Officials say multiple military airbases deep inside Russia have come under drone attacks in a major Ukrainian operation ahead of peace talks due to start in Istanbul on Monday.
The Russian Defence Ministry said Ukraine had launched drone strikes targeting Russian military airfields across five regions on Sunday, causing several aircraft to catch fire.
The attacks occurred in the Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan, and Amur regions. Air defences repelled the assaults in all but two regions – Murmansk and Irkutsk, the ministry said.
“In the Murmansk and Irkutsk regions, the launch of FPV drones from an area in close proximity to airfields resulted in several aircraft catching fire,” the ministry said.
The fires were extinguished and no casualties were reported. Some individuals involved in the attacks had been detained, the ministry said.
The Security Service of Ukraine said on Sunday that it had hit Russian military planes worth a combined $7bn in a wave of drone strikes on Russian air bases thousands of kilometres behind the front lines.
“$7 billion: This is the estimated cost of the enemy’s strategic aviation, which was hit today as a result of the SBU’s special operation,” the agency said in a social media post.
Targets included the Belaya airbase in Irkutsk, about 4,300km (2,700 miles) from the Ukrainian border, and the Olenya airbase in south Murmansk, some 1,800km (1,100 miles) from Ukraine.
“According to witnesses on the ground and local officials, these drones were launched from sites near the airbases. That means this was an elaborate operation … that involved a number of people inside Russia,” Al Jazeera’s Dorsa Jabbari said, reporting from Moscow.
“This is the single largest attack that we’ve seen in one day across multiple military airbases inside Russia since the war began in February of 2022,” Jabbari said, noting that the airbases are home to Russia’s strategic air bombers, which have been used to attack targets across Ukraine over the past three years.
Earlier on Sunday, multiple local media reports in Ukraine, including those by state news agency Ukrinform, cited a source within the SBU saying the coordinated attacks inside Russia were “aimed at destroying enemy bombers far from the front”.
They said the operation was carried out by the SBU using drones smuggled deep into Russia and hidden inside trucks. At least 41 Russian heavy bombers at four airbases were hit, the reports said, adding that the operation, dubbed “Spiderweb”, had been prepared for over a year and a half, and it was personally overseen by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Al Jazeera’s John Hendren, reporting from Kyiv, said it’s “an audacious strike, one that Ukraine has been waiting a long time and patiently to deliver, and it’s come after Russian air strikes into Ukraine have dramatically accelerated over the past couple of weeks”.
Meanwhile, at least seven people were killed and 69 injured when a highway bridge in Russia’s Bryansk region, neighbouring Ukraine, was blown up while a passenger train heading to Moscow was crossing it with 388 people on board.
No one has yet claimed responsibility. Russian officials said they were treating the incident as an “act of terrorism” but did not immediately accuse Ukraine.
The developments came as Russia also said it had advanced deeper into the Sumy region of Ukraine, and as open-source pro-Ukrainian maps showed Russia took 450sq km (174sq miles) of Ukrainian land in May, its fastest monthly advance in at least six months.
Moscow launched 472 drones at Ukraine overnight, Ukraine’s Air Force said, the highest nightly total of the war so far. Russia had also launched seven missiles, the Air Force said.
Both parties sharply ramped up their attacks as Ukraine confirmed it will send a delegation to Istanbul led by its Defence Minister Rustem Umerov for talks on Monday with Russian officials. Turkiye is hosting the meeting, which was spurred by US President Donald Trump’s push for a quick deal to end the three-year war.
Zelenskyy, who previously voiced scepticism about the seriousness of the Russian side in engaging in Monday’s meeting, said he had defined the Ukrainian delegation’s position on the talks.
Priorities included “a complete and unconditional ceasefire” and the return of prisoners and abducted children, he said on social media.
Russia has said it has formulated its own peace terms, but refused to divulge them in advance. Russian President Vladimir Putin also ruled out a Turkish proposal for the meeting to be held at the leaders’ level.
Oscar Piastri strengthens his F1 world championship lead, beating McLaren teammate Lando Norris, while Max Verstappen drops to 10th spot after post-race penalty.
Formula One championship leader Oscar Piastri has won the Spanish Grand Prix from pole position in a McLaren one-two to go 10 points clear of teammate Lando Norris in the world championship title battle.
The Australian’s win on Sunday by 2.4 seconds over Norris was his fifth in nine races this season and McLaren’s seventh.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc completed the podium places on Sunday after passing Max Verstappen’s Red Bull six laps from the end following a safety car period that triggered the main talking point of the afternoon with the champion demoted from fifth to 10th place.
“It’s a nice way to bounce back from Monaco. A superb weekend,” said Piastri, who finished third last weekend in a race won from pole by Norris.
Verstappen, who made four stops in total and ended up on the slower hard tyres against rivals on softs, collided with Leclerc and twice with Mercedes’s George Russell after the safety car restart.
The Dutch driver was given a 10-second penalty – added to his overall time post-race – for the second Russell collision, which was clearly his fault.
He and Leclerc also faced a post-race investigation for their clash, which could lead to further sanctions.
“I tried to push him to the left. There was a bit of contact but fortunately no consequences,” Leclerc said. Verstappen claimed the Monegasque had rammed into him and should have given back the place.
Russell finished fourth after eventually being let through by Verstappen, who reluctantly did as his team told him.
Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg finished a surprising and morale-boosting fifth for the future Audi team after passing Ferrari’s seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton on the penultimate lap.
Hamilton was a disappointing sixth, Isack Hadjar seventh for Racing Bulls and Pierre Gasly eighth for Renault-owned Alpine.
Home hero Fernando Alonso scored his first points of the season with Aston Martin, who had only one car on the grid due to Lance Stroll’s withdrawal through injury after Saturday’s qualifying.
George Russell, right, of Mercedes and Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing compete during the Spanish Grand Prix [Gongora/NurPhoto via Getty Images]
Piastri keeps his cool out front
Piastri led away cleanly at the start with Verstappen seizing second from Norris while Hamilton and Leclerc moved up to fourth and fifth at the expense of Russell.
Hamilton let Leclerc through on lap 10 of 66 after the two Ferraris had run nose to tail.
Norris took back second place from Verstappen on lap 13 with the Dutch driver making no attempt to defend against the quicker McLaren and pitting on the next lap for new tyres.
Verstappen took the lead again on lap 23 after Piastri pitted. Norris made his first stop on lap 21 and came out behind the Red Bull, but that lasted only until Verstappen pitted for a second time on lap 30.
Verstappen came in for a third stop on lap 47, and Norris pitted a lap later to defend second place.
A safety car was deployed on lap 55 after rookie driver Kimi Antonelli beached his Mercedes in the gravel, bunching up the field and triggering a rash of pit stops.
The McLarens came in together for new tyres, double-stacking, and comfortably resumed ahead of Verstappen, who questioned the switch to a set of hards but was told that was the only option available.
The next round of the 2025 season will be the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal on June 15.
Race winner Piastri takes the chequered flag during the F1 Grand Prix of Spain [David Ramos/Getty Images]
Activist Greta Thunberg says silence is more dangerous than sailing to Gaza, as she boarded a vessel that will try to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza. The Gaza Freedom Flotilla had to abandon its last attempt on May 2 when it was bombed.
Some 491 were arrested in Paris during post-match celebrations after Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League win.
