A fast-moving wildfire broke out close to the southern French city of Marseille on Tuesday, forcing the city’s airport to suspend all flights.
Some 168 firefighters, two helicopters and 68 engines were deployed to tackle the fire, which broke out in the town of Les Pennes-Mirabeau.
Around 350 hectares (865 acres) have been hit with no reports of casualties.
Pictures online showed flames racing down the hillside as plumes of smoke could be seen falling towards the city.
The prefecture urged people in the affected areas to stay indoors and off the roads.
With the fire approaching Marseille, the prefecture also advised residents in the northern area of the city to remain inside with doors and windows closed to prevent toxic smoke from entering their homes.
Marseille Provence Airport announced that the runway had been closed at around midday on Tuesday.
Several weeks of heatwaves combined with strong winds have increased the risk of wildfires in southern France, with several breaking out over the past couple of days. (ITV)
Ten people died across Kenya during anti-government demonstrations on Monday, a rights group said, following clashes between police and protesters in the capital Nairobi’s outskirts.
The Kenyan National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) also accused the police of cooperating with criminal gangs, as a heavy deployment of the security forces kept much of central Nairobi deserted ahead of the annual marches to mark Saba Saba Day.
Meaning Seven Seven, the demonstrations commemorate July 7, 1990, when Kenyans rose up to demand a return to multi-party democracy after years of autocratic rule by then-president Daniel arap Moi.
The KNCHR said in a statement it “had documented ten fatalities, twenty-nine injuries” across 17 counties, but did not provide any further details.
From around midday, AFP saw running battles with groups of anti-riot police who fired teargas at small gatherings, with some of the crowd throwing rocks at officers and engaging in destructive looting.
Young Kenyans, frustrated over economic stagnation, corruption and police brutality, are once again engaging in protests that last month degenerated into looting and violence, leaving dozens dead and thousands of businesses destroyed.
Protesters accuse the authorities of paying armed vandals to discredit their movement, while the government has compared June’s demonstrations to an “attempted coup”.
On Monday, the streets of central Nairobi were quiet after police mounted roadblocks on the main roads, restricting entry to areas that were the epicentre of previous rallies.
Many businesses were closed for the day.
“I have never witnessed the city centre like this,” security guard Edmond Khayimba, 29, told AFP.
While the centre remained deserted, groups gathered on the outskirts in the afternoon with AFP reporters witnessing two people wounded, as well as looting and vandalism.
Protesters on a major highway clashed with police blocking their entry into the city, with the small crowds chanting: “Ruto Must Go”, a popular rallying cry against President William Ruto, and “wantam” meaning “one term”.
Again, AFP saw looting and property destruction in the surrounding area.
In its statement, the KNCHR noted the presence of “criminal gangs wielding crude weapons, including whips, wooden clubs, machetes, spears, bows and arrows” during the protests in a number of counties. It said that in Nairobi, “these hooded gangs were seen operating alongside police officers”.
It also said it had documented 37 arrests.
In comments to AFP, the National Police Service (NPS) spokesperson said that the KNCHR statements “may lack factualness many times over”.
The spokesperson also reiterated that the NPS “would never work alongside individuals called ‘goons’ or criminal elements”, a reference to the armed men paid to disrupt demonstrations.
Kipchumba Murkomen, the interior cabinet secretary, said recent demonstrations had “been infiltrated by criminals out to cause chaos and destruction”.
In a statement on X, he said the looting and violence had been “markedly reduced” by the officers’ presence, but promised those responsible would be “investigated and charged”. (Punch)
President Donald Trump announced tariffs of 25 per cent on Japan and South Korea on Monday, stepping up pressure on the two key US allies and a dozen other economies to reach trade deals with Washington.
Trump issued similar letters to South Africa, Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos and Kazakhstan, saying he would slap duties on their products ranging from 25 per cent to 40 per cent.
