Europe

UN chief denounces ‘devastation’ of Ukraine invasion in front of Lavrov

The UN secretary-general on Monday denounced the “devastation” caused by Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine during a Security Council meeting chaired by Russia’s foreign minister. Antonio Guterres said in front of Sergei Lavrov that the Russian invasion was a violation of international law and is “causing massive suffering” to the Ukrainian people. He added it was “adding to the global economic dislocation triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic.” Lavrov was chairing a meeting on “effective multilateralism” through […]

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China says respects ex-Soviet states’ sovereignty after envoy sparks outrage

China insisted it respects the sovereignty of all ex-Soviet countries on Monday, after comments by its ambassador to France drew ire in Europe and threw into question Beijing’s efforts to position itself as a neutral mediator of the Ukraine war. Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia, the European Union’s three Baltic countries, summoned China’s envoys on Monday to account for Ambassador Lu Shaye questioning the sovereignty of former Soviet states. In comments to French broadcaster LCI on […]

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Kremlin spokesman says his son fought in Ukraine

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday said his son Nikolai had taken part in Russia’s offensive in Ukraine, months after being accused of trying to dodge the draft. “He took this decision. He’s a grown man. Yes, he did indeed take part in the special military operation,” Peskov told reporters, without giving further details. Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner private military company, said last week that Nikolai Peskov had fought as part of his […]

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Russia says ‘repelled’ drone attack on Crimea port

Moscow, Russia | AFP | Monday 4/24/2023 Russian authorities said Monday they had “repelled” a drone attack on the port of Sevastopol in Moscow-annexed Crimea, adding that there was no damage nor casualties. The peninsula, seized by Russia from Ukraine in 2014, is home to Moscow’s Black Sea Fleet and has been hit by a series of drone attacks since the Kremlin’s special military operation in Ukraine in February last year. “An attempted attack on […]

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‘Ukrainian’ drone found outside Moscow

A “Ukrainian” drone has been found outside Moscow, an official said on Monday, adding this had led local authorities to call off a Victory Day parade for security reasons. Moscow has accused Ukraine of being behind a number of drone attacks on military infrastructure deep inside Russian territory. On Monday, Igor Sukhin, head of the Bogorodsky city district outside the capital Moscow, said that a local resident had found a “Ukrainian” drone in a forest. […]

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Russia’s Sber launches GPTChat rival Gigachat

Moscow, Russia | AFP | Monday 4/24/2023 Leading Russian technology company Sber on Monday announced the launch of its conversational artificial intelligence app intended to rival the US star ChatGPT. The state company said in a statement on its website that it was “launching its own version” of a chatbot, which will be called GigaChat — a first for Russia. The Russian-language app is now only available by invitation in test mode. Sber said GigaChat […]

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Thousands rally outside UK parliament in biodiversity protest

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Thousands of protesters descended on Britain’s parliament Saturday as part of a four-day campaign designed to “highlight the environmental failures” of government. Environmental group Extinction Rebellion (XR) kicked off the event on Friday, promising less disruption and more inclusion than the blockades that became its trademark. The group says thousands of people protested outside government departments in London on Friday “to highlight the environmental and social failures across them all,” […]

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UN reports ‘off the charts’ melting of glaciers

by Robin MILLARD The world’s glaciers melted at dramatic speed last year and saving them is effectively a lost cause, the United Nations reported Friday, as climate change indicators once again hit record highs. The last eight years have been the warmest ever recorded, while concentrations of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide hit new peaks, the UN’s World Meteorological Organization said. “Antarctic sea ice fell to its lowest extent on record and the melting […]

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EU’s Borrell asks European navies to patrol Taiwan Strait

Paris, France | AFP | Saturday 4/23/2023 EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called on European navies to patrol the disputed Taiwan Strait, in a opinion piece in a French weekly published Sunday. Borrell’s comments in the Journal Du Dimanche, echo comments he made last week when he stressed how crucial Taiwan is to Europe. Taiwan “concerns us economically, commercially and technologically”, Borrell said. “That’s why I call on European navies to patrol the Taiwan […]

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UK to test alert system on millions of phones

The UK will conduct its first test of a new emergency alert service on Sunday, with millions of mobile phones set to emit a loud alarm and vibrate at 3:00pm (1400 GMT). The national system, modelled on similar schemes in Canada, Japan, the Netherlands and the United States, aims to warn the public if there is a danger to life nearby but has generated criticism over “nanny state” intrusion. A message will say: “This is […]

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Some rebel Russian far-right groups join Ukraine’s side

Paris, France | AFP | Friday 4/21/2023 by Didier Lauras with Anna Malpas in Kyiv Russia’s far-right groups have splintered over the war in Ukraine, with some of them now fighting alongside Kyiv’s forces and organising moves to embarrass the Kremlin. In March, the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVK) came out of the woodwork when it claimed responsibility for a violent incursion in Russia’s Bryansk border region. The group represents a “complex mixed threat of cross-border […]

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UK deputy PM resigns over bullying claims

by Phil HAZLEWOOD Dominic Raab announced he was stepping down on Friday as UK deputy prime minister after being faulted in a workplace bullying inquiry, dealing a fresh blow to the beleaguered Conservatives. The resignation presents a headache for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who had pledged a fresh start after his predecessors’ turbulent tenures, some two weeks before local elections at which the Tories are expected to lose seats. Sunak is also battling to claw […]

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