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Russian news agencies reported that Russia had handed Ukraine 1,200 more bodies of war dead.
Russian state media reported that Russia handed Ukraine 1,200 more bodies of Ukrainian soldiers who died in the war on Sunday. Moscow, they said, had not received any Russian corpses in return. Both Russian state-run news agencies TASS (Russian) and RIA (Russian) reported the transfer, citing a source that was not named. This is the fourth of a series in which remains of soldiers have been handed over in the last week. The agreement was reached by Russia and Ukraine during talks held in Istanbul at the beginning of this month. Kyiv agreed to hand over 6,000 bodies, and exchange prisoners of war who were severely wounded or sick. They also agreed to swap those under 25 years old and prisoners who were seriously injured. Russia has handed the bodies of almost 5,000 Ukrainian military personnel to Ukraine, but only received 27 Russians in return. Ukraine and Russia have exchanged POWs three times, but they have not revealed the exact number. Reporting by Felix Light, Editing by Andrew Osborn
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Russia claims to have struck a refinery which supplies fuel to the Ukrainian army
The Russian defence ministry announced on Sunday that Russian forces had carried out a nighttime strike on the Kremenchuk Oil Refinery, which supplies fuel to Ukrainian troops in the Donbas area. In a statement, the ministry said that missiles fired from sea and air were used to attack the refinery located in Ukraine's Poltava Region. Strike drones also appeared in this successful attack. The Russian report on the battlefield was not verified and the Ukrainians did not immediately comment. Russia claims Ukraine's eastern Donbas as its own, and controls the majority of Donetsk and Luhansk. Ukraine has said that it will use a mix of diplomacy and force to regain territory lost to Russia in the Donbas region. Separately, the Russian Defence Ministry announced that its forces had taken over the village of Malynivka located in the Donetsk Region (known in Russia as Ulyanovka). The Russian military also claimed that its forces had penetrated deep into the enemy's defences in Ukraine’s Sumy region, and suffered heavy losses against Ukrainian units. Sumy isn't one of the areas Russia has claimed as its territory, but they have spoken of creating an area there. The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced on Saturday that Ukrainian troops had recaptured Andriivka in northeastern Sumy, as part of an effort to expel Russians from the area. He claims that Russia has 53,000 troops near the area. Reporting by Andrew Osborn/Felix Light, Editing by Jan Harvey & David Goodwin
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G7 leaders gather in Canada to avoid Trump clash
The Group of Seven Leaders will gather in the Canadian Rockies on Sunday, amid a growing divide with the United States regarding foreign policy and commerce. Canada is trying to avoid clashes between President Trump and the host country. The conflicts in the Middle East, Ukraine and U.S. Tariffs are likely to be prominently discussed. Israel, an ally of the United States, launched a barrage on Iran's borders on Thursday. This was a blow for Trump's diplomatic efforts in preventing such an attack. The summit will be held in Kananaskis Mountain Resort, about 90 km (56 mi) west of Calgary. Last time Canada hosted the summit, Trump left before he had denounced Justin Trudeau at the time as "very dishonest" and "weak". He also instructed the U.S. delegation to withdraw their approval of the final communiqué. This will be a success meeting if Donald Trump does not have a ruckus that disrupts everyone. "Anything above that is gravy", said Roland Paris, professor of international affairs at the University of Ottawa and former Trudeau's foreign policy advisor. Trump has frequently mused on annexing Canada. He arrives as Carney threatens retaliation if Washington doesn't lift the tariffs on aluminum and steel. The best-case scenario is that no major problems will arise in the future, said Josh Lipsky. He was a former White House official and State Department official and chair of the Atlantic Council's international economics department. Carney's Office declined to comment on the impact of the Israeli strikes on the summit. NO JOINT CONMUNIQUE Diplomats say Canada is no longer interested in the traditional joint communique, and will instead issue brief chair summaries to contain a crisis and maintain engagement with the U.S. Senior Canadian officials told reporters Ottawa was interested in actions that the seven countries - Canada France Germany Italy Japan United Kingdom and United States could take together. Canadian Senator Peter Boehm said that he was told the summit would be longer than usual in order to allow time for bilateral meetings between the U.S. President and Canadian senator. Among the expected guests at parts of Sunday's event are leaders from Ukraine and Mexico, as well as India, Australia, South Africa South Korea, Brazil and South Korea. Boehm told Boehm by phone that "many will want the opportunity to speak to President Trump regarding their particular concerns and interests." On Friday, a senior U.S. government official stated that the working discussions will cover trade, global economics, vital minerals, drug and migrant smuggling as well as wildfires. Other topics include international security, artificial intelligent, energy security and security of natural resources. The official stated that "the president is eagerly pursuing his goals in these areas, including making America's trading relationships fair and reciprocal." The visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in the Oval Office, in February, descended into bitterness and served as a warning to other world leaders on the delicate dance that they will have to perform in order for them negotiate with Trump. Diplomats have said that the frustration they feel in dealing with Trump's administration has made them more assertive. Canada has been one of Ukraine’s loudest supporters for a long time. Trump promised to end the Russian war within 24 hours when he came to power, but diplomatic efforts have failed to resolve the conflict. A Ukrainian official who was involved in the preparations for this summit stated that hope for a strong support for Ukraine had dwindled. Success for Kyiv will be a meeting between Trump Zelenskiy. An official from Europe said that the G7 Summit and the NATO Summit in The Hague in later June offered an opportunity for Trump to be reminded of the importance of pushing forward with the sanctions bill drafted by U.S. Senators, along with a new European package designed to pressure Russia to a ceasefire or broader discussions. Early Test Max Bergmann is a director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He said that Trump's first summit with foreign leaders will give some early clues as to whether Trump wants to work with allies in order solve problems. The big question is: Are the United States still committed towards formats such as the G7 format? Bergmann stated that the test will be "the big one". Emmanuel Macron, the French president, has stated that he enjoys a good relationship with Trump despite their differences in regards to Ukraine and climate change. Macron announced on Friday the postponement of a United Nations Conference co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia to discuss a two state solution between Israel, and the Palestinians. The conference was scheduled for after the G7.
