Rockhampton landmark The Criterion Hotel for sale for first time in 35 years.

 Extract from ABC News

By Vanessa Jarrett

• ABC Capricornia

• Topic:History

1 hours ago

Ryan Turnbull serving one of his last drinks at The Criterion Hotel. (ABC Capricornia: Vanessa Jarrett)

In short:

Rockhampton's Criterion was built in 1889 during the gold rush and as farming was flourishing.

The Turnbull family bought the property in 1991.

What's next?

After 35 years, the family has decided to sell, with the property to go on the market on May 1.

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For 35 years the Turnbull family has owned Rockhampton's oldest pub, The Criterion Hotel.

"In 1991, my father was a hotel broker and he was offered to come up to 'The Cri' and live here for a bit and then sell it," Ryan Turnbull said.

"We got up here and mum loved the joint, and here we are."

Left: The Cri circa 1918, photographed by Arthur Goodwin Junior. Right: Circa 1947, from the State Library of Queensland. (Supplied)

Opened in 1890 and built on the banks of the Fitzroy River, the grand three-storey structure with a belfry encapsulates the historic features of that era.

The foyer features diamond chequered marble flooring, an ornate timber staircase, sparkling chandeliers and intricate stained-glass windows.

Across the corridors a labyrinth of bars and rooms have walls lined with memorabilia, photographs, newspaper clippings and relics.

It was the feel of the building that worked its way into Leigh and Carolyn Turnbull's heart who at the time were living on the Gold Coast, 700 kilometres away.

They worked to showcase more of the heritage, restoring the bar to its original ceiling height and adding the steakhouse and motel in 2004.

As he got older, Ryan came to appreciate the historic property, and he too fell in love with the place.

"It's always had that feeling of home, even when you don't come here much. It's always had that good vibe," Ryan said.

"It's a privilege to look after."

Foundations of The Cri

The original Bush Inn, built in 1857, pictured here in 1873.  (Supplied: State Library of Queensland)

The original hotel was built around 1857 adjacent to where The Criterion Hotel still stands today.

Owned by Richard Parker and George Cannon, The Bush Inn — as it was known — was the first hotel built in Rockhampton when the city was declared.

After Mr Parker's death in 1860 it was passed to his four-year-old daughter Dorinda, with his wife Maria managing the property.

That following year it was renamed to The Criterion Hotel.

Maria died in 1875 when 18-year-old Dorinda took it over with her husband George Silar Curtis.

The Fitzroy River in flood in 1890 with The Criterion Hotel standing tall. (Supplied: State Library of Queensland/Jen Hansen Lundager)

By the 1880s the region's economy was flourishing with wealth from the gold rushes, cattle and coal.

Rockhampton-based historian Phil Hore said the "whole area was growing so quickly".

"They felt they needed something grand to represent that, which was The Criterion Hotel,"

he said.

As an ambitious businesswoman, Dorinda sought to cash in, creating a new fine, three-storey building designed with British architect James Flint.

Top: Taken from Fitzroy Bridge in 1920, Criterion Hotel pictured to the left. Bottom: The Old Fitzroy Bridge in flood, 1918. (Archives: State Library of Queensland/Rockhampton Regional Library History Centre)

It was built in 1889 using marble, brick and stone by Robert Kirkham of Sydney, who was given 10,000 pounds for the job.

At the time it was reported in newspapers to be the finest hotel north of Sydney.

The hotel remained part of the Curtis estate up until 1946 when it was sold it to Henry Smith, ending the familial line.

It had been the only property in the city that remained in possession of the one family, inherited from father to daughter and granddaughter.

20th-century changes

The Criterion Hotel is filled with markers and memories of its 130-year history. (ABC Capricornia: Vanessa Jarrett)

In 1966 the sons of Henry Smith and their sister Joan Johnston bought it off their father and added the motel unit complex on the southern side, making it the first hotel-motel operation in Rockhampton.

They sold it at auction in the early 1980s and the Balkin, Gill and Tourish families became the new owners.

During their time they remodelled with a French theme and created the Newsroom Bar for the clientele of the neighbouring Morning Bulletin newspaper.

Then in 1991 Leigh and Carolyn Turnbull took the reins , with four generations of their family residing at the hotel during their 35 years at the helm.

Celebrity sightings

For more than a century The Cri has hosted notable identities including former Australian prime minister Sir Robert Menzies, Dame Nellie Melba and Charles Kingsford Smith, along with sporting legends Sir Donald Bradman, touring English cricket sides, Artie Beatson and Wally Lewis.