Two people died and hundreds were arrested in France overnight as football fans celebrated Paris Saint-Germain’s (PSG) stunning UEFA Champions League final victory, the Ministry of the Interior said.
The epicentre of the euphoria was in Paris, which was a theatre of car horns, cheers, singing in the streets and fireworks throughout the night following PSG’s 5-0 triumph over Inter Milan in Munich.
The Interior Ministry said on Sunday that 491 people were arrested in the capital after crowds converged on the Champs-Elysees avenue and clashes broke out with officers.
Across France, a total of 559 people were arrested, it added.
The authorities reported two deaths amid celebrations. A man riding a scooter in Paris died after being hit by a car in the city’s southern 15th arrondissement, located about 2km (1.2 miles) from the Champs-Elysees.
In the southwestern town of Dax, a 17-year-old was fatally stabbed at a gathering feting the PSG victory, prosecutors said. His death occurred shortly after the match and “during the celebrations”, but the prosecutor’s office said it did not know whether it was related to the Champions League final. It added that the perpetrator was “on the run”.
The PSG team were to hold a victory parade on the Champs-Elysees on Sunday, with tens of thousands of supporters expected to gather to catch a glimpse of their returning heroes.
Paris Saint-Germain supporters hold flares on a street in Paris, early on June 1, 2025, following their team’s 5-0 victory over Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League final in Munich, Germany [Lou Benoist/AFP]
Overnight celebrations turn to violence
Overnight, though, AFP journalists saw police on the famed thoroughfare using water cannon to stop a crowd reaching the Arc de Triomphe that sits at the top of the Champs-Elysees.
“Troublemakers on the Champs-Elysees were looking to create incidents and repeatedly came into contact with police by throwing large fireworks and other objects,” police said in a statement.
Elsewhere, police said a car careered into fans celebrating PSG’s win in Grenoble in southeastern France, leaving four people injured, two of them seriously. All of those hurt were from the same family, police said.
The driver handed himself in to the police and was placed under arrest. A source close to the investigation said it was believed the driver had not acted intentionally.
The public prosecutor’s office said the driver had tested negative for alcohol and drugs.
The majority of fans celebrated peacefully, but police in Paris said scuffles broke out near the Champs-Elysees avenue, and around PSG’s Parc des Princes stadium, where 48,000 people had watched the 5-0 win on giant screens.
Most of those arrested in the capital were suspected of illegally possessing fireworks and causing disorder, police said.
The PSG victory meant the club won the biggest prize in European club football for the first time in their history.
PSG supporter Clement, 20, said: “It’s so good and so deserved! We have a song that talks about our struggles, and it hasn’t always been easy.
“But we got our faith back this year with a team without stars. They’re 11 guys who play for each other.”
French President Emmanuel Macron’s office said he would host the victorious players on Sunday to congratulate them.
In a message on X, Macron hailed a “day of glory for PSG”.
A total of 11.5 million people tuned in across France to watch the match, according to figures given by the Mediametrie audience-measurement company and one of the broadcasters, Canal+.
Anti-riot police detain a person on the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris, on May 31, 2025, as PSG supporters celebrate [Lou Benoist/AFP]
Two Russian bridges near Ukraine have collapsed within hours. In Bryansk, a bridge collapsed onto a train, killing at least seven people, while in Kursk, another bridge collapsed, derailing a freight train. Russia is investigating the incidents as possible sabotage.
In the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, escaping the war with Russia is nearly impossible.
On certain days, when the wind shifts, residents of this historic city can hear the distant rumble of artillery fire from the front line, some 30km (18.5 miles) away.
Most nights, Russian kamikaze drones packed with explosives buzz overhead as parents put their children to bed.
Three years since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the unrelenting war exerts a heavy psychological burden on many in Kharkiv. Yet, there is a place in the city where, for a few fleeting hours, the war seems to vanish.
Beneath the Kharkiv National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, in a dim, brick-walled basement, a dance company has established a refuge from drones and bombs – a space where audiences can lose themselves in performances of classic ballets.
In April, this underground venue hosted performances of Chopiniana, an early 20th-century ballet set to the music of Frederic Chopin. Despite the improvised setting, the ballet was staged with full classical grandeur, complete with corps de ballet and orchestra.
Ballerina Olena Shevtsova, 43, practises for the revival of Chopiniana, in the underground area of the National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre [Marko Djurica/Reuters]
It marked a significant milestone for Kharkiv’s cultural life: the first complete classical ballet performance in the city since February 2022, when Russian troops launched their invasion of Ukraine.
“In spite of everything – the fact that bombs are flying, drones, and everything else – we can give a gift of something wonderful to people,” said Antonina Radiievska, artistic director of Opera East, the ballet company behind the production.
“They can come and, even if it’s just for an hour or two, completely immerse themselves in a different world.”
Despite Ukraine’s rich tradition in classical ballet, the art form now seems far removed from the everyday existence of Ukrainians living through war. Daily routines revolve around monitoring apps for drone alerts, sleeping on metro station floors to escape air raids, or seeking news of loved ones on the front line. Pirouettes, pas de deux and chiffon tutus feel worlds away.
Nevertheless, the journey of Kharkiv’s ballet through wartime reflects the ways in which Ukrainian society has adapted and evolved.
On February 23, 2022, the National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre staged a performance of the ballet Giselle. The next day, Russia launched its full-scale invasion. As Moscow’s forces advanced towards Kharkiv and threatened to seize the city, the theatre closed its doors and much of the ballet troupe departed.
Some regrouped in Slovakia and Lithuania, mounting ballet productions abroad with assistance from European sponsors.
Press secretary of the National Theatre in Kharkiv walks inside the main stage, which is closed to the public [Marko Djurica/Reuters]
By 2023, although the conflict ground on, the situation in Kharkiv, in Ukraine’s northeast, had stabilised after Russian ground troops withdrew. A new realisation took hold – this was a long-term reality. Locals began referring to the city, and themselves, with the Ukrainian word “nezlamniy”, meaning invincible.
That year, work began on transforming the theatre’s basement into a performance venue. By October 2023, it was being used for rehearsals. The following spring, authorities permitted the theatre to admit audiences, and small-scale ballet performances, including children’s concerts, resumed.
The revival of Chopiniana marked the next chapter in Kharkiv’s wartime cultural journey.
Staging a classical opera again signals that Ukraine endures, says Igor Tuluzov, director-general of Opera East. “We are demonstrating to the world that we really are a self-sufficient state, independent, in all its aspects, including cultural independence,” he said.
The auditorium now seats 400 people on stackable chairs, compared with the 1,750 seats in the main theatre above, where the plush mustard seats remain empty.
The stage is a quarter the size of the main one. Grey-painted bricks, concrete floors, and exposed pipes and wiring form a stark contrast to the varnished hardwood and marble of the theatre above. The basement’s acoustics, performers say, fall short of the cavernous main auditorium.
For artistic director Radiievska, however, the most important thing is that, after a long pause, she and her troupe can once again perform for a live audience.
“It means, you know, life,” she said. “An artist cannot exist without the stage, without creativity, without dance or song. It’s like a rebirth.”
The European country chooses between conservative historian Karol Nawrocki and pro-EU Warsaw mayor Rafal Trzaskowski.
