Putin ‘will be seeing things happen’, warns Trump after Kharkiv maternity ward hit

Donald Trump issued an ominous warning to Vladimir Putin after a maternity ward was struck by drones in Ukraine.

The US president responded to news that drones had damaged a maternity hospital in Kharkiv, as he said: “I know. You’ll be seeing things happen.”

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that among the nine wounded in Kharkiv were women in the hospital – “mothers with newborns, women recovering from surgery.”

He said: “Russia is targeting life itself – even in the very places where it begins.”

It comes ahead of Trump’s “major statement” on Monday for Russia as he grows frustrated with Russian president Vladimir Putin amid intensified attacks on Ukraine.

“I think I’ll have a major statement to make on Russia on Monday,” the president told NBC News. “We’re sending weapons to Nato, and Nato is paying for those weapons, 100 per cent.”

Kremlin spokesperson Dmytry Peskov said they await Trump’s statement.

Rapist nurse saved thousands of women’s details from dating apps

A former NHS mental health nurse and priest has been jailed for raping a woman he met on a dating app – and is being investigated over further alleged sexual offending, The Independent can reveal.

John Chukwunonso Iwuh, 54, of South Norwood, Croydon, used his job as a nurse to gain the trust of the victim, aged in her 40s, before luring her to his home and raping her after she rejected his advances in June 2022.

Croydon Crown Court heard the victim went to the toilet and when she came out, Iwuh pushed her into the bedroom where he raped her and videoed the ordeal on his phone.

During their investigation, police found almost 11,000 contacts saved on his phone – around 60 per cent of which were saved as a woman’s name alongside the name of a dating app.

Iwuh was jailed for 16 years for rape and voyeurism on Friday after being found guilty following a trial in May.

During his sentencing hearing, it emerged that Iwuh is also facing four other allegations, three of rape, which are being investigated by police forces in Essex and Dorset.

They relate to separate victims and the offences are alleged to have happened in 2019, 2007 and 2022. The 2007 case is a so-called “cold case”, and Essex police are waiting on new DNA analysis, the court heard.

It is understood that one alleged victim came forward after seeing Iwuh on a Facebook group called “Are We Dating the same man?”

Now, the Metropolitan Police have issued a nationwide appeal urging any further potential victims to come forward.

On his LinkedIn page, Iwuh lists Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust and Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust as former employers. The Independent has contacted both trusts for comment.

Detective Inspector Sharad Verma, from the South Area Command Unit, said: “We believe there may be more victims out there, targeted by Iwuh under the same circumstances, and urge them to contact us or their local police force.

“I hope the victim-survivor can find reassurance in our actions to put this predator behind bars and that it may give more women the strength to come forward and report crimes. You will be listened to and supported.”

The court heard Iwuh had been practising as an NHS mental health nurse for a decade and had also practised as a priest. Official records by the Nursing and Midwifery Council, which regulates nurses, show Iwuh was suspended from practising in November 2023.

In a statement from the victim of the June 2022 attack read out in court, it was revealed she suffered bruises to her body as a result of the rape.

She said: “This had a deep emotional effect on me. I felt completely numb, and my family members couldn’t reach me.

The physical examination after she made the allegation felt “completely humiliating” and she said “fear led me to leave London”.

“I kept thinking how he was still working as a psychiatric nurse. As a healthcare professional myself, that thought has been irreducibly upsetting. I later learnt his license was suspended thanks to police efforts.”

“When I learned there was a video recording of the rape, I felt physically sick.”

“When I had to watch the video of the rape at the police station, I had the exact pain like it was happening all over again.”

The woman described how, having previously been a social person, she now finds excuses not to go out and said the trauma of the rape impacted her ability to work, relationships and her health.

In a statement released through police after the sentencing, she said: “Now he’s in prison, I do feel there has been some justice. I’ve been supported by officers throughout the investigation, and I would encourage others who have been harmed to come forward, report what has happened and get help and support.”

Iwuh’s defence counsel, De Souza KC, revealed he had not informed his wife, with whom he had a three-year-old child, that he was facing charges and had disappeared.

Iwah will be put on the sex offenders register for life, a restraining order was issued to prevent him from contacting the victim and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order was enforced.

Anyone who wants to make a report relating to Iwuh is urged to contact police by calling 101.

