(TOLEDO, Argentina) -- A 22-year-old pilot in Argentina was forced to land the plane she was training in after her instructor allegedly jumped midair to his death, investigators said. 

The unidentified student was taking lessons at the Flying Parrot Cordoba school and had taken off from Toledo on Saturday with her instructor, Leandro Bertazzo, a school official told ABC News.

During the lesson, Bertazzo allegedly jumped out of the plane after telling the student that she knew what to do, the student had told police, according to the school.

The student, who had a license but not enough flight hours, was able to land the Cessna 150 alone, according to investigators.

The student told the police that she could not believe that it happened and thought it was a joke, according to investigators.

The 42-year-old flight instructor's body was recovered later that day, investigators said. The school said he was with them since 2022.

The Federal Prosecutor's Office No. 2 of Córdoba said it would continue the investigation.

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(LONDON) -- Renewed fighting between the U.S. and Iran in the Middle East puts into question key elements of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) agreed by regional nations last month, a senior Qatari government official told ABC News on Thursday.

Majed al-Ansari, an adviser to Qatar's prime minister and the spokesperson for the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on the sidelines of the Chatham House think tank's 2026 conference in London that Doha is hoping that intense rounds of reciprocal strikes between the U.S. and Iran do "not kill off the memorandum of understanding altogether."

"But it does put into question a lot of other things that we have already agreed upon," he said.

The past 48 hours, Ansari said, have been "quite tense." He added that since the resumption of strikes, "We've seen again navigation through the Strait of Hormuz basically grind to a halt."

"We are urging all sides to exercise restraint and give some more time for the talks," Ansari said.

U.S. Central Command said it launched more than 170 strikes on Iranian targets over the past two days in response to alleged Iranian attacks on commercial shipping transiting the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week -- allegations that Tehran denied. One of the ships attacked was a Qatari liquid natural gas tanker, the Al-Rekayyat, Qatar said.

In response to the U.S. strikes, the Iranian military claimed to have launched attacks on U.S. military facilities in Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar.

The U.S. and Iran have traded several volleys of attacks since the MOU was signed on June 17.

Ansari denied the Iranian claim that it launched fresh attacks on Qatar on Thursday. "There haven't been any attacks in Qatar. The Iranian claims, they're claims. But our military was very much ready, immediately as the attacks began on the region," he said. "We had some pass overs, but nothing targeting us."

President Donald Trump on Wednesday suggested that the MOU was "over" following the reported Iranian attacks, dismissing leaders in Tehran as "scum" and threatening intensified military action.

Asked about those comments, Ansari said Doha and "all parties remain engaged in the talks."

"Yes, we're not at the place that we were hoping to be at this time in the chronology of where we wanted the talks to go. But talks have not broken down," he said. "But, of course, any escalation on the ground derails the diplomatic work."

Qatar -- alongside Pakistan -- played a key role in forging the 14-point MOU agreed in June, under which the U.S. and Iran agreed to the reopening Strait of Hormuz and the end of the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports. 

The agreement also stipulated that fighting would stop for 60 days while the U.S. and Iran negotiated the terms of a final deal, which would cover issues including Iran's nuclear material.

Ansari said talks on that final deal are ongoing despite the escalating strikes and heated rhetoric from both Washington and Tehran.

"The easy answer is everybody's talking to everybody," he said when asked what was happening behind the scenes, noting that work is ongoing on all three separate tracks -- one regarding the Strait of Hormuz, one regarding Iran's nuclear program and the third regarding the sanctions on Iran and frozen Iranian assets.

"Our focus is on that diplomatic resolution right now," Ansari added. "The focus has to be on the diplomatic track working, the talks succeeding and on the end of war to pave the way for sustainable peace in our region, and not for it just to be lulls between attacks."

"No country, however strong that country is when it comes to its military, is able to withstand an unending military conflict in a small region like ours," Ansari said.

Nonetheless, he said Qatar's armed forces are prepared for renewed conflict. "We have taken all the contingencies in respect of what might happen in the region," Ansari said. 

Qatar, he added, has "not taken part in any attacks against Iran or any other of our neighboring countries." When asked if Doha would be willing to do so, Ansari replied, "We reserve the right to retaliate."

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(NEW YORK) -- El Nino conditions continue to intensify and are likely to be a strong event in the coming months, significantly influencing our weather, the hurricane season and global temperatures, according to the latest forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

There is very high confidence that El Nino will continue through early spring 2027.

NOAA's latest forecast calls for a strong El Nino to develop by the fall, with an 81% chance of a very strong El Nino between October and December, which could also end up being one of the strongest events on record. Historical records go back to 1950.

Stronger El Nino events only make certain impacts more likely and do not always guarantee strong impacts, NOAA noted.

El Nino refers to the warmer-than-average phase of the El Nino--Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a natural cycle where sea surface temperatures across the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean rise and fall. The cooler-than-average phase is called La Nina, while near-average conditions are known as ENSO-neutral.

NOAA ranks the strength of El Nino events by measuring the sea surface temperature departure from average (anomaly) across this region, classifying events as weak, moderate, strong or very strong.

"El Nino conditions are already underway and are forecast to strengthen rapidly into a strong event," WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said in a statement. "This will intensify the chances of drought and heavy rainfall and the risk of heatwaves on land and marine heatwaves in many regions of the world."

While adjectives such as "super" and "extreme" are popular ways of describing the strength of an El Nino event on social media, NOAA and the WMO classify by strength. The WMO noted in a recent statement that "the term [[super]] is not part of standardized operational classifications."

Typical El Nino impacts across the United States

Impacts from El Nino, similar to La Nina, tend to be most consistent and pronounced from late autumn through early spring following the event's onset, NOAA says. There is usually a delay between the onset of the event and many of the associated effects.

"The more consistent impacts on precipitation and temperature don't occur until the winter months -- so for 2026-27," Michelle L'Heureux, physical scientist at NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, said.

Experts caution that the impacts on weather patterns are nuanced. Each season is different, and typical El Nino conditions don't always materialize.

"Every El Nino is different in terms of timing, magnitude, and geographic extent, and such differences lead to variability in the impacts -- on temperatures and rainfall, for example -- on a global scale," Andrew Kruczkiewicz, senior staff researcher at Columbia Climate School, said.

Northeast: Warmer-than-average temperatures are favored across the northern half of the U.S. during meteorological winter (December to February), however its influence is less pronounced in the Northeast, compared to the Upper Midwest and Northwest.

