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Russia has threatened to destroy any fighter jets given to Ukraine by its allies, after two countries promised planes. Slovakia became the second Nato country to pledge Kyiv some MiG-29 aircraft on Friday, a day after Poland. Slovakia's fleet was grounded last year and it no longer uses the jets. Ukraine has asked Western countries for modern jets, but because of long training times, these are seen only as long-term options. It sees extra aircraft as important for its defences and possible counter-attacks, a year into Russia's invasion. Other Nato countries are considering sending planes such as the MiG-29 - a model which dates from the time of the Soviet Union - which Ukrainian pilots are trained to fly.

Facebook parent company Meta has rolled out a paid verification service in the United States. Similar to Elon Musk's Twitter Blue service, Meta Verified will grant users a blue tick for $14.99 (£12) per month on iOS and Android devices, or $11.99 (£10) per month on the website. The service will be available on Instagram and Facebook. The new feature comes after Meta's announcement earlier this week that it would lay off 10,000 employees. Meta Verified subscribers must be at least 18 years old and will need to submit a government ID in exchange for impersonation protection, direct access to customer service, and their blue tick. In November Twitter announced a verification process, which it quickly jettisoned after the blue tick system was used to impersonate politicians and celebrities.

British troops and loyalists fled Boston by ship for Canada in "disgrace" after nearly a decade of occupation that incited protest, bloodshed and then revolution, on this day in history, March 17, 1776. "Surely it is the Lord's doings and it is marvelous in our eyes," patriot and future first lady Abigail Adams wrote of the incredible victory by the pugnacious little city over the mighty British crown. The humiliating flight of King George III's forces in the face of his disloyal subjects is still celebrated each year as Evacuation Day, a civic holiday, in Boston.

Karin Taylor was stunned when she first learned of the accusations made against her late pal Hugh Hefner. It was 2022 when former Playboy bunny Holly Madison and several other playmates spoke out in a 10-part docuseries on A&E, "Secrets of Playboy." Madison alleged the Playboy Mansion "was very cult-like" and the women were "gaslit and expected to think of Hef as like this really good guy."

The US has seen a “significant spike” in aggressive Russian military flights in Syria this month, the commander of US Central Command said Thursday, two days after Russian jets harassed and collided with a US drone over the Black Sea. Gen. Erik Kurilla told a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing that Russian ground-attack aircraft fly over US bases loaded with weapons “in an attempt to try and be provocative.” He described the Russian flights as “not what we expect of a professional air force.”

Slovakia will send its 13-strong fleet of MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, becoming the second Nato member behind Poland to answer president Volodymyr Zelensky’s pleas for planes to help Kyiv repel Russia’s invasion. Prime minister Eduard Heger announced his government’s unanimous decision on Friday to send the grounded fleet of Soviet-era jets, just hours after Poland’s Andrzej Duda declared plans to send four jets within days, with more to follow.

BBC News Taiwan has charged two former state officials with violating the national security law by organising meetings between former senior military officers and Chinese intelligence personnel. Those encounters allegedly allowed the Chinese to "contact and even recruit" ex-military officers to their network. Prosecutors say the pair arranged 13 free trips to mainland China for 48 former officers from 2013 to 2018. The men earlier denied they were recruiting spies for China. The meetings also promoted China's unification with Taiwan, prosecutors say. Retired rear admiral Hsia <deleted>-hsiang and ex-MP Lo Chih-ming face up to five years in jail if convicted.

Rolls-Royce scientists and engineers are to research how nuclear power could be used to support a future Moon base. The UK Space Agency has given the Derby-based firm £2.9m to look at ways of powering future lunar settlements. The company has been asked to demonstrate how nuclear micro reactors could extend the duration of future missions to the Moon. The government said the deal would boost the UK's space industry and create skilled jobs. The UK Space Agency said it wanted to establish a new power source to support systems for communications, life-support and scientific experiments on the Moon. The agency's chief executive Dr Paul Bate said: "We are backing technology and capabilities to support ambitious space exploration missions and boost sector growth across the UK.

Stock markets have risen after a group of US banking giants stepped in to rescue a smaller regional lender, which had been seen as at risk of failure. Investors' worries over a crisis in the banking sector were eased after 11 US banks injected $30bn (£24.8bn) into First Republic. Recent bank collapses in the US have raised fears over the health of the banking system. The UK's FTSE 100 share index was up 1% in early trade. Among the UK banks, shares in Lloyds and Barclays were up 1.3% higher. Stock markets in France and Germany were up by about 0.6%, and earlier, Japan's Nikkei index had closed 1.2% higher. The 11 US banks who announced the support said the action reflected their "confidence in the country's banking system". US financial officials said the move was "most welcome, and demonstrates the resilience of the banking system".