10 h. ago Spanish PM rejects Nato’s ‘unreasonable’ 5% GDP target for defence spending – Europe live

Pedro Sánchez reportedly says move would be ‘counterproductive’ and harm Spanish economy Earlier today, I cheekily suggested that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is probably wondering how to persuade US president Donald Trump to stay at the Nato summit in The Hague next week long enough to get to discussions on Ukraine and Russia – and not leave early, as he did at the G7 summit.Well, looks like this issue may have actually influenced the planning.“Budapest city hall will organise the Budapest Pride march on 28 June as a city event. Period.” Continue reading...

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11 h. ago Hungarian police say Budapest Pride march banned, but mayor insists it will go ahead – Europe live

The Hungarian ban on the Budapest Pride march comes a day after a debate on the march was held at the European parliamentEarlier today, I cheekily suggested that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is probably wondering how to persuade US president Donald Trump to stay at the Nato summit in The Hague next week long enough to get to discussions on Ukraine and Russia – and not leave early, as he did at the G7 summit.Well, looks like this issue may have actually influenced the planning.“Budapest city hall will organise the Budapest Pride march on 28 June as a city event. Period.” Continue reading...

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13 h. ago Zelenskyy calls for more pressure on Russia after deadly Kyiv missile strike

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is urging greater international pressure on Moscow following a deadly Russian missile strike that hit a Kyiv apartment building this week, killing 23 people

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15 h. ago Putin says he would only meet Zelenskyy in ‘final phase’ of talks – Europe live

Putin’s comments come as fighting continues and Ukraine says Russia avoiding peace talksFor what it’s worth, Russia’s Vladimir Putin said on Thursday he was ready to meet with Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy but only during a “final phase” of negotiations “so as not to sit there and divide things up endlessly, but to put an end to it”.But his broader comments were not really conciliatory, and will do little to raise hopes of a negotiated settlement.“The strikes were carried out against military industries, not residential quarters.” Continue reading...

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23 h. ago Ukraine war briefing: Russia can defend itself, says Putin, as North Korea sends more soldiers

Death toll rises to 28 after Russian attack on Kyiv apartments; Zelenskyy planning to attend Nato summit in The Hague. What we know on day 1,212Vladimir Putin said on Thursday he was ready to meet with Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy but only during a “final phase” of negotiations “so as not to sit there and divide things up endlessly, but to put an end to it”. Putin made his customary false accusation that Zelenskyy is not Ukraine’s legitimate president.In a round-table interview in St Petersburg with international news agencies, Putin said on Nato: “We do not consider any Nato rearmament to be a threat to the Russian Federation, because we are self-sufficient in terms of ensuring our security.” Russia has brought in thousands of North Korean soldiers to help defend Kursk; and has relied on a flood of arms and ammunition from North Korea as well as Iranian drones and missiles to wage war on Ukraine; while also receiving suspected help from China to continue arming a “spec...

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25 h. ago British, German and French foreign ministers plan meeting with Iranian counterpart

The meeting in Geneva would be the first face-to-face diplomatic communication with Iran since Israel’s attackThe foreign ministers of the UK, France and Germany are planning to meet the Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, in what could represent a potential diplomatic breakthrough after five days of Israeli bombing.The meeting is due to take place in Geneva on Friday but final confirmation from Tehran is still pending; if confirmed it would represent the first face-to-face diplomatic meeting since Benjamin Netanyahu launched Israel’s attack on Iran’s military and nuclear sites. Continue reading...

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33 h. ago Death toll from Russian attack on Kyiv rises to 28 – Europe live

More than 130 were injured in Tuesday’s attack on Ukrainian capitalAnd speaking of Russia’s impact on its neighbours, let’s quickly go to Miranda Bryant in the Nordics and see how the region monitors the global threat of war, terror and piracy on seas from its Maritime Cyber Resilience Centre.The European Commission has insisted there will be no return to Russian gas, as it published plans to phase out fossil fuel imports from its eastern neighbour by 2028. Continue reading...