El Nino typically increases the odds of above-average snowfall in the mid-Atlantic and coastal areas of the Northeast as storms often move up the coast. Farther inland, drier-than-average conditions and less snow are more likely.

South: During the winter months, near- to below-average temperatures are favored along the southern tier of the U.S., especially from Texas to the Southeast.

For precipitation, wetter-than-average conditions are typically observed across Texas, the Gulf Coast and Southeast. Below-average precipitation is frequently observed across parts of the south-central Mississippi Valley.

Midwest: Warmer-than-average temperatures are favored from the northern Plains into the Great Lakes in the winter. Drier-than-average conditions are frequently observed across parts of the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes regions.

El Nino typically increases the odds of above-average snowfall in the south-central Plains with below-average snowfall favored in northern Plains and Great Lakes regions.

West: During the winter months, warmer-than-average temperatures are likely across much of the Northwest. For precipitation, wetter-than-average conditions are typically observed across southern California and much of the Southwest, with below-average precipitation frequently observed across parts of the northern Rockies.

El Nino typically increases the odds of above-average snowfall in the southern Rockies, with below-average snowfall favored in the northern Rockies.

Meanwhile, above-average tropical activity in the eastern Pacific increases the likelihood of indirect impacts to the southwestern U.S., such as sending more rain to the region and more frequent flash flood concerns.

Alaska: El Nino impacts in Alaska tend to be more pronounced than across much of the contiguous U.S., with the strongest effects typically occurring during the winter and spring months. During winter, warmer- and drier-than-average conditions are more likely, with less snowfall and reduced snowpack.

Above average temperatures often persist into spring, while precipitation trends closer to average. However, warmer conditions typically mean more precipitation falls as rain rather than snow, prolonging snow deficits.

Hawaii: Rainfall is typically above average across Hawaii the year an El Nino event develops before conditions become drier during the winter months and remain dry well into the following year. The shift toward drier weather can increase the likelihood of drought and elevate the risk of wildfires.

Meanwhile, above-average tropical activity in the eastern Pacific increases the risk of impacts from tropical systems across the Hawaiian Islands.

El Nino's influence on hurricane season activity

While El Nino is only one of several key factors that influence tropical activity, forecasts now indicate it will be a strong event during the peak of the hurricane season, making it the primary driver of activity in both the Atlantic and eastern Pacific in the coming months.

El Nino conditions often suppress tropical activity during the Atlantic hurricane season by producing unfavorable atmospheric winds. In the Eastern Pacific, the opposite occurs, with favorable conditions supporting above-average hurricane season activity.

As a result, NOAA's May 21 hurricane outlook is predicting below average tropical activity for the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season with above average activity likely in the eastern Pacific.

"El Nino increases convection (thunderstorms) across the eastern and central Pacific, which causes downstream wind shear over the Atlantic from strong upper-level winds," Andy Hazelton, an associate scientist at the University of Miami's Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, said.

Vertical wind shear, which refers to changes in wind speed and direction with height in the atmosphere, is often a primary factor in below-average hurricane season activity. Strong vertical wind shear can tear a developing tropical system apart or even prevent it from forming, NOAA says.

"The rising motion over the Pacific also leads to increased subsidence (sinking air) over the Atlantic, which suppresses thunderstorms and tropical cyclone development," Hazelton added.

Other factors, such as sea surface temperatures, also play an important role in tropical cyclone development and strength. Unseasonably warm ocean waters can partially offset the effects of unfavorable atmospheric winds, according to forecasters.

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(LONDON) -- One of the most brutal heat waves to impact Europe in the last 50 years broke temperature records in multiple countries, according to Copernicus, Europe's climate change service.

Western Europe, the region most affected by the heat wave during the second half of June, experienced its warmest June on record, the agency said.

The average land temperature in Europe in June 2026 was the second-highest on record, at 19.14 degrees Celsius, or 66.45 degrees Fahrenheit, according to Copernicus. This marks 1.78 degrees Celsius, or 3.2 degrees Fahrenheit, above the 1991 to 2020 average for the month.

Rising atmospheric and ocean temperatures "reflect a climate system continuing to accumulate heat" -- resulting in increasingly intense heatwaves, a persistently warm ocean and growing risks for people and ecosystems, Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, said in a statement.

"June 2026 underscored how profoundly the climate is changing," Burgess said. "Western Europe recorded its warmest June on record, and continued record warmth in the global ocean."

Many June and some all-time records for daily maximum temperature were broken in several countries, according to Copernicus.

Weather officials in the United Kingdom said temperatures on June 24 rose in some areas to 35.7 degrees Celsius, or about 96.2 degrees Fahrenheit, topping a June 1976 record of 35.6 C.

In France, the country's national heat index -- a daily average -- hit 30 degrees Celsius, or about 86 degrees Fahrenheit, on June 24 -- the highest-ever temperature recorded, according to weather officials at Meteo-France, the national weather service. High temperatures in Paris were in the triple digits in the days after.

The Louvre and the Eiffel Tower closed early several days in a row as a result of the high temperatures.

The high temperatures also impacted cities like Madrid and Rome, which hit the high 90s during the last week of June.

Reuters reported there were more than 5,000 excess deaths in Germany alone -- mostly residents 75 and older -- and another 4,700 deaths in France, Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands between June 20 and 28.

"Heat stress is often called the 'silent killer' – and European homes, workplaces and schools were not built for these temperatures," WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in an X post.

Overall, the planet experienced its second-warmest June globally, according to Copernicus.

In addition, much of Western Europe, including Italy, large parts of central and eastern Europe and the southern U.K., experienced drier-than-average conditions, associated with persistent high-pressure and heatwave conditions, according to Copernicus.

River flow was also below average across Europe, consistent with the widespread dry conditions, according to Copernicus. Large parts of France, much of central and eastern Europe and parts of northeastern Europe were especially impacted.

Globally, June 2026 was the second-warmest on record, with an average surface air temperature of 16.5 degrees Celsius, about 61.8 degrees Fahrenheit -- about .56 degrees Celsius, or about 1 degree Fahrenheit -- above the June average for 1991 to 2020.

Sea surface temperature at extrapolar oceans, or oceans outside the Arctic and Antarctic, was the highest on record for June at 20.86 degrees Celsius, or 69.5 degrees Fahrenheit, according to Copernicus.