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Foreign Minister: Iran will not expand conflict with Israel but will defend itself
Abbas Araqchi, the Foreign Minister of Iran, said that Iran did not want to see its conflict with Israel spread to its neighbouring countries, unless it was forced. He added that its response to Israel had been in self-defence. Araqchi stated that Tehran was responding to an aggression from abroad, and if the aggression stopped, Iranian responses would cease. The Foreign Minister said that the Israeli attacks on the South Pars offshore gas field Iran and Qatar share were "a blatant act of aggression" He said that dragging the conflict into the Persian Gulf was a strategic error, with the aim of dragging the war outside Iranian territory. Israel, according to the foreign minister, was trying to sabotage Iran-U.S. Nuclear Talks. He said that this could have led to an agreement. Tehran was scheduled to make a proposal on Sunday, during the sixth round of negotiations that were cancelled due to recent tensions. Araqchi stated that Tehran did not believe American claims that Washington was not involved in recent attacks. It is important for the United States not to support Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities, if they wish to demonstrate their good will." (Reporting and editing by Dubai Newsroom)
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Yemen's Houthis launch ballistic missiles at Israel in coordination with Iran
Yemen's Iran aligned Houthis announced on Sunday that they were targeting Israel in coordination and coordination with Iran. This is the first time a group with an Iran alignment has publicly announced a joint attack with Tehran. In a recent televised speech, Yehya Saarea, the military spokesperson said that the Yemeni group had targeted central Israel's Jaffa in the past 24 hours with a number of ballistic missiles. He added: "This operation was coordinated along with the Iranian army's operations against the criminal Israeli enemies." Earlier, the Israeli military said that sirens had been activated in various areas of the country in response to missile launches from Iran or Yemen. Israel and Iran have continued to trade missiles since Israel's biggest ever military strike on its long-standing enemy, Iran, was launched last Friday. Israel attacked Iran on the same day. Israel A missile launched by Yemen in the direction of Israel landed in Hebron, in the West Bank occupied. However, the Yemeni group did not claim responsibility. Since Hamas's attack on Israel in October 2023, the Houthis have launched attacks against Israel. Most of these have been intercepted. They claim to be supporting Palestinians in Gaza in the war between Israel and Hamas. Israel has conducted a number of Retaliatory strikes In 2018, the U.S. launched intensified attacks against the Houthis, but President Donald Trump stopped the offensive when the Houthis agreed not to attack American ships. (Reporting and editing by William Mallard, Raju Gopalakrishnan and Jaidaa Taka)
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Macron visits Greenland as a sign of European resolve following Trump's annexation threat
French President Emmanuel Macron is visiting Greenland this Sunday in a show to Denmark of solidarity, and to send a message of European resolve following the threat by Donald Trump to seize control of the island. Greenland is an autonomous part of Denmark, with the right to declare its independence. Greenland's and Denmark's governments both say that it is not up for sale, and only Greenlanders have the right to decide their own future. Donald Trump said that he wanted the United States take over the strategically located, mineral-rich Arctic island. He hasn't ruled out using force. In March, JDVance, his vice president, visited an American military base on the island. Macron was invited to Greenland by the Prime Ministers of Greenland, and Denmark. He is the first foreign leader since Trump's explicit threat to "get" Greenland. He said that his visit was to stop any "preying" of the territory. France has been with us ever since the first comments about taking our land were made. The support from France is both needed and appreciated," Greenland Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen wrote days before Macron's arrival on Facebook. A Macron adviser told reporters that the trip was a message in and of itself, without mentioning Trump. A poll conducted by IFOP for NYC.eu on Saturday found that 77% of French people and 56% Americans oppose an annexation of Greenland to the U.S., while 43% of French people would support using French military force to stop an invasion. Macron will also visit Nuuk's capital, a hydropower plant funded by the EU, and a glacier. He will also discuss Arctic security with his hosts and the climate change. Greenland, though Denmark is a member of the EU, is not. The French advisor said that the visit would be an opportunity to discuss ways to give Greenland’s association partnership with EU a “new dimension". Mette Frederiksen, the Danish Prime Minister, made several trips to Paris following Trump's threats of seeking French and European support. She has also placed orders for French surface-to air missiles in an effort to shift focus to Copenhagen. Florian Vidal, a think tank in Paris called IFRI, said that Denmark's decision to enlist the EU's sole nuclear power was a way of projecting a hard power against a suddenly aggressive United States. He said that the Trump administration's aggressiveness is a shock, which makes the French vision of Europe more autonomous and reasonable to Denmark. From a Nordic perspective, France is an important military power. Reporting by Michel Rose and Stine Jacobsen, both in Paris; with additional reporting from Andreas Rinke, in Berlin.
