The Zyphra

President Zelensky will also meet more than 200 Ukrainian military personnel who have spent the last three weeks taking part in a maritime exercise in the UK

Andy Burnham has pledged to continue the UK's "unwavering" support for Ukraine ahead of a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday.

Zelensky will become the prime minister's first international visitor since he took office a week ago, which No 10 said "illustrates the strength of the relationship between the two nations".

They will visit a naval base, where Burnham will announce the sharing of the intellectual property behind the UK's new "Stone Cloak" electronic warfare system, enabling Ukraine to produce the technology at scale.

The prime minister said: "Britain stands with Ukrain, shoulder to shoulder, and our support remains unwavering. Russia should be in no doubt of our resolve, and we will not back down until we achieve long lasting and just peace for Ukraine."

He added: "Stone Cloak is the best of homegrown British innovation and proven on the frontline, and it will be vital to protecting our security in both our countries."

The electronic jammers are the size of a tablet computer, and are designed to block the detection of any drones it is fitted to.

The Ministry of Defence has already given thousands of the devices to Ukrainian forces to bolster their drone operations.

Downing Street said that following its deployment in Ukraine, the technology will be built into the UK's next generation of long-range weapons.

It said this would include Project Brakestop, a government programme to develop low-cost cruise missiles - self-propelled guided weapons which fly like normal aircraft for much of their flight.

During Monday's visit, the two leaders will also meet more than 200 Ukrainian military personnel who have spent the last three weeks taking part in a maritime exercise in the UK.

Exercise Sea Breeze is aimed at strengthening warfighting capabilities and counter-mine measures in the Black Sea.

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Watch: Starmer given Order of Freedom medal in final Ukraine trip as PM

Britain's backing of Ukraine has been constant since Russia's invasion four years ago, and the UK has committed £25bn in funding, external for the country's war fight.

In one of his first calls after becoming prime minister last Monday, Burnham spoke to Zelensky and invited him to visit the UK "at the earliest opportunity".

In a post on X shortly afterwards, Zelensky said: "I truly appreciate that the support for Ukraine and our people will remain steadfast."

Burnham's predecessor, Sir Keir Starmer, visited Kyiv on his final full day as Labour leader.

During that trip he announced fresh funding worth £255m (300m Euro) for Ukraine's fight against Russia, and was awarded Ukraine's Order of Freedom.

Asked if he was concerned about changes of leadership in Britain, and in France next year, Zelensky said: "Of course I'm afraid of changes, of course we are afraid because we are in the war each day.

"But again the priority is the relation between nations, not just between just people. I'm sure that these relations will not change, or we have to do our best not to lose such very good relations."

He added: "I hope we will never lose strong relations with the UK during or after the war." Sir Keir replied: "You won't."

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Police at an allotment in the Spandau borough in Berlin's west on Sunday

The man suspected of carrying out what authorities say was likely an "Islamist terror attack" at Berlin Pride has been shot and killed by police.

Officers opened fire when Abdul Ballout, a 21-year-old German citizen with Lebanese heritage, rushed at them with a knife in Spandau, a western borough of Berlin.

It brought an end to a massive manhunt that was launched after a white van was driven into a crowd of people near Tiergarten park just before 22:00 (local time) on Saturday evening, killing one woman and injuring at least 29 others.

Police say following the ramming, several people were injured in a stabbing attack.

Investigators at the scene in Tiergarten park on Sunday

Speaking to reporters on Sunday, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said evidence pointed to it being an "Islamist terror attack".

"We are dealing with a suspected perpetrator, who had previously drawn attention to himself through a high volume of criminal offences, radicalisation and affiliation with the Islamist scene," Dobrindt said.

A statement released by the Berlin public prosecutor's office revealed further details about Ballout's criminal history.

In May 2025, prosecutors said he travelled via Turkey to Lebanon, with the intention of joining the Islamic State group (IS) in Syria. While in Lebanon he allegedly made contact with several individuals he believed were members of IS.

He was arrested in Lebanon in July 2025 and sentenced to three months in prison for incitement to religious and sectarian conflict.

Then in November 2025 he returned to Germany where he was arrested at Berlin Brandenburg Airport and held in pre-trial detention.

In May this year, he was sentenced to one year and 10 months in prison for "preparing a serious act of violence endangering the state". The decision was deferred for six months and he was placed under the supervision of a parole officer.