Surface sea temperatures also remain "exceptionally high" across a large portion of the tropical Pacific, where El Nino conditions are present and forecast to strengthen in the coming months, the agency said.

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(NEW YORK) -- As hundreds of firefighters are battling wildfires that have ignited across France and other parts of western Europe, climate scientists released a report this week showing the region experienced its warmest June on record.

Sweltering temperatures in Western Europe in June, including a heat wave that broke records across several countries, are now extending into July, with a heat wave returning amidst multiple wildfires in France and other parts of Western Europe.

Last month's deadly western European heat wave occurred not only during the hottest June on record for Western Europe, but it was the second warmest globally, according to data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service, a European Union scientific Earth observation program.

"June 2026 underscored how profoundly the climate is changing. Western Europe recorded its warmest June on record, and continued record warmth in the global ocean," Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), said in the report.

She noted that the record-breaking heat reflects "a climate system continuing to accumulate heat."

"The result is increasingly intense heatwaves, a persistently warm ocean, and growing risks for people, ecosystems and infrastructure across Europe and beyond," Burgess said.

The report comes as wildfires have broken out in parts of Western Europe amid a severe drought.

Wildfires have broken out in Spain, Portugal and Greece.

The biggest wildfire in Western Europe is raging in the Pyrénées of France, prompting organizers of the famed Tour de France road cycling race, which started on Saturday in Barcelona, Spain, to ban spectators from lining the route in the mountainous region.

"The exceptionally large wildfire currently raging in the Pyrénées-Orientales is requiring a massive mobilization of wildfire-fighting resources, internal security forces, and all government agencies," race organizers said in a statement. "The top priority remains the protection of people, property, and natural areas, as well as bringing the fire under control."

Race organizers said only cyclists participating in the Tour de France and their supporting teams are authorized to travel the race route, which officials are trying to keep clear for emergency traffic.

The blaze in southwestern France near the Spanish border has burned 4,936 hectares, or a little over 12,000 acres, French officials said in a social media post on Wednesday.

At least 12,000 people had been evacuated from 27 municipalities across the Pyrénées-Orientales, although some have been allowed to return home as flames have subsided in some areas, authorities said.

The Pyrénées town of Vinça, which has a population of about 2,200, remained evacuated on Wednesday along with 11 other villages in the region.

Video from the region showed homes and vehicles burned, and huge swaths of forestland blackened. Firefighting aircraft were also filmed swooping down on burning areas, dropping fire retardant.

Earlier this week, the European Union announced it was sending such aircraft to France from Sweden and Cyprus.

About 450 firefighters are battling the fire in the Pyrénées from the ground and the air, but are struggling to gain control of the wildfire amid triple-digit temperatures in the area and wind gusts of up to 30 mph, officials said. Another 170 gendarmes, or law enforcement officers, have also been dispatched to the region to support the firefighting effort.

Firefighters appeared to make progress in battling the fire, reporting Wednesday that the conflagration did not expand overnight.

Temperatures in parts of southwestern France are forecast to reach 105 degrees on Wednesday, with temperatures climbing to 95 degrees and above across three-quarters of the country.

Most of the country is under an "elevated" fire alert.

High to very high fire danger warnings remained in effect on Wednesday in at least 54 departments -- or local regional areas, including the Pyrénées-Orientales department, officials said.

Before the current wildfire outbreak, the highest number of departments under high or very high fire danger warnings at the same time was 29 in 2025, authorities noted.

Officials and experts have noted the fire season has begun weeks earlier than usual in France amid the unseasonal extreme heat wave that hit Europe in June. The heat wave has returned this week.

Scientists have said the record temperatures are being pushed up by climate change.

A 22-year-old firefighter was killed while battling a blaze in the Savoie region in the French Alps on Tuesday night, French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said in a social media post on Wednesday.

Fire danger warnings have also been issued in the Rhône Valley in southeast France, and across the central and western regions of the country.

The danger is expected to remain at a high level through this week across most of the country, given the lack of rain, scorching temperature and low humidity, authorities said.

ABC News' Matthew Glasser contributed to this report.

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(VENEZUELA) -- The death toll in Venezuela has climbed to at least 3,685 in the wake of the two powerful earthquakes that devastated the country, Venezuelan lawmaker Jorge Rodriguez said.

The pair of earthquakes struck on June 24, knocking down buildings, sending residents fleeing for safety and trapping some survivors under the rubble for days. Thousands were injured and more than 26,000 people were impacted, including those who lost homes or saw serious damage to their homes, officials said.

Nine Americans are among the dead, State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said on Fox News on Tuesday.

John Barrett, Chargé d'Affaires of the American embassy in Caracas, said Tuesday that the U.S. was "assisting the Venezuelans in terms of storing and caring for the deceased remains that are being pulled out of the rubble."

"The government reports that they have accounted and identified the vast majority of bodies received, but they're continuing to go through that process, and as I understand it, are collecting DNA fingerprints, dental records from those bodies that they're in the process of still waiting to identify in coordination with family members," he said. 

Barrett said the four U.S. urban search and rescue teams sent to Venezuela have "completed their mission and returned home." 

"We are deeply grateful for their service. These highly skilled men and women helped save six lives and brought hope to countless families during Venezuela's darkest hours," he said. "The Department of State Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) remains on the ground, working alongside partners to deliver food, water, medical care, shelter, and other critical assistance to affected communities." 

Click here for information on how to help the victims.

ABC News' Will Gretsky and Shannon Kingston contributed to this report.

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(ANKARA and LONDON) -- President Donald Trump said on Wednesday morning that he believes that the interim agreement reached with Iran last month is "over," following an intense exchange of fire between the two sides on Tuesday into Wednesday morning.

Trump huddled with top advisers on Tuesday while attending the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, to discuss the U.S. response to several fresh attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz early this week, multiple people familiar with the discussions told ABC News.

The U.S., Qatar and Saudi Arabia attributed the attacks to Iranian forces, allegations denied by Tehran.

Speaking with reporters in Ankara on Wednesday during a press conference alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump said that negotiations between the U.S. and Iran will continue, but said of the agreement, "For me, I think it's over."

"I don't want to deal with them anymore. They're scum. You know what scum is? They're scum. They're sick people. They're led by sick people," Trump said of Iran's leadership in response to a question from ABC News.

"And they're vicious, violent people. And if they had a nuclear weapon, they'd use it. As far as I'm concerned, it's over," the president continued. "There's something wrong with them, they're cuckoo," Trump added.