Royalty has stayed too, including the Duke of Gloucester Prince Henry when he was the 11th governor-general of Australia in 1946.

The Duke of Gloucester's visit to Rockhampton in 1946. (Supplied: Rockhampton Regional Library History Centre)

Ryan recalled stories of musicians Tina Arena and Joe Cocker paying a visit.

"I like it when you get a lot of people that will come in unannounced," he said.

"[They] come in because of word of mouth, and they want to come in for a good steak."

Roadworks for the new Fitzroy River Bridge in 1950 with The Criterion Hotel in the background. (Supplied: Rockhampton Regional Library History Centre)

'Haunted' halls

The Criterion attracts a lot of paranormal enthusiasts as it's longtime lore to be haunted by ghosts, historian Phil Hore explained.

Mr Hore said the most common story was the tale of a jilted lover chambermaid, Mabel Curtis, the daughter of Dorinda and George Curtis, who died by suicide in the workers' quarters.

"She was in a love affair that did not go very well … and so she's currently haunting the top floor of the building," Mr Hore said.

A photo of the chambermaid hangs in the grand foyer of the hotel.

"Because the stairwell inside is so famous and picturesque I'll often take photos of people on that stairwell," Mr Hore said.

"They'll send me their photos back going, 'Look in the background, you can see something in the background.'"

Historian Phil Hore runs guided tours in Rockhampton on the history and heritage buildings of the city. (Supplied: Explore Rockhampton)

Ryan is used to fielding questions about ghosts and has had a few "dealings" of his own.

"I've never seen her [the chambermaid] but I had a few unexplained things happen when I was 25, 26," Ryan said.

"Just locking up and hearing noises and chairs getting knocked off the bar."

Time to hand on the torch

The Criterion Hotel pictured in 1985, still similar to what it looks like today. (Supplied: State Library of Queensland/ Peter Fischmann)

With his parents well into retirement, Ryan said he was looking to move out of the city now his children were nearing the end of high school.

"We thought now is the time to do it, to give the new folks a go at big events and such like … Rockynats next year, and also beef week [Beef Australia] next year," Ryan said.

Historian Phil Hore hoped to see the property retain the status its renowned for in future.

"It's a fantastic building and hopefully it'll remain the centre of Rockhampton [and] heart of Rockhampton," he said.

"Hopefully that history will go on for another 100 years."

Iran daily briefing: Israel, Lebanon peace talks, Trump's 'shoot and kill' order, and what else to know.

 Extract from ABC News

By Middle East correspondent Matthew Doran in Jerusalem

• Topic:Unrest, Conflict and War

1 hours ago

A family prepares to return home after the 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel went into effect. (Reuters: Marko Djurica)

Link copied

Hello. ABC Middle East correspondent Matthew Doran here in Jerusalem at the end of:

• day 55 of the war
• day 16 of the ceasefire between the US, Israel and Iran (which has been extended indefinitely)
• day 7 of the ceasefire in Lebanon
• day 11 of the US blockade of Iran.

Australia's fuel supply: Where things stand this weekend

Here's what you need to know today:

• Donald Trump has announced a three-week extension to the ceasefire in Lebanon after a second round of talks between Lebanon and Israel in the Oval Office. Almost 2,300 people were killed in Lebanon over seven weeks, as Israel attacked alleged Hezbollah targets — many of the dead were civilians, including women and children. 
• The ceasefire had been due to expire after midnight on Monday, 10 days after it was agreed to. Lebanese network LBCI reported earlier that the country would ask for an extension of between 20 and 40 days. Attacks continued in southern Lebanon ahead of the White House meeting, with journalist Amal Khalil among those killed. The country's prime minister had accused Israel of war crimes over the attacks. 
• Mr Trump has said he's ordering his country’s navy to "shoot and kill any boat" that tries to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Mr Trump says the US has destroyed Iran’s navy, but noted the country may be using "small boats" to operate in the shipping channel. It came after the head of the Iranian judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, reportedly said Iranian speedboats and drones were sheltering in sea caves in the strait and that the three ships Iran had attacked in the area had "faced the law".
• Another oil tanker was intercepted by the US Navy in the Indian Ocean. The Pentagon said it was a sanctioned ship transporting oil from Iran. It's the second ship that has been boarded by the US in the area this week, well beyond the waters of the Strait of Hormuz.
• There's still no movement on a second round of peace talks between the US and Iran in Pakistan — with the two countries seemingly in a stalemate. Mr Trump's decision to extend the ceasefire came with no new deadline, and each country is insisting that the other lift restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz as a precursor. President Trump has stoked that fire further by saying "infighting" within the Iranian regime means the country "is having a very hard time figuring out who their leader is!"