The president had said at the weekend that, starting from Monday, he would send a first batch of letters to countries informing them that he would reimpose harsh levies earlier postponed in April.
In near-identically worded letters to Japanese and South Korean leaders, Trump said the tariff hikes came as their trading relationships with Washington were “unfortunately, far from Reciprocal.”
The tariffs set out in Trump’s latest letters are due to take effect on August 1. He warned of further escalation if the countries involved retaliated against the duties.
Currently, the affected countries have been hit with a 10 per cent levy Trump imposed on almost all trading partners.
But Trump said he was ready to lower the new levels if countries changed their trade policies: “We will, perhaps, consider an adjustment to this letter.”
Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Sunday that he “won’t easily compromise” in trade talks with Washington.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Monday that Trump would sign an order later in the day to delay his original July 9 deadline for steeper tariffs to take effect – postponing their imposition to August 1.
She added that besides Japan and South Korea, there would be approximately 12 other partners receiving letters from Trump soon.
With the deadline extension, Leavitt noted that Trump would set out the “reciprocal tariff rate” for partners in the coming month as negotiations continue.
Trump originally announced sweeping tariffs on world economies on what he called “Liberation Day” on April 2, claiming the United States was being “ripped off.”
Amid market turmoil, he then suspended the initial tariffs for 90 days, a deadline that would have expired Wednesday without the latest extension.
While the Trump administration had signalled hopes of striking dozens of deals by July – at one point boasting of “90 deals in 90 days”- there have been limited results so far.
Washington has unveiled pacts with only Britain and Vietnam, while the United States and China agreed to temporarily lower tariff levels on each other’s products that earlier reached three digits. (Punch)
Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has confirmed he will have a successor, putting to rest speculation over whether the 600-year-old institution will end when he dies.
In a video message keenly-awaited by his followers, he said only the trust that he founded could appoint his successor and “no-one else has any authority to interfere in this matter”.
According to Tibetan tradition, Dalai Lamas are “reincarnated” after they die. China annexed Tibet in 1950 and the current Dalai Lama lives in exile in India, making succession a highly contentious issue.
Beijing rejected the statement, saying his successor would be from inside China and must be approved by the government.
Hundreds of followers gathered on Wednesday to hear the long-awaited announcement in the Indian town of Dharamshala where the Dalai Lama lives.
The Dalai Lama Library and Archive centre, where the video message was broadcast, resembled a sea of maroon with monks from all over the world in attendance.
“I am affirming that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue,” the Dalai Lama’s statement said.
He reiterated that “the Gaden Phodrang Trust, the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama… should accordingly carry out the procedures of search and recognition in accordance with past tradition”.
Dharamshala is holding the Dalai Lama’s milestone 90th birthday celebrations which began on Monday – his birthday according to the Tibetan lunar calendar – and will conclude on 6 July, his official birthday.
Celebrations will be attended by more than 7,000 guests, including a number of Indian ministers. Hollywood actor Richard Gere, a long-time follower, is also taking part.
In the past, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism had been torn between whether to continue with the post of Dalai Lama or not. A few years ago, he said his successor might be a girl, or that there might be no successor at all.
But in recent years, he had also said that if there was widespread support among Tibetans-in-exile for the post – which there is – then it would continue and his office would choose a successor.
He has always insisted that his successor must be born outside China and his reiteration of the same on Wednesday did not go down well with Beijing.
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said that the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation must comply with Chinese laws and regulations as well as “religious rituals and historical conventions” and would need to be approved by Beijing.
Even though the Dalai Lama has always advocated a “middle way” to resolve the status of Tibet – genuine self-rule within China – Beijing regards him as a separatist. It says the standard of living of people in Tibet has greatly improved under its rule and denies suppressing their human rights and freedom of expression.
The Dalai Lama’s message “affirming that the continuation of the institution” has been welcomed by his followers.
Tsayang Gyatso, a 40-year-old businessman, said that for most Tibetans, the announcement is “a great relief and a moment of happiness”.
