World Athletics has voted to lift an eight-year doping ban on Russia, but the nation will remain excluded from international competition because of an ongoing separate ban over the invasion of Ukraine. The decision was announced on Thursday after a…
Eurovision Song Contest grand final set for live cinema broadcast in UK
The grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest will be broadcast live in cinemas across the UK for the first time. The big screen viewings will take place as the international music competition ends in Liverpool on Saturday, May 13.…
Slovakia delivers first four MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine
Slovakia handed over the first four Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine on Thursday, with nine more expected to be delivered in the coming weeks, Slovak Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad announced. Ukrainian pilots traveled to Slovakia to pick up the…
Ukraine, IMF agree on $15.6b loan package
Ukraine and the International Monetary Fund have agreed on a $15.6 billion loan package aimed at shoring up government finances severely strained by Russia’s invasion and at leveraging even more support by reassuring allies that Ukraine is pursuing strong economic…
EU agrees to send Ukraine 1m artillery shells
European Union (EU) ministers have agreed on a two-billion-euro ($2.14bn) plan to raid their own arsenals and jointly purchase ammunition for Ukraine. EU defence and foreign ministers backed an initiative aimed at providing Ukraine with one million artillery shells in…
Ukraine says Russian missiles destroyed in Crimea
An explosion in the north of occupied Crimea has destroyed Russian missiles being transported by rail, Ukraine’s defence ministry said. The Russian-installed head of the city of Dzhankoi said the area had been attacked by drones. Ukraine announced the explosions…
Putin to Xi: We will discuss your plan to end the war in Ukraine
Vladimir Putin has said he will discuss Xi Jinping’s 12-point plan to “settle the acute crisis in Ukraine”, during a highly anticipated visit to Moscow by the Chinese president. “We’re always open for a negotiation process,” Mr Putin said, as…
Putin calls Ukraine role in Nord Stream blasts ‘‘sheer nonsense’’
Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed as “sheer nonsense” allegations that Ukrainians could be behind the explosions that crippled the Nord Stream gas pipelines, suggesting the United States may have been responsible. The Russian leader insisted on Tuesday the US…
Ukraine war: Heavy losses reported as battle for Bakhmut rages
Ukraine and Russia have reported inflicting heavy losses as the battle for Bakhmut rages on. Moscow has been trying to take the eastern Ukrainian city for months in a grinding war of attrition. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces…
Ukraine war: Russia fires hypersonic missiles in new barrage
At least nine people have died in a new wave of strikes across Ukraine in which Russia used powerful weapons, including rare hypersonic missiles. Russia had reportedly not fired Kinzhal hypersonic missiles – which can evade air defences – since…