Poles are voting in a decisive presidential run-off that could have a major impact on the nation’s future role in the European Union.
Polling began at 7am local time (05:00 GMT), with pro-EU Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski from the centre-right Civic Platform of the governing Civic Coalition facing off against conservative historian Karol Nawrocki, who is backed by the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party.
(Al Jazeera)
The run-off follows a tightly contested first round on May 18, in which Trzaskowski won just more than 31 percent, and Nawrocki won nearly 30 percent, eliminating 11 other candidates.
The winner will succeed incumbent Andrzej Duda, the outgoing nationalist conservative president who was also backed by PiS and blamed for holding up justice reforms by using his veto against Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s centrist government.
The campaign has highlighted stark ideological divides, with the outcome expected to determine whether Poland continues along a nationalist path or pivots more decisively towards liberal democratic norms.
Trzaskowski, the 53-year-old son of a famous jazz musician, has promised to restore judicial independence, ease abortion restrictions and promote constructive ties with European partners.
Nawrocki, a 42-year-old former boxer, who is favoured by United States President Donald Trump, has positioned himself as a defender of traditional Polish values, and is sceptical of the EU.
Amid rising security fears over Russia’s war on Ukraine, both the candidates support aid to Kyiv, though Nawrocki opposes NATO membership for neighbouring Ukraine, while Trzaskowski supports it.
The two candidates have taken a similarly hardline approach to immigration, both using anti-Ukrainian rhetoric, building on growing resentment among Poles who see themselves as competing for strained social services with 1.55 million Ukrainian war refugees and migrants.
While Trzaskowski has proposed that only working Ukrainians should have access to the country’s child benefit, Nawrocki has gone further, saying he would also be against Ukraine joining NATO or even the EU.
Polls close at 9pm (19:00 GMT) when an exit poll is expected. Final results are likely to be announced on Monday.
A major crisis is unfolding in Moldova, where Russia is using energy as a political weapon to influence the outcome of the autumn parliamentary elections. The first salvo came on Jan. 1, as Moscow halted the gas deliveries that had long provided low-cost electricity. Although Russia has since resumed gas flows to the pro-Russian separatist region of Transnistria, the rest of Moldova has been left to grapple with soaring prices, growing public discontent, and rising pressure ahead of a crucial vote. The goal, quite clearly, is to derail the country’s European path and tip it back into Moscow’s orbit.
As is typical in the course of its geopolitical skullduggeries, Vladimir Putin’s regime has deployed disinformation, distractions, and complicated moves aimed at contriving a version of plausible deniability.
A dangerous dependency on Russia
Historically, Moldova has depended on Russian gas via a complex mechanism involving the separatist region, where a large power plant generated electricity for the rest of the country. But on Jan. 1, 2025, both Moldova proper and the separatist enclave were plunged into an energy crisis after Russian gas supplies were halted following the expiration of a transit agreement with Ukraine.
It was actually Kyiv, engaged in full-scale war with Russia, that declined to renew the longstanding deal that allowed Russian gas to flow westward through its territory—but the move was telegraphed for many months, and alternatives existed.
Mainly, Russia could have easily rerouted gas to Transnistria via the TurkStream and Trans-Balkan pipelines, which run through Turkey, Bulgaria, and Romania. But it declined to do so, even as households and businesses in Moldova faced skyrocketing prices, and Transnistria itself remained without gas. Russia justified this by accusing Moldova of owing $709 million in unpaid gas bills — a claim that has been thoroughly debunked: An independent international audit commissioned in 2023 found the true amount owed by the Moldovan government to Gazprom was just $8.6 million.
In early February, the European Union stepped in to avert a humanitarian emergency. It provided €20 million in emergency aid to subsidize gas deliveries to Transnistria for 10 days — from February 1 to February 10 — enabling the region to restart electricity production for Moldova proper. This was from arranged external deliveries, supported through EU subsidies.
The EU then offered to extend this arrangement through mid-April with a larger €60 million package. But Transnistrian authorities rejected the offer, reportedly objecting to conditions that would have required greater transparency and price alignment with EU standards. Some analysts believe the refusal reflected a desire to maintain dependency on Moscow rather than risk deeper integration with the West. Others simply have concluded Moscow was calling the shots.
Indeed, by mid-February, Russia resumed gas supplies to Transnistria. Deliveries came through the expected detour involving the Black Sea, Turkey, and the Balkans. But it is no longer reaching Moldova—ostensibly by a decision of the separatists.
Moldova’s pro-European government, led by President Maia Sandu, is convinced these maneuvers amount to a deliberate attempt to punish its Western, pro-EU tilt and sway the upcoming September parliamentary elections toward pro-Russian opposition parties. In response, Moldova accelerated diversification efforts, sourcing electricity and natural gas from Romania and other EU partners—at far higher prices than before.
Russia is, of course, under no obligation to provide anyone with gas. But the timing of its move is no coincidence, and the impact has been staggering: In Moldova proper, gas prices are up 24%, electricity 75%, and heating bills 40%. Because of downstream effects, overall inflation is expected to exceed 30%, creating severe economic distress just months before the vote.
The energy crisis triggered a sharp spike in inflation in Moldova. In January 2025, the annual inflation rate jumped to 9.1% compared to a year earlier, up from 7.0% in December 2024, marking the steepest increase in recent months. This surge was largely driven by significant hikes in tariffs for heating, gas, and electricity, as well as rising prices for food and medicine.
The result is a textbook case of Russia’s energy leverage at work: create pain for adversaries, reward loyal proxies, and manipulate regional infrastructure to achieve geopolitical goals. In this instance, to erode trust in Moldova’s leadership and swing the election. If the pro-Russian opposition were to win the election, the result will be a global shock because in the middle of the Ukraine war, a small but strategically consequential European country will have fallen, seemingly voluntarily, back into the Kremlin orbit.
The episode underlines the need for a longer-term strategy: one that shores up Moldova, counters Russia’s manipulation, and keeps this EU-candidate country on track.
Why Moldova Matters
If Moldova is pulled back into Russia’s orbit, the consequences will ripple far beyond its borders. It would deal a serious blow to Ukraine, whose EU accession is closely tied to Moldova’s. A pro-Kremlin government in Chișinău could legitimize and make permanent the Russian military presence in Transnistria, which has been in place for decades, even though Moldova’s government has considered this illegal.
A move in this direction would further destabilize NATO’s eastern flank and threaten Romania, Poland, and the entire Black Sea region. Worse still, inviting Russian troops into Moldova proper itself would undermine Moldovan sovereignty and European security.
Success in Moldova would also validate this model of energy blackmail and electoral interference. If left unchecked, similar tactics could be deployed in the Baltic states, the Balkans, and other vulnerable regions, many of which still rely on Russian energy or face internal political divisions that Moscow can exploit. The message would be clear: Russia can strangle a country’s economy, manipulate public opinion, and tilt an election—all at virtually no cost.
What Europe Must Do
Europe’s effort to assist in February suggests that there is an understanding of the stakes. But to safeguard Moldova’s democratic path and broader European security, the EU must do far more — not only to confront the energy blackmail but also to mitigate its political and social consequences.
· Provide Massive Economic Aid to Offset Inflation: Moldova cannot afford Western market prices for energy. Inflation has already hit ordinary citizens hard, creating fertile ground for political discontent. A robust EU aid package must go beyond energy subsidies to include targeted social assistance, price caps, and support for small businesses. This is not just an act of solidarity—it’s a strategic imperative to prevent anti-European forces from exploiting popular frustration.
