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Breaking news, passenger dead after jumping off the world’s largest cruise ship.

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A passenger has died after jumping from the world’s largest cruise ship on the first night of his week-long voyage, officials said.

The unidentified man jumped from Royal Caribbean’s new 1,200-foot-long Icon of the Seas — which holds 7,600 passengers and 2,350 crew members — soon after it left Florida for Honduras on Sunday morning, the Coast Guard told The Post.

“The cruise ship deployed one of their rescue boats, located the man and brought him back aboard,” the Coast Guard said.

“He was pronounced deceased. Beyond assisting in the search, the US Coast Guard did not have much involvement in this incident,” the agency added.

A male passenger from Royal Caribbeanâs Icon of the Seas is in critical condition after jumping overboard only one day into his 7-night Western Caribbean sailing, which embarked on May 25, 2024.

Royal Caribbean told The Post: “The ship’s crew immediately notified the U.S. Coast Guard and launched a search and rescue operation.

“Our Care Team is actively providing support and assistance to the guest’s loved ones during this difficult time.”

According to CruiseHive , the ship was only about 300 miles from Port Miami at the time of the incident.

The ship stopped for about two hours while members of the crew helped the Coast Guard accomplish its search and rescue mission.

The jumper was brought back onboard in critical condition before he succumbed to his injuries, the report said.

Guests aboard the ship have shared videos about the rescue mission, some expressing shock that the man was initially found alive.

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Others shared clips of the rescue boats heading away from the ship to retrieve the passenger.

The Icon of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship , took its maiden voyage in January this year.

The ship has 20 decks and is nearly the size of four city blocks.

It boasts a 17,000-square-foot water park with six waterslides and seven pools — including the 40,000-gallon Royal Bay, which is the largest pool at sea — and Absolute Zero, the largest ice skating rink at sea.

There are also a theater, a carousel and more than 40 restaurants, bars and lounges aboard.

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Carnival cruise passenger who went overboard was 'dead set' on surviving

U.S. Coast Guard rescued James Michael Grimes after almost 20 hours, he says.

LA FAYETTE, ALABAMA -- James Michael Grimes is speaking out for the first time in an exclusive interview with ABC News after going overboard on a Carnival cruise ship after being missing for almost 20 hours.

The 28-year-old man said he was determined to make it out of the Gulf of Mexico alive, calling it the experience of a lifetime.

Grimes said he treaded water for nearly 20 hours after falling overboard on Thanksgiving Eve -- battling jelly fish, rip currents and shark-infested waters before being airlifted by the U.S. Coast Guard on Nov. 24. shortly after 8 p.m., the U.S. Coast Guard told ABC News.

Grimes had only been aboard the Carnival Valor for a day before his sister reported him missing. The two were last seen together at a restaurant where Grimes had won an air guitar contest before going to the bathroom.

PHOTO: James Michael Grimes during an appearance on Good Morning America, Dec. 2, 2022.

MORE: Coast Guard rescues man who went overboard on Carnival cruise ship

That is the last thing he remembers. Grimes said he believes the fall overboard knocked him unconscious.

"The next thing I know... I regained consciousness. I was in the water with no boat in sight," he said.

Alone in solid darkness, and the light from the stars and the moon, Grimes decided in that moment he would make it out of the water.

"I felt like I was given a chance right then... you're alive for a reason... that [fall] could've killed me, but I felt like from that moment on, I was trying to stay positive. And, you know when you're here, you're still alive for a reason. So, all you got to do now is swim and survive. I was hoping... they will start looking for me... they will find me eventually," Grimes said.

MORE: Royal Caribbean to offer Starlink internet on all its ships

Grimes was aboard the five-day cruise with 18 of his family members for Thanksgiving. When he didn't return to his cabin that night, his sister reported him missing.

PHOTO: In this March 3, 2022 file photo The Carnival Valor cruise ship sets sail from the Port of New Orleans in New Orleans.

The ship was on its way to Cozumel, a Mexican island in the Caribbean, and was released by the Coast Guard to continue to its destination after the rescue was made.

"The Jayhawk aircrew hoisted the man onto the helicopter and transferred him to awaiting emergency medical services at the New Orleans Lakefront Airport," a statement from the Coast Guard read.

"We are beyond grateful that this case ended with a positive outcome," said Lt. Seth Gross, a Coast Guard Sector New Orleans search-and-rescue mission coordinator.

"We greatly appreciate the efforts of all, most especially the U.S. Coast Guard and the mariner who spotted the guest in the water," the Coast Guard said in a statement Thursday to ABC News. "Cruise ships have safety barriers in all public areas that are regulated by U.S. Coast Guard standards that prevent a guest from falling off. Guests should never ever climb up on the rails. The only way to go overboard is to purposefully climb up and over the safety barriers."

Carnival Valor had said in a statement to ABC News that it conducted a search-and-rescue operation after Grimes went missing.

"Carnival Valor retraced its route to support the search and rescue, but the ship has now been released by the U.S. Coast Guard, and will continue on its way to Cozumel. Carnival's Care Team is providing support to the family members of the missing guest who were sailing with him and remain on board," the statement at the time said.

Against all odds, Grimes said he kept a positive attitude and "just kept swimming."

In addition to his attitude, he said it was his will to see his family again that kept him afloat.

"I wanted to see my family and I was dead set on making it out of there. I was never accepting that this is it, this is going to be the end of my life. I'm 28 years old. I'm too young. This is not going to be it," Grimes said.

"I always thought there's a greater purpose for my life. Now, I know for sure I'm meant to do something on this Earth. And, you know, I don't know. It was just the Lord was out there helping me, giving me strength and helping me stay afloat," he added.

ABC News' Victoria J. Arancio contributed to this report.

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20-year-old man missing after jumping off a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, report says

A 20-year-old man on holiday with his family went overboard from a Royal Caribbean cruise.
The man, who's been missing since early Thursday morning, may have jumped, a report said.
The US Coast Guard has launched a search operation.

A 20-year-old man who was vacationing with his family on a cruise may have jumped overboard, The New York Post reported.

Royal Caribbean confirmed that a passenger, whose identity has not been revealed, went overboard near The Bahamas at about 4 a.m. on Thursday and has been missing since then.

The US Coast Guard launched a search for the passenger on Thursday.

A Royal Caribbean spokesperson told Business Insider that the cruise line's "Care Team is providing support and assistance to the guest's family during this difficult time."

Bryan Sims, a fellow cruise passenger, told The New York Post that he'd hung out with the passenger in the hot tub until 3:30 a.m. Sims said the man appeared to be "pretty drunk."

Sims told the Post that after leaving the hot tub, they encountered the passenger's father while approaching the elevators.

"His dad was fussing at him for being drunk," Sims said.

Watch: Sub taking tourists to see the Titanic goes missing

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Royal Caribbean cruise passenger goes overboard on Spectrum of the Seas ship

By Aliza Chasan

July 31, 2023 / 5:44 PM EDT / CBS News

A cruise passenger on Royal Caribbean's Spectrum of the Seas went overboard Monday while the ship was on the way to Singapore, officials said.

Singapore's Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre was notified that a passenger had fallen overboard in the Singapore Strait at about 7:50 a.m. local time, according to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore . The cruise ship crew coordinated with local authorities for a search and rescue operation.

Spectrum of the Seas initially berthed in Singapore to support the investigation, but the ship departed around 4:30 p.m. as scheduled, officials said. A navigational safety broadcast was issued to vessels in the Singapore Strait and in port to keep a lookout for the missing person.

The passenger has not been publicly identified. Royal Caribbean's Care team is offering assistance to the passenger's family.

There were 212 "man overboard" incidents on cruise ships with 170 fatalities between 2009 and 2019, according to trade association Cruise Lines International Association.

A Carnival Elation cruise ship passenger went overboard off the coast of Florida earlier in July, and in late May, a 35-year-old man went overboard off a Carnival Magic cruise ship about 186 miles east of Jacksonville, Florida. Earlier in May, an 18-year-old from Louisiana went overboard during a sunset cruise in the Bahamas, authorities said.

Cruise Ship
Royal Caribbean

Aliza Chasan is a Digital Content Producer for "60 Minutes" and CBSNews.com. She has previously written for outlets including PIX11 News, The New York Daily News, Inside Edition and DNAinfo. Aliza covers trending news, often focusing on crime and politics.

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A Man Fell From a Cruise Ship. And Survived.

He treaded water for hours in the Gulf of Mexico, withstanding rain, winds and waves before he was rescued. Others have not been so lucky. What happens when a person goes overboard?

The Carnival Valor, a large white and blue ship, is pictured at the Port of New Orleans.

By Maria Cramer

The Carnival Valor had been at sea for only a day when calls came over the loudspeaker asking a certain passenger to please report to customer service.

