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(WASHINGTON) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday cautioned that deliveries of the F-16s that Ukraine has long sought in its fight against Russia could take “months and months” once it’s determined the fighter jets are appropriate, but America’s support hasn’t wavered.

In an interview on CNN, America’s top diplomat defended U.S. assistance to Ukraine so far, insisting Kyiv had consistently been given the equipment it needs to try and repel Russia’s invasion.

“At every step along the way, in fact, going back before the Russian aggression when we saw the storm rising … we made sure, going back to Labor Day before the war, Christmas before the war, that they started to get in their hands the equipment they would need if the Russians went forward,” Blinken told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria. “Every step along the way ever since, we’ve worked to try to get them what they need, when they need it.”

“But it’s not just the equipment itself. It’s the training, it’s the maintenance, it’s the ability to use it in combined arms operations. All of that takes time,” Blinken said. “If a decision were made to actually move forward on the F-16s tomorrow, it would be months and months before they were actually operational.”

The Biden administration previously resisted helping provide F-16s to Ukraine amid concerns of escalation, though supporters of supplying the jets have defended their value and argued that sending them wouldn’t risk provoking broader Russian aggression.

In a sit-down interview earlier this month with ABC News’ Martha Raddatz, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that while he was grateful for international support, more munitions would improve the chance of his country’s success.

“F-16 or any other equipment that we do need will give us an opportunity to move faster, to save more lives, to stand our ground for a longer time,” Zelenskyy said then. “Well, some weapons have been provided, on the other hand, helps us save lives and we appreciate that. Of course, foot dragging will lead to more lives lost.”

Appearing on ABC’s “This Week” in July, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said that sending F-16s was the goal — as was making sure Ukrainian forces could utilize them.

“We’re going to be working with some allies and partners to get the F-16 pilots the pilot training going very, very soon,” Kirby said then. “And we’re going to work to get those jets to Ukraine just as quickly as possible.”

Earlier this summer, Ukraine began its latest counteroffensive to continue retaking land from Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion last year after taking over the Crimea Peninsula in 2014.

On CNN, Blinken recognized that Ukraine was clamoring for whatever equipment it could get its hands on but expressed faith in the U.S.-led coalition to keep arming Ukraine.

“If I were in the shoes of our Ukrainian friends and partners, I’d probably be saying exactly the same thing. And President Zelenskyy’s been extraordinary as a leader and in trying to galvanize the international community, along with us, to provide them what they need,” he said.

“Our military leaders are using their best expertise possible to help determine what it is that can be most effective for the Ukrainians. How quickly can it be deployed? How effectively can they use it? That will continue and the process on the F-16s is moving,” Blinken said.

He acknowledged challenges in the ongoing counteroffensive but said Ukraine was resilient.

“[Russia’s] objective was to erase Ukraine from the map, to eliminate its independence, its sovereignty, to subsume it into Russia. That failed a long time ago,” Blinken said. “Now Ukraine is in a battle to get back more of the land that Russia seized from it. It’s already taken back about 50% of what was initially seized. Now they’re in a very hard fight to take back more. These are still relatively early days of the counteroffensive. It is tough.”

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(LONDON) — A massive search for an elusive animal initially thought to be a lioness on the loose near Germany’s capital was called off Friday after authorities found no trace of a big cat in the area.

After 36 hours of combing through woodlands and speaking to experts, authorities said they now believe the creature in question is a wild boar, which are common in the region.

The search began early Thursday after the police force for Brandenburg, the German federal state encircling Berlin, received a call around midnight about what appeared to be a big cat roaming freely in Kleinmachnow, a southwestern suburb of Berlin. Based on a video of the sighting provided by the caller, investigators determined that the situation was “credible” and the animal was likely a female lion, according to police.

Authorities subsequently issued a warning to residents in the area via social media and loudspeaker announcements, urging them to avoid leaving their homes and to bring their pets inside.

