoners hours after a massive attack on Kyiv The statement said Moscow's key artery with the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia region and Crimea has been destroyed. Russia forces have been pushing into the region of Zaporizhzhia in eastern Ukraine since Moscow's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Russia took Crimea and annexed it in 2014.

A small plane crashed into the terrace of a residential building in western Germany on Saturday and two people were killed, police said. The crash happened in Korschenbroich, near the city of Mönchengladbach and not far from the Dutch border. Four killed in US military-contracted plane crash in Philippines The plane hit the terrace of the building and a fire broke out. Police said two people died and one of them was probably the plane's pilot, German news agency dpa reported. It wasn't immediately clear whether the other person had been on the plane or on the ground. Officials had no immediate information on the cause of the crash.  

A Russian missile hit a front-line region in Ukraine on Saturday, killing a child and injuring another, a Ukrainian official said as uncertainty remains as to whether Kyiv diplomats will attend a new round of peace talks proposed by Moscow for early next week in Istanbul.  More than 200 Ukrainian POWs have died in Russian prisons Russian troops launched some 109 drones and five missiles across Ukraine overnight and into Saturday, the Ukrainian air force said. Three of the missiles and 42 drones were destroyed by air defenses, while another 30 drones failed to reach their targets without causing damage, it said. A 9-old girl was killed in a strike on the front-line village of Dolynka in the Zaporizhzhia region, and a 16-year-old was injured, Zaporizhzhia’s Gov. Ivan Fedorov said. “One house was destroyed. The shockwave from the blast also damaged several other houses, cars, and outbuildings,” Fedorov wrote on Telegram. Moscow did not comment on the latest attack. Meanwhile, 14 people were injured after Ukrainian drones struck apartment buildings on Saturday in the Russian town of Rylsk and the village of Artakovo in the western Kursk region, local acting Gov. Alexander Khinshtein said. Four children were among those injured in the two attacks, which also sparked several fires, he said. On Friday, Andrii Yermak, a top adviser to Ukraine's president said Kyiv was ready to resume direct peace talks with Russia in Istanbul on Monday but that the Kremlin should provide a promised memorandum setting out its position on ending the more than three-year war, before the two delegations sit down to negotiate. Speaking late Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia was “undermining diplomacy” by withholding the document. Russia and Ukraine swap hundreds more prisoners hours after a massive attack on Kyiv “For some reason, the Russians are concealing this document. This is an absolutely bizarre position. There is no clarity about the format,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram. Moscow previously said it would share its memorandum during the talks.

The French president met with his Indonesian counterpart on Wednesday as Emmanuel Macron continued his week-long trip to Southeast Asia focused on strengthening regional ties in an increasingly unstable global landscape. Macron and France's first lady Brigitte Macron arrived in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, on Tuesday evening for the second stop in his tour after Vietnam, where Macron signed a deal to sell Hanoi 20 Airbus planes. On arrival, Macron had warm words for Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, describing him as a brother and “a great friend of mine.” Military cooperation between Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest economy, and France grew in recent years, starting in 2019 when Subianto became defense minister. He and Macron met last November on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Brazil, where they discussed Indonesia’s plans to buy fighter jets and submarines from France.  French President Macron to make state visit to UK in July Indonesia finalized an order for 42 French Dassault Rafale fighter jets in January 2024, with the first delivery expected in early 2026. The Asian nation also announced the purchase of two French Scorpene Evolved submarines and 13 Thales ground control interception radars. Five of the radar systems are expected to be installed in Indonesia's new capital, Nusantara. Indonesian Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin told reporters after welcoming Macron that the visit is aimed at strengthening "defense cooperation between Indonesia and France,” On Wednesday, Subianto hosted the Macrons in a ceremony at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta before the two leaders went in for a bilateral meeting. Afterward, the two presidents oversaw the signing of more than a dozen agreements, including a letter of intent for Indonesia to purchase of strategic weapons systems, especially fighter planes and submarines. The developments "can open a new perspective with new orders for Rafales, Scorpènes, and light frigates, along with consolidated joint exercises,” Macron said at a joint news conference. Subianto said that France is one of Indonesia’s main partners “in the modernization of defense equipment, including in the development of the defense industry through joint production and technology transfer.” The two also discussed global issues, particularly the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. Indonesia is seeking to upgrade and modernize its arsenal and strengthen its domestic defense industry. Subianto crisscrossed the globe after becoming defense minister, traveling to China, France, Russia, Turkey and the United States in a bid to acquire new military weapon systems as well as surveillance and territorial defense capabilities.  Macron urges Gaza ceasefire during Cairo visit The Indonesian Air Force currently operates a mix of fighter jets made in various countries, including the United States, Russia and Britain. Some of those aircraft have reached or will soon reach their end-of-life phase and need to be replaced or upgraded. The two countries also signed agreements on trade, investment, energy, critical minerals and forestry. Macron was also to meet with ASEAN's Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn and speak at Jakarta State University. On Thursday, Macron and his wife are to visit Borobudur, a 9th century Buddhist temple in the center of Indonesia’s Java island, and a military academy before heading to Singapore, where the French leader will speak at Asia’s top defense conference, the annual Shangri-La Dialogue.