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Russian President Vladimir Putin held more than three hours of talks with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner at the Kremlin on Saturday as Washington renewed efforts to broker an end to the war in Ukraine. The closed-door meeting ended without any immediate announcement of a breakthrough. Putin's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov later described the talks as constructive, frank and useful, but did not disclose specific outcomes. Witkoff and Kushner, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, are scheduled to travel to Kyiv on Sunday for talks with Ukrainian officials. It will be their first visit to the Ukrainian capital as part of the current peace process. The meeting took place amid an escalation in Russian and Ukrainian aerial attacks. Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed to temporarily suspend strikes on each other's capitals while the US delegation conducted its talks. At the start of the Kremlin meeting, Putin asked the US envoys to convey his greetings and gratitude to Trump, while acknowledging that the situation surrounding Ukraine remained difficult. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin had ordered a three-day halt to strikes on Kyiv beginning at midnight Saturday. Zelenskyy separately said Ukraine was prepared to refrain from attacking Moscow through Monday and expected Russia to reciprocate. Ushakov said Moscow provided the US delegation with a detailed assessment of the battlefield situation in Ukraine. He added that the discussions also covered economic issues and possible large-scale projects that could benefit both Russia and the United States. The latest talks come after the US-led peace process lost momentum amid Washington's focus on the war involving Iran over the past six months. Witkoff and Kushner last visited Moscow in January, when they also met Putin. Meanwhile, fighting has continued along the roughly 1,250-kilometre front line, with both sides stepping up long-range attacks. Zelenskyy said Russia carried out overnight strikes on Kyiv and Boryspil international airports, suggesting the attacks were linked to preparations for the US delegation's planned trip to Ukraine. “Clearly, these Russian strikes on the airports are a reaction to the discussions and preparations for the possibility of the US side using an aircraft to travel to Ukraine,” he said in a social media post. The latest Russian attacks also caused civilian casualties in several parts of Ukraine. In the southern Dnipropetrovsk region, Russian strikes killed five workers and wounded others at an industrial facility, according to regional officials. Separate attacks in the region's Nikopol district and around Dnipro also killed one person and injured several others while damaging residential and commercial buildings. In the eastern Kharkiv region, a Russian drone struck a house in Chuhuiv, killing three people, including an 11-year-old boy, and injuring a woman, regional officials said. Two people were also killed and another wounded in a Russian drone attack in the Bucha district of the Kyiv region. Officials said dozens of facilities across five districts were damaged, including homes, warehouses, railway infrastructure and vehicles. In the southern Mykolaiv region, Russian drones repeatedly struck a shopping center, damaging shops and triggering fires. A 72-year-old man and a 17-year-old girl were wounded, according to Ukraine's emergency services. Ukraine's air force said Russia launched ballistic missiles and 167 attack drones overnight, including Shahed-type drones, many of them jet-powered. Ukrainian air defenses said they shot down or otherwise neutralised 128 drones. Ukraine also continued attacks inside Russia. Authorities in Russia's Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, said two people were killed and three wounded in Ukrainian attacks on Saturday. Russia's Defense Ministry said its forces had intercepted 53 Ukrainian drones overnight. Despite the renewed diplomatic push, the continued attacks underscore the difficulty of securing a lasting ceasefire, with both sides still seeking military and political leverage on the battlefield.