· Counter Russian Disinformation at Scale: Moscow’s propaganda machine is working overtime to pin the energy crisis on Moldova’s leadership. Europe must respond with a coordinated campaign to expose Russian tactics, debunk misinformation, and promote media literacy. One promising step is the EU’s decision to open an Eastern Partnership office in Moldova—the first of its kind in the region—with disinformation as a top priority. But far more investment in narrative warfare is needed.
· Fast-Track Moldova’s EU Membership: Most importantly, it’s time to stop viewing Moldova through a narrow bureaucratic lens. The country faces governance challenges, yes—but so did many prior EU entrants. Moldova’s small size (2.5 million people) makes integration manageable, while its geopolitical importance is undeniable. A fast-tracked accession process, similar to the one Ukraine has received, would send a powerful message: that Europe stands with its partners in their hour of need. And it would focus the minds of voters, counteracting the interference from Moscow.
Russia’s playbook is clear: create hardship, fuel resentment, and leverage democratic elections to install loyalist regimes that will cement authoritarianism and attempt to make permanent their hold on power. If it succeeds in Moldova, the European dream will be blocked from that country for a generation. Ukraine will be further isolated, and the Kremlin will chalk up another geopolitical win without firing a shot.
This is not just Moldova’s problem. It is Europe’s. It can be averted — but time is running out.
The governor of Russia’s Bryansk, Alexander Bogomaz, said seven people were killed, and 30 were injured in a train derailment in the region bordering Ukraine. Moscow Railway said in a post on Telegram that the derailment and bridge collapse was a result of “illegal interference in transport operations”. Ukraine’s military did not immediately comment.
A Russian attack killed a child and wounded another person in the Ukrainian village of Dolynka in Zaporizhia, the region’s governor said.
A man was also killed by Russian shelling in Ukraine’s Kherson region, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin wrote on Telegram.
The Ukrainian Air Force said Russian forces launched an estimated 109 drones and five missiles across Ukraine on Friday and overnight. Ukrainian forces destroyed 42 of the drones, it added.
Russia’s military said it captured the Ukrainian village of Vodolahy in the Sumy region and Novopil in the Donetsk region.
The announcement came after Ukraine ordered the evacuation of 11 more villages in the Sumy region, saying Russia had amassed some 50,000 troops in the area.
Politics and diplomacy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia did not “look very serious” and had given “no clear information” on what it plans to achieve at peace talks in Istanbul, Turkiye, next week.
He did not comment on whether Ukraine would participate in the new round of negotiations, though Russia has said it would send a delegation led by Vladimir Medinsky, a former culture minister.
China’s embassy in Singapore criticised French President Emmanuel Macron for comparing the defence of Ukraine with the need to protect Taiwan from a Chinese invasion, saying that “the two are different in nature and not comparable at all”.
Russia’s war on Ukraine will be at the top of the agenda when German Chancellor Friedrich Merz meets with United States President Donald Trump on Thursday at the White House, according to a spokesman for the German government.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said new rules set to regulate foreign ships crossing Swedish territorial waters from July 1 come amid “a growing number of concerning incidents in the Baltic Sea”, as Russia’s so-called Shadow Fleet continues to run into problems.
Weapons
British Defence Secretary John Healey announces plans to build at least six new factories producing weapons and explosives, saying that “the hard-fought lessons from [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine show a military is only as strong as the industry that stands behind them.”
Train veers off the tracks in Russia’s Bryansk region after ‘illegal interference’ caused a bridge to collapse, officials say.
A passenger train has derailed in Russia, killing at least seven people and injuring 30 others, after colliding with a bridge that collapsed because of what local officials described as “illegal interference”.
The incident took place late on Saturday in Russia’s Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine.
“Unfortunately, there are seven fatalities,” Bryansk Governor Alexander Bogomaz said in a post on Telegram.
“Thirty victims, including two children, were taken to medical facilities in the Bryansk Region,” Bogomaz said, adding that two were in serious condition.
The driver of the train was among those killed, according to Russian news agencies.
Rosavtodor, Russia’s federal road transportation agency, said the destroyed bridge passed above the railway tracks where the train was travelling.
The railway vehicle – which was going from the town of Klimov to the Russian capital, Moscow – veered off the tracks when it collided with the collapsed bridge near the village of Vygonichi, according to the RIA news agency.
The area lies some 100km (62 miles) from Russia’s border with Ukraine.
Rescuers were searching for passengers trapped inside the damaged train, while emergency accommodation was set up at a school in Vygonichi, RIA reported.
Moscow Railway, in a post on Telegram, said the bridge had collapsed “as a result of an illegal interference in the operation of transport”.
It did not elaborate further.
Russia’s Baza Telegram channel, which often publishes information from sources in the security services and law enforcement, reported, without providing evidence, that according to preliminary information, the bridge was blown up.
Explosions have derailed multiple trains, most of them freight trains, in Russian regions near Ukraine as fighting between Russia and Ukraine continues.
There was no immediate comment from Ukraine.
Two hours after the bridge collapse was reported, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that Ukraine’s air defence units were trying to repel a Russian air attack on the Ukrainian capital.
Earlier on Saturday, Russian drone and missile attacks killed at least two people in Ukraine, officials said.
Since the start of Russia’s invasion three years ago, there have been continued cross-border shelling, drone strikes and covert raids from Ukraine into Russia’s Bryansk, Kursk and Belgorod regions, which border Ukraine.
United States President Donald Trump has urged Moscow and Kyiv to work together on a deal to end the war, and Russia has proposed a second round of face-to-face talks with Ukrainian officials next week in Istanbul.
Ukraine is yet to commit to attending the talks on Monday, saying it first needs to see Russian proposals, while a leading US senator warned Moscow it would be “hit hard” by new US sanctions.
Paris Saint-Germain beat Inter Milan 5-0 – a record in the Champions League final – to be crowned kings of European football in Munich.
Paris Saint-Germain are the champions of Europe after beating Inter Milan by a record 5-0 score line in the Champions League final.
At long last, the club that was transformed by Qatari billions, and bought and sold a succession of the world’s greatest players in an extravagant bid to get to the top, has its hands on the big one.
It was not only PSG’s first triumph in the final of European club football’s grandest prize, but the winning margin in the match in Munich is also a record for the competition’s final.
The trophy that not even Lionel Messi, Neymar or Kylian Mbappe could deliver to the French club was finally claimed by Luis Enrique, the Spanish coach who has overseen PSG’s shift from the era of galactico signings to one of genuine team-building.
Fitting then, that Desire Doue, the 19-year-old French forward emblematic of the club’s new generation, was the chief inspiration on a balmy night. He became the third teenager to score in a Champions League final, following Patrick Kluivert and Carlos Alberto.
Doue scored twice and set up another goal in little more than an hour on the field, before being substituted in the second half.
Paris Saint-Germain’s Desire Doue scores their third goal [Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters]
Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and substitute Senny Mayulu, the fourth teenager to score in a final added to Doue’s double as PSG recorded the biggest win in a final in the Champions League’s 69-year history.
Now PSG can truly sit alongside the royalty of European football. Not by virtue of turnover or merchandising, but on the merits of its achievements on the field.
