While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, June 7
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At an event marking the 80th anniversary of the 1944 D-Day landings in France are (from left) French President Emmanuel Macron, US President Joe Biden, US First Lady Jill Biden and Mrs Brigitte Macron.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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Biden warns democracy ‘at risk’ as leaders mark D-Day
US President Joe Biden on June 6 warned on the 80th anniversary of D-Day that democracy around the world was at risk, as leaders marked the 1944 landings in occupied France that helped defeat Nazi Germany in World War II.
Mr Biden, Britain’s King Charles III, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and French President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to the tens of thousands of Allied troops who stormed the beaches of Normandy in northern France on June 6, 1944.
The 2024 ceremony came against the background of the current war in Ukraine, which is fighting off Russia’s invasion.
The commemorations provided a hugely symbolic backdrop to talks on how Kyiv can regain ground after recent Russian advances.
France to provide Mirage 2000 warplanes to Ukraine
France plans to provide Mirage 2000 warplanes to Ukraine, President Emmanuel Macron told French TV stations on June 6.
Mr Macron said that on June 7, on the occasion of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to France as part of D-Day anniversary celebrations, his government would announce it will provide the warplanes to Ukraine.
He did not specify how many Mirages France would provide, by when or under what financial terms.
Polish soldier stabbed by migrant at border with Belarus dies
A Polish soldier stabbed by a migrant at the border with Belarus has died, the army command said on June 6, amid concerns Russia is orchestrating an influx of migrants into Poland.
Warsaw has accused Moscow of what it called attempts to smuggle thousands of people from Africa to Europe by flying them to Russia and then sending them to Poland’s border with Kremlin ally Belarus.
Last week, the Polish army said a soldier was seriously wounded after being “stabbed by a migrant on the Belarusian side”.
British TV doctor Michael Mosley missing in Greece
Well-known British journalist Michael Mosley was missing on June 6 after taking a coastal walk alone on the Greek island of Symi, police officials said.
The TV doctor was last seen at 1.30pm local time on June 5 when he set out on a short stroll along a path between Agios Nikolaos beach to the village of Pedi, one of the officials said. His wife reported him missing on the morning of June 6.
A search operation was launched by police, the coast guard and the fire brigade on the small island in the eastern Aegean Sea near Turkey, another official said.
Swiatek, Paolini set up French Open final showdown
Iga Swiatek moved closer to a third successive French Open title by cruising past American third seed Coco Gauff on June 6 and she will play Jasmine Paolini in the final after the Italian downed Mirra Andreeva.
Four-times Grand Slam champion Swiatek’s 6-2 6-4 semi-final win was her 11th victory in 12 meetings with Gauff, but the 23-year-old Pole had to endure tough moments in the second set before matching her longest winning streak on clay.
Paolini joined her in the final by defeating Russian 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva 6-3 6-1 to continue Italy’s golden Roland Garros, with Jannik Sinner also through to the men’s semi-finals.
