Category: News

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 …

Read more “Analysts: US, South Korea Should Be Ready for Russia-North Korea Alliance”

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 …

Read more “UN Refugee Chief Worries War in Ukraine Is Being Forgotten”

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 …

Read more “NATO Kicks Off Largest Military Exercise in Decades”

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 …

Read more “Can the US Do More to Help Ukraine?”

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 …

Read more “Erdogan: Turkey, Iran Agree on Need to Avoid Escalating Mideast Tensions”

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.  …

Read more “US Says It Is Looking Forward to Turkey Finalizing Sweden’s NATO Process”

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. …

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 …

Read more “British Billionaire Pleads Guilty in US Insider Trading Case”

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 …

Read more “EU Tools Up to Protect Key Tech From China”

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 …

Read more “Russia Eyes Nuclear Deterrent After Military Losses in Ukraine, Report Warns”

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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 …

Read more “Tennis – Ukraine’s Fairytale Qualifier Yastremska Hails Fighters at Home”

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 …

Read more “Green Energy Expected to Cover Growth in Demand for Electricity”

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 …

Read more “More Middle East Strikes as First Ukraine Defense Contact Group of New Year Begins”

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 …

Read more “Why European Farmers Are Up in Arms”

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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 …

Read more “Ukraine Aid-Border Security Deal in Congress Likely a Week Away”

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 …

Read more “Swedish Police Say 5 People Illegally Entered Iran Embassy Site in Stockholm”

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 …

Read more “Gaza War Provides Rare Common Ground for Iran, Turkey”

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 …

Read more “Hobbit-Style Bomb Shelter Helps Ease Stress for Ukrainian Children”

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) …

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Phnom Penh, Cambodia — France and Cambodia have signed a $235 million aid agreement for drinking water and energy infrastructure development, as well as vocational training. The deal is part of a move to boost bilateral relations between the two countries, which have maintained a postcolonial dialogue since Cambodia became independent in 1953. Cambodian Prime Minister …

Read more “Cambodia, France Boost Relations in Hun Manet’s First Western Visit “

london — Two motorists were killed, tens of thousands of people were left without electricity and hundreds of trains were canceled Monday after the latest winter storm lashed Britain and Ireland with heavy rain and wind gusts that topped 100 mph (160 kph). The storm littered roads and railways with downed trees that created deadly hazards …

Read more “Storm Isha Batters Britain and Ireland, Kills 2, Leaves Thousands in Dark”