He was previously convicted of assault and robbery in 2022, and of robbing a victim of headphones in 2020.

Abdul Ballout was shot and killed in a police operation on Sunday afternoon

Dobrindt said Germany's threat level would be raised following the attack, while other states were also being briefed about the attack and advised to review their security measures for major events.

On Sunday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited the scene of the attack in Tiergarten park.

He later spoke outside a church service that paid tribute to victims, where he pledged to "defend the freedom and openness of our lives".

"These extremists have no place in our society," he said, adding that Germany would not allow the "poison of terrorism" to affect its society.

Berlin police have said people were hit on Ahornsteig street, which is a long path stretching across the Tiergarten park, largely in a forested area.

Meanwhile, German media say those injured in the attack are no longer in a life-threatening condition.

Saturday's attack shattered the joy and revelry of Berlin's Christopher Street Day, where hundreds of thousands spill onto the city streets for one of Europe's most famous Pride events.

Christopher Street Day commemorates the first known uprising among the LGBT community in New York City in 1969 at the Stonewall Inn, which is located on Christopher Street.

A clean-up event due to take place at Tiergarten park and a breakfast market scheduled for Sunday morning were both cancelled following the attack.

Later in the day, some members of the LGBT community returned to the iconic Brandenburg Gate for an impromptu vigil.

Speakers condemned extremism in all its manifestations, but they also criticised the government for a lack of support, singling out recent budget cuts for queer organisations.

Armin Duenhoelter from Wolfsburg, who works as a drag artist, was backstage at the main stage when the attack happened.

He told Agency France-Presse that he was still shocked but vowed to be back for next year's pride celebration.

"We won't let it beat us down," he said.

Mourners gather near the Brandenburg Gate on Sunday

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Berlin Pride van ramming likely an 'Islamist terror attack' carried out by German citizen, official says

Watch: At the scene of Berlin Pride attack as manhunt continues

A mosque in the village of Qusra was reportedly targeted by settlers overnight

Israeli settlers have set fire to two mosques, as well as cars and agricultural land in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian officials say, as tensions in the territory continue to flare.

The latest attacks come two days after a clash between settlers and Palestinians near the village of Tal, which left four Palestinians and two Israelis dead.

Both sides accused the other of provoking the violence.

The confrontation has further inflamed the situation in the West Bank, which has seen ever growing violence by extremist settlers against Palestinians, encouraged by far-right elements in the current Israeli government.

Palestinian reports say that two villages in the occupied West Bank came under attack from settlers overnight - with cars vandalised, property stolen and hate graffiti spray painted on walls.

The mayor of Qusra said that settlers set fire to a mosque that was under construction.

Abdul Azim Wadi said that settlers spray painted graffiti that included the word, "revenge", on the walls of the mosque.

The Israeli military has said that troops were sent to Qusra and that police would investigate and collect evidence.

Palestinian officials say that in a separate incident, settlers set fire to another mosque in the village of Kour and sprayed slogans on its walls.

Since the deadly clash on Friday in Tal, Palestinians say that there have been multiple settler attacks on villages across the West Bank.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has carried out raids and arrested dozens of Palestinians in what it's called a "counter-terrorism" operation.

The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the incident in Tal by vowing to take "powerful action".

That includes the possible demolition of the homes of two of the Palestinians who were allegedly involved.

There's been a sharp increase in settler attacks in the West Bank in recent months.

It's drawn international condemnation, but has shown little or no sign of being reversed.

The situation had already deteriorated before the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.

But since the subsequent war waged by Israel against Hamas in Gaza erupted, settler violence in the West Bank has escalated.

The UN says 1,114 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, the vast majority by the IDF. It says at least 35 of the deaths have involved attacks by settlers.

It says 41 Israelis, including civilians and security personnel, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations in the West Bank since the start of the Gaza war.

Israel has built hundreds of settlements housing 700,000 Jews since it occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem - land Palestinians want, along with Gaza, for a hoped-for future state - during the 1967 Middle East war. An estimated 3.3 million Palestinians live alongside them. The settlements are illegal under international law.

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Israeli settlers target Palestinian villages in occupied West Bank, attacking people and properties

A further 55,000 people have been evacuated from six towns in France, as wildfires which have caused devastation across the country pick up pace.

