The sound of Russian artillery grew louder as we drove to a Ukrainian frontline position in Luhansk. The rumble of shelling interspersed with the occasional burst of small arms fire. We were within 500 metres of the Russian positions. This may be a conflict in the 21st century but, at times, with its maze of trenches, it feels more like something from the First World War. Russia’s military offensive in eastern Ukraine is already intensifying. You can see it in the long queues of traffic driving west towards relative safety; you can feel it in the deserted streets as you drive through the towns and cities of the Donbas; and you can hear it with the increasing sound of Russian artillery. Russia is redeploying more of its forces from northern to eastern Ukraine. The objective is to step up the battle in the Luhansk and Donetsk – parts of which were already controlled by Russian backed separatists. Russia will take advantage of its shorter supply lines – something which proved a problem in its failed offensive on the capital Kyiv.(BBC)…[+]

After a Covid infection, there is an increased risk of developing a serious blood clot for the next six months, a study from Sweden suggests. The research found people with severe Covid, and those infected during the first wave, had the highest clot risk. This highlights the importance of being vaccinated against the virus, the researchers say. Blood clots can also occur after vaccination but the risk is far smaller, a major UK study found. People who have had Covid-19 are more likely to develop a blood clot – particularly patients who have needed hospital treatment. Scientists wanted to find out when that risk returns to normal levels. The researchers tracked the health of just over one million people who tested positive for Covid between February 2020 and May 2021 in Sweden, and compared them with four million people of the same age and sex who had not had a positive test.

Former White House adviser Ivanka Trump testified for hours on Tuesday to the congressional committee investigating the 6 January attack on the US Capitol. Ms Trump, 40, was asked for her account of her father’s activities as the crisis unfolded. She was one of several aides said to have tried to convince the president to condemn the violence. Her appearance comes days after her husband Jared Kushner, also an ex-White House adviser, met investigators. The questioning lasted up to eight hours, US media reports. Unlike other witnesses called before the committee, Ms Trump never attempted to invoke her right to remain silent, according to the panel’s top chairman. “She’s answering questions,” congressman Bennie Thompson said. “Not in a broad, chatty term, but she’s answering questions.” The committee has also subpoenaed White House records of Mr Trump’s meetings and actions on 6 January, but documents acquired by BBC media partner CBS News show no presidential contacts for more than seven hours, as the battle in the Capitol was at its most intense.(BBC)…[+]

Ultranationalist Russian political leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky has died aged 75, after a career built on fiery remarks and absurd antics. He stood for the presidency six times and was part of the official opposition tolerated by President Vladimir Putin. Last December he appeared to predict Russia would attack Ukraine. He claimed to have had eight Covid-19 vaccinations. He contracted coronavirus and died weeks after being admitted to hospital with pneumonia. His death was finally confirmed by parliament speaker Vyacheslav Volodin on Wednesday, after two reports earlier this year had been discounted. Zhirinovsky was, he said, always in the thick of things: “A man who deeply understood how the world works and foresaw a lot.” Zhirinovsky’s brand of clownish ultranationalism kept Russians shocked and entertained during more than 30 years of his political career. In the early 1990s he claimed he dreamt of the day “when Russian soldiers can wash their boots in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean”. In one of his final appearances before MPs, he said Russia would invade Ukraine and predicted almost to the day when it would happen.