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Europe's support for Ukraine faced an unexpected curveball this week as Poland -- hitherto Kyiv's staunchest ally on the continent -- seemed to declare it would stop sending arms to its neighbor.

One of Europe’s longest-standing grudges is ripe to be mended. This time last year, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos

Ukraine has struck the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet in a missile attack that left a serviceman missing and the main building smouldering, according to military chiefs on both sides. Within hours, US president Joe Biden reportedly told Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky that he would provide Kyiv with ATACMS long-range missile, as Canada pledged to give an extra £393.5m in military aid to Ukraine over the next three years. Following the attack in the port city of Sevastopol in Crimea, the Russian defence ministry initially said one service member was killed but later changed that to say he was missing. It said its air defence systems responding to the attack shot down five missiles. Firefighters battled the blaze, and more emergency forces were brought in. At the same time, Ukrainian tanks penetrated Putin’s final line of defence in western Zaporizhia Oblast, signalling a big breakthrough, according to the Institute for the Study of War. It is the first instance of Ukrainian tanks advancing through Russia’s strong defensive layer of anti-tank ditches and obstacles, said the institute. Read More Why has Poland stopped supplying weapons to Ukraine? Biden pledges more support for Ukraine’s defence as he announces new arms package What are Abrams tanks and why is the US sending them to Ukraine? Zelensky gets standing ovation as he calls on Canada to ‘stay with’ Ukraine: ‘Moscow must lose’

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky called on Canada to “stay with” his country in its war against Russia, in his first visit to the country since the start of the invasion. The Ukrainian president arrived in Canada’s capital Ottawa late on Thursday night and addressed the parliament on Friday where he sought to bolster support from Western allies for Ukraine’s war. “Moscow must lose once and for all. And it will lose,” Mr Zelensky said during his address on Friday. He repeatedly thanked Canadians for financial support and for making Ukrainians fleeing war feel at home in Canada, prompting a number of standing ovations from dignitaries and parliamentarians. Mr Zelensky said Canada has always been on the “bright side of history” in fighting previous wars and said it has helped saved thousands of lives in this war with its aid to Kyiv. Canada is home to about 1.4 million people of Ukrainian descent, close to 4 per cent of the population. More than 175,000 Ukrainians have come to Canada since the war started and an additional 700,000 have received approval to come as part of an initiative that supports temporary relocation of those fleeing the war. The initiative allows for an open work permit for three years with pathways to permanent residency and citizenship. In his speech Mr Zelensky linked the suffering of Ukrainians now to the 1930s genocide caused by Stalin, when the Soviet leader was blamed for creating a man-made famine in Ukraine believed to have killed more than 3 million people. He also noted that it was in Edmonton, Canada, where the world’s first monument was erected in 1993 to commemorate the Ukrainian Famine-Genocide. The Ukrainian president expressed hope that a monument would one day be raised in Canada to Ukraine’s victory over Russia’s invasion, “maybe in Edmonton.” “I have a lot of warm words and thanks from Ukraine to you,” Mr Zelensky said in prime minister Justin Trudeau’s office before his speech. “You have helped us on the battlefield, financially and with humanitarian aid. ... Stay with us to our victory.” It is Mr Zelensky’s first visit to Canada since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. He previously addressed the Canadian Parliament virtually after the war started. Mr Trudeau called the visit an opportunity to show Mr Zelensky “how strongly and unequivocally we stand with Ukraine” and announced an additional $650m Canadian (£394m) over three years for 50 armored vehicles that will be built in Canada. “We are shifting our approach to provide multiyear assistance to ensure Ukraine has the predictable support it needs for long term support,” Mr Trudeau said at a news conference. Mr Zelensky and Mr Trudeau also attended a rally in Toronto with the local Ukrainian community late Friday. The visit comes as cracks begin to appear in the united Western front backing Ukraine for the last 19 months of gruelling war against Russia with hard-right Republicans led by Donald Trump becoming increasingly hostile to sending more aid and key partner Poland saying it will no longer send arms to Kyiv. Ukrainian troops are struggling to take back territory that Russia gained over the past year and with no end to war in sight, Mr Zelensky has a hard road ahead to keep the momentum in favour of Kyiv going, a task for which allies like Canada play a key role. Additional reporting by agencies Read More Ukraine-Russia war - live: Putin’s Black Sea navy HQ hit in missile strike as Kyiv breaches frontline defences Cracks in Western wall of support for Ukraine emerge as Eastern Europe and US head toward elections Biden has told Zelensky US will give Ukraine coveted ATACMS long-range missiles, report says Zelensky makes passionate plea to US lawmakers on key Washington visit