The Champions League is the ultimate barometer of the continent’s elite clubs, and up until now, PSG has been a flashy contender that always came up short.
That all changed at Allianz Arena, the home of Bayern Munich, one of the titans of Europe, and a fitting stage for PSG’s crowning moment. Not least because it was against Bayern that it lost its only other Champions League final in 2020, leaving Neymar in tears in an empty stadium in Lisbon where fans were locked out because of the pandemic.
Paris St Germain players celebrate winning the Champions League by throwing their coach Luis Enrique into the air [Stephanie Lecocq/Reuters]
On this occasion, thousands of PSG supporters were there to revel in the moment, waving flags, lighting flares and drowning out their rivals from Inter, many of whose supporters left the stadium long before the final whistle.
They’d been partying in the streets of Munich throughout the day, but that was nothing compared to the scenes of joy when Marquinhos held the trophy aloft in front of teammates, with fireworks and golden confetti exploding behind them.
PSG truly delivered when it mattered after so many setbacks in this competition. If there were any nerves from Luis Enrique’s players, it did not show as they dominated Inter from the start.
Achraf Hakimi of Paris Saint-Germain muted his celebration after scoring his team’s first goal out of respect to his former club [Justin Setterfield/Getty Images]
It took just 12 minutes for the French champions to go ahead with a move of speed and precision when Vitinha’s threaded pass into the box found the feet of Doue. The forward could have shot, but instead slid in Hakimi to tap into an open net.
Former Inter player Hakimi’s celebrations were muted, but PSG’s fans erupted.
Eight minutes later and the lead was doubled, although this time it relied more on luck than precision, as Doue’s shot from the right of the box deflected off Federico Dimarco and past Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer.
He got his second in the 63rd, sliding the ball into the bottom corner when through on goal.
Kvaratskhelia added a fourth 10 minutes later, and Mayulu then found the back of the net in the 86th, just two minutes after coming on, adding his name to the list of teenage scorers in a final.
Paris St Germain’s Marquinhos prepares to lift the trophy as he celebrates with teammates after winning the Champions League [Annegret Hilse/Reuters]
Russia has confirmed it will send a delegation to Istanbul, but Kyiv has not yet accepted the proposal.
Russian drone and missile attacks on Ukraine have killed at least two people, according to officials, as Ukraine ordered the evacuation of 11 more villages in its Sumy region bordering Russia.
Russian troops launched an estimated 109 drones and five missiles across Ukraine on Friday and overnight, the Ukrainian air force said on Saturday, adding that three of the missiles and 42 drones were destroyed and another 30 drones failed to reach their targets without causing damage.
The attacks came amid uncertainty over whether Kyiv will take part in a new round of peace talks early next week in Istanbul.
In the Russian attacks on Saturday, a child was killed in a strike on the front-line village of Dolynka in the Zaporizhia region, and another was injured, Zaporizhia’s Governor Ivan Fedorov said.
“One house was destroyed. The shockwave from the blast also damaged several other houses, cars, and outbuildings,” Fedorov wrote on Telegram.
A man was also killed by Russian shelling in Ukraine’s Kherson region, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin wrote on Telegram.
Moscow did not comment on either attack.
Meanwhile, authorities in Ukraine’s Sumy region said they were evacuating 11 villages within a roughly 30-kilometre (19-mile) range from the Russian border.
“The decision was made in view of the constant threat to civilian life as a result of shelling of border communities,” the regional administration said on social media.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said some 50,000 Russian troops have amassed in the area with the intention of launching an offensive to carve out a buffer zone inside Ukrainian territory.
Ukraine’s top army chief, Oleksandr Syrskii, said on Saturday that Russian forces were focusing their main offensive efforts on Pokrovsk, Torets and Lyman in the Donetsk region, as well as the Sumy border area.
Syrskii added that Ukrainian forces are still holding territory in Russia’s Kursk region – a statement Moscow has repeatedly denied.
The evacuations and attacks came just two days before a possible meeting between Kyiv and Moscow in Istanbul, as Washington called on both countries to end the three-year war.
Russia has confirmed it will send a delegation, but Kyiv has not yet accepted the proposal, warning the talks would not yield results unless the Kremlin provided its peace terms in advance.
Zelenskyy said Saturday it was still not clear what Moscow was planning to achieve at the meeting and that so far, it did not “look very serious”.
IT’S the most glamorous fixture on the football calendar – but the glitziest stars will be the ones cheering on from the sidelines.
As Paris Saint-Germain prepare to take on Inter this evening, the players’ stunning WAGs will be getting dressed up to the nines as their partners prepare for potential Champions League glory.
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Kleofina Pnishi, 30, is engaged to Inter star Benjamin Pavard, 29Credit: Instagram/@kleofina
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Portuguese television and film star Madalena Aragão, 19, with her PSG boyfriend João Neves, 20Credit: getty
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Nitsa Tavadze, 23, wife of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, 24, studied medicine at uniCredit: instagram/@nitsatavadze
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Nitsa and Kvaratskhelia tied the knot on October 16, 2023Credit: Instagram/@nitsatavadze/
While PSG’s roster has included superstars including Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar in recent years, this year’s team is full of young, hungry talents ready to make their own names on the world stage.
In 2023, they tied the knot at the historic Samtavro Monastery in Mtskheta, celebrating with Georgian traditions, attire, and customs.
Although the couple were introduced by a mutual friend in 2021 sparks didn’t fly until a month later.
Due to Nitsa’s demanding studies, the pair would write to and call each other, and would meet up during their time off or when Kvaratskhelia was on an international break.
When Nitsa didn’t have lectures to attend, she would go to Naples and attend matches at his former team, Napoli.
They made their first appearance at a basketball game between Italy and Georgia and by 2022 they were official. Now, they share a son, Damian, one.
Golf Wag Jena Sims ‘test drives her bikinis for summer’ with fans unable to pick between skimpy outfits
Océane Toussaint and Warren Zaire-Emery
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Océane Toussaint, 21, girlfriend of Warren Zaire Emery, 19, is a professional goalkeeper for PSGCredit: INSTAGRAM
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The young couple have been dating since 2024Credit: INSTAGRAM
French goalie Océane Toussaint, 21, has been in a relationship with her fellow PSG star Warren Zaire-Emery, 19, since 2024.
They were first papped together at a Louis Vuitton event in January and later confirmed their relationship at a gala in May.
Océane was the first goalkeeper to win the Titi d’Or – a fan award for PSG’s most promising academy player – in 2023 and took to social media to share her success with fans.
She wrote: “Very proud to be the first Titi gold keeper, thank you again for all your messages.”
During their short time together so far, Océane and Warren have already jetted off for glamorous holidays and were seen visiting Zoomarine in the Algarve.
Madalena Aragão and João Neves
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Madalena Aragão, girlfriend of João Neves is a Portuguese TV and film starCredit: Instagram
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The young actress has moved countries to be with her boyfriendCredit: instagram
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The couple have made the most of life in ItalyCredit: instagram/@madalena_aragao_
Portuguese television and film star Madalena Aragão, 19, has been in a relationship with João Neves, 20, since 2024.
Madalena made her acting debut in 2016 when she was just 10 years old in the soap opera Rainha das Flores.
