Watch: Trump slams Prince Harry after Duke of Sussex’s plea to support Ukraine
‘How’s his wife?’: Trump slams Prince Harry after Duke of Sussex’s plea to support Ukraine
Rebecca Whittaker25 April 2026 16:50
China condemns EU’s inclusion of Chinese entities in sanctions package against Russia
China’s commerce ministry has expressed its “firm opposition” to the inclusion of Chinese entities in the European Union’s 20th round of sanctions against Russia.
The ministry demanded their immediate removal from the list and said said the move “runs counter to the spirit of the consensus reached between Chinese and EU leaders, and seriously undermines mutual trust and the overall stability of bilateral relations”, according to a statement shared by a spokesperson.
The EU sanctions package targets third-country suppliers of critical high-tech items, including China-based entities accused of providing dual-use goods or weapons systems to Russia’s military-industrial complex.
Maira Butt25 April 2026 16:20
Russia ‘terrorising’ residential areas, says Zelensky
President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of “terrorising” residential areas as he said that rescue efforts continued to get underway in Dnipro, where at least five people have been killed and more than 40 injured including children.
“The rescue operation continues in Dnipro after Russia’s strikes on the city,” wrote the Ukrainian leader on X on Saturday afternoon.
“All services are engaged – medical teams, rescuers. I am grateful to everyone on the ground who is truly helping people.
“Since last night, Russia has been terrorizing Dnipro with missile and drone attacks.
“Strikes have hit ordinary residential buildings, energy facilities, civilian sites. During the day, the Russians once again attacked the same residential area they had struck overnight. There have been numerous casualties.
“As of now, more than 40 people have been reported wounded in Dnipro, including children. Twenty‑three people have been hospitalized. Two more are missing – their search will continue until their fate is determined.”
Aftermath of a Russian drone attack in Dnipro (Reuters)
Maira Butt25 April 2026 15:50
Russian troops capture village in northeastern Ukraine, TASS reports
Russian forces captured the village of Bochkove in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region, the TASS state news agency reported on Saturday, citing the Russian Defence Ministry.
The Independent could not independently confirm the battlefield report.
The claim comes amid a recent analysis by AFP and the Institute for the Study of War, which showed that Russia has lost almost 23.2 square miles of land in Ukraine since 1 March.
Maira Butt25 April 2026 15:20
Watch: Ukraine kills 12 Russian officers in drone strike
Ukraine kills 12 Russian officers in drone strike
Maira Butt25 April 2026 14:50
Parts of second drone found in Romania after overnight Russian attack on Ukraine
Fragments of a second drone have been found in Tulcea county in southeast Romania after a Russian overnight attack on Ukraine, Romania’s defence ministry said in a statement on Saturday, hours after announcing that parts of a drone had been recovered in the city of Galati.
Maira Butt25 April 2026 14:30
Putin approval rating declines for seventh week in a row
President Vladimir Putin’s approval rating has declined for the seventh week in a row according to results published by Russian state-owned polling institution All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM) on Friday.
The results are from a poll for the week commencing 13 April and showed a drop in support for the Russian leader from 66.7 per cent the week before to 65.6 per cent.
Trust in Putin fell from 72 per cent to 71 per cent in the same period.
However, the Kremlin-linked Public Opinion Forum (FOM) found his approval rating at 76 per cent, a 10-point difference.
Maira Butt25 April 2026 14:20
Comment: Prince Harry is on a one-man mission to make sure the world does not forget Ukraine … or Prince Harry
Prince Harry’s reputation as a peacemaker has been on the skids since he, you know, rather famously fell out with his own brother. But a two-day “surprise visit” to Ukraine will surely change all that. Following a pleasant working holiday in Australia as a sort of bouncy accessory to his wife Meghan, the Duke of Sussex has turned his mind to the serious business of securing world peace. And so he has turned up in Kyiv to sort everything out.
These days, we do need certain things explained. Why exactly is Harry here? He had been invited, he said, to “remind people back home and around the world what Ukraine is up against”. This does perhaps suggest that he thinks everyone else back home – and in fact around the world – has forgotten about Ukraine completely, apart from Harry. Maybe that’s being unfair. Or, indeed, brutally honest.
Maira Butt25 April 2026 13:50
In pictures: Aftermath of Russian drone and missile strike in Dnipro
Residents leave the site of an apartment building hit by a Russian drone and missile strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Dnipro, Ukraine April 25, 2026. (Reuters)Smoke rises in the city after a Russian drone and missile strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Dnipro, Ukraine April 25, 2026. (Reuters)A resident inspects debris at his flat in an apartment building destroyed by a Russian drone and missile strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Dnipro, Ukraine April 25, 2026. (Reuters)
Maira Butt25 April 2026 13:20
Russian attacks kill 3 and wound more than 20 in Ukraine’s Dnipro
Russian drone and missile strikes on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro killed at least three people and wounded 21, local authorities said Saturday.
The bodies of the three were found in the ruins of a house destroyed in the overnight attacks, Dnipropetrovsk regional head Oleksandr Ganzha said, adding that people might still be trapped in the rubble.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday that there were “11 people in hospitals in Dnipro after the Russian attack on the city.”
“The Russians have been hitting Dnipro and other cities and communities practically all night,” Ganzha wrote on Telegram of the attacks, which caused fires to break out across Dnipro and partially destroyed several apartment buildings, businesses and a private house.
Read the full story below
Maira Butt25 April 2026 12:50
