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- Putin relocates air defence system to Moscow oil refinery after drone attacks
- MEPs debate Brexit’s impact on Europe ten years after the referendum
- B.C. businesses face uncertainty before CUSMA review next week
- Trump administration requests £88 billion in supplemental funding for Iran war, Ebola response and farm aid
- Ebola case confirmed in France after humanitarian worker returns from DRC
- E5 leaders meet in Berlin to reinforce European defence cooperation
- Mamdani-backed candidates win Democratic primaries in New York City
- Israeli attacks in Gaza and West Bank result in deaths of two, including child
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Putin relocates air defence system to Moscow oil refinery after drone attacks
4:00 am
Get you up to speed: Paranoid Putin moves air defences to Moscow after wave of drone attacks | News World
A drone attack involving nearly 200 Ukrainian drones struck Moscow, Russia, on 18 June 2026, primarily targeting an oil refinery. The strike caused debris to hit suburban areas, injuring 17 people, while authorities reported that the fire at the facility has been mostly contained.
Russian authorities reported intercepting nearly 200 Ukrainian drones in a significant attack, which led to injuries for 17 individuals, including two children. In response to the threats, Vladimir Putin has relocated an anti-aircraft system closer to Moscow’s oil refinery, indicating heightened security measures following recent aerial assaults.
Following a significant drone attack on Moscow’s oil refinery, President Vladimir Putin relocated a Pantsir anti-aircraft system closer to the facility in response. The Federal Protective Service announced it has “significantly tightened security measures” around Putin, which now includes two levels of screening for all visitors to the presidential administration.
What remains unclear — It is not specified how many Ukrainian drones were successfully intercepted during the recent attack in Moscow.
Putin relocates air defence system to Moscow oil refinery after drone attacks
A drone attack last week crippled much of Moscow and shrouded it in smoke (Picture: EPA)
Vladimir Putin has moved one of his air defence systems a few metres from Moscow’s oil refinery after Ukrainian drones damaged the facility.
The Russian capital was coated in noxious black smoke and oil rain last week after a drone strike hit Moscow’s Oil Refinery.
The onslaught – thought to be Ukraine’s biggest attack on the Russian capital so far – caused significant damage across the city as air defences struggled to repel the drones.
Now, Putin has moved a Pantsir anti-aircraft missile and gun system just a few hundred metres away from the oil refinery.
Russia has long boasted of its anti-aircraft systems, but recent aerial attacks from Ukraine have shown they appear to be outdated.
The newly moved Pantsir system is also surrounded by a metal cage, which is common on systems which have been deployed near the front lines – meaning Putin likely relocated one of his army’s systems to protect Moscow.
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Putin is becoming increasingly paranoid, those close to him have said (Picture: AFP)
The Russian president is failing to gain significant traction on the front line while losing ground in several areas.
Reports from analysts have also shown that the Russian leader is becoming increasingly paranoid for his own safety, often working from bunkers.
Putin has even abandoned his favourite palaces, fearing they could be targets of drone strikes by his own entourage.
The President’s Security Council Secretary, Sergei Shoigu, who served as Minister of Defence during the first years of the war, is allegedly one of the figures Putin fears could try to topple him.
The Kremlin has already tried to weaken Shoigu’s power, arresting his former deputy last month under suspicion of corruptly making over £50,000,000 in family assets.
The Ukrainian strikes which hit the oil depot were revenge for previous Russian attacks (Picture: AFP)
It is thought Putin’s fears of another coup after the Wagner rebellion in 2023 are growing, with the Federal Protective Service saying it has ‘significantly tightened security measures’ around the president.
Any visitors to the presidential administration now undergo two levels of screening and a full body search.
Putin has also slashed the number of locations he visits and is said to be avoiding his usual haunts in Novo Ogaryovo and his Valdai palace.
Putin lives with his glamorous Olympic gymnast partner Alina Kabaeva, 42, and their sons Ivan, 11, and Vladimir, six. The children use the family name Spiridonov.
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MEPs debate Brexit’s impact on Europe ten years after the referendum
3:00 am
MEPs debate Brexit’s impact on Europe ten years after the referendum
Brexit Debate
Ten years after the UK voted to leave the European Union, MEPs are discussing Brexit’s impact on European unity and the possibility of the UK’s return to the bloc.
