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Erdogan Says Won’t Let ‘Terrorism-Supporting’ Countries Enter NATO

A handout photo made available by the Turkish President's Press Office shows Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan greets his supporters during a ceremony of the transformation of the Ataturk Airport into a national garden in Istanbul, Turkey, 29 May 2022. (EPA/Turkish President Press Office Handout)
A handout photo made available by the Turkish President's Press Office shows Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan greets his supporters during a ceremony of the transformation of the Ataturk Airport into a national garden in Istanbul, Turkey, 29 May 2022. (EPA/Turkish President Press Office Handout)
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Erdogan Says Won’t Let ‘Terrorism-Supporting’ Countries Enter NATO

A handout photo made available by the Turkish President's Press Office shows Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan greets his supporters during a ceremony of the transformation of the Ataturk Airport into a national garden in Istanbul, Turkey, 29 May 2022. (EPA/Turkish President Press Office Handout)
A handout photo made available by the Turkish President's Press Office shows Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan greets his supporters during a ceremony of the transformation of the Ataturk Airport into a national garden in Istanbul, Turkey, 29 May 2022. (EPA/Turkish President Press Office Handout)

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said talks with Finland and Sweden about their joining NATO were not at the "expected level" and Ankara cannot say yes to "terrorism-supporting" countries, state broadcaster TRT Haber reported on Sunday.

Turkey has objected to Sweden and Finland joining the Western defense alliance, holding up a deal that would allow for a historic enlargement following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Erdogan's latest comments indicated his opposition continued.

"For as long as Tayyip Erdogan is the head of the Republic of Turkey, we definitely cannot say 'yes' to countries which support terrorism entering NATO," he was cited as telling reporters on his return from a trip to Azerbaijan on Saturday.

Two sources previously told Reuters that Wednesday's talks with Finnish and Swedish delegations made little headway and it was unclear when further discussions would take place. All 30 NATO members must approve plans to enlarge NATO.

Turkey challenged the bids from Sweden and Finland on the grounds that the countries harbor people linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group and others it deems terrorists, and because they halted arms exports to Ankara in 2019.

"They are not honest or sincere. We cannot repeat the mistake made in the past regarding countries that embrace and feed such terrorists in NATO, which is a security organization," he said.

Sweden and Finland have said they condemn terrorism and welcomed the possibility of coordinating with Ankara.

"Diplomatic efforts are ongoing. We decline to comment further at this moment," Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde said in an emailed comment to Reuters following Erdogan's latest statement.

Erdogan also said Turkey wanted to see an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine as soon as possible, but that the situation was becoming more negative each day.

"On Monday, I will have phone calls with both Russia and Ukraine. We will continue to encourage the parties to operate channels of dialogue and diplomacy," he said.

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World

Russia Says Ukraine Rejects Local Ceasefire for Handover of Soldiers’ Bodies

Servicemen of the consolidated Brigade "Khyzhak" of the Ukrainian Patrol Police Department walk near a destroyed apartment building as they take part in a mission to protect a road from Russian drones between frontline towns of Druzhkivka and Kostiantynivka, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine June 24, 2026. (Reuters)
Servicemen of the consolidated Brigade "Khyzhak" of the Ukrainian Patrol Police Department walk near a destroyed apartment building as they take part in a mission to protect a road from Russian drones between frontline towns of Druzhkivka and Kostiantynivka, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine June 24, 2026. (Reuters)
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Russia Says Ukraine Rejects Local Ceasefire for Handover of Soldiers’ Bodies

Servicemen of the consolidated Brigade "Khyzhak" of the Ukrainian Patrol Police Department walk near a destroyed apartment building as they take part in a mission to protect a road from Russian drones between frontline towns of Druzhkivka and Kostiantynivka, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine June 24, 2026. (Reuters)
Servicemen of the consolidated Brigade "Khyzhak" of the Ukrainian Patrol Police Department walk near a destroyed apartment building as they take part in a mission to protect a road from Russian drones between frontline towns of Druzhkivka and Kostiantynivka, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine June 24, 2026. (Reuters)

Ukraine ‌has refused to halt shelling of the town of Kostiantynivka in the east of the country to allow Russia to hand over the bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers, the Russian Defense Ministry ‌said on ‌Sunday.

