List of All Articles with Tag 'europe'

Oil climbed as investors weighed the fallout from an attempted mutiny in Russia against Vladimir Putin’s almost quarter-century

An attempted uprising by Russian mercenary fighters has revealed cracks in Vladimir Putin's authority, a top US official has said. The mutiny by the Wagner Group, which saw its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin order his troops to march on Moscow, left the Russian president hiding from public view on Sunday after being forced into an amnesty deal. Though the astonishing revolt was short-lived, with mercenary fighters withdrawing under the agreement that saw Mr Prigozhin exiled to Belarus, it has raised questions about Mr Putin’s grip on power. Mr Putin has not commented publicly since the deal was struck to de-escalate one of the biggest challenges since he rose to power more than two decades ago. He said he was giving top priority to the conflict in Ukraine in excerpts from an interview aired by state television on Sunday, but it appeared to have been recorded before the mutiny. Speaking on Sunday, US secretary of state Anthony Blinken said the revolt was a “direct challenge of Putin’s authority”. Mr Blinken said the turmoil has weakened Mr Putin in ways that could aid Ukraine’s counteroffensive. Mr Blinken told US media: “We’ve seen more cracks emerge in the Russian façade. It is too soon to tell exactly where they go... but certainly, we have all sorts of new questions that Putin is going to have to address in the weeks and months ahead.” The Wagner Group’s forces were just 120 miles from Moscow before the rebellion was called off to avoid shedding Russian blood. Mr Prigozhin had said his “march” on Moscow was intended to remove corrupt and incompetent Russian commanders he blames for botching the war in Ukraine. Mr Prigozhin has for months accused Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu and the chief of the general staff, Valery Gerasimov, of incompetence and of withholding ammunition from his fighters as they battled to take Bakhmut in Ukraine. This month, Mr Prigozhin defied orders to place his troops under defence ministry command. He launched the rebellion on Friday after alleging the military had killed some of his men in an air strike - a claim denied by the defence ministry. Mr Prigozhin, 62, was seen leaving the district military headquarters in Rostov, hundreds of miles south of Moscow, late on Saturday in a sport utility vehicle. His whereabouts on Sunday were not known. The deal brokered by Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko also means Wagner fighters who joined the “march for justice” will face no action. In an earlier televised address on Saturday, Mr Putin said the rebellion put Russia‘s very existence under threat. “We are fighting for the lives and security of our people, for our sovereignty and independence, for the right to remain Russia, a state with a thousand-year history,” Mr Putin said, vowing punishment for those behind “an armed insurrection”. In his daily address on Sunday, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said Mr Putin is “obviously very afraid” and is “probably hiding”, while his defence minister Oleksii Reznikov said the 36-hour mutiny shows Russian authorities are “weak”. Mr Reznikov said: “Had a phone conversation with my friend and colleague Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III “We talked about recent events in Russia. We agree that the Russian authorities are weak and that withdrawing Russian troops from Ukraine is the best choice for the Kremlin. Russia would be better served to address its own issues.” He added: “We also discussed the #UAarmy‘s counteroffensive and the next steps in strengthening our Defence Forces. Things are moving in the right direction. Ukraine will win.” Meanwhile, the Institute for the Study of War said Russia struggled to respond clearly and coherently to the threat from the Wagner Group. It said the incident has highlighted “internal security weaknesses likely due to surprise and the impact of heavy losses in Ukraine” Commons defence committee chair Tobias Ellwood told the i newspaper: “Putin’s days are clearly numbered, he might survive the initial wound for a period of time but as Russian history shows, often it triggers a series of subsequent events that lead to the leader’s downfall. “Power is ebbing away. The Wagner Group may be neutered, Prighozin exiled, but Putin is definitely weaker and the hawks are now circling.” Read More Ukraine says Wagner’s mutiny proves Putin’s fragility – but this war ends on the battlefield US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says ‘we haven’t seen the last act’ in Russia’s Wagner rebellion Russia-Ukraine war live: Wagner rebellion shows Putin’s power is finally cracking, US says The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary

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Greece’s Kyriakos Mitsotakis is poised for a landslide victory in Sunday’s general election — the country’s second vote

One person is dead and seven others have been injured after a rollercoaster derailed in Sweden. The horror unfolded at the Grona Lund amusement park in Stockholm when the Jetline roller coaster partially came off the tracks mid-ride. Emergency services including a helicopter, ambulances and fire engines were seen arriving soon after the incident on Sunday. Police confirmed seven people, including both children and adults, had been hospitalised. One of the ride’s carriages was reportedly seen coming off the rails at a “great height” before falling towards the ground. Journalist with Swedish broadcaster SVT, Jenny Lagerstedt, happened to be at the park with her family and said her husband witnessed the horror take place. “My husband, who was sitting outside, saw how a carriage came loose and fell from a great height, and that there were people in it,” she told local media. Another witness told Swedish outlet Expessen that he saw the rollercoaster’s wheels come off. The injured and uninjured passengers who were stuck in other carriages had to be removed from the ride with the help of rescue crews. The park has been evacuated while emergency services tend to the injured. Head of information at the park Annika Troselius, said the full extent of the injuries and damage to the rollercoaster was unclear. “It is incredibly tragic and shocking. Unfortunately, we have received the news that one person has died and that several others are injured,” she said. “This must not happen and it should not happen. We are all very taken and shocked and are currently focusing on taking care of all those affected and our staff.” Grona Lund’s website now includes a black banner which acknowledges that a “serious accident has taken place on the Jetline”. The Jetline reaches speeds of 90kmh and is 30m high at its peak. Read More Roller coaster derails in amusement park in Sweden, killing 1 person and injuring several others Alton Towers crash victim shares inspirational video documenting journey over eight years since ‘life flipped’ A routine chiropractor visit left her paralysed at 28. One year on, this is what her mother wants you to see Soldiers accuse Wagner chief of ‘walking off’ after Putin deal Watch: Wagner convoy leaves Voronezh region after Putin deal Time running out for Spain to deal with its darkest chapter

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the Wagner mercenary group’s revolt against Russian President Vladimir Putin was

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Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is proposing the biggest training expansion in the history of the UK’s National Health

Turkey’s Central Bank, under new Governor Hafize Gaye Erkan, is easing its security maintenance rule as its first

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang met with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko in Beijing on Sunday, a