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39 h. ago Europeans may as well start learning Russian if Ukraine does not get more support, Kaja Kallas warns – Europe live

EU foreign policy chief says Russia is a direct threat to Europe and has plan for long term aggressionMeanwhile, Russian president Vladimir Putin is set to take questions from international journalists on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Associated Press reported.Putin scheduled a roundtable session with senior news leaders of international news agencies, including the Associated Press.On Ukraine, the European Union is doing its part here too, not least because Ukraine is Europe’s first line of defence. We know that Russia responds to strength and nothing else.We have to do more for Ukraine, for our own security too.To quote my friend Nato secretary general Mark Rutte: if we don’t help Ukraine further, we should all start learning Russian. Continue reading...

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40 h. ago Ukraine and Europe in limbo after Trump sidelines Zelenskyy at G7 – Europe live

Frustration after US president refuses to make Ukraine a priority at G7 despite appearance of Zelenskyy in CanadaEU’s Kallas continues:On Ukraine, the European Union is doing its part here too, not least because Ukraine is Europe’s first line of defence. We know that Russia responds to strength and nothing else.We have to do more for Ukraine, for our own security too.To quote my friend Nato secretary general Mark Rutte: if we don’t help Ukraine further, we should all start learning Russian.We are living in very dangerous tough times.Russia is already a direct threat to the European Union. Europe’s collective economic might is unmatched. I don’t believe that there is any threat that we can’t overcome if we act together and with our Nato allies. Continue reading...

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49 h. ago Ukraine left in lurch as Trump exits G7 meeting early without meeting Zelenskyy

US president said he had to leave to focus on Israel-Iran conflict, without addressing Russia-Ukraine ceasefireUkrainian diplomats have been left frustrated – and in some cases embittered – at Donald Trump’s refusal to make Ukraine a priority after Volodymyr Zelenskyy flew 5,000 miles to the G7 conference in Canada only for the US president to return home the night before the two leaders were due to meet. Trump said he needed to focus on the Israel-Iran conflict.Some Ukrainian officials said they were not sure now if it will be worth Zelenskyy attending the Nato summit in The Hague next week since there was no guarantee that Trump would attend. Continue reading...

Politics

49 h. ago Ukraine left in lurch as Trump rushes out of G7 without meeting Zelenskyy

US president said he had to leave to focus on Israel-Iran conflict, without addressing Russia-Ukraine ceasefireUkrainian diplomats have been left frustrated – and in some cases embittered – at Donald Trump’s refusal to make Ukraine a priority after Volodymyr Zelenskyy flew 5,000 miles to the G7 conference in Canada only for the US president to return home the night before the two leaders were due to meet. Trump said he needed to focus on the Israel-Iran conflict.In a further blow for Kyiv the US vetoed a joint statement on Ukraine from the summit, on the grounds that the wording was too anti-Russian and could compromise negotiations with Vladimir Putin. Continue reading...

Politics

56 h. ago Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv kills at least 15 people

Volodymyr Zelenskyy calls it ‘one of the most horrific attacks’ on Ukraine’s capital since full-scale war beganUkraine war briefing: Kyiv under Russian drone attack with apartment building hitRussia launched a sustained missile and drone attack on Kyiv in the early hours of Tuesday, killing at least 15 people and wounding 156 in what the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, called “one of the most horrific attacks” on the Ukrainian capital since the full-scale war began in spring 2022.The death toll from what is already the deadliest attack on the capital this year is expected to rise, with several sites across the city struck. At a nine-storey Soviet-era apartment block in the west of Kyiv, an apparent direct missile hit had led to part of the building collapsing, leaving a gaping hole and a pile of rubble in the middle of the block. Continue reading...

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60 h. ago Russia’s ‘unrelenting’ attacks on Ukraine show Putin not interested in peace, EU says, after at least 15 die in Kyiv strike – Europe live

Kaja Kallas says strike in Kyiv one of ‘most devastating’ of war as Zelenskyy accuses world leaders of ‘turning a blind eye’According to the Spanish government, we should soon get a decent idea of what caused the massive and unprecedented blackout that hit the Iberian peninsula at the end of April.The findings of a special committee convened to investigate the episode are due to be made public at a press conference addressed by Spain’s environment minister, Sara Aagesen, at 1 pm Madrid time. Continue reading...

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62 h. ago At least 15 die in Russian strikes on Kyiv in ‘one of most horrific attacks’ of Ukraine war – Europe live

Zelenskyy hits out at Putin and says world leaders ‘turn a blind eye’ after attack in which more than 100 people were woundedRussian strikes on Kyiv kill at least 14US president Donald Trump has repeated his threat to impose pharmaceutical tariffs saying they were “coming very soon” and criticised the EU for not offering a fair deal on trade.His comments, reported by Reuters, come from his brief chat with reporters on board Air Force One, on the way back from the G7 summit in Canada. Continue reading...