The man, a 28-year-old American citizen, had been reported missing by his family that morning.

It was Thanksgiving, and the Valor, a 3,756-passenger cruise ship that had left New Orleans the day before, was heading toward Cozumel, Mexico.

Crew members soon began searching passengers’ cabins, said Shant’a Miller White, who was traveling with her husband and family. One employee entered her cousin’s cabin and said, “We just need to make sure everything is OK.”

“We didn’t know what was going on,” Ms. White, 48, recalled. Then, at dinner, came another announcement: The ship needed to change course to execute a search and rescue operation.

Ms. White pictured the unknown passenger alone in the water and felt sick to her stomach.

“Did they fall to the bottom? Did the sharks get them?” Ms. White recalled thinking. She began to pray.

The passenger, according to the Coast Guard, turned out to be James Grimes, 28, who had been traveling with his parents and siblings on the five-day cruise. His family had last seen him the night before, around 11 p.m.

But by 10:45 on Thanksgiving morning, when there was no sign of him, the family notified the crew, the Coast Guard said.

At 8:10 p.m., more than nine hours after his family reported him missing, a passing tanker spotted the man near the mouth of the Mississippi River and alerted the Coast Guard.

Rescuers found Mr. Grimes struggling in the water, waving frantically and trying to keep his head above the surface.

When the crew of the MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter lifted him out, he was in shock, had mild hypothermia and was extremely dehydrated, said Lt. Seth Gross, who managed the search and rescue operation for the Coast Guard. But he was alive and in stable condition.

Mr. Grimes, whose family described him as an exceptional swimmer, had treaded in 65- to 70-degree water for hours, withstanding rain, 20-knot winds and three- to five-foot waves in the Gulf of Mexico, where bull sharks and blacktip sharks are common, Coast Guard officials said.

“This case is certainly extraordinary,” Lieutenant Gross said. “The survival instinct, the will to survive is just crazy.”

How often does this happen?

Falling from a ship into a vast sea may be a cruise passenger’s worst nightmare. While the chances of going overboard are exceedingly remote, according to statistics from the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) , the outcome is usually tragic.

In 2019, 25 people fell overboard, and only nine of them were rescued, according to CLIA.

In February, a woman aboard the Carnival Valor jumped off the 10th deck of the ship while fleeing security officers who were trying to detain her after she had scuffled with them. Her body was never found.

In December 2016, a 22-year-old man fell off the 12th deck of a Royal Caribbean cruise ship after a night of heavy drinking. His parents sued the cruise line in federal court in Florida, but a jury decided in favor of Royal Caribbean.

Alcohol is a factor in at least 11 percent of falls from cruise ships, which often offer all-inclusive drink packages that encourage drinking onboard, said Ross Klein, a professor of social work at Memorial University of Newfoundland, who researches cruise safety.

“Cruises are viewed as idyllic, safe and secure, and of course those views are reinforced by advertising and public statements,” he said. But the public should be aware of the risks of going on a cruise, which include being pushed overboard, going overboard and being tempted to jump overboard, he said.

How do ships prevent people from going overboard?

By law, railings have to be 42 inches tall, Professor Klein said. There were efforts to make the railings taller by about another foot, he said, after Congress began considering legislation to tighten security on ships in 2005. But in 2010, when Congress passed the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act, the railing height requirements were set at the current standard, he said.

The railing height is designed to keep passengers safe along ship promenades, said Brian Salerno, the senior vice president for Maritime policy at CLIA.

“The vast majority of cases are either reckless behavior or some form of intentional act,” Mr. Salerno said. “People don’t just inadvertently fall over the side of a ship.”

Professor Klein said cruise ships could limit the risks of passengers falling overboard if they limited alcohol consumption, increased railing heights and installed technology that senses when a heavy object has fallen from the ship.

The 2010 law directed cruise ships to begin developing and installing such technology, Mr. Salerno said.

It took years to create a video-surveillance system that would be sensitive enough to detect a person falling overboard and alarm a ship’s crew but that wouldn’t be triggered by other objects, like a sea gull flying by, he said. Some ships have already begun installing such systems, Mr. Salerno said.

Bartenders on cruises are also trained to watch for excessive drinking, said Robert Kritzman, a partner at Clyde & Co., an international law firm in Miami, who advises cruise companies.

“The general policy is the same as anywhere else: Once somebody becomes excessively intoxicated, you stop serving,” he said.

Carnival Corp. said the “only way to go overboard is to purposefully climb up and over the safety barriers.”

“Cruise ships have safety barriers in all public areas that are regulated by U.S. Coast Guard standards that prevent a guest from falling off,” the company said in a statement that thanked the Coast Guard and the mariner who found Mr. Grimes. “Guests should never ever climb up on the rails.”

A spokesman did not respond to follow up questions about the incident or Carnival’s safety protocols.

What happens when the crew learns that a person has gone overboard?

Cruise ships have clear protocols for what to do when a person goes overboard, Mr. Kritzman said.

Once the crew members learn that a person has gone overboard, they immediately inform the Coast Guard, stop the ship and turn around to help find the missing passenger. Often, smaller, fast boats are deployed from the ship to search for the person, Mr. Kritzman said.

The circumstances around the recent fall from the Carnival Valor, including the precise time that Mr. Grimes went overboard, remain unknown. The Coast Guard said it was investigating the incident.

Lieutenant Gross said that after the Coast Guard learned about the missing passenger, it launched a 45-foot patrol boat, a helicopter and a tracker plane to search for him. The Coast Guard set up a search area of more than 7,000 square nautical miles, roughly the size of Massachusetts, he said, and immediately alerted any mariners around the Gulf of Mexico to look for the man.

The Crinis , a bulk carrier, spotted Mr. Grimes about 20 miles south of Southwest Pass, a channel at the mouth of the Mississippi River.

Lt. Gross said he called the man’s mother and stepfather to tell them he had been found.

When he told them their son was stable and being treated at a hospital in New Orleans, he heard them cheer and cry.

Ms. White, who lives in Hampton, Va., and runs an anti-bullying organization , said she was flooded with relief when the ship announced that Mr. Grimes had been found alive.

“That was nothing but God that he survived,” she said.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook . And sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to receive expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places for a Changed World for 2022.

Maria Cramer is a reporter on the Travel desk. Please send her tips, questions and complaints about traveling, especially on cruises. More about Maria Cramer

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Man overboard! How easy is it to fall overboard on a cruise ship, and how can you survive?

Between 2009 and 2019, there were 212 incidents of crew or passengers going overboard from a cruise ship, and only 48 were rescued.

"Man overboard!"

That cry is one of the worst things you can hear while you're on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean. It means someone has spotted a passenger or crew member either going over the side of the ship or in the water, and a life is at stake.

In July, the U.S. Coast Guard called off a search after a 30-year-old man was reported missing on Carnival Cruise Line's Carnival Elation cruise ship and cruise officials said surveillance video showed him jumping off. Three weeks previous, a 42-year-old woman fell off the 10th deck of the Royal Caribbean International but was rescued by the ship's crew . In May a 35-year-old Carnival Magic passenger went overboard east of Jacksonville and was never found. James Michael Grimes, 29, made national headlines after he survived 20 hours in the Gulf of Mexico last November.

How easy is it to fall overboard on a cruise ship?

It's not easy at all.

All ships have "safety barriers that are regulated by U.S. Coast Guard standards and prevent a guest from falling off," according to Carnival spokesperson Matt Lupoli. Every open deck and balcony is required to have railings "not less than 42 inches from above the cabin deck," according to the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2010 (CVSSA), with thick metal or Plexiglas panels underneath to prevent anyone from slipping through.

That's usually about chest height for the average person.

Some cruise lines are adding overboard detection sensors which use thermal cameras and micro radars to detect incidents and alert crew members.

How do people fall off cruise ships?

"I'll stress that people don't just fall over the side," said Brian Salerno, senior vice president of global maritime policy at Cruise Lines International Association, the industry's leading trade group. "There are railings and they're pretty high. It's almost always the result of an intentional act."

Standing on deck chairs, climbing on the railing and other unsafe practices can lead to tragedy.

Alcohol can play a role in overboard incidents, said Michael Winkleman, a maritime attorney with Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A., who has represented travelers in overboard cases. "Usually, it's just people not making smart decisions because they're dramatically overserved and they end up going over," he said.

But security cameras often indicate the jump was intentional, as seems to have been the case with 30-year-old Jaylen Hill in July. Hill was reported missing by family members on the Carnival Elation and the cruise line said surveillance video showed him jumping over the side. The U.S. Coast Guard search was called off about 36 hours later.

Occasionally it's the result of a crime. In January 2018, Lonnie Loren Kocontes , 62, of Safety Harbor, Florida, was sentenced to life in prison for strangling his ex-wife and throwing her body off a cruise ship in the Mediterranean in 2006 in order to inherit more than $1 million.

