Ukrainian officials said Russian air attacks overnight on Saturday killed at least two people in the western city of Chernivtsi and wounded 38 others across Ukraine.
The raids also damaged civilian infrastructure from Kharkiv and Sumy in the northeast to Lviv, Lutsk and Chernivtsi in the west.
The Russian Ministry of Defence said it attacked companies in Ukraine’s military-industrial complex in Lviv, Kharkiv and Lutsk, as well as a military aerodrome.
The United Nations Human Rights monitoring mission in Ukraine said that June saw the highest monthly civilian casualties in three years, with 232 people killed and 1,343 injured.
In Russia, a man was killed in the Belgorod region after a shell struck a private house, according to Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.
Politics and diplomacy
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told visiting Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov that his country was ready to “unconditionally support” all actions taken by Moscow in Ukraine.
Earlier, Lavrov held talks with his North Korean counterpart, Choe Son Hui, in Wonsan, and they issued a joint statement pledging support to safeguard the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of each other’s countries, according to North Korean state media.
Lavrov also warned the United States, South Korea and Japan against forming “alliances directed against anyone, including North Korea and, of course, Russia”.
Slovakia’s prime minister, Robert Fico, said his government hoped to reach an agreement with the European Union and its partners on guarantees that Slovakia would not suffer from the end of Russian gas supplies by Tuesday. Slovakia has been blocking the EU’s 18th sanctions package on Russia over its disagreement with a proposal to end all imports of Russian gas from 2028. Slovakia, which gets the majority of its gas from Russian supplier Gazprom under a long-term deal valid until 2034, argues the move could cause shortages, a rise in prices and transit fees, and lead to damage claims.
Russia blamed Western sanctions for the collapse of its agreement with the UN to facilitate exports of Russian food and fertilisers. The three-year agreement was signed in 2022 in a bid to rein in global food prices.
Weapons
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv was “close to reaching a multilevel agreement” with the US “on new Patriot systems and missiles for them”. Ukraine was stepping up production of its own interceptor systems, he added.
Donald Trump will on Sunday showcase his unexpected attachment to a sport in which “America First” remains a dream, for now.
The US president is attending the final of the newly expanded FIFA Club World Cup in his latest use of the beautiful game as a soft power political weapon.
His appearance at the MetLife stadium in New Jersey, where Paris Saint-Germain face Chelsea, is very much a trial run for the World Cup final, which will take place in the same stadium next year.
Trump has made it clear he sees both tournaments, as well as the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, as showpieces for what he calls the “Golden Age of America” during his second term.
The billionaire Republican’s close friendship with FIFA president Gianni Infantino, a frequent visitor to the White House, is also a factor in his appearance.
Trump has kept the Club World Cup trophy next to his desk in the Oval Office since Infantino dropped by in March.
But Trump’s embrace of football, or soccer as he would say, is also personal.
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The president’s 19-year-old son Barron is a fan, as Infantino pointed out in a press conference at FIFA’s new office in Trump Tower in New York on Saturday.
Asked if Trump liked the game, Infantino replied: “Well I think he does. In his first term as president of the United States there was a soccer goal in the garden of the White House.
“He then explained to me that his son loved football, and that he loved the game. And of course when you are a parent, you love what your children love, so I think that he loves it.”
As a student at the New York Military Academy, Trump himself also reportedly played the game for a season.
‘Go home’
Trump’s apparent fondness for football may seem unusual for a country where, despite growing popularity, the sport still lags behind American football, basketball and baseball.
The former reality TV star has, however, always had an eye for popularity, power and influence. And football in its own way brings all three.
Trump pointed out when Infantino visited the White House in March that the United States won the right to host the 2026 World Cup in 2018, during his first term as president.
He said he was “so sad” because he assumed he would not be president when the tournament came around — but his 2020 election loss meant that he would after all.
The FIFA Club World Cup has meanwhile proved more successful than its critics predicted, with around 2.5 million people attending games across the country and some gripping games.
