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 […]
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-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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
By Patrick Jackson & James Waterhouse in London and Kyiv Russia-Ukraine war A court in Ukraine has jailed a Russian tank commander for life for killing a civilian at the first war crimes trial since the invasion. Captured soldier Sgt Vadim Shishimarin was convicted of killing Oleksandr Shelipov, 62, in the north-eastern village of […]
Russia-Ukraine war The Ukrainian government says it will not agree a ceasefire deal with Russia that involves giving up territory. The apparent hardening of Ukraine’s position comes a day after President Volodymyr Zelensky said the war could be resolved only through diplomacy. Presidential adviser Mykhaylo Podolyak said concessions would lead to an even larger […]
By Joseph Lee BBC News A tornado left 43 people injured as it “cut a path of destruction” through several towns in western Germany, police said. Officers in the city of Paderborn said the tornado ripped off roofs and debris was strewn around for kilometres. Ten people have serious injuries and one woman’s life is […]
