Najaf Ali

British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has said that Russia will emerge from its war in Ukraine weaker than it was before the invasion. Speaking to reporters in Washington – where he met US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin – Wallace said that only Vladimir Putin “can know where his off-ramp is going to be”. “He’s got … Read more

Nearly 800 cruise and ballistic missiles have been launched at targets in Ukraine since the war began on 24 February, according to an operational update from the general staff of Ukraine’s military. In the update, the general staff said that the missiles mostly targeted Ukraine’s south and east, although “they [the Russians] also repeatedly fired … Read more

Journalists Yegor Polyakov and Aleksandra Miroshnikova, working for Russian online newspaper Lenta.ru, told CNN that the idea to publish dozens of articles critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his war in Ukraine came about because they couldn’t continue working as usual with the war in Ukraine raging on. The articles were published to Lenta.ru, a … Read more

It may have been a rocky week for Christian Pulisic at Chelsea, but it’s nothing that scoring can’t fix.  In the 55th minute Wednesday, the U.S. men’s national team star doubled Chelsea’s lead over Leeds, which is managed by a fellow American, Jesse Marsch. A Romelu Lukaku goal capped the 3–0 win, which trims Leeds’ … Read more

After not looking like themselves and dropping the last two games of this series in Dallas, the Phoenix Suns responded with a 110-80 win on their home floor versus the Dallas Mavericks in Game 5 on Tuesday night. Now leading this series 3-2, the Suns have the upper hand over the Mavericks and are just … Read more

They fought side-by-side in the besieged Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, two Ukrainian soldier among hundreds refusing to surrender.  And on May 5, Valeria and Andrew were married. Three days later Andrew was killed, according to a Facebook post by Valeria on Wednesday. The post included photographs of the two getting married in a bunker wearing … Read more

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko tells CNN’s Erin Burnett he worries about the possibility of Russian President Vladimir Putin using a tactical nuclear weapon on Kyiv. “Safety is the main priority right now …Yes of course we worry, and we hope our warriors defend us, but the risk is still there and without our partners, without … Read more

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he has been discussing defense assistance, energy co-operation and “increasing the pressure of sanctions” on Russia with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Zelensky has said on Twitter:”I value the level of dialogue with Germany and its support for our fight.” The Ukrainian president has previously been critical of Germany’s reliance on Russian energy. … Read more

The village of Ruska Lozova stands at the centre of what could be a shift in the war’s momentum: a Ukrainian offensive to push Russian troops back towards the border. It was recently liberated in a co-ordinated effort led by senior military commanders. Ukrainian troops from territorial defence, the national guard, and the regular army … Read more

A resident of the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson said that her city is like a “zombie apocalypse” since Russian troops took over. The woman, who requested to be identified as Tanya, said in an interview on CNN International that the invasion has taken a physical and psychological toll. “It’s very hard to live in such conditions, … Read more

The Russian-installed leadership of the Kherson region said that the issuing of Russian passports to residents of the region who want them will begin by the end of the year. Speaking on a newly created television network in the region, Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of the Russian-installed military-civilian administration, said: “The next step will be an offer … Read more

EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton says it is “unfair” to call the European Union divided over an oil embargo against Russia, despite Hungary saying it would not support the sanctions. The European Commission is now discussing changes to win over countries, including Hungary and Slovakia. Hungary has warned it cannot accept the EU’s planned ban … Read more

Ukraine has offered Russia to release Russian prisoners of war in exchange for the evacuation of injured Ukrainian soldiers from the besieged Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, said Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk on Wednesday. In a Facebook post, Vereshchuk said there is no agreement yet and negotiations are underway regarding the proposal. “As … Read more

Seriously injured defenders of the Azovstal steel plant in the devastated port city of Mariupol could be swapped with Russian prisoners of war, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk has suggested. “There is no agreement yet” and “negotiations are continuing,” Vereshchuk has said in a Telegram post. She says the government has been working on … Read more

Earlier, the wives of two Ukrainian fighters still holed up in Mariupol’s Azovstal steelworks begged Pope Francis to help them. Kateryna Prokopenko and Yuliya Fedosiuk spoke to the Pope in the Vatican’s St Peter’s Square. In a video released by the Vatican, they tearfully ask Pope Francis to help their husbands, saying: “Please don’t let … Read more

The US intelligence community believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine is likely to become “more unpredictable and escalatory” in the coming months, the nation’s director of national intelligence told Congress on Tuesday.  Here’s what to know about Avril Haines’ remarks: Uncertain future: Speaking to the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, Haines painted … Read more

The Democratic-led House of Representatives voted on Tuesday evening to pass a roughly $40 billion bill to deliver aid to Ukraine as it continues to face Russia’s brutal assault. The measure will next need to be passed by the Senate before it can go to President Joe Biden to be signed into law. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer … Read more