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Ukraine war: UK will boost lethal and non-lethal aid – minister

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The UK will increase “lethal and non-lethal aid” to Ukraine amid Russia’s continued military assault, the defence secretary has said. Ben Wallace said he would set out more details of what the UK and others could do in a statement to MPs on Wednesday. It will cover equipment for those fighting against Russia and also aid for those affected by the invasion. But he rejected calls for a no-fly zone over Ukraine, saying it would not halt Russian artillery or missiles. Ukraine has accused Moscow of preventing safe civilian evacuations as Russian forces continue shelling cities. Asked if the UK

Ukraine: Volodymyr Zelensky to address UK MPs in Commons

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will address British MPs via video link later, as his county continues to battle Russian invasion. Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle said he was pleased to grant Mr Zelensky’s “historic” request, with the address taking place at 17:00 GMT. The speech will be shown on screens being installed in the chamber. More than 500 headsets will also be issued to MPs so they can follow a live translation into English. Meanwhile, Boris Johnson is hosting meetings in London with the leaders of Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The series of meetings will be to

Ex-Commons Speaker John Bercow was a serial bully, says report

John Bercow was a “serial bully” while House of Commons Speaker, and would be banned from getting a parliamentary pass, a report has said. The Independent Expert Panel said “his behaviour fell very far below that which the public has a right to expect” from an MP. It also said his evidence showed he had been “a serial liar”. However, Mr Bercow said the inquiry into the complaints was “amateurish” and based on “tittle-tattle”. Mr Bercow was Speaker of the House of Commons from 2009 to 2019 and presided over a turbulent period during which the House of Commons debated

Cost of living: Warning UK faces biggest income squeeze in nearly 50 years

War in Ukraine will push up energy prices and see UK families squeezed even further, a think tank has warned. The Resolution Foundation forecasts that a typical household’s income will fall by about £1,000 this year once the effect of inflation is accounted for. That would be the biggest real-terms fall in incomes since the mid-1970s, it added. A government spokesperson said it recognised the pressures households are facing. Many families were already expecting their monthly spend to go up when the energy price cap jumps in April, and National Insurance contributions rise. But in a new report, the Resolution Foundation

Martine Vik Magnussen: Woman arrested over Norwegian student murder

Detectives investigating the 2008 murder of a Norwegian student feared to have been killed by a billionaire playboy have made a breakthrough, the Met said. Martine Vik Magnussen, 23, was found dead among rubble in a basement in Great Portland Street, Westminster, after a night out with friends. On Wednesday, the Met Police said officers had arrested a woman aged in her 60s on suspicion of assisting an offender. The Regent’s Business School students had been celebrating the end of their exams at Maddox nightclub, Mayfair. Ms Magnussen’s body was found two days later. The prime suspect for her rape

Uganda’s preachers who take religion to the streets of Kampala

With the aid of a loud speaker, Kayemba Stephen’s voice booms out above the noise of the traffic and bustle as people make their way to work in this busiest part of Uganda’s capital, Kampala. “Receive Jesus today!” the preacher, known on the streets as Sulphur Teacher, urges passers-by with a swagger as if he believes everyone is closely listening to what he has to say. Some hurry on, others stop and stare, and enthusiasts join in, shouting “hallelujah” and “amen” in response. His work – as well as that of the many other street evangelists – has been the

War in Ukraine: Russia says it may cut gas supplies if oil ban goes ahead

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Russia has said it may close its main gas pipeline to Germany if the West goes ahead with a ban on Russian oil. Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said a “rejection of Russian oil would lead to catastrophic consequences for the global market”, causing prices to more than double to $300 a barrel. The US has been exploring a potential ban with allies as a way of punishing Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. But Germany and the Netherlands rejected the plan on Monday. The EU gets about 40% of its gas and 30% of its oil from Russia, and

Ukraine: Russian general killed near Kharkiv, say defenders

A senior Russian military commander has been killed in a battle on the edge of the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s defence ministry says. Maj-Gen Vitaly Gerasimov, 41st Army chief of staff, died along with other Russian officers, the report says. Russia has not commented, but if confirmed he would be their second officer of this rank to be killed. Ukraine has begun evacuating civilians from the town of Irpin near Kyiv and the northern city of Sumy. It comes after Russian and Ukrainian officials agreed to establish humanitarian corridors. “As of 09:30 [07:30 GMT], more than 150 people have

War in Ukraine: World Bank approves $723m financial package

The World Bank has approved $723m (£551m) in loans and grants for Ukraine, as the country fights against a Russian invasion. The bank said it is continuing to work on another $3bn package of support in the coming months for the country. It also promised extra help for neighbouring countries that are taking in more than 1.7m refugees, which are mostly women, children and the elderly. The financial package for Ukraine includes a $100m pledge from the UK. “The World Bank Group is taking quick action to support Ukraine and its people in the face of the violence and extreme

War in Ukraine: Crisis is unleashing ‘hell on earth’ for food prices

The head of the World Food Programme, David Beasley, has warned the conflict in Ukraine could send global food prices soaring, with a catastrophic impact on the world’s poorest. Ukraine and Russia are both major exporters of basic foodstuffs, and the war has already hit crop production, driving up prices Mr Beasley said it was putting more people at risk of starvation worldwide. “Just when you think hell on earth can’t get any worse, it does,” he said. Russia and Ukraine, once dubbed “the breadbasket of Europe”, export about a quarter of the world’s wheat and half of its sunflower

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