1 hour ago ‘It’s a robot war’: eastern Ukraine faces onslaught of Russian glide bombs, rockets and kamikaze drones

Putin has escalated strikes on Donetsk region and is likely to demand Ukraine hands it over in talks with TrumpNataliya Petrovna pointed to a crater on the edge of a football field. Around it lay bits of twisted metal. From nearby came loud banging as residents fixed plywood to their damaged five-storey apartment block. Many of its windows were broken. “The last few days have been terrible. We could hear the drones buzzing over us. The one that exploded near the school opposite was a Russian Shahed. Maybe some kind of new type,” she said.Petrovna lives in the eastern garrison city of Kramatorsk, in Donetsk province, about 15 miles from the frontline. The distance is just beyond the range of Russian first-person view (FPV) drones, at least for now. But it is easily reachable by other kinds of enemy objects. They include air-dropped glide bombs, Grad rockets and unmanned kamikaze drones – now cruising Ukraine’s skies in overwhelming numbers. Continue reading...

Events

37 h. ago Scottish city called 'an urban wanderer’s delight' named country's pub capital

A Scottish town has been named country's top pub city, boasting nine pubs per square mile, far ahead of Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Politics

44 h. ago Arthur’s Seat fire live: Blaze at Edinburgh landmark likely started by human activity, fire chief says

Firefighters are still at the scene of the Scottish landmark and have told people to stay away from the area, with the hill being popular among tourists

Events

47 h. ago Arthur’s Seat fire live: Firefighters tackle blaze at Edinburgh landmark throughout the night

People advised to avoid area, with Scottish landmark popular among tourists

Events

58 h. ago Edinburgh fire live: Arthur’s Seat in flames with smoke seen for miles across city

People advised to avoid area, with Scottish landmark popular among tourists

Events

62 h. ago Arthur's Seat fire LIVE: Iconic Edinburgh landmark burning as huge blaze seen across capital

Fire crews are at the scene of a suspected wildfire in Edinburgh.

Events

62 h. ago Arthur's Seat fire LIVE: Iconic Edinburgh landmark burning as four fire crews battle flames

Fire crews are at the scene of a suspected wildfire in Edinburgh.

Events

62 h. ago Edinburgh fire LIVE: Arthur's Seat up in flames as people 'flee down hill'

A major fire has broken out on Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh with people seeing fleeing down the hill to avoid the flames currently blazing across the iconic landmark

Events

8 d. ago This hidden corner of Edinburgh has pretty bakeries, independent book stores and some of the hottest restaurants in the city

Just a mile downhill along the cobbled roads from the city's main attractions is Stockbridge, which has quietly been having a glow up. Emma Henderson visits the bars, pubs, independent shops, green spaces and some of the newest culinary offerings to discover why it’s worth wandering over

Politics

9 d. ago ‘Poetry pulled me out of the abyss’: keeping culture alive in Kharkiv – picture essay

Eastern Ukraine’s biggest city is unsettlingly close to the Russian border and vulnerable to missile strikes, but there is a determination to maintain a cultural life, and a poetry festival is testament to the resilience and creativity of its peopleThe city of Kharkiv, just 18 miles from the Russian border, is a paradoxical mix of tended-to and broken. Public sculptures are wrapped and coddled in sandbags to protect them from missiles. Flowerbeds in parks are punctiliously maintained. The life of the streets is several notches quieter than you would expect from a European country’s second city – and yet, bookshops, coffee shops and restaurants are open and doing a steady business.People browsing the books at Pochaina market Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Freewheeling family fun in the Netherlands: a cycling and camping trip along the Maas river

The Maasroute is the ideal entry-level, multiday bike trip for young children – flat with plenty of riverside cafes, family-friendly campsites and ice-cream stops en routeAs early as I can remember, I’ve always got a thrill out of poring over a map, tracing wavy river lines with my fingers, roads that connect and borders that divide – all the routes I could take. The freedom of heading out on my bike and not knowing where I’m going to pitch my tent that night. Now that my children are aged seven and nine, I wanted to introduce them to the liberation of this kind of adventure. They adore a day out on their bikes, but this was to be our first multiday bike trip as a family of four, so it was crucial to find a route easy and fun enough to captivate them.The Maasroute follows the course of the Maas River as it meanders for 300 miles (484km) through the Netherlands, from the inland city of Maastricht to the Hook of Holland, then loops back to Rotterdam. It forms part of the much longer M...

Politics

4 w. ago Manchester City £1bn Puma deal explained as another major milestone edges closer

Manchester City have extended their partnership with Puma until 2035 at the value of £100m per season

Economics