Saturday, 18 Jan, 2025

International

US announces extra $100m in military aid to Ukraine

The United States announced Tuesday it will send $100 million in additional anti-armour weapons to Ukraine. “I have authorised, pursuant to a delegation from the President earlier today, the immediate drawdown of security assistance valued at up to $100 million to meet

Sri Lanka president defies calls for his resignation

Sri Lanka's beleaguered president will not be resigning, his government's whip has told parliament. The declaration defies calls from the public and political opponents for Gotabaya Rajapaksa to step down amid the country's economic crisis. Crowds have protested for

US, EU to toughen sanctions against Russia

The US and the EU are set to impose more sanctions on Russia amid allegations of war crimes in the Ukrainian town of Bucha. Washington is reportedly considering measures targeting Putin's two daughters and Russia's largest bank. The US has also announced it will step up

Biden calls for Putin to face war crimes trial 

US President Joe Biden has called for Russian President Vladimir Putin to be tried for war crimes as evidence emerges of atrocities allegedly committed by Russian forces in Ukraine. There is mounting international anger over the alleged killing of civilians in Bucha, a town near the

Sri Lanka parties leave Gotabaya Rajapaksa-led coalition

More than 40 MPs have left Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa's coalition government. MPs from parties aligned with Mr Rajapaksa's Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) led coalition said they would now independently represent themselves. It comes as the South Asian nation

PM Imran nominates former CJP Gulzar Ahmed as caretaker prime minister

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday nominated former chief justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed for the office of the caretaker prime minister. The announcement was made by PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry, who said the premier made the decision after approval from the PTI's core committee.

Sri Lanka: Cabinet resigns as crisis protesters defy curfew

Sri Lanka's cabinet ministers have resigned en masse after protests over the government's handling of the worst economic crisis in decades. All 26 ministers submitted letters of resignation - but not Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa or his brother, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Imran Khan to continue as PM till caretaker PM appointed

In a development that is likely to worsen the political crisis in the country, Pakistan President Arif Alvi has said that Imran Khan will continue as Prime Minister till the appointment of a caretaker PM under Article 224 A of Pakistan Constitution. "Mr. Imran Ahmad Khan Niazi,

Pakistan: President dissolves National Assembly on PM's advice

President Dr Arif Alvi on Sunday dissolved the National Assembly on Prime Minister Imran Khan's advice under Article 58 of the Constitution. "The president of Pakistan, Dr Arif Alvi, has approved the advice of the prime minister of Pakistan to dissolve the National Assembly

Ukraine ‘retakes whole Kyiv region’ as Russia looks east

Ukraine’s defence ministry says its forces have seized control of the Kyiv region from Russian troops as officials warned that the departing soldiers were creating a “catastrophic” situation for civilians by leaving behind mines. The announcement on Saturday marks the

Sri Lanka imposes curfew and blocks social media amid protests

Sri Lanka's government has blocked access to social media and imposed a 36-hour curfew, following protests against food and fuel shortages. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa issued a notice prohibiting anyone from being on any public road, in a park, on trains, or on the seashore,

Pakistan: Imran Khan seeks fresh poll amid move to remove him

Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan has urged the president to dissolve parliament and call fresh elections following an opposition attempt to remove him from office. It follows chaos in parliament over a no-confidence move against him. Parliament's deputy speaker refused

Speaker dismisses no-trust move against Pakistan PM Imran

In a shock move, National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri on Sunday dismissed the no-trust move against Prime Minister Imran Khan, terming it against Article 5 of the Constitution. Suri chaired today's session after opposition parties, in a surprise move, filed a

Pentagon commits extra $300m security aid to Ukraine

The US Defence Department announced on Friday (April 1) it is setting aside US$300 million (S$407 million) in “security assistance” for Ukraine to bolster the country’s defence capabilities, adding to the US$1.6 billion Washington has committed since Russia invaded in

Sri Lanka imposes state of emergency amid protests

A nationwide state of emergency has been declared in Sri Lanka, a day after protests outside the president's house turned violent. Protesters stormed barricades and have been accused of setting vehicles ablaze near President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's private residence on Thursday.

Russia announces temporary ceasefire in Mariupol

The Russian defence ministry has announced a ceasefire in Ukraine's besieged port city of Mariupol to allow civilians to be evacuated, starting on Thursday morning. "For this humanitarian operation to succeed, we propose to carry it out with the direct participation of the UN

Pakistan's Imran Khan is fighting for his political life

Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan is facing arguably the biggest challenge of his political career, as the opposition seeks to remove him from office in a vote of no confidence. The country's lawmakers will convene on Thursday to begin debating the motion as Mr Khan's

Putin being misled by fearful advisers, US says

Russian President Vladimir Putin is being misled by advisers who are too scared to tell him how badly the war in Ukraine is going, the White House says. Meanwhile British intelligence says Russian troops in Ukraine are demoralised, short of equipment and refusing to carry out orders.

Ukraine distrusts Russian pledge to pull troops from Kyiv 

Zelenskyy says Ukraine will not reduce defensive efforts as positive signals from peace talks have not ‘drowned out’ the sound of Russian shelling. The governor of Ukraine’s northern Chernihiv region says there is no easing in Russian attacks despite a promise by

8 killed as UN helicopter crashes in eastern DRC

Eight people have been killed when a helicopter operated by the United Nations’ peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) went down in the country’s restive east, in an area where there has been fighting this week between rebels and the Congolese army.