A Greek air force jet crashed at an air show north of Athens on Saturday, killing the two pilots, officials said, as thousands of people were in attendance at the event. The crash of the twin-seat Phantom F4 jet occurred during a low-altitude maneuver. A fire after the crash sent up large plumes of black smoke. There were no injuries among the spectators. “The sense of grief is widespread, and our thoughts are with the families of the two pilots we lost,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said. “It is a reminder of the daily danger faced by Greece’s aviators, who remain on constant standby to protect Greece's skies.” Air force officials in Greece said the bodies of the two pilots were located during a rescue operation, hampered in the early stages by the fire on the grounds of Tanagra air force base, 60 kilometers (about 40 miles) north of Athens. Eleven water-dropping planes and helicopters assisted 85 firefighters to contain the blaze, which remained at some distance from the viewing area at Athens Flying Week, an annual air show. Organizers canceled remaining events planned over the weekend, while the fire prompted an evacuation order in an area near the base. Video footage of the crash showed a plume of smoke rising from the point of the impact followed by a larger, second explosion that occurred nearby as the plane broke apart. Cyprus' Defense Minister Vasilis Palmas said that he had called his Greek counterpart, Nikos Dendias, to express the condolences of his government. “It is with deep sadness that I learned of the death of the two officers of the Hellenic Air Force, who lost their lives in the tragic accident that occurred during the air show at Tanagra Air Base,” Palmas wrote in an online post. The air force declared three days of mourning following the crash.

Belgium recorded nearly 3,000 excess deaths during three summer heatwaves, according to data released Thursday by the national public health institute, Sciensano.  Sciensano's Belgian Mortality Monitoring (Be-MOMO) system, which tracks all-cause mortality against statistical expectations, showed the first heatwave from June 18 to July 3 was the most severe. It caused 2,035 deaths (a 48.8 percent increase), disproportionately affecting those aged 15 to 64 and marking Belgium's highest excess mortality in absolute numbers and percentages since 2000.  The second heatwave (July 4–17) saw 535 excess deaths (14.8 percent increase), and the third (July 28 to Aug. 16) recorded 365 deaths (7 percent spike).  Sciensano attributed the severity to duration, heat intensity and ozone concentrations. Temperatures hovered around 30 degrees Celsius for 10 consecutive days from June 18, including three days near 35, while ozone levels remained above 100 micrograms per cubic meter for 10 consecutive days. The figures may be revised as mortality data is further consolidated. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said negotiations on ending the Ukraine conflict have stalled, while rejecting reports that Moscow plans to launch a new military mobilization following the upcoming State Duma election. Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday night in Bishkek after attending a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, Putin said Russia remains open to negotiations based on concrete proposals and welcomes initiatives that could contribute to ending the conflict. He said Moscow seeks a lasting and comprehensive peace in Ukraine and Europe and is ready to engage with any party willing to take part in negotiations. On the battlefield, Putin said drones continue to pose a major challenge to Russian forces. He claimed Russian troops were advancing according to plan in Donetsk, where they captured 15 settlements in August. Putin expressed confidence in achieving victory but declined to predict when the conflict would end, saying war is inherently difficult to forecast. He also said Russian forces consider Ukrainian military facilities, including those associated with the United Kingdom, legitimate targets. Putin dismissed reports of plans to mobilize civilians for military service after the State Duma election later this month as false, describing them as part of an information campaign against Russia.

Britain experienced its hottest summer on record after a series of heat waves swept across the country, the national weather service said Tuesday. The summer, which brought extreme temperatures, limited rainfall, damaging wildfires and water restrictions, surpassed the previous record set just a year ago, according to provisional data collected by the Met Office since 1884. The mean average temperature for the summer reached 16.5 degrees Celsius (61.7 Fahrenheit), exceeding the previous record of 16.1 C (61 F) set in 2025. Last year's record had surpassed the 15.7 C (60.2 F) recorded in 2018. "These records are now breaking with increasing frequency, reflecting the influence of human-induced climate change," said Amy Doherty, head of the National Climate Information Center. "Particularly notable is how much we've exceeded the previous summer mean temperature record, set just last year," she said. The five hottest summers on record have all occurred since 2003. The Met Office estimated that human-caused climate change had made a summer this hot 130 times more likely. Without greenhouse gas emissions caused by humans, such a summer would be expected only once in 1,000 years, whereas it is now likely to occur about once every nine years. "Our hottest summer ever is a brutal reminder that we're not waiting for climate change to arrive in Britain; we're living in the middle of it," Minister of Climate Transition Katie White said. "With kids too hot to sleep, families worrying about older relatives, farmers watching fields dry out, and firefighters and our armed forces battling wildfires, we've all woken up to a reality none of us wants for the people and places we love," she said. The heat waves started in late May and returned during each month of the summer, including two in July. The U.K. Health Security Agency estimated that 2,877 deaths in England were associated with heat waves in May and June. Temperatures reached a monthly record of 38 C (100.4 F) in Norfolk on June 26. The year's highest temperature was recorded in London on Aug. 13, when the mercury rose to 38.1 C (100.6 F). England, Wales and Northern Ireland all recorded their highest-ever mean summer temperatures. Scotland, which experienced cooler and less dry conditions, tied for its sixth-warmest summer. All of Wales and most of England remain under drought conditions.