Here's what all that means

The ceasefire extension, announced by Mr Trump on his Truth Social account, comes as talks between the US and Iran have seemingly stalled. In fact, the mere fact that envoys from Israel and Lebanon were sitting down for another round of negotiations was seen as progress.

"The Meeting went very well! The United States is going to work with Lebanon in order to help it protect itself from Hezbollah," he posted.

After decades of conflict, there's deep distrust of any deal that amounts to an actual shift in Israel and Lebanon's relationship. But there's also suspicion and anger in some quarters of the Lebanese community about the government's pursuit of such talks.

Israel and the Lebanese government share a desire to see the back of Hezbollah, a group that has its foundations in resistance against the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon from 1982 to 2000, but which stands accused of becoming a puppet for its Iranian backers.

Hezbollah itself was not part of the negotiations. The militant group, considered a terrorist organisation under Australian law, has welcomed the ceasefire but criticised the Lebanese state for sitting down with Israeli officials.

Even under this temporary ceasefire, attacks continue in southern Lebanon — although their number and intensity are far less than what was occurring prior to last Thursday’s announcement. But the conduct of Israeli forces in southern Lebanon is getting attention, even in Israeli media, with allegations of serious misconduct underlining how difficult this situation is.

Newspaper Haaretz is reporting testimony from Israeli soldiers of looting of homes in southern Lebanon, stealing everything from televisions to motorcycles, rugs to cigarettes. Aside from attacks on personal property, strikes on individuals are once again turning attention to the alleged targeting of journalists by the IDF.

Lebanese media outlets and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) are reporting that journalists Amal Khalil and Zeinab Faraj were among those targeted in an Israeli strike on the village of Al Tayri on Wednesday. The pair had been trapped under rubble after the building they were sheltering in was hit, with allegations that rescue crews could not reach them.

At the time, the IDF said it had targeted "Hezbollah terrorists" and that "reports were received that two journalists were injured as a result of the strikes".

"The IDF is not preventing rescue teams from reaching the area. The details of the incident are under review," it said. "The IDF does not target journalists and acts to mitigate harm to them while maintaining the safety and security of its troops." 

It was later revealed that Khalil, who worked for the outlet Al-Akhbar, had died. Her funeral was held on Thursday.

During the incident, it had been revealed on social media by colleagues of Khalil, including journalist Hala Jaber, that she had received threats from someone contacting her on an Israeli phone number on WhatsApp.

"We know where you are, and we will reach you when the time comes," one of the messages reportedly said. "I suggest you flee to Qatar or somewhere else if you want to keep your head connected to your shoulders."

The owner of that number, who identified himself as Gal Gideon Ben Avraham, claimed to the ABC that journalists in Lebanon were feeding information to Hezbollah, without providing any evidence. He added in a voice note that "if you are supporting terror, you need to know that you are destined for death". 

The IDF told the ABC it had no affiliation with the man.

It's incidents like this which fuel a lot of the deep enmity in Lebanon towards Israel, and the sense within parts of the Lebanese community that talks with Israel are a waste of time when such attitudes exist south of the border.

That's why negotiations between ambassadors in Washington, DC, may be seen as a grand opportunity, but they have a long way to go before they amount to anything tangible.

And here's the impact on Australia

• Airfares sky high: Flight schedules are starting to recover, which means your chances of actually making it to your destination are improving. But with fuel costs still soaring, this morning's episode of ABC News Daily looks at why ticket prices won't come down anytime soon (🎧15m52s).

More on Iran

If ships are being fired upon and seized how can there be a ceasefire?

Topic:

Perhaps we're seeing Trump's tactics. Perhaps we're just seeing chaos

Topic:

How Trump went from 'I expect to be bombing' to 'I extend the ceasefire'

Topic:

Thanks for joining me. I'll see you at the same time tomorrow.

Gaza needs $US71 billion in next decade for recovery, UN and EU report finds.

Extract from ABC News

By Annika Burgess

• Topic:Unrest, Conflict and War

17 hours ago

A Palestinian woman looks out from a window of a tent set up inside her war-damaged home in the northern Gaza Strip. (Reuters: Dawoud Abu Alkas)

In short:

More than $US71 billion ($99.4 billion) will be needed over the next 10 years for recovery and reconstruction in Gaza, according to a new report by the European Union and the United Nations.

