Russian defence ministry says it has made progress in heavily contested region. This blog is now closed
A guided bomb hit the village of Orlykivka in Chernihiv in the early hours of Saturday.
No casualties were reported by Ukraine’s operational command northern region on Saturday, after the bomb was dropped from a Russian SU-35 jet.
Continue reading...Island shuts 10,000 Russian bank accounts as US and UK put Cypriot lawyers and accountants under sanctions for enabling oligarchs including Roman Abramovich
Back-to-back meetings, an air of discernible panic, policymakers engaged in frantic damage limitation and Cyprus once again in the eye of a Russia-related storm. It’s been an unusually fraught fortnight for the Mediterranean island’s newly installed president, arduous in ways that Nikos Christodoulides might never have imagined when he assumed office on 1 March.
First came the news that 13 Cypriot entities and individuals had been placed on Anglo-American sanctions lists for enabling Russian oligarchs. The measures were aimed at dismantling the financial networks of Roman Abramovich and Alisher Usmanov, both close allies of Vladimir Putin. Overnight, bank accounts and other assets belonging to their alleged “financial fixers” were frozen.
Continue reading...Nato chief ‘confident’ Ukraine is ready to retake more territory; suspect in Pentagon leaks posted information earlier than previously thought – report
The Nato secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, has said he is “confident” that Ukraine is prepared to retake more territory as Kyiv readies for a new offensive against invading Russian forces. Stoltenberg told journalists in Germany when asked if Ukraine has what it needs to successfully execute the offensive: “I’m confident that they will now be in a position to be able to liberate even more land.” He also invited the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, to the Nato summit in July and emphasised the need to support Ukraine’s battlefield logistics.
Jack Teixeira, the US air national guardsman accused of leaking classified defence documents to a small group of gamers, posted sensitive information months earlier than previously known and to a much larger chat group, the New York Times has reported. In February 2022, soon after the invasion of Ukraine, a user profile matching that of Teixeira began posting secret intelligence on the Russian war effort on a previously undisclosed chat group of about 600 members on the social platform Discord. The Pentagon has declined to comment on the new report.
A Moscow court has ordered the arrest in absentia of Bulgarian investigative journalist Christo Grozev, adding him to its list of “foreign agents”, state-owned news agency RIA has reported. Grozev is the lead Russia journalist for the Bellingcat news outlet, and played a key role in its investigation into the poisoning of the opposition politician Alexei Navalny.
Germany, Poland and Ukraine signed an agreement on Friday for a hub to repair Leopard tanks used in Ukraine to fight Russian forces, Germany’s defence minister, Boris Pistorius, said at a meeting of allies at the Ramstein airbase. He sounded a note of caution about any early invitation for Ukraine to join Nato. All parties agreed on how to finance such a hub, which will cost €150m-€200m a year and could begin operations at the end of May.
International backing for Ukraine holds “strong and true”, said the US defence secretary, Lloyd Austin, as he opened a meeting in Germany with allies to discuss further support for Kyiv. Austin confirmed the US is helping to train nine Ukrainian “storm” brigades for the counteroffensive and stressed the need to make Ukraine’s air defence system “robust” and “rigorous”. Austin said: “Our support for the forces of freedom in Ukraine holds strong and true. At today’s contact group meeting, we’ll focus on three key issues: air defence, ammunition and enablers.”
Ukraine’s defence minister, Oleksii Reznikov, has tweeted about the meeting of the Ukraine defence contact group in Ramstein, Germany, saying that Ukraine is “de facto already a part of the alliance’s security space” having reached “unprecedented levels of interoperability”.
A Moscow court has issued a warrant for the arrest of the head of Ukrainian military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, accusing the spy chief of organising “terrorist attacks” inside Russia, state-owned news agency RIA reported. RIA cited the court as saying that Budanov was accused of offences related to terrorism and arms smuggling. The move against him was announced “in absentia”, in an apparent acknowledgment that Budanov cannot be immediately detained.
