Severodonetsk: Zelensky ties fate of east Ukraine to battle for

By Patrick Jackson BBC News Russia-Ukraine war   Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that fighting for the city of Severodonetsk may decide the outcome of the war in the east of the country. “In many respects, the fate of the Donbas is being decided there,” he said as combat raged in the industrial belt […]

Incubators for Ukraine as premature births rise

  At a glance More than 50 incubators partly funded by Jersey Overseas Aid are going to hospitals across Ukraine The lightweight machines are about the fifth of the weight of traditional incubators and can use multiple power sources They are being sent out after reports that the stress of the war was causing “a […]

Ukraine round-up: City divided and refugee spots her looted goods

Russia-Ukraine war   The 97th day of the war saw Ukrainian and Russian forces battling for control of the eastern city of Severodonetsk, which is said to be divided between the two sides. Up to 15,000 people may still be trapped there, Luhansk regional governor Serhiy Haidai said. Both sides are suffering heavy casualties and […]

Ukraine war: Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov denies Putin illness

By Patrick Jackson & Robert Greenall BBC News Russia-Ukraine war   Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has denied speculation that President Vladimir Putin is ill. In an interview with French TV, Mr Lavrov said the Russian leader appears in public every day, and no sane person would see any signs of an ailment. There has […]

Lisa Smith: Former Irish soldier guilty of Islamic State membership

A former Irish Defence Forces soldier has been found guilty of Islamic State (IS) membership. Lisa Smith, 40, had pleaded not guilty to being a member of the group between 28 October 2015 and 1 December 2019. Smith was, however, found not guilty of financing terrorism by sending money to a man for the benefit […]

Russia scraps age limit for new troops in Ukraine push

Russia-Ukraine war   Russia has scrapped its age limit for professional soldiers, paving the way for more civilian experts to be recruited for the Ukraine conflict. President Vladimir Putin has signed a law enabling people over 40 to enlist for the armed forces. They are expected to be people of normal working age. Previously the […]

Louvre museum’s ex-president charged in art trafficking case

The former head of the Louvre museum in Paris has been charged in connection with a wide-ranging inquiry into the trafficking of ancient objects from the Middle East, judicial sources say. French investigators allege Jean-Luc Martinez facilitated the transfer of the objects to the Louvre Abu Dhabi. They reportedly include a granite stele inscribed with […]

Donbas: Why Russia is trying to capture eastern Ukraine

By Paul Kirby BBC News Russia-Ukraine war   Russian forces are bombarding towns and cities in eastern Ukraine with the declared aim of “liberating” the old industrial heartland known as Donbas. Having abandoned his campaign to capture the capital Kyiv and second city Kharkiv, Vladimir Putin is now looking for military victory in the largely […]

Spanish MPs back ‘only yes means yes’ sexual consent law

By Guy Hedgecoe Madrid Spain’s Congress has approved legislation that seeks to make it easier for victims of sexual violence to prosecute their attackers by emphasising the importance of consent. The initiative was driven by the legal and social fallout from a notorious gang-rape case six years ago. The Guarantee of Sexual Freedom law, also […]

Ukraine war: Bodies of dead Russian soldiers abandoned near Kyiv

By Sarah Rainsford Eastern Europe correspondent, Kyiv Russia-Ukraine war When their dogs started digging insistently at a spot in the woods, villagers in Zavalivka called in the authorities. A Ukrainian military team were soon at the scene in white protective suits, carefully removing the topsoil. They uncovered a man’s body, face down with his legs […]