Infantino, who is no stranger to dealing with hard-nosed leaders around the world, thanked Trump for his support on Saturday.
He said Trump “embraced immediately the importance of the FIFA Club World Cup, and of course of the World Cup next year.”
Infantino also joked that Trump “certainly loves as well the trophy” — whose gold-plated curves match the gilded makeover that the president has given the Oval Office.
But in typical form Trump has also mixed political controversy with his football fandom.
Hosting Italian side Juventus in the Oval Office in June, he delivered a diatribe on transgender people in sports before asking the players: “Could a woman make your team, fellas?”
Most of the players looked bemused before Juventus general manager Damien Comolli replied: “We have a very good women’s team.”
“He’s being very diplomatic,” said Trump.
Trump’s hardline immigration crackdown — part of his “America First” policy — has meanwhile sparked fears that football fans will be discouraged from coming to the United States.
In May, Vice President JD Vance said that 2026 World Cup fans were “welcome to come… but when the time is up they will have to go home.”
Jennifer hasn’t publicly dated anyone since her 2018 divorce from Justin Theroux, but was spotted over the 4th of July weekend alongside hypnotist and wellness coach Jim Curtis
Jennifer hasn’t publicly dated anyone since her 2018 divorce from Justin Theroux(Image: Variety via Getty Images)
Jennifer Aniston’s new boyfriend hid an embarrassing secret about his health for years and things got so bad it caused him to feel “depressed”.
The actress, who hasn’t publicly dated anyone since her 2018 divorce from Justin Theroux, was spotted over the 4th of July weekend alongside hypnotist and wellness coach Jim Curtis and her longtime friends Jason Bateman and Amanda Anka.
Jim may be a new face to Hollywood fans, but he’s well-established in the wellness world. On his official website, he describes himself as a “wellness pioneer, author, and hypnotist.” But over the years he has battled his own health issues.
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So far, neither Aniston nor Curtis has commented on their relationship.(Image: Jae C. Hong/Invision/AP)
Jim, 49, says he suffered from acute irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) due to a chronic health condition and confessed that “accidents happened a lot. In a 2018 interview, Jim said he kept his illness secret from colleagues and instead told them he was in a motorcycle accident.
Jim told Fast Company magazine in 2018: “Up until 10 years ago, I had IBS, and accidents happened a lot. As a salesperson on the road a lot, I would have to walk through major airports literally for a couple miles; I didn’t want to wait for a wheelchair and trip and fall and be so sweaty.
“I was doing that and not talking about it and pushing through. When something terrible happened–which it did–I would go into disaster mode or go home and take care of it and go back to work for another day.”
Jim revealed that his health troubles began as a teenager, when he started to lose the use of his legs and found lesions on his spinal cord. Things got so bad, he said, that at one point he “wanted to die.” He suffered pain, headaches, muscle spasticity, and paralysis but top neurologists couldn’t figure out what was wrong.
He said things got worse after college, when he started a job on Wall Street. He told Fast Company: “Wall Street comes with a lot of macho ego. It couldn’t have been a worse choice. I had to stand up in a crowd all day. It was super high-stress, which is inflammatory and devastating for a condition like mine.
“It increased symptoms of fatigue and pain, and it brought on new ones like IBS and other things I couldn’t control. I was walking with a limp and I didn’t want to get into the “why.” So for most of the time I lied. I said I’d been in an accident–often it was motorcycle accident–because that fit perfectly, that’s kinda cool and that’s tough enough.”
Jennifer was seen holidaying recently with Jim Curtis
He explained how he hid his condition from employers and colleagues for years and said he was “depressed” from the the embarrassing consequences caused by the crippling IBS, reports MailOnline.
IBS is a common condition that affects the digestive system. It can cause stomach cramps, bloating and diarrhoea. It’s usually a lifelong condition but lifestyle changes and medicine can help. The exact cause is unknown – it’s been linked to things like food passing through your gut too quickly or too slowly, gastroenteritis, oversensitivity in your gut, stress and a family history of IBS.
