Europe

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Nearly 1,000 last-ditch Ukrainian fighters who had held out inside Mariupol’s pulverized steel plant have surrendered, Russia said Wednesday, as the battle that turned the city into a worldwide symbol of defiance and suffering drew toward a close.

Kyiv, May 18 (AP) The Russian Defence Ministry says that nearly 1,000 Ukrainian troops holed up in their last stronghold in Mariupol have handed themselves over.

Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Wednesday that 694 Ukrainian soldiers at the Azovstal steel plant have surrendered over the past 24 hours.

That brings the total of Ukrainian troops who have left the plant this week to 959.

Kathmandu; 17 May 2022 (UMMN): Akke Rahman has officially become the UK's first British Bangladeshi Muslim to climb Mount Everest. He reached the 8,849-metre summit during the early hours of Friday.

The 39-year-old from Oldham started his ascent in April to lift cash for a charity supporting destitute ladies, males and kids of Afghanistan, Syria, Rohingya and from different locations impacted by warfare, battle, catastrophe and poverty.

BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday that the military alliance stands ready to seize a historic moment and move quickly on allowing Finland and Sweden to join its ranks, after the two countries submitted their membership requests.

The official applications, handed over by Finland and Sweden’s ambassadors to NATO, set a security clock ticking. Russia, whose war on Ukraine spurred them to join the military organization, has warned that it wouldn’t welcome such a move, and could respond.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian fighters extracted from the last bastion of resistance in Mariupol were taken to a former penal colony in enemy-controlled territory, and a top military official hoped they could be exchanged for Russian prisoners of war. But a Moscow lawmaker said they should be brought to “justice.”

The Russian parliament planned to take up a resolution Wednesday to prevent the exchange of Azov Regiment fighters, who held out for months inside the Azovstal steelworks plant while Mariupol was under siege, according to Russian news agencies.

STOCKHOLM, May 17. /TASS/: The Finnish parliament approved the proposal to join NATO on Tuesday. Its session was broadcast on the legislative body’s website.

Some 188 lawmakers voted for the accession, while eight voted against Finland applying for NATO membership.

The decision should be approved by Finnish President Sauli Niinisto. Since the head of state is currently on an official visit to Sweden, it is expected that he will do so remotely. After his approval the application will be submitted to NATO headquarters in Brussels together with the Swedish one.

MOSCOW, May 17. /TASS/: The Uralvagonzavod defense manufacturer (part of the state tech corporation Rostec) held a ceremony of dispatching a new batch of the latest T-90M ‘Proryv’ main battle tanks to Russian troops, the enterprise’s press office reported on Tuesday.

"Uralvagonzavod held a special ceremony of dispatching a train with T-90M ‘Proryv’ tanks to the Russian Defense Ministry," the press office said in a statement.

MOSCOW, May 17. /TASS/: The North Atlantic Alliance has for many years taken into account the territories of Finland and Sweden in its military plans for eastward expansion, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at the educational marathon conference New Horizons organized by the Russian Znanie (Knowledge) society on Tuesday.

MOSCOW, May 17. /TASS/: Russia’s COVID-19 case tally rose by 4,122 over the past day to 18,268,958, the anti-coronavirus crisis center reported on Tuesday.

In relative terms, the growth rate reached 0.02%.

As many as 2,772 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in Russia over the past day, up 146% from a day earlier. The number of hospitalized patients increased in 75 regions, while in 6 regions the figure decreased. A day earlier, 1,127 people were rushed to hospitals.

MOSCOW, May 17. /TASS/: Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said that the Western countries, including the United States, which is conducting a hybrid war against Russia, have become hostile states. He was speaking at the educational marathon conference New Horizons organized by the Russian Znanie (Knowledge) society.