Ten years after the UK voted to leave the European Union, MEPs are discussing Brexit’s impact on European unity and the possibility of the UK’s return to the bloc.
Impact on Europe
Brexit has intensified discussions on the EU’s cohesion, influencing public sentiment and potentially shaping future alliances within the bloc, as evidenced by varied MEP perspectives on its consequences.
Brexit has intensified discussions on the EU’s cohesion, influencing public sentiment and potentially shaping future alliances within the bloc, as evidenced by varied MEP perspectives on its consequences.
Brexit Debate
“Leaving the EU was a total disaster for the UK; there is nobody looking to leave the European Union anymore,” stated Irish MEP Barry Andrews.
“Leaving the EU was a total disaster for the UK; there is nobody looking to leave the European Union anymore,” stated Irish MEP Barry Andrews.
Has Brexit made Europe stronger or weaker? MEPs go face-to-face on The Ring
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Ten years after the UK voted to exit the European Union, the debate over Brexit’s legacy is far from over. MEPs Barry Andrews (Renew Europe) and Sander Smit (European Conservatives & Reformists) go head-to-head on whether Brexit has strengthened or weakened Europe—and whether Britain could or should one day return to the bloc.
For Irish MEP Barry Andrews, the answer is clear. He argues that leaving the EU was a mistake and a “total disaster” for the UK, pointing to years of political instability and economic challenges since the referendum. He also contends that Brexit has ultimately strengthened support for the European project, stating that “there is nobody looking to leave the European Union anymore.”
Dutch MEP Sander Smit takes a different view, saying the EU still misses “the UK’s crucial voice for fiscal and financial discipline” and warning against a more centralised Europe. “Our future lies in a stronger partnership,” he says. “Let the UK and EU countries move beyond the past and work together as natural, sovereign allies.”
The Ring is hosted by Méabh Mc Mahon, produced by Luis Albertos Altarejos and Amaia Echevarria, and edited by Vassilis Glynos.
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B.C. businesses face uncertainty before CUSMA review next week
11:00 pm
Get you up to speed: B.C. businesses face uncertainty ahead of CUSMA review next week
A meeting is taking place to decide whether to extend an agreement involving three countries for 16 years or to continue with annual reviews. The outcome of this meeting has not yet been confirmed.
The meeting will focus on the future of the current agreement, with discussions centred on a potential 16-year extension or transitioning to annual reviews. Details regarding the outcomes of this meeting have not yet been disclosed.
Officials are set to decide whether to formally extend the agreement for a further 16 years or to continue with annual reviews. The outcome of this meeting will influence future diplomatic relations and agreements among the three countries involved.
What remains unclear — It is unknown which option the three countries will choose regarding the agreement.
B.C. businesses face uncertainty before CUSMA review next week
The meeting will determine whether the three countries want to either formally extend the agreement for 16 years or continue under annual reviews.
Trump administration requests £88 billion in supplemental funding for Iran war, Ebola response and farm aid
9:00 pm
Get you up to speed: Trump administration asks Congress for $88 billion in supplemental funding for Iran war, Ebola, farm aid
The Trump administration submitted a supplemental funding package to Congress on Wednesday, requesting approximately $87.6 billion for the Iran war and other urgent needs. The request primarily allocates $67 billion for the Pentagon, with significant portions designated for munitions and operational costs.
The Trump administration has submitted a request to Congress for approximately £87.6 billion, primarily aimed at military needs related to the Iran war. The funding proposal includes £67 billion specifically allocated for the Pentagon, but its approval faces significant political challenges, particularly from Democrats.
The Trump administration has submitted a supplemental funding package to Congress, requesting approximately £87.6 billion to address urgent needs related to the Iran war, among other issues. The proposal is anticipated to encounter significant opposition, particularly from Democrats, raising doubts about its likelihood of passing in the Senate.
What remains unclear — It is not specified how Congress plans to respond to the funding request, particularly in light of political opposition.
Trump administration requests £88 billion in supplemental funding for Iran war, Ebola response and farm aid
Washington — The Trump administration on Wednesday sent Congress a long-awaited supplemental funding package to help cover the cost of the Iran war.
The administration is asking for about $87.6 billion to address “urgent needs” related to the Iran war, as well as other funding to respond to the Ebola outbreak in Central Africa and provide support for American farmers. Most of the funding — $67 billion — is for the Pentagon, including $21 billion for munitions, $17.3 billion for operational costs and $12.1 billion for classified programs.
