Sunday, 19 Jan, 2025

International

Russia won’t escalate Ukraine crisis, Putin assures Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin told him in their marathon talks a day earlier that Moscow would not further escalate the Ukraine crisis. Macron’s remarks on a visit to Kyiv on Tuesday came as the Kremlin denied that he and Putin

Biden: US and Germany working in ‘lockstep’ on Ukraine crisis

The United States and Germany are working in “lockstep” to deter Russian “aggression” in Europe, US President Joe Biden has said, as he met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the White House on Monday. Amid growing tensions in eastern Europe, Scholz held

Crucial days ahead after Putin summit, says Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron has said the coming days will be crucial to de-escalating the Ukraine standoff, after a meeting with Russia's Vladimir Putin. Mr Putin hinted that progress had been made during his first Moscow summit with a Western leader since Russian troops

Ottawa declares emergency as truckers protest Covid restrictions

The mayor of Canada's capital Ottawa has declared a state of emergency in response to more than a week of truckers' protests against Covid restrictions. Jim Watson said the city was "completely out of control", with demonstrators outnumbering police. He said the

Don’t believe ‘apocalyptic predictions’ over Russia: Ukraine

Ukraine downplayed a possible incursion by Russia on Sunday saying do not to believe “apocalyptic predictions” after US officials said Moscow had assembled 70 percent of the military force needed for a full-scale invasion. Unnamed American officials were quoted as saying on

US says Russia preparing full-scale invasion of Ukraine

Russia has assembled about 70% of the military capability needed for a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in the coming weeks, US officials say. The ground is expected to freeze and harden from mid-February, enabling Moscow to bring in more heavy equipment, the unnamed officials said.

Rayan: Moroccan boy trapped in well for four days dies

A five-year-old Moroccan boy who was trapped in a well for four days has died, despite painstaking efforts to rescue him. A royal statement announced his death soon after his removal from the well. The bid to free the boy, named as Rayan, had gripped the country, with hundreds of

Plane crash near Peru's Nazca lines claims 7 lives

A light plane carrying sightseers for a tour of the Nazca lines in the Peruvian desert has crashed, killing all seven people onboard. Local police said that the deceased included three Dutch tourists, two Chilean tourists and two Peruvian members of crew. The plane went down near

China joins Russia in opposing Nato expansion

China has joined Russia in opposing further Nato expansion as the two countries move closer together in the face of Western pressure. Moscow and Beijing issued a statement showcasing their agreement on a raft of issues during a visit by Russia's Vladimir Putin for the Winter

New Zealand moves to relax tough border controls

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the country will start reopening its borders in a phased plan beginning with its own citizens, as it relaxes a strict quarantine system that was imposed at the start of the pandemic. The five-stage plan will start with fully vaccinated New

Russia condemns destructive US troops boost in Europe

Russia has condemned a US decision to send extra troops to Europe to support its Nato allies amid continuing fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, BBC reports. Moscow said it was a "destructive" step which heightened tension and reduced the scope for a political solution.

US trying to draw Russia into war, says Putin 

Russia's President Vladimir Putin has accused the US of trying to draw his country into a war in Ukraine. He said America's goal was to use a confrontation as a pretext to impose more sanctions on Russia. Mr Putin also said the US was ignoring Russia's concerns about

Ukraine leader praises West's response on Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has praised Western backing in the face of Russia's military build-up and announced an expansion of the army. "Support for Ukraine is the biggest since 2014," he told MPs on a day of visits by British, Polish and Dutch leaders.

Israel imposing ‘apartheid’ on Palestinians: Amnesty

Israel is carrying out “the crime of apartheid against Palestinians” and must be held accountable, Amnesty International says in a new report. Released on Tuesday, the 25-page report by the leading rights group details how Israeli authorities enforce a system of oppression

World accused of ‘sitting and watching’ as Myanmar slides to war

One year since the military coup in Myanmar, calls for international action are growing louder, notably from the National Unity Government (NUG), made up of elected politicians who were thrown out of office by the generals. “The world is doing nothing but just sitting and

US and Russia clash over Ukraine at UN meeting 

There have been angry clashes between Russian and US envoys at the UN Security Council, after the US called a meeting to discuss Moscow's troop build-up on its borders with Ukraine. US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the mobilisation was the biggest Europe had seen in

Europe’s energy security worries NATO amid standoff with Russia

The head of NATO has said Europe needs to diversify its energy supplies, as the United Kingdom warned it was “highly likely” that Russia, the continent’s biggest natural gas supplier, was looking to invade Ukraine. The European Union depends on Russia for about a

50 sentenced to death over murders of UN experts in Congo

A military court in Congo has condemned about 50 people to death nearly five years after the murders of United Nations investigators Michael Sharp and Zaida Catalan in central Congo’s Kasai region. The President of the Kasai Occidental Military Court, Brig. Gen. Jean-Paulin

UK to offer major NATO deployment amid Ukraine crisis

The United Kingdom is considering a major NATO deployment in a plan to strengthen Europe’s borders amid rising “Russian hostility” towards Ukraine, after Moscow sent tens of thousands of troops to the country’s border. The UK has said that any Russian incursion

North Korea tests biggest missile since 2017

North Korea has conducted what is thought to be its biggest missile launch since 2017. South Korea reported that the launch took place at 07:52 local time on Sunday (22:52 GMT) off North Korea's east coast. Japan, South Korea and the US have all condemned the launch, the seventh