Day News Recap: Ukraine marks Independence Day as wars, sanctions and trade tensions ripple worldwide

Ukraine marked its 35th Independence Day in Kyiv with a ceremony focused on the war effort and appeals for continued international backing, as allies signalled support and Britain said it would share classified Storm Shadow production knowledge with Kyiv. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also joined a Coalition of the Willing meeting on Ukraine and sanctions enforcement by video link.  🔗  🔗  🔗

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On the battlefield and beyond, Ukraine's drone campaign against Russian energy infrastructure is now being felt in Central Asia, with petrol shortages and cross border fuel runs reported in Kazakhstan and neighbouring states. In Russia, a warehouse fire near St Petersburg was linked to Ukrainian targeting of Ozon sites.  🔗  🔗

Across Europe, Russia is suspected of carrying out sabotage attacks on weapons and defence factories in a destabilisation campaign, while Serbia battled major wildfires near Belgrade and in the Stolovi mountains with aerial help from the European Union and Russia. In the Balkans, a ceasefire verification mission also arrived in South Kivu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo under a new Swiss backed roadmap.  🔗  🔗  🔗

In the Middle East, Iran warned of a harsh response to expanded US sanctions and said it would retaliate against any country that cooperates with Washington's pressure drive, even as it reported a new gas discovery of more than 200 billion cubic metres in Fars province. Tehran also condemned France's expulsion of two Iranian diplomats as illegal, while Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir was due in Tehran for talks on Iran US war mediation.  🔗  🔗  🔗  🔗  🔗

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Tensions also remained high around Israel and its neighbours. Syria and Israel held US mediated talks in Jordan after an Israeli strike near the Turkish border, and a US envoy retracted a remark on the Golan Heights while reaffirming Trump policy. Israel warned of a forceful response after kites, drones and balloons were reported near Gaza, and the Houthis claimed a strike on a Saudi tanker in the Red Sea.  🔗  🔗  🔗  🔗

In the Americas, a wildfire on the outskirts of Reno, Nevada forced around 42,000 people to evacuate, with another 45,000 under warning as the blaze remained uncontained. Separately, the US military said it killed two people in a strike on a suspected drug smuggling vessel in the Eastern Pacific, while the US and Canada faced a deepening trade dispute after talks collapsed and both sides moved ahead with tariffs.  🔗  🔗  🔗  🔗

Elsewhere, Guinea's capital Conakry saw at least 30 people killed when a landfill collapsed after heavy rain, and Sudan's war has now displaced another 200,000 people amid floods and renewed fighting. Guinea Bissau also reported a growing mpox outbreak, with 46 suspected cases and seven confirmed, more than half in children.  🔗  🔗  🔗

In Asia, Thailand's prime minister held an urgent meeting with security chiefs after 51 coordinated attacks in the south, while Japan was hit by two magnitude 5.9 earthquakes that injured at least 37 people. Australia moved to override Queensland on energy and water rules for large AI data centres, and Kazakhstan's pro government Adilet party won more than 71% of the vote in parliamentary elections as President Tokayev consolidated power.  🔗  🔗  🔗  🔗

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Other developments included Amnesty International's allegation that Indian forces used pellets, grenades, batons and electric shock devices against student protesters in Delhi, the Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS withdrawing from Eurovision over neutrality and Gaza divisions, and South Korea saying the US had cancelled a second day of joint marine drills because of Iran war constraints.  🔗  🔗  🔗

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