Peace is out of reach for Ukraine due to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ongoing aggression, European defense ministers stressed Friday, even as the United States pushed ahead with talks with Moscow. Top Trump administration official Steve Witkoff met Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, shaking hands with Putin at the start. Putin and Witkoff were set to discuss Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said ahead of the meeting, which ended at 10 p.m. Moscow time (3 p.m. ET), according to Russian state media TASS. Peskov had referred to the assembly as “a good opportunity” to convey the Russian position to…
Author: Alexei Fedorov
London landlords are selling up their buy-to-let properties at record rates as anticipated tax hikes from the U.K. Labour government add further pressure to the once lucrative investment sector. Almost one-third (29%) of homes currently for sale in the capital were previously rented out, data published on Thursday by property portal Rightmove showed. The spike mirrors a wider uptick in rental property sales across the U.K., where 18% of all nationwide listings were previously tenanted, according to Rightmove. Rightmove said it was not yet clear that the figures pointed to a “mass exodus” by landlords, but rather to a gradual decline in…
In the vast and ever-changing landscape of Instagram, where trends shift rapidly and styles evolve overnight, Benedict Winter stands out as a curator of timeless charm. His Instagram handle, @btdwinter, is a visual journal that captures the essence of English life—steeped in heritage, tradition, and understated beauty. Through a carefully crafted feed, Benedict offers followers a glimpse into the soul of English country living, rich with vintage interiors, artistic flourishes, and historic detail. Visual Storytelling Rooted in History Benedict’s content doesn’t rely on flashy gimmicks or viral trends. Instead, it tells stories—subtle, romantic, and deeply rooted in history. From foggy…
Qatari investors now own £1 billion of property in London Mayfair, new research has found. Members of the Qatar Royal family, Qatari investment funds as well as other Qatari nationals have invested so much in London property that a new “Qatari quarter” has started to develop on the North-West side of Mayfair, bordering Park Lane and Hyde Park, according to Rokstone, an Iranian-owned West End estate agent. Almost a quarter of Mayfair’s 279 acres and over 4,300 residential properties are now owned by Qatari investors, making the Gulf state the largest buyer and tenant group for luxury property in this…
Mayfair is well-known as one of the glitziest, most luxurious and crucially most expensive areas of London to buy property. But according to estate agency Wetherell it’s also currently home to the “biggest bargain” in Central London. Wetherell says the flat – a 956-square-foot, two-bedroom abode priced at £500,000 – is the ideal “pad” for wealthy students from Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The apartment is located on Davies Street, just down the road from the famous five-star hotel Claridges. “This apartment would be ideal as a university or college student pad for a young student from a wealthy family from the Middle East, Africa or Asia.…
When Jeffrey Goldberg published a bombshell story outlining how some of the most senior US officials had mistakenly shared sensitive information with him, he obtained the biggest scoop of the year. The Atlantic editor also became the prime target for every senior Trump administration official in Washington. In the last couple of days, he’s been called a “loser” and a “sleazebag” by President Trump, as well as a liar and “scum” by US National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, who appeared to have mistakenly added Goldberg to a group chat earlier this month. Before he became a political lightning rod, however,…
By his own recognition, Gérard Depardieu acts in a world that is no longer his own. On day three of his sexual assault trial in Paris, the French cinema star admitted that he was given to “rude” and “vulgar” language no longer regarded as acceptable. It got to the point a few years ago, he said, where he insisted no female assistants should come near him in his dressing-room, because they were too liable to be shocked. “Knowing the vulgarity of the old world, today I try to avoid being listened to by the new world – so that I…
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he hopes the US will “stand strong” in the face of Russian demands to lift sanctions as a condition for a ceasefire in the Black Sea. Moscow said a maritime truce announced on Tuesday to allow safe passage for commercial vessels would only begin once Western restrictions on Russia’s food and fertiliser trade had been lifted. Zelensky was speaking during a panel interview in Paris with journalists from across Europe. Asked by the BBC if the US would resist Russian pressure, he said: “I hope so. God bless, they will. But we’ll see.” Advertisement…
At a secret location away from prying eyes, Ukrainian engineers test a long-range drone called Raybird. The machine, which looks like a mini plane with wings, is placed on a launchpad, stretched like an arrow on a crossbow and then shot into the air. Raybird can fly non-stop for more than 20 hours and cover a distance of more than 1,000km (620 miles). It carries out reconnaissance missions, and can also destroy targets both on the frontline and deep inside Russia. Among their targets are oil refineries and fuel depots. Advertisement But after Russia and Ukraine reached separate agreements with…
The head of Turkey’s main opposition party has told the BBC that protests will continue “in every city” until either early presidential elections are called, or the jailed mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, is released from prison. Ozgur Ozel, chairman of the mayor’s Republican People’s Party (CHP), said the nationwide protests would include a very large demonstration this Saturday in Istanbul. That will open the party’s campaign to make Imamoglu the country’s next president in elections that are due in 2028, he said. “In every city we go to, we will have the biggest rallies in their history,” Ozel declared.…