The most recent evacuations took place in towns to the south of Bordeaux, in the Gironde region.

Wildfires have raged across Europe over the past week, primarily France and Spain, where more than 330,000 people have been evacuated.

France has been worst-affected, with an area of 42,000 hectares burnt, making it one of the largest forest fires since World War Two. About 98,000 hectares have burnt across the country since the start of the year.

Captain Nicolas Braz, one of the leaders of the firefighting operation, said the fire had created "its own winds - complete with whirlwinds", adding it was "erratic and unmanageable".

France's Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said on Sunday the situation in the region remained "very unfavourable" and the wildfire was "moving erratically towards the Bordeaux metropolitan area".

Dry vegetation and brisk winds are causing the fire to spread, with 60km (37 miles) of the A63 motorway, which leads to Spain, having been closed.

In an interview published on Sunday by La Tribune, Nunez said it "will take a long time to bring under control" and until it is contained "there will be no return" for evacuated residents and tourists.

France has mobilised its military to help with the response and extra reinforcements from the army have been sent to help firefighters by clearing brush and creating fire breaks.

President Emmanuel Macron said France would "rebuild" and his government would "be there for as long as is needed".

Meanwhile in Spain, fires continue to spread, with more than 90,000 evacuated from the regions around Madrid and Ávila.

Late on Saturday, at least eight municipalities near Toledo were also ordered to evacuate, though it was unclear how many people were involved.

Sunday is expected to bring high temperatures and low humidity, potentially allowing the fire to spread further.

Madrid's regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso described the situation as the "worst fire in the history of the region".

Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez admitted there were "complex times ahead". Meanwhile, authorities in València confirmed the death of a man in a fire.

Are you in an affected region? If it’s safe to do so, get in touch.

Tourists tell BBC how their holiday turned into race to escape fires

'Upheaval' - French wildfire evacuations in the middle of the night

One woman has been killed and 16 others injured after a car was driven into a crowd at a Berlin Pride event on Saturday night.

Police have launched an intensive manhunt for the suspect in the German capital, who is still thought to be at large.

Here is what we know so far.

Follow live updates

The attack happened at about 22:00 local time (20:00 GMT), with a report made to police in Berlin that a white vehicle struck crowds at a Pride event in the capital.

Hundreds of thousands of people had gathered at Tiergarten park, near the iconic Brandenburg Gate, for the annual event, which is known as Christopher Street Day.

Some people were also stabbed in the incident.

Shortly afterwards, the Pride event was cancelled.

A performance was abruptly brought to a end, with organisers taking to the stage and advising the crowd that the event was over and to start walking towards the exits.

As the message was being given to the crowd, the word 'Evacuation' projected onto a large screen on the stage.

Unverified video posted to social media showed large crowds of people leaving the scene as emergency vehicles raced to the scene.

At about 01:00 local time, police confirmed that one woman had been killed and 16 others had suffered injuries.

A short time later police confirmed they had located the vehicle believed to have been used in the attack, with it having crashed into a tree.

At about 03:30, police said on X they had identified a suspect with Islamist links. No arrest has been made or motive suggested.

The search area was widened to the entire city as thousands of police, including officers from surrounding German states, joined the search.

The suspect has been named by police as 21-year-old Abdul B.

His surname is not being used due to German law, which prohibits naming suspects at this stage.

Police have said the suspect is known for having connections to Islamist circles, and is believed to be connected to the vehicle found abandoned in the park.

While his image has been released and a manhunt is under way, police have also said that one or more people may have fled the vehicle used - meaning there could be additional suspects.

The police statement adds that several people are reported to have been injured with stabbing weapons in the attack, and that one or more people are believed to have fled the vehicle.

Police have called on members of the public to come forward with information, but have been warned not to engage with the suspect, who is believed to be armed and dangerous.

At the time of the attack, Abdul B is believed to have been wearing a black hooded top and white trousers.

The attack took place in the popular Tiergarten park, near the Brandenberg Gate.

A large number of people and floats took part in the Christopher Street Day event, which passed through the city, before moving through Tiergarten park, past the Victory Column monument, and towards the Brandenberg Gate.

Berlin Police have said people were hit on Ahornsteig, which is a long path stretching across the park, largely in a forested area.

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The injured are being treated at the scene, police say

Several people have been injured at a Berlin Pride event, police say, after reports that a vehicle drove into a crowd in the city centre.