Russian military ‌commanders ⁠told President Vladimir ⁠Putin on Friday that Moscow's forces had taken control of Kostiantynivka, though Ukraine denied the claim, saying its forces ⁠remained in control of the ‌town.

Kostiantynivka ‌is a key locality ‌whose capture Moscow has long ‌sought in its military campaign in the Donetsk region.

Russia said it had proposed ‌a six-hour ceasefire in and around Kostiantynivka on ⁠Monday ⁠to facilitate the handover of Ukrainian servicemen's bodies and had given Kyiv until 0900 GMT on Sunday to respond.

Ukraine's defense ministry and general staff did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

World

Infernos Devastate Forests as Europe's Temperatures Rise Again

TOPSHOT - The sun rises by the Eiffel Tower and the Sacre Coeur Basilica ontop of the Montmartre hill in Paris on July 1, 2025, as the city is on red alert for high temperatures, with the top of the Eiffel Tower shut, polluting traffic banned and speed restrictions in place as a searing heatwave gripped Europe. (Photo by Thibaud MORITZ / AFP)
TOPSHOT - The sun rises by the Eiffel Tower and the Sacre Coeur Basilica ontop of the Montmartre hill in Paris on July 1, 2025, as the city is on red alert for high temperatures, with the top of the Eiffel Tower shut, polluting traffic banned and speed restrictions in place as a searing heatwave gripped Europe. (Photo by Thibaud MORITZ / AFP)
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Infernos Devastate Forests as Europe's Temperatures Rise Again

TOPSHOT - The sun rises by the Eiffel Tower and the Sacre Coeur Basilica ontop of the Montmartre hill in Paris on July 1, 2025, as the city is on red alert for high temperatures, with the top of the Eiffel Tower shut, polluting traffic banned and speed restrictions in place as a searing heatwave gripped Europe. (Photo by Thibaud MORITZ / AFP)
TOPSHOT - The sun rises by the Eiffel Tower and the Sacre Coeur Basilica ontop of the Montmartre hill in Paris on July 1, 2025, as the city is on red alert for high temperatures, with the top of the Eiffel Tower shut, polluting traffic banned and speed restrictions in place as a searing heatwave gripped Europe. (Photo by Thibaud MORITZ / AFP)

Hundreds of firefighters battled forest infernos in France, Spain and Portugal on Sunday as temperatures rose again in heatwave-scarred Europe.

The latest wildfires have already devastated more than 17,000 hectares (42,000 acres) of land -- twice the size of Manhattan -- across the three countries where temperatures in some places were predicted to touch 40C on Sunday, said AFP.

Authorities registered thousands of excess deaths during one of Europe's worst heatwaves in June, and with more extreme weather on the way, France's Interior Minister Laurent Nunez has already expressed concern that the annual summer wildfire season had started a month early.

A fire near Spain's northeastern Costa Brava coast burned more than 2,200 hectares in two days and firefighters said their operation on Sunday would be "complicated" by rising temperatures and the many "smoking hotspots" within the fire's perimeter.

Firefighters "worked tirelessly throughout the night to consolidate the perimeter of the La Bisbal d'Empordà forest fire, which is now stabilized," said a Catalunya fire service statement.

Catalunya regional government president Salvador Illa said that a man had been detained in connection with the fire which has badly hit the Gavarres protected natural area between Barcelona and the French border.

Nearly 600 French firefighters have been mobilized to contain a wildfire that has burned more than 1,000 hectares on a mountainside at Trevillach, about 36 kilometers (20 miles) east of Perpignan.

- More trouble ahead -

Roads in the region have been closed and the authorities have ordered mayors to open emergency shelters for people who could be forced to flee their homes.

