Author: The Guardian

The Indian Navy said it recaptured a vessel from Somali pirates off the Indian coast on Saturday, freeing its crew and ending a three-month takeover of the bulk carrier MV Ruen.The December 2023 hijacking was the first time since 2017 that Somali pirates had successfully boarded a cargo ship.The Indian Navy stated that the Indian warship INS Kolkata “through coordinated operations in the past 40 hours, successfully forced all 35 pirates to surrender and ensured the safe evacuation of 17 crew members.”The Indian Navy said that Indian troops intercepted the “Roon” for the first time on Friday. “The ship opened…

On Thursday the doors of Kensington Palace swung open to welcome an eager public. Its new exhibition, Untold Lives, offers to shine a light for the first time on all the staff who have worked behind the scenes over the centuries, those stage managers who ensure the smooth running of “the business they call showbusiness” … in other words, the monarchy.It was sweetly ironic timing as much of the wider world remained agog, guessing at exactly what was going on inside the walls of that very palace. Ill-informed speculation on social media and lurid reports in the foreign press were…

Critics of Putin and his Kremlin regime have called for mass protests at Russian polling stations on Sunday, the final day of a presidential election that is sure to cement his hard-line rule.The three-day vote has been hit by bombings in Ukraine and a series of incursions into Russian territory by anti-Putin sabotage groups. A drone strike caused a fire at an oil refinery in Slavyansk, Russia’s southern Krasnodar region, early Sunday and officials said one person died from a heart attack at the refinery, while the Russian city of Belgoro on Saturday Drone strike in Germany killed two people.…

The allotment year begins with Howard’s hazel poles while early birds keep us company Source link

Carlos Alcaraz fought back from a set down after a three-hour rain delay to end Janik Sinner’s 19-match winning streak and set up a final against Daniil Medvedev in Indian Wells Seats locked in.The Spaniard defeated Sinner 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 to advance to the BNP Paribas Open decider, and also retained the world’s second ranking with this victory. Alcaraz extended his winning streak to 11 games and reached the final.Alcaraz will take on Medvedev after the world number four beat Tommy Paul 1-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 in the second semi-final. No. 17 seed Paul lost the second set in the…

Up early? Our Cavapoo, Sebby, enjoys getting me up at the crack of dawn, so by 7.30 we’re out the door heading for Streatham or Wandsworth Common, rain or shine. It’s nice – you get chatting to other dog walkers.What’s for breakfast? Occasionally my wife [Kirsty] and I will cook a fry-up: bacon, egg, sausage, beans, toast, black pudding and tea. If not, we’ll snack until we have a Sunday roast around three or four. It’ll just be me and my wife: our eldest daughter is at university and our youngest daughter won’t be out of bed until 2pm.Sundays growing…

Eric ten Hag believes he and his Manchester United players must “together save their season” to beat Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-finals at Old Trafford on Sunday to stay in the final chance to win.Manchester United are 17 points behind the Premier League’s top two Arsenal and Liverpool and have already been eliminated from Europe, so winning the FA Cup is their last hope to avoid a trophyless season. Jurgen Klopp’s side will arrive in impressive form. Ten Witches was asked if he believed his players could save their campaign.”We have to save this season together,” the coach said.…

Senior Tories attempted to rally behind an increasingly beleaguered Rishi Sunak on Saturday night amid claims that some Conservative MPs are plotting to replace him with Penny Mordaunt before the next general election.Former cabinet ministers Jacob Rees-Mogg and David Davis went public to denounce the idea as “mad” and “bonkers”, as did senior backbenchers, including former vice-chair of the 1922 Committee Sir Charles Walker.With many backbench Tories – including some with healthy majorities – increasingly fearful of losing their seats in an election wipeout, accounts of a “plot” to oust Sunak surfaced on Saturday in the Daily Mail and the…

Ireland captain Peter O’Mahony will have no worries about his immediate future as he leads his side to a second consecutive Six Nations title. “I need to talk to my wife and family and think about it,” he said. “I won’t make any decisions over the next few days. It was one of the most special days of my career. If not the most.”Andy Farrell was equally enthusiastic about the achievement after Ireland beat Scotland 17-13 to claim the title. “It was a proper test match,” he said.”When we’re both competing for a trophy, that’s how it should be, isn’t…

In December 1914, the USS Machias dropped anchor in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Eight US marines disembarked, sauntered to the Banque National de la République d’Haïti (BNRH), removed $500,000 worth of gold belonging to the Haitian government – $15m in today’s money – packed it in wooden crates to carry back to the ship and thence to New York, where it was deposited in the vaults of the investment bank, Hallgarten & Co.The BNRH was Haiti’s central bank. It was also a foreign private corporation. Originally set up in 1880 through a concession granted to a French bank, pressure from America brought…