LONDON – The euro sank Thursday to the lowest level against the pound since mid-2016, as the Ukraine conflict triggers concerns over the eurozone’s economic recovery from the pandemic. The European single currency slid in London morning deals to 82.76 pence per euro, the lowest level since Britain voted in favour of Brexit. “The (euro) … Read more
BEIJING – China on Thursday denied a report it asked Russia to delay its invasion of Ukraine until after the Beijing Winter Olympics, as international scrutiny grows of warming ties between the two powers. Beijing has taken a cautious line over the actions of its close ally and President Xi Jinping held a meeting last month with … Read more
HELSINKI – Finland’s president called on Thursday for the country to remain calm while deciding whether to apply to join NATO as a defence against potential Russian aggression. “In the midst of an acute crisis it is particularly important to keep a cool head and carefully assess the impact on our security” from the Ukraine crisis, … Read more
As Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine enters its second week, reports have surfaced that Russian soldiers are destroying their own vehicles and surrendering. In radio tapes acquired by a British intelligence outfit, some Russian soldiers were supposedly heard crying and moaning over a lack of supplies. In the video, the Ukrainian woman assisted the Russian … Read more
FRANKFURT – Germany will increase weapons deliveries to Ukraine following the Russian invasion by sending 2,700 anti-aircraft missiles to the conflict zone, a government source told AFP on Thursday. The government “approved further support for Ukraine”, involving the delivery of STRELA-type anti-aircraft missiles of Soviet manufacture, which were previously used by the army of communist … Read more
UNITED NATIONS: The UN General Assembly on Wednesday overwhelmingly adopted a resolution that “demands” Russia “immediately” withdraw from Ukraine, in a powerful rebuke of Moscow’s invasion by a vast majority of the world’s nations. However, Pakistan along with China abstained. Read more: Imran Khan invites Russian businessmen to invest in diverse sectors of Pakistan After … Read more
Vienna – IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi stated Wednesday that Russia has notified the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that its forces have gained control of the land around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station in Ukraine. Russian diplomats in Vienna told the IAEA that staff at the Zaporizhzhia facility, Ukraine’s largest nuclear power plant, have resumed … Read more
KYIV – Ukraine on Wednesday invited the worried mothers of Russian troops captured on the battlefield to come and collect their sons, in an apparent attempt to embarrass Moscow. “A decision has been taken to hand over captured Russian troops to their mothers if they come to collect them in Ukraine, in Kyiv,” the defence … Read more
PARIS – From world boxing champions to football stars, top Ukrainian sportspeople are resisting the Russian invasion of their country, with some even returning home to take up arms. – Boxing brothers – Even before Russia invaded, former world heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko, the current mayor of Kyiv, told AFP he was “ready … Read more
MADRID – Spain will supply weapons directly to Ukraine following Russia’s invasion, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Wednesday, two days after saying Madrid would only contribute via an EU funding mechanism. The move came after pressure on Sanchez’s left-wing coalition government to take a more proactive approach to the war raging on Europe’s eastern flank. “Spain will … Read more
KYIV – Here are the latest developments in Russia’s war in Ukraine: – Kharkiv fighting – Street fighting breaks out after Russian paratroopers land in Ukraine’s second city, with city officials saying a hospital has been attacked amid air strikes and shelling. “There are practically no areas left in Kharkiv where an artillery shell has … Read more
MOSCOW – Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny urged Russians to stage daily protests against Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, saying the country should not be a “nation of frightened cowards” and calling Vladimir Putin “an insane little tsar.” “I am urging everyone to take to the streets and fight for peace,” he said in a statement … Read more
PARIS – On the seventh day of fighting in Ukraine Wednesday, Russia claims control of the southern port city of Kherson, street battles rage in Ukraine’s second-biggest city Kharkiv, and Kyiv braces for a feared Russian assault. Here is a summary of the situation on the ground, based on statements from the sides, Western defence … Read more
ATHENS – Athens on Wednesday launched an operation to evacuate Greek diplomats, journalists and other citizens from the Ukrainian city of Mariupol as Russian forces push further into the country. A convoy of 21 cars with over 80 people had set out, accompanied by the ambassador to Ukraine, Greek public television ERT reported. A Greek foreign … Read more