Italy is removing children from registers and stopping surrogacy abroad in new rules affecting same-sex couples.

Watch live as Pope Francis arrives in Marseille for a two-day visit on Friday, 22 September. The pontiff will be greeted by French prime minister Elisabeth Borne before leading prayers at the Basilica of Notre Dame de la Garde for migrants who have died crossing the Mediterranean Sea. The trip was months in the planning, but now comes after thousands of migrants arrived on the Italian island of Lampedusa. Almost 130,000 migrants have arrived in Italy so far this year, according to government data, which makes migration a problem for the entire European Union according to Italy's prime minister Giorgia Meloni. The Pope is known for openness towards migrants, but has previously said that they should be shared among the 27 EU countries. He once called their exclusion "scandalous, disgusting and sinful." The pontiff will meet with Emmanuel Macron twice during his visit. The French president is expected to attend a papal Mass on Saturday, which critics say violates strict separation of state and faith, known as laicite. Read More Pope Francis visits Marseille as anti-migrant views grow in Europe with talk of fences and blockades Congo's president wants the large U.N. peacekeeping mission to start leaving the country this year Catholic priests have held a ceremony blessing same-sex couples in defiance of a German archbishop

Ukrainian tanks appeared to have broken through Russia’s final line of defence in western Zaporizhzhia, signalling a major breakthrough for Kyiv’s counteroffensive. A report published by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said Ukrainian armoured vehicles were behind the Russian defence line – known as the Surovikin line – for the first time, and involved in fighting near the village of Verbove in the Zaporizhzhia region. “Ukrainian forces have brought heavy equipment beyond the anti-vehicle ditch and the dragons’ teeth for the first time,” said George Barros, an analyst for ISW, on X, formerly known as Twitter. He added: “Forces have been widening their breach of the lines for the past several weeks and may be preparing for a new push.” The reported breakthrough comes as Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky looked to Canadian’s prime minister Justin Trudeau for further military support, after securing a $325m defence package from US President Joe Biden on Thursday. Some 577 days into the conflict, experts see the ongoing Ukrainian counteroffensive to liberate Zaporizhzhia as the key to breaking Russia’s backbone, and potentially winning the war. If Ukrainian forces maintain and widen the opening within the fortified Surovikin line, it could open the way for its Western tanks and reserve troops to reach the Sea of Azov and effectively cut Russian forces in half. For months, Ukraine’s progress in the region has struggled against the 81-mile line heavily fortified with defensive weapons, including tank traps, minefields and huge concrete blocks designed to stop armoured vehicles. The ISW report’s claims of the armoured vehicle advancement are yet to be confirmed and the Russian-appointed officials in Zaporizhzhia have provided a different picture from the ground. Vladimir Rogov, from the Russian-installed Zaporizhzhia military-civilian administration, told Russian news agency RIA Novosti that Ukrainian soldiers were forced to retreat after a failed assault on the line. “Our attack drones have hit an assault group of Ukrainian militants who tried to break through to our positions on the Orikhiv direction between the villages of Robotyne and Verbove,” he said. Breaking the Surovikin line could have a big impact on the rest of the war, according to military experts such as Sean Bell. He told Sky News this week: “You are never sure what will be the chink that will break the dam, you will never know until the crack emerges and the floodgates open. “The question is whether the Ukrainians then have the stamina and the morale and the equipment to take advantage of it.” The battle to win back territory in the south has been costly for Ukraine over the past few months. There has, however, been progress. Earlier this month, forces captured the village of Robotyne. Since then, Kyiv has focused on breaching and opening a gap in the Surovikin line by moving toward the village of Verbove. This latest reported advancement will be a boost for Mr Zelensky, who on Wednesday accused Russia of weaponising everything from food to energy during an address to the UN General Assembly. Mr Zelensky told world leaders: “While Russia is pushing the world to the final war, Ukraine is doing everything to ensure that after the Russian aggression, no one in the world will dare to attack any nation.” Visiting President Joe Biden in Washington on Thursday, Zelensky secured a fresh $325m aid package that will include air defence systems and other weaponry to help Kyiv face a tough winter. And on Friday, he was meeting Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau as he rallied for further support to Ukrainian war efforts. Read More Ukraine-Russia war - live: Kyiv tanks break through gap in Putin’s final line of defence near Verbove Zelensky heads to Canada after Washington in a first since invasion Zelenskyy to speak before Canadian Parliament in his campaign to shore up support for Ukraine