That same year a Kansas woman died after falling from the balcony , but it wasn't an accident. Eric Duane Newman, 55, of Topeka, pleaded guilty in 2019 to second-degree murder for strangling Tamara Tucker, 50, of Lawson, Missouri, and pushing her off.

What happens when someone goes overboard on a cruise ship?

The ship goes into emergency mode. The bridge will contact the Coast Guard and a search will begin. The ship will stop and the crew will try to pinpoint where and when it happened so they can start a thorough search in that area.

The captain also will notify other ships in the area who are then obligated to help search.

The ship will keep searching until the Coast Guard clears it to continue its voyage to the next port. The Coast Guard will continue searching, widening the radius of the search based on probable locations, conditions and ocean currents, until they feel they're unlikely to find the person.

What should I do if I see someone go overboard on a cruise ship?

If you see someone fall or jump off a cruise ship, immediately throw them a flotation device if there is one nearby. Life buoys and orange life rings are available throughout the ship. Having something to hang onto increases the person's chances of staying afloat and makes them easier to spot.

Shout out or notify a crew member as soon as you can and note the time so the bridge officers can identify the exact position of the ship at that time. Speed is of the essence. A cruise ship travels miles in a few minutes and does not turn around quickly.

Describe the person as best you can, including how fit they appeared, what they were wearing and if they were holding anything that might float, as all those factors will affect likely survival times .

What should I do if I go overboard on a cruise ship?

Don't panic. Find something that floats, if you can. Treading water can be exhausting in the open ocean

"Even a small buoyant device will help you — something you can use with your arms around or your neck over just to help relieve some of the stress if you're not a great swimmer or you're having a hard time staying afloat," survival expert Cat Bigney told The Insider.

Don't drink any salt water and if you're fortunate enough to have any fresh water with you, conserve it. If you can, pull off some clothing and wrap it around your head to avoid the sun.

If there are floating things around you, such as garbage, collect what you can to make yourself easier to spot. The Coast Guard has an increasing radius to search depending on where they think you are, and anything at all you can to do increase your chances can help.

How many people have gone overboard from a cruise ship?

Not very many as compared to the number of passengers over time. Worldwide, as of 2023, 386 cruise and ferry passengers and crew have gone overboard since 2000, according to a list from CruiseJunkie .

Between 2009 and 2019, there were 212 overboard incidents globally involving passengers and crew, according to statistics compiled for CLIA by consulting firm G.P. Wild (International) Limited.

Generally speaking, however, cruises are pretty safe. An estimated 20.4 million people took cruises in 2022, according to statistics site Statista , with signs of higher numbers this year.

Do people die when they go overboard?

Not necessarily. It depends on whether the person was conscious when they went over, if they were injured by the fall or impact with the water, how well they can swim or if they have a flotation device, the sea and weather conditions, the water temperature, and how quickly the crew or the Coast Guard can rescue them. There are also the risks from overexposure, hypothermia, dehydration, and predators.

A 42-year-old woman spent an hour in the water after falling from the 10th deck of the Royal Caribbean International in June but was rescued by the ship's crew.

But unless the person was seen going over or spotted immediately, the odds may be against them. If the ship is moving the person may be rapidly swept away and if the location isn't known a single person's head can be extremely difficult to see in the vast, rolling ocean.

How many people are rescued after falling off a cruise ship?

Of the 212 listed as overboard between 2009 and 2019, only 48 people were rescued.

But miracles do happen. In 2018, a cruise ship worker was rescued when another cruise ship spotted him 22 hours after he went overboard northwest of Cuba, long after the Coast Guard had called off the search.

Contributing: Nathan Diller, USA TODAY

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Search suspended for cruise ship passenger who fell overboard off Hawaii

Royal Caribbean's the Quantum of the Seas.

Coast Guard crews have suspended the search for an Australian cruise ship passenger off the coast of Hawaii following a report of a person overboard, officials said Thursday.

“After reviewing all relevant information of the case and discussing it with the next of kin, the Coast Guard has made the difficult decision to suspend the active search for the passenger aboard the Quantum of the Seas,” said Kevin Cooper, a search and rescue mission coordinator for the Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu.

The cruise ship Quantum of the Seas reported a person overboard at 11:03 p.m. Tuesday local time to the Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu, the Coast Guard said in a news release Wednesday.

“The crew of the cruise ship remained on scene to search for approximately two hours, deploying six life rings,” the release said.

On Wednesday, an air search with the Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point C-130 Hercules aircrew launched at 7 a.m. and arrived on scene at 9 a.m. local time, searching about 500 miles south of Kailua-Kona, Big Island.

After six hours the crew returned to the air station for fuel replenishment. Officials said said Thursday that the search had been suspended.

A spokesperson for Royal Caribbean confirmed that a passenger went overboard.

"The ship’s crew immediately launched a search and rescue operation and is working closely with local authorities," the spokesperson said.

The sprawling cruise ship has 16 decks and fits 4,905 guests and 1,500 crew members, according to its website .

Quantum of the Seas departed Brisbane, Australia, on April 12 and is scheduled to arrive in Honolulu on Friday.

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Cruise ship boarding put back two hours for cleaning

Passengers due to board a cruise ship recently hit by a norovirus outbreak have been asked to arrive later so enhanced cleaning can be carried out.

Ventura is set to leave on Saturday at 19:00 BST for a 10-night cruise to Spain and Portugal.

Port health officials met the ship when it docked on 25 May after a number of passengers became unwell during a two-week cruise around the Canary Islands.

Cruise firm, P&O said embarkation, usually from midday, would be two hours later.

"This is an additional measure given the elevated levels of gastrointestinal symptoms in the UK as a whole at the moment," a P&O spokesperson said.

"We work closely with relevant global and regional health authorities and we have approved, recognised and proven protocols that are in place throughout every cruise to uphold the health and wellbeing of all guests and crew onboard."

The latest cruise on the ship, that can carry 3,078 passenger and 1,205 crew, is listed as sold out.

Norovirus symptoms include:

sudden, projectile vomiting and diarrhoea

high temperature

stomach pains

aching limbs

Norovirus can be caught from:

close contact with - or eating food prepared or handled by - someone infected

touching contaminated surfaces or objects and then your mouth

Washing your hands frequently with soap and water is the best way to stop it spreading.

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GM brings in new CEO to steer troubled Cruise robotaxi service while Waymo ramps up in San Francisco

FILE - Marc Whitten, Microsoft Corp.'s chief production officer of interactive entertainment, is pictured May 21, 2013, at an event in Redmond, Wash. On Tuesday, June 25, 2024, General Motors announced Whitten will take the helm of its troubled robotaxi service, Cruise, as it tries to recover from a gruesome collision that triggered the suspension of its California license. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)

FILE - An electric car driving for Cruise, General Motor’s troubled robotaxi service, is seen on Jan. 16, 2019, in Detroit. On Tuesday, June 25, 2024, General Motors announced that veteran technology executive Marc Whitten will take the helm of the company as it tries to recover from a gruesome collision that triggered the suspension of its California license. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

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General Motors on Tuesday named a veteran technology executive with roots in the video game industry to steer its troubled robotaxi service Cruise as it tries to recover from a gruesome collision that triggered the suspension of its California license.

Marc Whitten, one of the key engineers behind the Xbox video game console, will take over as Cruise’s chief executive nearly nine months after one of the service’s robotaxis dragged a jaywalking pedestrian — who had just been struck by a vehicle driven by a human — across a darkened street in San Francisco before coming to a stop.

That early October 2023 incident prompted California regulators to slam the brakes on Cruise’s robotaxis in San Francisco. It had previously giving the driverless vehicles approval to charge for rides throughout the second densest city in the U.S., despite objections of local government officials who cited flaws in the autonomous technology.

General Motors, which had hoped Cruise would be generating $1 billion in annual revenue by 2025, has since scaled back its massive investments in the robotaxi service. The cutbacks resulted in 900 workers being laid off j ust weeks after Cruise co-founder and former CEO Kyle Vogt resigned from his job in the aftermath of crash that sent the pedestrian to the hospital.

The arrival of new leadership at Cruise came on the same day rival robotaxi service Waymo disclosed its driverless vehicles are ready to start picking up anyone in San Francisco who wants ride within the city. Waymo had been only accepting requests from riders selected from a waiting list that had grown to 300,000 people.

It’s the second major city where Waymo’s robotaxis are open to all comers, joining Phoenix, where the driverless vehicles have been giving rides for several years.

Although Waymo’s vehicles so far haven’t been involved in any collisions like the one that sidelined Cruise, the company recently issued a voluntary recall that required delivering a software update throughout its fleet after one of its robotaxis hit a telephone pole in Phoenix.