The final Gaza Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment found housing, health, education, commerce and agriculture were the hardest-hit sectors.

What's next?

The EU and UN are calling for reconstruction to be "Palestinian led", saying a sustained ceasefire and adequate security are minimum conditions to begin recovery.

Link copied

Once a place for families to play and relax, Gaza's coastlines are now crowded with makeshift tents.

And as springtime temperatures rise, thousands of displaced Palestinians are now dealing with a surge of rats, fleas and other pests.

"My children have been bitten. One of my sons was even bitten on the nose," Muhammad al-Raqab, a Palestinian man living in a tent near the southern city of Khan Yunis, told AFP news agency.

"I am unable to sleep through the night because I must constantly watch over the children."

About 60 per cent of the Gaza Strip, which was home to an estimated 2.2 million inhabitants, has been displaced.  (Reuters: Dawoud Abu Alkas)

Mr al-Raqab is among more than 1.2 million people — 60 per cent of Gaza's population — who were left without homes after 24 months of conflict, according to the final Gaza Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA).

Most are still living with almost no sanitation, surviving in shelters often made from fabric scraps, nylon sheets and old blankets.

Palestinians are forced to set up tents areas exposed to extreme weather with Israel occupying more than half of the Gaza Strip.   (Reuters: Ramadan Abed)

The new assessment by the European Union (EU) and the United Nations (UN), jointly conducted with the World Bank, painted a bleak picture of the extent of devastation across the Gaza Strip and the cost of recovery.

With much of Gaza reduced to rubble, the report estimated $US71.4 billion ($99.4 billion) would be needed for reconstruction over the next decade.

The hardest-hit sectors were housing, health, education, commerce and agriculture, with human development in Gaza set back by 77 years.

Widespread destruction of homes

Throughout Israel's war in Gaza, triggered by the deadly Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, the report found housing was the most impacted sector.

The extent of damage to housing across Gaza until October 2025, based on the RDNA report. (ABC News Graphics: Kylie Silvester)

It had incurred about $US18 billion in damages, with nearly 85 per cent of homes destroyed.

Gaza City, Khan Younis, and Jabaliya were among the worst-affected locations.

About 1.9 million people have been displaced, often multiple times, and more than 60 per cent of the population have lost their homes, the report said.

Living conditions continue to be "catastrophic", according to NGO Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

Severe weather constantly batters tent camps where families are desperately trying to carry on with their lives.

Violence has also persisted in Gaza despite the ceasefire coming into effect on October 10, 2025, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Figures on the scale of damage to housing from the UN and EU Gaza Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment. (ABC News Graphics: Kylie Silvester)

Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, said the situation was worsening.

"Our partners on the ground report that between 12 and 18 April, incidents such as gunfire, shelling and strikes increased by 46 per cent compared with the previous week, marking the highest weekly total since the October ceasefire agreement went into effect," he said at a news conference.

Both Israel and Hamas regularly accuse each other of violations.

Percentages of homes lost and people impacted, according to the UN and EU Gaza Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment.  (ABC News Graphics: Kylie Silvester)

Overall recovery needs for housing were projected to be $US16.21 billion.

"Temporary housing interventions alone are estimated to require $US1.42 billion [excluding land costs] and should prioritise compact, in situ units with adequate access to core services," the report said.

Gazans beg for shelter

Homeless Gazans are begging the Israeli government to allow proper shelters into the strip as winter storms batter the enclave and destroy many people's tents.

For recovery to begin there needed to be "secure and predictable access to construction materials", the report said.

Humanitarian aid groups and UN agencies report that Israel has been continuing to block the entry of aid shipments and shelter materials, including tents and mobile homes.

Israel argues it is allowing adequate humanitarian aid into Gaza, saying that there is no limit to the amount of aid that can get into the territory.

Destruction can be seen across northern Gaza, with Israel in the distance. (ABC News: Hamish Harty)

The report also stressed the importance of access for households to be rebuilt in their original communities.

For most areas, that would require clearance of unexploded ordnance.

Aid groups have estimated more than 7,000 tonnes of unexploded ordnance may be hidden under rubble in Gaza.

They said it could take up to 30 years to clear Gaza's surface from the explosive remnants of war.

A boy pushes a wheelchair through the rubble of buildings destroyed in Gaza City. (AP: Abdel Kareem Hana)

Hospitals strained

The UN said its assessments were based on "globally proven methodologies that combine remote sensing and ground-verified data for calculating damages, losses and recovery needs".