Wife of Lufthansa’s CEO accused of mowing down woman in Italy

The wife of Lufthansa’s CEO slammed her SUV into a young woman who was walking across a pedestrian crossing in Sardinia, police say.

Vivian Spohr, wife of Carsten Spohr, is accused of running over and killing Gaia Costa, a 24-year-old babysitter and resident of the island, II Sole 24 ORE reports.

The 51-year-old was driving a BMW X5 SUV on Tuesday around 1:00 pm, with her daughter as a passenger, when the crash occurred, according to the outlet.

Witnesses told police that they saw Costa extend her arm to signal for the driver to stop, but instead watched as the vehicle accelerated, striking Costa, L’Unione Sarda reports.

Emergency services at the scene attempted to revive Costa for around 20 minutes before pronouncing her dead at the scene as a result of severe head trauma, according to reports in Italy.

Those same reports suggest authorities are investigating whether Spohr was using her phone at the time of the incident. Her alcohol and drug tests were negative, reports L’Unione Sarda.

Authorities are considering charges of road homicide, the newspaper added.

The Spohr family had been spending time at a home they own on the island close to the community of Porto Cervo. After the collision, the family returned to Germany.

Carsten Spohr has been the CEO of Deutsche Lufthansa AG since May 2014. He runs the Lufthansa Group, comprising the business segments of Network Airlines, Eurowings, Logistics, and MRO. They have over 100,000 employees worldwide.

The couple shares two daughters, according to his company biography.

Vivian Spohr’s lawyer, Angelo Merlini, stated to the German newspaper Bild: “The exact circumstances are now being investigated. The Spohr family has expressed its deepest sympathy to the victim’s family.”

An autopsy on the body of Costa will be carried out on Wednesday, 16 July.

More than 70 firefighters tackle blaze at London block of flats

More than 70 firefighters are battling a blaze that broke out at a block of flats in south London on Friday afternoon.

A flat was “completely alight” on the 11th floor of the 17-storey building on Hillingdon Street in Walworth, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) said.

A woman left the property before firefighters arrived, the fire service said.

A spokesperson for the LFB it received 45 calls around 2pm, and 10 fire engines from Dowgate, Dockhead, Soho, Whitechapel, and surrounding fire stations were dispatched to the scene.

Videos shared on social media show plumes of smoke coming out of the building as dozens of firefighters attempted to contain the blaze.

The fire was under control within an hour, the LFB said. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Station commander Tony Perks, who was at the scene, said: “This was a very visible fire, and the area became increasingly busy as a result.

“People are advised to continue to avoid the area at this time, while crews damp down remaining hot spots.”

Mechanical monster Sinner thumps Djokovic to set up Alcaraz final

Strap yourselves in, folks. Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have endured their fair share of frights over the past 12 days at the All England Club, but the two leading stars in men’s tennis are not to be denied. They have, we have, a thrilling rematch ahead of us on Sunday afternoon, five weeks on from their Roland Garros epic. And with the greatest of respect to Novak Djokovic, a seven-time champion no less, this is the final Wimbledon will have wanted too.

On Friday, both Alcaraz and Sinner emerged victorious in their semi-finals but it was Sinner – the world No 1, chasing a first Wimbledon title – who made the most emphatic statement. Taking on Djokovic, eyeing a seventh consecutive final here, Sinner walked onto Centre Court and played lights-out tennis. It was the closest thing to flawless we’ve seen all year.

In less than two hours, Djokovic – albeit a Djokovic hampered by injury – was swatted aside like a rookie on the south-west London stage he has made his own, the scoreline a devastating 6-3, 6-3, 6-4. Demolition job complete.

“Amazing, I cannot believe it,” Sinner said on court. “From my side, I served very well, I felt great on court and was moving much better today. I tried to stay calm and play the best tennis I could, especially in the important moments.”

There was a sombre tone to the finale, however. Djokovic, clearly hampered by a thigh injury sustained at the end of his quarter-final win against Flavio Cobolli, was virtually on his knees in the third set. Such a rare sight in over 20 years on tour, Djokovic this time could not muster any resistance.

Will we see him here again? He hopes so. “I would be sad, hopefully it’s not my last match on Centre Court,” he said in his post-match press conference, just 20 minutes after his match concluded. “I’m not planning to end my Wimbledon career today. I want to be back here at least once.”

