Ukrainian forces have advanced in the eastern part of the war-hit nation where officials said Vladimir Putin has deployed over 110,000 troops, but Kyiv officials reported pressure further north. The intensity of assaults have increased in the Lyman-Kupiansk sector, Ilia Yevlash, spokesperson for Ukraine’s eastern group of forces, said. Mr Yevlash called the two towns the “most difficult area” as Russian forces use both ground and air forces. Russian forces are actively using fighter jets, Su-35 and Su-25, and helicopters Ka-52 and Mi-8 in the region, he said. They were backed by Su-35 attack aircraft and started attacking along the frontline in the direction of Makiivka in the Luhansk region. Lyman and Kupiansk towns in Kharkiv oblast were recaptured by Ukrainian troops late last year and have witnessed continuous Russian assaults since then. “The enemy has chosen a new point – Makiivka – and is directing all its main efforts into this direction. Of course, we are also repulsing enemy attacks and inflicting damage on forces and equipment," Mr Yevlash said in a daily update. Kyiv’s battle to regain ground near the ghost city of Bakhmut, which has been reduced to rubble in a warfare lasting over a year, is also continuing in the eastern theatre. Two main theatres of war – in southern Ukraine and eastern Ukraine – have cropped up during Kyiv’s four-month old counteroffensive to push back Russian forces off its soil. In its evening report, the general staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces claimed Kyiv’s troops had "achieved success" south of Andriivka. The village south of Bakhmut was captured by Ukrainian troops last month in the Donetsk region. The Ukrainian general staff said its forces were pressing on with their southward advance in the Zaporizhzhia region and had repelled a Russian attack near the village of Robotyne. The report said Russian forces had unsuccessfully tried to regain lost positions in an area further south. This was further corroborated by Russian accounts of the fighting which said Moscow’s forces had repelled two Ukrainian attacks west of the Russian-held city of Donetsk. In the southern theatre, Kyiv’s forces are pushing toward the Sea of Azov in an attempt to split Russian-occupied territory in two. Read More Ukraine-Russia war – live: Deadly Russian attack on memorial service was no blind strike, says Zelensky Putin says Wagner chief Prigozhin’s plane blown up by hand grenades on board Putin deliberately attacked Ukrainian civilians in Kharkiv missile strike, says Zelensky A look at Russia's deadliest missile attacks on Ukraine White House condemns ‘horrifying’ Russian attack on grocery store in Ukraine

The gaming deluge takes a breather this month, but a drop in quantity doesn't mean

Leipzig coach Marco Rose has indicated the German club is on the verge of signing French defender Castello Lukeba from Lyon after selling Joško Gvardiol to Manchester City

LOWELL, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 7, 2023--

Max Verstappen goaded his forlorn rivals by challenging Red Bull to pointless “pit-stop training” during his exhibition win in Belgium on Sunday. Verstappen started sixth by virtue of a grid penalty for a gearbox change, but he assumed the lead on lap 17 of 44 before taking the chequered flag 22.3 seconds clear of Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez. Charles Leclerc finished third for Ferrari. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton started third and crossed the line in fourth. Verstappen’s triumph was his eighth in a row – leaving him just one short of Sebastian Vettel’s record. It also marked his 10th victory from 12 rounds so far this season, his 19th from his last 23 outings and Red Bull’s 22nd in that period. The team from Milton Keynes head into Formula One’s summer break unbeaten this season. Verstappen is riding on a wave of invincibility – a staggering 125 points clear in the championship – and with nine laps remaining here, his supreme confidence was expressed in a message to his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase. “I could also push on and we do another stop?” he said. “A little bit of pit-stop training?” “Not this time,” replied Lambiase. “He has reason to be cheeky because he is just driving circles round everybody else on merit,” was the verdict of Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff following another so-so afternoon for the Silver Arrows. “The stopwatch never lies and there is one guy in one car above everyone else.” From sixth to fourth at the end of the first lap, Verstappen dispatched of Hamilton at 210mph on the Kemmel Straight on lap six, and then Leclerc three laps later following a fine move round the outside of the Ferrari pole-sitter at Les Combes. Then came the first of a series of sharp-edged radio exchanges with Lambiase which would provide some entertainment on a one-sided afternoon in the Ardennes. Trailing Perez, Verstappen wanted Red Bull to perform a double-stack tyre-stop in order not to lose any time to his team-mate on fresh rubber. But his request was rebuffed by the Red Bull pit wall. “So don’t forget Max, use your head please,” said Lambiase. “Are we both doing it (stopping) or what?” replied Verstappen. “You just follow my instruction,” came Lambiase’s response. “No, I want to know both cars do it,” fired back Verstappen. “Max, please follow my instruction and trust it, thank you,” said Lambiase. Lambiase was promptly back on the radio to ask Verstappen if he could make his dry rubber last for the next nine minutes with fine drizzle anticipated. “I can’t see the weather radar,” was Verstappen’s spiky response. A lap after Perez stopped for tyres, Verstappen came in. He left the pit-lane 2.8 sec adrift of the Mexican but he required only two laps before he was crawling all over the back of his team-mate’s identical machine. Verstappen tracked Perez through the fearsome Eau Rouge-Raidillon section before he applied DRS and roared round Perez along the Kemmel Straight. By the end of that 17th lap, Verstappen had already established a 1.6 sec gap over his team-mate. It then began to drizzle, and Verstappen endued a hairy moment through Eau Rouge as the back end of his Red Bull stepped out at 180mph. “F***, I nearly lost it,” said the championship leader after he regained control. On lap 29, Perez now trailing Verstappen by nine seconds, stopped for a second time, with Verstappen following in on the same lap and then building on his lead. Lambiase returned to the airwaves. “You used a lot of the tyre on the out-lap, Max,” he said. “I am not sure if that was sensible.” Verstappen responded by producing the fastest lap of the race. Verstappen’s back-and-forth with Lambiase, known as GP, came 48 hours after they squabbled over the radio in qualifying. But Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said: “GP and Max have been together since the first race that Max stepped into the car. Max is a demanding customer. And you’ve got to be a strong character to deal with that. “GP is our Jason Statham equivalent, certainly a lookalike, and he deals with him firmly but fairly. “There’s a great respect between the two of them and that comes out of a mutual trust, which you must have between an engineer and a driver. There’s no counselling required.” The sport will now head for a four-week shutdown before Verstappen’s home race in the Netherlands on August 27.

