Ukraine war: Top UN officials host Russian envoys in bid to extend grain export deal March 13, 2023 Senior UN officials have hosted Russian envoys in Geneva in a bid to extend an export agreement amid Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and to prevent a potential new spike in world food prices. Despite being at war, Ukraine and Russia struck a deal last July that allows Ukraine – one of the world’s key breadbaskets [...]
UK culture sec urges Olympic partners like Coca-Cola and Visa to back Russia athlete ban March 11, 2023 The UK’s culture secretary has written to sponsors of the Olympics including Coca-Cola and Visa urging them to back a ban on Russian and Belorussian athletes. Lucy Frazer addressed the letter to the CEOs of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Worldwide Partners, which include Coca-Cola, Intel, Samsung and Visa. The letter to CEOs comes after [...]
Russia missile barrage kills five as Kremlin ramps up attacks on Ukraine energy infrastructure March 9, 2023 Russia has unleashed a missile barrage targeting energy infrastructure across Ukraine, hitting homes and killing at least five people in the largest such attack in three weeks, officials said. Four people died in the Lviv region after a missile hit a residential area, governor Maksym Kozytskyi said. Three buildings were gutted by fire after the [...]
Andy Murray expects Wimbledon to lift ban on Russian and Belarusian players for 2023 March 8, 2023 Andy Murray says he expects Wimbledon to lift its ban on Russian and Belarusian tennis players for this year’s championships. The Grand Slam tournament imposed the ban last year, under pressure from the UK government, in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But Murray is anticipating the sanction being lifted, paving the way for [...]
Russian mercenary Wagner Group claim gains in Ukraine stronghold of Bakhmut March 8, 2023 The owner of Russia’s Wagner Group military company has claimed his troops have extended their gains in the key Ukrainian stronghold of Bakhmut as fierce fighting continues. Yevgeny Prigozhin said Wagner troops have taken full control of the eastern part of Bakhmut. He claimed they now control all districts east of the Bakhmutka River that [...]
Malware attacks on UK government devices up by 75 per cent, report reveals March 7, 2023 Malware attacks on UK government ‘internet of things’ devices have risen by 75 per cent, a new report has revealed. Attempted attacks on the so-called internet of things (IoT) devices used by UK government facilities and departments jumped from 38,334 in 2021 to 67,324 in 2022, according to a report by US cybersecurity company Sonicwall. [...]
AstraZeneca: UK-Swedish pharma giant almost doubled exports to Russia after invasion of Ukraine March 7, 2023 Anglo-Swedish drugs giant AstraZeneca nearly doubled its exports from Sweden to Russia after the Kremlin launched its full-scale attack on Ukraine, according to a report. Sveriges Radio (SR) – the country’s public service broadcaster – said that the FTSE 100 company had exported 2.2 billion Swedish krona (£174 million) worth of chemicals to Russia from [...]
War games: UK pilots to hold joint mission with Germany in Nato member Estonia, right on Russia’s border March 6, 2023 British pilots are set to conduct joint air policing missions in Estonia alongside the German air force for the first time. It comes as the UK prepares take over from Germany to lead the Nato mission in Estonia, which borders Russia. Royal Air Force and German Air Force Typhoon jets will take part in the [...]
Ukraine army could pull back from key eastern stronghold of Bakhmut amid relentless Kremlin offensive March 1, 2023 Ukraine’s military could pull back from the key eastern stronghold of Bakhmut, an adviser to the Ukrainian president said on Wednesday, amid a relentless Russian offensive. “Our military is obviously going to weigh all of the options. So far, they’ve held the city, but if need be, they will strategically pull back,” Alexander Rodnyansky, an [...]
Ukraine war: Sunak, Starmer and Khan fall silent to mark year as King Charles praises Kyiv’s ‘remarkable courage’ February 24, 2023 A year of Ukraine’s extraordinary resistance to Vladimir Putin’s all-out assault that has left hundreds of thousands dead and millions more displaced has been marked with a minute’s silence. Rishi Sunak was joined outside No 10 by wife Akshata Murthy, Kyiv’s ambassador to Britain Vadym Prystaiko and dozens of Ukrainian troops being trained by the [...]