The talented actress is also a popular blogger and creator of a YouTube channel, where she shares her thoughts on teenage life and growing up.
Since embarking on her new relationship with João it’s been go go go. She even moved to Paris to be with him after his move from Benfica to the French giants.
The pair have also been quite active on social media, sharing several adorable pics together.
In response to one of Madalena’s recent Instagram posts, Portuguese actor and model Diogo Amaral replied: “My favourite couple.”
Carol Cabrino and Marquinhos
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Brazilian Instagram star Carol Cabrino, 32, is married to Marquinhos, 31Credit: Instagram
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The couple share three children but recently suffered a heartbreaking miscarriageCredit: getty
Influencer Carol Cabrino, 32, carved out a successful singing career before her marriage to Brazilian centre back Marquinhos, 31.
After he proposed to her underneath the Eiffel Tower, the pair had a civil wedding in June 2016.
Together they share three children – Maria, eight, Enrico, six, and Martina, 3 – but tragically, Carol recently opened up about losing her fourth child after suffering a miscarriage.
Taking to Instagram to share the distressing news in March, she said: “I’m going to talk about something that is not very good.
“But I’ve accepted what happened to me and I’ve come to share it with you.
“I can’t get on with my life if I don’t come here and explain to you a little of the things that have been happening in my life for a while now.”
Alessia Elefante and Gianluigi Donnarumma
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Alessia Elefante, 27, fiance of Gianluigi Donnarumma, 26, was born in Naples, ItlayCredit: Instagram
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The couple share a son Leo, one, and a dog CocoCredit: Instagram
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A little known fact about Alessia is that she has a twin sister, DanielaCredit: Instagram
Italian bombshell Alessia Elefante, 27, is the fiancée of Gianluigi Donnarumma, 26, and the couple have been together for over seven years.
Alessia is an interior designer and mum to one-year-old Leo, whom she shares with Gianluigi. The Italian pro footballer proposed to her a month after their son was born.
They also share a dog named Coco that Alessia has referred to via her Instagram as her “favourite baby boy” and “a prince” – before her son was born, of course!
Despite such a significant height difference, the couple seem super loved up and often share photos together on social media.
Another little known fact about Alessia is that she’s a twin. On May 27, 2024, she took to Instagram to share a birthday pic with her sister Daniela.
The caption wrote: “Since 1998. Love you.”
Shocked fans were quick to spot the similarities between the pair. One person wrote: “I thought there was a mirror in the 1st pic.”
Inter Milan
Agustina Gandolfo and Lautaro Martinez
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Argentinian Agustina Gandolfo, 29, is the wife of Lautaro Martinez, 27Credit: Instagram
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The entrepreneur and wellness advocate met her match in 2016Credit: instagram/@agus.gandolfo/)
Model Agustina, 29, has two children with Inter’s star striker Lautaro, 27, Nina, four and Theo, two.
Agus has developed a career as a mumfluencer in recent years, with her candid posts about the realities of motherhood.
Alongside her personal updates, she has launched her own lifestyle brand, Coraje, as well as partnering with trendy fashion and fitness labels like Cloter Official and Tropical Sweat.
She met her Argentine husband around 2016 when he was playing for local club Racing, at a party hosted by fellow stars Mauro Icardi and Wanda Nara.
They were initially pals but later fell in love. They had their first child, a daughter named Nina, in 2021 and had a son in 2023.
The pair had a lavish wedding in Villa d’Este on Lake Como Italy in 2023 with 120 guests.
Agus has three tattoos: one of birds flying on her upper back, a heart on her arm and a quote on her ribs.
She also made headlines in 2021 after claiming a Milan restaurant had handed her a menu that didn’t have any prices on during a romantic meal out with her man.
She claimed on her Instagram story that the practice is sexist – because it assumes the man is going to pay for the meal, not the woman.
Kleofina Pnishi and Benjamin Pavard
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Bombshell Kleofina Pnishi is married to Benjamin PavardCredit: Instagram/@kleofina
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Benjamin proposed to her on the coast of Saranda in a beautiful romantic atmosphere with flowers and candlesCredit: Instagram
Kosovo-born actress and model Kleofina, 30, was elected Miss Provence 2017 and ran in the Miss France competition the following year.
But life hasn’t always been easy. When she was just five years old, her family fled their homeland due to the war and arrived in France in 1999.
She graduated from the School of Journalism and Communication of Aix-Marseille, before meeting Benjamin Pavard, 29, with the pair getting engaged in July last year.
Benjamin got down on one knee on the coast of Saranda, Albania, in a beautiful, romantic proposal made special with flowers and candles.
Federica Schievenin and Nicolò Barella
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Federica Schievenin, 35, wife of Nicolò Barella, 28, is a sports scientistCredit: instagram/@fede_schievenin
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The blonde beauty is also a model and certified personal trainerCredit: instagram/@fede_schievenin
Stunning sports scientist Federica Schievenin, 35, met childhood sweetheart Nicolò, 28, over a decade ago.
Like her beau, she has had a passion for sports since a young age thanks to thanks to her dad, who was into motocross.
She earned a PT CFT3 certification from the International Sports Scientists Association in 2019 and is now said to be studying nutraceuticals and naturopathy.
The pair tied the knot in 2018 and are now parents to four children: daughters Rebecca, eight, Lavinia, five, Matilde, four and a baby son, Romeo.
Federica keeps her children’s faces hidden on social media, usually with an emoji.
Claudia Scarpari and Francesco Acerbi
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Claudia Scarpari, 38, wife of Francesco Acerbi, 37, has never missed a matchCredit: Instagram
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The pair met in early 2020 and went public with the relationship later that yearCredit: Instagram @claudiascarp
Claudia Scarpari, 38, is the wife of defender Francesco Acerbi, 37, who she met in early 2020.
Speaking of their early romance, the glamorous lawyer said she found it “enchanting” to watch him play, but admitted she didn’t follow football before they met.
However, since falling in love with the defender, Claudia has revealed she had never missed a match, and will always be cheering on her partner.
Claudia already has a daughter and a son from a previous relationship, and has had more children with Francesco.
Their daughters are named Vittoria, four and Nala, two.
On top of being a supportive WAG, Claudia is a successful lawyer and has spoken of the similarities between the couple’s careers, explaining they are both “defending and protecting what we believe in”.
The couple married in early 2025 in Cassina Rizzardi, Italy.
Sinem Gündoğdu and Hakan Çalhanoğlu
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Sinem Gündoğdu, 30, and Hakan Çalhanoğlu, 31, grew up together in Turkey before falling in love and tying the knot in 2017Credit: instagram
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The couple made headlines in 2018 after Hakan filed for divorceCredit: getty
Hakan Çalhanoğlu, 31, and Sinem, 30, grew up together in Turkey before tying the knot in 2017, but their relationship has not always been plain sailing.
In 2018, the midfielder sensationally announced the decision to divorce his wife after a “very serious and unforgivable situation occurred”.
Sinem’s response was speedy, and came with another bombshell, as she announced: “I never cheated on you. By the way, I’m pregnant.”
Fortunately, the couple appear to have resolved their issues and now seem better than ever.
Together they have three children: Liya, six, born in 2019, Ayaz, four, born in 2021 and Asil Can, two, born in 2023.
Eight people, including two teenagers, were injured in a Russian attack on the village of Vasyliv Khutir in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv, regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.
