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.

Scientists try to bring giant bird back from extinction

A Texas-based company with backing from Lord of the Rings film-maker Sir Peter Jackson is trying to bring a giant bird back from extinction.

Colossal Biosciences has announced an effort to genetically engineer living birds to resemble the extinct South Island giant moa, which once stood 12 feet (3.6 meters) tall, with $15 million (£11m) in funding from Sir Peter. The collaboration also includes the New Zealand-based Ngāi Tahu Research Centre.

It is not the first time they have tried to resurrect a species; scientists at Colossal successfully bred designer gray wolves with genetic similarities to the extinct dire wolf.

But it is the first time they have tried to raise a bird, which, given that bird embryos develop inside eggs, presents different challenges to mammalian IVF.

Colossal says it aims to resurrect the species within five to 10 years. The first stage of the project will be to identify well-preserved bones from which it may be possible to extract DNA, said Colossal’s chief scientist Beth Shapiro.

Those DNA sequences will be compared to genomes of living bird species, including the ground-dwelling tinamou and emu, “to figure out what it is that made the moa unique compared to other birds,” she said.

The genetically modified birds will then be hatched out and released into enclosed “rewilding sites”, the company says.

“The hope that within a few years, we’ll get to see a moa back again – that gives me more enjoyment and satisfaction that any film ever has,” says Sir Peter, who has collected between 300 and 400 mao bones himself.

“The movies are my day job, and the moa are my fun thing I do. Every New Zealand schoolchild has a fascination with the moa.”

But the idea is not without controversy. Outside scientists say the idea of bringing back extinct species onto the modern landscape is likely impossible, although it may be feasible to tweak the genes of living animals to have similar physical traits.

They have mixed feelings on whether that will be helpful, and some worry that focusing on lost creatures could distract from protecting species that still exist.

The moa had roamed New Zealand for 4,000 years until they became extinct around 600 years ago, mainly because of overhunting.

A large skeleton brought to England in the 19th century, now on display at the Yorkshire Museum, prompted international interest in the long-necked bird.

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 came into effect 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.

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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 …

UK must prepare for war with Russia, ex-British Army chief warns

Britain must prepare for the possibility of war with Russia within the next five years, the former head of the British Army has warned.

General Sir Patrick Sanders, who stepped down as Chief of the General Staff last summer, told The Telegraph that a conflict with Russia by 2030 was a “realistic possibility”.

The UK government needs to act swiftly to improve national resilience, he said.

“If Russia stops fighting in Ukraine, within months they could have the capability to launch a limited attack on a Nato member, which would require our support,” Sir Patrick told The Telegraph.

The former army chief revealed that previous conversations with government officials about building underground bunkers and command centres had stalled.

“It always came down to a conversation of it being too costly and not a high enough priority, and the threat didn’t feel sufficiently imminent or serious to make it worth it,” he said.

He pointed to Finland as an example, highlighting that it has bomb shelters capable of protecting 4.5 million people, allowing it to endure missile and air attacks. Sir Patrick said this is a level of preparedness that the UK lacks.

Sir Patrick also pointed to Estonia, Poland, and the Nordic countries as governments that take a “really proactive, serious approach” by encouraging their populations to prepare for potential attacks.

Late last year, millions of Swedes were sent a pamphlet advising them on how to prepare and cope in the event of war or another unexpected crisis, as Russia’s war in Ukraine continued to escalate.

Around the same time, Finland also published fresh advice on “preparing for incidents and crises”.

Sir Patrick warned funding for the UK’s air defences is “much lower” than necessary. He called for more investment in systems that could protect civilians from missile and drone threats.

He also criticised troop cuts that have left the British Army “too small to survive more than the first few months of an intensive engagement,” with reserves also inadequate.

In April 2024, the army fell below its recruitment target for the first time since it was set, with personnel numbers at the lowest level since the Napoleonic wars, at around 73,000 troops.

All three branches of the UK armed forces are currently sitting below their size targets.

Sir Patrick said the recent defence budget increases were “pretty marginal” and that the UK must wake up to the fact that “the world has become as dangerous, if not more dangerous, than it was in the Cold War”.