It also includes estimates validated by the EU, UN and the World Bank.

Figures on the conflict's impact on Gaza's health system from the UN and EU Gaza Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment. (ABC News Graphics: Kylie Silvester)

The report highlighted how the conflict shattered an already strained health system.

More than 50 per cent of hospitals across Gaza were left non-functional, the report said.

Mohammed Wael Helles, 14, was waiting months for surgery after an Israeli air strike tore his spinal cord and fractured three vertebrae.

"I'm still young, at the start of my life," he told Reuters from his hospital bed in Khan Younis in November.

At that time, he still did not know how much longer he would be waiting for treatment.

Mohammed Helles, who suffered from a spinal cord injury during an Israeli strike, lies on a bed at Nasser Hospital, in Khan Younis. (Reuters: Haseeb Alwazeer)

Damages to the health sector were estimated at $US1.39 billion, according to the joint European Union and UN assessment.

About 1,825 facilities were partially or completely destroyed, with hospitals taking a significant hit.

The remaining hospitals remained overwhelmed and primary care severely constrained.

A Palestinian man carries a wounded girl into al-Shifa Hospital following Israeli strikes, (AP: Yousef Al Zanoun)

Tom Roth, the MSF Australia executive director, said despite the ceasefire his teams were witnessing daily attacks.

"We're treating over 1,000 surgeries a day still — over 70,000 medical consults," he told ABC News Channel.

"So the situation is still catastrophic.

"Eighty per cent of the infrastructure has been destroyed and we are trying to provide water, sanitation, medical care on a daily basis."

Palestinians inspect damage following an Israeli raid at Kamal Adwan hospital. (Reuters: Fadi Alwhidifa)

Nearly every school damaged

Toulin Al-Hindi, seven, was among 400 children attending classes in the wintry cold in January, sitting on the floor of a crowded tent.

The makeshift North Educational School had been set up in blue plastic tents in the ruins of northern Gaza's community of Beit Lahiya.

"Although we do not sit on chairs, thank God we started attending school," Toulin told Reuters.

"During the war there were no schools, and we were bored."

Displaced Palestinian students study inside a tent in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza Strip.     (Reuters: Mahmoud Issa)

In 2023, prior to the war, enrolment in basic education reached 97 per cent for about 625,000 children.

The conflict left nearly all schools destroyed or damaged, with damages estimated at $US1.08 billion, the report found.

"An estimated 728,000 children and youth [were] without formal schooling for two years and [the conflict resulted] … in the deaths of thousands of students and many educators," it said.

Over two years of conflict, more than 71,000 Palestinians have been killed and 171,000 injured, according to local authorities, with many still missing under the rubble.

Figures on the conflict's impact on Gaza's education system from the UN and EU Gaza Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment.  (ABC News Graphics: Kylie Silvester)

At least 792 teachers and school personnel have been killed, the UN has reported.

The report also highlighted that more than 58,000 children had lost one or both parents.

So there was the chance that many would be returning to school with significant mental health needs and malnutrition.

Mr Roth said Gazans were still desperate for food and water.

"We had a child die last week from hypothermia," he said.

"These are things that are preventable."

Before and after shots show how Gaza has been devastated.

The EU and UN report said $US4.71 billion would be needed to rebuild the education sector, with about $US3 billion required for urgent interventions.

It said temporary learning spaces, workforce restoration, and school reconstruction should be prioritised within the first three years.

Access to nutritional support was also critical to promote cognitive development among malnourished children.

Palestinian-led recovery

The UN said funding to support Gaza's reconstruction would be channelled through international donor contributions to the World Bank and other financial institutions.

In a joint statement, the UN and the EU called for the overall recovery to be "Palestinian led" and based on "approaches that actively support the transition of governance to the Palestinian Authority".

"A sustained ceasefire and adequate security are minimum conditions," they said.

"Unimpeded humanitarian access and immediate restoration of essential services must underpin recovery."

They also stated it was "essential" that a "credible pathway" was created for the Palestinian Authority's future governance across the entire Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

EU backs $148bn loan for Ukraine after pipeline spat resolved.

Extract from ABC News

• Topic:World Politics

5 hours ago

A bitter feud over an oil pipeline pitted Hungary against Ukraine's Volodymr Zelenskyy, stalling the vitally needed funds for Kyiv. (Reuters: Valentyn Ogirenko)

In short: 

The EU has given a preliminary green light to unblocking a $148 billion loan for Kyiv, after a months-long pipeline row was resolved.