Police forces from Berlin and greater Bradenburg state were deployed in droves to locate the suspected lioness, using patrol cars, drones, helicopters and infrared cameras. Officers in riot gear were put into action to protect the local population. Authorities also enlisted the help of local veterinarians and hunters, who provided “expert support” for the operation, police said.

The search focused on the areas of Kleinmachnow and two nearby towns, Stahnsdorf and Teltow. Investigators were struggling to ascertain where a lioness would have come from. No circuses, zoos or wildlife refuges in the area had reported an escaped animal, according to police.

On Friday morning, Brandenburg state police announced via social media that “the search for the lioness was unsuccessful during the night and will be continued today.” They urged people to “seek shelter immediately” and call an emergency telephone number if they see the predator.

A few hours later, Kleinmachnow Mayor Michael Grubert told reporters that the search had turned up no evidence of a lioness or any wild creature other than wild boars or an animal that had been killed. Experts who analyzed the poorly lit video of the animal concluded that its rounded back and thick legs did not appear to be that of a lioness but rather a boar, according to Grubert.

“We will return to the usual vigilant program and we think there is no acute danger for Kleinmachnow or for the south of Berlin,” the mayor told reporters on Friday, noting that police forces would be redeployed if the situation changes.

It was unknown how much the search efforts had cost, but Grubert defended the operation and said he had no regrets.

“The danger of a wild animal in Kleinmachnow justifies the deployment,” he told reporters.

ABC News’ Joe Simonetti contributed to this report.

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(BUSAN, South Korea) — This week’s arrival of a nuclear-capable U.S. Navy submarine in Busan, South Korea, marked the first time that a submarine capable of carrying up to 20 nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles had made a port of call in South Korea.

The rare public visit is intended to demonstrate America’s security commitment to South Korea and to deter North Korea.

ABC News Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz was given exclusive access to the USS Kentucky in Busan, South Korea, on Thursday, the only American journalist allowed to visit the submarine during its port of call in South Korea.

Busan, South Korea’s largest port, is located in the most southeasterly point of the Korean peninsula and is more than 200 miles south of the DMZ (demilitarized zone) that serves as the border with North Korea.

More than two football fields in length, the USS Kentucky (SSBN 737) is one of 14 Ohio Class U.S. Navy submarines capable of launching 20 Trident 2 D5 missiles, each armed with multiple targeted warheads capable of striking targets up to 4,000 miles away.

As is standard practice, the U.S. Navy does not say if there are nuclear weapons aboard its Ohio-class submarines.

The deployments of these submarines are highly classified and it is extremely rare for them to make a port of call, but the Kentucky’s visit realized a commitment made in April by President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol that an American ballistic missile submarine would visit South Korea in a demonstration of U.S. security commitments.

“It represents our enduring relationship with the Republic of Korea, our security commitment and our extended deterrence. It assures our allies and it deters any potential adversaries,” Rear Admiral Chris Cavanaugh, Director, Maritime Headquarters U.S. Pacific Fleet, told Raddatz in an interview aboard the USS Kentucky.

Shortly after the submarine’s arrival in Busan on Tuesday, North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles in an apparent response to the rare port of call. On Thursday, North Korean Defense Minister Kang Sun-nam warned that the sub’s visit posed a threat to North Korea and might fall under that country’s conditions for the use of nuclear weapons.

The tensions with North Korea have been evident this week as an American soldier, Army Pvt. Travis King, darted across the DMZ in Panmunjon into North Korea where he is now believed to be in the custody of North Korean authorities.

Cavanaugh said Ohio-class submarines like the Kentucky deter the possibility of a nuclear conflict.

“I am very confident in our own nuclear deterrence. Again, any adversary that would contemplate an attack knows that we have a massive response capability that’s untargeted and located by them,” he told Raddatz.

That nuclear deterrence is also intended to reassure South Korea’s security concerns.

“We do a whole host of things to assure them of our extended deterrence, which means we don’t take any capabilities off the table when it comes to defending our allies,” said Cavanaugh.

South Korean President Yoon and other senior Korean and American military leaders visited the submarine on Wednesday.

