Russia’s private army, Wagner, claims to have captured the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut after what leader Yevgeny Prigozhin has branded as “the longest and bloodiest battle of the war", however, the situation there still remains critical. The announcement comes just after Ukrainian forces made their most rapid gains of the last six months in Bakhmut’s surrounding area. Wagner will reportedly pull out of the ruins of Bakhmut in five days, handing the city over to the regular military. Prigozhin has repeatedly denounced Russia’s regular military for abandoning ground captured earlier by his men.
Holger Rune, the 18-year-old tennis player from Denmark, has defeated his fellow Scandinavian Casper Ruud in the Italian Open semi-final. After coming back from a set down, Rune won 6-7 (2), 6-4, 6-2. The victory marked Rune’s third clay court final this season, with the young tennis player recently winning a title in Munich. In the upcoming Italian Open final, Ruby will face the winner of the Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev match. The tournament is one of the last big events before the French Open begins next week and sees both Rune and Ruud emerge as potential contenders for the Grand Slam event. Rune recently bested six-time Rome champion Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals, while Ruud is the fourth seed at the Italian Open and reached the 2020 final at Roland Garros before losing to Rafael Nadal.
The Vatican has confirmed that Pope Francis has appointed Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, who is close to the pontiff, to undertake a mission aimed at resolving the conflict in Ukraine and paving the way for a sustainable peace accord. The Vatican gave no indication of whether this involved mediation with Russia. The Pope has spoken out repeatedly on the war but has not accused Russian President Vladimir Putin directly, instead warning against weaponisation of the conflict.
The attitude that UK citizens must all live their lives expressly to serve the National Health Service (NHS) is disturbing and sinister, according to an op-ed in The Telegraph. The article argues that citizens are increasingly evaluated in terms of whether they are convenient or costly for the NHS, rather than the health service being evaluated for wasting resources or courting inefficiency. This approach is backed up by policymaking, with the sugary drinks tax and proposed restrictions on junk food advertising both aimed at individuals rather than at radical changes to the NHS.
Giorgia Meloni, Italy's far-right Prime Minister, has dismissed criticism from Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over her stance on LGBTQ+ rights. At a G7 Summit press conference, Meloni claimed that Trudeau had fallen "victim" to "fake news" and propaganda, with the accusations not "correspond[ing] to reality". Last month, Meloni's government told Italian city halls to stop automatically registering both parents in same-sex couples as parents, limiting recognition to only the biological parent. LGBTQ+ rights activists held rallies in opposition to the move, calling it homophobic.
Canadian cyclist Derek Gee came within half a wheel's length of winning Stage 14 of the Giro d'Italia, but was pipped to the post by German Nico Denz, who claimed his second victory in this year's race. Gee has enjoyed an impressive first Grand Tour event, having won a silver medal in Stage 8. He stands 21st in the overall general classification, and is second in the point classification behind Italy's Jonathon Milan. Bruno Armirail became the first Frenchman to wear the pink jersey in this century. The Giro ends in Rome in eight days.
Russia's Wagner Group claims control of Bakhmut, but Ukraine says fighting continues
CBC
23-05-20 18:14
Russia's Wagner Group declared on 12 June that it had taken the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut after a long and costly battle, but Kiev denied the group’s claim and said the situation in the city was “critical”. The claims came as Ukrainian forces made significant gains around the city, leading Russia to reinforce around Bakhmut, with experts warning that Moscow might be diverting scarce military resources to the conflict at the expense of other areas. The battle has underlined the deepening rift between Wagner and the conventional Russian military.
Kazakh tennis player Elena Rybakina won the WTA Italian Open title after Anhelina Kalininia retired due to injury in the second set of the final in Rome. Rybakina won the opening set after breaking Kalininia in the sixth and 10th games. After a convincing start to the second set, Kalininia took a seat to speak to her doctor and following a swift consultation, the players shook hands to give Rybakina her biggest title on clay. She will climb to fourth place in the Women's Tennis Association rankings on Monday after the victory and also won due to Iga Swiatek's retirement during the quarter-finals.
Roma’s new head coach, Jose Mourinho, has built his reputation on leading teams to victory. Despite a lacklustre track record prior to taking over the Roman side, he has already managed to take them to the Europa League. It appears that when Mourinho has the latitude to manage in the way he knows best, he can turn under-resourced teams into forces to be reckoned with. However, it seems that it is not Mourinho’s tactics that are proving problematic, but his behaviour on the pitch, with a recent incident involving his assistant robbing him of his covering fire.
Activists from Ultima Generazione poured diluted charcoal into Rome's Trevi Fountain on Sunday to highlight their call for an end to public subsidies for fossil fuels. The group called for an end to the financing of the fossil fuel sector in response to deadly floods in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna which it claimed has put one in four Italian houses at risk of flooding. Rome mayor Roberto Gualtieri condemned the protest as an "absurd attack on our artistic heritage".
Andy Murray has withdrawn from the 2019 French Open, starting next week, as he prioritises his busy grass-court schedule in the build-up to Wimbledon. The former world number one recently lost out to Stan Wawrinka at an ATP Challenger event in Bordeaux, adding to his struggles in finding form on clay this season. Murray is said to be considering tournaments including Surbiton and Surrey's Queen's Club event, prior to Wimbledon, which begins on July 3.