An intensive manhunt is currently under way, police say, as they urged people to avoid the area.

The injured are being treated by emergency services near Tiergarten park, where the incident took place, police added.

The annual pride event, Christopher Street Day, has been cancelled.

"We believe that a vehicle entered the Tiergarten park and hit several people and injured them," police posted on social media.

Images show a large emergency services presence at the scene, with one person seen entering an ambulance on a stretcher.

It is not yet clear how many people have been injured in the incident.

A number of police officers as well as rescue units from the fire department have been deployed to the area.

Earlier on Saturday, huge crowds took part in a parade throughout the city, which ended near the park for a series of events in the evening.

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Watch: Protesters celebrate India's education minister resignation

India's Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has called off its five-week-long protest, hours after Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned.

The CJP has called it a win for democracy and thousands of jubilant supporters continue to celebrate at Jantar Mantar, the main protest venue in Delhi.

An online satirical campaign with an AI-generated cockroach as its mascot, the CJP is not a real party but has evolved into a powerful platform for young people's anxieties and dissent.

The protest has been the most visible expression of public anger against PM Narendra Modi's government in recent years and gained momentum after Monday's police crackdown on people marching to parliament left dozens injured.

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke has called Pradhan's resignation a win for democracy

Pradhan announced his resignation on X in a post in Hindi saying he "respected the aspirations, dreams, and expectations of the youth" and was "pained by the events" of the past few days.

"Considering the situation at Jantar Mantar and across the country - with the aim of preventing anti-national forces from exploiting it, preserving national unity, ensuring that not a single Indian student's future gets entangled in legal complexities, and allowing our children to devote their time to studies and focus on building their careers - I have submitted my resignation to the prime minister," he wrote.

As news of Pradhan's resignation broke, a visibly emotional Abhijeet Dipke, CJP's founder, screamed from the makeshift stage at Jantar Mantar: "We have done it."

A loud cheer went up and huge celebrations erupted with the protesters singing, dancing, shouting slogans and handing out sweets.

Several hours since the CJP announced the end of their protest and its leaders left the site, crowds were still gathered at the venue into the night.

Many told the BBC they had waited for this day for weeks, and were not in the mood to leave without celebrating.

The site is increasingly looking like the centre of a party, with volunteers doing their best to manage the crowds. A large number of police are deployed around the area, but they say they will intervene only if they see breaches of the law.

Dharmendra Pradhan announced his resignation on X in a post in Hindi

The CJP was formed after the chief justice of India described some unemployed young people turning to journalism and activism as "cockroaches". He later said he was referring specifically to people with "fake and bogus degrees", but by then, the term had taken a life on its own.

The movement is led by Abhijeet Dipke, a 30-year-old political communications strategist and former student at Boston University.

The CJP quickly gained a huge following online, turning one of the most reviled insects into a symbol of defiance and resilience with 26 million followers on Instagram.

It called for reforms to India's education system, greater accountability over exam paper leaks and the resignation of Pradhan.

The protests gained global attention after activist and educationist Sonam Wangchuk joined them on 28 June and began an indefinite hunger strike in support of their demands.

Many protesters were seriously hurt in Monday's police crackdown

As his health deteriorated, the crowds began to swell and Wangchuk was forcibly removed from the protest site by the police last Saturday and taken to hospital where he continued to fast. He finally called it off early Friday morning following assurances from the government that his demands would be looked into.

Over the course of the protest, most of India's major opposition political parties, activists and many celebrities turned up to show solidarity.

On the ground at the protest sites, many of the posters and slogans were directed at Modi.

The BBC met several people who said they had once supported the prime minister but had now turned against him.

"I used to support him when he used to do good things, but slowly I am realised that he is only dividing people on the basis of religion, and he's not doing anything else," said Radhika.

On Saturday, opposition leaders welcomed Pradhan's resignation, with many calling it a victory for the youth-led movement.

Radhika told the BBC she no longer supports PM Modi

While the demand was for the resignation of the education minister, it is clear that the protests have dealt a severe blow to the prime minister's personal brand, and his aura of invincibility.

Since coming to power in 2014, Modi's government has rarely tolerated dissent and cracked down heavily on protests, which is why Pradhan's resignation is being seen as a big deal in India.