Russian oil will soon arrive through the repaired Druzhba pipeline, whose damage had pitted Hungary's ousted premier against Ukraine.

What's next?

Hungarian energy giant MOL said it expects the first crude oil shipments to arrive in Hungary and Slovakia tomorrow. 

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The European Union (EU) has given a preliminary green light to unblock a 90-billion-euro ($148 billion) loan for Kyiv, after a months-long row between Ukraine and Hungary over a damaged pipeline.

Diplomats said Hungary was given 24 hours to sign off definitively as it waits for Russian oil to arrive through the Druzhba pipeline after Kyiv said operations had restarted.

The bitter feud over the pipeline pitted Hungary's nationalist premier Viktor Orbán against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, stalling the vitally needed funds for Kyiv.

Mr Zelenskyy said unblocking the loan to Kyiv was "the right signal under the current circumstances".

"Russia must end its war. And the incentives for that can arise only when both support for Ukraine and pressure on Russia are sufficient," he wrote on X.

Resolving the stand-off would allow Brussels to start paying out the loan in the coming months that Ukraine requires to plug its budget four years into Moscow's invasion.

Hungarian voters showed little regard for Donald Trump's wishes

A record number of Hungarians turned out not just to send a strong message to their far-right prime minister, but to reject Donald Trump. 

Kremlin-friendly Mr Orbán — who suffered a crushing election defeat this month — insisted that he would not budge until Ukraine repaired the pipeline hit by a Russian strike.

Officials said Ukraine had restarted pumping oil to Hungary and Slovakia, a day after Mr Zelenskyy announced the repairs were completed.

Hungarian energy giant MOL said it "expects the first crude oil shipments following the restart of the Ukrainian section of the pipeline system to arrive in Hungary and Slovakia by tomorrow at the latest".

Slovakia's Economy Minister Denisa Sakova also said the first deliveries were expected in the early hours of Thursday, in a post on Facebook.

The Druzhba oil pipeline had become a point of tension.  (Reuters: Bernadett Szabo)

Hungary and Slovakia — among the most Kremlin-sympathetic EU member states — had accused Kyiv of dragging its feet over the repairs.

Mr Zelenskyy has made no secret of his staunch opposition to the fact some EU members still buy Russian oil and gas — a key source of revenue for Moscow to fund its invasion launched more than four years ago.

Sanction approvals too?

The row with Hungary has held up EU support for Ukraine at a time when the United States has largely cut Kyiv off and eased sanctions on Russian oil amid the Iran war.

Mr Orbán's loss in elections after 16 years in power had fuelled hopes that the funds would be unlocked.

Four years into the war, Putin is betting on one thing

Russian President Vladimir Putin is betting that the West and Ukraine will run out of resources first.

But EU officials had believed they may have to wait until his pro-EU successor Péter Magyar takes office in May to get it approved.

Alongside the loan, EU countries also looked to a approve a fresh round of sanctions on Russia that had been stalled by both Hungary and Slovakia over the pipeline row.

The new round of economic punishment for Moscow — the 20th from the EU since the war started in 2022 — includes measures Russia's energy, banking and trade sectors.

Mr Zelenskyy on Tuesday, local time, urged the EU to begin ratcheting up sanctions on Moscow again at a time when US President Donald Trump has eased pressure on the Kremlin.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who has repeatedly clashed with Kyiv and Brussels, said Wednesday that he "would not be surprised if the 90 billion loan were unblocked and then oil supplies were cut off again".

Turkiye attempts to revive peace talks

Russian and Ukrainian delegations last met for US-brokered peace talks in Geneva in February, before war in the Middle East broke out.

Mr Zelenskyy has indicated he is keen to reinvigorate stalling peace talks.

Türkiye's President Tayyip Erdogan said his country was now making efforts to revive negotiations between Russia and Ukraine and bring together both leaders for further peace talks.

It comes after Ukraine asked Türkiye to host a meeting between Mr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"We asked the Turks about it, we asked some other capitals," Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on Tuesday.

"I another capital, besides Moscow and Belarus, organises such a meeting, we will go."

The Kremlin has previously said it was willing to host Mr Zelenskyy in Moscow, where the Ukrainian leader has said he will not go.

During a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Ankara on Wednesday, the Turkish president said he also expected European allies in NATO to take more responsibility for transatlantic security.

AFP