West decries Putin’s election win, China, India vow closer ties
London, UK Reuters Western governments lined up on Monday to condemn Vladimir Putin’s landslide election victory as unfair and undemocratic, but China, India and North Korea congratulated the veteran Russian leader on extending his rule by a further six years. The contrasting reactions underscored the geopolitical fault lines that have gaped wider since Russia launched […]
EU sees maritime aid corridor to Gaza opening this weekend amid famine fears
Cairo, Egypt/Larnaca, Cyprus Reuters The head of the European Commission said on Friday a maritime aid corridor could start operating between Cyprus and Gaza this weekend, part of accelerating Western efforts to relieve the humanitarian crisis in the war-ravaged Palestinian enclave. Ursula von der Leyen’s comments came a day after President Joe Biden announced plans […]
Ocean temperature hit record high in February 2024, EU scientists say
London, UK Reuters Ocean temperatures hit a record high in February, with the average global sea surface temperature at 21.06 degrees Celsius, the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said on Thursday. February’s average sea surface temperature surpassed the previous record of 20.98 degrees Celsius set in August, 2023, in a dataset that goes back […]
EU leads call for probe into Navalny’s death at UN human rights body
Geneva, Switzerland Reuters A group of more than 40 countries on Monday reiterated calls for Russia to allow an independent international investigation into the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in prison. The call was made by European Union Ambassador Lotte Knudsen at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva on behalf of all […]
Ukraine says it identified 511 war crime suspects, convicted 81
Kyiv, Ukraine Reuters Ukraine has identified 511 people suspected of war crimes since Russia’s February, 2022, invasion and has already handed down 81 convictions, its prosecutor general said in Kyiv on Thursday. Andriy Kostin was speaking at a war crimes conference alongside the chief prosecutors of Poland, Lithuania, Romania and the President of the EU […]
Ukraine needs $US3 billion in financial aid per month in 2024, Kyiv says
Kyiv, Ukraine Reuters Ukraine needs about $US3 billion in foreign financial aid on a monthly basis to get through 2024, Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko said on Wednesday, highlighting the challenges Kyiv faces as US support begins to falter. Marchenko said Ukraine’s macroeconomic stability during the war with Russia had been possible due to a steady […]
EU’s democratic safeguards on financial aid fall short, auditors say
Brussels, Belgium Reuters EU conditions for ensuring rule of law among member states before they can receive financial aid are not strong enough to completely rule out a backsliding in democracy, the 27-nation bloc’s auditors said on Wednesday. The European Union has tightened democratic safeguards on payouts from the bloc’s shared budget in recent years […]
Navalny’s widow Yulia calls on Russians to fight Putin for freedom
Moscow, Russia Reuters Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, said on Monday that she would press on with her husband’s fight for a free Russia and called on supporters to battle President Vladimir Putin with greater fury than ever. Navalny’s death robs Russia’s disparate opposition of its most charismatic and courageous […]
US proposes UN Security Council oppose Rafah assault while 26 EU countries warn Israel against “catastrophic” offensive
United Nations Reuters The United States has proposed an alternative draft United Nations Security Council resolution calling for a temporary ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and opposing a major Israeli ground offensive in Rafah in southern Gaza, according to the text seen by Reuters on Monday. Washington has been averse to the word ceasefire in […]
Google to launch anti-misinformation campaign ahead of EU elections
London, UK Reuters Google is preparing to launch an anti-misinformation campaign across five countries in the European Union, the company told Reuters ahead of the bloc’s parliamentary elections and tougher new rules tackling online content. In June, EU citizens will elect a new European Parliament to pass policies and laws in the region and lawmakers […]