Whitten, who also has worked at Amazon and Sonos, will be taking over a robotaxi service facing far more daunting challenges. General Motors earlier this year disclosed that the U.S. Justice Department has opened an inquiry into Cruise’s handling of the October crash in San Francisco. California regulators also fined Cruise $112,000 for its response to that collision.

In a statement, Whitten said he believes Cruise can still make transportation safer than it has been with humans behind the wheel of cars.

“It is an opportunity of a lifetime to be part of this transformation,” Whitten said. ”The team at Cruise has built world-class technology, and I look forward to working with them to help bring this critical mission to life.”

Ukraine-Russia war latest: Trump offers to ‘settle’ invasion as Biden calls Putin ‘war criminal’ at debate

LIVE – Updated at 17:30

Donald Trump has offered to “settle the war” in Ukraine started by Vladimir Putin as he suggested Russia would have never attacked its smaller neighbour if the US had a “real president” in the office.

“Before I take office on 20 January, I’ll have that war settled,” he said at the first presidential debate with Joe Biden .

However, Mr Biden called Mr Putin a “war criminal” and warned that if Russia is allowed to succeed, the Russian president would not stop at Kyiv. “He wants all of Ukraine. That’s what he wants,” Mr Biden said. “He’s killed thousands and thousands of people,” the US president said.

Mr Putin was repeatedly referenced by both US presidential candidates during Thursday’s election debate as they vied to show who was tougher on foreign policy. “Go ahead, let Putin go in and control Ukraine, and then move on to Poland and other places. See what happens then. He has no idea what the hell he’s talking about,” Mr Biden said of Mr Trump.

This comes as Ukraine’s military said its forces had forced Russian troops out of a district in the town of Chasiv Yar on the war’s eastern front seen as Moscow’s next target in its slow advance through the area.

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“It shows an increased involvement of the U.S. and other NATO countries in the conflict in Ukraine on the side of the Kyiv regime,” the ministry said in a statement.

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Annual allied military aid $60 billion for next four years, says Ukraine PM

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Friday that military pledges outlined in 20 security agreements Kyiv has signed with its partners total $60 billion annually for the next four years.

Kyiv relies heavily on military support from partners while it repels a 28-month-old Russian full-scale invasion.

The 10-year agreements, including with the EU and the U.S., set out commitments on long-term military and other assistance and pledge to hold immediate consultations to decide on the next steps in the event of a future Russian attack after the current conflict has ended.

“According to these agreements, in the next four years, our partners plan to provide Ukraine with total military support worth $60 billion annually,” Shmyhal said during a governmental meeting. He did not provide breakdown of funding sources.

The agreements are struck bilaterally and are all different.

For instance, the text of the first deal signed with Britain says the country will provide Ukraine with a further 2.5 billion pounds ($3.16 billion) of support.

Estonia, according to its agreement, “has set the target” to allocate at least 0.25% of GDP annually for military support in 2024-27.

Ukraine's president urges EU leaders to make good on their arms promises

Ukraine’s president called on European Union leaders on Thursday to make good on their pledges to provide military equipment to his war-ravaged country, just days after the bloc launched membership talks with his government.

“We have to work on next steps,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters in Brussels as he arrived to attend a summit of EU leaders. He said he and the leaders would discuss “the urgent things -– air defense, that is one.”

Zelenskyy thanked countries that have promised equipment, weapons and ammunition, but underlined that “we need them urgently on the battlefield.”

Bulgarian president declines government proposal to lead delegation to NATO summit

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev has turned down a government proposal to lead the country’s delegation to NATO’s July summit in Washington, D.C., saying he was not consulted while it worked out the official position of the country and its commitments regarding the war in Ukraine , his press office said Thursday.

The decision comes on the heels of heated debates between pro-Russian and pro-Western parties in Bulgaria about whether Radev, as the commander-in-chief of the military, should represent the country at the NATO summit.

Radev has often been criticized by political opponents for his Kremlin-friendly position in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and for his public remarks that sending military aid to Kyiv would extend the conflict. He has referred to those favoring military aid to Ukraine as “warmongers.”

Russian military says it took control of settlement of Rozdolivka in eastern Ukraine

Russian forces have taken control of the settlement of Rozdolivka in eastern Ukraine, Russia‘s Ministry of Defence said on Friday.

The ministry said in a statement that Russia‘s “Southern” military grouping had taken up what it called more favourable positions after pushing Ukrainian forces out of the settlement, which is located in the Donetsk region.

Reuters could not verify the battlefield report and there was no immediate comment from Ukraine.

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Ukrainian PM: Allies pledge $60 bln of annual military support for next four years

Ukrainian Prime Minister said on Friday that military pledges outlined in 20 security agreements Kyiv has signed with its partners total $60 billion annually for the next four years.

“According to these agreements, in the next four years, our partners plan to provide Ukraine with total military support worth $60 billion annually,” Denys Shmyhal said during a governmental meeting.

-Kremlin says outlook for EU-Russia ties is bad after von der Leyen and Kallas nominations

The Kremlin said on Friday that the outlook for EU-Russia ties was bad after EU leaders nominated Ursula von der Leyen for another term as European Commission president and picked Estonia’s Kaja Kallas as the next EU foreign policy chief.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the bloc’s decision to nominate Germany’s von der Leyen for a second five-year term would not change anything.

“Mrs von der Leyen is not in favour of normalising relations between the EU and Russia. That’s how we know her, that’s how we remember her. Nothing changes in this respect,” said Peskov.

Commenting on the choice of Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas for EU foreign policy chief, Peskov said she was known for her anti-Russian rhetoric.

“Mrs Kallas has not demonstrated any diplomatic inclinations so far either, and is well known in our country for her absolutely intransigent and sometimes even openly anti-Russian statements,” he said.

“Therefore, we do not think that European diplomacy will contribute in any way to the normalisation of relations. The prospects, in terms of relations between Moscow and Brussels, are bad.”

Kremlin declines to comment on Biden-Trump debate

Russia has no comment on the U.S. presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump as it is an internal U.S. matter, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.

Biden stumbled frequently in the encounter with Trump, which revived discussion about his age. Russia loomed large in the debate as both men tried to show who was tougher on foreign policy.

Trump said if the U.S. had a “real president” who was respected by Putin, he would never have invaded Ukraine on Biden’s watch.

Biden responded: “Go ahead, let Putin go in and control Ukraine, and then move on to Poland and other places. See what happens then. He has no idea what the hell he’s talking about.”

Putin said earlier this month he did not believe the outcome of the election would make much difference for Russia.

Belarus to reinforce its border with Ukraine after security incident

The border service of Belarus and the country’s Ministry of Defence are taking measures to further reinforce the Belarusian border with Ukraine after a security incident, the Belarusian border service said in a statement.

The border service said its staff had brought down a quadrocopter on Wednesday after it had illegally crossed the border from Ukraine to collect information about Belarusian border infrastructure.

Earlier in the week, it said materials for a homemade bomb had been found concealed in the same area and that it was aware that a unit of pro-Ukrainian Russian fighters was present in a Ukrainian region bordering Belarus.

Ukraine's Zelensky scolds officials who shirk their duties in the country's war effort

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signaled Wednesday that he is getting tough on officials he suspects are shirking their duties in the war with Russia that is now in its third year.

Zelensky and Commander in Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi visited troops in the eastern Donetsk region who have weathered fierce Russian ground and air assaults in recent months. They also discussed with local officials the drinking water supply, social issues, evacuation plans and the rebuilding of local homes, Zelenskyy said.

He added that back in Kyiv he would speak to “officials who must be here and in other areas near the front line — in difficult communities where people need immediate solutions.”

Ukraine's Zelenskyy scolds officials who shirk their duties in the country's war effort

US to confront Russia at UN over North Korean weapons

The United States will confront Russia at the United Nations Security Council on Friday over violating a North Korea arms embargo, and will push for China’s view on growing ties between Moscow and Pyongyang, said deputy U.S. Ambassador Robert Wood.

The meeting of the 15-member council comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin traveled to Pyongyang last week to sign a pact with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in which they agreed to provide military assistance if either faces armed aggression.

“This should be of great concern to the entire global community,” Mr Wood told Reuters ahead of the meeting, accusing Russia of “in essence siding with a rogue state to violate countless U.N. Security Council resolutions.”

“This is unprecedented, and we need to call it out for what it is,” he said. “We also want to see what China has to say about this growing military cooperation between DPRK and Russia. They cannot view this as a positive development.”

Where was the trial held?

It was held on Wednesday in the Sverdlovsky Regional Court in the city of Yekaterinburg , about 880 miles (1,416km) east of Moscow . Gershkovich was arrested in the city in March 2023 while on a reporting trip.