“I always had a belief that the reincarnation will come. But having heard it from His Holiness, I feel elated,” he told the BBC in Dharamshala.
Mr Gyatso, who had travelled from Delhi, said he felt “blessed to be here in person to witness His Holiness’s birthday”.
He said there was “a lot of propaganda from China on the appointment of the next Dalai Lama” which made him fear that the appointment process could be corrupted “but all that has been put to rest by His Holiness’s announcement”. (BBC)
Kyiv has warned that an interruption of US weapons shipments will encourage Russia to prolong the war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year.
On Tuesday the White House said it had cut off some weapons deliveries to Ukraine.
The decision was taken “to put America’s interests first” following a defence department review of US “military support and assistance to other countries”, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the two countries were now “clarifying all the details on supplies”, while the foreign ministry warned any delays “would only encourage the aggressor to continue war and terror, rather than seek peace”.
The ministry particularly emphasised the need for Kyiv to strengthen its air defences – as Russia continues to pummel the country with missiles and drones on a near-nightly basis.
A Kyiv-based US diplomat was invited to the foreign ministry for talks on Wednesday.
However, Ukraine’s defence ministry said it had not received any official notification from the US about the “suspension or revision” of the weapons deliveries, and urged people not to speculate on the basis of partial information.
But in a statement the defence ministry also said the path to ending the war was “through consistent and joint pressure on the aggressor”.
At the weekend Ukraine endured its biggest aerial attack since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, with more than 500 drones and ballistic and cruise missiles launched at its cities.
US officials did not immediately say which shipments were being halted.
According to American broadcaster NBC, the weapons being delayed could include Patriot interceptors, Howitzer munitions, missiles and grenade launchers.
The US has sent tens of billions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, leading some in the Trump administration to voice concerns that US stockpiles are too low.
The Kremlin, for its part, welcomed news of the reduction in weapons shipments, saying reducing the flow of weapons to Kyiv will help end the conflict faster.
“The fewer the number of weapons that are delivered to Ukraine, the closer the end of the special military operation,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Fedir Venislavskyi, an MP for Ukraine’s ruling party, said the decision was “painful, and against the background of the terrorist attacks which Russia commits against Ukraine… it’s a very unpleasant situation”.
A Ukrainian military source quoted by the AFP news agency said Kyiv was “seriously dependent on American arms supplies, although Europe is doing its best, but it will be difficult for us without American ammunition”.
Ukraine’s European allies have spent billions in military aid over the last three-and-a-half years.
However, military support for Kyiv is not endorsed by everyone on the political spectrum.
Czech President and former top Nato official, Petr Pavel, has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine – but he told BBC Russian he could “not guarantee” continued ammunition support for Kyiv, as that was dependent on the result of forthcoming Czech elections.
“I don’t know what will be the priorities of a new government,” he said.
The Pentagon’s move is based on concerns that US military stockpiles are falling too low, a source told CBS News, although Anna Kelly stressed “the strength of the United States Armed Forces remains unquestioned – just ask Iran”.
Separately, the US Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, Elbridge Colby, said in a statement the Pentagon “continues to provide the President with robust options to continue military aid to Ukraine”.
However, he added “the department is rigorously examining and adapting its approach to achieving this objective while also preserving US forces’ readiness for Administration defence priorities”.
The pause comes less than a week after President Donald Trump discussed air defences with Volodymyr Zelensky at the Nato summit in the Netherlands.
Trump said US officials “are going to see if we can make some of them available” when asked by the BBC about providing extra Patriot anti-missile systems to Ukraine.
Referring to his conversation with Zelensky, Trump said: “We had a little rough times sometimes, but he couldn’t have been nicer.”
The two had a heated confrontation in the Oval Office in February. Afterwards, Trump said he was pausing military aid to Ukraine that had been earmarked by the previous Biden administration. Intelligence sharing with Ukraine was also suspended. (BBC)
Israel has agreed to the “necessary conditions” to finalise a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, US President Donald Trump has said.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that during the proposed ceasefire the US would “work with all parties to end the War”.He did not provide details on what the ceasefire would entail.