Another 300 French firefighters battled another forest fire in a mountainous district of the southeastern Drome department.

In Portugal, emergency services said they had controlled "80 percent" of a wildfire that has devastated some 13,000 hectares of forest and scrub land in the north of the country.

A senior civil protection officer Jose Costa told AFP that the fire had spread 35km since it started on Thursday and that 1,200 firefighters had been involved in the battle.

Spain and Italy sent reinforcements and water carrying planes after Portugal appealed for help to fight the inferno that has left nine people injured by burns.

Several regions across Portugal, Spain and southern France stepped up heat alerts on Sunday as temperatures rose again. On Monday the latest heatwave was expected to move north. Forecasters say it could last until next weekend.

Western Europe has already seen heatwaves this year in May and June that would have been "virtually impossible" without climate change, the World Weather Attribution group of scientists said.

Following a two-week surge in temperatures in June, France said there had been more than 2,000 extra deaths than usual in just one week, while Spain and Belgium each reported more than 1,000.

Authorities in several countries fear more summer trouble ahead.

"Climate change is here, we are living the consequences, and it is only the start of July," said French fire service Colonel Eric Belgioino as he made an appeal for people near the Pyrenees inferno to take precautions to avoid starting fires.

"The season is going to be long for the soldiers fighting fires. You have to help us," he said.

World

Heavy Rains Leave 5 Dead in China’s North While Tropical Storm Maysak Hits the South and Vietnam

People watch waves crashing against the shore as Tropical Storm Maysak approaches in Boao, Qionghai, Hainan province, China, July 3, 2026. (cnsphoto via Reuters)
People watch waves crashing against the shore as Tropical Storm Maysak approaches in Boao, Qionghai, Hainan province, China, July 3, 2026. (cnsphoto via Reuters)
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Heavy Rains Leave 5 Dead in China’s North While Tropical Storm Maysak Hits the South and Vietnam

People watch waves crashing against the shore as Tropical Storm Maysak approaches in Boao, Qionghai, Hainan province, China, July 3, 2026. (cnsphoto via Reuters)
People watch waves crashing against the shore as Tropical Storm Maysak approaches in Boao, Qionghai, Hainan province, China, July 3, 2026. (cnsphoto via Reuters)

Heavy rains have left five people dead in northern China while a tropical storm toppled trees and submerged cars in the nation's south, state media reported Sunday.

Two villagers died in a mountain flash flood Saturday evening in the eastern part of China's Inner Mongolia region, the official Xinhua News Agency said. One drowned while herding cattle and the other fell into water while driving a cattle herd away, the report said.

Three other people died the same day in neighboring Liaoning province's Fushun city, about 390 kilometers (240 miles) to the southeast, Xinhua said. It did not provide details on how they died.

A heavy rainstorm battered Fushun for several hours early Saturday with rainfall of up to 32.9 centimeters (13 inches) in one area, according to state media reports. Video posted online showed streets turned into lakes. About 3,600 residents were relocated to safer areas.

In southern China, Tropical Storm Maysak headed north into the Guangxi region on Sunday after making landfall the previous night with winds of 101 kilometers (63 miles) per hour in neighboring Vietnam's Quang Ninh province. It weakened from severe tropical storm to tropical storm strength as it moved inland.

Rivers overflowed in Guangxi's Fangchenggang city, submerging cars up to their roofs, footage on state broadcaster CCTV showed. Rescuers used inflatable boats to reach trapped people. Residents described it as the most severe flooding in two decades, according to a China News Service report.

In Vietnam, the storm knocked down trees and ripped metal roofs off buildings in the town of Mong Cai on Saturday evening, Vietnamese state media said. Crews used chainsaws and heavy machinery to clear debris and reopen roads after the winds subsided.

Maysak also uprooted trees in Dongxing, a city that borders Vietnam. The tropical storm dumped rain on China's Hainan island last week before crossing water and making landfall again in Vietnam.