BRUSSELS – The EU on Wednesday excluded seven Russian banks from the global SWIFT network, as sanctions were ratcheted up over Moscow’s war on Ukraine. The seven banks cut out from the secure interbank messaging network that permits transactions are Russia’s second-biggest lender VTB Bank as well as Bank Otkritie, Novikombank, Promsvyazbank, Rossiya Bank, Sovcombank and VEB … Read more
RIYADH: Saudi energy giant Aramco’s shares rose to a record high on Wednesday amid a surge in global oil prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Aramco’s stock was trading at 42.9 Saudi riyals ($11.4) in Riyadh, according to the Saudi Tadawul market website. The Gulf kingdom, the world’s top crude exporter, has remained the firm’s … Read more
BRUSSELS: Eurozone inflation soared in February to a record high of 5.8 per cent, mainly on the back of surging energy prices, the EU’s official statistics agency Eurostat said on Wednesday. The acceleration, from 5.1 per cent in January, was announced as oil and gas prices rocketed even higher over fears about the impact on … Read more
FRANKFURT: German unemployment dropped to pre-pandemic levels in February, two years after the coronavirus shuttered large parts of the economy, official figures published on Wednesday showed. The jobless rate stood at five per cent in February on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to the BA federal labour agency, the same level as in February 2020. … Read more
NEW YORK: US credit card giants Visa, Mastercard and American Express said they were blocking Russian banks from their payment networks following international sanctions in response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. “As a result of sanction orders, we have blocked multiple financial institutions from the Mastercard payment network,” Mastercard Chief Executive Michael Miebach said in … Read more
MOSCOW: Russia’s largest lender Sberbank said on Wednesday it was leaving the European market after coming under pressure from Western sanctions levelled against the state bank in response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. “In the current environment, Sberbank has decided to withdraw from the European market,” the lender said in a statement carried by Russian news … Read more
Sean Penn, a Hollywood actor and director, found himself among thousands of refugees fleeing to Poland on foot. Just days after visiting Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital. He was there to film scenes for his documentary on Russia’s invasion. Penn, 61, sent a photo to his Twitter account on Monday. Which shows him trudging along the shoulder … Read more
LASK, Poland – NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday said Russian President Vladimir Putin had “shattered peace in Europe” by invading Ukraine, adding that the Western defence alliance would defend “every inch of our territory”. He spoke during a visit to the Lask airbase in NATO member Poland, whose neighbour Ukraine has been fighting back against a Russian offensive … Read more
GENEVA – As heavy fighting continues in Ukraine, reports of civilian casualties and civilian infrastructure damage continue to increase, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Tuesday. In its latest Humanitarian Impact Situation Report issued Tuesday, OCHA said that as of midnight on Feb. 27, it confirmed at least 406 … Read more
Russia used a powerful vacuum bomb during its invasion of Ukraine, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova, told reporters on Monday night after a meeting with US lawmakers. A vacuum bomb, also known as a thermobaric weapon, generates powerful, high-temperature explosions by sucking in oxygen. Such an attack could be considered a war … Read more
STOCKHOLM – An estimated one million people have been displaced inside Ukraine by the Russian invasion, the UN refugee agency said Tuesday, in addition to hundreds of thousands who have fled elsewhere. “There has been a lot of attention on those who flee to neighbouring countries, but it’s important to remember that the largest number … Read more
PARIS – French actor Gerard Depardieu, a friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin, on Tuesday came out against the war in Ukraine and called for negotiations. “Russia and Ukraine have always been brother countries,” the 73-year-old film star told AFP in a phone call. “I am against this fratricidal war. I say ‘stop the weapons … Read more
NEW DELHI- An Indian student was killed on Tuesday in shelling in Ukraine, New Delhi said as it urged Moscow and Kyiv to secure safe passage for around 12,000 of its stranded nationals. “With profound sorrow we confirm that an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv this morning,” Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Arindam … Read more
Louis Tomlinson is extending his suppoTomlinson was scheduled to perform at Kyiv’s Stereo Plaza venue on July 4, following his performance at Russia’s Circus City Hall on July 6.rt to those affected by the ‘needless war,’ cancelling upcoming shows in Moscow and Kyiv due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Taking to Twitter, the One Direction … Read more