The president did, however, suggest that U.S.-Iranian negotiations over a final peace deal could continue.

The 14-point MOU committed the signatories to the reopening Strait of Hormuz for commercial traffic, with the U.S. lifting its naval blockade of Iranian ports. Iran also committed not to pursue nuclear weapons -- a commitment Tehran has previously made -- while the U.S. agreed to allow Iranian oil sales and to begin work on a $300 million reconstruction fund for the country.

Under the MOU, fighting -- including between Israel and the Tehran-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon -- would stop for 60 days while the U.S. and Iran negotiate the terms of a final deal, which would cover issues including Iran's nuclear material.

"I'll speak to our negotiators. They want to negotiate. They're good people. Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, but they have to come back to me. As far as I'm concerned, it's just a waste of time dealing with them," Trump said on Wednesday.

"I'll let our wonderful negotiators keep talking if they want, but I don't see it," Trump said later in the press conference, adding that he did not care whether talks continued after funeral proceedings for slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei concluded.

When the MOU was signed last month, Trump said the deal "achieves everything we set out to accomplish, everything and much more." But key issues, including the status of Iran's nuclear program, remained unaddressed.

The White House has demanded an end to all Iranian enrichment of uranium, a proposal repeatedly rebuffed by Tehran, which says it needs to enrich uranium to power its civil nuclear power network.

On Wednesday, the president again said his administration would accomplish the "denuclearization of Iran."

"We're going to de-nuke it. We're not going to let them, because they're crazy, and they can't have a nuclear weapon," Trump said.

Intermittent exchanges of fire have continued between the U.S. and Iran despite the signing of the MOU in June.

Since Monday, U.S. Central Command said Iran had attacked three commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

CENTCOM said it then launched retaliatory strikes on more than 80 Iranian targets, including air defense systems, command and control networks, coastal radar sites, anti-ship missile capabilities and small boats.

The U.S. also revoked a license that authorized the sale of Iran oil under the MOU in response to the tanker attacks, with one U.S. official telling ABC News that the incidents were "wholly unacceptable."

Iran's military said on Wednesday that it responded to the renewed American strikes by attacking 85 U.S. military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain.

Trump on Wednesday lauded what he called the "powerful" U.S. strikes, adding, "We hit them very hard."

"I told them every time you hit, we hit, and of course they're dirty players, so they go after everyone, probably including me," the president continued, referring to alleged Iranian assassination plots in which Trump said he remains a target.

"They want to take out the U.S. leader -- me. I'm on every list. I saw things this morning, I'm on every single one of their lists, and so far I guess I've been a little bit lucky, but that maybe doesn't last very long, because that's the way it goes," Trump said.

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of the Iranian parliament who has been serving as Tehran's chief peace negotiator, said in a post to X early on Wednesday that the U.S. had violated the MOU with its latest strikes.

"The era of bullying and extortion is over. It leads nowhere. We don't fold," Ghalibaf wrote.

Oil prices spiked on Wednesday after Trump's comments, with U.S. oil trading at $74.62, up around 6%, and global oil at $78.70, up more than 6%. The price of global oil is still significantly down on a high of nearly $120 last month before the MOU was announced.

Traffic has been moving through the Strait of Hormuz in recent weeks, including through Tuesday despite the latest attacks on ships. Data from Kpler, a global energy analytics firm, showed more than 100 transits of ships through the Strait between July 5 and July 7, including 41 crossings on July 7.

ABC News' Rachel Scott, Karen Travers, Justine Fishel, Isabelle Murray, Sarah Kolinovsky and Zunaira Zaki contributed to this report.

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(ANKARA, Turkey) -- President Donald Trump on Wednesday appeared to grow increasingly frustrated with NATO allies for not supporting his war effort in Iran, targeting Spain in particular and calling for "all trade" to be cut off with that country.

"Spain is a wasted cause," Trump said at the NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkey, during an official greeting with Secretary General Mark Rutte. "We don't want to do any trade business with Spain anymore. By the way, I'd like you to cut it up. Scan, Spain is a terrible partner in NATO. They don't participate, they don't pay. I don't want anything to do with Spain. Cut off all trade with Spain, please, including visits."

The comments were the latest complaint from Trump against Spain, the only member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization that has not committed to defense spending equal to 5% of its GDP by 2030.

The U.S., because of its outsized military spending, indirectly contributes more to the NATO than any other country, Trump said last week. The U.S. is responsible for about 15% of NATO's direct funding, according to the bloc.

At last year's NATO summit at The Hague, allies agreed at Trump's prompting to target defense spending equal to 5% of each NATO member countries' GDP, up from the previous 2%. Spain was alone among the 32 member states in saying it wouldn't commit to the target.

Trump has previously threatened to end trade with Spain, including in March, when the Spanish foreign minister said at the time that they wouldn't allow the U.S. to use jointly operated bases in southern Spain for any strikes not covered by the U.N.'s charter.

"I don't want to do any more trade with them. All right, take it immediately," Trump said on Wednesday. "Don't even talk to them, they're hopeless, bad people, because you know they have everybody else going and paying and working in Spain, in particular Spain, there are a couple of others, but in particular Spain, they're open about it, they're hostile about it, and let's see how hostile they remain when they call up, and they 'please, please, we want to trade with you, sir, we want to trade with you, sir.' They make so much money with us, and we're going to see that they make a lot less. I want no business with them."

After Trump's comments, sources at Moncloa Palace, the Spanish prime minister's office, told Madrid's El Dario newspaper that Spain "maintains an excellent social, cultural, and economic relationship with the U.S., and it is not our intention for that to change."

Trump on Wednesday said "nobody," aside from the "small countries" wanted to help the U.S. in its war with Iran.

"There was calls made a few weeks ago," Trump said, claiming he spoke with the United Kingdom, Germany and France, among others. "Nobody wanted to help. Some of the very small countries wanted to help, because they're the most vulnerable. I mean, that's the only reason they wanted to help."

The leaders of the U.K., France and Germany did not immediately respond to Trump's statement on Wednesday. Each has repeatedly declined to involve their countries directly in the war, although each also has said Iran should not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons.

Trump spoke about his displeasure with NATO allies at large, saying that the U.S. has paid for allies to be protected against Russia but that safety has "nothing to do" with the U.S.

