Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Wilman.
Large crowds gathered in Tehran Saturday for the start of what will be six days of morning
for former leader Ayatola Ali Hamanai. The Supreme Leader was 86 years old.
“He and four of his family members were killed in February during U.S. and Israeli air strikes”
on Iran. And Paris Hadil Al-Shanti watched the ceremonies from Istanbul. From Iranian state media, we saw massive crowds at the Imam Hamanai Grand Musa Allah, which is a large prayer complex. People were viewing the casket of Ayatola Ali Hamanai, which was draped with the Iranian flag
as were the casket of his four family members who were killed. Men and women were black. They wept recitations from the Quran and mournful prayers echoed throughout the massive space.
Men beat their chests in Unison, which is a tradition in Shia Funerals.
There were also chance of death to America, death to Israel. Some people carried signs that said, "Kill Trump." In PRS, they'll shalt be reporting from Istanbul. Ukraine launched another wave of drones against Russia overnight. The attacks came as Moscow and Kiev offered competing claims over whose forces held a
“key Eastern Ukrainian city, and Paris Charles Mains reports.”
The governor of Russia's former Imperial capital, St. Petersburg, said city air defenses had fended off a large scale Ukrainian drone attack, even as you reported damage to the city's main oil terminal and a nearby port. This is defense ministry said Ukraine fired nearly 400 drones into some 18 regions of Russia and it's occupied territories in all.
Meanwhile on the front lines, Russia's top brass and foreign president Vladimir Putin, its troops at seas the Eastern Ukrainian city of Constantine of Cup, and outpost long sought by the Kremlin and its quest to take the entirety of Ukraine's Eastern Donbass region. Yet Zelensky later called that claim, a Russian lie, and said Ukrainian forces remain in the city.
As hot and dry conditions persist in the western US, many large wildfires are burning uncontrolled across Colorado, including one outside of Pueblo that's destroyed more than 150 structures. And in Grand Junction, the public memorial will be held Sunday for three firefighters who were killed last weekend.
“Colorado Public Radio's St. Seig reports.”
Emily Barker, Nick Hutcherson, and Sydney Watson will be remembered in an outdoor public memorial, under skies still smoky from wildfires burning across the region. Governor Jared Polis has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff. The firefighters died near the Utah border after deploying their fire shelters, while fighting what would eventually be known as the Snyder fire.
A blaze that crews have no almost completely contained. Several other large wildfires are burning within a few hours of where they died, including one that's forced evacuations outside the mountain town of Yure. For impair news, I'm Steena Sieg, in Grand Junction, Colorado. And you're listening to NPR news.
Three people died in Wisconsin after a boat capsized on the lake during a storm seven others were rescued. Police have now opened an investigation into that accident. Officials say there were many injuries in Wisconsin's Walworth County as the storm knocked down trees and power lines and damaged buildings.
The teenagers have the chance to participate in the National Athletic Competition as part of the Trump Administration's Freedom 250 celebrations. The competition is being called the Patriot Games. For member station KJZZ and Phoenix Cameron Sanchez reports. The Trump Administration announced the Patriot Games in December of last year and said
"One young man and one young woman from each state will get to compete at the Capitol." The announcement was met with some pushback with many Americans noting that it sounds similar to the plot of the dystopian young adult series The Hunger Games. Freedom 250 confirmed on June 29, the games are still on. The chosen athletes selected from 14 to 17 year old applicants will compete next month
in Washington, DC. In what an email from Freedom 250 describes as "high intensity, physical and mental challenges." The winners, one male and one female, are being offered a share of a $250,000 scholarship pool. Applications are due on July 10th.
For NPR News, I'm Cameron Sanchez and Phoenix, Killingham and Bobby scored his 19th career World Cup goal as France beat Paraguay 1, NIL in the round of 16 Saturday and Bobby converted a penalty kick in the 70th minute for that game's only score. In the day's other game, Morocco beat Candida 3, NIL and Houston, Morocco became the first African nation to make it into the quarter finals in 2022 now they've done it again.
I'm Dale Wilman, NPR News 250 years ago, the nation's founders considered a free press
a critical protection for we the people.
Today, the NPR network proudly upholds your first amendment rights with reporting accountable only to you. It's something we protect together. Join the people who power the NPR network by showing your support at plus.npr.org.
