Russian forces stepped up their attacks in Ukraine on Saturday (March 19), advancing into the besieged city of Mariupol in a battle to seize the strategic port, and firing missiles in western Ukraine that destroyed an underground military munitions depot. Russian forces bombed an art

The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced the discovery of five 4,000-year-old ancient tombs in the Saqqara archaeological sites southwest of Cairo. “The Egyptian archaeological mission uncovered five tombs about 100 meters northwest of the Merenre Pyramid in

Syria's president has made his first trip to an Arab country since the Syrian civil war began 11 years ago. Bashar al-Assad arrived in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Friday, and met several influential and controversial rulers who signalled a willingness to strengthen ties with

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for meaningful peace and security talks "without delay" with Moscow.  He said this would be the only chance for Russia to limit damage from its "mistakes" "It's time to meet, it's time to talk,

A powerful earthquake hit north-east Japan on Wednesday night, temporarily cutting power to two million homes. The magnitude 7.3 tremor struck the same region where a major earthquake triggered the Fukushima nuclear disaster 11 years ago. Two people died and at least 90 were

US President Joe Biden has labelled Russian leader Vladimir Putin “a war criminal” in comments the Kremlin said were “unforgivable” as it insisted the war in Ukraine was “going to plan”. Biden’s accusation came after Ukraine’s foreign

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the British-Iranian woman detained in Iran nearly six years ago, is on her way to the UK, her MP has said. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe was at the airport in Tehran, Tulip Siddiq told BBC News. She is in a holding room with fellow British-Iranian detainee

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that peace talks with Russia are beginning to "sound more realistic, but time is still needed" to reach a breakthrough. In his latest Facebook video address, he said victory over Russia would require the work of all Ukrainian

The United States has warned China against coming to Russia’s aid in Ukraine, saying there will be “consequences” if Beijing provides support to Moscow’s war effort. US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan made Washington’s concerns “clear”

A meeting between Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Russia Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Turkey has ended without an agreement reached on humanitarian corridors or a ceasefire. Kuleba said he raised the prospect of establishing a humanitarian corridor to allow civilians

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in the southern Turkish province of Antalya late Wednesday ahead of a face-to-face meeting set with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba, the first high-level contact between Kyiv and Moscow since Russia invaded its neighbor two weeks ago.

A maternity and children's hospital in the city of Mariupol has been hit by a Russian air strike, Ukraine says. President Volodymyr Zelensky said people were trapped under the wreckage, and called the attack a war crime. He also posted footage apparently from inside the

The United States has rejected Poland’s offer to send its MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine via a US airbase in Germany, saying the proposal raised “serious concerns” for the entire NATO alliance. Warsaw made the surprise offer on Tuesday amid repeated appeals from

Russia's special military operation is not aimed at overthrowing Ukraine’s current government or destroying its statehood but seeks to protect the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR, LPR), demilitarize and denazify Ukraine, as well as eliminate military threats

The wife of Ukraine's President Volodomyr Zelenskyy has written an open letter, saying what has happened to her country is "impossible to believe". The letter, entitled 'I Testify' and addressed to the world's media, was released on encrypted messaging service

The World Bank Board of Executive Directors today approved a supplemental budget support package for Ukraine, called Financing of Recovery from Economic Emergency in Ukraine – or FREE Ukraine – for $489 million.  The package approved by the Board consists of a

A top Russian diplomat has announced plans for another ceasefire in Ukraine, saying Moscow will open humanitarian corridors to let civilians in besieged Ukrainian cities evacuate in the direction of their choice. Vassily Nebenzia’s announcement at the United Nations Security

Saudi Arabia on Saturday announced that it was lifting all precautionary and preventive measures related to the Covid-19 pandemic, the state news agency reported. The decision was based on "the follow-up to the epidemiological situation of coronavirus, the competent health

Police detained more than 4,300 people on Sunday at Russia-wide protests against President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, according to an independent protest monitoring group. Thousands of protesters chanted “No to war!” and “Shame on you!”,

Russia has declared a ceasefire in Ukraine capital Kyiv, and the cities of Kharkiv, Mariupol and Sumy to facilitate the evacuation of citizens. Humanitarian corridors would be formed to safely bring out those trapped in these cities, an operation announced after a personal request to