Microsoft purchasing Activision Blizzard could harm competition, says the Competition and Market Authority.

At the behest of players from across the globe, FIFA has agreed that a chunk of the prize money pool at the Women's World Cup go straight to the players — all 732 of them

By Yoruk Bahceli, Karin Strohecker and Dhara Ranasinghe LONDON The world's biggest bond markets are in the throes

Erling Haaland struck twice as holders Manchester City moved a step closer to the Champions League knockout stages with a hard-fought 3-1 win at Young Boys. Haaland put City back into the lead on the artificial surface at Bern’s Wankdorf Stadium after Switzerland international Manuel Akanji’s opener had been brilliantly cancelled out by Meschack Elia. Substitute Julian Alvarez had an effort ruled out by VAR but Haaland made victory certain with a smart finish four minutes from time. The win was City’s third in succession in Group G and they could now secure their spot in their last 16 for an 11th successive year with a follow-up victory over the Swiss side at home in a fortnight. There had been much talk over the synthetic pitch in the build-up to the game and heavy rain added another variable element but it proved a free-flowing encounter. Young Boys started well with Filip Ugrinic forcing a save from Ederson before Rodri headed wide from a corner. Jack Grealish, who ignored the persistent booing of the vociferous home crowd, teed up Jeremy Doku with a superb first-time ball but the Belgian slipped as he cut inside and Anthony Racioppi saved. The impressive Swiss keeper denied Haaland soon after but did have a moment of alarm when he spilled a Grealish shot. Matheus Nunes could only poke the loose ball weakly towards goal, however, and Loris Benito cleared off the line. Doku went close again after switching from the right to left wing but Racioppi brilliantly saved his curling effort and blocked a first-time Rodri shot. Young Boys had a good spell before the break with first Cedric Itten breaking clear but failing to beat Ederson. Itten then teed up Sandro Lauper with a neat flick but Nathan Ake got back to block before a powerful Lewin Blum effort was turned behind. Itten went close again from the set-piece as his header dropped narrowly over. While that made for a lively end to the first half, the game truly burst into life early in the second. Akanji and Nunes both had chances before City grabbed the lead in the 48th minute. Rodri delivered a cross into the box and Ruben Dias, still forward following a corner, had a header tipped onto the bar by Racioppi. Akanji reacted the quickest to turn the ball in. City went in immediate search of a second but were caught out after a Haaland shot was saved by Racioppi. The ball was quickly sent to the other end and played into the path of Elia, who caught Ederson stranded off his line with a superb lob. Young Boys were firmly back in the game and Itten forced Ederson into an awkward save with a swerving shot. City stepped up the intensity and were awarded a penalty when Mohamed Ali Camara, moments after being booked, caught Rodri from behind. Haaland stepped up to thump home his 10th of the season. City thought they had claimed another through Alvarez but his low strike was ruled out for a Grealish handball in the build-up. It fell to Haaland to complete the job, the striker wrong-footing the defence just inside the box and then lifting into the top corner. Read More Newcastle suffer Champions League setback with defeat to Borussia Dortmund Former Everton boss David Moyes pays tribute to ‘wonderful man’ Bill Kenwright David Moyes hopes West Ham and Olympiacos fans behave in Greece Moeen Ali eager to get anxious England playing with a smile again Esme Morgan pleads for patience and politeness from England’s autograph hunters Self-confessed ‘golf tragic’ Dan Carter keen to boost participation in Ireland

No. 11 Tennessee is trying to end two decades of futility at Florida

McLaren is on the march into Mexico City

Former Australia back-rower Toutai Kefu brought down his time as Tonga coach with a 45-24 win over Romania in their final Rugby...