
Spanish Inflation Quickens, Backing Higher-for-Longer ECB Rates
Spanish inflation accelerated for a second month, demonstrating the persistent price pressures that the European Central Bank’s higher-for-longer
1970-01-01 08:00

Italy Challenges EU by Using Deficit to Fund Election Vows
Italy will manage to bring its budget deficit below the limit set by the European Union only in
1970-01-01 08:00

Ukraine war – live: Russia launches over 40 drones in overnight attack from Black Sea
Ukraine says its air defences shot down 34 kamikaze drones this morning and overnight as Russia launched a major new wave of air strikes across the country. Russia’s attacks involved at least 44 Iranian-made Shahed drones in total, according to Ukraine’s Air Force. “Fighter aircraft, anti-aircraft missile units and mobile fire groups were engaged to repel the attack,” Ukraine’s military said on Telegram. A large number of the drones were fired on southern Ukrainian cities from the Black Sea, the air force said. It comes as Kyiv said hundreds of fighters from the Wagner mercenary group have returned to Ukraine to fight in Russia’s continuing invasion for the first time since the group’s leader Yevgeny Prigozhin died in August. The Ukrainian military said it had seen “no significant impact” on frontline dynamics from Wagner’s return to the battlefield, however. Earlier, there were reports that a fresh offensive by Russia’s forces in the coming weeks is “unlikely”, according to British intelligence. Britain’s Ministry of Defence reported that patterns in Russian deployments suggest that Vladimir Putin’s troops are “overstretched” across the frontlines in Ukraine. Read More Viktor Sokolov seen for second time in newly emerged video as he claims Russia’s Black Sea Fleet ‘performing successfully’ New video of ‘dead’ Russian Black Sea fleet commander raises doubts over Ukraine’s claim Hillary Clinton mocks Putin over Nato expansion: ‘Too bad, Vladimir. You brought it on yourself’ Ukrainian forces ‘enjoy success’ near Bakhmut as Putin deploys reserves
1970-01-01 08:00

German State Data Points to National CPI Within Survey Range
Inflation in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia fell to 4.2% on the year in September from 5.9%
1970-01-01 08:00

Ukraine says hundreds of Wagner fighters back on battlefield months after failed coup
Several hundred fighters of the Wagner mercenary group have returned to Ukraine to fight in Russia’s continuing invasion but have not made a significant impact on the battlefield, military officials in Kyiv said. "We have recorded the presence of a maximum of several hundred fighters of the former Wagner PMC (private military company)," spokesperson for the eastern military command Serhiy Cherevatyi said. These Wagner fighters were scattered in different places, were not part of a single unit, and had had no significant impact, he said. "They do not constitute any integral, systematic, organised force," the spokesperson said. "As they say – game over. These are pathetic remnants, nothing good awaits them here." The Independent has not verified the reports on Wagner’s return on the battlefield. If confirmed, this will mark the first ever comeback of Wagner in Ukraine after the death of its supreme leader Yevgeny Prigozhin in August. Russia’s Investigative Committee says it has confirmed Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was killed in a plane crash. On 23 August, Prigozhin’s private jet came down north-west of Moscow, killing all those on board. Video footage showed debris falling from the sky above Kuzhenkino in Russia, with pictures emerging of the wreckage. His right-hand man Dmitry Utkin was also on board the Embraer Legacy 600 jet, as well as five other passengers and three crew members. Russian military bloggers have reported that some Wagner fighters have been returning to Ukraine. The officials in Kyiv condemned the group on Wednesday once again and denied its existence. Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said the group – comprising majorly of prison convicts – no longer existed. "Today, there are only former militants of the terrorist group who have scattered in all directions," he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. He said some had gone to Africa, some were dispersed through Russia, and some had contracts with the Russian Defence Ministry and were fighting in the Bakhmut sector. Reports of their return were intended to drown out news of Ukraine‘s recapture of two villages near Bakhmut, the official said. The mercenaries, responsible for carrying out Russia’s dirty work in Africa, also played a crucial role in Russia’s continuing invasion of Ukraine and handed Vladimir Putin one of Moscow’s biggest territorial feats by capturing the eastern city of Bakhmut in May. It came after one of the longest and fiercest battles of Moscow’s 19-month war in Ukraine. But after complaints of ammunition starvation, Wagner chief Prigozhin announced he and his fighters will leave Bakhmut after the battle. Some of them went to Belarus under a deal that ended a brief mutiny by Wagner in June, during which it took control of a Russian military headquarters and marched on Moscow. After Prigozhin’s death, the Kremlin has sought to bring the group under tighter state control. Read More Ukraine repels Russian attacks as Putin’s forces try to recapture territory lost in counteroffensive Ukraine-Russia war – live: Fresh offensive by Putin’s troops ‘unlikely’ as frontline ‘over-stretched’ A month after Prigozhin’s suspicious death, the Kremlin is silent on his plane crash and legacy Inside Ukrainian brigade’s battle ‘through hell’ to reclaim village from Putin’s troops on way to Bakhmut UK officially bans Russia’s Wagner paramilitary group as terrorist organisation
1970-01-01 08:00

