Crimea, once a crossroad of civilisations, finds itself isolated and under attack
Every month, Ukraine unleashes three or four attacks on the Crimea bridge.
The latest one, last week, used underwater explosives to try to damage the support structure, Ukraine said.
Each salvo forces the bridge to close, disrupting the main artery between the Russian mainland and the Black Sea Peninsula
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Glasgow Times
16 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Emma Raducanu relaxed about British number one status after progress at Queen's
The 22-year-old will officially become number one on Monday after Katie Boulter bowed out with a 2-6 6-3 6-2 second-round defeat to Russian fifth seed Diana Shnaider, two years to the day since she supplanted 2021 US Open winner Raducanu. And while she has played down her expectations ahead of this week, pointing to her ongoing back issues, Raducanu's win also ensured she would be the last Briton left standing in this new WTA 500 event boasting a £1million prize pot. Emma Raducanu, right, shakes hands with Rebecca Sramkova after her last-16 win at Queen's Club (Jordan Pettitt/PA) 'It's nice (number one),' said Raducanu, who paired up with Boulter for the first time in the doubles earlier this week. 'But I wouldn't say it's the most important thing for me. 'Having Katie in front it was nice for me to have something to chase, and now I'm sure she's going to enjoy that with me. The grass season is still young and so is the rest of the season. 'We have a healthy competition between us two. I want to see her do well, she wants to see me do well. It was nice to play doubles with her this week.' The timing of this new tournament – the first time Queen's has hosted women's tennis in 52 years – means Boulter is down points because she won Nottingham last year in the same week, allowing Raducanu to leapfrog her for the time being. Raducanu looked to be cruising after claiming her first break in the opening game before winning the following four. Lifting each other up 🇬🇧❤️ Emma Raducanu reacts to becoming British No.1 again on Monday — LTA (@the_LTA) June 12, 2025 But Sramkova was determined to stay in it, saving two set points before breaking the Briton's serve in the sixth, eventually reducing the deficit to 5-4 before Raducanu regrouped, holding to love to seal the first set. It was a similar story in the second as Raducanu swiftly sealed a double break then made it 4-0. Then the Slovakian, four places lower on the WTA rankings than number 37 Raducanu, dug deep again, saving three break points in the fifth game to win her first of the set before the home favourite ensured she was a game away with a backhand to hold the sixth. And while she could not close out the match at the first time of asking, Raducanu would not be denied again as another break sealed her place in the last eight – and a meeting with top seed Qinwen Zheng. Raducanu, has – alongside Boulter – on more than one occasion found herself the target of stalkers. She welcomed the news that Wimbledon on Thursday affirmed athlete security was a top priority, though added 'whenever I've played at Wimbledon I felt very well protected, very safe.' Katie Boulter was beaten by Diana Shnaider (Jordan Pettitt/PA) Boulter said she enjoyed 'some of the best grass court tennis I have played' in the first set but was undone again by her first serves in the next two, double-faulting nine times in the match. She added: 'I'm very happy for (Raducanu) to be British number one but at the same time, it's going to be fun for me to chase her now, and I think she's been doing that for a while. Now it's kind of my turn.' Briton Heather Watson also bowed out in the last 16 after she was beaten 6-4 6-2 by former Wimbledon champion and fourth seed Elena Rybakina.
LeMonde
27 minutes ago
- LeMonde
Russia appoints General Sergei Surovikin as head of its military advisers in Algeria
Sergei Surovikin, the former commander of Russian forces in Ukraine, vanished from public view following the mutiny of the paramilitary Wagner Group in June 2023. He has now resurfaced in Algeria, having been given a new mission by the Kremlin. The general was recently seen at the Dely Ibrahim military cemetery near Algiers, taking part in commemorations of the "Great Patriotic War" against Nazi Germany (1941 – 1945), alongside a delegation from the Russian diplomatic mission. Several photographs posted on the embassy's Telegram channel on May 9 show Surovikin wearing sunglasses and an oversized civilian suit, standing next to Alexey Solomatine, Russia's ambassador to Algiers, and Vladimir Tsukanov, the military attaché. The sight was hardly remarkable in itself, as Surovikin had been accustomed to visiting Algeria at least once a year, according to brief reports by the Russian press ; he was in Oran in 2023 and in Algiers in 2024. This time, however, the caption accompanying the photographs revealed a first: It specified Surovikin's new posting as "head of the group of Russian military advisers in Algeria." With this, the Russian embassy in the North African country officially announced his new assignment, confirming Moscow's growing commitment to Algeria – notably through the increased presence of its military advisers.
Perth Now
41 minutes ago
- Perth Now
NZ PM Luxon secures Xi Jinping meeting in China
As he faces criticism at home for weakening ties with Beijing, New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Luxon has booked a meeting with China President Xi Jinping next week. The conservative leader has announced the longest international trip of his tenure, spending four days in China and five in Europe in a stretch also taking in the NATO Summit in the Netherlands. Since taking office in late 2023, Mr Luxon has also continued a shift in New Zealand's foreign outlook - begun by Jacinda Ardern's Labour government in the aftermath of the Russian invasion of Ukraine - to more closely align with Australia and the United States. This has not been uncontroversial. Last week, former prime ministers Helen Clark and Geoffrey Palmer headed an open letter arguing New Zealand was" risking its sovereignty" by strategic alignment and integration with Australia, and it should not antagonise Beijing, for fear of losing a critical trade relationship. "We do believe that a military relationship with the United States directed against China has many risks for New Zealand," the letter stated. "That is especially true in a situation where the United States itself has recently become more ambivalent about its defence relationships with traditional partners. "Your forthcoming visit to Beijing is a vital opportunity to make it clear at the highest level that New Zealand retains its bipartisan commitment to its strategic partnership with China in the interests of a peaceful and prosperous region and world." Foreign Minister Winston Peters has dismissed their arguments, saying the letter was written by "various former politicians/officials who appear to be suffering from relevance deprivation syndrome". In a statement announcing his travel, Mr Luxon said time spent in Shanghai and Beijing would be focused on bilateral trade, measured at $A35 billion last year, calling China "a vital part of our economic story". "New Zealand is a trusted supplier of safe, high-quality food and beverage products to Chinese consumers. It is an important market, and I look forward to doing what I can to support Kiwi businesses to thrive," Mr Luxon said. A key promise of the National-led coalition has been to double the value of Kiwi exports in the next decade. Coaxing Chinese students back to New Zealand's education system is also likely to be feature in government-to-government discussions, with enrolments running at just over half their pre-pandemic peak. Accompanying Mr Luxon will be a delegation of business leaders, and a group of Maori performers. National kapa haka champions Te Kapa Haka o Ngati Whakaue will travel on the NZDF plane to China, despite the government's troubled relationship with Maoridom. On the second leg of his trip, Mr Luxon will broaden his focus to include security, meeting with EU leaders in Brussels, and then NATO nations in The Hague. "Prosperity is only possible with security, and our discussions will focus on connections between the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific security environments," he said. Like Australia, New Zealand is invited to annual NATO gatherings as part of the "Indo-Pacific Four" grouping, which also includes Japan and South Korea.
