EU diplomat says defunding UN Palestinian agency would be dangerous
Brussels, Belgium Reuters The European Union’s top diplomat said on Sunday cutting funds to UNRWA would put hundreds of thousands of lives at risk, amid allegations some of the UN Palestinian refugee agency’s staff were involved in the 7th October Hamas attacks on Israel. A string of countries, including the United States, Britain and Italy, […]
EU agrees €50 billion in new aid for Ukraine in message to divided US
Brussels, Belgium Reuters European Union leaders unanimously agreed on Thursday to €50 billion in new aid to Ukraine, sending a message to the United States split on whether to keep backing Kyiv in its fight against Russia’s invasion. The agreement overcomes weeks of resistance from Hungary and comes amid uncertainty over the future of US […]
Ukraine’s Zelenskiy urges West to keep up pressure on Russia
Reuters Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged the West on Tuesday to tighten sanctions pressure on Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin and to step up its support for Kyiv to ensure that Moscow did not succeed in its war. Western hesitation in its backing for Kyiv and fears of an escalation in the war with Russia were […]
Updated: Guatemala’s Arevalo arrives to inauguration venue after hours-long delay
Updated: 5pm (AEDT) Guatemala City, Guatemala Reuters Guatemala’s President-elect Bernardo Arevalo arrived at the site of his planned inauguration on Sunday after the ceremony was delayed for hours by hostile lawmakers, prompting international calls for the election outcome to be honoured. Arevalo shared a video of his arrival to the national theater on social media […]
Ukraine’s Zelenskiy says a ceasefire would only benefit Russia
Vilnius, Lithuania Reuters Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday that a ceasefire in Russia’s war against Ukraine would not lead to political dialogue, and would only benefit Moscow. Speaking to reporters in the Estonian capital Tallinn during a wider tour of the Baltic region, Zelenskiy said any pause would risk allowing Russia to re-group […]
Essay: Scramble for the Sahel – why France, Russia, China and the United States are interested in the region
In an article first published on The Conversation, OLAYINKA AJALA, a senior lecturer in politics and international relations at Leeds Beckett University in the UK, looks at why the “scramble” for the Sahel region in Africa is likely to remain intense in the coming year…
EU grants Ukraine membership talks in midst of war, bypassing Hungarian objections
Brussels, BelgiumReuters European Union leaders made a historic decision on Thursday to open membership talks with Ukraine, bypassing objections from Hungary to give Kyiv a major political boost as its war against Russia’s invasion grinds on. Although membership would likely be many years away, the decision at a summit in Brussels takes Ukraine a step […]
EU condemns Darfur violence and warns of “another genocide”
Reuters The European Union condemned on Sunday an escalation of violence in Sudan’s Darfur region, warning of the danger of “another genocide” after conflict there between 2003 and 2008 killed some 300,000 people and displaced more than two million. A war since April between Sudan’s regular army and Rapid Support Forces paramilitary has destabilised the […]
Over 60 countries back deal to triple renewable energy this decade – officials
Washington DC, US/Brussels, BelgiumReuters More than 60 countries have said they back a deal spearheaded by the European Union, United States and United Arab Emirates to triple renewable energy this decade and shift away from coal, two officials familiar with the matter told Reuters last week. The EU, US and UAE have been rallying support […]
Anti-Black racism is rising in EU countries, led by Germany, study finds
Vienna, AustriaReuters Racism towards Black people is growing in Europe, with Germany, Austria and Finland showing the highest rates of discrimination and harassment, a survey of first- and second-generation Black immigrants in 13 EU countries published on Wednesday found. The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), which commissioned the survey and analysed its findings […]