The request will face an uphill battle and puts vulnerable Republicans in a politically tricky position, since backing it could be seen as support for the unpopular war. It’s all but certain to face stiff opposition from Democrats, putting its passage in the Senate in doubt.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Ebola case confirmed in France after humanitarian worker returns from DRC
8:00 pm
Get you up to speed: Ebola case reported in France following outbreak that’s killed 267 | News World
A French doctor who recently returned from a humanitarian mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has tested positive for Ebola and is currently isolating in France. The outbreak in the DRC has resulted in nearly 781 infections and 267 deaths, with authorities tracing those who may have come into contact with the patient, while the general risk in Europe remains low.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is currently experiencing the largest recorded outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, with nearly 781 confirmed cases and 267 fatalities. Contact tracing efforts are severely hampered, achieving only 43% coverage, while infrastructure issues persist, with only one in five health centres in Ituri province having sufficient access to clean water.
France’s health ministry confirmed a French doctor who returned from the Democratic Republic of the Congo has tested positive for Ebola and is currently in isolation, while contact tracing for potential exposures is underway; the general risk in Europe remains low. The World Health Organisation declared a public health emergency last month as Oxfam warned that the actual toll of the outbreak could be much higher, exacerbated by inadequate healthcare infrastructure and violent conflict in the region.
What remains unclear — The exact number of additional Ebola cases expected in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the potential for further spread in Europe is not specified.
Ebola case confirmed in France after humanitarian worker returns from DRC
The outbreak has been raging for over a month now (Picture: Reuters)
A French doctor who was working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has tested positive for Ebola after returning home.
France’s health ministry said the patient had been on a humanitarian mission and is currently isolating.
Those who may have come into contact with the patient are being traced, and the general risk the outbreak presents in Europe remains low.
Last week, it was revealed that the ‘first line of defence’ against the deadly strain of Ebola has collapsed.
The DRC is facing its largest ever outbreak of the virus, with nearly 781 infected and 267 dead.
But Oxfam has warned that the true toll is likely far higher, as the country’s contact tracing programme and water infrastructure are at breaking point.
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Only one in five health centres in the northeastern province of Ituri, the worst-affected region, has access to enough clean water.
In Mongbwalo, a town of 140,000 people, only two in 10 have access to clean water, and a quarter have access to working hygiene facilities.
North Kivu province is even seeing Ebola cases being identified after the patient has died, unaware they had the illness.
Why is this Ebola outbreak so concerning?
The Red Cross is working to contain the deadly disease (Picture: Reuters)
The strain of Ebolavirus behind this outbreak, known as Bundibugyo, is rare and currently has no vaccine or treatment.
The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed this is the largest Bundibugyo outbreak on record.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared a public health emergency last month following the outbreak.
What is Ebola?
Ebola is a rare haemorrhagic fever which spreads through the fluids of infected and dead patients.
Ebola symptoms can start between two and 21 days after infection. They can appear suddenly and include flu-like symptoms, such as a high temperature, extreme tiredness and a headache.
Other symptoms include:
bleeding from the nose, gums or vagina
being sick
diarrhoea and tummy pain
a skin rash
yellowing of the skin and eyes
blood in stools
bruises all over the body
bleeding from the ears, eyes, nose or mouth
muscle pain
sore throat
blood in vomit
Contact tracing – identifying the people an infected person has come into contact with – has just 43% coverage in DRC.
Oxfam fieldwork found that there are just 0.2 doctors per 1,000 people, and some 70 health facilities have been destroyed by conflict.
The years-long violence in DRC has displaced millions, including people in Ituri, complicating contact tracing efforts.
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E5 leaders meet in Berlin to reinforce European defence cooperation
6:00 pm
E5 leaders meet in Berlin to reinforce European defence cooperation
E5 Summit Held
France’s President Emmanuel Macron, the UK’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italy’s Premier Giorgia Meloni, and Poland’s PM Donald Tusk convened in Berlin for the E5 summit.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron, the UK’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italy’s Premier Giorgia Meloni, and Poland’s PM Donald Tusk convened in Berlin for the E5 summit.
Defence Spending
Commitments to boost defence spending among E5 nations aim to establish a robust European military framework, essential for addressing both current geopolitical challenges and the evolving security landscape.