"They weren't there for us, and we've been there for them, " he said. "We spent over a trillion dollars over the last short period, trillion in order to protect these countries from Russia, and has nothing to do with us. We have a notion, but it's been a long-term thing, and they haven't treated us right."

Trump on Wednesday shook hands with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, a day after the president renewed his calls for the U.S. to take control of Greenland, which is an autonomous territory under Denmark.

Frederiksen pledged earlier in the summit to defend Greenland, saying, "Our position is clear as it has been all through. Greenland is, of course, not for sale."

Rutte later celebrated Trump's ability to get allies to pay a greater share for defense. Rutte appeared to remind the U.S. president that Spain was a part of the coalition that upped their spending.

"And you mentioned Spain, even you got Spain to pay 2% they spent, they made a huge step in last year, so there are still issues we have to solve, but hey, also, even Spain, I would say they got to the 2%," Rutte said.

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(LONDON) -- Ukraine launched more than 400 drones into Russia overnight in its latest wave of long-range strikes, according to authorities in Moscow, and as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed to expand such attacks as a means to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to end Moscow's full-scale invasion of its neighbor.

Russia's Defense Ministry said its forces downed at least 452 Ukrainian drones overnight. The craft, the ministry said on Telegram, were intercepted over 16 Russian regions -- including Moscow -- plus over Russian-occupied Crimea, as well as over both the Azov and Black seas.

At least 43 drones were downed while flying toward Moscow, the city's Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said in a series of posts to Telegram.

Russia's federal air transport agency, Rosaviatsiya, said in posts to Telegram that temporary flight restrictions were introduced at airports in Sochi, Krasnodar, Kaluga, Saratov, Penza, Nizhny Novgorod, Yaroslavl and Cheboksary.

All four of Moscow's international airports -- Vnukovo, Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky -- were also put under flight restrictions during the overnight attacks.

Zelenskyy said in posts to social media that Kyiv's long-range strike campaign into Russia -- the scale and intensity of which has been steadily increasing during the course of Moscow's full-scale invasion of its neighbor -- would evolve further.

"When our deep strikes were not reaching Moscow and St. Petersburg, Putin did not think much about it. He understood that the war was far from the Kremlin. Of course, once he feels what is happening in Moscow, he will begin to understand what is happening in the Kursk, Belgorod, and Bryansk regions. He'll begin to grasp the reality of the situation," Zelenskyy said, referring to Russian border regions which regularly come under Ukrainian attack.

"When not one hundred drones but a thousand start reaching Moscow, and when he feels it and sees it, he will be advised to move somewhere beyond the Urals. That will be a moment that opens a new chapter on the path toward ending the war. The farther Putin is from Moscow, the closer the end of the war and peace will be," Zelenskyy added.

The Ukrainian leader also suggested that Kyiv's expanding drone attacks would unsettle Russian elites, further undermining Putin's Kremlin.

"He fears for his life," Zelenskyy said of the Russian leader. "And then there are the elites. Where do the Russian elites live? Moscow and St. Petersburg -- the two major cities. Those places will be reached, because that is where they make the decisions to kill us."

"That is why deep strikes have had, and continue to have, a major impact. We must keep working on this," Zelenskyy wrote.

Russia continued its own long-range strike campaign into Ukraine on Monday night into Tuesday. Ukraine's air force said Russia launched 123 drones into the country in its latest wave, of which 108 drones were shot down or suppressed. Twelve drones impacted across 10 locations, the air force said.

Those attacks followed a series of missile and drone strikes on Ukraine on Sunday night and early on Monday morning, in which at least 22 people were killed in the capital Kyiv and in the surrounding region, according to Ukrainian officials.

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(LONDON) -- At least two explosions were reported in the Syrian capital of Damascus on Tuesday, Syrian state media said, as French President Emmanuel Macron was visiting the city to meet with the country's President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

The Syrian Arab News Agency said that the explosions occurred near the Ministry of Tourism building and that at least 18 people -- including four security personnel -- were injured.

Syrian authorities did not immediately comment on the report. The cause of the explosions was not immediately clear.

Writing on X after the explosions but without explicitly mentioning the blasts, Macron said, "Nothing can smother the aspiration of Syrian women and men to live in a fully sovereign, safe, pluralistic and united Syria. This morning I met Syria in all its diversity. I saw dignity, courage and determination. My visit continues."

Macron is the first major Western leader to visit Syria since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. Assad was forced to flee the country after government forces collapsed in the face of a surprise offensive launched by a coalition of rebel groups, led by Sharaa's Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

Macron arrived in Damascus on Monday. "I have come to express France's commitment to the Syrian people. For a sovereign Syria, united in its diversity and at peace with its neighbors. Together, let us open a new chapter of stability and peace," he wrote in a post to X.

Last week, a device exploded in a cafe near the Justice Palace in Damascus, killing at least 10 people and wounding 20.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

ABC News' Joe Simonetti contributed to this report.

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(LONDON) -- A large Russian drone and missile strike on Kyiv killed at least 18 people and injured dozens in the Ukrainian capital and surrounding region overnight, local officials said, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy again appealing to foreign partners to ramp up the delivery of key anti-missile ammunition.

The Ukrainian air force said in posts to Telegram that Russia launched 68 missiles -- among them 23 ballistic missiles -- and 351 drones into the country overnight.

The air force said that 37 missiles and 326 drones were shot down or otherwise suppressed, with impacts of 29 missiles and 18 drones reported across 34 locations.

The capital bore the brunt of Russia's latest overnight strike, officials said. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said in posts to Telegram that at least 12 people were killed and 46 people were injured, of which at least 26 were hospitalized.

A further six people were killed and 26 people injured across the wider Kyiv region, according to regional governor Mykola Kalashnyk.

Klitschko reported damage in the Obolonskyi, Holosiivskyi, Podilskyi and Darnytskyi districts of the capital. In Podilskyi and Darnytskyi, the mayor said that rescue teams were searching for additional victims under the rubble of destroyed residential buildings.

Zelenskyy said in posts to social media that Ukrainian forces defending against the "massive Russian attack" intercepted many drones and cruise missiles, but not the more advanced ballistic weapons.

"The reason for this is precisely the insufficient supply of interceptor missiles. It is very important that the world, especially America and our European partners, come out of the NATO summit in Ankara with strong decisions to support our defense of the sky, and hence, the protection of ordinary people's lives," Zelenskyy wrote.

