Author: staff
On Friday Zelenskyy explained the defense deals in a briefing to journalists. “We have arranged ten-year agreements with three countries,” he said, adding that in return for its combat expertise, Kyiv would receive missile interceptors, financial assistance, and most importantly, supplies of oil and diesel. “In some cases, we receive crude oil that will be delivered to refineries in Europe for processing,” said Zelenskyy. “In others, we are talking about finished products — diesel.” Kyiv is facing a massive fuel shortage, owing to Russia’s persistent targeting of fuel depots and the danger of keeping massive quantities of fuel in a…
Published on 10/04/2026 – 13:29 GMT+2 An Italian arms dealer is being held in jail after pleading guilty to illegally exporting more than $540,000 (€461,000) worth of US ammunition to Russia via Kyrgyzstan, using Italian companies to circumvent export controls, the US Department of Justice revealed. Manfred Gruber, a sales manager at a large Italian firearms distributor, appeared before US Magistrate Judge Taryn A Merkl for the Eastern District of New York on 30 March and admitted to conspiracy to commit export control violations. Prosecutors said Gruber purchased ammunition from US suppliers and re-exported it from Italy to Kyrgyzstan in…
The Pentagon on Thursday denied a report that the Vatican’s US envoy was summoned in January for a “bitter” dressing down over remarks by Pope Leo XIV that were seen as criticising the Trump administration’s use of military force. According to The Free Press, which shares common ownership with CBS News, Cardinal Christophe Pierre was given a “bitter lecture” by US Undersecretary of Defence for Policy Elbridge Colby. Colby reportedly told the Vatican representative that Washington “has the military power to do whatever it wants — and that the Church had better take its side.” The report also claimed a…
Published on 10/04/2026 – 12:08 GMT+2 It welcomes approximately 7 million visitors each year. It has survived two world wars, endless refurbishments, and has played host to more marriage proposals than perhaps any other structure on earth. Now a small piece of the world-famous Eiffel Tower is looking for somewhere quieter to live. An original section of the tower’s spiral staircase – the very steps that carried the first visitors upward when the iconic Parisian monument opened in 1889 – is going under the hammer on 21 May, courtesy of auction house Artcurial. Estimates put the likely sale price at…
France’s current legislation only allows businesses deemed essential, including restaurants, to remain fully open. The owners of nonessential shops can operate on the holiday but only without employees — a rule that several bakeries reportedly breached last year. The controversial measure proposed by conservative party Les Républicains was approved last year in the Senate. President Emmanuel Macron’s party, Renaissance, recently put it on the agenda of the National Assembly, the more powerful lower house of parliament, in a bid to adopt it before May 1 this year. Gabriel Attal, the former prime minister who now leads Macron’s party, has emerged…
Published on 10/04/2026 – 12:31 GMT+2 Ukrainian military personnel have already successfully shot down Iranian Shahed-type drones targeting countries in the Middle East, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed in his first public acknowledgement of Kyiv’s specialists’ first results in the Gulf region. Zelenskyy said Ukrainian experts on the ground are part of a broader Kyiv’s effort “to help partners counter the same weapons used by Russia in Ukraine.” Ukraine’s president made these remarks to reporters on Wednesday, but the briefing content was embargoed until Friday. Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces took part in active operations using domestically produced interceptor drones. “We sent…
Tensions flared further in December when President Vučić snubbed an EU-Western Balkans summit. Vučić, who has maintained close ties with Moscow throughout its war with Ukraine, bemoaned the sluggish pace of negotiations for EU membership. In a joint article with his Albanian counterpart in February he said he would prefer to pursue closer economic alignment with the EU, such as joining the single market and free travel zone, rather than full political membership. Kos rejected those proposals, arguing that significant reforms would still need to be delivered to make that happen. Then, last month, Serbia came under fire over reports…
Pakistan was poised on Friday to host Iranian and US delegations for negotiations in its capital, although Tehran’s participation remained uncertain after an exchange of fire between Israel and Hezbollah threatened this week’s temporary truce. Separately, Israel and Lebanon will hold talks in Washington next week, a US State Department official said, amid mounting international concern that Israel’s bombing campaign on the Tehran-backed Hezbollah militants could shatter the already fragile two-week US-Iran ceasefire. Islamabad was pressing ahead with its preparations for the high-stakes negotiations, which official sources say will canvass several sensitive points, including Tehran’s nuclear enrichment and the free…
Published on 10/04/2026 – 10:06 GMT+2 A well curated wake-up playlist is essential to start the day, as the right choice of tracks can make a morning feel brighter by dispelling the sounds of a blaring alarm clock. Ever wondered what astronauts listen to in the mornings, 406,771 kilometers from Earth? Well, wonder no more. NASA Mission Control uses music to greet astronauts and kick off their day in orbit – a practice which reportedly helps build camaraderie and boost morale among astronauts and ground teams. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has revealed the playlist of wake-up songs handpicked…
KYIV — Russian President Vladimir Putin announced an Orthodox Easter ceasefire in Ukraine, following repeated calls by Kyiv for a pause in hostilities over the holiday period. The ceasefire would start at 4 p.m. on Saturday and last until the end of Sunday, the day Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter, the Kremlin said in a statement late Thursday. “The commander in chief ordered a stop to military actions in all directions for that period of time,” the Kremlin said, adding that it has expectations the Ukrainian side would follow the example of Russia. “At the same time, the troops have to…