Russian forces spearheaded by mercenaries of the Wagner Group seized the centre of the eastern city of Bakhmut during the 58th week of the war. Yet Ukrainian defenders were still holding the Russian army at bay, and their commanders said the Russian offensive was now clearly waning. At the same time, pro-Russian civilians were evacuating … Read moreWagner advances in Bakhmut as Ukraine gears up for counterattack
Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has been suffering from chronic blood cancer for some time and is currently in intensive care for a lung infection, according to his doctors. The 86-year-old, whose media empire has made him a billionaire, was rushed to the intensive care unit of Milan’s San Raffaele Hospital on Wednesday, heightening … Read moreDoctors reveal Italy’s Berlusconi diagnosed with leukaemia
The battle for Bakhmut is not over and Ukraine is still fighting hard for the town, according to a White House official. John Kirby, a spokesperson for the United States National Security Council, told reporters on Monday that Ukrainians have not been repulsed from the city, adding that an additional assistance package for Ukraine could … Read moreRussia-Ukraine war: Battle for Bakhmut not over, says US official
Finland will become the 31st member of the world’s biggest military alliance on Tuesday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says, prompting a warning from Russia that it would bolster its defences in response. “This is a historic week,” Stoltenberg told reporters on Monday on the eve of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels. … Read moreFinland to join NATO on Tuesday, military alliance’s chief says
On April 10, Northern Ireland marks the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, which largely ended three decades of conflict in the British-ruled province. Following are some key developments in the history of the province and the peace process: 1921 – Ireland is partitioned, with the southern 26 counties becoming the … Read moreTimeline: Long road to Northern Ireland’s Good Friday Agreement
Last year, a severe drought hit much of Europe, with some scientists claiming it was the worst in 500 years. In France, a state of emergency was declared in five northern provinces; in Spain, water reservoirs dropped to 36 percent of capacity; in Italy, the level of the country’s largest river Po was six times lower than normal. … Read moreEastern Europe must not lag behind on the green transition
President Joe Biden has toured the wreckage of a major storm that hit the state of Mississippi last week as large swathes of the United States braced for more extreme weather, including tornadoes and severe thunderstorms. Speaking from the hard-hit Mississippi community of Rolling Fork, Biden said on Friday that the federal government would cover … Read moreBiden tours Mississippi tornado wreckage as more storms threaten US
Finland, which shares a long border with Russia, heads to the polls on Sunday to elect a new government as it prepares to join NATO. On Thursday, Turkey ratified the Nordic nation’s membership – the last of the alliance’s 30 members to do so. Will Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s Social Democratic Party, which started the … Read moreFinland, having cleared last NATO hurdle, heads to elections
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a landmark resolution asking the world’s top court to define the obligations of countries to combat climate change. Advisory opinions of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) “have tremendous importance and can have a long-standing impact on the international legal order,” UN chief Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday … Read moreUN votes to ask world court to rule on countries’ climate duties
King Charles III has spoken of the “enduring value” of the relationship between the United Kingdom and Germany during his first state visit abroad since ascending the throne last year. Charles and Camilla, the Queen consort, received a 21-gun salute after landing at Berlin’s government airport in the early afternoon on Wednesday, as two military … Read moreKing Charles visits Germany in first foreign visit as UK monarch