"As long as the missiles for the Patriots remain in the warehouses of allies, this only encourages Russia to continue destroying residential buildings," the Ukrainian president added, referring to the American-made Patriot surface-to-air missile system which Kyiv often uses to intercept Russian missiles.

"The U.S. and Europe have enough power to stop this terror," he added.

Russia's Defense Ministry, meanwhile, described the overnight attack in a post to Telegram as "a massive strike with high-precision long-range weapons of land, air and sea-based systems, as well as with strike drones."

The ministry claimed to have targeted military-industrial and energy facilities in Kyiv, plus military airfield infrastructure.

The Defense Ministry also reported that its forces intercepted at least 625 Ukrainian drones overnight and into Monday.

Moscow was among the targets of the latest wave of Ukrainian long-range attacks, the city's Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said in posts to Telegram. The mayor said that at least 15 Ukrainian drones were shot down en route to the capital since midnight on Sunday.

ABC News' Natalia Popova, Natalia Kushnir and Tanya Stukalova contributed to this report.

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(LVIV, LONDON and NEW YORK) -- At least 20 people were killed and dozens of others were injured after Kyiv came under attack from a "massive" barrage of Russian ballistic missiles and drones overnight, Ukrainian officials said, describing multiple explosions across the capital.

Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv City Military Administration, published an updated death toll on his Telegram channel. The State Emergency Service of Ukraine said the attack's main target was Kyiv. More than 90 people had been injured across the country.

Kyiv's Mayor Vitali Klitschko described the attack as "massive." President President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said first responders in the capital were "clearing the rubble, searching for people, and providing assistance."

"Damage has been reported at more than 20 sites across the city, most of them ordinary residential buildings," Zelenskyy said. "There was also damage to an ambulance station, a research institute, a hotel, and businesses."

Moscow targeted Ukraine with more than 70 missiles, nearly half of which were ballistic, along with almost 500 drones in the overnight attack, Zelenskyy said.

Damage has been reported in every district in Kyiv. The worst hit was the Darnytskyi district, where part of a nine-floor apartment building collapsed, leaving people trapped inside, Klitschko. Search and rescue teams are still looking for those thought to be under the rubble, including a 15-year-old girl and her family.

Another air raid alert has been issued in Kyiv right now due to Russian drones.

In Holosiivskyi district, the roof of a multi-story residential building was on fire, Klitschko said. In the Shevchenkivskyi district, in the center of the capital, there was a fire on the roof of a hotel.

During the strikes, the mayor urged residents to stay in shelters. Klitschko said earlier that of the 34 people initially recorded as injured in the strikes, 32 were taken to the hospital; two others were treated on the spot.

The strikes targeting Kyiv came hours after the Ukrainian military struck a large Russian oil refinery in Ufa, and a military complex in the Penza region, Zelenskyy said. The night before, Ukraine also struck a satellite communications center in the Moscow region, Zelenskyy said.

Ukraine's strikes on Russia came amid a mounting pressure campaign by Kyiv seeking to push Russia to end the war, which in February entered its fifth year.

An analysis from a U.S. think tank published on Wednesday said troop casualties in the war -- missing, killed and wounded -- had surpassed 2 million, including as many as 600,000 deaths.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies said in that report that the figures heavily skewed toward Russian losses, with roughly three Russians killed or wounded to every one Ukrainian killed or wounded.

Russian casualties amounted to 1.4 million people, according to the data, including 450,000 who had been killed in the war, the report said. Ukrainian forces have suffered 525,000 to 625,000 casualties, including 125,000 to 150,000 deaths, the study said.

Neither the Ukrainian nor the Russian military releases data detailing their own battlefield casualties.

The report's authors, drawing on information collected from Western governments, including the U.S., and on open source information, said Russia also lost territory in April and May. Overall, the report's authors said, 2026 has been counterproductive for the Russian military, and that Moscow may be losing the war.

Offering historical perspective, the report says Russian fatalities in Ukraine are more than four times greater than all U.S. fatalities in all wars combined since World War II, and more than nine times greater than all Soviet and Russian fatalities in all wars combined since World War II.

Russia's advances in key Ukrainian areas "are among the slowest rates of advance in any war over the last century," the report stated.

In Kyiv on Thursday, Ruslan Stefanchuk, the chair of Ukraine's parliament, accused Moscow of using missiles and drones to deliberately target civilians, which turned "an ordinary night in the capital of a European state into a struggle for survival."

"This crime, like every one before it, must be met not only with condemnation, but with a resolute response: stronger air defence for Ukraine, tougher sanctions against Russia, and inevitable accountability for everyone responsible," he said on social media.

ABC News' Patrick Reevell and Morgan Winsor contributed to this report.

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(LONDON) -- The Ukrainian military struck a Russian oil refinery in Ufa on Wednesday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, as Kyiv continues its pressure campaign seeking to push Russia to end the war.

"This is an entirely just response to everything Russia is doing against us," Zelenskyy said on social media. "Peace is needed, and this is exactly what Russia’s leadership must realize. Russia must end its war."

The Russian Defense Ministry did not appear on Wednesday to publicly comment on the attack, but said in a message on Telegram that its forces had shot down or otherwise destroyed at least 179 Ukrainian drones over Russian or Russian-occupied territory overnight.

The refinery, which Zelenskyy said was one of Russia's largest producers of lubricants, sits more than 1,300 km, or about 800 miles, from the frontline.

Ukraine overnight also launched an aerial strike at a military complex in the Penza region, where Russia develops and manufactures components related to missiles, Zelenskyy said.

The General Staff of Ukraine's military said the target was an aerospace facility known by its Russian acronym, NIIFI. The site is used to build sensors for some cruise and ballistic missiles, as well as satellite components, Ukraine said.

"Hits and smoke were recorded at the facility," the General Staff said in a Ukrainian-language update posted on social media. "This is a leading Russian enterprise in the field of space, aviation and military instrument-making."

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(LONDON) -- Ukraine struck a satellite communications center in the Moscow region in an aerial attack on Tuesday, Kyiv said, as Moscow claimed to have shot down hundreds of drones launched into its territory overnight.

Ukrainian President Volodymry Zelenskyy said Ukraine struck the site, the "Dubna" space communications center, for the second time.

"This is a specialized satellite communications facility used, among other things, for intelligence gathering and coordinating the activities of Russia’s occupying forces in Ukraine," Zelenskyy said on social media on Tuesday.

