European Sources

A SNOWY ski slope turns into a fiery peak as hot lava spews from an erupting volcano. Mount Etna in Sicily started erupting on February 11. GettyMount Etna in Sicily started erupting on February 11[/caption] Jam Press/Marco BassotThis image shows a skier admiring the eruption[/caption] But despite bans, skiers have taken to the slopes. Ash, hot stones and giant flames can be seen in the background. And an image shows the skiers admiring the eruption. Marco Bassot, who has 416,000 Instagram followers, captured the moment on camera in Sicily, Italy. Snowboarder Marco said: “This fracture started some days ago and created a huge, intense and impressive lava flow for more than 1,000 meters. “I’ve seen many things in my 40 years of life but riding side by side of a flowing river of lava is one of the most special, impressive, and breathtaking experiences I’ve ever lived.” A 3km river of lava is currently flowing out of the crater. In the past, Etna’s eruptions have caused nearby towns to be covered in black volcanic ash. This time round it has caused minimal disruption.

RUSSIA is on track to lose a million soldiers to death and injury by its so-called Victory Day. The toll from Putin’s bloodbath already stands at 860,000 Kremlin casualties, according to UK defence intelligence. ReutersUK defence intelligence sources say the toll from Putin’s bloodbath already stands at 860,000 Kremlin casualties[/caption] A burning Russian armoured personnel carrier in KharkivAFP Moscow has been losing an average of 1,500 troops a day since November. If it stays on the current trajectory, Russia will lose another 115,000 dead and injured by May 9, when Putin and his stooges gather in the Red Square for their annual World War Two military parade. The losses would bring the toll of dead and injured to 975,000. And the eye-watering figures undermine Donald Trump’s claims that Russia “holds the cards” in any peace talks. Former Tory Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “Russia is facing ­catastrophic losses and a broken economy. “Putin is playing poker with an empty hand, but it seems he may have bluffed the United States.” The MoD said Russia was forcing its mobilised soldiers to sign contracts to keep them in service — or they will be thrown into meat-grinder fights, where the chance of survival is just ten per cent. It comes after Trump appalled allies by claiming that Ukraine started the war and that President Zelensky was a dictator. He then said on Thursday: “I think the Russians want to see the war end, I really do. I think they have the cards a little bit, because they’ve taken a lot of territory. They have the cards.” Britain has continued to reject Trump’s claims. On Thursday, Foreign Secretary David Lammy said at the G20 in South Africa: “If Putin is serious about a lasting peace it means finding a way ­forward which respects Ukraine’s sovereignty.”

A BRITISH hiker who plunged to his death while trekking along a “banned route” in the Himalayas has been identified as 27-year-old Tom Howard. The Durham University graduate tragically died on Monday after falling from a “considerable height” while on India’s Triund Trek with his friend Robert Emerton, 27. FacebookA Durham University graduate has been identified as the British tourist who died after falling in the Himalayas[/caption] It took rescuers more than a day to bring the tourist down the hill due to the tricky terrain GettyThe Dhauladhar Mountain range[/caption] It’s thought the pair were unaware of a local ban on high-altitude trekking in the winter seasons, cops said. Software engineer Tom, originally from Weybridge, Surrey, fell and suffered severe injuries during the 5.5-mile mountain trek. His friend Robert, an auditor, walked two-and-a-half hours to get help from the nearby village of Thathri, on the outskirts of Dharamshala. A 10-man rescue team were dispatched at around 6:30pm on Sunday where they sadly found Tom in a “critical condition” before evacuating him on a stretcher. It took rescuers more than a day to bring the tourist down the hill due to the tricky terrain, with officials saying it took close to two hours to cover just 100 metres. A second team was dispatched to assist in the emergency, reaching the original group at 8am on Monday. By the early afternoon, a third team were required and were sent out to support, reaching the rescue site at 4pm. Tom was brought down to an ambulance after 5pm on Monday – having been injured for more than a day – and was tragically pronounced dead in hospital. A post-mortem exam conducted at a hospital in Dharamshala revealed the 27-year-old Brit had suffered from “severe chest and abdomen injuries” and a lacerated liver. The hospital’s medical superintendent, Dr Anuradha Sharma, said his fall “must have been from a considerable height”. Tom and Robert are thought to have met in 2015 as undergraduate students at the prestigious Durham University. Tom had attended Cranleigh School prior to university, where he was a prefect. He also earned a master’s degree in natural sciences at Durham before joining the London-based Quantexa – the financial security firm – after graduating. A spokesperson for the firm said: “We were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Tom Howard, who was a talented and valued colleague at Quantexa. “Our thoughts are with his family and friends during this difficult time.” An FCDO spokesperson told The Sun: “We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in India and are in contact with the local authorities.” Due to the dangers of winter conditions, trekking above 3,000 meters is currently prohibited in the area, which includes Triund and its surroundings. According to the authorities, hikers are exposed to serious risks from extreme weather and heavy snowfall. GettyThe Dhauladhar range is a southern branch of the main Outer Himalayan chain of mountains[/caption]