Commitments to boost defence spending among E5 nations aim to establish a robust European military framework, essential for addressing both current geopolitical challenges and the evolving security landscape.
E5 Commitment
“We are here together today, in the E5 format, to confirm that our countries will safeguard European unity and transatlantic unity,” said Poland’s Tusk during the press conference.
“We are here together today, in the E5 format, to confirm that our countries will safeguard European unity and transatlantic unity,” said Poland’s Tusk during the press conference.
Europe’s five largest military powers meet ahead of key NATO summit with Ukraine in mind
France’s President Emmanuel Macron, the UK’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni and Polish PM Donald Tusk met in Berlin on Wednesday for an E5 summit hosted by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
The E5 format was launched in 2024 to bring together the defence ministers of Europe’s largest military powers and biggest defence spenders, coordinating support for Ukraine, addressing the US’s gradual withdrawal from Europe, and setting up joint defence projects.
The gathering of NATO’s most influential European members comes ahead of a key summit of the alliance on 7-8 July in Ankara.
The E5 meeting also aimed to build on the so-called “Évian moment,” as Macron put it — when G7 leaders, including US President Donald Trump, displayed unity on backing Ukraine’s war effort and ramping up pressure on Russia to engage seriously in peace talks.
“The process that began at the G7 summit in Évian continued at last week’s European Council, and is set to continue with the NATO summit in Ankara, followed by the ‘Coalition of Willing’ in support of Ukraine and the security guarantees,” Macron said at the press conference after the E5 summit.
Coalition of the Willing
Berlin pressed ahead with the high-stakes E5 summit despite the political turmoil that engulfed London on Monday, after Starmer resigned as prime minister under pressure from his own Labour Party following a disastrous set of local election results.
Starmer has played a central role in European security discussions, co-leading with Macron the so-called “coalition of the willing,” which aims to provide security guarantees and military commitments as part of a future peace deal with Ukraine.
How committed his likely successor in Downing Street, Andy Burnham, will be to defence spending pledges and Ukraine’s peace process remains an open question.
Merz has positioned Germany as co-chair of the coalition — a role that could grow further if the UK’s political crisis deepens or its policy direction shifts.
Earlier this month, Macron, Starmer and Merz met Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the E3 format to discuss security guarantees and military support, particularly around anti-ballistic missile and deep-strike capabilities.
That meeting drew criticism from Italy and Poland, who were excluded from the talks — prompting the move to widen the format to E5 and bring in Europe’s two other major defence powers.
Supporters of the E5 argue the E3 is too narrow a base for decision-making, particularly given Poland’s role as a crucial logistical hub for Ukraine’s war effort; any peace deal, they say, would require Warsaw’s close involvement. Yet a serious diplomatic rift is currently driving a wedge between Poland and Ukraine.
Others see the E3 as the natural format for talks with Russia, since the group holds unmatched military weight in nuclear deterrence, intelligence-gathering and deep-strike capability.
NATO’s European pillar
The Ankara summit comes at a critical moment for NATO, with Trump irritated at European allies over their lack of support for his war in Iran. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte met the US president on Wednesday in a charm offensive. Rutte joined the European leaders’ discussion via video conference.
The backdrop of the upcoming NATO summit is Washington’s gradual scaling-back of its presence in Europe — not just conventional military assets, but also so-called strategic enablers: the logistics, command structures and infrastructure that underpin the ability to project and sustain combat power.
“We are here together today, in the E5 format, to confirm that our countries will safeguard European unity and transatlantic unity,” Poland’s Tusk said at the press conference.
Last week, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth sharply criticised NATO allies at a meeting of defence ministers in Brussels, urging Europeans to take greater responsibility for their own security as he announced a six-month review of American force levels on the continent.
During the press conference, Chancellor Merz pointed out that all the countries involved committed to significantly boost their defence spending, which he sees as “laying the foundation for a more balanced transatlantic partnership.”
How to strengthen NATO’s European pillar and gradually replace US military capabilities in the region — with the E5 as the leading players — was the central question facing Europe’s largest military powers on Wednesday.
Merz said that the E5 powers agreed to coordinate closely to tackle major defence challenges, such as long-range weapons, air defence, and artificial intelligence.
“We are all clearly in agreement that Europe must shoulder its responsibilities in terms of defence and security, resolutely pursuing the path it has set out on towards a stronger European component of the Atlantic Alliance,” Meloni said.
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