Russian private army Wagner has claimed that it has captured Bakhmut in the east of Ukraine. However, this was dismissed as inaccurate by Ukrainian officials who stated that fighting within the city is ongoing, with scraps of land still under Ukrainian control. Heavy fighting resulted in the destruction of large parts of Bakhmut, where the longest and costliest battle of the almost 15-month long Russian-Ukrainian conflict occurred. Russian head of Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, reportedly taunted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Joe Biden by saying "kiss [Biden] on the top of his head, say hi to him from me."
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko has warned against the possibility of the West supplying Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets, saying that the decision carries “colossal risks”. Ukraine has long sought these more advanced aircraft to replace its obsolete Soviet-era fleet, while Western countries have been holding back in their support because it risks escalating its tensions with Russia. The US President has now said the US will support a joint effort with allies to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16s.
The Sudanese military and Rapid Support Forces have agreed to a seven-day humanitarian ceasefire, starting within 48 hours, according to unnamed sources who spoke to Reuters. The areas affected by the truce have not yet been revealed. More than 700 people have been killed and thousands more injured since April during fighting between the two groups. Past ceasefires have failed to be maintained.
The Sudanese army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have agreed to a seven-day humanitarian truce and ceasefire, according to two negotiation sources. The agreement takes effect after 48 hours, but similar past ceasefires have not been honoured by the conflicting parties. The conflict has killed 705 people and injured at least 5,287, according to the World Health Organization.
Tens of thousands of Israelis took to the streets for the 20th week in a row, over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plans to increase controls on the Supreme Court. The government's aims to perform a large overhaul which would see parliament have the ability to override many Supreme Court rulings, and would give the government control over Supreme Court judge nominations. Netanyahu has claimed that activist judges are taking control away from politicians, arguing that the changes would address this. Moderate Israelis believe this plan could run democracy into dictatorship.
Sinn Fein has overtaken its unionist rivals to become the largest party at local level in Northern Ireland for the first time. The Irish nationalist party, which wants to leave the UK and form a united Ireland, had already made a historic victory in last year’s Northern Ireland Assembly election. Sinn Fein also leads opinion polls in the Republic of Ireland ahead of national elections due in 2025. The polls saw the cross-community Alliance Party make limited gains, while hardline Traditional Unionist Voice failed to repeat the surge in its votes at the regional level.
The Independent has gathered some of the most eye-catching and thought-provoking images from culture, news, politics, sport, and lifestyle. The images include striking shots of the Popocatepetl Volcano in Mexico, and cattle grazing in front of the German Parliament building in Berlin, as well as photographs from events such as the closing ceremony of Southeast Asian Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and the Brussels Pride parade. Some of the images in the collection are oddly bewildering, like a raven perching on the roof of a barn in the midst of smoke from a nearby wildfire in Canada.
The US and Saudi Arabia have brokered a ceasefire agreement in Sudan between the country's army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) after six weeks of fighting that has killed 705 people and displaced 1.1 million others. However, several previous ceasefires have been violated and there is scepticism among the Sudanese people that this one will be adhered to. The agreement will be monitored and enforced by a “US-Saudi and international-supported” mechanism, but no further details have been provided.
The US is set to sign agreements with Pacific island nations Palau and Micronesia, with hopes to do so with the Marshall Islands in the coming weeks. The new Compact of Free Association (COFA) accords are part of the US’ efforts to counter China’s influence in the Pacific. The US originally reached the COFAs with the three island states in the 1980s granting strategic access to the Pacific while, in return, Washington provided economic assistance and took on the responsibility of their defence. China has increased business in many Pacific island nations and is looking to expand its influence in the region.
Strategic pacts between the US and Pacific island states Palau and Micronesia are set to be signed next week, part of US efforts to shore up support among such states to counter competition from China. The pacts include Compact of Free Association (COFA), under which the US retains responsibility for defence and provides economic assistance while gaining exclusive access to strategic swathes of the Pacific. Earlier this month, US envoy Joseph Yun said that "topline" agreements would provide the three COFA states with a total of $6.5bn over 20 years.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has said that it is not distracted by Russia listing its chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, on a wanted list. This comes after Khan issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, stating alleged responsibility for war crimes related to the illegal deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia. The ICC called Russia’s move an attempt to destabilise the court’s lawful mandate, stating that it would continue to “deliver on its independent mandate”. Russia, which is not part of the ICC, dismissed the warrant against Putin as void.