There’s no test for IBS, but you might need some tests to rule out other possible causes of your symptoms. The GP may arrange a blood test to check for problems like coeliac diseas or other tests on a sample of your poo to check for infections and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Wimbledon, United Kingdom – Expectations will run high, and so will the temperatures in southwest London, when Carlos Alcaraz steps on Centre Court to defend his Wimbledon title against Jannik Sinner on Sunday.
The next instalment of an enthralling rivalry between the top two players in men’s tennis will come under the limelight once again at one of the biggest stages in the game – the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club – on a hot afternoon in the United Kingdom’s capital.
Two-time Wimbledon champion Alcaraz expects to be pushed to the limit by world number one Sinner in a meeting that has already drawn comparisons with the great Wimbledon finals of the modern era.
“I expect to be on the limit, to be on the line [in the final],” Alcaraz said while speaking to the media moments after Sinner’s near-faultless semifinal 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 win over Novak Djokovic on Friday.
A few hours earlier, the Spaniard had booked a spot in his third consecutive Wimbledon final with a resilient performance against Taylor Fritz, which brought him a 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (8-6) win.
It will be the 13th on-court meeting between the two, and their second Grand Slam final in the space of five weeks.
Their duel in the French Open final lasted five hours and 29 minutes and added fuel to the fiery-yet-friendly rivalry between the young tennis stars.
🚨 THE REMATCH IS HAPPENING 🚨@janniksin will face @carlosalcaraz in the Wimbledon final on Sunday!@Wimbledon | #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/JedFZHXoZL
A French Open final repeat on the cards?
Alcaraz knows his opponent all too well and expects nothing short of another spectacle.
“Whatever Jannik has is because he has learned from everything – he just gets better after every match, every day,” Alcaraz said of the top seed.
The Spaniard said he expected Sinner to be in better shape mentally and physically for the Wimbledon final, but that he was not looking forward to another hours-long match.
“I just hope not to be five and a half hours on court again. But if I have to, I will.”
Meanwhile, Sinner – the tall, stoic and speedy Italian who stands between Alcaraz and a chance to become only the fifth man to win three straight Wimbledon titles – believes beating the holder will be “very tough”.
“I’m very happy to share the court with Carlos once again. It’s going to be difficult, I know that,” Sinner said on Friday.
The Australian Open champion said he loves playing Grand Slam finals – Sunday’s will be his fifth in two years.
“I always try to put myself in these kinds of situations that I really love. Sundays at every tournament are very special.”
The 23-year-old from northern Italy termed Alcaraz as the favourite, given his record at the tournament and on grass courts.
“He is the favourite. He won here the last two times. He’s again in the final. It’s very tough to beat him on grass, but I like these challenges.”
Alcaraz and Sinner after their epic French Open final [File: Susan Mullane/Imagn Images via Reuters]
‘Fire vs ice’
Out of the 12 occasions that both players have met, four have been at Grand Slams, but this is only their second meeting in the final.
The pair’s only other meeting at Wimbledon came in the fourth round in 2022, when Sinner won 6-1, 6-4, 6-7 (6-8), 6-3. Alcaraz, however, brushed aside the reference by saying that both men are changed players from what they were three years ago.
“We’re completely different players on grass and on all surfaces.”
The 22-year-old from Murcia, in southeastern Spain, will be buoyed by his 5-0 record against Sinner in the past two years.
Despite Alcaraz’s success against his nemesis, it is Sinner who has consistently topped the men’s rankings by racking up regular wins and points on the ATP circuit.
All things considered, there is not much that separates the two ahead of their highly anticipated match.
Just ask Djokovic.
While the 24-time Grand Slam champion picked Alcaraz due to his past success at Wimbledon, Djokovic predicted “a very close match-up, like they had in Paris” when asked to choose a winner.
