Shortly before being elected leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) in late 2014, Nicola Sturgeon embarked on a rock star-style tour of Scotland, appearing in front of packed audiences around the country, usually illuminated on stage by a row of blazing lights. On Wednesday morning, in the more sedate Georgian surroundings of Bute House, … Read moreSturgeon leaves her party and movement in a state of uncertainty
Ukraine faced its toughest week so far this year on the eastern front, where its defenders lost more ground to Russian forces but committed enormous resources to holding Bakhmut, a coal-mining town that has acquired emblematic importance to both sides. Russian troops have been launching probing attacks on a wide front in Donetsk, half of … Read moreRussia surrounds Bakhmut as Ukraine sends in troops
NATO’s secretary-general has said it is more important that Finland and Sweden join the military alliance quickly rather than at the same time amid tensions between the pair and Turkey, which has refused to ratify the Nordic nations’ membership bids. Speaking before a meeting of NATO defence ministers at the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels on … Read moreNATO chief hints Finland, Sweden could join alliance separately
Almost one year into the Russia-Ukraine war, hundreds of thousands have died and nearly 17.6 million have been left in dire need of humanitarian assistance. While the Ukrainian government remained steadfast in the fight against Russia, Kyiv has also been confronting another enemy that has been gnawing within the country for years: corruption. During the … Read moreUkraine confronts two enemies: Russia and corruption
Car manufacturing giant Ford has said it plans to cut thousands of jobs across Europe over the next three years as part of a global drive to reduce costs and be competitive in the electric vehicle market. Some 3,800 jobs will be axed in total, including 2,300 at the United States-based carmaker’s Cologne and Aachen … Read moreFord to slash thousands of Europe jobs as it eyes electric future
Valentine’s Day, named after a Christian saint, may now be marked in countries around the world but traditions are often very different – and sometimes have nothing at all to do with romance. While in Europe it is all about couples celebrating their relationship, in the United States it is as much about schoolchildren marking … Read moreValentine’s Day celebrations around the world
Ukraine’s allies are in a race against time to produce enough ammunition, fuel, and spare parts to thwart an offensive by Russian forces that NATO’s chief says is already under way. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has again urged Ukraine’s Western allies to ramp up their military support. Asked Monday when he expects Russia’s so-called spring … Read moreUkraine: NATO in logistics ‘race’ as Russian offensive begins
“It feels like a big injustice,” says 40-year-old Helen Bone as she sips tea in her kitchen in Middlesbrough, in England’s northeast. In 2021, Helen was diagnosed with mesothelioma – an incurable cancer the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) says is overwhelmingly linked to exposure to asbestos, a carcinogenic mineral that has been part … Read moreA long and lethal legacy: In the shadow of asbestos in the UK
Protesters held a sometimes restive fourth round of nationwide demonstrations across France against President Emmanuel Macron’s plans to reform the country’s pension system. More than 960,000 people marched in Paris, Nice, Marseille, Toulouse, Nantes and other cities on Saturday, according to the interior ministry. In Paris, authorities counted some 93,000 participants, the most to demonstrate … Read moreNearly one million French march as pension protests continue
Cyprus voters have elected the former Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides as the next president of the small European Union member state, with his rival conceding defeat and congratulating him. Christodoulides, 49, defeated fellow diplomat Andreas Mavroyiannis with 51.9 percent of the vote compared to 48.1 percent on the divided Mediterranean island on Sunday. Mavroyiannis, 66, … Read moreEx-foreign minister Christodoulides wins Cyprus presidential vote