European troops must be ready to fight if they are sent to guard any future peace deal between Ukraine and Russia, a senior aide to Volodymyr Zelensky has said. “We don’t need a mere presence to showcase that Europe is present,” Igor Zhovkva, a top Ukrainian negotiator, said ahead of an international summit in Paris. “It’s not the amount which matters… it’s also their readiness to fight, their readiness to…

At least 20 Cameroonian soldiers were killed today in an attack by Boko Haram jihadists disguised as herders in northeastern Nigeria, near the border town of Wulgo, sources close to the army said. Cameroonian troops are commonly stationed across the border in Nigeria as part of anti-jihadist operations around Wulgo, which is near the volatile Lake Chad — itself home to both Islamic State and Boko Haram fighters. Cameroonian forces…

Russia and Ukraine have agreed to halt military strikes on vessels in the Black Sea and pause attacks on energy infrastructure, the United States has announced after talks with both sides in Saudi Arabia. The White House said on Tuesday that Moscow and Kyiv had separately “agreed to ensure safe navigation, eliminate the use of force and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes in the Black Sea”.…

Top US intelligence officials faced heated questions by Democratic senators on Tuesday over the spectacular security breach which saw a journalist included in a chat group discussion about airstrikes in Yemen. The Senate Intelligence Committee hearing was nominally about an annual report on national security threats, but Democrats used the opportunity to hammer officials — two of whom were reported to be in the group chat — over the mounting…

Buckingham Palace on Tuesday said that King Charles III and Queen Camilla have postponed a planned state visit to the Vatican in early April following medical advice from Pope Francis’ doctors. “Medical advice has now suggested that Pope Francis would benefit from an extended period of rest and recuperation. Their Majesties send the pope their best wishes for his convalescence and look forward to visiting him in The Holy See,…

US and Russian officials have begun talks in Saudi Arabia as Donald Trump pushes to broker a limited ceasefire that Washington hopes will mark the first step toward lasting peace in Ukraine. Ukraine and Russia have agreed in principle to a one-month halt on strikes on energy infrastructure after Trump spoke with the countries’ leaders last week. But uncertainty remains over how and when the partial ceasefire would take effect…

President claims Sarah Boardman ‘must have lost her talent as she got older’, despite previous artwork of Barack Obama and George W. Bush Donald Trump has called for a portrait of himself to be taken down from the Colorado State capitol, lashing out at the artist for “truly the worst” attempt to capture his features. “Nobody likes a bad picture or painting of themselves,” the president wrote, but the Colorado…

The White House has confirmed that a journalist inadvertently was added to a group chat in which US national security officials planned a strike against the Houthi rebel group. Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, reported on Monday that he was added to a Signal message group that included accounts labelled as White House National Security Adviser Michael Waltz and Vice-President JD Vance. “At this time, the message thread that…

The first US black Republican congresswoman, Mia Love, has died aged 49 in Utah. Announcing the death, her family stated, “She passed away peacefully” on Sunday, surrounded by family at her home in the town of Saratoga Springs.” Love, a daughter of Haitian immigrants, had represented the state of Utah in the House of Representatives. Her daughter, Abigale said earlier this month that Love had no longer been responding to…

Greenlandic leaders have sharply criticised the planned visit of a high-profile U.S. delegation to the semi-autonomous Danish territory, which President Donald Trump has previously suggested the U.S. should annex. The delegation, set to visit later this week, includes Usha Vance, wife of Vice President JD Vance, White House national security adviser Mike Waltz, and Energy Secretary Chris Wright. The visit is scheduled to include a trip to the U.S. military…

Sir Keir Starmer’s proposal for a “coalition of the willing” to keep the peace in Ukraine has been dismissed by military sources and critics as “political theatre” and “posturing” with little substance. The UK Prime Minister introduced the peacekeeping initiative earlier this month, suggesting that several countries were prepared to enforce any peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. However, his plan has faced significant criticism due to the lack of…

M23 rebels, backed by Rwanda, have announced they will withdraw their forces from the town of Walikale in eastern Congo, a move they say supports ongoing peace initiatives. The group, which has been advancing through the region, previously indicated their intention to leave troops in Walikale as they moved towards the capital, Kinshasa. The Congolese government has expressed hope that this announcement will be followed by concrete action, particularly after…