Former British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Tuesday he is to stand down as Member of Parliament (MP) for Holborn and St Pancras. "Now is the right time to step down as MP for Holborn and St Pancras and hand the baton over to a successor," said Starmer in a statement on Tuesday. He added he will focus on "international affairs including defense, security, trade and technology in a fast changing world". Starmer's move will trigger a by-election in the London seat. "Whoever is lucky enough to become the Labour candidate here will have my full support and backing," said Starmer. Starmer announced his resignation as leader of the governing Labour Party in June. In July, Andy Burnham was confirmed as the leader of Labour Party and took office as British prime minister.

A shooting at a rave in Switzerland’s northern canton of Aargau left one person dead and five others injured early Sunday, local police and media reported. Police were searching for potentially more than one suspect. Aargau cantonal police said a 22-year-old woman died from her injuries at the scene. Four men and one woman, aged between 24 and 27, were taken to hospital with injuries ranging from minor to serious. Police said all six victims were residents of Switzerland and withheld their names in accordance with the country’s privacy laws. However, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni identified the woman who died as an Italian citizen, along with two other victims. In a post on X, she expressed condolences over the death of Maria Spinelli, whom she described as a young Italian woman killed in the shooting in Aarau. Meloni also expressed concern for the other injured victims, including the two Italian citizens, and said she trusted Swiss authorities to determine what happened and identify those responsible. At a press briefing Sunday, Aargau police said virtually all available forces were involved in the search for the suspect or suspects. “The manhunt is continuing nonstop at full speed,” police spokesperson Bernhard Graser told reporters. He said police had yet to establish a possible motive. Asked whether terrorism could be a possibility, Graser said the fact that the rave was already coming to an end made that scenario unlikely, while a fight could also have triggered the shooting. Public shootings are uncommon in Switzerland despite relatively widespread gun ownership. “In terms of its nature, this incident is certainly unique in recent years,” Graser said, describing the incident as extraordinary and explaining the large police presence at the scene. Police were alerted to the shooting around 2:30 a.m. local time in Aarau, the capital of Aargau, about 46 kilometers (29 miles) west of Zurich, police spokesperson Pascal Wenzel told Swiss public broadcaster SRF. The “Aarau Rave VOL. 7” was being held at a horse racing track in the Schachen district of Aarau when the shooting occurred, SRF reported. Firefighters cordoned off a large area around the site. A major police operation continued Sunday afternoon, with residents urged to stay away from the area as investigators searched for evidence and possible links to the crime. Large numbers of police officers, firefighters and ambulance crews were deployed. Police from Freiburg in neighboring Germany also joined the search for the suspect, German news agency dpa reported. “Right now, virtually the entire Aargau police force is out on the streets,” Graser said, adding that authorities had no information about the whereabouts of the suspect or suspects. He said, however, that police had ruled out the possibility of an immediate further threat. Swiss daily Blick reported that people attending the rave initially mistook the gunshots for fireworks before someone shouted for everyone to get down. The shooting occurred shortly after the event ended, the newspaper reported. Police later took remaining attendees to a nearby gym, where many were questioned, Graser said. Authorities appealed to witnesses who had photos or videos of the incident to provide them to investigators. The Aargau Racing Club, which operates the horse racing track, said it was shocked by the shooting. “We extend our deepest sympathy to all those affected and their families, who are facing this difficult and trying situation,” it said on its website, while thanking emergency responders and others involved in the operation. Swiss DJ Tekibo, who performed at the rave, wrote on Instagram that the incident was “absolutely heartbreaking.” “Techno and raves are supposed to be a place for freedom and safety, never a place where something like this happens,” he said. Aarau has a population of about 22,300 and lies around 30 kilometers (18 miles) south of the German border.