“The Qataris and Egyptians, who have worked very hard to help bring Peace, will deliver this final proposal. I hope… that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better — IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE,” Trump wrote.
Israel has not confirmed it agreed to the conditions of a deal. A Hamas official told the BBC the group is “ready and serious” to reach an agreement if it ends the war.
Hamas is “prepared to agree to any proposal if the requirements for ending the war are clearly met or if they lead to its complete end,” said Taher al-Nunu.
Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar posted on X that there is majority support in the government “for a framework to release hostages,” and this opportunity “must not be missed.”
For Israel, the key component of any deal will have to be the release of most, if not all, hostages still being held in Gaza.
Of the 50 or so hostages remaining in captivity, more than 20 are still thought to be alive and their plight has been at the forefront of regular demonstrations in Israel calling for an end to the war.
A recent Israeli newspaper poll suggested that a significant majority of Israelis want the war to end – but polling on Wednesday, from the Israel Democracy Institute, also suggests that most Israelis still don’t trust Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, or his intentions.
Netanyahu has for months insisted on “complete victory” over Hamas before ending the war. It’s unclear if his position will now change under renewed pressure from Washington – and the answer could be pivotal to reaching a deal.
Trump’s announcement comes before a meeting with Netanyahu scheduled for next week, in which the US president has said he would be “very firm”.
He earlier said that he believed Netanyahu wanted to end hostilities in Gaza. “He wants to. I can tell you he wants to. I think we’ll have a deal next week,” Trump said.
Hamas has already indicated it would be willing to agree to a ceasefire if it led to the end of the war. But without that provision, Hamas negotiators might question the value of releasing all the hostages if the Israeli military is likely to resume bombing Gaza.
Another consideration before an agreement can be signed – perhaps while Netanyahu is in Washington next week – is Hamas’s demand for a partial Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza, at least for the duration of the ceasefire.
The international community is also likely to lobby hard for the resumption of full-scale UN-backed aid deliveries into Gaza.
Prior to Trump’s announcement, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon told the BBC Israel was “absolutely” ready for a ceasefire.
Speaking on the BBC News channel, Danon said that Hamas was “playing hardball”.
“We are putting pressure on Hamas, and if they will not come to the table, the only option we will have to bring back the hostages, is to apply more military pressure,” Danon said.
“The war will end when the hostages are back home,” he added.
Last week, a senior Hamas official told the BBC mediators have increased efforts to broker a new ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza, but that negotiations with Israel remain stalled. (BBC)
US media company Paramount Global has agreed to pay $16 million (£13.5m) to settle a legal dispute with US President Donald Trump regarding an interview it broadcast on CBS with former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Trump filed a lawsuit last October, alleging the network had deceptively edited an interview that aired on its 60 Minutes news programme with his presidential election rival Kamala Harris, to “tip the scales in favour of the Democratic party”.
Paramount said it would pay to settle the suit, but with the money allocated to Trump’s future presidential library, not paid to him “directly or indirectly”.
The company noted the settlement does not include a statement of apology or regret.
CBS, which is owned by Paramount, previously said the case was “completely without merit” and had asked a judge to dismiss it.
The settlement marks the latest concession by a US media company to a president who has targeted outlets over what he describes as false or misleading coverage.
According to the lawsuit filed in federal court in Texas, CBS aired two versions of the Harris interview in which she appeared to give different answers to the same question about the Israel-Gaza war.
Interviewer Bill Whitaker asked the Democratic nominee about the Biden administration’s relationship with Israel. The network later aired two different versions of her response, according to the claim.
One clip aired on Face the Nation and the other on 60 Minutes. Trump claimed Harris’s “word salad” answer had been deceptively edited in one version to shield her from backlash.
