Wednesday, 15 Jan, 2025

International

World Bank puts cost of rebuilding Ukraine at $411 billion

A World Bank report released Wednesday puts the cost of Ukraine's recovery and rebuilding from Russia's invasion at $411 billion over the next decade, with the cost of cleaning up the war rubble alone at $5 billion. The report provides both sweeping and closely detailed looks

ICC concerned by Russia’s ‘threats’ over Putin warrant

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has expressed concern over “threats” from Russia following its issuing of a war crimes arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin. The ICC’s statement of concern on Wednesday came after former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev

Kishida, in Ukraine, assures Zelenskyy of continued support

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made an unannounced visit to Ukraine's capital Kyiv on Tuesday ahead of a Group of Seven summit he will host in May, vowing as he stood alongside President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to keep supporting the country in its struggle against Russia's

End of Ukraine war no closer after Putin-Xi talks

China's peace plan for Ukraine could be used as a basis to end the war, Vladimir Putin has said. But Mr Putin said the plan could be put forward only when they are ready "in the West and Kyiv". The Russian leader met Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday in Moscow to

Ramadan in Saudi Arabia, Qatar from Thursday 

The holy month of Ramadan will start on Thursday, authorities in Qatar and Saudi Arabia have announced, based on the expected sighting of the crescent moon. Saudi Arabia’s supreme court declared on Tuesday evening that Wednesday would be the last day of the Islamic calendar month

13 killed as strong earthquake rattles Pakistan, Afghanistan

At least 3 killed and 44 people injured in Afghanistan after an earthquake of 6.6 magnitude shook Afghanistan and Pakistan. The total death toll due to the natural disaster is expected to be at least 13.  Strong earthquake tremors felt in Delhi NCR. The quake measuring 7.7

US urges Xi to press Putin over 'war crimes' in Ukraine

Chinese President Xi Jinping should press Vladimir Putin to "halt the war crimes" in Ukraine, the US has urged. The two will meet again on Tuesday for official talks during Mr Xi's first visit to Moscow since the invasion. The White House's National Security

Russia Kalibr missile cargo hit in transit to Crimea: Ukraine

Ukraine has reported the destruction of “multiple” Russian cruise missiles as they were being transported by rail to Russia’s Black Sea fleet in Crimea. Ukraine’s military agency said late on Monday that multiple Kalibr cruise missiles were destroyed by an

IMF approves crucial $3B bailout for bankrupt Sri Lanka

The International Monetary Fund said Monday that its executive board has approved a nearly $3 billion bailout program for Sri Lanka over four years to help salvage the country’s bankrupt economy. About $333 million will be disbursed immediately and the approval will also open up

Israelis, Palestinians agree on steps to curb rising violence

Israeli and Palestinian officials have agreed at a meeting in Egypt to take steps to lower tensions ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The talks in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on Sunday stressed the need to prevent any disruptive actions at Jerusalem’s

Iran’s Raisi welcomes invitation from king to visit Saudi Arabia

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has favourably received an invitation from Saudi Arabia’s King Salman to visit the kingdom following the reconciliation deal between the two countries, an Iranian official has said. “In a letter to President Raisi … the King of Saudi

Will Xi-Putin summit deliver a breakthrough on Ukraine war?

Chinese President Xi Jinping is on his way to Moscow, on a “voyage of friendship”, “cooperation” and “peace”, weeks after Beijing unveiled a 12-point position paper calling for a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war and days after it mediated a surprise

Pakistani police file terrorism charges against former PM Khan

Police in the Pakistani capital have filed charges against former Prime Minister Imran Khan, 17 of his aides and scores of supporters, accusing them of terrorism and several other offences.  Sunday's charges come in the backdrop of clashes between the supporters of Khan and

North Korea fires short-range ballistic missile, South Korea says

North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile toward the sea off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula on Sunday, according to South Korea and Japan, the latest in a barrage of weapons tests from the nuclear-armed state. The missile, launched from the Dongchang-ri site on the west

Quake kills 13 in Ecuador, 1 in Peru

A strong earthquake has shaken Ecuador and Peru, killing at least 14 people, damaging homes and buildings, and sending panicked residents into the streets. The US Geological Survey reported a magnitude 6.7 earthquake on Saturday in Ecuador’s coastal Guayas region. The tremor was

Putin visits Russian-occupied Mariupol in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a working trip to Mariupol, a Ukrainian city in the Donetsk region which has been occupied by Moscow’s forces since May of last year. Putin flew to Mariupol by helicopter, the TASS agency reported on Sunday, citing the Kremlin. Putin

22 killed in Myanmar monastery massacre

At least 22 people were shot dead at close range in central Myanmar last week, according to a doctor's post-mortem report, in what opponents of military rule say was a massacre of civilians conducted by the army. A spokesman for Myanmar's junta, which staged a coup two years

ICC's arrest warrant against Putin has no meaning: Russia

The International Criminal Court's arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin has no meaning for the country as the nation had withdrawn from the ICC treaty in 2016, a spokeswoman for the ministry of foreign affairs said, according to a report by CNN.  Maria

Biden welcomes court's Putin arrest warrant 

US President Joe Biden has welcomed the International Criminal Court's issuing of an arrest warrant against his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. The ICC accused President Putin of committing war crimes in Ukraine - something President Biden said the Russian leader had

ICC judges issue arrest warrant against Vladimir Putin

The international criminal court in The Hague has issued arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and his children’s rights commissioner Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, for the “unlawful deportation” of Ukrainian children. The court’s pre-trial judges assessed there