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BBC News with Chris Barrow.
Poland's prime minister has warned that the coming months could prove critical for his country in the face of threats from Russia. Donald Tusk was responding to media reports that Moscow was planning an armed provocation in Poland to test the resolve of Ukraine's NATO allies. Mr. Tusk said the danger could not be underestimated. "Poland is preparing very intensively for various scenarios. I have no intention of scaring anyone, but the coming months, not least because of the somewhat changing nature of the war in Ukraine, could prove truly critical. These concerns are particularly palpable in the Baltic states. Let us not be afraid. We are preparing for various situations, but we must not underestimate the threat." President Trump is travelling to South Dakota to launch a weekend of celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of America's independence from Britain. However, hailstorms shore the pre-show halted and attendees seeking shelter. Our North America correspondent, Hal Griffith, reports. The United States' big birthday weekend begins at the National Monument in South Dakota where George Washington, Theodore Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt are chiseled into the granite. Over the years, President Trump has hinted that he too would like his likeness to be added, although structurally it would be difficult to achieve. He's due to deliver a speech before returning to Washington for the major 250th celebration event on the Mall where the president has promised to host the biggest fireworks display ever seen on the planet. Pope Leo has called for the ideals of the Declaration of Independence to continue to guide the United States in his first major address to his home country. In a virtual message, the pontiff praised his country's history of welcoming successive waves of migrants. Pope Leo has clashed repeatedly with President Trump over his harsh crackdown on immigration. A NASA-funded spacecraft has reached orbit as part of an unprecedented mission to rescue a falling space telescope. The craft, called Link, aims to intercept the observatory, grab it with three robotic arms and lift it back to a safe orbit. Without taking any action, the Swift Observatory would continue its fall and could crash into Earth. The observatory was launched in 2004 to study the most powerful explosions in the universe. Dr. Simeon Barber is a space scientist at the Open University. "It is a high-risk mission because it's the first time that NASA's attempted to do this kind of mission and a lot of things have to go right first time in order to be successful. However, if everything does go according to plan, then this 20-year-old mission will get another 10 years of life and that extension will enable lots of new discoveries and lots of new science." This is the world news from the BBC. Three men accused of murdering a journalist in Northern Ireland more than seven years ago have been found not guilty by a court in Belfast. Lyra McKee was fatally shot as she stood close to police vehicles during rioting in Londonderry. A dissident Republican paramilitary group, the New IRA, said it carried out the attack but the actual gunman was never found. Pop superstar Taylor Swift and the American football player Travis Kelsey have got married in a massive ceremony at Madison Square Garden in New York. Streets in central Manhattan were temporarily closed to traffic while excited fans gathered nearby, braving a sweltering heat wave. Nada Tawfik is there. Confirmation of the marriage came hours after around a thousand guests gathered at the Madison Square Garden arena, including Ed Sheeran and Hugh Grant. Taylor Swift's publicist revealed that the ceremony was officiated by the comedian Adam Sandler, who's a friend of the couple. They did not have bridesmaids or groomsmen. Instead, the pop star's brother Austin Swift served as Taylor's man of honor and Travis Kelsey's brother Jason was his best man. The pair chose Christian Dior to design their outfits, marking the first time the fashion house has created a couture wedding dress for a world-renowned celebrity. The wedding celebrations are expected to last well into the early morning here in New York. At the football World Cup, reigning champions Argentina have beaten the tournament's surprise team Cape Verde 3-2, but they needed extra time to do it. They'll play Egypt next, who beat Australia on penalties 4-2. Celebrations broke out in Egypt and the pyramids were lit up in red. In France, the classic sport of pétanque is in turmoil after four of the country's top players were ordered to stand trial for match fixing. It's alleged they deliberately lost a championship game to an obscure local club to help a betting syndicate. An investigation by prosecutors in Toulon resulted in nine arrests. BBC News. |