“I think I will give a slight edge to Carlos because of the two titles he’s won here and the way he’s playing and the confidence he has right now, but it’s just a slight advantage, because Jannik is hitting the ball extremely well.”
It is not just their contrasting styles of play – Sinner relies on his baseline game and shot speed, while Alcaraz likes to cover the court with his nimble footwork and excellent coverage – but also their on-court personalities that set the two apart while making them an engaging pair to watch.
Before the French Open final, Alcaraz said in an interview that a “fire vs ice” analogy fits them perfectly.
“I guess you can say I am like fire because of the way I react on court and show emotions, while Jannik remains calm,” the Spaniard said with his trademark smile.
Alcaraz is never shy of showing his emotions on court [File: Stephanie Lecocq/Reuters]
In the shadow of the greats
For the fans, though, the pair offer another chance to pick sides and look forward to tennis tournaments that could pit the two against each other.
“It’s a dream final,” Catherine Shaw, a tennis fan who watched both the men’s semifinals on Centre Court, told Al Jazeera.
“They are the next big thing when it comes to tennis rivalries, so it’s exciting times for tennis fans.”
Stepping out in the shadows of some of the greatest players and rivals – Stefan Edberg vs Ivan Lendl, Bjorn Borg vs John McEnroe, Andre Agassi vs Pete Sampras and Rafael Nadal vs Roger Federer – the young players will have big shoes to fill.
Both are aware of the weight their match-up carries but refuse to be compared with their heroes just yet.
“I think the things that we are doing right now are great for tennis,” Alcaraz said ahead of the final.
“We just fight to engage more people to watch tennis. We’re fighting for tennis to be bigger, as all the tennis players are doing.
“For me, it’s sharing the big tournaments with Jannik, or just playing in the finals of the tournaments… We’re still really young.
“I hope to keep doing the right things for the next five to 10 years, so our rivalry is on the same table as those players.”
Sinner and Alcaraz will meet again on the iconic Centre Court at Wimbledon after their meeting in 2022 [File: Hannah Mckay/Reuters]
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Ffion Wynne
BBC Sport Journalist
It is unlikely that anybody with an interest in England’s post-Ashes rebuild – players, fans and the media alike – thought it would be straightforward.
And while losing a series 3-2 may not look emphatic, England’s first T20 series defeat at home by India has presented Charlotte Edwards and her side with a stark reality.
India’s three wins were utterly dominant – by 97 runs, 24 runs and six wickets.
Both of England’s were nervy encounters won from the last ball after almost squandering winning positions.
An impressive fightback at The Oval in the third match meant they kept the series alive. But the win at Edgbaston in the fifth counted for very little – the series was already gone. Once again, they put in a performance when there was not as much pressure on the line.
The 50-over World Cup is looming, beginning in India at the end of September, but in the shorter format, Edwards has often spoken of England’s “journey” to the home T20 tournament next year.
“We’ve still got a long way to go, I’m under no illusions about that,” said Edwards after England’s thrilling win at Edgbaston, but also expressed confidence in her side with a punchy challenge.
Another often-repeated phrase from Edwards has been that England are a “team in transition”.
Frankly, this argument does not stack up.
Yes, there is new leadership, and Edwards is trying to instil a little more smartness into England after they lost their way under Jon Lewis, whose mantra of “inspire and entertain” brought a struggle for clarity.
And losing world-class players in Nat Sciver-Brunt and Heather Knight would leave an enormous hole in any team. It is no surprise that England have struggled to fill that void.
But they are a very experienced side. They are a group who have benefited enormously from the increased professionalisation of the women’s game internationally and the majority of players have plied their trade in franchises around the world, too.
Nine out of 11 players who played in the final T20 against Australia in January have featured in this series against India – and it would have been 10 if you assume Knight would be in the side if fit.
The average age of England’s side is 27.6 compared to India’s 25, and they average 63.9 international caps per player against India’s 56.3.