But this isn't the first time they have faced big protests - and it's not the first time they been forced into a climbdown either. Back in 2021, the government repealed agriculture laws after a year-long protest by farmers.

The students' protest has resonated with a large section of middle-class India, cutting across identities of religion, caste or sectors, with people voicing anger about the lack of educational opportunities and jobs in India.

Pressure grew on the government after Monday's violent crackdown when police and paramilitary forces used batons and wooden sticks to beat up young men and women, firing tear gas cans at them.

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke speaks at a demonstration in Delhi on Saturday

About 300 people were taken to hospital. Police said at least half of the injured were security personnel and also arrested about 70 protesters - most of them have since been released on bail.

After ignoring the protesters for nearly five weeks, Modi finally broke his silence on Thursday to say they had "decided to set up fast-track courts to ensure swift and stringent punishment for those involved in paper leaks".

And later that night, Modi posted a video message saying that a tough new law on examination paper leaks was being prepared. He said he had received a draft of the law, which they wanted to introduce soon in parliament.

Thousands of posts mocking Modi have flooded social media. The prime minister's videos, intended to quell anger, have been turned into jokes and memes.

Following Pradhan's resignation, the CJP founder Dipke said in a statement on X that the fight was not over yet.

He said they would continue to fight for the families of students who died by suicide after a key medical exam was cancelled to ensure they received compensation.

He also renewed his calls for action against police officers he accused of using excessive force against protesters on 20 July on CJP supporters who tried to march to Parliament.

"Remember, do not mess with [the] cockroach," he added.

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Firefighters battle flames in Lège-Cap-Ferret, south-western France

Firefighters are struggling to contain wildfires in south-west France as strong winds push flames towards the city of Bordeaux, with one official saying they "are far from having the fire under control."

More than 250,000 people in France and Spain have fled fires which have been raging for days, as winds and high temperatures hamper efforts to contain them. Overnight, seven towns west of Bordeaux were told to evacuate residents.

In Spain, where a state of emergency has been declared, a change in weather conditions has helped firefighters outside Madrid.

Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez admitted there are "complex times ahead". Meanwhile, authorities in València confirmed the death of a man in a fire.

The man, believed to be in his 70s, was found dead in his car by firefighters as they extinguished a fire in the Salt de l'Aigua ravine in Manises, according to local media reports.

In France, around 200,000 people have been evacuated in south-western regions of Gironde and Landes regions.

France has mobilised its military to help with the response and extra reinforcements from the army have been sent to help firefighters by clearing brush and creating fire breaks.

As of Saturday morning, the wildfire was around 40km to 50km (25 to 30 miles) away from Bordeaux. Still, the wind was blowing smoke towards the city and people reported an acrid smell in the air.

One tourist who fled an approaching wildfire near Bordeaux with his family described the scale of the blaze as "frightening".

Spencer Randall told the BBC his family evacuated in the early hours of Saturday to an area 100 miles east, but they can "still smell the wildfires from here".

"It's quite strong winds fanning the flames, just terrifying," he said.

Shelters have been set up across the region to house evacuees

A British couple holidaying in Bordeaux said they noticed the flames get worse on Friday night, as the fire approached.

"At about seven o'clock you could smell smoke. We thought someone was having a barbecue," Maisie told BBC Newsbeat from their holiday rental.

Her partner, Caleb, said the ash has now covered the pool in the house and turned their feet black when walking outside.

The smoke "really hits your lungs right away", they added.

Nearby, in Saint-Aubin-de-Médoc, residents evacuating said the situation was "stressful", with one local describing it a "disaster".

The final leg of the Tour de France, due to take place Sunday, has been shortened from 133km (83 miles) to 89km (55 miles) so that security forces can be redeployed to areas affected by wildfires, organisers and police have said.

French President Emmanuel Macron is set to have an emergency meeting with ministers as 30 or so fires rage across the country - a situation which the government said is totally unprecedented.

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Watch: Anxiety as locals forced to evacuate Saint-Aubin-de-Médoc

In Spain, fires continued near Madrid but the regional government said there had been some progress.

"The change in weather conditions - less wind, higher humidity and lower temperature - has greatly benefited the fight against the forest fires, which have advanced little and decreased in intensity," it wrote on X.