ELITE Royal Marine commandos train for Actic Special Ops as Britain opens talks with Norway counter threats from Russia in the High North. Defence Secretary John Healey met his counterpart Tore Sandvik at Norway’s Bodo military HQ buried deep inside a mountain. PAElite Royal Marine commandos train for arctic Special Ops[/caption] Commandos launch shells from Vikings in NorwayPA Healey said a “new era of threat” demanded new kinds of defence. He said: “We will create a new era of defence partnership to bring us closer than ever before as we tackle increasing threats, strengthen Nato, and boost our security in the High North.” Ex-SBS boss General Sir Gwynn Jenkins met troops from the Surveillance Reconnaissance Squadron on the spy ship RFA Proteus. The MoD said the troops, who can deploy from nuclear submarines, were “training for special operations in the High North”. The commandos are set to join 7,000 troops on exercise Joint Viking. Putin’s plans to carve up the arctic were highlighted by the presence of Vladimir Proskuryakov, an arctic expert, at peace talks US officials in Saudi Arabia last week. Proskuryakov is normally based at the Russian embassy in Canada. Russian officials did not explain his role at Riyadh talks.

US attacks on President Zelensky have only steeled Ukraine’s troops further — with a soldier telling The Sun: “F**k Trump, we’ll keep fighting.” The US President was unrepentant last night as he justified freezing the Kyiv leader out of peace talks with Russia. Donald Trump has been criticised for cutting Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky out of peace talksEPA Ukrainian soldier Oleksandr Sokolenko says they will keep fighting with or without US supportThe Sun And he tore into PM Sir Keir Starmer and French leader Emmanuel Macron, accusing both of doing nothing to stop the war. Days before the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion, Donald Trump said of the Ukrainian president: “I don’t think he’s very important to be in meetings . . . he makes it very hard to make deals.” The US President added: “I’ve been watching him negotiate with no cards. He has no cards and you get sick of it . . . I’ve had it.” The jibe dampened hopes of a cooling of tensions after US envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg praised Zelensky as a “courageous” leader. Mr Zelensky has been reeling since Mr Trump branded him a “dictator” who has done a “terrible job” and locked him out of settlement negotiations. The stakes were raised as Ukrainian military intelligence announced Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is preparing to declare victory against Mr Zelensky and Nato on Monday. On social media platform Telegram, the HUR foreign service said the Kremlin has instructed media outlets to push narratives that “the West has betrayed Ukraine” and “neither Moscow nor Washington are concerned by the opinion of Europeans and Ukrainians”. Ex-intelligence chiefs in Kyiv warned the move was a “bluff” calculated to deepen the rift in relations between the US and Europe. A former Ukrainian intelligence chief told The Sun: “Putin will declare ­victory, but Ukraine cannot stop fighting while our territories stay occupied. “When we continue the war, Putin will use this as an excuse to accuse Ukraine of breaking a ‘ceasefire’ we never agreed to — and legitimise firing more drones and missiles across the border.” Meanwhile, Washington’s Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he was “personally very upset at ­President Zelensky”. Mr Rubio hit out at Kyiv for rejecting Mr Trump’s pleas to access rare earth minerals in exchange for military aid. He said: “We discussed this issue about the mineral rights, and we explained to them, look, we want to be in a joint venture with you — not because we’re trying to steal from your country, but because we think that’s actually a security guarantee.” European leaders are split over Donald Trump’s actions and aggressive wording towards ZelenskyGetty At the Conservative Political Action Conference on the outskirts of