Tens of thousands of people have rallied in Turkey’s largest city of Istanbul in support of the leading opposition figure, Canan Kaftancioglu. Kaftancioglu, who heads the secular Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) Istanbul branch, smiled and waved to the cheering crowds. She has received a criminal conviction for insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Turkish […]
Russia-Ukraine war The war in Ukraine can only be resolved through “diplomacy”, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said. Speaking on national TV, he suggested his country could be victorious against Russia on the battlefield. However, he added that the war could only come to a conclusive halt “at the negotiating table”. Meanwhile, heavy fighting is […]
By Ben Tobias BBC News Parts of Spain are experiencing their hottest May ever with temperatures of more than 40C in some places, according to the state weather agency, AEMET. The agency issued heat warnings in 10 regions for Saturday, saying it could be “one of the most intense” heatwaves in years. The city of […]
Russia-Ukraine war President Joe Biden has said Sweden and Finland have the “full, total, complete backing” of the US in their historic decision to apply for Nato membership. Both countries submitted their applications this week to be part of the defence alliance, a drastic shift in European geopolitics. The move by the two Nordic […]
By Yaroslav Lukov & Matt Murphy BBC News Russia-Ukraine war Turkey’s president has restated his opposition to Finland and Sweden joining Nato – just hours after they said they would seek membership. Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the two Nordic nations should not bother sending delegations to convince Turkey, a key Nato member, of their […]
By Yaroslav Lukov & Matt Murphy BBC News Russia-Ukraine war Ukraine has confirmed that hundreds of its fighters trapped for more than two months in Mariupol’s Azovstal steelworks have been evacuated. Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said 53 badly wounded soldiers were taken to the town of Novoazovsk, held by Russian-backed rebels. She said […]
By Malu Cursino BBC News Russia-Ukraine war One of the biggest-ever Nato exercises in the Baltics is now under way. Named “Hedgehog”, the drills involve 10 countries, including Finland and Sweden, which are expected to formally apply to join the alliance within days. The exercises in Estonia, which will last until 3 June, were […]
Coronavirus pandemic Face masks will no longer have to be worn on flights and in airports in EU countries from next Monday, according to new official guidance. The move is in line with changing Covid policies on public transport across Europe, said the EU Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Some US airlines did the same […]
By Sophie Williams in Lviv & Paul Kirby BBC News Russia-Ukraine war Right from the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Snake Island was given a vital and almost mythical status in the war. This unremarkable, rocky outcrop in the Black Sea was seized by Russia and has become a battleground of strategic value. […]
By Paul Kirby BBC News Russia-Ukraine war Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russian forces in Ukraine were fighting for the future of their motherland, in his annual address marking victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two. Despite rumours he would make a major announcement his speech stuck largely to defending Russia’s invasion. He tied […]