CBS said it edited Harris’s answer for time, in accordance with television news standards.
Trump sued, originally claiming for $10bn (£8.5bn) but that figure was later increased to $20bn ($17bn) for damages.
In May this year, the company offered $15m (12.7m) to settle the suit but Trump wanted more than $25m (£21m).
In a statement released on Tuesday, Paramount confirmed the settlement fee included the president’s legal fees, and that it had agreed that 60 Minutes will release transcripts of interviews with future presidential candidates.
According to both the Wall Street Journal and New York Times, the settlement was agreed – with the help of mediator – so as to not affect Paramount’s planned merger with Skydance Media, which the Federal Communications Commission has been reviewing and therefore Trump technically has the power to halt.
During the month-long settlement talks, some CBS News executives including chief executive Wendy McMahon have left their roles, due to their unwillingness to issue an apology to Trump.
There were also reportedly concerns over whether paying to settle the lawsuit could be viewed as bribing a public official.
A spokesman for Trump’s legal team said the settlement was “another win for the American people as he, once again, holds the Fake News media accountable for their wrongdoing and deceit.”
He added that CBS and Paramount “realised the strength of this historic case.”
CBS has said the broadcast was “not doctored or deceitful”.
The Paramount settlement follows a decision by Walt Disney-owned ABC News to settle a defamation case brought by Trump. (BBC)
Iran has said it launched an attack on United States forces at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, after Tehran said it would retaliate against the US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, with the Qatari authorities saying missiles were successfully intercepted.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officially confirmed on Monday that it launched a retaliatory missile attack targeting the Al Udeid base, Iran’s Tasnim news agency reports. Tasnim said the operation is called “Annunciation of Victory”.
US military officials said that Al Udeid Air Base was the only US military base targeted by Iran, according to the Reuters news agency. The official confirmed there was no impact on the base just outside Qatar’s capital, Doha. A US defence official added that “Al Udeid Air Base was attacked by short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles originating from Iran today”.
“At this time, there are no reports of US casualties. We are monitoring this situation closely and will provide more information as it becomes available,” the official said.
Following the attack, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a post X that “we have not violated anyone’s rights, and we will not under any circumstances accept any violation against us, nor will we surrender to anyone’s aggression; this is the logic of the Iranian nation.”
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi later added that the country is ready to respond again if the US takes any further action, according to a statement posted on Telegram.
United States President Donald Trump said Iran had “a very weak response” and thanked the country’s leadership for providing “early notice” of the retaliatory attack.
“I am pleased to report that NO Americans were harmed, and hardly any damage was done,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
“Most importantly, they’ve gotten it all out of their ‘system,’ and there will, hopefully, be no further HATE. I want to thank Iran for giving us early notice, which made it possible for no lives to be lost, and nobody to be injured.”
Flares were visible over Qatar’s capital, Doha, on Monday. It was initially not immediately known if this was the air defence system or missiles.
Loud explosions were also heard, although so far no injuries have been reported. Qatar’s Ministry of Defence says its air defence systems successfully intercepted missiles targeting Al Udeid Air Base.
In a statement, the ministry said the incident resulted in no deaths or injuries, crediting “the vigilance of the armed forces and precautionary measures taken”.
Qatar has confirmed that a total of 19 missiles were fired from Iran. It added that only one of those hit Al Udeid Air Base but caused no casualties. (AlJazeera)
A man who is accused of killing a Democratic state lawmaker and her husband, and injuring another state lawmaker and his wife, allegedly attempted to kill two other state lawmakers, Minnesota officials said on Monday.
Vance Luther Boelter, 57, who is charged with fatally shooting Melissa Hortman, a Minnesota Democrat, and her husband, Mark, visited the homes of three other state lawmakers in “truly chilling” attacks, US Attorney Joseph H Thompson said.
Mr Boelter, who police said researched the victims and their families beforehand, allegedly had planned for a larger scale attack, which police thwarted.
