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Peter Kyle hits out at Johnson’s broken promise on Northern Ireland Sign up for FREE now and never miss the top politics stories again SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info Northern Ireland 's Shadow Secretary of State Peter Kyle threw a punch at UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson for having broken his promise to prevent a customs border in the Irish Sea. As part of the Northern Ireland Protocol, the European Union and the UK both agreed the best way to protect the Good Friday Agreement and preserve peace in Ireland was a customs border in the Irish Sea instead of putting one up between the two Irelands. Related articles Tories, Labour, Lib Dems and SNP shamed over 'low calibre' MPs PMQs LIVE: Johnson … [Read more...] about ‘Incapable of delivering’ Boris Johnson’s broken promise on Brexit border slammed

Ukraine's troops have repelled Russian forces all the way back to their border from the country’s second-largest city of Kharkiv, it was claimed on Monday. They have also repelled incursion by a Russian sabotage and reconnaissance group in the northeastern region of Sumy, in another major blow to Moscow. Defending troops are driving Russian forces back in a new counter-offensive as it emerged that Moscow has lost a third of its ground forces in just 82 days since the invasion started. Latest official Ukraine battle loss figures suggest Russia ’s death toll and destroyed military hardware is far worse than has been reported by western intelligence figures. Ukraine estimates revealed Russia has now lost 27, 400 soldiers, 1200 tanks, 200 warplanes, 164 helicopters, and 13 warships in a stunning blow to Vladimir Putin ’s faltering attack. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Russia’s new offensive in Donbas had stalled and Ukraine could win the war, adding … [Read more...] about Vladimir Putin’s troops REPELLED all the way back to border by Ukraine, NATO says

Russia expels 34 French, 27 Spanish, and 24 Italian diplomats in a tit-for-tat move Russian soldier pleads guilty at murder trial in Ukraine Ukrainian and Russian officials say peace negotiations have stagnated EU announces funding to help bloc move away from Russian fossil fuels Finland and Sweden submit NATO membership applications This article was last updated at 12:49 UTC/GMT Russian soldier pleads guilty of murder at Kyiv trial Vadim Shishimarin, a 21-year-old Russian tank commander held in Ukraine, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to killing an unarmed civilian. After his convoy was hit, Shishimarin and four other fleeing soldiers are alleged to have stole a car from outside the village of Chupakhivka in the early days of the invasion. He is accused of attacking the 62-year-old, who was riding past them on a bicycle, to prevent him from reporting their presence. "One of the military servicemen ordered the accused to kill a civilian so that he would not report … [Read more...] about Ukraine: Russian soldier pleads guilty of murder at Kyiv trial — live updates

Finland's legislature on Tuesday approved the country's bid for NATO membership with 188 votes in favor and eight against, Parliament Speaker Matti Vanhanen said. The vote comes after two days of parliamentary debate, during which the foreign affairs committee said "Russia's long-standing aggressive policies and the goal of dividing Europe into new spheres of influence took on a new dimension after the country's invasion of Ukraine ." "Failure to respond would lead to a narrowing of Finland's foreign, security and defense policy," it added. The vote in Parliament was seen a formality, as Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin had already announced that Finland would go ahead and that minimal opposition was expected. "Our security environment has fundamentally changed," Prime Minister Marin told parliament on Monday at the start of the debate. What happens next? The vote clears the way for a Finnish application for membership in the Western … [Read more...] about Finland’s Parliament approves NATO membership application

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg hailed an "historic moment" on Wednesday after Finland and Sweden formally submitted their applications to join the military alliance. The seismic shift from long-held neutrality -- which has popular support in both countries -- was spurred by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. “I warmly welcome the requests by Finland and Sweden to join NATO. You are our closest partners,“ Stoltenberg said. “All allies agree on the importance of NATO enlargement. We all agree that we must stand together, and we all agree that this is an historic moment which we must seize.” “This is a good day at a critical moment for our security,” a beaming Stoltenberg said, as he stood alongside Finland's and Sweden's ambassadors to NATO. Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded the alliance stop expanding toward Russia's borders, and several NATO allies, led by the United States and Britain, have signalled that they stand ready to provide security … [Read more...] about ‘Historic moment’: Finland and Sweden submit their bids to join NATO

