Europe

Kremlin warns floods may worsen as Kazakhstan, Russia evacuate 100,000

Water levels on rivers in Russia and Kazakhstan continued to rise and flood whole villages and cities on Wednesday, with more than 100,000 people evacuated and the Kremlin warning a “very, very tense” situation was expected to worsen. Fast-melting snow and ice has caused rivers in Russia’s southern Urals, western Siberia as well as northern Kazakhstan to reach unprecedented heights, threatening major cities. Moscow and Astana have been battling the rising rivers for more than […]

Kazakhstan and Russia battle huge floods

ASTANA, Kazakhstan, April 9, 2024 (AFP) – Water levels in overflowing rivers were still rising on Tuesday in swathes of Russia and Kazakhstan that have been hit by massive floods, as cities braced for a new peak in the southern Urals and western Siberia. Both Astana and Moscow have called the floods the worst in decades, introducing a state of emergency as water covered entire cities and villages. More than 90,000 people have been evacuated […]

US sent seized Iran weapons, ammo to Ukraine

By W.G. DUNLOP WASHINGTON, April 9, 2024 (AFP) – Washington has given Ukraine small arms and ammunition that were seized while being sent from Iranian forces to Tehran-backed rebels in Yemen, the US military said Tuesday. The transfer last week came as Ukraine suffers from significant shortages of ammunition and US Republican lawmakers block new aid, but it does not address Kyiv’s need for key items such as artillery and air defense munitions. “The US […]

Simon Harris becomes Ireland’s new prime minister

By Peter MURPHY DUBLIN, April 9, 2024 (AFP) – Simon Harris on Tuesday became Ireland’s new prime minister, replacing Leo Varadkar after he abruptly quit last month citing personal and political reasons. Ireland’s parliament voted 88 to 69 in favour of Harris, 37, becoming “taoiseach” — a Gaelic word for “chieftain” or “leader” pronounced “tee-shock”. He was officially installed later at a ceremony with President Michael D. Higgins, becoming the country’s youngest ever prime minister. […]

Russia opens ‘financing terrorism’ probe implicating Western countries

  MOSCOW, April 9, 2024 (AFP) – Russia on Tuesday opened a probe into “financing terrorism” that implicates Western countries, saying funds received by US firms in Ukraine — including one that employed Joe Biden’s son — were used for “terrorism acts” in Russia. The announcement came with Moscow continuing to blame the West and Ukraine for the attack on a concert hall last month that left 144 dead. The attack on the Crocus City […]

Champions League quarter-final matches under heightened security amid Islamic State threats

PARIS, April 9, 2024 (AFP) – Security will be reinforced at Champions League quarter-final matches on Tuesday and Wednesday after a communication outlet supporting the Islamic State group published threats against stadiums. European football’s governing body UEFA said all four games in Paris, Madrid and London would go ahead despite the jihadist threat. French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said security would be “considerably reinforced” when Paris Saint-Germain take on Barcelona in the first leg at […]

Kyiv, Moscow trade accusations of Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant attacks

MOSCOW, April 8, 2024 (AFP) – Russia on Monday accused Ukraine of attacking the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station with a drone for the second day running, after Kyiv had earlier pointed the finger at Moscow. The plant in southern Ukraine, Europe’s largest nuclear facility, has been under the control of Russian forces since the first days of the military offensive in early 2022. Both sides have regularly traded accusations of attacking the facility over the […]

Russia says Ukraine drone hit Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

MOSCOW, April 7, 2024 (AFP) – Russia on Sunday said that a Ukraine drone attack hit the Moscow-controlled Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) urged restraint. The Zaporizhzhia atomic plant, Europe’s largest, has been occupied by Russian forces since the start of their 2022 Ukraine offensive. “The Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked the dome of the sixth power unit of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP),” the Moscow-controlled management of the […]

Russian flood situation ‘critical’ in Orsk after burst dam

MOSCOW, April 7, 2024 (AFP) – A major flood in the city of Orsk that forced several thousand people to evacuate after a dam burst has created a “critical” situation, Emergency Situations Minister Alexander Kurenkov said on Sunday. “A critical situation has developed in the city of Orsk” in the southern Urals close to the border with Kazakhstan, he said from the city of 200,000 people. More than 4,500 homes have been flooded and more […]

Russia evacuates almost 4,500 people after dam burst

MOSCOW, April 6, 2024 (AFP) – Russia on Saturday said it had evacuated almost 4,500 people in the Orenburg region in the southern Urals due to flooding after a dam burst. Emergency services worked through the night after a dam burst in the city of Orsk, near the border with Kazakhstan, on Friday. The press service of the Orenburg governor said “4,402 people, including 1,100 children” had been evacuated and more than 6,000 homes were […]

Russian governor in intensive care after stabbing

MOSCOW, April 5, 2024 (AFP) – The governor of Russia’s far northern Murmansk region has been taken to intensive care after being stabbed by a man on Thursday evening, local authorities said. Andrey Chibis, 45, was knifed in the stomach outside a cultural centre in the town of Apatity, where he had been holding a meeting with local residents. He is currently in “the intensive care and resuscitation department” of a hospital in the city […]

NATO urged to ensure Ukraine arms flow as 100-bn-euro fund floated

By Max DELANY BRUSSELS, Belgium, April 3, 2024 (AFP) – NATO foreign ministers on Wednesday debated the creation of a 100-billion-euro fund for Ukraine, as alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg urged them to guarantee long-term arms supplies for Kyiv’s outgunned forces. Stoltenberg pitched the five-year fund for Kyiv and a plan to deepen NATO’s involvement in delivering weapons in a bid to shield support in the face of a potential return by Donald Trump to the […]