Ukraine said it had arrested a Chinese father and son, both suspected of spying on Kyiv’s Neptune cruise missile programme. Counterintelligence officials detained a 24-year-old former student in Kyiv after they provided him with “technical documentation” related to Neptune production, Ukraine’s SBU said. They later swooped on his father when he visited Ukraine from China to “personally coordinate” his son’s work and smuggle out the documents to the Chinese special services, the SBU said.

A Ukrainian official told Reuters the two men were the first Chinese people arrested for spying since Moscow’s 2022 full-scale invasion. Kyiv has repeatedly accused China of supplying parts and technologies central to the Russian drone and missile programme. China’s government insists there has been no such trade. The Chinese embassy in Kyiv did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters on the Neptune case and a lawyer for the men could not immediately be found.

The US resumed delivering artillery shells and mobile rocket artillery missiles to Ukraine, US officials told Reuters and the Associated Press on Wednesday, on the instructions of Donald Trump who claimed he did not know who ordered the shipments’ suspension last week. The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said 155mm artillery shells and GMLRS (mobile rocket artillery) missiles were being provided. The shipment paused last week included 30 Patriot missiles, 8,500 155mm artillery shells, more than 250 precision GMLRS missiles and 142 Hellfire air-to-surface missiles.

Kyiv was again under bombardment early on Thursday morning. As air defences fought off Russian drones, one struck an apartment building in the centre of the capital, said Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv military administration, and debris fell in different districts of the city. Reuters witnesses reported loud explosions.

On Wednesday, Russia pummelled Ukraine with its largest missile and drone attack in more than three years of war – a dark record that is seemingly reset higher every few days. Lutsk, a town in western Ukraine, was heavily targeted for its military airfield and infrastructure. Kyiv’s air force said Russia fired 728 drones and 13 missiles at Ukraine, with air defence systems cutting down 711 drones and seven missiles. Air force representatives said new Ukrainian drones played an important role in defending against the attacks and most of the Russian drones were decoys.

A one-year-old boy was killed in a Russian attack on the village of Pravdyne in the southern Kherson region, local officials announced. Some reports said he was hit by a drone in his back yard along with his grandmother who was badly injured. Ukrainian prosecutors said Russian drone and bombing attacks in two towns in Donetsk killed eight civilians on Wednesday. Officials published images showing the remains of two people burnt to death in their car, which officials said was hit by a Russian drone.

Casualties included three people killed and one injured in the frontline town of Kostiantynivka in Donetsk region, the national emergency services said. A one-storey administrative building was destroyed and rescue teams pulled bodies out of the rubble. Firefighters extinguished blazes in four buildings. Vadym Filashkin, governor of Donetsk oblast, said it was time to “take a responsible decision. Evacuate to less dangerous regions of Ukraine!”

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Keith Kellogg had a “substantive” conversation, the Ukrainian president said after meeting the US president’s Ukraine envoy in Rome. “We discussed weapons supplies and strengthening air defence … We also covered the purchase of American weapons, joint defence manufacturing, and localisation efforts in Ukraine.” Both men were in Italy ahead of a conference on 10-11 July dedicated to Ukraine’s recovery and long-term reconstruction.

From 1d ago 17.16 BST Macron: Europe must end excessive dependencies on both the US and China Macron says European countries must end their “excessive dependencies on both the US and China”. He suggests China’s use of subsidies are a threat to fair trade. And he says that President Trump’s trade war is also an attack on WTO rules. He says the European democratic model is as under threat from “foreign interference, information manipulation, domination of minds by negative emotions and addictions to social media”. UPDATE: Macron said European countries had to break away from economic dependence on the US and China. “We want an open world. We want to co-operate, but not to depend,” he said. Share Updated at 17.45 BST

1d ago 18.05 BST Visitors to Wales could be charged £1.30 per night from 2027 after Senedd passes tourist tax bill Bethan McKernan Bethan McKernan is the Guardian’s Wales correspondent. Overnight visitors to Wales could pay a tourist tax from 2027 after the Senedd passed new legislation aimed at curbing overtourism.

The law, which could raise as much as £33m a year if widely adopted, will give councils the option to tax people staying at hotels £1.30 a night, or 75p at campsites and hostels.

The legislation passed 37-13 in the Senedd during a final debate today after Plaid Cymru lent its support.