A significant problem for England after the Ashes was their perception with fans, and Edwards’ honesty in admitting the scale of the challenge is likely to be received gratefully, but they are not an inexperienced or young team.
Spin struggles and falling behind in the field
Discussions surrounding England’s inability to play spin are beginning to sound like a broken record.
Without a doubt, however, it is their most pressing concern.
In 2022, England averaged 42.3 against spin in T20s, losing 25 wickets.
The following year, they lost 46 wickets at an average of 18, and so far in 2025 they have lost 41 at 19.9.
Their gameplan against slow bowling seems muddled, torn between attack and defence with batters regularly trapped on the crease or caught from attempted aggression.
And while the approaching World Cup is in the longer format of the game, England’s opponents will have their bowling strategies in place already, such is the predictability of their weakness.
Edwards has also accepted England’s huge need for improvement in the field, where they have been poor against India, with regular misfields and four dropped catches in the last five overs alone in the third encounter at The Oval.
“It’s a mindset thing under pressure, but it’s an area we work really, really hard on,” said Edwards.
“We are not going to hide away from that.”
India’s fielding improvement, meanwhile, has been astronomical. They have charged in from the boundary to stop twos, regularly hauled the ball in from the ropes after covering masses of ground, and completed some staggering catches.
At Edgbaston, this was epitomised by Em Arlott and Sophie Ecclestone backing out of catches on the boundary, letting the ball bounce in front of them and saving the runs instead.
Radha Yadav, meanwhile, sprinted and dived full-stretch to dismiss Amy Jones in spectacular fashion even when the game was pretty much in England’s hands.
Edwards and many players have cited India’s huge improvement, largely a result of the Women’s Premier League, which has been in existence for three years, and they regularly play in front of packed crowds where every game matters.
But The Hundred is not too dissimilar for England, and they cannot use the excuse of not being under pressure enough when, for example, this does not seem to be an issue for Australia in international cricket. They are relentless, whoever they play, and India are following a similar trajectory.
This scrutiny will not go away for England until they have a trophy or an Ashes series in the bag.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has told Russia’s top diplomat that Pyongyang is ready to “unconditionally support” all actions taken by Moscow in its war on Ukraine, state media reports, as the two countries held high-level strategic talks.
Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov is on a three-day visit to North Korea, which has provided troops and arms for Russia’s war on Ukraine and pledged more military support as Moscow tries to make advances in the conflict.
Kim met Lavrov in the eastern coastal city of Wonsan, where Lavrov and his North Korean counterpart, Choe Son Hui, held their second strategic dialogue, pledging further cooperation under a partnership treaty signed last year that includes a mutual defence pact.
Kim told Lavrov the steps taken by the allies in response to radically evolving global geopolitics would contribute greatly to securing peace and security around the world, North Korea’s state news agency KCNA reported.
“Kim Jong Un reaffirmed the DPRK is ready to unconditionally support and encourage all the measures taken by the Russian leadership as regards the tackling of the root cause of the Ukrainian crisis,” KCNA said, using the acronym for the country’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted a video on Telegram of the two men shaking hands and greeting each other with a hug.
The North Korean leader also expressed a “firm belief that the Russian army and people would surely win victory in accomplishing the sacred cause of defending the dignity and basic interests of the country”.
The two men otherwise discussed “important matters for faithfully implementing the agreements made at the historic DPRK-Russia summit talks in June 2024”, KCNA said.
Relations between Russia and North Korea have deepened dramatically during the last two years of the war in Ukraine, which started with Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022, with Pyongyang deploying more than 10,000 troops and arms to back Moscow.
The two heavily sanctioned nations signed a military deal last year, including a mutual defence clause, during a rare visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to North Korea.
Lavrov told Kim that Putin “hopes for continued direct contacts in the very near future”, according to the Russian state news agency TASS.
Ahead of the visit, Russia announced that it would begin twice-a-week flights between Moscow and Pyongyang.