Speaking from Cenicientos, south-west of Madrid, Prime Minister Sánchez said: "Right now, we have a window of opportunity in order to tackle against the wildfires, protect and save lives and effectively try and control the fire."

"It's true that temperatures have dropped a little bit. But still the wind is making it difficult and there may be thunderstorms as well."

Since the wildfires broke out in Spain, nearly 60,000 people have been evacuated from the Madrid and Ávila regions, while more than 28,000 remain confined to their homes, according to Spain's Interior Ministry.

Madrid's regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso described the situation as the "worst fire in the history of the region".

Sánchez said 130,000 hectares of land had been burned in Spain so far this year, ahead of an annual average of 100,000 hectares for the country over the last decade.

A helicopter dumps water as firefighters collect water from a pool in El Tiemblo, outside Madrid

France's Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said 98,000 hectares have burned across the country since the beginning of 2026.

Meanwhile in Italy, more than 350 fires - including 10 major blazes - broke out on the island of Sicily, the head of the Sicilian Civil Protection said on Wednesday, prompting evacuations.

A major incident was also declared by emergency services in Scotland on Friday evening as they continue to tackle a wildfire in the Cairngorms National Park that has been burning for 10 days.

Hadja Lahbib, the EU's commissioner for crisis management, said it is likely that the damage from wildfires in Europe will surpass previous records.

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Watch: Flames reach evacuated town outside Madrid

She said fires had started earlier in the year when, in April, the Netherlands activated the EU's civil protection mechanism which triggers support and reinforcements from other countries.

Lahbib told the BBC: "Last year, one million hectares burned during the summer and so we are expecting to face another historical, sad record because the season has started earlier in the year."

She also warned that more outbreaks are likely as the summer goes on.

"Forecasters are predicting, unfortunately, another heatwave so we can expect other wildfires," Lahbib added.

France has activated the civil protection mechanism and will receive water bombers, comprising three Canadairs planes from Croatia and two Air Tractors from Portugal, as well as Black Hawk helicopters from the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and 40 members of a Romanian forest fire team.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said 11 planes and helicopters have also been sent to France and Spain from the EU's firefighting fleet.

Additional reporting by Mary Litchfield, BBC Your Voice and Srosh Khan, BBC Newsbeat

Tourists tell BBC how their holiday turned into race to escape fires

'Upheaval' - French wildfire evacuations in the middle of the night

More than 220,000 evacuated in France and Spain due to wildfires

There have been protests in recent days in support of the Houthi-imposed naval blockade in the Yemeni capital of Sana'a

The Iranian-backed Houthis have claimed a missile attack on Saudi Arabia, after Riyadh launched strikes on targets linked to the group on Friday.

Early on Saturday, the Houthis' Ansarollah media said on Telegram that a "Yemeni missile strike" had caused fires in the Saudi city of Jizan. Saudi authorities had issued emergency alerts for the province.

The group had vowed retaliation after Saudi Arabia launched air strikes on Houthi targets in the Yemeni port city of Hodeida and a nearby island on Friday.

It came as there were no overnight reports of air strikes in the wider region by the US or Iran for the first time in two weeks.

The US military did not announce fresh strikes on Iran on Saturday, having carried out 13 consecutive nights of attacks on the country. During this time, Iran has also launched drone strikes on US military facilities and bases across the Middle East.

Earlier, a delegation from Oman arrived in Iran's capital Tehran for talks on the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported. Oman controls the strait's southern coastline.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Friday afternoon, Trump continued to threaten further attacks while saying that negotiations were continuing.

"We are talking to them. I think they're being serious. I think ... they are being by far the most serious that we've seen them, but that doesn't mean we get there," he said.

Asked about his exit strategy for the Iran war, Trump said: "There's a military exit where we just keep going just the way we are, and we can even make it a heavier dose, and it's knocking out everything they have. Or there's a smarter strategy that you make a deal."

But he added: "We're locked and loaded. We're ready to go."

In the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, the US military said it had fired on and disabled a tanker ship in the Gulf of Oman that was attempting to evade the American blockade on Iranian ports.

The vessel attacked by the US is the second commercial ship the US has disabled since it reimposed its blockade earlier this month.

"We disabled the tanker after the crew attempted to run the blockade at least four times prior," Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, spokesman for US Central Command, told AFP.

"The crew was repeatedly warned, didn't comply, and US forces on scene disabled the ship after firing into its engine room," he said. "The ship is no longer transiting to Iran."

