Author: Jill Lawless
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Ukraine says counteroffensive delayed; Britain sending cruise missiles to Kyiv
KYIV, Ukraine • President Volodymyr Zelensky said in remarks broadcast Thursday that Kyiv is delaying its long-awaited counteroffensive against Russia’s occupying forces because Ukraine lacks enough Western weapons to succeed without suffering too many casualties. His remarks, in an interview with European broadcasters, were aired shortly before Britain said it has sent Ukraine air-launched cruise…
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Biden urges Northern Ireland to sustain peace
BELFAST, Northern Ireland • President Joe Biden said Wednesday that Northern Ireland must “not go back” to the violence that scarred it for years before a U.S.-brokered peace deal 25 years ago, nudging politicians to resolve a political crisis that has left this part of the United Kingdom without a functioning government. Speaking of the…
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Zelenskyy seeks weaponry in surprise trips to London, Paris
PARIS • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sought Western support for his country in surprise visits to Britain and France on Wednesday, pushing for fighter jets to battle Russian invaders in a dramatic speech to the U.K. Parliament, and then flying to Paris to meet the French and German leaders over dinner at the Elysee Palace.…
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U.K. spy chief says rise of China world’s top security issue
LONDON • The head of Britain’s cyber-intelligence agency on Tuesday accused China of trying to “rewrite the rules of international security,” saying Beijing is using its economic and technological clout to clamp down at home and exert control abroad. Jeremy Fleming, director of GCHQ, said that despite war raging in Europe since Russia’s invasion of…
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London mourners brave 9-hour wait to say goodbye to queen
LONDON • Thousands of mourners waited for hours Thursday in a line that stretched for nearly 4 1/2 miles across London for the chance to spend a few minutes filing past Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin while she lies in state. King Charles III spent the day in private to reflect on his first week on…
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Queen Elizabeth II lies in state as crowds pay respects
LONDON • The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II left Buckingham Palace for the last time Wednesday, borne on a horse-drawn carriage and saluted by cannons and the tolling of Big Ben, in a solemn procession through the flag-draped, crowd-lined streets of London to Westminster Hall. There, Britain’s longest-serving monarch will lie in state for the…
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Truss: U.K. to cap domestic energy prices, end fracking ban
LONDON • New British Prime Minister Liz Truss announced Thursday that her Conservative government will cap domestic energy prices for homes and businesses to ease a cost-of-living crisis that has left residents across the United Kingdom facing a bleak winter. The moves are a huge government intervention in the economy by Truss, who sees herself…
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UK breaks record for highest temperature as Europe sizzles
LONDON • Britain shattered its record for highest temperature ever registered Tuesday amid a heat wave that has seared swaths of Europe, as the U.K.’s national weather forecaster said such highs are now a fact of life in a country ill-prepared for such extremes. The typically temperate nation was just the latest to be walloped…
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Britain’s Johnson battles to stay as PM
LONDON • British Prime Minister Boris Johnson battled to remain in office Wednesday, brushing off calls for his resignation after two top ministers and a slew of junior officials said they could no longer serve under his scandal-plagued leadership. Johnson rejected demands that he step down during a stormy session of the House of Commons…
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NATO vows to guard ‘every inch of territory’ as Russia fumes
MADRID • An unstable world could get even more dangerous if NATO does not remain strong and united, the head of the alliance said Thursday at the end of a summit where Western leaders labeled Russia “a direct threat” to the security of their nations. During their three-day meeting in Madrid, NATO members confronted a…