14 h. ago Ukraine war briefing: Russia unleashes attack on energy infrastructure, triggering power cuts

Ukrainian minister says Moscow is ‘massively attacking’ grid; Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russian troops gathering near north-eastern city. What we know on day 1,354See all our Russia-Ukraine war coverage Continue reading...

Events

38 h. ago Ukraine war briefing: Ukrainian court jails Russian soldier for killing PoW in landmark sentence

The soldier is the first to be jailed for such a crime after being found guilty of shooting dead a Ukrainian soldier who had surrendered in Zaporizhzhia region. What we know on day 1,353See all our Russia-Ukraine war coverageA Ukrainian court has sentenced a Russian soldier to life in prison after finding him guilty of killing a Ukrainian prisoner of war – the first time Ukraine has jailed a suspect on such charges. The court in the south-eastern city of Zaporizhzhia found Dmitry Kurashov, 27, guilty of shooting dead Vitalii Hodniuk, a Ukrainian soldier who had surrendered in January 2024 when his dugout was captured by Russian forces. Kurashov, who was taken prisoner by Ukrainian forces along with other Russian troops soon after and pleaded guilty in court, although he later told reporters he was innocent and wanted to be exchanged in a prisoner swap. He told Reuters after the ruling on Thursday that he did not plan to appeal. The Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office said criminal...

Events

62 h. ago Ukraine war briefing: Bulgaria moves to seize Russian refinery while Poland seeks to be US gas conduit

Lukoil’s Burgas plant is Bulgaria’s only refinery; Slovakia running out of reasons to buy Russian gas as US import deal takes shape. What we know on day 1,352Bulgaria is preparing to seize control of Lukoil’s Burgas oil refinery and sell it to a new owner after the Russian oil company came under US sanctions, according to Bulgarian media reports. Burgas is Bulgaria’s only oil refinery and as part of Lukoil is at risk of having to shut down because of the sanctions. The US joined Britain last month in imposing sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies, Lukoil and Rosneft, over Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine. Legislation was being drafted to allow the seizure, Bulgarian outlet Mediapool reported on Wednesday. Lukoil said last week that it was moving to sell foreign assets because of the sanctions.With international action progressively choking off Russia’s petroleum exports, Poland said on Wednesday that it was working on a deal to import liquefied natural gas from the US to su...

Events

3 d. ago Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy visits troops near embattled Pokrovsk

Deep Ukrainian drone strikes hit petrochemical plant 1,300km inside Russia and Lukoil refinery east of Moscow. What we know on day 1,351 Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited troops in the Pokrovsk area of Donetsk oblast on Tuesday. “I met with our warriors at the command post of the 1st Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine Azov, which is conducting a defensive operation in the Dobropillya sector,” said the Ukrainian president, referring to a town about 20km (12 miles) from Pokrovsk.Russian forces had pushed further into Pokrovsk and its environs, though much of it remained beyond firm control of either side, mapping by the Ukrainian project DeepState indicated on Tuesday. “The situation remains critical,” said Deepstate, adding that in some districts Russian forces were digging in and building up positions.The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in its most recent assessment at time of writing, posted on 3 November: “Russian forces continue to advance in the Pokrovsk direction and ap...

Events

4 d. ago UK weather set to be a total washout with 18 hours of heavy rain and power cut fears

The Met Office has put numerous yellow weather warnings in place across the country. Forecasters are warning there could be chaos on the roads as well as power cuts

Politics

5 d. ago Ukraine war briefing: Trump ‘not really’ considering supplying Tomahawks

Turkish refineries cut back on Russian oil in response to sanctions; Ukrainian special forces join defence of embattled Pokrovsk. What we know on day 1,349Donald Trump said on Sunday he was not really considering supplying Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. Asked about it by a reporter aboard Air Force One, Trump responded: “No, not really.” Reports in recent days said the Pentagon had told the White House that the US stockpile of Tomahawks was sufficient to be able to supply them to Ukraine.Ukraine has been seeking the Tomahawk missiles to carry out long-range strikes against Russia, but without them has still been able to wage a successful campaign using its own drones and missiles against Russian military and strategic targets such as oil depots and refineries. A Ukrainian drone attack struck Russia’s Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea on Sunday, causing a fire and damaging two ships, according to Russian authorities. Russian airports in nearby regions also had to be...

Politics

6 d. ago Ukraine deploys special forces to Pokrovsk in effort to hold key city

Escalating battle for city comes as overnight Russian drone and missile strikes kill six people, including two childrenUkraine has deployed special forces to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an intense Russian assault involving thousands of troops, Kyiv’s top commander has said.The escalating battle in the strategically important city comes as an overnight wave of Russian drone and missile attacks on Ukraine killed six people, including two children, and cut power to tens of thousands, officials said on Sunday. Continue reading...

Politics

6 d. ago Ukraine war briefing: Ukraine says its troops still holding out in embattled Pokrovsk

Ukraine military says it has improved positions in several districts, while Moscow says its troops are enclosing in on Ukrainian forces. What we know on day 1,348Ukraine’s top military commander said his troops were still holding out in the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk, which Moscow said its forces were at last enclosing in a pincer movement after more than a year of fighting. “We are holding Pokrovsk,” Ukraine’s army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Facebook on Saturday. “A comprehensive operation to destroy and dislodge enemy forces from Pokrovsk is ongoing.” Ukraine’s military said that it had improved its positions in some districts. Kyiv is raising the number of its assault troops in the area, the 7th Rapid Response Corps said on Facebook, adding that the situation remained “difficult and dynamic”. Capturing Pokrovsk, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk”, would be the most important Russian territorial gain inside Ukraine since Moscow took the ruined city of Avdiivka in early 2...