Growing concern over new threats to shipping in the Red Sea from Yemen's Houthis helped push the price of crude oil back over $100 (£74.96) a barrel this week - the highest level since May.

But it dropped again on Friday afternoon, with Brent futures down more than US$4 (£3.00) to a little over $96 (£72.07), according to the Reuters news agency, which reported the fall occurred after the successful passage through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait by two Chinese-chartered supertankers.

Following the exchange of fire early on Saturday, the Houthis' Ansarollah media posted on Telegram, "The Saudi enemy's targeting of civilian facilities in Hodeida and Kamaran island constitutes a dangerous escalation," adding: "We affirm that these recent crimes will not go unanswered."

Saudi authorities did not immediately respond.

The US and UK are set to hold a conference in London next week to discuss the Strait of Hormuz, the BBC understands. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine will attend the conference, which was first reported by Axios.

It comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet the US president at the White House on Tuesday.

In June, the US and Iran agreed on a 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to halt military operations and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as well as to reach an agreement to end the war over the following 60 days.

But three weeks after it was signed, Trump declared the ceasefire "over" after Iranian attacks on ships in the strait, and US strikes in response.

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Watch: 'The show must go on' says Trump at second White House correspondents dinner

US President Donald Trump has taken swipes at the media at the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) dinner, a night that celebrated press freedom after the first event was cancelled by a shooting three months ago.

The president sat as reporters from outlets he has sparred with and even sued, including the New York Times, CNN and the Wall Street Journal, came up to be honoured with awards.

The outgoing WHCA head said she would "refuse to let an act of violence have the final word", referring to the gunman tackled at the first dinner in April.

But the tone shifted as Trump aimed barbs at the "fake news" and accused many journalists in the room of having "Trump Derangement Syndrome".

In her remarks, WHCA President Weijia Jiang of CBS News said the event would return to the scene of the April shooting, the Washington Hilton, next year.

The officer shot at the scene, officer Victor Gonzalez of the US Secret Service, was given an award by Trump for his actions on the night of the shooting.

Trump stood and shook hands with award winners, including a Wall Street Journal team who was given an award for coverage of Trump's links to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Ahead of the event, many in the White House press corps theorised that Trump - who often criticises many of the reporters seated just metres away in the room - would deliver a stern rebuke of the media.

Trump laughs at the dinner, alongside WHCA President Weijia Jiang

In his remarks, Trump was at times cordial and conciliatory, saying "the second time is always better", joking and praising the media - saying he respects "most of them".

"As I said three months ago, the show must go on," Trump said.

But there were also some pointed insults directed at several journalists, some of whom were in the room. The harsher tone and personal attacks extended to Democratic politicians and celebrities as his hour-long speech took aim at some familiar targets.

The US president also called on Americans to respect freedom of speech.

"We settle our differences not with bullets, but with open and vigorous debate," Trump said. "And no deranged loser with a gun will ever change that. We can't let that ever happen."

Trump appeared to be in a good mood throughout the event, jokingly telling the media that "sometimes I really do think that some of you don't like me".

"This place [the dinner] is really the largest group of 'Trump derangement syndrome' people ever put together at one time," he said. "I suspect some of you are lucky that our last dinner was cut short...I was going to go after you."

The president joked the news industry would "be broke" after he is no longer in office because "there's not going to be anybody to report on", before putting on a Trump 2028 hat and saying he would run for another term.

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Watch: Trump reattempts press dinner after April gunfire interruption

The gala dinner came as relations between the White House and the media remain fraught.

Last week, Trump threatened to revoke the licences of several US networks which did not carry his primetime speech about election security.

The event was considerably scaled down from the first correspondents' dinner, with about 700 people in attendance, compared with more than 2,000 in April.

Security was also tighter. Several blocks around the hotel were blocked off, with a heavy presence of police and national guard. Guests were screened twice, with QR codes and IDs, and were given wristbands.

At one point, visitors were prompted to walk in a single file line past two Secret Service officers holding rifles.

The suspect of the shooting in April, identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, has been charged with attempting to assassinate the president of the United States.

He was tackled by agents just short of a staircase which leads down to a ballroom where the dinner was getting underway.

Others in attendance on Saturday night included Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, FBI Director Kash Patel, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

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