Yoon said the visit “demonstrates the U.S.’s routine deployment of strategic assets and the will of the two countries to defend the ability to execute extended deterrence.”

“This means North Korea can’t even dream of a nuclear provocation, and it serves as a clear warning to North Korea that such a provocation would spell the end of the regime,” Yoon said.

The approximately 150 sailors aboard the USS Kentucky are being commanded during this current deployment by Cmdr. Lee “Randy” Fike who told Fife told Raddatz that his crew took a great amount of pride in serving aboard the first ballistic missile submarine to visit South Korea since 1981.

Daily life aboard Ohio-class submarines during months-long deployments involves a lot of training for the sub’s crew and officers, especially in the submarine’s missile control center where the crew simulates the launch procedures for the ICBM’s it carries.

“It’s a large focus of what we do day in and day out training to make sure that we’re ready to demonstrate that we have a safe, secure and effective nuclear deterrent,” said Fike. ” And hope you never have to use it. Absolutely.”

The responsibility of being a vital component of America’s nuclear triad is not lost on the crew, some of whom have witnessed first-hand the power of a test launch a Trident missile from aboard a submarine.

“It’s very, very sobering,” Cmdr. Fike told Raddatz. “We go through these training simulations all the time, but nothing can really replicate the feeling that happens when 100,000 pounds of D-5 missile leaves a submarine.”

Because ports of call during submarine patrols are so rare, Fike noted that as a veteran submariner the visit to the Busan marked his first-ever port of call during a deployment.

“The gravity of what we’ve had the opportunity to do and come interoperate with our our allies in the Republic of Korea, it’s absolutely amazing,” said Fike.

“For most of my crew, this is the first time they’ve set foot on a foreign country, said Fike. “So it’s great opportunity for us. And the host nation has been absolutely welcoming.”

Allowed to visit ashore, 24-year-old Missile Technician 2 Ryan Shirley enjoyed a visit to a local shopping mall in South Korea.

“it’s a different change of scenery and how they operate over there in South Korea,” Shirley told Raddatz.

But the history of the moment was not lost on Shirley who admitted to having thought about the pending visit for days.

“I think it’s really good,” said Nichols..

Petty Officer 2nd Class Tyler Forner from Savannah, Georgia, who re-enlisted in the Navy on Thursday after having served three years aboard the USS Kentucky.

Forner labeled the port of call “historic” and “a cool experience” for the U.S. Navy’s submarine force to be able to make a port of call to Busan.

It is unclear how long the USS Kentucky will remain in port in Busan.

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(LONDON) — A small spelling error has resulted in thousands of emails intended for the U.S. military being sent instead to Mali, an issue that Pentagon officials said they’ve taken steps to mitigate.

The suffix used for U.S. military emails is .mil, but leaving the “i” out by mistake would result in the email being redirected to .ml — the domain used by government of the West African nation Mali.

“Since 2015, the Department of Defense has been aware that typographical errors could result in the misdirection of unclassified emails intended for a ‘.mil’ recipient to the ‘.ml’ domain,” Lt. Cmdr. Tim Gorman, a U.S. Department of Defense spokesperson, told ABC News.

Some of the emails sent to Mali reportedly contained sensitive Pentagon information such as diplomatic documents, passwords and the travel itinerary of top defense officers.

U.S. officials are “aware of these unauthorized disclosures of controlled national security information,” Sabrina Singh, a Pentagon spokesperson, said on Monday.

Speaking to the Financial Times, Johannes Zuurbier, a Dutch internet entrepreneur who has a contract to manage Mali’s county domain, said he identified the problem almost a decade ago. Zuurbier, who said he has been collecting misdirected emails since January in effort to flag the issue to U.S. authorities, said he has close to 117,000 misdirected messages.

In one day, Zuurbier receiving 1,000 misdirected emails arrived as a result of the typo, he told the newspaper.

None of the redirected emails were marked as “classified,” however some are reported to have contained “highly sensitive” data including information on serving U.S. military personnel, official itineraries, contracts, maps and images of bases, he said.