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3 d. ago Operation Spiderweb: how Ukraine's drone attack could reshape warfare – video explainer

On 1 June, Ukraine launched a daring attack on Russian military bases, inflicting billions of dollars of damage using inexpensive drones in a secret operation codenamed Spiderweb. Smuggling 117 drones into Russian territory over 18 months, the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, proved he still had cards to play in the war. The Guardian's Russian affairs reporter, Pjotr Sauer, explains how the daring operation will make military commanders across the world rethink national securityOperation Spiderweb: a visual guide to Ukraine’s destruction of Russian aircraft‘He’s a bulldog’: the man behind the success of Ukraine’s Operation SpiderwebUkraine launches major drone attack on Russian bombers, security official says Continue reading...

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3 d. ago Ukraine war briefing: Russian drone factory attacked, 1,000km away in Tatarstan

Factory making Iranian-designed Shahed drones is hit, far from Russia-Ukraine border; Russian strikes damage energy and other civilian facilities in Poltava oblast. What we know on day 1,209See all our Ukraine war coverageUkraine’s military said on Sunday it had attacked a Russian drone factory in the city of Yelabuga in Russia’s Tatarstan region. The target is around 1,000km from Ukraine. The Ukrainian military general staff said the factory produced, tested, and launched drones at Ukraine, in particular against energy and civil infrastructure. Videos on social media showed an explosion said to be at the factory in Yelabuga, also known as Alabuga, which builds Iranian-designed Shahed drones. The Russian local governor confirmed the attack.Russian forces hit the Kremenchuk oil refinery in Ukraine’s Poltava region with missiles and drones, Russia’s defence ministry said on Sunday. Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, denounced the attack on the central Poltava region as a vile s...

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5 d. ago Zelenskyy warns oil price surge could help Russia's war effort

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says rising global oil prices following Israeli strikes on Iran will strengthen Russia by increasing its oil revenues, aiding its war effort in Ukraine

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6 d. ago Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy says troops contesting Russian advance in Sumy

Ukrainian forces ‘pushing back the occupiers’ says president but prevailing assessments show Russian gains. What we know on day 1,206Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Ukrainian forces are pushing back against Russian forces in the border Sumy region where they have established a foothold in recent weeks. “Our units in Sumy region are gradually pushing back the occupiers,” said Ukraine’s president in his nightly video address. “I thank you! Thanks to every soldier, sergeant and officer for this result.”The Ukrainian president provided no further details and offered no proof of Ukrainian advances in the area, and the claim contradicts prevailing assessments of continued Russian gains in Sumy. Russia has seized over 190 sq km (73 sq miles) of the Sumy region in less than a month, according to pro-Ukrainian open-source maps. They have captured more ground in the past days, advancing to around 20km from the city of Sumy’s northern suburbs and rendering it vulnerable to long-range artillery an...

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8 d. ago Ukraine war briefing: Deaths in Kharkiv as Russia continues strikes on civilian targets

Latest prisoner exchange includes Mariupol defenders; European Commission unveils 18th round of sanctions. What we know on day 1,204At least two people were killed and 28 injured in an overnight Russian drone attack on Kharkiv, Ukrainian officials said on Wednesday morning. “Seventeen strikes by enemy UAVs were carried out in two districts of the city this night,” said the Kharkiv mayor, Igor Terekhov. More than 15 apartments were on fire in a five-storey building and several houses were hit. Terekhov added “there may be people trapped under the rubble”.Separately the death toll rose to at least three with 13 wounded after Russia attacked Kyiv and Odesa with waves of drones and missiles early on Tuesday. The civilian targets hit included a maternity ward and a cathedral. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine’s president, voiced his frustration with Donald Trump by calling for “concrete actions” rather than “silence” after seven of the Ukrainian capital’s 10 districts were hit, writes Daniel ...

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9 d. ago Death of the high street job: More than 360,000 retail positions are lost in just a decade

Some 2.76million jobs existed in the UK retail sector in March this year, according to Office for National Statistics data compiled by the British Retail Consortium (BRC).

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