Ukraine: street fighting and Russian bombing in Severodonetsk, a key city in Donbass

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that his soldiers were “resisting” in Severodonetsk, where intense street fighting continued against Russian troops, city of Strat& Acute; who controls the entire Donbass region in eastern Ukraine depends. “Severodonetsk, Lysytchansk, and other cities in Donbass, which the occupiers now consider their targets, are holding up,” Zelensky said in a speech on Thursday evening.

The Palace of the Mirrors, one of the city's symbols, was destroyed in a fire caused by Russian bombing, Sergei Gaidai, the governor of Lugansk region. Taking Severodonetsk would open Moscow's way to another major Donbass city, Kramatorsk, an important step in conquering the entire border region of Russia, which has been partly held by pro-Russian separatists since 2014. However, Ukraine could retake Severodonetsk “in two, three days” as soon as it has “long-range” Western artillery, Mr. Gaidai had previously assured.

Final stretch of the Marathon indictment in the trial for the November 13 attacks

What sentences should you ask for against Salah Abdeslam and his 19 co-defendants? On Friday afternoon, the National Anti-Terror Prosecutor's Office (PNAT) completed its marathon application for the trial of the November 13 attacks, six and a half years after a night of horror that left 130 people dead. Since Wednesday, the three representatives of the Pnat have meticulously reconstructed “the puzzle” of the worst attacks committed on French soil, from the genesis of the project born in Syria to the recruitment of “seasoned jihadists” by the Islamic State group, to the final preparations. During the first 11 hours of their requisitions, the Advocates-General, in a precise and sometimes arid manner, dissected the charges they are bringing against the 20 defendants referred to the Special Court of Assizes in Paris, six of whom were tried in their absence. Twelve of them face life imprisonment.

AT A GLANCE

The thesis of the Covid-19 virus escaped from a laboratory in China deserves “further research”, say experts appointed by WHO, who insist that there is currently no definitive evidence on the origin of the pandemic, regardless of the scenario considered.

Russian President Vladimir Putin compared his policies to that of Tsar Peter the Great when the latter fought against Sweden, invading part of its territory, and Finland, part of Estonia and Latvia.