China has warned the US and South Korea against “stirring up tensions” and “provoking confrontation” with the North following Washington’s decision to deploy nuclear submarines to Seoul to purportedly protect it against Pyongyang. Beijing on Thursday strongly reacted to the US decision to send nuclear armed submarines to South Korea …
Read More »Ukraine has received nearly all pledged combat vehicles, NATO chief claims
US-led NATO allies and partners have provided Ukraine with 1,550 armored vehicles and 230 tanks, chief of the US-led military alliance, Jens Stoltenberg has claimed. Since the start of the war in February last year “more than 98 percent of the combat vehicles promised to Ukraine have been delivered,” Stoltenberg …
Read More »UN Security Council set to condemn Taliban crackdown on Afghan women
The UN Security Council is set to vote on Thursday to condemn a ban on Afghan women working for the United Nations in Afghanistan and call upon the Taliban administration to “swiftly reverse” its crackdown on the rights of women and girls. The resolution to be voted on – drafted …
Read More »Britain’s King Charles unveils Eurovision Competition stage
Britain’s King Charles and his wife Camilla unveiled the stage for next month’s 2023 Eurovision Song Contest during a visit to the venue in the northern English city of Liverpool on Wednesday, saying he would be watching. Charles and the Queen Consort, whose coronation will take place a few days …
Read More »Testimony in Trump rape accuser’s civil trial starts, as Trump attacks claim
Testimony began on Wednesday at the civil trial for a nearly 30-year-old rape claim against Donald Trump in Manhattan, where a former Elle magazine advice columnist accuses the former US president of sexually assaulting her and then lying about it. E. Jean Carroll has said Trump maneuvered her into a …
Read More »‘Huge mistake’ to miss chance to revive Iran nuclear deal, Russia warns
Russia says missing the opportunity to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal is a “huge mistake,” noting the parties that destroyed the multilateral agreement bear responsibility to bring it back to life. Speaking to reporters after chairing a UN Security Council meeting in New York on Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister …
Read More »China on alert after EU calls for naval patrols in Taiwan Strait
Chinese authorities is on high alert and prepared for any action posing a threat to China’s sovereignty and territory, Beijing has declared after the EU’s top diplomat called for European navy patrols in the Taiwan Strait. “I believe that our relevant departments are well-prepared,” China’s Taiwan Affairs Office Spokesperson Zhu …
Read More »Lula to talk to Macron about peace agreement between Russia, Ukraine
Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has announced he would like to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss a potential solution to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The president is on an official trip to Spain where he participated in a business forum held in …
Read More »Russia Expelling 10 Norwegian Diplomats in tit for tat move
Ten Norwegian diplomats in Moscow were ordered to leave Russia Wednesday, in what Oslo said was “an act of revenge” for its move this month to expel 15 Russian diplomatic staff for alleged spying. Norway’s ambassador to Moscow was informed that ” 10 of our diplomats at the embassy in …
Read More »Mexican president, with COVID, expected to resume activities this week
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador may return to normal activities as soon as this week as his COVID-19 symptoms improve, a top government official said Wednesday. Lopez Obrador on Sunday said he had tested positive for the virus, his third known infection, and would take a few days off. …
Read More »WHO says assessing risk after fighters seize Sudan lab
The World Health Organization said Wednesday it was assessing the threats to public health after fighters in Sudan occupied a national laboratory holding samples of a range of deadly diseases. “The team on the ground, and with our bio-risk and biosafety teams here, are carrying out an extensive risk assessment,” …
Read More »European Commission to ban Ukrainian grain exports to Romania
The European Commission will ban Ukrainian grain and oilseeds exports to Romania until June 5, Romanian Agriculture Minister Petre Daea said on Wednesday. Romania has stopped short of enforcing a ban, whereas Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria and Slovakia took unilateral steps to protect local markets from a flow of Ukrainian farm …
Read More »Czechs seek to boost security with new US defense deal
The Czech government on Wednesday approved a defense cooperation deal with the United States in a bid to boost its security as Russia’s war with Ukraine continues. The agreement facilitates a potential deployment of US troops to the Czech Republic, a NATO member since 1999, said Defense Minister Jana Cernochova. …
Read More »Chinese leader Xi Jinping speaks with Ukraine’s Zelensky for first time since Russia’s invasion
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke Wednesday with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Moscow’s most important diplomatic partner, in the first phone call between the two leaders since the start of Russia’s invasion. “I had a long and meaningful phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping. I believe that this call, as …
Read More »Withdrawal of Turkish troops discussed at four-party meeting in Moscow: Syria
Damascus says defense ministers and intelligence chiefs of Russia, Syria, Turkey, and Iran have discussed the withdrawal of Turkish troops from the Arab country, as efforts continue to mend ties between Ankara and Damascus. Syria’s official news agency SANA, citing the country’s Defense Ministry, reported that the participants discussed the issue …
Read More »Nearly half of young Americans feel unsafe amid concerns over gun violence, homelessness: Poll
A new study has revealed that about half of young Americans feel unsafe amid concerns over gun violence and homelessness, with a quarter of them having thoughts that they would be “better off dead.” A poll conducted by the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School showed that 48 percent of …
Read More »Biden, 80, announces bid for 2024 US presidential election
US President Joe Biden, 80, has announced his 2024 reelection campaign setting the scene for a rematch against his Republican predecessor Donald Trump, who will be 77 next year. Already Biden is the oldest president in US history and he would be 86 by the end of his second term …
Read More »Default on debt would trigger an ‘economic catastrophe’: US Treasury secretary
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has sounded the alarm that a failure by Congress to raise the government’s debt ceiling would eventually trigger an “economic catastrophe.” “A default on our debt would produce an economic and financial catastrophe,” Yellen said on Tuesday at the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce members’ …
Read More »UN warns of further displacement from Sudan despite ceasefire
The United Nations has warned that the ongoing clashes in Sudan would trigger “further displacement” of people, who risk dangerous roads to flee the violence and seek refuge in neighboring South Sudan, Egypt and Chad. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) warned on Tuesday that more people are expected to leave …
Read More »EU facing potential energy supply catastrophe
The EU’s industry and economy were built thanks to decades of cheap gas supply from Russia. Now the bloc has shut that supply off due to the war in Ukraine. A mild winter ensured reasonable energy storage was maintained in the EU and prices, while very high, did not bring …
Read More »