The war with Russia is now mostly being fought in the country's east, meaning many who fled the invasion can return home to see what's left and try to rebuild. Ukrainian authorities say at least 2 million have returned in the last few weeks. Jan-Philipp Scholz reports from Bucha.

The European Commission has recommended candidate status for Ukraine. Just over three months after being invaded by Russia, Kyiv has cleared the first hurdle on the road to membership.

Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief has called for Russia to end its blockade of Ukrainian ports. His comments come ahead of a meeting of the bloc's 27 foreign ministers.

In the first case of its kind, German prosecutors have seized several apartments belonging to a Russian lawmaker. So far other sanctioned assets have simply been frozen.

Imports from China's Xinjiang region have been banned in the United States from yesterday as new rules came into force. Under the regulations, firms will have to prove imports from the region are not produced using forced labour.

US President Joe Biden has nominated Mohegan Indian Tribe Lifetime Chief Marilynn Malerba to oversee the US Mint. It marks the first time a Native American's signature will appear on the US currency.

Without Russian natural gas, Germany will be facing an energy crisis. Coal, nuclear, fracking or renewable energy — what are the most realistic and climate-friendly options?

EU leaders are in Brussels to discuss the membership bids of Ukraine and Moldova. Meanwhile, the European Parliament has voted heavily in favor of the two countries' getting candidate status.

In a major expansion of gun legislation, the Supreme Court has overturned a law in New York that restricted the carrying of concealed weapons in public. Hours later, senators passed a modest gun control bill.

Germany has taken a step towards rationing natural gas by activating the second of three stages in an emergency plan. Officials say that since Russia reduced supplies, gas is now a "scarce commodity". Also in the show: the UK is hit by a second day of rail strikes over job security, pay and the rising cost of living, and high inflation in France prompts a boom in demand for camping holidays.

German energy official Klaus Müller has said the country's gas situation is stable but predicted higher prices for consumers. He also said that Germany can last another 2 1/2 months without Russian gas.

June is Pride Month, a celebration of the world's LGBTQ populations which also serves to continue the fight for equality and justice for the community. Activist Anna Sharyhina joined us on Perspective for a conversation about LGBTQ rights in Ukraine before and since the Russian invasion. Originally from Kharkiv, she co-founded the Ukrainian NGO "Sphere", which works to provide a safe space for the country's queer community and organised Kharkiv's first Pride parade in 2019.