A ferry carrying nearly 270 passengers and crew capsized off the coast of northern Cyprus on Sunday, according to Turkish media reports. The catamaran-style ferry was en route from Kyrenia, also known as Girne, in the Turkish-controlled northern part of ethnically divided Cyprus, to the Turkish port of Tasucu in Mersin province. Turkish Ambassador to Nicosia Ali Murat Basceri said there were casualties in the incident but did not provide a specific number while speaking to Turkey’s state-run TRT television. Basceri said many of the 259 passengers and eight crew members had been rescued, with some taken to hospitals for treatment. Kyrenia Mayor Murat Senkul said the ferry, operated by Filo Denizcilik, sank off Diana beach along the northern coast of Cyprus. According to TRT, the vessel began taking on water about 7.5 kilometers (4 nautical miles) off the coast. Video footage from the scene showed people wearing life jackets floating in the water around the capsized ferry.

Icelanders have voted against reopening negotiations to join the European Union, effectively putting the long-running debate over EU membership to rest for a second time, the country’s national broadcaster RÚV reported Sunday. With results from all but one constituency counted, 52.5% of voters opposed resuming accession talks, while 47.5% supported the proposal. RÚV said the remaining ballots from the southwest, where the “no” campaign was leading, were unlikely to change the outcome. The referendum was held Saturday, asking about 265,000 eligible voters whether Iceland should resume negotiations with the EU more than a decade after previous talks were abandoned. A euroskeptic government halted Iceland’s earlier accession process in 2015. The latest referendum took place amid heightened concerns about security in the North Atlantic following US President Donald Trump’s repeated statements about taking control of nearby Greenland. Although Iceland is a NATO member, supporters of closer EU ties argued that stronger European cooperation could provide additional security if similar threats were ever directed at Iceland. Iceland’s left-leaning coalition government, elected in 2024, brought forward the referendum originally planned for next year. The move came after Trump repeatedly referred to Iceland instead of Greenland while discussing his interest in the Arctic territory. Opponents of reopening EU talks focused heavily on the country’s fishing industry and argued that Iceland already enjoys many economic and travel benefits through its relationship with the EU without surrendering the level of sovereignty associated with full membership. They also said joining the EU could weaken Iceland’s influence in the European Parliament and limit its ability to negotiate independent trade agreements, including with countries such as China. Supporters of EU membership, meanwhile, argued that closer integration could help reduce inflation and interest rates and provide greater economic stability by replacing Iceland’s volatile krona with the euro. They also said membership would strengthen Iceland’s ties with its European neighbors and help address cross-border challenges such as climate change. The result means Iceland is set to remain outside the 27-member European Union, despite renewed debate over its economic and security relationship with Europe.

