A pro-West diplomat and an ally of populist premier to meet in runoff for Slovakia’s presidency

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — A pro-western career diplomat defeated a close ally of Slovakia’s populist Prime Minister Robert Fico in the first round of the presidential election Sunday to set up a runoff between the two to decide who will succeed Zuzana Čaputová, the country’s first female president. Former Foreign Minister Ivan Korčok had 42.13% of … Read more

Deadly attack on Moscow concert hall shakes Russian capital and sows doubts about security

Shocked Russians brought flowers and teddy bears Saturday to the Crocus City concert hall on the outskirts of Moscow to pay their respects to more than 100 people who died in a grisly attack claimed by the Islamic State group. Mourners hung flowers on fences and piled them on the ground a short distance from … Read more

The EU will impose tariffs on Russian grain, fearing Moscow will use exports as a weapon of war

BRUSSELS — The European Commission wants to prevent Russia from using farm products as a tool to wreak havoc on the EU market and is moving to impose tariffs on grain imports from Russia and Belarus. The tariffs are also aimed at denying Russia revenue, because they will effectively suppress exports to the EU, the … Read more

Russia attacks Ukrainian electrical power facilities, including major hydroelectric plant

KYIV, Ukraine — Russia attacked electrical power facilities in much of Ukraine, including the country’s largest hydroelectric plant, causing widespread outages and killing at least three people, officials said Friday. Energy Minister German Galushchenko said the nighttime drone and rocket attacks were “the largest attack on the Ukrainian energy sector in recent times. The goal … Read more

France’s president pounds a punching bag on camera, and Europe notices

LONDON — The teeth clench. The brow furrows. The bicep bulges. In moody black and white, photos of French President Emmanuel Macron pounding a punching bag arched eyebrows across Europe on Thursday after his official photographer posted them to social media in what was widely received as the latest round in his drive to toughen … Read more

US national security adviser Jake Sullivan visits Kyiv as stalemate in Washington holds up aid

KYIV, Ukraine — President Joe Biden’s top foreign policy adviser Jake Sullivan sought to reassure Ukrainians during an unannounced visit to Kyiv Wednesday that the U.S. will continue to support their efforts to fend off Russia’s two-year-old invasion. The national security adviser expressed optimism that lawmakers in Washington will break a monthlong logjam and approve … Read more

UK inflation falls by more than expected in February, triggering talk of lower interest rates

LONDON — Price rises in the U.K. eased by more than anticipated in February, official figures showed Wednesday, raising expectations that the Bank of England may start cutting interest rates in the next few months. The Office for National Statistics said inflation, as measured by the consumer price index, fell to 3.4%, its lowest level … Read more

With unsold grain piled high, a Polish farmer faces an uncertain future as war in Ukraine grinds on

CYWINY WOJSKIE, Poland — Piotr Korycki picks up a handful of wheat and watches as the yellow grains run through his fingers. All around him, grain is piled high in a warehouse on his farm north of the Polish capital: hundreds of tons of wheat, rye and corn left over from last year’s harvest that … Read more

Russia says it will evacuate 9,000 children from a border region targeted from the Ukrainian side

A Russian border region plans to evacuate some 9,000 children from the area as it is continuously shelled from the Ukrainian side, an official said Tuesday. Kyiv’s forces have increasingly been striking at targets behind the extensive front line that has changed little after more than two years of war. The children are to be … Read more

Putin says Russia is planning a buffer zone to protect against Ukrainian cross-border attacks

Russia won’t relent in its invasion of Ukraine, with one of its forthcoming goals being to establish a buffer zone along the border to help protect against long-range Ukrainian strikes and cross-border raids, Russian President Vladimir Putin said. The Kremlin’s forces have recently made battlefield progress as Kyiv’s troops struggle with a severe shortage of … Read more