The Ukrainian Air Force said that Russia launched 90 drones and two ballistic missiles against Ukraine that targeted the country’s Kharkiv, Odesa and Donetsk regions.
The Kharkiv region’s main city came under Russian drone attack, which targeted a trolleybus depot and injured two people, the city’s Mayor Ihor Terekhov said. He said more than 30 nearby apartment buildings were damaged, while one trolleybus was completely destroyed, and 18 others sustained varying degrees of damage.
Ceasefire
Ukraine has resisted US and Russian pressure to commit to attending another round of peace talks in Istanbul on Monday, saying it first needs to see Russian proposals for a ceasefire. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia “is doing everything it can to ensure that the next potential meeting brings no results”.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the planned second round of talks between Ukraine and Russia will pave the way for peace in a phone call with Zelenskyy, according to a readout issued by the Turkish presidency. Erdogan said it is important that both parties join the talks with strong delegations.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also said Kyiv needed to see the Russian ceasefire proposals in advance for the talks to be “substantive and meaningful”, without spelling out what Kyiv would do if it did not receive the Russian document or a deadline for receiving it.
Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky will again head Russia’s delegation in Istanbul for the second round of Russia-Ukraine talks and will bring a memorandum and other ceasefire proposals to the meeting.
Russia’s UN ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, told the UN Security Council that Moscow was ready to consider a ceasefire, provided Western states stopped arming Ukraine and Kyiv stopped mobilising troops.
Influential US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said on a visit to Kyiv that the Republican-led US Senate is expected to move ahead with a bill on sanctions against Russia next week. Graham, who met Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Friday, said he had talked with Donald Trump before his trip and the US president expects concrete actions now from Moscow.
Trump told reporters that both Putin and Zelenskyy were stubborn and that he had been surprised and disappointed by the Russian bombing of Ukraine while he was trying to arrange a ceasefire.
Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said Russia’s concern over the eastward enlargement of NATO was fair and Washington did not want to see Ukraine in the US-led military alliance.
Commenting on Kellogg’s statement, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Moscow was pleased, adding that a Russian delegation would be travelling to Istanbul and ready for talks with Ukraine on Monday morning.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told reporters in Kyiv that the next step after talks in Istanbul would be to try to host a meeting between Trump, Putin, and Zelenskyy.
Economy
Ukraine’s finance ministry has announced that it would not be paying more than half a billion dollars due to holders of its GDP warrants – fixed income securities indexed to economic growth – marking the first payment default since it created the financial instruments in 2015. Ukraine owes $665m on June 2 to holders of the $3.2bn worth of warrants, based on 2023 economic performance.
Billions of dollars have been spent. Some of the world’s greatest players have come and gone. Yet the Champions League trophy has remained agonisingly out of reach for Paris Saint-Germain.
That could be about to change.
The Qatari-owned team is one game away from European club football’s most prestigious prize, with Inter Milan standing in the way in Saturday’s final in Munich.
“The motivation for me is to win the Champions League title for the first time for PSG,” coach Luis Enrique said on Friday. “That is the gift I want to give the people, the club, the city.”
Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique during training in Munich [Peter Cziborra/Reuters]
Inter Milan have ‘utmost’ respect for PSG
PSG is the favourite, with a thrilling young team that has produced stunning performances to get past Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal. It feels like its time has finally come.
But Inter is a wily opponent that is in its second final in three seasons and cut down a rampant Barcelona in an epic semifinal — winning 7-6 on aggregate.
“Our opponent, we hold the utmost respect for,” Inter captain Lautaro Martinez said. “But with the weapons we’ve got, we want to hit them where it hurts.”
The warning signs are there for PSG.
PSG’s run to the final has justified a shift in direction from the bling culture of superstar signings to focus more on young French talent.
Owned by Qatar Sports Investments since 2011, PSG signed some of the biggest names in football, including Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Lionel Messi without ever getting its hands on the trophy it craves most of all.
Messi, Neymar and Mbappe have all gone, and without those iconic figures, PSG looks a more complete team.
“It’s about being a team, not a group of individuals,” PSG captain Marquinhos said. “I’m in love with this team. It’s a delight to be part of the squad.”
Paris Saint-Germain’s Marquinhos during a session in training in Munich [Angelika Warmuth/(Reuters]
Expensive PSG face savvy Inter Milan
PSG’s transformation has still come at some cost.
Players like Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia were signed for an estimated $240m combined in a squad assembled at spectacular expense.
Meanwhile, Inter has been savvy in the market — signing older players and picking up free agents to put together a team that has reached two Champions League finals in three years — losing to Man City in 2023 — and won an Italian title in that time.
PSG’s only previous final was in 2020, a 1-0 loss to Bayern Munich.
It was a semifinalist in 2021 and 2024. Elimination in the round of 16 in 2022 and 2023 preceded the decision by President Nasser Al-Khelaifi to change his transfer strategy.
This year is only the second time since 2011 that three-time champion Inter has advanced beyond the round of 16.
Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi oversees his side’s training before the final [Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters]
World Cup winner ‘missing’ a Champions League medal
Inter last won the Champions League in 2010 under Jose Mourinho.
Dembele has been one of the outstanding players in Europe this season with 30 goals in all competitions for PSG, including a run of 24 in 18 games from December to March.
Kvaratskhelia was signed from Napoli in January and sparked a turnaround in PSG’s fortunes in the Champions League when it looked in danger of being eliminated at the league stage.
The Georgian forward was long considered one of the brightest talents in Europe before making the move and has added another dimension to an already thrilling PSG attack.
Midfielders Vitinha and Joao Neves are the engine, hungrily hunting down the ball when out of possession and springing attacks with the speed of their passing.
World Cup winner Lautaro Martinez is Inter’s standout player and became the club’s all-time leading scorer in the Champions League this season.
“I’ve won big trophies, but I’m missing the Champions League. I’m happy to be in another final. We want to have the perfect game and bring the trophy back to Milan,” the Argentinian forward said.
Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez is his side’s leading scorer this season [Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters]
Inter enter second final in three years as PSG eye date with destiny
Defender Denzel Dumfries played a huge role in beating Barcelona with two goals in the first leg at the Nou Camp and goalkeeper Yann Sommer pulled off a string of saves to keep Inter in the tie in the second leg.
A Champions League winner with Barcelona in 2015, Luis Enrique has won 12 major trophies in spells with the Catalan club and PSG.
If his club, the French champions, triumph on Saturday, he would become the seventh coach to win the Champions League or European Cup with two different teams. The list includes Carlo Ancelotti, Pep Guardiola and Mourinho.
Victory would come 10 years after his previous title.
“I have peace of mind. I’ve got 10 years more experience since the last time,” Luis Enrique said. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to play in a final and make history.”
Inter’s Simone Inzaghi is hoping to win his first Champions League title at the second time of asking after the defeat to City two years ago.
Then, as now, Inter was the underdog, and came close to upsetting Guardiola’s all-conquering City.
“Matches don’t come down to wage bills or turnover, it’s the players on the pitch,” Inzaghi said. “We were huge underdogs two years ago and went toe to toe.
“I dreamt of playing the Champions League final. I didn’t do it as a player, but thanks to this group of players, I’ve been in two finals as a head coach.”