The Canadian government announced C$39m (£23.26m) in new military assistance for Ukraine including 40 sniper rifles, 16 radio sets and a donation to a Nato fund to help in the war. The latest round of Canadian aid, which also includes ammunition for the rifles, was announced by Canada’s defence minister, Anita Anand, at the Ramstein airbase in Germany where Nato defence officials met to discuss further military supplies for Ukraine.
The UK has imposed sanctions on five people linked to the arrest of the Kremlin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza, who was jailed this week for 25 years. Elena Lenskaya, a judge who approved Kara-Murza’s arrest, along with Denis Kolesnikov and Andrei Zadachin, investigators involved in the arrest of Kara-Murza, will all be hit with sanctions. FSB agents Alexander Samofal and Konstantin Kudryavtsev, who followed Kara-Murza on multiple trips before he was poisoned in 2015, will be sanctioned as well.
Continue reading...Comité Champagne asks for destruction of shipment on grounds Miller High Life’s motto infringes champagne’s protected origin
The guardians of champagne will let no one take the name of the bubbly beverage in vain, not even a US beer behemoth.
For years, Miller High Life has used the “Champagne of Beers” slogan. This week, it became clear that for some the name has became impossible to swallow.
Continue reading...Jens Stoltenberg says Ukraine will be able to retake more land; Kyrylo Budanov accused of ‘terrorist attacks’ and arms smuggling. This live blog is closed
China’s foreign ministry said on Friday that no country had the right to interfere in its relationship with Russia.
Reuters reports ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remark at a news briefing when asked to comment on the US Treasury secretary Janet Yellen saying that China’s “no limits” partnership with Russia indicated it was not serious about ending the war in Ukraine.
During the night air alert, the Russian military released 12 “Shahed” drones over Ukraine, eight of them shot down by air defence forces, the air force said.
At night in Poltava, the Russian army targeted a civilian infrastructure object, there is damage. There were no victims.
Continue reading...Finma accused of acting unlawfully and undermining confidence in Switzerland as a financial centre
A group of Credit Suisse investors who lost bonds worth more than CHF 4.5bn (£4bn) are suing Switzerland’s financial regulator over a decision to wipe out risky bank debt after an emergency merger with UBS last month.
The investors filed their claim at a court in St Gallen, in the north-east of Switzerland, weeks after Swiss authorities orchestrated the takeover of Credit Suisse by its larger rival UBS, to try to stem a crisis of confidence in the global banking sector.
Continue reading...Secretary general says countries have agreed Kyiv will join military alliance when war with Russia is over
The Nato secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, has said all member countries have agreed that Ukraine will eventually join the transatlantic military alliance once the war is over, ahead of a meeting of western defence ministers discussing further military aid for Kyiv.
Further announcements on weapons and support are expected after the summit at the Ramstein airbase in Germany, but Stoltenberg also sounded notably upbeat about Ukraine’s longer-term prospects for joining Nato.
Continue reading...Artefacts believed to date back to 980s found by girl metal-detecting in cornfield last autumn
Nearly 300 silver coins believed to be more than 1,000 years old have been discovered near a Viking fortress site in north-west Denmark, a museum has said.
The trove – lying in two spots not far apart – was unearthed by a girl who was metal-detecting in a cornfield last autumn.
Continue reading...Europe’s first new plant in 16 years comes on stream in Finland day after Germany pulls plug on last reactors
When Europe’s first new nuclear reactor in 16 years came online in Finland, it was hailed by its operator as a “significant addition to clean domestic production” that would “play an important role in the green transition”.
The opening last Sunday of the long-delayed Olkiluoto 3 plant, Europe’s largest, means about 40% of Finland’s electricity demand will soon be met by nuclear power, which the government says will boost energy security and help it achieve its carbon neutrality targets.
Continue reading...Russian warplane accidentally strikes city of Belgorod near Ukraine, injuring two; Zelenskiy calls on Nato to give timeframe for Ukraine accession
The Nato secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, has said all member countries have agreed that Ukraine will eventually join the transatlantic military alliance once the war is over, ahead of a meeting of western defence ministers discussing further military aid for Kyiv. He also told the media that, once the war in Ukraine ends, Kyiv must have “the deterrence to prevent new attacks”.