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Putin calls Trump and condemns Israel's attacks on Iran.
The Kremlin reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin spent 50 minutes Saturday with U.S. Donald Trump, in which he condemned the Israeli military action against Iran, and expressed concern over the risk of an escalation. "Vladimir Putin has condemned Israel's military action against Iran, and expressed grave concern over a possible escalation in conflict that could have unpredictable consequences on the Middle East as a whole," Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said to reporters. Ushakov said that Trump described the events in the Middle East, as "very alarming". Ushakov reported that the two leaders did not rule out returning to the negotiation track over Iran's nuclear program. Ushakov stated that U.S. negotiators are ready to continue talks with Iranian officials, with Oman acting as a mediator. The latest round scheduled for Sunday, Oman has been cancelled. According to the Kremlin's aide, Putin told Trump Russia was committed to the proposals made by Trump for easing tensions and resolving issues related Iran's nuclear program. Ushakov stated that "the Russian president reminded that before the current increase in tension, our side had proposed tangible steps intended to reach mutually acceptable agreements when talks took place between U.S. representatives and Iranian representatives regarding the Iranian nuclear program." "Russia's approach to a solution and its interest in it remain unchanged, and as Vladimir Putin said, we will act on the basis of this." According to the state news agency RIA, Putin informed the U.S. president that Russia is ready to continue its negotiations with Ukraine after June 22. The Kremlin's aide stated that Trump expressed his desire to "end the Russia-Ukraine crisis as quickly as possible." Ushakov said the presidents also expressed satisfaction at their "personal relations, which allowed them to speak with a businesslike manner and seek solutions to bilateral or international issues, no matter how complex these issues may be." Putin congratulated Trump for his 79th birthday. (Reporting and writing by Lucy Papachristou, Ron Popeski and Nick Zieminski; editing and reviewing by Diane Craft and Nick Zieminski).
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Tennis-Battling mertens saves eleven match points to reach Den Bosch Final
Elise Mertens, the third seeded Belgian, saved 11 match points to beat Ekaterina Alexova (2-6 7-6(7) 6-1), a two-time champion. She will now face Elena-Gabriela Ruse in Saturday's Libema Open Final at Den Bosch. Mertens lost the first set and fell behind 5-3 in the second. She fought back to force the tiebreak, before beating the Russian second seed. Alexandrova was aiming for her third title after winning in 2022 & 2023. Mertens: "I lost track after the first one, I didn't know there were 11. "I was focused on the game and I liked that. I just kept going." "It was difficult, she started well and won 6-2, 5-3." I stayed focused on the game, and I gave it my all. Alexandrova has won the only previous match in Den Bosch in 2019. She has also reached the quarter-finals in the last five editions. Mertens has the opportunity to win her second title in this year after winning in Singapore in February. Mertens will face Romanian qualifier Ruse, who won the second set after losing the first one. She defeated Italian Elisabetta cocciaretto by 2-6 6-4. Mertens won the three previous encounters with Ruse. Trevor Stynes reported the story, Pritha Sakar edited it.
Amnesty International reports that gunmen have killed at least 100 people across Nigeria's Benue State.
Amnesty International Nigeria reported Saturday that at least 100 people were killed by gunmen in an attack on a village located in central Benue, Nigeria.
In a social media post, the group said that the attack occurred from late Friday night into early Saturday morning in the village Yelewata.
The post added: "Many are still missing...dozen injured and without adequate medical treatment." The post said that "many families were burned in their bedrooms."
Benue lies in Nigeria's Middle Belt. This is a region that connects the predominantly Muslim North with the largely Christian South.
Land use is a major issue in the region. There are conflicts between farmers and herders who compete for arable land to cultivate. The tensions between ethnic groups and religions can often exacerbate them.
In a series weekend attacks in the Gwer West district of central Benue, Nigeria, last month at least 42 people died after being shot by suspected herders.
According to SBM Intelligence, since 2019, more than 500 people have died in the conflict and 2.2 million others were forced to flee their homes. (Reporting and editing by Franklin Paul in Bengaluru. Reporting by Surbhi Misra from Bengaluru)
(source: Reuters)