Europe
7 killed as Ukraine, Russia trade drone, fire
Ukrainian and Russian forces exchanged drone and artillery fire yesterday, leaving at least seven dead, regional officials on both sides of the frontline announced.
French national library quarantines ‘poisonous’ books
France’s national library said yesterday it had removed four 19th-century books from its shelves whose emerald green covers were likely laced with highly poisonous arsenic.
Macron warns 'mortal' Europe needs credible defence
French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday warned that Europe faced an existential threat from Russian aggression, calling on the continent to adopt a "credible" defence strategy less dependent on the United States
‘I’d rather die than go to Rwanda’
Asylum seekers housed on an accommodation barge on the coast of southern England say they are afraid of being sent to Rwanda, after a controversial proposal for deportation was approved.
282 million people faced acute hunger last year
Food insecurity worsened around the world in 2023, with some 282 million people suffering from acute hunger due to conflicts, particularly in Gaza and Sudan, UN agencies and development groups said yesterday.
Russia orders jail term for Meta spokesman in absentia
A Russian military court yesterday sentenced in absentia Meta spokesman Andy Stone to six years behind bars for “justifying terrorism,” as part of efforts to restrict Western social media platforms in the country.
Russia hits TV tower in Ukraine’s Kharkiv
A Russian air attack on Ukraine’s second biggest city, Kharkiv, hit TV broadcast infrastructure, prompting disruptions with the signal, a local official said.
Queen bumblebees survive underwater for days: study
Queen bumblebees can surprisingly withstand days underwater, according to a study published yesterday, suggesting they could withstand increased floods brought on by climate change that threaten their winter hibernation burrows.
How European trash illegally ends up in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asian countries, including Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia, are facing an influx of illegal waste shipments from industrialized nations, with a considerable amount trafficked from Europe
Astronomers find largest black hole in Milky Way
Astronomers identified the largest stellar black hole yet discovered in the Milky Way, with a mass 33 times that of the Sun, according to a study published yesterday.
Russia orders fresh evacuations in Siberia amid flood fears
Russian authorities yesterday began fresh evacuations from towns and villages in western Siberia threatened by devastating floods that have swept the region and neighbouring Kazakhstan.
6 Ukrainians killed in Russian shelling
Russian shelling killed six people in the eastern Ukraine region of Donetsk, authorities said yesterday, as Moscow’s forces aim to push deeper into the war-battered industrial region.
Nobel-winning 'God particle' physicist Higgs dies aged 94
Higgs used ground-breaking theoretical work to help explain how the Universe has mass, thus resolving one of the greatest puzzles in physics and earning him a place alongside Albert Einstein and Max Planck in textbooks
Record floods triggered by melting snow
Swiftly melting snow triggered the worst recorded flooding in Russia’s Ural Mountains, forcing thousands of people to flee their homes as some of Europe’s biggest rivers swelled to bursting point.
Water level in Russia’s Orsk ‘critical’
A major flood in the Russian city of Orsk forced thousands of people to evacuate, with Moscow reporting a “critical” situation yesterday and warning of danger water levels in Siberia.
4,000 people evacuated
Russia yesterday said it had evacuated 4,000 people in the Orenburg region, in the southern Urals near Kazakhstan, due to flooding after a dam burst.
Russia fired 3,000 bombs at Ukraine in March alone
Russia fired over 3,000 guided aerial bombs, 600 drones and 400 missiles at Ukraine in March alone, President Volodymyr Zelensky said yesterday.
Russia extends detention of US-Russian journo
A Russian court yesterday extended until June 5 the pre-trial detention of US-Russian journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, who faces 15 years in prison on charges of spreading “false information,” according to her employer.
