Ukraine on the back foot as Russia claims more villages

Vladimir Putin removes Sergei Shoigu from Russia’s defence ministry, Ukraine’s north east sees hard fighting in a new ground offensive, a court in Germany backs the nation’s domestic intelligence agency’s designation of far-right party Alternative for Germany as a suspected case of extremism, and why lost property reports in Japan hit new record in 2023. Plus: Laurie Bristow on his new book, ‘Kabul: Final Call: The Inside Story of the Withdrawal from Afghanistan’.