Russian defence minister wants action to counter ‘provocations’ from US drones in Black Sea

Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov has ordered the army’s General Staff to come up with proposals on how to promptly deal with “provocations” by U.S. strategic drones operating over the Black Sea, the defence ministry said on Friday.

The ministry said in a statement that it had noted increased activity in the area from U.S. drones which it said were carrying out reconaissance and gathering targeting information for high-precision Western weapons used by Ukraine to strike Russian facilities.

“This demonstrates the increasing involvement of the United States and NATO countries in the conflict in Ukraine on the side of the Kyiv regime,” the defence ministry said.

“Such flights multiply the likelihood of airspace incidents with Russian aircraft, which increases the risk of a direct confrontation between the (NATO) alliance and the Russian Federation.”

It said that NATO countries would be responsible for any such incidents.

The statement did not mention Crimea, the Black Sea region which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014. But Russian military facilities in Crimea have been repeatedly targeted by Ukrainian forces, including with Western missiles.

Ukraine is battling to preserve democratic progress during wartime. It's not easy

As an investigative journalist, then an activist, and later a lawmaker, Yehor Soboliev sought to expose corruption in business and government as a way to defend Ukraine’s budding democracy.

Now, as a soldier battling Russia, he’s had to put those aims on hold as he fights alongside some of the people he once tried to bring down.“Till the victory, we are on the same side,” said Soboliev, a lieutenant in a front-line drone unit.

“But maybe — definitely — after the victory, we should separate ourselves from each other. And we should continue that fight in making our country more honest, more responsible, more serving to its citizens.”

Ukraine has spent years trying to build a Western-style democracy, although not without some bumps along the way as it shed habits from its Soviet past.

To beat back Russia and remain a democracy it has felt compelled to temporarily suspend or restrict some democratic ideals.

Elections have been postponed, a once-robust media has been restrained, corruption-fighting has slipped down the agenda, and freedom of movement and assembly have been curbed by martial law.

And as Russia pounds Ukraine’s cities and makes battlefield gains, the unity sparked by the invasion — and the sense of common purpose crucial to defending democracy — have come under growing strain.

Russia lost 1,170 soldiers in the past 24 hours, says Ukraine

At least 1,170 Russian forces have been killed and wounded in invasion in Ukraine in the past day, officials of the Ukrainian military said this morning. This comes as the battlefield clashes in the war-hit nation surged.

In the past 24 hours, the frontline saw 119 combat clashes, the General Staff of the Ukraine Armed Forces said, naming Toretsk, Pokrovsk and Kurakhove as the hottest sections of the front throughout the day.

“During the day, the enemy launched six missile strikes on Ukrainian territory (a total of eight missiles), 43 airstrikes (56 guided aerial bombs dropped), and 458 kamikaze drones. They also fired 2,863 times on our troops’ positions and settlements using a variety of weapons,” the statement update this morning read.

Russian navy missile cruiser carries out drills in the Mediterranean Sea

The Russian navy missile cruiser Varyag has carried out drills in the Mediterranean Sea, the state-owned TASS news agency reported on Thursday, citing the navy command.

The drills focused on repelling a mass sea drone attack, the navy command said.

It also involved simulated engagements with an enemy vessel and a submarine.

Earlier this month a Russian naval frigate conducted drills in the Atlantic Ocean searching for submarines while on its way to Cuba.

Russia orders measures taken over US drones in Black Sea

Russian defence minister Andrei Belousov has ordered the general staff to take measures to address increased activity of United States drones over the Black Sea, the RIA news agency cited the ministry as saying today.

The ministry said such activity increased the risk of incidents involving Russian aircraft and could cause direct confrontation between Russia and Nato.

Kremlin considering downgrading of diplomatic relations with the West

The Kremlin said that Russia is considering a possible downgrading of diplomatic relations with the West due to the deeper involvement of the United States and its allies in the Ukraine war, though no decision has yet been made.

“The issue of lowering the level of diplomatic relations is a standard practice for states that face unfriendly or hostile manifestations,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters when asked about the possibility of such a move.

“Due to the growing involvement of the West in the conflict over Ukraine, the Russian Federation cannot but consider various options for responding to such hostile Western intervention in the Ukrainian crisis.”

Mr Peskov said that no decision had yet been made on the matter and that Russia was considering different ways to respond to the West.

Donald Trump has suggested Russia never would have attacked Ukraine if the US had a “real president” been in office.

“If we had a real president, a president that knew that was respected by Putin, he would have never he would have never invaded Ukraine,” he said as the former president squared off with Joe Biden at the first presidential debate on CNN.

“He knew not to play games with me,” Mr Trump said referring to the Russian president Vladimir Putin.

The former president said that he will have the war settled between Mr Putin and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky if he is the president-elect. “Before I take office on 20 January, I’ll have that war settled,” he said.

However, Mr Biden called Mr Putin a “war criminal” and warned that if Russia is allowed to succeed in its war, Putin would not stop at Kyiv. “He wants all of Ukraine. That’s what he wants,” Mr Biden said.

“He’s killed thousands and thousands of people,” the US president said.

Mr Biden also shot back at him for claims of pushing European allies to spend more money intro defence. “This is a guy who wants to pull out of Nato,” Mr Biden said, adding that he “got 50 other nations” to support Ukraine against Russia’s invasion.

However, the Republican face Mr Trump denied his acceptance of Mr Putin’s conditions to end the war in Ukraine.“Look, this is a war that never should have started if we had a leader,” Mr Trump said.

Russia claims it has carried out missile strikes on Ukrainian airfields hosting Western aircraft

Russia claims it has carried out missile strikes on Ukrainian airfields which it believes have been designated to host Western military aircraft, Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Thursday.

Russia used sea-based long-range precision weapons, the Kinzhal hypersonic missile and drones in the attack, it said.

All designated targets were hit, the ministry added, without naming the list of targets.

Russia is considering a possible downgrading of relations with the West due to the deeper involvement of the United States and its allies in the Ukraine war, but no decision had yet been taken, the Kremlin said yesterday.

Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov told the Izvestia newspaper that ambassadors fulfilled a difficult but important job that allowed a channel of communication to operate in troubled times.

But Mr Ryabkov also said that a possible downgrading of ties with the West was being studied.

When asked about the possibility of such a move, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that given the West’s current approach to Russia it was one of several options that was being considered, though no decision had yet been made.

“The issue of lowering the level of diplomatic relations is a standard practice for states that face unfriendly or hostile manifestations,” Peskov said.

A downgrading of relations – or even breaking them off – would illustrate the gravity of the confrontation between Russia and the West over Ukraine after an escalation in tensions over the war in recent months.

Even during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, when the Cold War is thought to have come closest to nuclear war, Russia did not sever relations with the United States, though Moscow did break off ties with Israel over the 1967 Middle East war.

Putin’s troops pushed out of part of key eastern town, says Ukraine military

Ukraine’s military said its forces had forced Russian troops out of a district in the town of Chasiv Yar on the war’s eastern front seen as Moscow’s next target in its slow advance through the area.

Russian forces are slowly pushing their way across parts of eastern Ukraine, capturing several villages since seizing the key city of Avdiivka in February.

Chasiv Yar stands on high ground 20km (12 miles) to the west of Bakhmut, a town Russian forces captured a year ago after months of battles. Both sides see Chasiv Yar as a potential staging point for Russia to advance on the key cities of the eastern Donetsk region, including Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.

Nazar Voloshyn, a spokesman for Ukraine’s southern group of forces, told the Ukrinform news agency that Russian forces had moved out of Chasiv Yar’s “Kanal” district along the Siverskyi Donets-Donbas canal that runs along the town’s eastern edge.

“Ukrainian defenders have indeed squeezed Russian forces out of the Kanal district in Chasiv Yar in Donetsk region,” Ukrinform quoted Voloshyn as saying. “The enemy army is no longer there.”

Voloshyn told other Ukrainian media outlets that Russian troops were shelling Kyiv’s forces in more than 200 incidents over 24 hours, mostly on the town’s southern approaches.

The Ukrainian military’s General Staff, in a late evening report yesterday, said Russian troops had tried to push back Ukrainian forces six times near Chasiv Yar. Three attacks were repelled and fighting still gripped the area.

An unverified Russian report said Moscow’s forces had destroyed a communications tower near the town and made further headway.

A fire broke out at a fuel depot in the Tambov region in central Russia this morning because of a drone attack, regional Governor Maksim Yegorov wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

No one was hurt in the incident, he said, and firefighters were working at the site.

Zelensky urges EU leaders to make good on their arms promises

Ukraine’s president called on European Union leaders to make good on their pledges to provide military equipment to his war-ravaged country, just days after the bloc launched membership talks with his government.