The Pentagon said it’s taken steps to stop outgoing emails from being sent to the incorrect domain.

“The Department takes all disclosures of Controlled National Security Information or Controlled Unclassified Information seriously and the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) began blocking .ml lookalike domains immediately,” Gorman said.

He added, “By 2023, the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) was blocking outbound emails to 135 .ml domains and subdomains. In July 2023, DISA began blocking outbound email to the entire .ml domain with the ability to allow legitimate emails.”

The Department of Defense says it is coordinating with interagency, industry partners and international allies to alert them to the possibility of unauthorized disclosure of information due to the typographical error.

Mali’s government did not respond to ABC News’ request for comment.

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(LONDON) — As wildfires swept through the forests of Rhodes on Wednesday, Greek officials warned people in three nearby villages that they should begin to evacuate.

The blaze began Tuesday on the island, which is known for its beach resorts, and had by Wednesday “spread almost to the center of the island,” the Greek Fire Service said in a statement.

The flames were approaching Apollona and Laerma, but weren’t yet threatening residential areas, 112 Greece, the country’s emergency hotline, said on social media.

“There, 86 firefighters operate with 3 groups of pedestrian units and 28 vehicles, while 3 aircraft and 3 helicopters operate from the air,” the fire service said.

Those firefighters were just a few of the many from Greece and abroad who’ve been working this week to stamp out violent wildfires across Greece, blazes fueled by dry weather and a heat wave across southern Europe.

The villages that were asked to evacuate in Rhodes — Eleousa, Salakos and Dimylia — were among many threatened by fires across the country, including fast-moving blazes near Athens, the capital, Greek officials said.

Greece on Tuesday requested the activation of the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism, a coordinated rescue and humanitarian assistance, to fight wildfires that were “ravaging Attica,” the populous peninsula where Athens sits, officials said.

Firefighting planes soon arrived from France and Italy to began dousing flames, the Civil Protection agency said in a statement.

Three firefighting teams from Poland, Romania and Slovakia also arrived, the agency said. Other teams from Romania, Bulgaria and Malta, which were already in Greece when the fires started, were also helping.

In total, about 220 international firefighters and 65 vehicles were working in Greece over the last few days, the agency said.

“We are experiencing a heatwave across Southern Europe already causing devastating consequences in Greece, with thousands of hectares burned in a short period of time,” Janez Lenarčič, the European Commission’s commissioner for Crisis Management, said in a statement issued Wednesday.

A European Union satellite was also tasked with mapping and providing damage assessment on several areas in the Attica region.

Officials in Greece said late Wednesday that they had largely halted at least three large blazes in Drama, Boeotia and Messinia.

But searing temperatures and dry weather were again forecast on Thursday and expected to continue into the weekend. Highs were expected to hover around 109 degrees on Thursday before approaching 115 degrees through the weekend.

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(LONDON) — Kenya is bracing for days of anti-government protests led by the government’s political opposition over a contentious new finance bill and the rising cost of living

At least six people were shot and killed and at least a dozen others were injured on Wednesday, the first day of a planned three-day protest against higher taxes, Mathias Kinyoda, of Amnesty International Kenya, told ABC News. At least 87 demonstrators were arrested nationwide, he said.

The protests were called by opposition leader Raila Odinga. The unrest was set to take place despite Kenya’s President William Ruto vowing no protests would take place in the East African Nation.

“We are here, first and foremost, to confirm that the peaceful protests planned for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week are on as earlier declared by our leadership,” read a statement by Odinga’s party, Azimio La Umoja, sent to ABC News.

At least five protesters were injured on Wednesday as demonstrators clashed with police. Amnesty International Kenya said, said that “para-military police officers and armored water cannon trucks [are] already patrolling and engaging protestors across several towns and neighborhoods.”

In Kibera — a stronghold of the opposition — protests turned violent, with demonstrators setting fire to tires and furniture, stones being pelted, and tear gas being deployed by police. In the most recent round of anti-government protests at least 23 people are reported to have been killed according to the U.N., with over 300 arrested.

