As the war enters its 783rd day, these are the main developments. Here is the situation on Wednesday, April 17, 2024. Fighting Ukraine’s Air Force said air defence systems destroyed nine Russian drones launched over several eastern and southern regions. The Institute for the Study of War, a United States-based think tank, said Russian troops on the front line were “breaking out of positional warfare and beginning to...

Budget proposes higher capital gains taxes and billions in spending on education, housing, jobs and mental health. Canada will ask the wealthy to pay higher taxes as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government seeks to shore up flagging support among young voters ahead of an election expected next year. Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland said in the annual budget announcement on Tuesday that the wealthiest Canadians should pay more,...

The 2,300km (1,429-mile) reef is in its fifth mass bleaching event since 2016 with aerial surveys showing the scale of damage. Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, which stretches for some 2,300km (1,429 miles) off the country’s northeastern coast, is suffering its worst bleaching event on record. The extent of the bleaching was revealed in aerial surveys after the government agency tasked with the reef’s management confirmed early last month...