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A deal between the European Union’s two biggest countries will lay the foundations for updated fiscal rules, French

Russia has lost 127 tanks, 239 armoured personnel vehicles (APVs) and 161 artillery systems in a week, Kyiv has said as Vladimir Putin launches a sustained assault in the east of Ukraine. Moscow’s forces lost eight tanks, 25 APVs and 33 artillery systems in the past day, Ukraine’s General Staff said on Sunday. The Independent cannot independently confirm Kyiv’s numbers which come after Putin claimed Ukraine‘s counteroffensive “completely failed”. “As for the counteroffensive, which is allegedly stalling, it has failed completely,” Putin said in video remarks posted to social media by a Kremlin journalist Pavel Zarubin. Russia currently controls about 17.5% of Ukrainian territory and a four-month-old Ukrainian counteroffensive this year has resulted in almost no net territorial gains. Read More Russian attacks kill six in Ukraine as Kyiv ramps up drone counter strikes Russian governor reported to police for speaking out over Putin’s ‘unnecessary’ war against Ukraine Ukrainian forces release video of downed Russian Mi-8 helicopter: ‘It burns beautifully’

Belgian police are searching Tuesday for a Tunisian man who killed two Swedish football fans as they investigate

Russian leader Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing as China kicks off its Belt and Road Forum in a

Two Swedes were killed in Brussels after a gunman opened fire in the city centre, police have said. Footage shared online showed a man dressed in an orange jacket unloading several shots, using a large weapon. The bearded man was reportedly seen leaving the crime scene on a scooter. The violent incident came ahead of a qualifier game for the UEFA Euros between Sweden and Belgium at the Heysel Stadium, some three miles away. The second half of the match was later called off after players reportedly refused to return to the field. A message from the Swedish FA, sent to supporters advised fans to remain inside the stadium. Belgian prime minister Alexander De Croo told reporters that “the perpetrator is said to be a man of Tunisian origin who was staying illegally in our country”. “Two lives were cut short, mown down by the most extreme cruelty. Our thoughts go out to the victims, their loved ones, their relatives. We offer our condolences,” he added. Read More Gunman at large after fatally shooting two people in Brussels Belgium stadium on lockdown with thousands of fans held inside after Brussels shooting Soccer match between Belgium and Sweden suspended after deadly shooting in Brussels