Protests have also been reported in Kenya’s Kisumu, Kisii and Migori counties.

Kenya’s Ministry of Education also announced that all primary and secondary schools in Nairobi and the coastal city Mombasa are to close on Wednesday as a “precautionary measure” following “credible security intelligence.” Several businesses also remain closed.

The protests come after Ruto last month signed into law a contentious finance bill at Nairobi’s State House that proposed doubling the tax levied on fuel from 8% to 16%.

The bill aimed to aid in offsetting Kenya’s external debt, officials said. However, the bill will have a ripple effect on the price of basic commodities, compounding on the economic strain of Kenyans already struggling with the rising cost of living.

Implementation of the Bill — which was due to come into effect on July 1 — was halted by Kenya’s High Court following a case brought by opposition Sen. Okiya Omatah, who argued it was unconstitutional.

In a joint statement with Heads of Missions from 13 countries in Kenya, the U.S. Embassy Nairobi said it was “saddened” by the loss of life from anti-government protests and “concerned by the levels of violence” exhibited during recent demonstrations.

“We recognise the daily hardship faced by many Kenyans and urge all parties to table their concerns through a meaningful dialogue and resolve their differences peacefully,” the statement said.

Speaking at a Geneva press briefing, U.N. Human Rights Office Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence appealed for calm, saying, “We call on the authorities to ensure the right to peaceful assembly as guaranteed by the Kenyan Constitution and international human rights law.”

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(LONDON) — A suspected lion is loose in Berlin, prompting authorities in Germany to send emergency alerts to thousands of people in Berlin warning them to stay indoors.

The message has warned thousands of people across Germany’s capital city to “stay indoors” after a lion was last seen on the outskirts of the metropolitan area.

Police said they received a tip from someone who said they recorded a lion attacking a wild boar which caused authorities to quickly spring into action and warn people to be on the lookout for the large cat.

“The escaping wild animal has NOT been found yet! We still ask you not to leave the house,” Brandenburg Police said in a social media post warning the public. “If you see the animal, please call the emergency number 110!”

Helicopters and ground searches are currently taking place across the area where it was last seen as officials clamber to find the animal before it potentially attacks anything else.

It is unclear where the suspected lion escaped from, but lions are not native to the country and there have been no reports of any escaped animals from local zoos or wildlife refuges.

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(NEW YORK) — As Russia continues its nearly 16-month-long invasion of neighboring Ukraine, political turmoil has erupted in Moscow while Kyiv tries to take back territory.

A feud between Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Russian paramilitary organization Wagner Group, and Russia’s top military brass escalated as Prigozhin’s forces left the front line in Ukraine and marched across the border to seize a key Russian city. They then marched north toward Russia’s capital, seemingly unopposed, before turning around just hours later. The short-lived rebellion was described by international observers as the most significant challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s authority in his more than 20 years of rule.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian troops are in the early stages of a counteroffensive to reclaim the almost one-fifth of Ukraine’s territory that is under Russian control.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Jul 19, 9:47 PM EDT
Russian strikes hit Mykolaiv and Odesa, multiple people injured

Russian forces hit a three-story building and a garage in the city center of Mykolaiv Thursday morning, local time, injuring nine people, including five children, the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration said on Telegram.

There were fatalities stemming from the strikes, but it’s unclear how many at this time, the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration added.

In another incident, Russian strikes hit Odesa early Thursday morning, the Odesa District Administration said on Telegram.

Two people were injured and hospitalized from the attack, according to the Odesa District Administration.

There is destruction “in the center” of Odesa and a fire broke out stemming from the strikes, the administration said.

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(AUKLAND, New Zealand) — Two people were killed after a gunman opened fire at a construction site in Auckland, New Zealand, police said.

The suspected shooter was also found dead, New Zealand Police said.

Shots were initially reported inside the building around 7:22 a.m. local time Thursday, and the male suspect continued to shoot as he moved throughout the site, police said.