Events

7 d. ago Ukraine war briefing: Russian attacks on substations are ‘nuclear terrorism’, says Ukraine

Ukrainian foreign ministry says deliberate strikes on civilian energy facilities violate international law as fears of a winter crisis grow. What we know on day 1,347Ukraine’s foreign ministry has denounced what it described as Russian attacks on substations critical to supplying external power for Ukraine’s nuclear power stations. Russia has carried out “targeted strikes on such substations”, a ministry statement issued late on Friday said. “Deliberate strikes on civilian energy facilities that directly affect the safe operation of nuclear installations bear the hallmarks of nuclear terrorism and constitute a grave violation of international humanitarian law,” it added.The foreign ministry referred to a statement issued on Thursday by the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, reporting military activity “that has led to damage to substations critical to nuclear safety and security in Ukraine”. The IAEA statement reported incidents near two nuclear plants – So...

Events

1 week ago Met Office tells Brits in 6 areas to prepare essential items with 3 key things

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for six parts of the UK - people are being told they could experience power cuts and are advised to prepare essential items

Politics

1 week ago Ukraine war briefing: Moscow under drone siege for third night running

EU edges towards using ‘reparations loan’ using Russian frozen assets; Kremlin pressing ahead with year-round conscription. What we know on day 1,344Ukraine sent drones towards Moscow for the third consecutive night, closing airports, Russian authorities said late on Tuesday. Rosaviatsiya, the air transport watchdog, said Moscow’s Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky airports had flights halted or restricted. Russia usually says all incoming drones were destroyed, regardless of the outcome, and typically gives limited details about the effects of Ukrainian strikes unless civilians or civilian infrastructure are hit. Over the previous two nights, Russia’s defence ministry said there were 35 Ukrainian drones destroyed over the Moscow region. Ukraine says its long-range drone strikes of recent months on Moscow and other Russian regions are aimed at hitting military and industrial assets, damaging Russia’s war economy and bringing the conflict home to Russians.Ukraine also launched se...

Events

1 week ago Hurricane Melissa makes landfall in Jamaica with 185mph winds as thousands flee homes

Britons urged to alert Foreign Office of presence on island as ‘trillions of gallons’ of water set to fall amid power cuts

Politics

1 week ago Wind power has cut £104bn from UK energy costs since 2010, study finds

Reduction comes from energy generated from windfarms and lower cost of gas owing to lower demandWind power has cut at least £104bn from energy costs in the UK since 2010, a study has found.Users of gas have been among the biggest beneficiaries, the research suggested. Continue reading...

Economics

1 week ago Ukraine war briefing: Russian drones hunt civilians in crime against humanity, UN inquiry finds

Ukraine strengthens Pokrovsk positions amid infiltration by estimated 200 Russian troops; Lukoil selling overseas assets after US sanctions. What we know on day 1,343 Continue reading...

Events

1 week ago Jamaicans take shelter as Hurricane Melissa bears down as category 5 storm

Landfall is not expected until Tuesday but high winds have already felled trees and caused power cuts on the islandHurricane Melissa – follow latest updates liveJamaicans have started to take shelter from Hurricane Melissa as high winds topple trees and cause power cuts before the category 5 storm makes landfall on Tuesday.The slow-moving giant, the strongest hurricane to hit Jamaica since records began in 1851, is increasing in intensity and forecast to linger over the island. Authorities fear it will unleash catastrophic flooding, landslides and extensive infrastructure damage. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant reconnected to external power from Ukraine

Move ends month-long reliance on backup generators after power line was cut in SeptemberRussian engineers have reconnected the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to external electrical power from Ukraine, ending a month-long emergency that had plunged the future of the six-reactor site into doubt.Ukrainian sources told the Guardian that Russian technicians had hoped to connect Europe’s biggest nuclear plant – which had been relying on backup generators since its last external power line was cut in September – to power from the Russian grid on 7 October as a birthday present for Vladimir Putin. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Storm Benjamin batters Britain: Heavy rain and 75mph winds bring misery for commuters as weather warnings and flood alerts covering millions of people come into force

The Met Office has issued four yellow weather warnings for up to two inches of rain and 75mph gusts from the storm - with flooding, power cuts and travel disruption all set to impact the UK today.

Events

2 w. ago Storm Benjamin danger to life 70mph wind warnings come into force

The conditions may lead to flooding, power cuts and travel disruption

Events

2 w. ago Youth who led Madagascar protests hope coup leader will continue to hear them as president

Last week’s military coup in Madagascar followed weeks of protests by youth angry about a lack of opportunity, poverty, and regular power and water cutoffs in the sprawling African island nation

Politics

2 w. ago Britain braces for Storm Benjamin: Up to two inches of rain will fall within HOURS as map reveals where 75mph winds could hit today

Swathes of the UK are bracing for travel disruption, flooding, power cuts and damage to buildings ahead of the arrival of Storm Benjamin on Thursday.

Events