Ukraine’s defence minister, Oleksii Reznikov, posted that he had a “fruitful” bilateral meeting with his US counterpart at Ramstein airbase in Germany Friday morning. US defence secretary Lloyd Austin said international backing for Ukraine holds “strong and true”.
Ukraine’s future lies in Nato, Stoltenberg chief had said Thursday during, his first visit to the country since Russia’s invasion 14 months ago. Nato’s chief pledged continued military support for Ukraine, saying: “Nato stands with you today, tomorrow and for as long as it takes.” He invited the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, to the Nato summit in Vilnius in July.
Zelenskiy said Nato needed to invite Ukraine to become a member and give it a timeframe for accession. “There is not a single objective barrier to the political decision to invite Ukraine into the alliance,” he said. “And now, when most people in Nato countries and the majority of Ukrainians support Nato accession, is the time for the corresponding decisions.”
A Russian warplane has accidentally fired a weapon into the city of Belgorod near Ukraine, causing an explosion and damaging buildings, the Tass news agency cited the Russian defence ministry as saying. Late on Thursday, local authorities reported a large blast in the city, which lies just across the border from Ukraine. Belgorod’s regional governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said two women had been injured and four apartment buildings and four cars damaged. Announcing a state of emergency, he said on the Telegram messaging app there was a “huge” crater 20 metres (65ft) wide in the city centre.
Ukraine’s air defence has claimed to have downed eight Iranian-manufactured “Shahed” drones overnight.
Germany, Poland and Ukraine signed an agreement on Friday for a hub to repair Leopard tanks used in Ukraine to fight Russian forces
The first trucks carrying Ukrainian food products including corn and eggs were bound to start transit via Poland to the Netherlands on Friday morning, a Polish customs official said, as rules allowing the shipments took effect overnight.
The G7 is considering a near-total ban on exports to Russia, Kyodo news agency reported on Friday, citing Japanese government sources.
EU countries are haggling over how to fulfil a promise to supply Ukraine with ammunition, following criticism from Kyiv that delays were costing lives. France, backed by Greece and Cyprus, is pressing to ensure that an EU plan to purchase €1bn (£880m / $1.1bn) of ammunition for Ukraine is fulfilled via a fully-EU supply chain.
A Moscow court issued a warrant for the arrest of the head of Ukrainian military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, accusing the spy chief of organising “terrorist attacks” inside Russia.
The UK imposed sanctions on five people linked to the arrest of Kremlin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza, who was jailed for 25 years this week. Elena Lenskaya – a judge who approved Kara-Murza’s arrest, along with Denis Kolesnikov and Andrei Zadachin – investigators involved in the arrest of Kara-Murza, will all be hit with sanctions. FSB agents Alexander Samofal and Konstantin Kudryavtsev, who followed Kara-Murza on multiple trips before he was poisoned in 2015, will also be receive sanctions. Kara-Murza holds dual British-Russian citizenship.
Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, will meet the UN secretary general, António Guterres, on Monday, according to Russia’s ambassador to the UN. The two last met at the G20 summit in Bali in November. According to ambassador Vassily Nebenzia, the Black Sea grain deal will be an item for the meeting on Monday.
A group of Ukrainian servicemen has been accused of treason for giving away information during an unauthorised mission that enabled Russia to attack a military airfield, Ukraine’s SBU security agency said. It announced in a statement that the servicemen had attempted, “without coordination with the relevant state authorities”, to seize a Russian plane last July after its pilot said he would defect.
Continue reading...Bill due before Bundestag in June would encourage homeowners to switch to renewables
Germany plans to ban the installation of most oil and gas heating systems from next year, with proposals approved on Wednesday triggering angry divisions in the cabinet.