The Serb acknowledged pre-match, having not claimed a set in their French Open semi-final last month, that it would “take the best of me” to beat Sinner. The Serb, 15 years older we should not forget, and in the autumn of his glittering career, has not beaten Sinner in 30 months.

But the SW19 grass, without a doubt, represented his best shot at a record-breaking 25th grand slam, having defeated Sinner here in 2023 and 2022.

However, the leaps and bounds by which the 23-year-old Italian has improved his game, athleticism and mentality are why he is the top men’s player. Yet he had a point to prove on grass, the only surface he had yet to reach a major final on. And here, Sinner came out of the blocks like Usain Bolt on an August day in Beijing.

Sinner sealed an early break with a superb lob and, from there, the first set was claimed. A low-energy Djokovic, whose fitness beforehand was in doubt, did not have so much as a sniff on return. Some pill to swallow, you’d assume, for the best returner the sport has ever seen.

In fact, in mirror image to Alcaraz’s win against Taylor Fritz earlier in the day, Sinner did not lose a point behind his first serve in the opening set. First-set tie-break on Sunday, anyone?

In the first hour, Sinner was strutting around the court like a mechanical monster, smashing the life out of every shot with supreme accuracy. Yet curiously, for as full throttle as Sinner was, Djokovic was severely lacking in adrenaline, unable to shift out of first gear. Even chants of “Nole, Nole” were futile in the face of Sinner’s unwavering attacking tennis. In hindsight, perhaps deep down, the Serb knew he was fighting a battle he couldn’t possibly win.

Djokovic did have a chance at 4-2 in the second set. The chance was 0-15. Sinner produced three unreturnable first serves, before Djokovic netted. And that was that.

The Serb escaped his own service game but Sinner, unrelenting, powered to the second set. By this point, his first-serve accuracy was riding high at 76 per cent and he’d only lost two of 32 points behind it. That told its own story.

For Djokovic’s 11-year-old son Stefan in his player box, wearing a cap littered with signatures of top players, including Sinner and Alcaraz, it was a gut-wrenching watch. Djokovic wisely took a medical timeout as the trainer tended to his leg. The writing was on the wall.

But then, suddenly, Sinner did something unusual: he made a few errors. Even more unusual: they were on serve. Djokovic ground his way to 30-30 and Sinner mishit a routine forehand. Then, the Italian lumped another into the net. A break of serve and a roar from the crowd, keen for more action this Friday night. Was this to be the turning point?

Not this time. Sinner’s peerless level had dropped, ever so slightly, and Djokovic even had a point to go 4-0 up. But Sinner crucially held, overcame his 10-minute lag, and broke back as Djokovic, almost in surrender, meekly plunged a drop-shot into the net.

It was a sign of things to come. Djokovic was no longer moving freely as a result of his leg problem, and was failing to chase down every ball in normal fashion. Sinner claimed another break, with Djokovic heading into the net behind every serve, and soon the ending was inevitable. The Serb saved two match points on his own serve, but was a beaten man. He didn’t even run for the final ball, as Sinner comfortably stroked a forehand into the open court.

The biggest compliment we can pay to Djokovic, a man refusing to retire in the face of Father Time, was his will to compete despite hardship here. He didn’t withdraw pre-match. He didn’t retire. He finished the contest.

And the Serb gave the obligatory wave as he left the stage. For the last time? After this, it feels more likely than ever. The next generation is now the present generation and their protagonists will take to the court once more in the showpiece match on Sunday. Popcorn at the ready, everyone.

How Macmillan Cancer Support built a movement that reaches everyone

Amber heat health alert for parts of England amid warning ‘rise in deaths likely’

An amber heat health alert has been issued for large parts of England, with authorities warning soaring temperatures over the weekend are likely to cause a rise in deaths.

The UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA’s) latest heat health warning comes as hot and dry weather scorches the country, with temperatures set to rise further over the weekend.

The alert comes into effect at 12pm on Friday and will cover the East Midlands, West Midlands, South East, South West, East of England and London until 9am on Monday, following two other amber alerts issued in consecutive weeks at the end of June amid two separate heatwaves.

Less severe yellow alerts had been in place across England until Monday, but were upgraded in five regions on Friday morning.

The UKHSA says “significant impacts are likely” in the affected areas, including a “rise in deaths.”

It adds that this is particularly likely amongst those ages 65 and over or with health conditions, with younger age groups the next most likely to be affected.