Russia has intensified its offensive in northeastern Ukraine to break through its heavily fortified defence and recapture the Kupiansk-Lyman area. The Russian Army is preparing for “serious offensive actions” and sending more staff in Kupiansk-Lyman, commander of the Ukrainian ground forces Oleksandr Syrskyi said. The fighting had "significantly escalated", he said, adding, "The main goal is to break through our troops’ defences and recapture our territory". But Ukraine’s eastern forces said president Volodymyr Zelensky’s forces were putting up a tough fight from well-entrenched troops, forcing Russian soldiers to retreat. “Our fortifications there are quite reliable. We have a powerful, dug-in position,” Ilia Yevlash, spokesperson for Ukraine’s forces in the east, told Ukrainian television. “So the enemy got it right in the teeth and retreated in order to regroup.” Russia captured the northeastern towns near Ukraine’s second-largest city of Kharkiv when the invasion began but Ukrainian forces recaptured the areas last year, evicting invading forces from some parts of the country’s Donbas industrial heartland. Its recapturing marked a significant step in the Ukrainian offensive to defend its territories. The Russian defence ministry acknowledged that it launched an “intense military activity” in the area and repelled 10 Ukrainian attacks in the Kupiansk area and two more in adjacent Lyman. In June, Ukraine initiated a counteroffensive with the primary objective of reclaiming territory in the eastern region, notably in the vicinity of Bakhmut, which had fallen under Russian control in May. Their strategy also involved advancing southward toward the Sea of Azov. The Ukrainian military primarily achieved gradual progress, disregarding criticism from certain Western observers who contended that the offensive was proceeding too slowly. Over the past week, the focus on the eastern front has shifted from Bakhmut to Avdiivka, a town located further southwest renowned for its substantial coking plant. The leading local authority in Avdiivka said there was a temporary calm in the city but they anticipated a forthcoming assault. “Shelling has diminished, there was less today,” Vitaliy Barabash, head of Avdiivka’s military administration, told national television, while noting that two people were killed in a nearby village. “We expect there will be new waves of heavy attacks in the days to come.” Read More Ukraine-Russia war – live: Putin suffers serious losses in largest offensive in months Sushi standoff spreads as Russia joins China in banning Japanese seafood Russian governor reported to police for speaking out over Putin’s ‘unnecessary’ war against Ukraine The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing on Tuesday for a visit that underscores China’s support for Moscow during its war in Ukraine as well as Russian backing for China's bid to expand its economic and diplomatic influence abroad. The two countries have forged an informal alliance against the United States and other democratic nations that is now complicated by the Israel-Hamas war. China has sought to balance its ties with Israel against its relations with Iran and Syria, two countries that are strongly backed by Russia and with which China has forged ties for economic reasons as well as to challenge Washington's influence in the Middle East. Putin's plane was met by an honor guard as the Russian leader began his visit that is also a show of support for Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s signature “Belt and Road” initiative to build infrastructure and expand China’s overseas influence. In an interview to Chinese state media, Putin praised the massive but loosely linked BRI projects. “Yes, we see that some people consider it an attempt by the People’s Republic of China to put someone under its thumb, but we see otherwise, we just see desire for cooperation,” he told state broadcaster CCTV, according to a transcript released by the Kremlin on Monday. Putin will be among the highest profile guests at a gathering marking the 10th anniversary of Xi’s announcement of the BRI project, which has laden countries such as Zambia and Sri Lanka with heavy debt from contracts with Chinese companies to build roads, airports and other public works they could not otherwise afford. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres has praised the Chinese policy as bringing development to neglected areas. Asked by reporters Friday about his visit, Putin said it would encompass talks on Belt and Road-related projects, which he said Moscow wants to link with efforts by an economic alliance of former Soviet Union nations mostly located in Central Asia to “achieve common development goals.” He also downplayed the impact of China’s economic influence in a region that Russia has long considered its backyard and where it has worked to maintain political and military clout. “We don’t have any contradictions here, on the contrary, there is a certain synergy,” Putin said. Putin said he and Xi would also discuss growing economic ties between Moscow and Beijing in energy, high-tech and financial industries. China has also grown in importance as an export destination for Russia. Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, said that from China’s view, “Russia is a safe neighbor that is friendly, that is a source of cheap raw materials, that’s a support for Chinese initiatives on the global stage and that’s also a source of military technologies, some of those that China doesn’t have.” “For Russia, China is its lifeline, economic lifeline in its brutal repression against Ukraine,” Gabuev told The Associated Press. “It’s the major market for Russian commodities, it’s a country that provides its currency and payment system to settle Russia’s trade with the outside world — with China itself, but also with many other countries, and is also the major source of sophisticated technological imports, including dual-use goods that go into the Russian military machine.” Gabuev said that while Moscow and Beijing will be unlikely to forge a full-fledged military alliance, their defense cooperation will grow. “Both countries are self-sufficient in terms of security and they benefit from partnering, but neither really requires a security guarantee from the other. And they preach strategic autonomy,” he said. “There will be no military alliance, but there will be closer military cooperation, more interoperability, more cooperation on projecting force together, including in places like the Arctic and more joint effort to develop a missile defense that makes the U.S. nuclear planning and planning of the U.S. and its allies in Asia and in Europe more complicated,” he added. The Chinese and Soviets were Cold War rivals for influence among left-leaning states, but China and Russia have since partnered in the economic, military and diplomatic spheres. Just weeks before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last February, Putin met with Xi in Beijing and the sides signed an agreement pledging a “no-limits” relationship. Beijing’s attempts to present itself as a neutral peace broker in Russia’s war on Ukraine have been widely dismissed by the international community. Xi visited Moscow in March as part of a flurry of exchanges between the countries. China has condemned international sanctions imposed on Russia, but hasn’t directly addressed an arrest warrant issued for Putin by the International Criminal Court on charges of alleged involvement in the abductions of thousands of children from Ukraine. ___ Associated Press writer Jim Heintz in Tallinn, Estonia, contributed to this report.

The last time Vladimir Putin set foot on Chinese soil he went home with the promise of a

President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Beijing, according to Chinese state media, a rare trip abroad for the

They are meant to be going to Strasbourg but a signalling error takes them to the theme park instead.

Two people were killed in Brussels after a gunman opened fire in the city centre, police have said. Footage shared online showed a man dressed in an orange jacket unloading several shots, using a large weapon. Local media outlets said the two victims were Swedish nationals. The man was reportedly seen leaving the crime scene on a scooter. The violent incident came ahead of a qualifier game for the UEFA Euros between Sweden and Belgium at the Heysel Stadium, some 3 miles away. Local outlets reported a nervous atmosphere near to the arena following reports of the shooting, and extra security measures were added. The second half of the match was later called off, after players reportedly refused to return to the field. A message from the Swedish FA, sent to supporters advised fans to remain inside the stadium. Footage showed security personnel ushering supporters back inside the stadium and closing the gates. Nearby Metro stations were also reportedly closed.

Two people were killed in Brussels after a gunman opened fire in the city centre, police have said. Local media outlets reported both victims were Swedish nationals. Footage circulating on social media shows a man dressed in a fluorescent orange jacket firing several shots, using a large weapon. The gunman was also seen chasing a man into a building. The man was reportedly seen leaving the crime scene on a scooter. The incident came ahead of a qualifier game for the UEFA Euros between Sweden and Belgium at the Heysel Stadium. The second half of the match was called off after players reportedly refused to return to the field. Fans have been advised to remain inside the stadium. Footage showed security ushering supporters back inside the stadium and closing the gates. Local transport services have also reportedly closed. Read More Soccer match between Belgium and Sweden suspended after deadly shooting in Brussels Belgian authorities raise terror alert after 2 Swedes are fatally shot in Brussels Two Swedes shot dead as Belgium police probe possible terror attack