The radical plans are designed to transform Germany’s heating systems in an attempt to meet net zero emission targets that critics have called unworkable and discriminatory. About half of Germany’s 41m households currently use natural gas heating, and almost a quarter use heating oil.
Continue reading...European lawmakers say that after seven years of deadlock it could be the final chance to resolve the issue
The European parliament has approved a series of proposals to overhaul the EU asylum system in a bid to end a years-long deadlock over the issue.
Voting in Strasbourg, MEPs approved plans on the distribution of refugees and migrants across the bloc, screening of people at the EU’s external borders and giving non-EU nationals long-term residence permits after three years of legal stay in a member state.
Continue reading...Ernest Moret was interrogated by UK counter-terrorist police when he arrived in London on Tuesday
Suella Braverman has been condemned by a group of MEPs over the arrest in London of a French publisher who was interrogated by counter-terrorist police about his political views and “anti-government” contacts.
Twelve MEPs wrote to the home secretary to express their outrage at the “scandalous treatment” of Ernest Moret, who was detained for almost 24 hours and whose iPhone and laptop remain in the hands of the British police.
Continue reading...Convent in Oosterhout has been left with surplus of more than 60,000 bottles after hot and dry year
A Dutch convent is appealing to wine drinkers to support its endeavours as, thanks to an extremely hot and dry year, Sint-Catharinadal in Oosterhout has an excess of 64,000 bottles made from its vineyard.
“We had a lovely summer last year, warm temperatures, and it promises to be an excellent harvest of more than 60,000 bottles,” said Sister Maria Magdalena, prioress, in a video appeal.
Continue reading...Sergei Lavrov to meet António Guterres on Monday; US to discuss export ban at G7 leaders’ summit. This live blog is now closed
DR, Denmark’s public broadcaster, is reporting that foreign minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and acting defence minister Troels Lund Poulsen have said the 14 Leopard 2 tanks being donated by the Netherlands and Denmark could be with Ukraine in early 2024.
Poulsen is quoted as saying they are not Danish tanks, but tanks “which are bought in collaboration with the Netherlands”.
Continue reading...Éditions la Fabrique says foreign rights manager Ernest Moret was held for several hours and asked ‘disturbing questions’ about his political opinions
The French publishing house whose employee was arrested on terror charges on his way to London book fair has said it is “chilling” that he was asked by British detectives about the authors published by his company.
Ernest Moret was approached by two plainclothes officers at St Pancras station on Monday evening, after arriving by train from Paris. He was arrested, after six hours of questioning, for alleged obstruction in refusing to disclose the passcodes to his phone and computer.
Continue reading...Vladimir Putin hails achievement that beat Hollywood project announced by Tom Cruise, Nasa and Elon Musk’s SpaceX
The first feature film shot in space premiered in Russian cinemas on Thursday, as Moscow exulted in beating a rival Hollywood project amid a confrontation with the west.
The Challenge is about a surgeon dispatched to the International Space Station (ISS) to save an injured cosmonaut. Russia sent an actor and a film director for a 12-day stint on the ISS in October 2021 to film scenes aboard the orbiting laboratory.
Continue reading...Nato chief makes first Kyiv visit since start of full-scale invasion; Denmark and Netherlands to donate 14 Leopard tanks to Ukraine
Continue reading...Continent set for further drought in 2023, scientists say, as unstoppable impacts of climate crisis mount
The climate crisis had “frightening” impacts in Europe last year, with heatwaves killing more than 20,000 people and drought withering crops, an EU report has found.
Its writers said drought was already baked in for many farmers in 2023. The only way to limit the rising damages of global heating was rapidly to cut carbon emissions, they said.
Continue reading...Ukraine had said a satellite reentering the atmosphere was the cause of the phenomenon, but the space agency has denied this
A flash in the sky over the Ukrainian capital prompted confusion and alarm as city authorities said it was caused by a Nasa satellite reentering the atmosphere, while the US space agency denied involvement.
A “bright glow” was observed over Kyiv around 10pm local time, the head of Kyiv’s military administration Sergiy Popko wrote on Telegram.
Continue reading...