“We believe it is reasonable for visitors to contribute towards infrastructure and services integral to their experience, as they do in so many other parts of the world,” finance secretary and former first minister Mark Drakeford said in a statement.

The charges, which are expected to come into force in 2027 at the earliest, are subject to VAT. Children under 18 will be exempt at hostels and campsites.

So far, Cardiff, Anglesey and Gwynedd have shown interest in introducing the new levy, despite opposition from some businesses worried it could deter visitors. The Welsh Tourism Alliance has said that the wording of the bill means councils will not have to spend the money raised on tourism infrastructure.

Impact assessments vary wildly: the boost to the economy could be between £7.3m – £10.8m, according to one study, but could also lead to the loss of 390 jobs.

Several holiday destinations across Europe have introduced visitor taxes in recent years in a bid to clampdown on overtourism and raise funds to manage and improve local infrastructure. In the UK, Manchester implemented a tourist levy in 2023, and Liverpool, Mournemoth, Pool and Christchurch followed suit last year. A Scottish tourist tax comes into effect in July 2026. Share

1d ago 18.01 BST Emmanuel Macron, the French president, is meeting Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, and Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, during his trip. A courtesy meeting with opposition leaders is relatively routine when a European leader visits another European country. But Macron is not meeting Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader. Given that Farage’s party only had five MPs at the last election (down to four now – see 2.10pm), and that most EU leaders like Macron regard Farage as a malign threat, not a potential partner, the snub is not at all surprising. But Farage’s party is leading in the polls, and Richard Tice, the Reform UK deputy leader, has said Macron should have offered a meeting. Share

1d ago 17.47 BST Institute for Fiscal Studies says having annual tax on wealth wouldn’t be ‘sensible’ There are growing calls at Westminster for a wealth tax. Today the Institute for Fiscal Studies has issued a statement from Stuart Adam, one of its senior economists, saying that, while there is a case for getting more tax from the wealthy, including by “reforming capital income taxes in order to properly tax high returns”, a wealth tax would be a bad idea. Adam explains: It is difficult to make the case that an annual tax on wealth would be a sensible part of the tax system even in principle (see further information here). Taxing the same wealth every year would penalise saving and investment. In practice, implementing a wealth tax would be difficult. It would require the government to set up a new administrative apparatus to value wealth – and valuation would be extremely difficult for some assets, such as private businesses: it is much easier to observe and tax the stream of income they generate. An annual wealth tax would need to apply broadly to all assets to ensure that it was not easy to avoid. Such a tax could raise significant revenue if it applied to the bulk of the UK’s wealth – that would include the homes and pensions of the middle class. Trying to raise large amounts of revenue from only the very wealthy would make the UK a less attractive place for those people to live. International experience of annual wealth taxes is not encouraging: they have been abandoned in most of the developed countries that previously had them. There are strong reasons to radically reform how we currently tax the sources and uses of wealth; this includes reforming capital income taxes in order to properly tax high returns. An annual wealth tax would be a poor substitute for doing that. Share

1d ago 17.21 BST Macron confirms the Bayeux Tapestry announcement, which gets a loud round of applause. He thanks King Charles for his hospitality. And he ends: Finally, we meet again, and let’s be sure that we will meet again for years and decades, because we are linked by our geography, by our past, but we are linked by our common future. And the only way to overcome the challenges we have, the challenges for our times, would be to go together, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder. Macron gets a standing ovation. Share

1d ago 17.17 BST Macron suggests new rules are needed to protect children in Europe from the dangers social media. Share

1d ago 17.16 BST Macron: Europe must end excessive dependencies on both the US and China Macron says European countries must end their “excessive dependencies on both the US and China”. He suggests China’s use of subsidies are a threat to fair trade. And he says that President Trump’s trade war is also an attack on WTO rules. He says the European democratic model is as under threat from “foreign interference, information manipulation, domination of minds by negative emotions and addictions to social media”. UPDATE: Macron said European countries had to break away from economic dependence on the US and China. “We want an open world. We want to co-operate, but not to depend,” he said. Share Updated at 17.45 BST

1d ago 17.11 BST Macron says he is the first EU head of state to make a state visit since Brexit. And he praises Starmer for restoring trust in that relationship. Share