Icelanders will vote Saturday on whether the country should restart negotiations to join the European Union, more than a decade after its previous membership talks were suspended. The referendum comes as Iceland reassesses its ties with Europe amid economic pressures at home and rising geopolitical uncertainty across the North Atlantic. The result is expected to be close. What are Icelanders voting on?The nationwide referendum on Aug. 29 will ask voters a straightforward question: Should Iceland reopen negotiations on EU membership? The Althingi, Iceland’s parliament, approved the referendum in May by 34 votes to eight, with 14 lawmakers abstaining. It is the first time Icelanders have been directly asked to decide through a referendum whether the country should resume EU accession talks. A “Yes” vote would not automatically make Iceland an EU member. It would instead authorize the government to restart negotiations and determine what conditions could be secured for Iceland. If an accession agreement is eventually reached, voters would have another chance to decide whether to approve it. Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir has said Iceland would only join the EU if the public approves membership in a second referendum. Iceland already maintains close economic and travel links with the EU. It has been part of the European Economic Area since 1994 and is also a member of the Schengen Area and the European Free Trade Association. Through the EEA, Iceland has access to the EU single market and follows a large portion of EU legislation, although it does not have a vote in many of the decisions behind those rules. Why has EU membership returned to the agenda?Iceland submitted its EU membership application in 2009, after the global financial crisis severely damaged its banking sector and weakened the Icelandic krona. Formal negotiations began the following year. The process effectively stalled after the 2013 election, when the EU-skeptic Independence Party and Progressive Party formed a government. The new administration halted the talks, with fisheries and agriculture among the major unresolved issues. In 2015, Iceland notified Brussels that it no longer wanted to be treated as an EU candidate country. The issue resurfaced after another political change. A coalition government formed in December 2024 by the Social Democratic Alliance, Reform Party and People’s Party promised to hold a referendum on whether to continue the accession process by 2027. Parliament subsequently set the vote for Aug. 29. Economic considerations are again playing an important role. The coalition agreement linked the referendum commitment to an examination of Iceland’s currency options. Inflation, elevated interest rates and the economic vulnerabilities of a small, open economy have also contributed to the renewed debate over EU membership. Lassi Heininen, a Finnish scholar specializing in Arctic geopolitics, told Xinhua that domestic political and economic considerations are the main forces behind the referendum, similar to the factors that prompted Iceland’s original membership application. But geopolitical developments have also added urgency to the discussion. Tobias Etzold, a senior adviser at the European Policy Centre in Brussels, said increasing competition among major powers in the strategically important North Atlantic has created greater uncertainty for smaller countries. He cited concerns over the reliability of the United States, Washington’s interest in Greenland and questions about the future strength of NATO. Iceland is a NATO member but has no standing army. Etzold said uncertainty surrounding US President Donald Trump’s commitment to regional security has encouraged Iceland to take a closer look at its relationship with Europe. Foreign Minister Thorgerdur Katrin Gunnarsdottir has also highlighted rising protectionism, unexpected US tariffs and the increasing use of trade measures as instruments of foreign policy. How close is the vote and what happens afterward?The referendum remains too close to predict. A Gallup poll published Thursday showed 51.6% of decided voters opposed reopening negotiations, compared with 48.4% in favor. The margin was within the poll’s statistical uncertainty. A Maskina survey released Tuesday produced the reverse result, with 51.3% supporting renewed talks and 48.7% opposing them. Fisheries and agriculture are expected to remain among the most contentious issues. Marine products made up 38.9% of Iceland’s merchandise exports in 2025, and voters remain concerned about national control over natural resources, food security and the possible impact of EU policies on Iceland’s fisheries and protected agricultural sector. The EU has indicated that there could be scope for compromise. EU Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans Costas Kadis said in April that there was “definitely room for flexibility” on fisheries. EU enlargement chief Marta Kos has also suggested that innovative arrangements could be considered for Icelandic farming and fishing. If voters approve reopening negotiations, the Icelandic government plans to formally notify the EU, appoint a negotiating team and seek to restart the process. Icelandic officials estimate that negotiations could take roughly 18 months to two years. Kos has said they might be completed within one to two years because Iceland already follows much of the EU’s regulatory framework through the EEA. However, the negotiations would not simply pick up from where they ended in 2013. An Icelandic parliamentary committee said in May that Iceland’s negotiating positions would have to be reassessed across all areas after more than a decade of political and regulatory changes. The referendum could also have wider regional consequences. Steven Blockmans, deputy director of the International Centre for Defence and Security, said a “Yes” vote could maintain momentum for EU enlargement and bolster the bloc’s geopolitical standing, while a rejection could strengthen doubts about further expansion. Heininen said an affirmative vote could also influence political debates in Norway and potentially Greenland. If Iceland eventually became an EU member, he said, Nordic politics and aspects of regional security could become more closely linked to Europe, while the EU would gain additional influence in Arctic affairs. If voters reject reopening the negotiations, the Icelandic government has said it will not restart the accession process. Iceland’s relationship with the EU would then continue primarily through existing arrangements such as the EEA and Schengen.