6 d. ago Concern that Ukraine will be split up casts shadow over reconstruction talks

Leaders meet in Rome amid forecasts that more than a third of rebuild costs could fall to Russia if Ukraine concedes landEver-escalating Russian drone attacks and the concern that Ukraine will be split up under a future peace plan have cast a shadow over a meeting of European leaders to plan for the eventual reconstruction of the country.The conference is the fourth in this format and is being attended by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Germany’s Friedrich Merz, Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and Poland’s Donald Tusk. It comes at a time of unprecedented pressure on the Ukrainian economy as Vladimir Putin widens his targets across Ukraine, deploying record numbers of long-range drones. Continue reading...

Politics

6 d. ago ‘It’s the only thing between me and a divorce!’ The remarkable rise of the big family planner

Many households would descend into chaos without somewhere to jot down work commitments, after-school activities, birthdays, holidays, anniversaries But do you run the planner, or does the planner run you?Our wall planner is pinned on to a large cork board in the kitchen. Structured month by month in rows, it is parma violet, coral pink and butter yellow, and huge – a good metre long, almost the size of the table beneath it.I bought mine online after a friend, who keeps hers Blu-Tacked by her front door, told me half-jokingly: “It’s the only thing between me and a divorce.” Ours is not quite so important. Still, as I wield my felt-tip pen, marking up school plays and holidays with our weird, inscrutable code, I do feel calmer. As if I’m scooping out my brain and smearing it all over the paper, leaving me free to track down more stuff to fill it with. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Hamas close to accepting proposed Gaza ceasefire deal, say sources

Group said to want stronger guarantees of permanent end to war as Netanyahu prepares to meet Trump in USHamas leaders are close to accepting a proposed deal for a ceasefire in Gaza but want stronger guarantees that any pause in hostilities would lead to a permanent end to the 20-month war, sources close to the group have said.Hamas officials on Friday issued a statement confirming they were talking to other “Palestinian factions” before formally announcing a response to discuss new ceasefire proposals already accepted by Israel. Continue reading...

Economics

1 week ago Hamas officials meet to discuss proposed Gaza ceasefire deal

Militant group said to want stronger guarantees of permanent end to war as Netanyahu prepares to meet Trump in USMiddle East crisis – live updatesHamas leaders are close to accepting a proposed deal for a ceasefire in Gaza but want stronger guarantees that any pause in hostilities would lead to a permanent end to the 20-month war, sources close to the group have said.Hamas officials met on Thursday in Istanbul to discuss the ceasefire proposals and later issued a statement confirming they were talking to other “Palestinian factions” before formally announcing a response. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Rival leaders in Cyprus will meet informally with UN chief this month

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres will bring the rival leaders of ethnically divided Cyprus together again following a “constructive atmosphere” during an earlier meeting aimed at reviving stalled peace talks

Politics

2 w. ago City leaders meet to discuss safety measures following stabbings in New London

City leaders meet to discuss safety measures following stabbings in New London  NBC Connecticut

Politics

2 w. ago EU leaders seek a big boost in Ukraine military support but make little progress on Russia sanctions

European Union leaders are calling for greater efforts to help meet Ukraine’s pressing military needs

Events

3 w. ago Putin's 'Doomsday Radio' spews out weird coded messages as NATO leaders meet

Russia's 'Doomsday Radio' began broadcasting a series of cryptic messages as world leaders including Keir Starmer, Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump met at a crucial NATO summit

Politics

3 w. ago Trump praises Nato leaders’ ‘historic’ agreement to hike defence spending

Prime minister Keir Starmer said this week’s Nato summit had sent a ‘decisive message to aggressors’ as allies ramped up their defence spending

Politics

3 w. ago LIZZY BUCHAN: 'I was at the NATO summit as Keir Starmer delivered chilling warning on threats to Britain'

At the NATO summit, Keir Starmer addressed the grim message in the National Security Strategy that Brits need to prepare for the threat of war on home soil

Events

3 w. ago Ukrainian President Zelenskyy sidelined as NATO leaders meet to agree defense spending boost

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is looking on from the sidelines as NATO leaders meet to agree a significant boost in defense spending that is spurred by Russian aggression

Politics

3 w. ago Trump REFUSES to commit to NATO Article Five clause as alliance leaders desperately try to win him over

Article Five is a founding principle of the NATO military alliance, requiring allies to treat an attack against one as an attack against all.