“Upon reaching the upper levels of the building, the male has contained himself within the elevator shaft and our staff have attempted to engage with him,” New Zealand Police said in a statement. “Further shots were fired from the male and he was located deceased a short time later.”

Police added that details on what happened “are still emerging.”

Multiple injuries were reported in the shooting, police said. No details were immediately provided on the victims killed in the incident.

There is no national security risk, police said.

“This is a scary situation for Aucklanders on their Thursday morning commute to work,” Mayor Wayne Brown tweeted. “Please stay at home, avoid travel into the city centre.”

The incident occurred as the FIFA Women’s World Cup is set to kick off in New Zealand and Australia.

Following the shooting, the United States Soccer Federation said that all U.S. women’s national soccer team players and staff “are accounted for and safe.”

ABC News’ Will Gretsky contributed to this report.

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(ROME) — The intense heat gripping Europe won’t end soon and according to the European Space Agency bulletin, it has only just begun.

The prolonged sizzling temperatures in Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Poland and more countries on the continent, are potentially the hottest temperatures ever recorded in Europe.

Rome shattered records on Tuesday with a high temperature of 108 F, according to Italy’s national meteorological service. The meteorological service also issued red alerts for extreme heat throughout southern Italy, and the islands of Sicily, and Sardinia with temperatures all above 40°C.

Italian meteorologists predict the brutal heat to continue, especially in the southern half of the country. Antonio Sano from Il Meteo weather service, told ABC News that the high pressure from Africa to the Mediterranean region is pushing air up directly from the Saharadesert, causing the heat wave.

“Today was the hottest day in Rome at 42 C. By the end of the week, we expect thunderstorms to cool the north of the country slightly, but temperatures in the south of Italy will continue to rise for the foreseeable future,” Sano said.

The Italian Ministry of Health is urging regions to increase house-call services so the sick and elderly don’t have to endure the heat and leave their homes. They also set up heat stations at hospitals for emergency cases.

Forecasters predict the historically high temperatures will continue to scorch cities across

European cities, such as Madrid, Seville and Athens, all reached temperatures of well over 100 F Tuesday, and also showed no signs of a cooling down throughout the rest of the week, according to forecasts.

European extreme heat tied to climate change

The ESA said such intense heat is due to global warming.

“As climate change takes a grip, heatwaves such as this are likely to be more frequent and more severe, with worse consequences,” the agency stated in the bulletin issued Tuesday.

Climate experts warn that this trend of such extreme heat waves in the Northern Hemisphere have been growing since the 1980s, and are likely to continue. Dr. John Nairn, a Senior Extreme Heat Advisor at the World Health Organization, said the current heatwave in Europe, and around the globe is directly related to climate change.

“Climate change is causing the loss of polar ice, which leads to the weather pattern staying in one place,” Nairn said.

Other climatologists concur.

Dr. Kai Kornhuber, a research scientist at Columbia University in New York City, told ABC News the extreme heat can be attributed to human activities.

“The emission of greenhouse gases directly translates into a higher likelihood of such extreme heat weather events,” Kornhuber said Tuesday.

He also said that circulation patterns have become more stationary, leading to persistent high-pressure systems, meaning the heatwaves last longer, and are more severe.

As the ruthless heat shows no signs of slowing down, tourists are adjusting their travel plans and daily schedules by staying indoors during the day.

Jim Jones, a college student from the University of Richmond in Virginia, just returned from a study abroad program in Seville, Spain. He said the daily temperatures were over 100.

“My friends and I did not go out much during the middle of the day. We took advantage of the cooler mornings and late evenings instead,” Jones told ABC News.

Some tourists are canceling their trips to heat-affected areas. A couple from Killorglin, Ireland, told ABC News they changed a planned trip to Malta.

“We have some health issues and did not want to go into the extreme heat. It would not be enjoyable for us to stay in the hotel all day,” Norma and Dave Waugh told ABC News. “It is more comfortable in Ireland for now, and we cango to Malta when it cools down.”

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