Russia’s Ministry of Defense said in a morning update on its official Russian-language Telegram channel that air defense systems had intercepted and destroyed at least 419 Ukrainian drones since late Monday evening.

Those drones were shot down in at least 16 regions, including Moscow, along with Russian-occupied areas in Crimea, the ministry said.

Sergey Sobyanin, the mayor of Moscow, said early on Tuesday that at least 61 Ukrainian drones had been shot down in the capital region overnight.

Zelenskyy in announcing the Ukrainian strike on the satellite communications center noted that the facility was more than 500 km, or about 310 miles, from the Ukrainian-Russian boarder.

"Recently, our Defense Forces of Ukraine already reached four such Russian centers, not only in the Moscow region but also in the Vladimir region," he said on social media.

He added, "Step by step, we are implementing our plan of long-range sanctions and making it as difficult as possible for the aggressor state to carry out its invasion operations against Ukraine and the occupation of our territories."

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(PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico) -- A 28-year-old man was killed in a crocodile attack on a popular beach in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, on Friday evening, according to state authorities.

The victim, who was from Mexico, was on the beach in front of the Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort and Spa when he was allegedly attacked by the reptile and dragged out to sea, Jalisco State Police said in a statement on Sunday.

The incident happened around 6 p.m. local time, police noted.

The victim’s body was recovered Saturday morning about 300 meters offshore after an overnight search and rescue operation at sea and on land.

Local authorities are reminding the public to obey warning signs and avoid entering the water where wildlife is known to be present, particularly in estuary and mangrove areas.

"The safety and security of our guests and associates are our top priority," the resort said in a statement to ABC News. "At the Marriott Puerto Vallarta we have appropriate signage, as well as night patrolling and red flags to indicate caution in the area and all were and are properly in place."

The resort said it reviews its "plans and procedures often" and works "closely with the appropriate authorities on an ongoing basis and our staff is trained in how to respond to safety matters appropriately."

"We extend our thoughts to the individual and their loved ones during this difficult time and are providing appropriate support in line with our policies," the resort said.

ABC News' Ahmad Hemingway and Madeline Wheeler contributed to this report.

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(BEIJING) -- A small aircraft crashed into Beijing's tallest skyscraper Friday before falling down in front of the building, according to eyewitnesses who spoke with Reuters and the Associated Press and videos posted online and verified by ABC News.

Videos taken by people near the Citic Tower appeared to show the plane striking a high floor before it spun downward and crashed to the ground in front of the tower's entrance.

Photos showed what appeared to be a hole or broken glass on one side of the building.

Videos, images and search results about the crash are actively being scrubbed from the Chinese internet.

Chinese authorities confirmed the plane crash on Saturday. A short WeChat statement was issued by the local Chaoyang District government, saying that only the pilot was on board the aircraft and was the killed in the collision.

Authorities in their post did not identify the pilot nor a potential motive. In addition, 13 individuals were injured in the building and on the ground, officials said.

The 109-story tower, which opened in 2019, is the tallest building in Beijing and the 10th tallest building in the world, standing 1,732 feet tall. It is a mixed-use building with offices, luxury apartments and hotel rooms.

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(BEIJING) -- A small aircraft crashed into Beijing's tallest skyscraper before falling down in front of the building, according to eyewitnesses who spoke with Reuters and the Associated Press.

Videos taken by people near the Citic Tower appeared to show the plane striking a high floor before it spun downward and crashed to the ground in front of the tower's entrance.

Photos showed what appeared to be a hole or broken glass on one side of the building.

Authorities have yet to address the incident. Videos, images and search results of the crash are actively being scrubbed from the Chinese internet. 

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(CARACAS, Venezuela) -- When the first of two massive earthquakes hit Venezuela, American tourist Jason Wang said he was on a mountaintop outside Caracas, about to get on a cable car to head down.

It was just after 6 p.m. local time on Wednesday when a 7.2 magnitude jolted the South American country's coastal region, followed 39 seconds later by an even stronger 7.5 magnitude tremor, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

High up on El Ávila mountain, about 7 miles outside the capital city, the 39-year-old Wang of Las Vegas said he was caught in a scene of confusion and panic, unsure what had just occurred.

"I was about to board the cable car. I started recording myself going in, and the whole building just started shaking. The floor under me was shaking, and then all of a sudden everyone started panicking," Wang told ABC News on Thursday morning.

He said he and other tourists charged toward the exit of the cable car building.

"We were just rushing for the door to exit the building, and none of us knew what was going on until a few minutes afterwards," Wang said. "We realized we got hit with a massive earthquake."

Videos that Wang posted on social media showed him and others walking down the mountain back toward Caracas on a road blocked by numerous toppled trees. Wang said that as the sun was setting, he managed to get a ride back to his hotel in Caracas.

"I saw some people like cutting down trees that fell on the road to create a tunnel for us to get past," Wang said.

He said that when he finally reached his hotel and was able to get a WiFi signal, he learned that the twin tremors were the biggest earthquakes to hit Venezuela in a century, causing massive destruction and widespread death across Caracas, a city of more than 2 million people.

"Once I got back on WiFi, I was able to contact my family and friends and tell them I was OK," said Wang, adding that he was traveling out of the city to the jungle on Thursday morning to escape the danger being caused by numerous aftershocks.

Jorge Rodriguez, president of Venezuela's National Assembly, said that at least 188 people were killed in the earthquakes, and nearly 1,520 more were injured.

But the death toll is expected to grow. The USGS said there is a risk of more than 10,000 deaths, though official casualty tolls have been slow to be reported.

President Donald Trump said there could be a "devastating number of deaths," as Secretary of State Marco Rubio added that the U.S. is deploying rescue teams to Venezuela to help search for victims.

In Caracas, the scenes of devastation and desperation were evident in all directions. Online videos showed apartment and commercial buildings lying in heaps of rubble, houses knocked off foundations and thousands of people in the streets, shellshocked and watching as emergency crews searched for survivors.

At one point, more than 25,000 people were unaccounted for, officials said.

During the earthquakes, people ran from swaying buildings in Caracas, many visibly shocked when they turned back to see destroyed walls that left furniture visible from the street. 

"It's like a horror movie," one frantic woman who escaped her damaged building said.

One Caracas resident, Armando Nori, posted a video on social media from inside an apartment building that began to shake violently during the earthquakes. The footage showed Nori and others in the building fleeing as walls and shelves collapsed, and items, including what appeared to be a water container, crashing to the floor.