“We have to work on next steps,” president Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters in Brussels as he arrived to attend a summit of EU leaders. He said he and the leaders would discuss “the urgent things – air defence, that is one.”

Mr Zelensky thanked countries that have promised equipment, weapons and ammunition, but underlined that “we need them urgently on the battlefield.”

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Zelenskyy attends EU summit in Brussels

The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky signed three defence agreements — two individual deals with Lithuania and Estonia, plus one with the EU.

The agreement with the EU confirms commitments to help Ukraine in areas of security and defence policy.

Meanwhile, Lithuania and Estonia declared their commitments to allocate around 0.25 per cent of their GDP for military aid for Ukraine.

Pictured: Zelensky meets EU leaders

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Russian navy to be boosted by over 40 new ships

Vladimir Putin says Russia’s navy will be boosted by at least 40 new ships in 2024.

In a report by state-run news agency TASS, the Russian leader is quoted as saying that one of the country’s main objectives is to “comprehensively upgrade” its naval capabilities.

This includes “ship, aircraft and coastal components”, while there are also plans to improve the infrastructure of naval bases to “strengthen its positions in the strategically crucial areas of the world ocean, and to drastically improve its combat potential”.

EU signs security agreement with Ukraine

The European Union has signed a security agreement with Ukraine in Brussels.

The pact, confirmed today, is intended to complement similar agreements sealed between Ukraine and its allies as it continues its defence against Russia’s invasion.

The agreement entrenches the EU’s commitment to help Ukraine in nine areas of security and defence policy - including arms deliveries, military training, defence industry cooperation and demining,

George Galloway says he trusts Vladimir Putin more than Keir Starmer

Poland's Tusk and Ukraine's Zelenskiy to hold talks in Warsaw

Polish prime minister Donald Tusk will hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Warsaw before a NATO summit that starts on July 9 in Washington.

“We agreed with President Zelenskiy to talk in Warsaw before the NATO summit,” Tusk said in a post on social media platform X.

Zelensky calls on EU to make good on their pledges to provide military equipment

Ukraine‘s president has called on European Union leaders to make good on their pledges to provide military equipment to his war-ravaged country, just days after the bloc launched membership talks with his government.

“We have to work on next steps,” Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters in Brussels as he arrived to attend a summit of EU leaders.

He said he and the leaders would discuss “the urgent things - air defence, that is one”.

Mr Zelensky thanked countries that have promised equipment, weapons and ammunition, but underlined that “we need them urgently on the battlefield”.

Russian forces are seeking to press their advantage in troop numbers and weaponry before Ukraine‘s armed forces are bulked up by promised new western military aid, some of which is trickling to the front line, analysts say.

The EU launched membership talks with Ukraine on Tuesday, a decade after Russian troops seized the Crimean Peninsula to deter the country from moving closer to the West, part of a chain of events that set the two neighbours on the path to war.

Volodymyr Zelensky arrives in Brussels to sign security agreements

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Brussels today where he plans to sign three security agreements, including one with the European Union.

“For the first time, this agreement will enshrine the commitment of all 27 member states to provide Ukraine with extensive support, regardless of any internal institutional changes,” he said on X.

Two dead and one missing after train derails in northern Russia

A passenger train derailment in northern Russia has killed at least two people and left one other missing, a state-run railway company said.

The 14-carriage train derailed in Russia’s northern republic of Komi on Wednesday night, Russian Railways said, with nine carriages coming off the tracks.

Up to 50 people were injured, Russia’s news agency Interfax reported, citing emergency officials.

The train, carrying 232 passengers, was headed to the southern city of Novorossiysk from Vorkuta, a coal mining town in the north of Komi, Russian Railways said.

Authorities said that heavy rainfall, which washed out parts of the track, was the likely cause of the derailment.

Ukraine downs 23 drones overnight

Ukrainian air force said it shot down all 23 drones and five out of six missiles launched by Russia in the early hours of Thursday.

Khmelnytskyi regional governor Serhii Tiurin said the air defence shot down nine aerial targets over his region. Local authorities have not received any reports of casualties or property damage, he added.

Governor Vitaliy Kim said the military destroyed six drones and three cruise missiles over the southern region of Mykolaiv.

Two drones were shot down over the southern region of Kherson and one more was short down over Dnipropetrovsk region, local authorities said.

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European Union countries agreed a sanctions package against Belarus on Wednesday, EU diplomats and Belgium said, to try to close off a route to avoiding restrictions on Russia.

The EU adopted this week its 14th package of sanctions to punish Russia for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which included clauses that increased responsibility on EU companies exporting via non-EU countries.

“This package will strengthen our measures in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including combating circumvention of sanctions,” Belgium, which holds the EU presidency until the end of June, said on X.

Closed-door trial of US journalist Evan Gershkovich begins in Russia as case denounced as sham

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Mr Ryder did not say there was any indication of North Korean troops actually being sent into combat, but he cautioned the North against that potential development.

'Give them 20 lashes': Kremlin official suggests whipping disobedient Russians

A Russian official has suggested publicly whipping disobedient Russians.

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“Those who repent should publicly apologise and publicly receive 20 lashes with a whip in Red Square,” he said.

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Volodymyr Zelenskyy has visited troops in the eastern frontline Donetsk region today with his top military leadership.

In a statement on Telegram, Mr Zelenskyy said he held a detailed meeting on security with military leaders and addressed many issues.

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“Russian authorities have failed to provide any evidence supporting the charges against him, failed to justify his continued detention, and failed to explain why Evan’s work as a journalist constitutes a crime,” the embassy said.

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Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Best of Moscow by high speed train

By shuguley , February 15, 2014 in Regent Seven Seas Cruises

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If you are considering this on the 2015 June Baltic cruise on Voyager; my suggestion is don't. There is so much to do in St. Petersburg and although a train is one of my favorite ways to travel the time would be far better spent in St. P.

Thanks for the advice. Yes, this would be on the Voyager during the 2015 season but not yet sure exactly which cruise.

We did the Moscow excursion "on a different luxury line", but from your brief description it sounds very much like the same trip, so I will operate on that assumption. It is a VERY long day! We left the ship at 5:30 AM and returned at 12:30 AM. The highspeed train trip is comfortable, and while they call it "Business Class" it does not compare well to the equivalent class on say Rail Europe. When we did it in 2011, we did have highspeed both ways, and the trip back seemed much longer as the adrenaline and excitement had worn off!:D

Moscow itself is not that terribly different from any other big city in the world, but this Cold War kid never thought he would ever stand in Red Square, never mind walk the grounds of The Kremlin, or tour The Kremlin Palace, or see (but not visit) Lenin's Tomb, or visit The Armoury. But he did, and he loved every minute of it! Yes, it is a long day, and you barely scratch a scratch on the surface, but it is worth it. There is a tremendous amount to see in St. Petersburg, but every Baltic cruise goes to St. Petersburg, so you can go back if you choose to. Not every cruiseline offers you the chance to see Moscow.

I have not personally done this tour, but our last time in St Petersburg, the private guide that we hired for a day was leading the regent tour to Moscow on the high speed train the next day. He said it was way better than the previous alternative, which was flying to Moscow and back. He said that you actually got to Moscow faster because you didn't have to deal with airline checkin etc. it did seem like a very long day to me, and there is so much to see and do in st. Petersburg that I didn't consider doing it.

countflorida

We toured to Moscow from St. Petersburg via the hi-speed SAPSAN train last September, from a Baltic cruise on the Oceania Marina. You need to have a two-night, three day port call in St. Petersburg to take this tour because the tour typically leaves the ship around 5:00 - 5:30 AM and doesn't return until after midnight the next day. We didn't take the ship's tour; we made private arrangements with TravelAllRussia for three days of touring, the first and third days in St. Petersburg and the second day the tour to Moscow by train. Our cost for the private tour for three days was about the same as what the ship charged for the excursion to Moscow alone. There are a number of private tour agencies that operate in St. Petersburg and offer the Moscow train tours; we would strongly recommend them over the ship's tours.

All three days had private guides with car and driver. The second day, the driver picked us up at the ship and took us to the train, but we were alone on the train, and met in Moscow by the guide on the station platform. After our tour and dinner, we were brought back to the train and after the return train trip met by the driver and taken back to the ship. Because you are alone on the train you must have your own Russian visas.

If this is your first visit to St. Petersburg, I would agree there is much more to see there. We found Moscow somewhat a disappointment, particularly Red Square. The Kremlin and the cathedral in Red Square were also worth seeing. But the best thing we saw was the Moscow subway! I worked for the Washington Metro system back in the 1980s as it grew from 40 to 80 miles and although I was in the computer area, I learned a lot about the challenges of running a subway system. We used the Moscow system to get across the city from where we had dinner to the train station, and I was amazed at the cleanliness', speed of operation, the short headways maintained, and the courtesy of everyone involved. A very impressive experience!

