List of All Articles with Tag 'europe'

President Joe Biden is weighing a trip to Israel, adding to the US diplomatic push after Secretary of

A Russian governor who said that Moscow had not prepared for its invasion of Ukraine and did not “need” the continuing war has been reported to the police. Natalya Komarova, a member of president Vladimir Putin’s governing United Russia party and the governor of Russian Khanty-Masiysk region, on Saturday criticised the conflict that has stretched to nearly 600 days during a meeting with residents of the Siberian city of Nizhnevartovsk. Ms Komarova was confronted by the wife of a mobilised Russian man fighting in Ukraine who had asked why her husband was not provided with the necessary equipment to fight. “Are you asking me (why your husband does not have equipment) knowing that I’m the governor and not the minister of defence?” the official said. She added: “As a whole, we did not prepare for this war. We don’t need it. We were building a completely different world, so in this regard, there will certainly be some inconsistencies and unresolved issues,” according to a video of the event posted on social media. The comments, captured on video, were circulated widely online and prompted pro-war activists to condemn Ms Komarova for “discrediting Russia’s armed forces”. A letter has been sent to Russia’s minister of internal affairs by the director of a Siberian non-profit organisation, Yuri Ryabtsev, asking the ministry to further investigate Ms Komarova’s comments, reported Russian news outlet Sibir.Realii, stating that its journalists had seen the letter. An activist has also filed a report with the local police, demanding Ms Komarova be held accountable under Russia’s Code of Administrative Offences for “discrediting” the army, the news outlet reported. The Russian politician has not issued any fresh remarks on the issue. Russia approved a law last year making it illegal to describe the conflict in Ukraine as a “war” or an “invasion” by Russia. Mr Putin called it a “special military operation” when he ordered the attack on Ukraine in February last year, and the law has been used to compel Russian media, businesses and citizens to follow suit, as well as to penalise critics of the war. The legislation also outlaws “disparaging” the military and the spread of "false information" about Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Several critics of the war have already been handed fines or jail terms under the law, while experts say it has made it increasingly difficult to gauge levels of public support for the invasion. Sasha Skochilenko, an artist and musician with serious health issues, was arrested in April last year for replacing supermarket price tags with antiwar slogans, charged with spreading false information about the military. Former FSB agent and battlefield commander Igor Girkin, known as a prominent Russian hardline nationalist, was detained on charges of extremism in July this year after he accused Mr Putin of weakness and indecision in Ukraine. Russia media have been extensively covering the Ukraine conflict yet at the same time prohibited from calling it a “war”, while protesters using that word on placards are hit with steep fines. Independent news sites have been blocked, as were Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. A prominent radio station has been taken off the air, and the Novaya Gazeta newspaper, led by 2021 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dmitry Muratov, has also lost its licence. Read More Ukraine-Russia war – live: Putin suffers serious losses in largest offensive in months As the conflict in Israel rages on, the world must not forget about Ukraine Putin's visit to Beijing underscores China’s economic and diplomatic support for Russia Ukraine’s Avdiivka ‘completely ablaze’ as Russia pounds city for fourth straight day Could Putin be arrested? President to leave Russia for first time since international arrest warrant issued

Russia has lost 127 tanks, 239 armoured personnel vehicles (APVs) and 161 artillery systems in a week, Kyiv has said as Vladimir Putin launches a sustained assault in the east of Ukraine. Moscow’s forces lost eight tanks, 25 APVs and 33 artillery systems in the past day, Ukraine’s General Staff said on Sunday. The Independent cannot independently confirm Kyiv’s numbers which come after Putin claimed Ukraine‘s counteroffensive “completely failed”. “As for the counteroffensive, which is allegedly stalling, it has failed completely,” Putin said in video remarks posted to social media by a Kremlin journalist Pavel Zarubin. Russia currently controls about 17.5% of Ukrainian territory and a four-month-old Ukrainian counteroffensive this year has resulted in almost no net territorial gains. Read More Putin's visit to Beijing underscores China’s economic and diplomatic support for Russia As the conflict in Israel rages on, the world must not forget about Ukraine Biden insists US can back two wars at the same time in Israel and Ukraine

Brussels had been deeply worried about this election, even if little was said in public.

Right-wing Law and Justice leads, the poll suggests, but may struggle to secure a third term.

The US and its allies are ratcheting up efforts to prevent the war between Israel and Hamas from

The social media firm lists what it is doing to tackle misinformation after a warning by the EU.

Vladimir Putin has claimed Ukraine‘s counteroffensive “completely failed” as Russia carries out a sustained assault in the east of the country. Russia currently controls about 17.5% of Ukrainian territory and a four-month-old Ukrainian counteroffensive this year has resulted in almost no net territorial gains, according to analysis of the territory held by Russia. While Ukraine took back territory taken by Russia last year, the Ukrainian army has struggled to penetrate Russian lines which have been bolstered with mine fields and thousands of extra Russian troops. “As for the counteroffensive, which is allegedly stalling, it has failed completely,” Putin said in video remarks posted to social media by a Kremlin journalist Pavel Zarubin. “The opposing side is preparing new active offensive operations. We see it and we know it,” Putin said when asked about the battle for the eastern Ukrainian town of Avdiivka. Both Russia and the United States have described the upsurge of fighting around Avdiivka as a new Russian offensive. Two civilians were killed in Russian attacks on the eastern Ukrainian town of Avdiivka on Saturday, according to Donetsk officials. Read More IOC suspends Russian Olympic Committee for incorporating Ukrainian sports regions French police probe ‘poisoning’ of TV journalist who denounced Putin’s war live on air Russia loses vote to rejoin UN’s top human rights body despite Putin’s charm offensive with stolen grain Putin scales up attack on key town in eastern Ukraine as three dead in drone strikes on Russia

Rockets were fired at Tel Aviv and southern Israel overnight, and the Israel Defense Forces attacked targets in

The Israeli army said it’s making preparations for “significant ground operations” in Gaza, a week after Hamas militants

The Qatari group led by Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad J.J. Al Thani has withdrawn its bid to buy

Changing attitudes to work since the pandemic and sluggish business investment have hit the UK’s economic capacity and