Conservative ministers have accused the Labour leader of wanting to reverse Brexit.

Volodymyr Zelensky has landed in Canada in his latest North American visit to shore up support from Western allies against Russia’s continuing full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Ukrainian president reached Canada late on Thursday for an unannounced visit shortly after he left Washington and concluded meetings with US president Joe Biden and lawmakers in Washington. He also addressed the UN annual meeting in New York on Wednesday. Mr Zelensky was received by Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau on the tarmac of the Ottawa airport, marking his first visit to the country since Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year. Visuals showed the Ukrainian leader and the country’s first lady Olena Zelenska being warmly greeted by Mr Trudeau as the three shook hands. Mr Zelensky will address the Canadian parliament on Friday as part of his campaign. The war-time president will be joined by Mr Trudeau, who will also deliver a speech. After delivering their speeches, Mr Zelensky and Mr Trudeau are expected to visit Toronto to meet with the local Ukrainian community. The North American nation is home to about 1.4 million people of Ukrainian descent, close to four per cent of their population. Mr Zelensky had previously addressed the Canadian parliament virtually in March 2022 after the invasion began and visited Canada only once before that in 2019. It is important for the Ukrainian leader to see the extent to which Canada supports Kyiv in the war, UN envoy Bob Rae said. “We have done a lot to help him and we need to do more. We are going to continue to do everything we can to support the Ukrainian people,” he said. Despite being under its own duress of military spending, Canada has offered more than 8.9bn Canadian dollars (£5.3bn) to Ukraine during the course of conflict. It is the Trudeau administration’s highest per-capita direct financial aid to Ukraine in the coalition of G7 industrial nations. Security preparations were underway in Canada days before, even as the visit remained unannounced, according to a report by public broadcaster CBC News. Mr Zelensky will likely ask for additional military support during this visit, the report said. Unconditional support for Ukraine has started to thin out as the country heads into another fall and winter of war, but its allies are now forced to debate how many resources they can spare. In Washington, Mr Zelensky had to make a hard pitch for aid, stating that lack of support will result in Ukraine’s loss against Russian forces invading the country. The counteroffensive has seen mixed results in the past few weeks, with slower gains and experts suggest the progress in the next few months can prove to be critical. The battlefield will see rains and turn the ground muddy, making it difficult for tanks to move and ultimately slow down the pace of battle further before a gruelling winter begins. Read More Ukraine-Russia war - live: Kyiv tanks break through gap in Putin’s final line of defence near Verbove Zelensky makes passionate plea to US lawmakers on key Washington visit Zelenskyy to speak before Canadian Parliament in his campaign to shore up support for Ukraine Zelensky says he had ‘very strong dialogue with senators’ after closed-door meeting over Ukraine aid What are Abrams tanks and why is the US sending them to Ukraine?

By Bansari Mayur Kamdar (Reuters) -European shares slipped on Friday and were on track to close a week, packed with

European natural gas prices declined as Chevron Corp. and labor unions in Australia agreed to end strikes at

A hedge fund manager who made a name for himself shorting fossil fuel stocks says the strategy is