We had been to St. Petersburg before, and so had the time to take a day and go to Moscow. Also, I really like trains, and the SAPSAN is a German train set running on Russian rails. Seats are like first class domestic air, spacious but not too plush or comfortable, but with enough room. Not too much recline, and almost 8 hours on the train in two shots is a lot for an old man. They come through and sell drinks, candy, etc. but the sellers don't speak English and no one around us helped, so we had just poor coffee once coming, and brought stuff with us for the trip back. Not too much to see from the train either, particularly on the return when it is night the whole way.

If you decide to go, take a private tour and avoid the overly expensive ship's tour. I'm glad we did it, but wouldn't bother to repeat the tour; we've seen Moscow.

Thanks so much to all of you for the thorough and thought insight. Yhe information you have provided is most helpful.

countflorida: Your detailed post is very helpful. We are not quite ready for a Baltic cruise but should do so within a year. Time enough to do our pre travel research, bookings and visa gathering.:) Thank you!

Emperor Norton

Sure would appreciate someone who has taken "Best of Moscow by high speed train" from St. Petersburg could please share their impressions of this shore excursion. From the description this sounds like a very long day. Wondering how the 4 hour train trip was in terms of accommodations, etc. Also what time did you leave the ship and what time at night did you return? Were both legs of the trip on the high speed rail (I read that slower trains also travel the same tracks)? My wife and I are considering this excursion. We thought that if we are making all the effort to go to Russia then how could we pass up going to Moscow, walking in Red Square, seeing St. Basil, etc.

I did this on Seabourn. IMO DONT. Take Aeroflop (er Aeroflot). The train has non folding seats where you are literally knee to knee with your fellow passenger (facing each other). Further they don't believe in air conditioning. It's also the worlds slowed bullet train. I think I would have found more enjoyment wandering around the St. Petersburg and Moscow airports.

Countflorida,

This is a little off topic,, however we had planned a river cruise in Russia but decided we would rather stay on land and have booked about two weeks with Travel-All-Russia using the private guide and driver. I'm curious as to how you found them as a tour company.

The guides they provided were fine. We had a different guide each of the days in St. Petersburg, but both were flexible, pleasant, knowledgeable and spoke English very well, as did the guide in Moscow, incidentally. She was a bit aloof, distant, not too friendly, but otherwise fine. In fact, she was the one who suggested taking the Metro, which unexpectedly became one of the highlights of the Moscow excursion. If I have a complaint with AllTravelRussia, it is with their plan and its execution (more later).

I had requested emphasis on World War II (in Russia, the Great Patriotic War) sites and info. In scheduling us, they weren't careful about dates and a couple of the sites we wanted to see were scheduled on the third day, after we'd been to Moscow. But both sites were closed that day of the week, and that info was readily available, right on web sites describing them. Also, the included meals (lunches in St. Pete, dinner in Moscow) were not what we asked for: light meals with some choices, so we could avoid things we didn't like and choose things we did like. My request was ignored; we were given full Russian meals with a fixed menu, no choice. On the first day, a fish dish was the entre, but I am allergic to fish. Fortunately, I had the e-mail I'd sent with me and showed it to the guide, and she was able to change my entre to chicken, which was very good actually. But we didn't want a 3-4 course lunches or dinner (in Moscow). We had the guide drop the lunch the third day, although we never got any credit or refund. But, particularly in contrast to the ship's tours, the prices were so reasonable we didn't worry too much about it.

The people who were on the ship's tour to Moscow saw us boarding the same train for which they were forced to queue up and wait on the way back, and asked us what we had done. I was candid and open so they were not happy when I explained what we had arranged and particularly what it had cost. Also, when we returned to the ship, we found they had laid on a late supper for those who had gone to Moscow, so up we went and had something. Well, it turns out the late supper was supposed to be just for those on the ship's tour, but we and others on 'independent' tours, there were a dozen or more of us, crashed the party, actually got there first, and they didn't realize it until the larger group arrived and there weren't enough tables/places set. By that time, the 'independents' had all gotten served and were eating; what could they do?

A couple from the larger group sat down with us and asked us about our tour, and they were the ones I told about our arrangement and its cost. They turned to others who’d been with them and announced the details, loudly enough so the whole room heard, which started a lot of bitching and complaining. I gathered they weren't very happy with the ship's tour to begin with, and this was the straw that broke the camel's back. We finished up and beat it out of there, but overheard later that one of the excursion staff came to check on something and ran into a real mess. I caught a cold on the trip, which forced me to bed the second day following in Tallinn, so by the time we reappeared we heard about the contretemps' but apparently no one recalled who started it, thankfully.

Because of what happened to us, I would probably not use AllTravelRussia if I were to go again, or if I did, I would be sure to get confirmation of every detail of the tour. They do have good reviews generally, and we were certainly helped by their visa department and liked the guides and drivers. Their weakness, I say now with full 20:20 hindsight, is that once the sales person who plans the tour, sells it to you and collects your money, he (or she) transfers the plan to their Russia office for implementation; there is no follow-up to make sure it gets done right. And that is where our problems arose; we paid for a custom tour but got a standard package with a few destinations switched, and no one checked them out, even to see when they were open the day we were scheduled to go. If you check every detail that’s important to you, it should be OK, but that’s a hell of a way to have to do business, in my opinion.

Thank you for the 20/20 hindsight observation on your Russian tour operator, and better priced than the ship's excursion cost.

Thanks very much for the feedback.

We had the same experience as you so far as price. We originally booked a Viking Cruise but, hearing some things about the river cruises that made us unhappy, looked into other options. T-A-R cost the same or less than a cruise and had us in hotels for 11 days. We opted for the private tour. They have three tour levels, based on hotels. We originally opted for the four star as it did not cost much more than the three star hotels. Finally we decided to throw it all in and upgraded to five star. In Moscow we will be at the newly opened Kempinsky which is two blocks from Red Square. In St. Petersburg it is the Grand Hotel Europe, one of the most vaunted luxury hotels in Russia. Location is important for us as the tours use up only part of the day so being in the center of everything for our independent touring is important. As with many other cities, the less you pay, the farther out of the center of town you are.

We have been working with our salesman in D.C. and he seems to get back to us with the changes we want. He recently returned from Russia so is up on everything. When I asked they said they paid the full TA commission if I wanted so I got my usual TA on board so he is watching our back and giving us that extra level of comfort. He also set up our air, which I know pays him little or nothing, and got us business class for much less than T-A-R wanted for economy, though it took working for a while with a consolidator. He's happy to get his 10 percent on this trip without having booked it. He also took care of the trip insurance. We've been doing a lot of research on the CC sister site Trip Advisor and will write a report there. We will, I guess, become a source of info for CC members after having spent 5 days in Moscow and 6 in SP.

4 months later...

scubacruiserx2

Anybody considering a day trip to Moscow from St. Petersburg on the Sapsan may want to look at our travelogue filled with pictures.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1927687

Very informative. Thanks dor sharing. Jeff

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Cruise lines scrap Russian, Ukrainian ports from 2022 itineraries following invasion

Cruise lines are scrapping Russian and Ukrainian ports from their itineraries after Russian troops launched an attack on Ukraine.

Three cruise lines owned by Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings – Norwegian Cruise Line, Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises – announced Thursday that they would adjust their itineraries and remove calls to Russian ports in 2022.

"The safety and security of our guests, crew and communities we visit is our top priority," reads an emailed statement from Norwegian Cruise Line. "We are currently working to confirm replacement ports and will advise all impacted guests and travel advisors as soon as possible."

CEO Frank Del Rio noted Thursday morning that the company had no vessels scheduled to enter the region until late May.

Viking and Atlas Ocean Voyages are also adjusting their itineraries.

Learn more: Best travel insurance

Which sailing itineraries are changing after Russian invasion of Ukraine?

Norwegian Cruise Line is removing planned stops in St. Petersburg from its 2022 sailings "due to the escalated situation between Russia and Ukraine."

Sister brand Regent Seven Seas Cruises plans to remove the Solovetsky Islands, Arkhangelsk, Murmansk and St. Petersburg, Russia, from its 2022 sailings, along with Odesa, Ukraine.

Oceania Cruises, another Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings brand, said it too would remove Russian and Ukrainian ports from its 2022 sailings, according to an emailed statement.

All three companies said they are working to confirm replacement ports and will advise impacted guests and travel advisers "as soon as possible."

Atlas Ocean Voyages, a luxe expedition cruise line based in Florida, is adjusting two of its late-summer Baltic itineraries. Calls to St. Petersburg will be replaced by destinations in Finland and Estonia.