The agency also notes that health and social care services are likely to struggle with higher demand due to the heat. This includes temperatures in hospitals and care homes exceeding recommended levels, alongside difficulty to staff in delivering essential services.

The amber alerts are due to end at 9am on Monday.

Most regions in the UK have been grappling with high heats for much of July, with temperatures are set to remain at these levels at least over the week.

The Met Office has said heatwave conditions are expected to be met in much of England, Wales and parts of Scotland by the end of the week (13 July), with temperatures set to “build day on day.”

This will mark the third heatwave of the Summer, however experts do not anticipate the coming weather event will exceed the high of 34.7C seen at the start of July.

Met Office Chief Meteorologist, Jason Kelly, said: “High pressure from the Atlantic will lead to a build in temperatures over the coming days, with heatwave criteria reached by the weekend.”

“This heatwave is expected to be longer lived and extend further north and west into a larger part of the UK than previously seen this summer.”

“Temperatures are expected to peak over the weekend and ease early next week. They are expected to reach 30°C in some areas today and exceed 30°C more widely tomorrow (Friday), with peak temperatures on Saturday of 33°C possible in parts of England and Wales.”

Households in Yorkshire were the first to be hit with a hosepipe ban on Friday after months of little to no rain, with restrictions following in Kent and Sussex.

Yorkshire Water brought in restrictions on using hosepipes for activities such as watering the garden, cleaning cars and filling paddling pools, which it said is part of its efforts to protect supplies in the face of yet more dry weather forecast for the coming weeks.

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) issued warnings over the risk of wildfires and tragedies in water amid the hot weather.

The fire service has responded to 23 wildfires this year, four of which occurred this week, including one in Rainham on Thursday where 80 firefighters responded to tackle a blaze spanning nine hectares.

The risk of wildfires in London is currently rated at “severe” by the Natural Hazards Partnership.

More than 500 small boat arrivals on day Starmer and Macron struck migrant deal

Some 573 migrants arrived in the UK on Thursday after crossing the English Channel, according to provisional figures from the Home Office.

The cumulative number of arrivals in 2025 now stands at a provisional total of 21,690.

This is 54 per cent higher than at the same point last year, when the total stood at 14,058, and 65 per cent higher than at this stage in 2023, when the total was 13,110.

At least 10 boats arrived on Thursday, which suggests an average of around 57 people per boat.

The figures were published just a day after Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed a deal to tackle the number of people crossing the Channel in small boats. The agreement was made during Mr Macron’s three-day trip to the UK, which involved a reception from King Charles.

The one-in, one-out deal will see a small number of migrants who have crossed the Channel in small boats sent immediately back to France.

The Home Office has refused to confirm numbers but said it expects the number to grow as the pilot scheme progresses.

In return, Britain will take in the same number of migrants from France, selecting those with family in the UK or strong ties to the country.

Sir Keir hailed the agreement with Paris as a “groundbreaking” step towards deterring people from making the perilous journey across the Channel.

Sir Keir said: “There is no silver bullet here, but with a united effort, new tactics and a new level of intent, we can finally turn the tables.

“So I am pleased to announce our agreement today on a groundbreaking returns pilot. For the very first time, migrants arriving via small boat will be detained and returned to France in short order.”

Hours after the pair signed the deal, it was reported that around 220 people, including 70 in one boat, were brought to shore in Dover by Border Force officials.

Home secretary Yvette Cooper declined to say how many migrants would be returned to France under the new agreement when grilled on the deal on Friday morning.

She told Times Radio: “The numbers are not fixed, even for this pilot phase that we are starting now. So this will be a programme that we roll out step-by-step, and we will provide updates as we go. But we are going to do this in a steady way.”

The mayor of the French coastal city of Calais, from where many of the migrants set off in their attempts to reach the UK using small boats, led the latest round of criticisms of the deal. The initial reaction on Thursday from charities and Nigel Farage’s Reform party alike was dismissive. Mr Farage accused Sir Keir of bowing down to Europe while charities accused the Labour leader of succumbing to pressure from Reform.

Calais mayor Natacha Bouchart said the deal would act as an “attraction” to migrants to head for the coastal city.

“Migrants are going to flock here, drawn by the attraction,” she said. “You get the impression that the national politicians do not give a hoot about the local politicians. We’re going to have to manage migrants who the British government will have chosen to return to France.”

This is a breaking news story. More to follow …