He appeared in court on Monday afternoon to face six federal charges, and possibly the death penalty, if he is found guilty.
Mr Boelter was wearing an orange jumpsuit when he arrived in court in St. Paul on Monday afternoon. He said he cannot afford a lawyer and will have a federal defence lawyer.
At the brief hearing, Mr Boelter said he has seven cars, $20,000-30,000 in savings and makes about $540 per week.
At a press conference on Monday officials walked through the early hours of Saturday morning in the suburbs of Minneapolis when the Hortmans were killed, and John Hoffman, a Minnesota state senator, and his wife, Yvette Hoffman, were shot multiple times.
They also announced that Mr Boelter faces six federal charges, some of which make him eligible for the death penalty. At the federal level, he faces two counts of stalking, two counts of murder, and two firearms-related charges.
Separately, at the state level Mr Boelter is charged with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder at the state level.
Thompson said that Mr Boelter arrived at the Hoffman home disguised as a police officer in a large black car with emergency lights on the vehicle. Mr Boelter was wearing a “hyper realistic silicon mask” when he rang the doorbell and shouted “this is the police, open the door”.
Thompson said authorities have a clear picture of what happened because the Hoffmans have a security camera outside their front door.
When the Hoffmans opened the door, Mr Boelter shined a flashlight at the couple. Mr Boelter told the couple there was a shooting reported in the house and lowered his flashlight, Thompson said. The couple then realized he was not a police officer.
After they attempted to push him out, he allegedly fired at the couple multiple times, Thompson said, then fled the scene and the couple’s daughter Hope called 911.
Yvette Hoffman was shot eight times and John Hoffman was shot nine times. Both remain in hospital, though Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has said they are expected to make a full recovery.
After allegedly shooting the Hoffmans, Mr Boelter drove to another state representative’s home and rang the doorbell there, Thompson said.
That state representative was not home, Thompson said, noting that she and her family were on vacation. Authorities did not reveal her name.
He then drove to a third lawmaker’s home, allegedly targeting them, Thompson said. Officials did not reveal the name of that state lawmaker, either. (BBC)
MI6 will be led by a woman for the first time in the foreign intelligence service’s 116-year history.
Blaise Metreweli, who joined the Secret Intelligence Service in 1999, will become the 18th chief of the organisation and take over from Sir Richard Moore later this year.
She is currently responsible for technology and innovation at the service and said she was “proud and honoured” to have been asked to lead.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called the appointment “historic” at a time “when the work of our intelligence services has never been more vital”.
MI6 is tasked with gathering intelligence overseas to improve the UK’s security, with its core aims being to stop terrorism, disrupt the activities of hostile states and bolster cyber-security.
Its chief, commonly referred to as “C”, is the only publicly named member of the service.
Ms Metreweli, 47, is currently Director General “Q” – head of the crucial technology and innovation division that aims to keep the identities of secret agents secret, and come up with new ways to evade adversaries like China’s biometric surveillance.
“MI6 plays a vital role – with MI5 and GCHQ – in keeping the British people safe and promoting UK interests overseas,” she said.
“I look forward to continuing that work alongside the brave officers and agents of MI6 and our many international partners.”
Ms Metreweli, who studied anthropology at the University of Cambridge, has previously held director level roles in MI5 – MI6’s sister, domestic security agency – and spent most of her career working in the Middle East and Europe.
On the King’s overseas and international birthday honours list in 2024, she received the Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) for her services to British foreign policy.
Speaking to the Telegraph in December 2021 when she was at MI5, under the pseudonym of “Director K”, Ms Metreweli said threats to UK national security “really are diverse”.
“The threats we are looking at primarily exist around protecting government, protecting secrets, protecting our people – so counter-assassination – protecting our economy, sensitive technology and critical knowledge,” she said.
She added that “Russian state activity – not Russia itself – remains a threat” and that China was “changing the way the world is and that presents amazing opportunities and threats for the UK”. (BBC)
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