1d ago 17.09 BST Macron says UK and France have duty to tackle illegal migration ‘with humanity, solidarity and firmness’ Macron says the UK and France also work together on the climate. And the two countries will cooperate to tackle illegal migration, he says. We cannot allow our countries’ rules for taking in people to be flouted in criminal networks, to cynically exploit the hopes of so many individuals with so little respect for human life. France and the United Kingdom have a shared responsibility to address irregular migration with humanity, solidarity and firmness. The decisions that we will take at our bilateral summit will respond to our aims for cooperation and tangible results on these major issues. Very clearly, we task our ministers of domestic affairs [Home Office ministers, in UK terms] to work very closely together, and I want to salute the very close coordination and cooperation. But Macron also says there will only be “a lasting and effective solution” with action at the European level. Share Updated at 10.15 BST

1d ago 17.04 BST Macon says UK and France have ‘special responsibility’ for security of Europe Macron says the UK-France pact on defence and security is getting stronger. And he says he and Keir Starmer will take this further at their summit this week. There is an expectation in Europe that the two countries have “a special responsibility for the security of the continent”, he says. UPDATE: Macron said: Our two countries, the only European nuclear weapon states, the leading armed forces of the continent, together accounting for 40% of European military budgets, both fully shoulder the responsibility when it comes to European security. And we are faced with new threats, with aggressive nuclear powers, with sometimes hesitating alliances, and the return of major conflict on our continent. This is why, in two days, our summit is so important, and the announcement we prepared so historical. Macron said there was an expectation that the UK and France, “faced with revisionist neighbours” have a “special responsibility for the security of the continent”. And he said, to paraphrase William Pitt, it was time to “make sure that not only our two countries will save themselves by their own exertions, but also that we will save Europe by our example and our solidarity”. Pitt said: “England has saved herself by her exertions, and will, as I trust, save Europe by her example.” Share Updated at 17.29 BST

1d ago 17.01 BST Macron says the UK and France cannot tolerate the threat that would be posed by Iran having a nuclear weapon. They will work for a deal “which ensures international monitoring of Iran’s nuclear programme over the long term, thereby preserving the international non-proliferation framework as a foundation for collective security”. Share

1d ago 16.59 BST Macron calls for ceasefire in Gaza, saying ‘dehumunisation’ happening there cannot be justified Macron says the UK and France are calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. It is a matter of absolute urgency to end the suffering of the hostages and of the Gazans. A war without end and without a strategic objective poses a huge threat to the region and our collective security. Today, a dehumanisation is occurring there that can never be justified together. We are aware that the political way out is crucial, and I believe in the future of the two-state solution as a basis for regional security architecture, which will enable Israel to live in peace and security alongside its neighbours. But I want to be clear: calling today for a ceasefire in Gaza without any conditions is just telling to the rest of the world that for us, as Europeans, there is no double standard. Share

Donald Trump has slapped a 50% tariff on Brazil over what he called the “witch-hunt” against former president Jair Bolsonaro and demanded that it end immediately.

The US president said the levy on Brazil would be “separate from all sectoral tariffs” as he also targeted seven other countries for steep tariffs and criticised the trial of Bolsonaro, whom he has described as a friend and hosted at his Mar-a-Lago resort.

The US supreme court, meanwhile, denied a request by Florida officials to lift a judge’s order barring them from carrying out arrests of undocumented US immigrants entering the state while a legal challenge plays out.

And the Trump’s administration has issued sanctions against Francesca Albanese, a UN official investigating abuses in Gaza in the latest US effort to punish critics of Israel’s war in the territory.

Here are the key US politics stories at a glance:

Catching up? Here’s what happened on 8 July 2025.

Two seafarers on a bulk carrier have been killed in a drone and speedboat attack in the Red Sea blamed on Yemen’s Houthi rebels, the second incident in a day after months of calm.

The Red Sea, which passes Yemen’s coast, is a critical waterway for oil and commodities but traffic has dropped since the Iran-aligned Houthi militia began targeting ships in November 2023 in what they said was solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

The deaths on the Liberian-flagged, Greek-operated Eternity C are the first involving shipping in the Red Sea since June last year and bring the number of killed in attacks on vessels there to six. The Houthis have not claimed responsibility for the incident but Yemen’s exiled government and the European Union said it was the group’s work.

