Russia launched missile and drone strikes on Ukraine, hours after Vladimir Putin agreed with Donald Trump to halt attacks on the country’s energy system. The strikes hit a civilian hospital in Sumy in northern Ukraine. During his call with America’s president, Mr Putin rejected the idea of a 30-day ceasefire. Still, the White House said negotiations on a ceasefire and permanent peace would start “immediately”.
Israeli strikes on Gaza killed at least ten people, according to Palestinian officials, as Israel’s renewed offensive continued. On Tuesday a large Israeli aerial attack killed at least 400 people, shattering hopes of extending a fragile ceasefire with Hamas. Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, warned those strikes were “just the beginning” and said future talks would be conducted “only under fire”.
Police in Turkey arrested Ekrem Imamoglu, Istanbul’s mayor, days before he was set to be named as an opposition candidate to rival President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. State media reported the arrest was related to corruption and terrorism; Mr Imamoglu’s party called it a “coup”. The next presidential election is not scheduled until 2028, but the opposition hopes to force an early vote.
Japan’s central bank left its short-term policy interest rate unchanged at 0.5%. The Bank of Japan warned of “high uncertainties”, saying rising rice costs would push up inflation while the “evolving situation regarding trade” could hurt the economy. Japan’s rates are at their highest level in 17 years.
Afghanistan and Pakistan agreed to reopen one of their main border crossings after its closure for almost one month. A disagreement over Afghanistan’s construction of a border post at the Torkham crossing sparked the dispute, which led to several clashes between Pakistani and Taliban forces. Trade across the border has now resumed; people are expected to be allowed to cross later this week.
Ben & Jerry’s, an ice-cream brand, claimed that Unilever, the conglomerate that owns it, ousted its chief executive because of his political activism. In a court filing in New York it alleged that David Stever was fired not for poor performance, but for failing to bend to demands that Ben & Jerry’s “silence the social mission”. Unilever has not commented.
Two NASA astronauts returned to Earth after being stuck on the International Space Station for nine months. Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were supposed to be in space for eight days, but they were stranded after technical glitches with the Boeing Starliner capsule that had carried them there. They returned in a SpaceX Dragon capsule, which splashed down off the coast of Florida.
Figure of the day: Nearly 3m, the number of Britons aged between 16 and 64 who are not working because of poor health. Read the full story.
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