Politics

3 w. ago ‘Another big success’: Nato leader flatters Trump before The Hague summit

Mark Rutte is keen to ensure US president’s support and secure agreement among members on defence spendingIn The Hague, the Nato summit waits for Donald Trump – and no one more so than the alliance’s secretary general, Mark Rutte. “You are flying into another big success,” Rutte wrote in a text on Tuesday, one of several released shortly afterwards by a hyperactive Trump as he travelled across the Atlantic in Air Force One.The sycophantic messages from the Dutchman had compared Nato’s plan to dramatically increase defence spending to the US bombing of Iran’s nuclear sites over the weekend: “Congratulations and thank you for your decisive action in Iran, that was truly extraordinary, and something no one else dared to do.” Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Trump shows off fawning message from NATO chief praising him for Iran strikes after ceasefire rant: Live updates

LIVE UPDATES: Donald Trump warned the warring sides to 'please not violate' the ceasefire last night, declaring that it marked a new chapter of 'world peace'.

Events

3 w. ago Trump ‘flying into big success’ at Nato summit, claims Rutte who praises his ‘decisive action’ in Iran – Europe live

US president shares screenshot of congratulatory text message from Nato chief as he travels to summit in The HagueAnalysis: Summit set to be triumphant for Trump but deflating for UkraineWhittaker also says that he is expecting US president Donald Trump “might deliver some remarks” on his views on the summit, as he stresses that “we need to make sure that everyone’s investing in the common defence of the Alliance.”“I don’t want to sort of steal what he might say, nor do I claim to be able to read his mind and know what he’s going to say. But I think he has demonstrated through, again, decisive action leading to peace.”“And again, that’s good for Europe, because there’s been a lot of irregular flows of migrants through Europe, from the Middle East because of the instability. And so hopefully, with Syria now appearing to be stable, with Iran, maybe in check a little more than they had been, I think we could really see a generational moment here where the Middle East is more stable tha...

Politics

3 w. ago Trump shows off fawning message from NATO chief praising him for 'extraordinary' Iran strikes after F

LIVE UPDATES: Donald Trump warned the warring sides to 'please not violate' the ceasefire last night, declaring that it marked a new chapter of 'world peace'.

Politics

3 w. ago Armed by America: how Europe’s militaries depend on the US – a visual analysis

The EU wants independence on defence but it is buying thousands of weapons from the US each yearEuropean leaders will meet with Donald Trump at a Nato summit on Tuesday, as the alliance prepares to approve a significant boost to defence spending. A new target for every member to spend 5% of GDP – more than double Nato’s current benchmark – marks a major win for the US president, who has long railed against America footing the bill for Europe’s security.That concern is now increasingly mutual. European governments are pursuing an unprecedented push for military independence, amid fears the US is no longer a reliable ally. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago Keir Starmer to meet Volodymyr Zelensky in UK after leader's dire Putin warning

Volodymyr Zelensky is set to hold talks with the Prime Minister in the UK, hours after at least seven people were killed in Russian air and drone strikes in Kyiv

Events

3 w. ago Iran says it will Vladimir Putin just hours after Donald Trump's nuke sites attacks

Iranian officials have confirmed they will now meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin following several missile strikes sent over from the US in the early hours

Politics

3 w. ago Iran says it will meet Vladimir Putin just hours after Donald Trump's nuke sites attacks

Iranian officials have confirmed they will now meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin following several missile strikes sent over from the US in the early hours

Politics