A bitter dispute over repairs to the Druzhba oil pipeline has blocked a vital €90bn EU loan to Kyiv.The row pits Hungary and Slovakia against Ukraine after a Russian strike damaged the Brody pumping station on 27 January and stopped all flows.Satellite images and local reporting show a giant storage tank at Brody — one of Ukraine’s largest — burned for days after the attack. Engineers...

Hungary's decision to block a €90bn EU loan for Ukraine has provoked sharp criticism from fellow European leaders and exposed deep divisions ahead of next month's Hungarian elections.After a tense summit in Brussels, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán refused to lift his veto, posting on X: "No oil = no money." He linked his move to a dispute over a damaged section of the Druzhba pipeline that...

The flare-up around Iran is already sending sharp ripples through the UK economy, touching everything from farmers' fuel supplies to homebuyers' mortgage deals.Even though Britain does not import Iranian gas, recent missile strikes have driven up global energy prices fast enough to affect domestic markets.Farmers are rationing red diesel and some mortgage offers have been withdrawn as lenders...

A crippled Russian tanker loaded with liquefied natural gas and heavy fuel is drifting without a crew in the central Mediterranean, raising urgent alarm over the risk of a major ecological incident.Italian authorities, who joined eight other EU governments in urging the European Commission to act, say the vessel presents a severe and immediate danger after sustaining serious damage near Maltese...

When Finland prepares for national emergencies, supermarkets are part of the plan.Companies like S Group and Kesko have detailed contingency programs to keep food moving if the country faces military aggression, a widespread cyberattack, or other major disruptions.Finland’s approach builds on a long-standing Nordic practice of integrating civilian and military readiness. Since 2022, after...

Money expert Martin Lewis has apologised after a breathless turn on his ITV programme, saying there was simply too much to cover in the slot and he hoped viewers still found something useful.He thanked former Labour leader Ed Miliband for joining the show to discuss the government’s home heating oil plan, and acknowledged his delivery felt hurried as the programme ran long.Lewis also warned...

Garden expert Alan Titchmarsh is urging gardeners to use March to get ahead of the season, calling it one of the most important months for outdoor work.In a recent video he outlined five practical tasks to prepare gardens for spring and secure an early harvest.At the top of his list is planting early potatoes — a job he says rewards gardeners quickly. Planted now, those early tubers can...

Donald Trump has renewed his criticism of the United Kingdom and Prime Minister Keir Starmer amid rising tensions with Iran.On social media and in comments from the White House, Trump expressed frustration that Britain and other allies have not done more to support U.S.efforts in the region. Trump accused the UK of dragging its feet after he says London declined to send aircraft carriers to the...

The chair of the Commons culture committee has raised serious doubts about the BBC board’s ability to manage the broadcaster’s current crisis after its chair, Samir Shah, gave evidence to MPs.Dame Caroline Dinenage said Shah’s responses fell short of the clear, decisive plan the committee wanted to hear and warned there appeared to be weak oversight at the top of the organisation.Shah told...

A widely circulated leaked draft of a US-brokered peace proposal lays out 28 points intended to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. The document contains a mixture of provisions that Kyiv might accept and others that would amount to major concessions to Moscow — notably territorial arrangements and limits on Ukraine’s military — but many details remain vague and contested. Territory...