Hours before the attack, the Houthis claimed they had sunk another Liberia-flagged, Greek-operated bulk carrier, the MV Magic Seas, off south-west Yemen on Sunday.

The crew were rescued by a passing merchant vessel and arrived safely in Djibouti on Monday, port authorities said.

“Just as Liberia was processing the shock and grief of the attack against Magic Seas, we received a report that Eternity C again has been attacked, attacked horribly and causing the death of two seafarers,” Liberia’s delegation told a London session of the United Nations shipping agency, the International Maritime Organization.

Since November 2023, the Houthis have disrupted commerce by launching hundreds of drones and missiles at vessels in the Red Sea, saying they were targeting ships linked to Israel.

The Houthis reached a ceasefire with the US in May but say they will keep attacking ships connected with Israel.

Arsenio Dominguez, the IMO’s secretary general, said on Tuesday. “After several months of calm, the resumption of deplorable attacks in the Red Sea constitutes a renewed violation of international law and freedom of navigation. Innocent seafarers and local populations are the main victims of these attacks and the pollution they cause.”

The Eternity C and Magic Seas were part of commercial fleets whose sister vessels have made calls to Israeli ports over the past year.

Ellie Shafik of Vanguard Tech, a UK-based maritime risk management company, said: “The pause in Houthi activity did not necessarily indicate a change in underlying intent. As long as the conflict in Gaza persists, vessels with affiliations, both perceived and actual, will continue to face elevated risks.”

At least two other crew members were injured on Eternity C and the vessel was listing, according to its operator, Cosmoship Management.

Eternity C and its crew – 21 Filipinos and one Russian – were attacked with sea drones and rocket-propelled grenades fired from speedboats, maritime security sources said.

Filipino seafarers, who form one of the world’s largest pools of merchant mariners, should exercise their right to refuse to sail in “high-risk, war-like” areas, their country’s department of migrant workers said on Tuesday.

Red Sea shipping has declined by about 50% from normal levels since the first Houthi attacks in 2023, according to Jakob Larsen of the shipping association, Bimco.

The security expert said: “This reduction in traffic has persisted due to the ongoing unpredictability of the security situation. As such, Bimco does not anticipate the recent attacks will significantly alter current shipping patterns.”

Monday’s attack on Eternity C, 50 nautical miles south-west of the Yemeni port of Hodeidah, was the second on merchant vessels in the region since November 2024, according to an official at the EU’s Operation Aspides, which helps protect Red Sea shipping.

The German foreign ministry summoned the Chinese ambassador in Berlin on Tuesday after a Chinese warship used a laser to target a German aircraft taking part in Aspides.

A California black bear with a history of confronting humans and breaking into homes was euthanized this week after swiping at a camper near Lake Tahoe and sending her to the hospital with cuts and bruises, officials said.

The woman was woken up around 4.30am on Sunday when the female bear broke into her trailer at a campground near Emerald Bay state park, according to the California wildlife department.

The camper tried to scare off the bear by screaming and banging pots and pans, the department said.

“Undeterred, the bear forced its way into the trailer and swiped at the camper, leaving her with cuts and bruises on her arms and hand and requiring an escorted trip to the hospital,” the statement said.

Later that morning, the bear ripped open the door to a camper van with teenagers sleeping inside and then was reported harassing other campers at the same campground.

The bear, deemed a public safety risk, was tracked to another campground nearby on Monday and euthanized by a park ranger, officials said. DNA testing confirmed it was the same bear responsible for the attack on the woman a day earlier.

Wildlife officers had been trying to trap the bear since 17 June after attempts to haze it out of areas where people live and recreate had failed. The bear had been the subject of multiple 911 calls following break-ins and confrontations, officials said. On 10 June, the bear broke into a car parked at a campground with a child fastened to a child seat inside.

Steve Gonzalez, a spokesperson for the fish and wildlife department, said euthanasia was a measure of last resort. But protecting human life was paramount, he said.

“It’s not a decision that’s made lightly,” Gonzalez said on Thursday. “Every incident, big or small, involving a bear goes through a lot of approvals and review.”

Officials said the sow’s two cubs were captured and delivered to a wildlife rehabilitation facility in northern California in the hope they can be rehabilitated and returned to the wild.

Bears are a common sight in the Tahoe region, and residents and visitors are encouraged to stay aware and keep food locked away, Gonzalez said.