Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Sunday fired a senior military commander helping lead the fight against Russian troops in the country's embattled east but gave no reason for the move.
In a one-line decree, Zelenskiy announced the dismissal of Eduard Moskalyov as commander of the joint forces of Ukraine, which are engaged in battles in the Donbas region.
Zelenskiy mentioned Moskalyov in a daily address on Friday when listing the military commanders he had spoken to. Moskalyov had been in the post since March 2022, shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine.
Neither the joint forces' Facebook nor Twitter accounts made any mention of the dismissal.
Russian forces are making concerted efforts to capture the two eastern regions that make up the Donbas, and Zelenskiy has in recent weeks variously described the military situation in the east as difficult and painful.
Pro-Moscow units are focusing their efforts on the city of Bakhmut, mounting repeated assaults despite suffering what Ukrainian and Western officials say are heavy casualties.
In a Facebook post, the Ukrainian armed forces' general staff said Russian troops had carried out several unsuccessful attacks in the Bakhmut area on Sunday.
US Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected in a surprise choice to be the new leader of the Catholic Church on Thursday, taking the name Leo XIV, becoming the first American pontiff.
White smoke appeared from a chimney atop the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican on Thursday, signalling that the 133 Roman Catholic cardinals meeting in a secret conclave have elected a new pope.
Bill Gates has pledged to give away almost his entire personal wealth in the next two decades and said the world's poorest would receive some $200 billion via his foundation at a time when governments worldwide are slashing international aid.
Blasts rang out across the city of Jammu in Indian Kashmir late on Thursday during what Indian military sources said they suspected was a Pakistani drone attack on the second day of clashes between the two neighbours.
A three-day ceasefire declared by Russia came into effect on Thursday morning with skies over Ukraine's major cities quiet, in a change from successive nights of heavy attacks by Russian drones and ballistic missiles.
A series of major policy reforms have been approved in Dubai, aimed at improving quality of life in line with the Dubai Social Agenda 33 and the Dubai Economic Agenda D33.
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and the UAE's Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister, has attended the conclusion of the military exercise 'Desert Flag 10' involving multiple countries.
Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is set to begin an official visit to Kazakhstan this Sunday, at the invitation of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.