BBC

‘I want to get home’: Thousands of Britons trapped in Israel as conflict with Iran rages

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Thousands of Britons are stranded in Israel and unable to leave, as Iran and Israel continue to attack each other in an intensifying conflict that has been ongoing for days.

The Israeli airspace is closed until further notice and all flights have been grounded, with no sign of an imminent pause in hostilities. Iran has launched hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel over the past few days in retaliation for Israeli strikes which began on Friday.

Speaking to the BBC, British nationals spoke of sleepless nights punctuated by the wail of sirens, constant trips back and forth to bomb shelters and the uncertainty of not knowing when they will be able to get home. Many of those stranded are pressing for the UK government to do more to help them, but the BBC understands that, at this stage, there are no plans for an evacuation.

BBC

Kyiv hit by barrage of drone strikes as Putin rejects Trump’s truce bid

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One person has been killed and 26 others were injured after a night of intensive Russian strikes on almost every district in Kyiv, officials say.

A pall of acrid smoke hung over the Ukrainian capital on Friday morning following hours of nightfall punctuated by the staccato of air defence guns, buzz of drones and large explosions. Ukraine said Russia fired a record 539 drones and 11 missiles.

The strikes came hours after a call between US President Donald Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin, after which Trump said he was "disappointed" that Putin was not ready to end the war against Ukraine. Moscow says the war will continue for as long as it is necessary to reach its objectives.

BBC

Ukraine captures two Chinese nationals fighting for Russia

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Ukrainian forces have captured two Chinese nationals who were fighting for the Russian army in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said. He said on Tuesday that intelligence suggested the number of Chinese soldiers in Russia's army was "much higher than two".

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Chinese troops fighting on Ukrainian territory "puts into question China's declared stance for peace" and added that their envoy in Kyiv was summoned for an explanation.

It is the first official allegation from Ukraine that China is supplying Russia with manpower. Russia declined to comment on Zelensky's revelation on Wednesday.

BBC

Paramilitaries strike Port Sudan for first time, army says

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A drone attack launched by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) struck a military airport in the city of Port Sudan on Sunday, according to the Sudanese army.

It marks the first time RSF attacks have reached the city - the de-facto capital of Sudan's military-led government - since the conflict between the warring factions erupted two years ago.

Sudanese army spokesperson Nabil Abdullah said the RSF had launched several "suicide drones" at the eastern Red Sea port city, targeting the Osman Digna Air Base, "a goods warehouse and some civilian facilities".

THE TELEGRAPH
Trapped in a warzone: surrogate mothers and newborns ensnared in Ukraine’s crisis

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Four days after the Russian invasion, Adam and Lara were frantically trying to get into Ukraine. They flew to Poland and managed to flag down a bus to Rava-Ruska, a border town in Lviv Oblast. Then they waited.

Shops were shuttered. Their Polish SIM card didn’t work. Nowhere accepted their euros. As the night drew on, they huddled in a public lavatory to shelter from the piercing cold.