UKRAINE INVASION'S IMPACT ON TRAVEL: US travelers urged to leave Ukraine by ground 'immediately' if they're already there

WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR BOOKINGS?: Crystal Cruises is reportedly shutting down US operations

"With unrest in Eastern Europe, we have adjusted our voyages," President Alberto Aliberti said in a statement. "Guests will enjoy these unique and rarely visited destinations and immersive shore excursions to take in the rich cultures and breathtaking vistas of the Baltic."

Viking, which operates both ocean and river cruises, has canceled all 2022 departures from its Kyiv, Black Sea and Bucharest itinerary .

"We are currently evaluating itineraries that call in Russia in 2022, which will require modifications," according to a Viking statement. "When necessary changes are made, Viking Customer Relations will notify all impacted guests and their travel advisors."

Carnival Corp. spokesperson Roger Frizzell said the company is monitoring the situation. The company operates a number of cruise lines, including Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises and Holland America Line.

Expedition cruise line Hurtigruten Expeditions has just one sailing to Arctic Russia scheduled for 2022. Spokesperson Rune Thomas Ege said Friday the company is "closely monitoring the situation in Eastern Europe and Russia."

United Kingdom-based cruise line Saga has altered its itinerary for a cruise to the Black Sea, which had planned to make a stop in Odesa, Ukraine.

"We are now looking at the impact of the latest developments on our Baltic cruises later this year which were due to call in at St. Peterburg," a Friday statement from the company reads. "We will continue to monitor the situation and if necessary make further alterations to our itineraries whilst still ensuring the best experience for our guests."

Small-ship cruise line Windstar Cruises has canceled all sailings and cruise tours in the Black Sea region and will replace calls in St. Petersburg for non-Russian ports in its Baltic itineraries.

What's the impact on cruise bookings?

Norwegian CFO Mark Kempa said readjusting itineraries wouldn't have a "huge impact" on the company. Roughly 5% of its total capacity calls on St. Petersburg during the summer season, or about 50 sailings total.

"There's plenty of other ports in the Scandinavian region that we have the ability to call on," he said during a Thursday earnings call.

Kempa added that it's "way too early" to say whether the conflict will have an impact on booking trends but hadn't noticed any "red flags" as of Thursday morning.

"You'll probably see a little bit of slowdown here and there around the margin. That's normal. But it's definitely too early to indicate if there's going to be any longer-term effects," he said. "This is affecting a very small portion of Europe. And there's a lot of other areas that we can operate in."

A spokesperson for the Cruise Lines International Association said the organization is closely monitoring the situation in Ukraine and noted that most itineraries with stops in impacted areas are not scheduled to begin until late spring or summer.

"We share with the world the concerns over the conflict in the region," spokesperson Laziza Lambert told USA TODAY via email. "As always, the safety and security of guests, crew and the communities we visit are of utmost importance and continue to be the criteria on which our cruise line members base their itinerary decisions."

CLIA encourages travelers who have booked sailings in the area to check with their travel advisor or cruise line for more information on their cruise's status.

Follow USA TODAY reporter Bailey Schulz on Twitter: @bailey_schulz .

Ukraine war latest: Russia says it is considering nuclear shift - and tells West it is 'playing with fire'; US leads drills after North Korea warhead test

A senior Russian diplomat says Putin is reviewing the country's nuclear doctrine - and warns the West it is "playing with fire". Meanwhile, a Russian navy missile cruiser carries out drills in the Mediterranean. Listen to a Sky News podcast on Putin and North Korea while you scroll.

Friday 28 June 2024 08:56, UK

US warned of 'dangerous illusions' as Russia mulls change in nuclear stance
EU signs security agreement with Ukraine in Brussels
Ukraine receives latest EU financial support package worth £1.6bn
N Korea tests multiple warhead missile - as US leads drills after Putin-Kim pact
Your questions answered : Has the West been honest about Ukraine's failures?
Big picture : What you need to know this week
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We're pausing our live coverage of the war in Ukraine for this evening.

Scroll through below to catch up on the latest developments.

Two people have been killed and two more are wounded as a result of Russian shelling in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, an official has said.

Vadym Filashkin, head of the regional military administration, said Russian forces struck the centre of Kurakhove city, killing a woman and a 40-year-old man.

Two injured people were taken to hospital, he said.

He added that the extent of the damage in the attack was being assessed.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban had a seemingly lively chat ahead of a meeting of European leaders in Brussels today.

It's not known what that the two men discussed - but relations between Budapest and Kyiv have become more strained since the Russian invasion in 2022.

Hungary is Russia's closest ally in the EU and Mr Orban has maintained a friendship with Vladimir Putin while criticising the EU's strategy on Ukraine.

In December, Mr Orban blocked a €50bn aid package for Ukraine in a move that frustrated other EU leaders. He lifted the veto several months later.

Two people have been injured in a Russian drone attack on southern Ukraine, an official has said.

The Kherson regional administration said Russian forces launched an attack on the village of Novodmytrivka, leaving a 66-year-old man and 71-year-old woman hurt.

Both have blast injuries and have been taken to hospital for treatment, it said on Telegram.

The US, Israel and Ukraine are all in talks to provide Ukraine with up to eight Patriot air defence systems, according to the Financial Times.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly called for NATO members to send his country the US-made Patriot systems as it battles intensifying Russian attacks.

The FT said the deal would likely involve Israel first sending the systems it plans to retire to the US, before they are handed over to Kyiv.

Sources with knowledge of the negotiations told the paper the outlines of the deal have been discussed between ministers and senior officials from each of the three countries.

Mr Zelenskyy said in May that Kyiv urgently needed at least seven more Patriot missile systems to ward off Russian strikes against its power grid, civilian areas and military targets.

Pictures have emerged this evening of the aftermath of Russia's latest airstrike on the northeastern Ukrainian region of Kharkiv.

Emergency services said earlier that five people were injured and buildings were damaged in the attack (see 17.55 post).

Russian forces launched an assault on a new front in Kharkiv in May, after months of fighting focused on the east.

Ukrainian troops have repelled Russian forces from a neighbourhood in the frontline town of Chasiv Yar, a Ukrainian military official has said.

Nazar Voloshin, a spokesman for the Khortytsia operational-strategic group, told the Interfax-Ukraine news agency that Russian forces had been pushed out of the Kanal neighborhood in the east of the town.

Mr Voloshin claimed Moscow's forces were not slowing down in their push to break through in Chasiv Yar, and said two assault operations were ongoing.

"Ukrainian defenders reliably hold the defence in this area and give a decent rebuff to the Russian aggressor," he told the agency.

For context: Chasiv Yar, a strategically-important town in the eastern Donetsk region, has long been a Russian target.

It has been pummelled by Russian air, artillery and drone strikes for months now, as Moscow views the town as a gateway to launch direct offensives against several Ukrainian "fortress cities".

Chasiv Yar had a pre-war population of more than 12,000, but now only a few hundred residents remain.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged EU leaders to make good on their promises to provide his country with military aid after the bloc signed a security agreement underlining its support for Kyiv in the long term.

"Fulfilment of every promise is important, not only in terms of protecting lives but also to destroy the Russian illusion that they will achieve something by war," he said at the summit in Brussels today.

The Ukrainian president thanked countries that have so far promised equipment and arms aid, but pointed out that they were "needed urgently on the battlefield".

He also urged more help on "the urgent things - air defence, that is one".

The EU-Ukraine security agreement entrenches the EU's commitment to help Ukraine in nine areas of security and defence policy - including arms deliveries, military training, defence industry cooperation and demining,

In essence, it encapsulates what the 27-nation bloc has been doing for the country since the start of the war.

But the EU has made a specific commitment to the "predictable, efficient, sustainable and long-term provision of military equipment" for Ukraine.

Kyiv in return has promised to uphold European values and continue on its reform path in preparation to join the EU.

Five people have been injured in Russian airstrikes in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region, according to emergency services.

The State Emergency Service of Ukraine said the strikes hit a residential area of the region, partially destroying one building and damaging others - including a school - as well as cars.

Crews at the scene said five people were hurt.

The windows and gates of the local fire station were also damaged, the emergency service said.

While the apparent gains made by Russia during its spring offensive in Kharkiv were the focus of much of the news coverage of the way in May, a new report indicates any progress made by Vladimir Putin's troops came at a significant cost.

According to UK and other Western intelligence agency sources cited by the New York Times, more than 1,000 Russian soldiers were injured or killed each day last month.

However, the newspaper also cites US officials as saying Moscow is continuing to recruit between 25,000 and 30,000 new soldiers a month - roughly as many as it is losing from the battlefield.

American officials told the outlet that Russia achieved a critical objective of Mr Putin in creating a buffer zone along the border to make it more difficult for the Ukrainians to strike into the country.

But, the Western officials said, this did not threaten Kharkiv and was ultimately stopped by Ukrainian forces.

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