Inzaghi cannot match Enrique’s trophy count but has impressed at Inter where he won Serie A last year, and alongside two Italian Cups, it was his third overall. Only a week ago, Inter surrendered the Serie A title by one point.
Jury found that the BBC had not acted in good faith and awarded Adams 100,000 euros ($113,000) in damages.
Former Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams has won a libel case against the BBC over a report alleging he sanctioned the killing of an informant in the Irish republican movement.
A jury at Ireland’s High Court on Friday found that the BBC had not acted in good faith and in a “fair and reasonable” way and awarded Adams 100,000 euros ($113,000) in damages.
Adams brought the lawsuit over a claim in a 2016 documentary and online article that he sanctioned the killing of Denis Donaldson, a long-serving Sinn Fein official who acknowledged in 2005 that he had worked for British intelligence. He was shot dead at his cottage in rural Ireland four months later.
The BBC “Spotlight” investigation included an anonymous allegation that the murder was sanctioned by the political and military leadership of the Irish Republican Army and that Adams gave “the final say”.
Adams denies any involvement.
Speaking outside court, Adams, 76, said the case was “about putting manners on the British Broadcasting Corporation”. His solicitors said Adams was “very pleased with this resounding verdict”.
Adams, 76, is one of the most influential figures of Northern Ireland’s decades of conflict, and its peace process. He led Sinn Fein, the party linked to the IRA, between 1983 and 2018. He has always denied being an IRA member, but former colleagues have said he was one of its leaders.
The BBC argued that it acted in “good faith”, that its programme was “fair and reasonable” and in the public interest, and that the allegation made in the documentary was supported by five other sources.
Speaking outside Dublin High Court alongside Spotlight reporter Jennifer O’Leary, BBC Northern Ireland director Adam Smyth told reporters they were disappointed with the verdict.
“We believe we supplied extensive evidence to the court of the careful editorial process and journalistic diligence applied to this programme and accompanying online article,” Smyth said.
“Moreover, it was accepted by the court, and conceded by Gerry Adams’ legal team, that the Spotlight broadcast and publication were of the highest public interest.”
Adams brought the case in Dublin as the Spotlight programme could be watched in Ireland, where it was seen by about 16,000 people.
An online article also had about 700 hits in Ireland during a 14-month period after its publication in September 2016.
A total of 79 people were injured after a car drove into a crowd after Liverpool Football Club’s trophy parade.
A former British marine has appeared in court accused of driving a vehicle into a crowd of people celebrating Liverpool Football Club’s Premier League title win.
Paul Doyle briefly appeared at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court on Friday morning, where he read out his personal details, according to United Kingdom media reports.
Doyle, 53, is facing seven charges, including dangerous driving and causing grievous bodily harm with intent, which carry a maximum life sentence if convicted, after a dark Ford Galaxy drove into Liverpool Football Club supporters attending a parade in the city centre to celebrate the club winning the Premier League.
A total of 79 people, aged between nine and 78, were injured in the incident, and no deaths were reported.
Merseyside Police Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims told reporters on Thursday that seven people remained in hospital.
According to local reports, Doyle lives in a suburb of Liverpool and is a businessman with three teenage children.
The charges followed what Crown Prosecution Service’s Sarah Hammond described as a “complex and ongoing investigation”.
“Prosecutors and police are continuing to work at pace to review a huge volume of evidence,” she said.
“This includes multiple pieces of video footage and numerous witness statements. It is important to ensure every victim gets the justice they deserve,” she added.
Shortly after the incident, Merseyside Police quickly ruled out possible terrorism as the reason behind the crash and revealed that the suspect was a white British man, in a move to stop the spread of misinformation online.
Last year, misinformation circulating online about an attacker who killed three girls in the Southport area led to anti-immigration and Islamophobic riots in parts of England.
The Slovak leader has repeatedly accused judges and prosecutors who probe his allies of political bias.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has criticised a judge who convicted the governor of the country’s central bank in a corruption case.
Reacting to the conviction of Petr Kazimir, his former finance minister, the combative premier suggested on Friday that the verdict was politically motivated, and that Specialised Criminal Court judge Milan Cisarik should be investigated for criminal acts.
Since returning to power in 2023, Fico has torn down police and prosecutor units set up to investigate corruption during his previous years in power between 2012 – 2020.
Kazimir was found guilty and fined 200,000 euros ($226,500) on Thursday for bribing a tax official during his tenure as finance minister in Fico’s previous government. Claiming that the longstanding charges were fabricated, he denied any wrongdoing and said that he plans to appeal.
The bribery charges against Peter Kazimir stem from his time serving as finance minister under Fico’s previous government [File: Bloomberg]
“The judge’s decision raises the question whether it should have served political aims of the opposition to damage the ruling parties, because even a law faculty student must see fatal nonsense in the verdict,” the Slovak leader said on Thursday.
“I cannot shake off the feeling that it is justified to look at potential suspicion that the judge committed multiple criminal acts and at what the ruling was supposed to serve.”
The court did not respond to Fico’s remarks. The For Open Justice (ZOJ) NGO warned: “Questioning a specific judgment through public statements by members of the government can also be perceived as indirect political pressure on the judiciary.”
Revenge
Fico fell from power in 2020 amid the scandal over the 2018 assassination of investigative journalist Jan Kuciak. The new government set up special units to investigate a suspected network of corruption around the former PM and his inner circle.
Fico routinely complained that the measures were politically motivated. On returning to power in late 2023, he immediately began tearing up the units and amended the criminal code to lower punishments for corruption.
Critics have accused him of becoming obsessed with exacting revenge on those involved in probes against his circle.
Kazimir, was the first of Fico’s former ministers to stand trial when he first faced the court in April 2023 accused of paying a bribe of 48,000 euros ($54,360) in 2017-18 to the chief of the country’s tax office, in connection with an audit of a number of private companies.
His term at the head of the National Bank of Slovakia ends on June 1, but he will stay on until a replacement is appointed.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST star Morgan Gibbs-White’s girlfriend Britney De Villiers took social media by storm.
Gibbs-White, 25, is enjoying a short relaxing holiday after an impressive season with Forest that saw them qualifying for Europe for the first time in 30 years.
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Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White’s girlfriend Britney De Villiers took social media by storm
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Britney donned a glamorous dark dress
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Britney posed with Gibbs-White during their holiday
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Britney and Gibbs-White took photos together during their downtime
The playmaker was joined by his partner Britney who seems to be having the time of her life with her other half.
And the couple got ready for a cosy date with the blogger donning a stylish black dress.
The agent shared the snap on Instagram for her 271,000 followers.
Britney added the following caption: “Date night.”
She also posted a few other pics of her in the same glamorous dress with Gibbs-White by her side sharing a tender embrace.
Their fans were left touched as they stormed the comments’ section.
One follower posted: “BEAUTIFUL!! You’re the best.”
Another commented: “You always make my day.”
This fan said: Ahhh beautiful.”
And that one gushed: “Faves.”
Inside Angel Gomes and Morgan Gibbs-White’s bromance as England new boys reveal ‘special’ bond that led to U21s glory
The ex-Wolves star is expected to be in action on June 7 at Andorra in the Three Lions’ next World Cup qualifier and June 10 for the friendly against Senegal at Forest‘s City Ground.
Scroll down for more from Britney
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Gibbs-White and Britney often go on holiday together
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