Italian climate activists from the Ultima Generazione (Last Generation) group blackened Rome's Trevi Fountain using diluted charcoal in protest at public subsidies to fossil fuels and recent floods across the country. The group said that 14 people had died in floods in Emilia-Romagna in the northeast of Italy and voiced concern that one in four Italian homes was vulnerable, whilst urging governmental action. The protests have been described as "absurd attacks on our artistic heritage" by Rome's mayor Roberto Gualtieri and are among a number of peaceful but disruptive attempts to raise climate awareness that have recently targeted cultural sites in Europe.
Tennis great Martina Navratilova has said that she is "OK" after being diagnosed with throat and breast cancers. The 18-time Grand Slam singles champion, aged 66, was awarded the "Racchetta d’Oro" for her contributions to the sport at the Italian Open. Navratilova was diagnosed with throat cancer in January, when she had just discovered early-stage breast cancer. Speaking in March, she said doctors had told her she was cancer-free and would be back on her feet after some more radiation treatment. Navratilova has won 59 Grand Slams in total, including 31 in women’s doubles and 10 in mixed doubles.
American cyclist Brandon McNulty has won the 15th stage of the Giro d'Italia. McNulty, who rides for UAE Team Emirates, won the tough 195-kilometer route from Seregno to Bergamo for his first win in a Grand Tour. Bruno Armirail kept hold of the leader’s pink jersey as the race prepares for a crucial last week. Three of the last six stages have been given the maximum difficulty rating of five stars and the week kicks off with one of them on Tuesday. The Giro ends in Rome next Sunday.
Andy Murray has pulled out of the French Open to focus on the grass-court season after a disappointing clay-court swing. The former world No1 and three-time Grand Slam champion reached the final in Paris in 2016 and made it as far as the semi-finals in 2017 but has played in only one event at Roland Garros since then. Rafael Nadal has also withdrawn from the event due to a hip injury and has said that he intends to retire from the tour in 2024. Carlos Alcaraz will lead the men’s rankings when the competition starts later this month, while Iga Swiatek heads the women’s seeds, although she may have to pull out due to an injury.
The Italian Open plans to have a retractable roof installed over its central court by 2026, according to Vito Cozzoli, CEO of the Italian government agency Sport e Salute. The feasibility plan has already been approved, with a futuristic design expected to make the stadium's center court usable year-round. The roof is expected to take 18-24 months to construct, with building permits yet to be sought. During construction breaks will be taken during the 2024 and 2025 tournaments. The newly covered arena will also be able to host indoor sports like basketball and volleyball, as well as indoor concerts.
Daniil Medvedev has won the men’s Italian Open by beating Holger Rune, displacing Novak Djokovic to become the new world number two. The Russian had never before won a match in Rome and has previously said he dislikes clay. Speaking of his dislike of the surface, he said he had waived his expectations but in Rome he felt he had “managed to prove to myself and everybody that I’m capable of doing it”. Denmark's Rune, who reached the final by defeating Djokovic and Casper Ruud, praised Medvedev, saying he played “great” and was “solid from the back of the court”.
Russia's Daniil Medvedev has won his first clay-court title, defeating Denmark's Holger Rune to clinch the Italian Open. Medvedev, who was out of the top 10 earlier this year, is now set to become the world's second-ranked player behind Carlos Alcaraz, and a serious contender for the French Open later in May. Medvedev, who had not previously won a match in Rome, revealed that he had not expected to triumph on clay, but had felt positive about his Madrid and Monte Carlo matches. "I’m really happy that I managed to do it and prove to myself and everybody that I’m capable", he said.
For his part, Rune said he is targeting his maiden Grand Slam title at the French Open, after reaching three finals during the clay season. Rune won his first ATP Tour title at the Sardegna Open in April.
Activists from climate action group Ultima Generazione poured black liquid into the Trevi Fountain in Rome on Sunday, advertising their demands for an end to subsidies for fossil fuels and greater efforts to counter climate change. Police subsequently arrested them. The group criticised government inaction on climate change, linking it to recent flooding in Emilia-Romagna and Marche that has killed 14 people. The activists have previously sought to highlight climate concerns by pouring black liquid in another fountain in central Rome and daubing paint on the Florence town hall. Officials have responded by pledging to fine perpetrators up to €60,000.
Tidal pools, a unique combination of natural formations and man-made elements, offer safe swimming in enclosed spaces for those nervous about the open sea. Despite facing disuse and closure, many tidal pools are still operational and popular in countries such as Australia and Malta. The Victorian development of these pools highlights their importance in the history of leisure and luxury. Tidal pools serve as a place of solace for many, with the author of the article partaking in the challenge to swim in every tidal pool in mainland Britain after struggling with grief. Most tidal pools are semi-natural, unticketed, open year-round, and require visitors to travel with a friend since they have no facilities or lifeguards. One must always check the tide, as the pool will be covered otherwise. The writer presents three day trips to tidal pools from London and five more further away that are ideal for weekend trips. Each tidal pool has its unique features, with some located on the Jurassic Coast accessible only through a cliff-top path, providing a genuinely authentic natural experience, while others, such as Clevedon Marine Lake, offer a great spot for family adventuring or water activities.