Poland’s Row With Ukraine Risks Business Ties, InPost CEO Says
Poland’s increasingly pointed standoff with Ukraine over grain exports is eroding the business opportunities of Polish companies in
1970-01-01 08:00

BBC helps free suspected migrants stuck in refrigerated lorry
A woman spoke to us from inside the lorry in France, saying she was struggling to breathe.
1970-01-01 08:00

Ukraine repels Russian attacks as Putin’s forces try to recapture territory lost in counteroffensive
Ukrainian soldiers fought off fierce Russian attacks on the battlefield on Wednesday as the invading troops continued to recapture lost territory in eastern Ukraine, military officials said. Some progress was also seen in southern Ukraine – another pocket of heavy territorial battle in Russia’s 20-month-old invasion. "We continue to repel intense enemy attacks near Klishchiivka and Andriivka. The enemy is still storming these positions with the hope of recapturing lost positions, but without success," Ilia Yevlash, a spokesperson for Ukraine‘s eastern group of forces, told national television. The two villages – Klishchiivka and Andriivka – near Bakhmut were retaken from Russian control in mid-September in a span of three days, marking a significant territorial feat in the Ukrainian counteroffensive. There had been 544 Russian shelling incidents in the past 24 hours in the area, seven combat clashes and four air attacks, the military spokesperson said. Officials, including president Volodymyr Zelensky, also confirmed advances in the fighting. “True Ukrainian fury against the occupiers in our Donetsk region! The Bakhmut direction, including fierce battles for Klishchiivka,” he said and mentioned “our advance in the Donetsk sector” in the east but did not share more details. Air strikes were also reported on four localities in the area by Ukraine’s General Staff who said 15 towns and villages had come under artillery and mortar attack in the past day. The heavy fighting in the region was also corroborated by Russia’s defence ministry who mentioned heavy fighting and said its forces had beaten back 10 attacks by Ukrainian troops near Klishchiivka and further south, near the village of Nevelske. In its next target on the battlefield, Ukrainian forces are eyeing several other villages as they progress through Zaporizhzhia region towards the major town of Tokmak. Military analyst Roman Svitan said there have been “three or four days of painstaking hard work by our assault group and commanders in the area which have led to very serious problems for the Russians”. "I would not speak of a breakthrough until we reach Tokmak." Tokmak, a Ukrainian city in south-central point in Zaporizhzhia oblast and just 12 miles from the frontline, is considered to be a critical mark in territorial fight which will give Kyiv’s forces a leverage to advance further and repel more Russian attacks. Ukraine fired its counteroffensive salvo in June to recoup ground in the east. Its forces are also trying to advance southward to the Sea of Azov to sever a land bridge established by Russia between the annexed Crimean Peninsula and positions it holds in the east. Read More Ukraine-Russia war – live: Fresh offensive by Putin’s troops ‘unlikely’ as frontline ‘over-stretched’ Russia airs ‘new interview’ of Black Sea admiral who Ukraine claimed was killed in strike New video of ‘dead’ Russian Black Sea fleet commander raises doubts over Ukraine’s claim Ukrainian forces ‘enjoy success’ near Bakhmut as Putin deploys reserves
1970-01-01 08:00

Vedanta Is Preparing to De-Merge Sprawling Operations
Vedanta Ltd. is preparing to spin off businesses into several listed entities in a broad restructuring that, if
1970-01-01 08:00

One Investor’s Uphill Battle to Turn Rewilding Into a Multi-Billion Dollar Industry
On a remote peninsular of Scotland, there’s an experiment underway to put a dollar value on nature restoration
1970-01-01 08:00

Abcam Founder Launches Grab for Votes to Block $5.7 Billion Deal
Jonathan Milner, the founder of UK life sciences company Abcam Plc, has fired the starting gun on a
1970-01-01 08:00

NATO Turns to Underwater Drones and AI in Bid to Deter Russia
The NATO military alliance is racing to develop technologies to allow real-time detection of suspicious activity near underwater
1970-01-01 08:00