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has ratcheted up his objection to Sweden and Finland joining Nato . Sweden’s prime minister had announced that the country would join Finland in seeking membership of the military alliance in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a historic shift that came after more than 200 years of military nonalignment in the Nordic country. Erdogan accused the countries of failing to take a clear stance against Kurdish militants and of imposing military sanctions on Turkey. “Neither country has an open, clear stance against terrorist organisations,” Erdogan said at a joint news conference with the visiting Algerian president. READ MORE: Why Turkey dissents on Finland and Sweden joining Nato and why it matters In historic shift, Sweden ends neutrality and joins Finland in seeking Nato membership Russia threatens to retaliate if Finland, Sweden try and join Nato Nato chief says Finland, Sweden welcome to apply to join “We cannot … [Read more...] about Turkey: No to Sweden and Finland joining Nato

Moscow has suffered another diplomatic setback in its war with Ukraine as Sweden joined Finland in deciding to seek Nato membership, while Ukraine’s president congratulated soldiers who reportedly pushed Russian forces back near the border. Russian forces pounded targets in the industrial heartland of eastern Ukraine known as the Donbas, and the death toll, already many thousands, kept climbing with the war set to enter its 12th week on Wednesday (local time). The eastern city of Sievierdonetsk came under heavy shelling that killed at least 10 people, said Serhiy Haidai, the governor of the Luhansk region. In the Donetsk region, Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said on Facebook that nine civilians were killed in shelling. READ MORE: Turkey: No to Sweden and Finland joining Nato Why Turkey dissents on Finland and Sweden joining Nato and why it matters McDonald's to leave Russia for good after 30 years Ukraine 'can win this war' against Russia, says Nato chief In … [Read more...] about Russia faces diplomatic and battlefield setbacks on Ukraine

More than 260 Ukrainian fighters, including some who are badly wounded, were evacuated on Monday (local time) from a steel plant in the ruined city of Mariupol and taken to areas under Russia's control, the Ukrainian military said. Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said 53 seriously wounded fighters were taken to a hospital in Novoazovsk, east of Mariupol. An additional 211 fighters were evacuated to Olenivka through a humanitarian corridor . An exchange would be worked out for their return home, she said. Malyar said missions are underway to rescue the remaining fighters inside the plant, the last stronghold of resistance in the devastated southern port city. “Thanks to the defenders of Mariupol, Ukraine gained critically important time to form reserves and regroup forces and receive help from partners,” she said. “And they fulfilled all their tasks. But it is impossible to unblock Azovstal by military means”. READ MORE: Russia storms Mariupol plant as some … [Read more...] about More than 260 Ukrainian fighters evacuated from Mariupol steelworks

The quick acceptance of Ukrainians fleeing Russia's aggression puts a spotlight on Europe's “double standard” for migrants, standing against its non-welcome for people fleeing violence in Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere, the head of the world's largest humanitarian network said on Monday (NZT Tuesday). Francesco Rocca, president of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said he doesn't think “there is any difference" between someone fleeing eastern Ukraine's Donbas region and someone escaping the Boko Haram extremist group in Nigeria . “Those who are fleeing violence, those who are seeking protection, should be treated equally,” said Rocca, whose organisation operates in more than 192 countries with almost 15 million volunteers. Speaking at a news conference, he said there is “a moral imperative” to help people escaping violence and upheavals, and “the political, public and humanitarian response to the Ukraine crisis has shown what is … [Read more...] about Europe accused of ‘double-standard’ on Ukrainian refugees

The long battle in Ukraine’s Mariupol appears to be coming to a close amid efforts to rescue the last of the troops inside the Azovstal steel plant. Hundreds of Ukrainian fighters had held out in the steel plant for months under relentless bombardment in the last bastion of resistance in the devastated city. The capture of Mariupol would make it the biggest city to be taken by Moscow's forces yet and would give the Kremlin a badly needed victory, though the landscape has largely been reduced to rubble. More than 260 fighters – some of them seriously wounded and taken out on stretchers – left the ruins of the Azovstal plant on Monday and turned themselves over to the Russian side in a deal reached by the two warring parties. Ukrainian authorities said they were working to extract the remaining soldiers from the sprawling steel mill, though how many were still there was unclear. READ MORE: More than 260 Ukrainian fighters evacuated from Mariupol steelworks Sweden and … [Read more...] about Russian invasion: Longest battle draws to a close in Mariupol as Ukrainian troops leave steel plant