Russian troops have taken control of the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, which has been the site of fierce fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces for months. The claim has been disputed by Kyiv, which said fighting continued. Russia controls around half of Donetsk province and claimed to have annexed it in the autumn of 2022. Kiev has faced a simmering military conflict against Russian-backed separatists in the region since 2014, which has claimed more than 13,000 lives to date.
The final day of the Group of Seven (G7) summit has passed in Hiroshima, with delegates including Ukraine's President Volodomyr Zelenskyy discussing the war, China’s dominance and the issues faced by the Global South. Joining the leaders were a number of key Asia-Pacific figures such as the Indian, South Korean, Indonesian and Australian prime ministers. The triennial met throughout the summit, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took some time off to visit Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park and Museum. President Joe Biden met with Zelenskyy, Ukrainian Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister for talks. The G7 laid out a common de-risking path on China, while India's Narendra Modi commented that he would “amplify concerns of the Global South” at the summit.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has said that moves by the G7 nations will not change the global supply situation for crude oil and oil products but will deprive Moscow of revenues for its invasion of Ukraine. The G7, the European Union and Australia agreed to impose a $60-per-barrel price cap on Russian seaborne crude oil and a price limit for Russian oil products. The IEA does not expect the enhanced enforcement of the caps affecting the global oil and fuel supply and said the price cap did not trigger tightness in the markets as Russian oil continued to flow.
Sudan’s warring factions have agreed to a temporary ceasefire after entering their sixth week of fighting. Previous ceasefire attempts have quickly collapsed, but this truce will reportedly be enforced by a “ceasefire monitoring mechanism”. The seven-day ceasefire is aimed at restoring essential services and enabling aid groups to provide sufficient assistance in Khartoum. Disputes between the regular army and the Rapid Support Force have led to over a million displacements, as essential supplies have dwindled.
Greeks are voting today in a general election that the polls suggest will be tight. The snap election was called by Prime Minister Kyriakos M It'sotakis after he lost his majority in parliament. He has been challenged by former PM Alexis Tsipras' left-wing Syriza party. The poll opens amid a cost of living crisis, rail disaster issues and a recent wiretapping scandal. Recent opinion polls put Mitsotakis and his center-right New Democracy party in the lead. Changes to the country's electoral system mean a second vote is likely.
Ex-British Gurkha hopes Everest climb will change disability perceptions
Reuters
23-05-21 03:53
Hari Budha Magar, a double amputee, has become the first above-the-knee amputee to conquer Mount Everest. The ex-Gurkha climbed the 8,848 metre mountain on prosthetic legs. Magar, who lost both legs when he stepped on an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan in 2010, said his ascent had raised awareness about disability. “I hope my climb will help change the perception of persons with disabilities. I would like to encourage all people to take to climbing any mountain of their choice,” he said.
Ukraine has reportedly used British-supplied Storm Shadow cruise missiles to strike the Russian-held port city of Berdyansk, according to Vladimir Rogov, an official installed by Russia in Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhia region. He claimed that seven missiles had been fired at the city, four of which were Storm Shadow missiles, but Reuters could not verify the assertion. Earlier in the month, the UK had become the first country to say it provided Ukraine with long-range cruise missiles.
The Group of Seven (G7) summit in Japan has ended, with discussions centring around the Ukraine war, China’s growing dominance and support for the “Global South”. According to a communique, the G7 nations have agreed to support public-private initiatives to swerve China's “belt and road” initiative, to implement measures to counter state-backed “malicious cyber activities”, and to decarbonise energy systems by the end of the century. The G7 also signed a declaration committing to the protection of international maritime regulations, including the peaceful resolution of maritime disputes, navigation rights, and safety along sea lanes. G7 leaders expressed concern over the situation in the East and South China seas. The summit also saw the invitees from Indonesia, South Korea, India and Australia discuss issues such as Ebola, the impact of Brexit, terrorism and trade. President Zelenskyy of Ukraine was in the spotlight throughout the summit.
The head of the World Animal Health Organisation (WOAH), Director General Monique Eloit, has called on governments to consider vaccinating birds against bird flu to reduce the risk of the virus developing into a pandemic. The severity of the current outbreak has led some countries to rethink their vaccination policies, but others, including the US, remain hesitant, largely due to the possible trade curbs vaccination could cause. A recent survey by the WOAH revealed only 25% of its member states would accept imports of products from poultry vaccinated against the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), despite all countries being affected by the virus.
