UN Security Council to Discuss Russian Military Plane Crash Near Ukraine Border
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No Urgency’ to OK Sweden’s NATO Bid, Speaker of Hungary’s Parliament Says
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY — Hungary’s parliamentary speaker said on Thursday there was no urgency in approving Sweden’s NATO membership bid after ratification by Turkey left only Budapest holding up the lengthy accession process. Turkey’s general assembly, where President Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling alliance holds a majority, voted 287-55 to approve the application that Sweden first made in 2022 …
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Global Study of Doping Cases Involving Minors Points to Russia, India, China
Montreal — A 10-year global study of positive doping tests by children and young teenagers showed most were tied to Russia, India and China, and in sports like weightlifting, athletics and cycling, the World Anti-Doping Agency said Wednesday. Diuretics, stimulants and anabolic steroids were the most commonly found substances in more than 1,500 positive tests involving …
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Analysts: US, South Korea Should Be Ready for Russia-North Korea Alliance
washington — Depending on what kinds of weapons technology Moscow transfers to Pyongyang, the United States and South Korea may need to update their measures for dealing with North Korean threats, said analysts. John Kirby, White House National Security Council spokesman, said the U.S. is watching “very closely” as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un …
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UN Refugee Chief Worries War in Ukraine Is Being Forgotten
kyiv, ukraine — The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said Wednesday that he’s worried that the war in Ukraine has been forgotten as the country prepares to mark two years since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. In an interview, UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi also told The Associated Press it was important to remind the …
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NATO Kicks Off Largest Military Exercise in Decades
Brussels, Belgium — NATO on Wednesday began its biggest military exercise since the Cold War, with a U.S. warship leaving the United States for transit across the Atlantic to alliance territory in Europe. The Western military alliance has said some 90,000 troops will take part in the months-long Steadfast Defender 24 exercise designed to test its …
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Can the US Do More to Help Ukraine?
washington — As Ukrainian forces struggle to fend off Russia’s invasion with dwindling supplies of rockets and other munitions, some supporters are arguing that there is more the Biden administration could do to re-arm them without waiting for long-delayed congressional approval. The administration’s request for $61.4 billion in new military assistance is tied up in a …
Erdogan: Turkey, Iran Agree on Need to Avoid Escalating Mideast Tensions
Ankara — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he and Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi agreed at a meeting on Wednesday on the need to avoid steps that could further threaten Middle East stability three months into the Gaza war. Turkey, which supports a two-state solution to the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict, has harshly criticized Israel for its …
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US Says It Is Looking Forward to Turkey Finalizing Sweden’s NATO Process
Washington — The United States on Wednesday welcomed the Turkish parliament’s ratification of Sweden’s NATO membership bid this week and urged Ankara to formally finalize the process. State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel told a briefing that Washington was looking forward to Hungary, which has yet to approve Sweden’s NATO bid, moving along in the process. …
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Russia’s Huge Losses in Ukraine Prompt Rethink On Nuclear Weapons, Report Warns
Russia’s heavy losses in its invasion of Ukraine mean that Moscow sees its nuclear weapons — including smaller, shorter-range nuclear bombs — as increasingly important in deterring and defeating NATO, according to a new report warning that the West must wake up to the threat. Henry Ridgwell reports. …
British Billionaire Pleads Guilty in US Insider Trading Case
NEW YORK — British billionaire Joe Lewis, whose family trust owns the Tottenham Hotspur soccer club, pleaded guilty Wednesday to insider trading and conspiracy charges in New York. The 86-year-old businessman entered the plea in Manhattan federal court six months after he was charged in the case. He had been free on $300 million bail, with …
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EU Tools Up to Protect Key Tech From China
BRUSSELS — The European Union on Wednesday unveiled plans to strengthen the bloc’s economic security, including measures to protect sensitive technology from falling into the hands of geopolitical rivals such as China. Brussels has bolstered its armory of trade restrictions to tackle what it deems to be risks to European economic security, following Moscow’s invasion of …
Russia Eyes Nuclear Deterrent After Military Losses in Ukraine, Report Warns
London — Russia’s heavy losses in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine mean that Moscow now sees its battlefield nuclear weapons as increasingly important in deterring and defeating NATO, according to a new report from the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), which warns that the West must wake up to the rising nuclear threat. On February …
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Russia Says Military Transport Plane Crashed in Belgorod
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Tennis – Ukraine’s Fairytale Qualifier Yastremska Hails Fighters at Home
MELBOURNE, Australia — Dayana Yastremska extended her dream run at the Australian Open on Wednesday to become the first women’s qualifier to reach the semi-finals in 45 years but made sure to remind tennis fans about her countrymen fighting in Ukraine. Getting to the pointy end of the year’s first Grand Slam was not a specific …
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Green Energy Expected to Cover Growth in Demand for Electricity
Paris — Power generated from low-emissions sources, such as wind, solar and nuclear, will be adequate to meet growth in global demand for the next three years, the International Energy Agency said, adding that emissions from the power sector are on the decline. Following record growth, electricity generation from low-emissions sources will account for almost half …
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More Middle East Strikes as First Ukraine Defense Contact Group of New Year Begins
The U.S. military says it struck three facilities Tuesday in western Iraq used by the Iranian-backed militant group Kataib Hezbollah. It’s the latest retaliatory strikes after militant groups have hit U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria more than 150 times since mid-October. There are growing concerns that the U.S. may soon be entangled in another …
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Why European Farmers Are Up in Arms
Paris — The European Commission is due on Thursday to begin “strategic” talks with farmers’ federations, agri-business firms, NGOs and experts on ways to assuage the ire on farms in several countries. On the agenda are key issues including farming incomes, sustainable agricultural practices, technological innovations and competitiveness, which will be discussed in advance by the …
Turkey Approves Sweden’s NATO Bid; NATO Head Urges Hungary to Do the Same
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Ukraine Aid-Border Security Deal in Congress Likely a Week Away
Capitol Hill — U.S. lawmakers said Tuesday a deal on border security in return for Republican votes to send nearly $60 billion in aid to Ukraine is nearing completion but likely will not be announced this week. “The whole world is watching and asking a simple question: Does the United States stand up for its …
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Swedish Police Say 5 People Illegally Entered Iran Embassy Site in Stockholm
STOCKHOLM — Five people on Tuesday illegally entered the premises of Iran’s embassy on the outskirts of Stockholm during a protest, Swedish police said in a statement. The people were later removed from the area. It was not immediately clear whether any of the five had entered the embassy building itself, a police spokesperson told news …
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Gaza War Provides Rare Common Ground for Iran, Turkey
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is due to visit Turkey on January 24 for a summit with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with the Israel-Hamas war topping the agenda. The two leaders have been vocal in their support for Hamas, but rivalries remain as Tehran and Ankara compete for influence in the Caucasus and Syria. Dorian …
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Hobbit-Style Bomb Shelter Helps Ease Stress for Ukrainian Children
School volunteers in the Kyiv region of Ukraine constructed a bomb shelter resembling a house straight out of “The Hobbit” films. The school had been destroyed at the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion. After the volunteers rebuilt it, they added the whimsical shelter for the students. Lesia Bakalets has the story from Kyiv. Videographer: Evgenii …
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Ukrainian Soldiers Share Experiences Battling Russian Tanks
The Ukrainian 80th Separate Galician Air Assault Brigade have been using Ukrainian equipment to take out Russian armored vehicles since the start of the war. Anna Kosstutschenko talked with some of the veteran fighters. (Camera and Produced by: Pavel Suhodolskiy) …