Another Caracas resident, Gabriel Higuera, told ABC News that he lives on the top floor of an apartment building with his girlfriend, and described their harrowing race to escape. He said his girlfriend almost fell from one of the floors due to the violent tremors.

"The shaking made it impossible to move," Higuera said.

Another video verified by ABC News showed people in an apartment building in Junquito, west of Caracas, falling to the floor and holding onto each other as the building started to collapse around them. The man filming the video was heard in the footage screaming for his mother as he started to run for cover.

Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said numerous buildings had been brought down in Caracas, and that the cities of Trujillo, Yaracuy, Carabobo, Aragua, and Miranda had also been affected.

There were reports of widespread power outages and cell phone disruptions throughout the country. Gas to many buildings was turned off to prevent fires, officials said.

Rodriguez declared a state of emergency, saying the earthquakes had turned the coastal state of La Guaira into a "disaster zone."

"Dozens of buildings have collapsed there, about 30 kilometers north of Caracas, and we are currently carrying out intensive rescue operations to save lives," Rodriguez said in a televised address to the nation, according to The Associated Press.

She said Metro and rail services are suspended in the city and that the heavily damaged Maiquetía "Simón Bolívar" International Airport is closed.

Video posted online and verified by ABC News showed people at the airport running for their lives as part of its roof collapsed, creating a cloud of dust. In the footage, people could be heard screaming as the sound of crashing glass and chunks of falling concrete echoed in the background.

Amid the devastation came reports of heroic efforts to rescue people trapped in the rubble. Eighteen people were rescued from one of the two buildings that collapsed in the Chacao municipality, about 7 miles east of Caracas, authorities said.

Dozens of aftershocks have been reported following the initial tremors, forcing many people to sleep on the street on Wednesday night out of fear of more buildings collapsing.

Following the quake, a tsunami advisory was issued, with the potential for hazardous tsunami waves possible for coasts within 300 kilometers, or about 186 miles, of the earthquake epicenter. However, the tsunami advisory later expired.

ABC News' Will Gretsky, Shannon Kingston, Victoria Beaule and Aicha El Hammar Castano contributed to this report.

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(LONDON) -- Countries across Europe were on Thursday in the middle of one of the most brutal heat waves within the last 50 years, with temperatures breaking June records in the United Kingdom and France.

Weather officials in the United Kingdom said temperatures on Wednesday rose in some areas to 35.7 degrees Celsius, or about 96.2 degrees Fahrenheit, topping a June 1976 record of 35.6 C.

The Met Office updated its Red Extreme Heat Warning, spreading the warning along most of the southern and western areas of the United Kingdom.

"This is exceptional heat for June with temperature records expected to be broken this week," Met Office Chief Forecaster Matthew Lehnert said in a statement. "Red warnings are reserved for the most severe events and we’re expecting significant impacts from this heatwave, with health issues likely, even beyond those who are more vulnerable to the heat."

The Met also set Amber Heat Warnings for Friday and Saturday.

Warnings were still under review and constantly being updated, with the Met Office predicting that Friday could be the peak of the heat wave here in the United Kingdom, with temperatures soaring up as high as 100.4 F.

In France the north, west, and half of the southern areas of the country were on Thursday under red heat warnings, under which residents were being told to stay "Absolutely vigilant."

French authorities said on Thursday they expected that the heat to stay in the red for many hours ahead.

The country on Wednesday notched its highest-ever temperature, according to weather officials at Meteo-France, the national weather service. They said the country’s national heat index -- a daily average including regions around the country -- hit 30 C, or about 86 F.

"Another exceptional day is expected in terms of temperatures, with the peak of this historic heatwave anticipated," Meteo-France said in a bulletin on Thursday.

The Louvre and the Eiffel Tower were closing early for a third day in a row.

To stay safe in the heat everyone is being encouraged to stay hydrated, avoid the sun during peak hours, around midday, and staying home to keep cool.

They have recommended keeping curtains, blinds and windows closed during the day and opening windows at night to keep your house as cool as possible.

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(NEW YORK) -- France has confirmed its first Ebola case linked to the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as the United Nations warned that the outbreak is the fastest-growing in Africa's history.

The patient in France is a humanitarian doctor who recently returned from the DRC and has been transferred to a specialist hospital, authorities confirmed.

French health officials said the case was detected quickly, the necessary precautions are in place and that there is no indication of local spread.

"France has specialized capabilities for managing highly transmissible infectious diseases," France's Ministry of Health said in a statement announcing the case. "Patients are treated in a designated healthcare facility, following strict biosafety protocols (negative pressure room, dedicated equipment and protocols). Health authorities are fully mobilized and the situation is being continuously monitored."

"All precautionary measures, including the patient's isolation, were taken upon his arrival in the country, with transfer to the hospital under secure conditions to prevent any risk of contamination," the statement continued.

Officials said a thorough epidemiological investigation is underway to identify individuals who may have been in contact with the patient and that they will be contacted "without delay" by the regional health agency before undergoing 21 days of home isolation while being closely monitored the entire time.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said on Wednesday that the risk of infection is "low" for European residents and travelers to areas of active transmission, and "very low" for the general European population.

The development comes as U.N. officials warned on Tuesday that the Ebola outbreak in the DRC is spreading at an unprecedented pace.

As of Monday, there were 1,048 confirmed cases and 267 deaths, making it the largest number of confirmed Ebola cases recorded during the first month of an outbreak in Africa, according to Dr. Abdirahman Mahamud, director of heath and emergency alert and response operations at the World Health Organization.

Mahamud said it took just 37 days for the current outbreak to reach 250 deaths, compared to 78 days during the 2014 and 2016 West Africa outbreaks and 130 days during the 2018-2019 DRC outbreak.

Mahamud added that there are some signs the response has been scaled up to match the pace of the outbreak's spread.

The number of beds available for treatment has risen in the last two weeks, "going from a handful to over 500 beds across 19 health zones," he said.  

Additionally, the U.N. said laboratory capacity has also increased from 30 tests a day in Kinshasa, the DRC's capital, at the start of the outbreak to more than 2,000 tests per day through eight labs in the three provinces at the center of the outbreak.

Paolo Cravero, senior office of communications and media relations at the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said there is "a lack of trust in the response" among affected communities and that the organization is "working hard with communities to bridge that gap." 

"Rumor and misinformation are creating some difficulties," he said.

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