Page 25 - Latest Updates on Ukraine peace talks

Russia accuses Ukraine of drone strike causing fire at Kursk nuclear plant

Russia accused Ukraine on Sunday of launching drone attacks that sparked a fire at a nuclear power plant in its western Kursk region overnight, as Ukraine celebrated 34 years since its independence. Russian officials said several power and energy facilities were targeted in the overnight strikes. The fire at the nuclear facility was quickly extinguished with no injuries reported, according to the plant's press service on Telegram. While the attack damaged a transformer, radiation levels remained within normal ranges. The United Nations' nuclear watchdog said it was aware of media reports that a transformer at the plants had caught fire due to military activity, but hadn't received independent confirmation. It said its director-general, Rafael Mariano Grossi, said that every nuclear facility must be protected at all times. Ukraine did not immediately comment on the alleged attack. Firefighters also responded to a blaze at the port of Ust-Luga in Russia's Leningrad region, home to a

Best of BS Opinion: The RBI's current policy framework has worked well

Today's Opinion Page looks at the RBI's recent discussion paper on inflation targeting, OpenAI's plans for India, the role of institutions in growth, and the recent GST rate cuts boost to growth

Secondary tariffs on India 'economic leverage' to end Russia war: Vance

Vice President J D Vance on Sunday said President Donald Trump has applied aggressive economic leverage such as secondary tariffs on India to force Russia to stop bombing Ukraine. Vance was speaking during an exclusive interview on NBC News' Meet the Press when he also said the step would make it harder for the Russians to get rich from their oil economy. The Trump administration has been highly critical of India for its procurement of discounted crude oil from Russia. Interestingly, Washington has not been criticising China, the largest importer of Russian crude oil. India has been maintaining that its energy procurement, including from Russia, is driven by national interest and market dynamics. Vance remained confident the US can broker an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine despite potential hang-ups that have emerged since President Trump's meeting this month with Russian President Vladimir Putin, NBC News said. We believe we've already seen some significant concessions

STRONG ROOTS: Chef Olia Hercules' Ukraine memoir by way of her family tree

Strong Roots is its own kind of dam, against the rushing anguish of war and generational trauma

UN nuclear watchdog says radiation near Kursk plant at normal levels

Russia's defence ministry said at least 95 Ukrainian drones had been intercepted across more than a dozen Russian regions on August 24

Ukraine's independence-era voices say Russia's control effort spans decades

Oleksandr Donii was one of the leaders of student-led protests for sovereignty and political reform in 1990 that preceded Ukraine's declaration of independence. He remembers thinking the fight for autonomy would take decades. Instead, it came much sooner than he ever imagined. When the Soviet Union collapsed, Ukraine quickly declared independence in 1991 and later conducted a referendum backed by more than 90 per cent of voters. I was preparing myself for prisons and labour camps, and I thought the struggle would last about 2030 years, Donii told The Associated Press. Moscow's grip endured after independence As the country marks 34 years since that monumental event Sunday, Donii and others from Ukraine's first generation of lawmakers and activists describe how despite separation from the Soviet Union, Moscow's grip endured. Russia used political pressure, social division and the sidelining of pro-Western voices. That eventually paved the way for the full-scale invasion of Ukraine .

Ukraine drone attack causes fire at Russia's Kursk nuclear power plant

A combat unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) belonging to the Armed Forces of Ukraine was shot down by air defence systems near the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant

Baltic states seek to fight back against Russian 'electronic warfare'

Lithuania last month accused Russia of orchestrating a spike in GPS jamming, causing a 22-fold increase in such incidents since the previous year

Putin sees 'light at the end of the tunnel' in strained Russia-US ties

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday voiced optimism about Russia-US ties, saying there was light at the end of the tunnel in relations that have hit their lowest point in years, as the two sides explore cooperation on projects in the Arctic and Alaska. "As for our relations with the United States, they are at an extremely low level. I have said this many times. "However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel now that President (Donald) Trump has come to power, Putin said in televised remarks during a meeting with nuclear industry workers in the town of Sarov, the birthplace of the Soviet atomic programme. Relations between Moscow and Washington have sharply deteriorated over issues ranging from the Ukraine conflict, NATO's eastward expansion, and sanctions against Russia. Putin said Russia and the US are discussing the possibility of working together in the Arctic and Alaska. We are discussing with our American partners the possibility of working together in this field,

Trump hints at major decision on Russia-Ukraine war within two weeks

Trump said that his decision is dependent on what happens in the next two weeks and pushed for a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy

That Oval Office frame & India: Lessons from Trump's deal with Europe

Putin sees this as a victory. Europeans have decided to deal with Trump on his terms for the sake of the larger Western alliance. We look at the lessons for us in India

Russia says no Putin-Zelenskyy summit planned, cites lack of agenda

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's statement comes almost a week after Putin's meeting with US President Donald Trump in Alaska to discuss measures to end the long-running Russia-Ukraine war

Leave Donbas, forget Nato ambitions: Putin's new demand to Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin wants Ukraine to quit Donbas, drop Nato plans and bar Western troops; in June 2024, he demanded Kyiv give up four regions, terms Ukraine called surrender

Rupee extends losses for third straight day; opens lower at 87.35/$

Indian Rupee today: The domestic currency opened 8 lower at 87.35 against the dollar on Friday, according to Bloomberg.

Trump suggests Ukraine 'play offense' against Russia to pressure Putin

Trump met zelenskyy and European leaders at the White House on Monday. After that, he directed administration officials to work with Ukraine and Russia to set up a meeting between the two leaders

Putin prepared to meet Zelenskyy but legitimacy an issue, says Lavrov

Russian officials say they are worried that if Zelenskyy signs the deal then a future leader of Ukraine could contest it on the basis that Zelenskyy's term had technically expired

Putin demands Donbas, no NATO or Western troops in Ukraine: Report

Speaking afterwards beside Trump, Putin said the meeting would hopefully open up the road to peace in Ukraine - but neither leader gave specifics about what they discussed

Ukraine seeks clarity on US, ally security guarantees amid Russian strike

Russia launched one of its biggest aerial attacks this year at Ukraine, firing 574 drones and 40 missiles overnight, the Ukrainian Air Force said Thursday. The attack mostly targeted western regions of the country, it said. The strikes killed at least one person and injured 15 others, according to officials. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Russia struck a major American electronics manufacturer in western Ukraine. He provided no further details. Western parts of Ukraine are far from the battlefield's front line in the east and south of the country. Much of the military aid provided by Ukraine's Western allies is believed to be transported and stored there. It was Russia's third largest aerial attack this year in terms of the number of drones fired and the eighth-largest in terms of missiles, according to official figures. The strikes occurred during a renewed US-led effort to reach a peace settlement in the three-year war following Russia's invasion of its ...

Europe will have to take lion's share of burden for Ukraine security: Vance

European countries have formed a coalition of the willing that would commit forces to guarantee Ukraine's security

Rupee rises after India, US policy minutes; opens higher at 87.03/$

Indian Rupee today: The domestic currency opened 4 higher at 87.03 against the dollar on Thursday, according to Bloomberg