6 h. ago Extreme snowfall buries towns in Far East Russia after worst blizzards in decades

The cold snap disrupted transport across the region, closing roads in China, stranding air travellers in Japan and leaving parts of Russia paralysed.

Politics

29 h. ago Russia reeling from ‘snow apocalypse’ as biggest snowfall in 60 years buries Kamchatka

Russia's far-east region of Kamchatka is recovering after a "snow apocalypse" hit the area during its biggest snowfall in 60 years.

Politics

1 week ago Ending the war in Ukraine has more support than ever. So why is peace still not in sight? | Gwendolyn Sasse

The Paris declaration by the ‘coalition of the willing’ supports a nonexistent ceasefire that remains at the mercy of Russian intransigenceGwendolyn Sasse is director of the Centre for East European and International StudiesAn end to Russia’s war against Ukraine is still not in sight. The frequency of high-level meetings of Ukrainian, US and European representatives in recent weeks, as well as the intermittent US-Russia exchanges, have not changed this fundamental reality. There is no ceasefire in place, European and US military support is not confirmed and, most importantly, Russia does not want the war to end.The latest talks in Paris managed to bring 35 countries of the “coalition of the willing” together. The core objective was to advance the principle, and implementation, of security guarantees for a future ceasefire. The participation of the US alongside European leaders and a wider coalition of partners was noteworthy. However, the actual result remains vague.Gwendolyn Sasse ...

Events

1 week ago Newborn Scots baby makes first journey home being towed by tractor through heavy snow

Gracie Ballantine, 31, was snowed in at the worst possible time after blizzards hit the north of the country earlier this week - with her due to give birth any day.

Politics

1 week ago Two oil tankers under US sanctions sailing through Channel towards Russia

Aria and Tia both south of Britain after US-UK seizure of Marinera, deemed to be part of Moscow’s ‘shadow fleet’Two oil tankers under US sanctions are sailing east through the Channel towards Russia, prompting speculation over whether the US and UK would be willing to seize further vessels linked to Moscow.The Aria and the Tia, which has changed its name and country of registration several times, were both travelling south of Britain a day after the Marinera oil tanker was captured in the Atlantic by the US with UK help. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago ‘The hidden engine room’: how amateur historians are powering genealogical research

Wealth of datasets compiled as private passions are now a goldmine for those hunting for their ancestorsThe autumn sunlight is filtering through quietly falling leaves as Louise Cocker stands in front of the gravestone of James Henry Payne and takes a quick photograph. Payne died at the age of 73 in October 1917 and was buried in the Norfolk town of North Walsham, along with his wife Eleanor and son James Edward, who was killed in the Battle of Vimy Ridge in April 1917. “Not lost”, reads the simple slab, “but gone before”.This is far from the first Norfolk gravestone Cocker, 53, has photographed – in fact, over 24 years, she has captured almost half a million of them, driving around the county on her weekends and days off from her job in the local Lidl supermarket. As a result, she has produced a remarkable dataset of 615,000 names – many graves contain more than one person – which experts consider one of the most comprehensive photographic records of gravestones and memorials in En...

Politics

4 w. ago US and Ukraine edge closer to joint plan to end war – with Moscow’s response uncertain

Ukraine accepts principle of demilitarised zone in east, while insisting Russia make similar concessions in pulling back forcesWashington and Kyiv have edged closer to a jointly agreed formula to end the war in Ukraine amid continuing uncertainty over Moscow’s response and a number of unresolved issues.Revealing the latest status of the peace talks, brokered by Washington, Ukraine’s president, Volodmyr Zelenskyy, appeared to have secured several important concessions from earlier versions of the now slimmed-down plan after intense talks with the US negotiating team. Continue reading...

Events