Washington, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz insisted Mr Zelensky “will sign a mineral rights deal soon”. He said: “Here’s the bottom line. President Zelensky is going to sign that deal, and you will see that in the very short term.” The messaging from Mr Trump’s top team struck a different tone to the White House’s Ukraine envoy General Kellogg, who after visiting the country claimed to have had “positive discussions”. Writing on X/Twitter, the General hailed Mr Zelensky as “the embattled and courageous leader of a nation at war”. In Europe, Sir Keir, Mr ­Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz continued to rally behind Kyiv. But ahead of both the British and French leaders visiting the White House next week, the US President said on Fox News: “They didn’t do anything, no meetings with Russia. They haven’t done anything.” While praising Mr Macron as a “friend” and Sir Keir as a “nice guy”, the tirade will be met with unease in Paris and London. There is no other way to stop the bloodshed and achieve lasting peace in Ukraine except with the support of the United States. Poland president Andrzej Duda Next week, the PM will meet Mr Trump for the first time and is expected to present a “peace plan” offering up 30,000 British troops in Ukraine. His Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: “This is a ­critical moment in the history of Ukraine, Britain and all of Europe. “That is why now is the time for Europe to double down on our ­support for Ukraine, in pursuit of peace through strength. “On the battlefield we remain committed to providing £3billion of military support a year to put Ukraine in the strongest position possible, and being ready and willing to provide UK troops as part of peacekeeping forces if necessary. “Off the battlefield, we will work with the US and European partners to achieve a sustainable, just peace, and in doing so, remaining clear that there can be nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine.” Ukrainian president Zelensky has been described as a ‘dictator’ by Donald TrumpGetty Russian president Vladimir Putin is continuing his barrage of drone strikes on the UkraineReuters At a drinks reception for tech leaders in Kyiv, former Tory MP Jack Lopresti — who moved to Ukraine to join the military after losing his seat — said: “I’m incred­ulous at Trump. “The UK is now in a unique position and we have to give a lead to our European allies to say that if Americans disengage, we are here. Ukraine must remain.” Mr Scholz said that while it is too early to discuss peacekeeping missions, Mr Zelensky can “rely on Germany and Europe as a whole”. But Poland’s President Andrzej Duda urged Mr Zelensky to continue “calm and constructive co­operation” with the White House. He insisted: “There is no other way to stop the bloodshed and achieve lasting peace in Ukraine except with the support of the United States.” War in Ukraine still rages on Meanwhile, missiles continued to rain down on Ukraine across Thursday and Friday — despite the presence of Mr Trump’s Ukraine envoy in Kyiv. Twelve civilians were killed and six were injured as 160 drones were fired by Putin’s army. Ukraine’s air force said it shot down 87, but the remaining weapons left dozens of homes and infrastructure damaged in their wake. In Kyiv, soldiers on a break from the frontline accused the US, “who we thought were our friends”, of abandoning the fight for Western democracy against a bloodthirsty dictator with whom their army pales in comparison. Private Oleksandr Sokolenko said his army “thought the US were our friends”. The soldier told The Sun: “Today I want to say f**k Trump. But it’s not a problem for Ukrainians because we’ve been betrayed so many times before. “If you don’t need us, we will keep fighting.” Turning to Britain, Oleksandr said his country needs “everything for fighting”. He told The Sun: “We need cars and drones.” The vast majority of Ukrainian power on the front line is now drones and the understanding among military chiefs and ministers in Kyiv is AI, innovation and technology will be key to winning.