Europe

Fire at Ukraine nuclear plant ‘extinguished’, Kyiv blames Russia

  KYIV, Ukraine (AFP) — The fire at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant has been extinguished, Ukrainian emergency services said Friday, after Kyiv blamed Russian military shelling for the blaze. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Moscow of resorting to “nuclear terror” and wanting to “repeat” the Chernobyl disaster after he said invading Russian forces deliberately attacked the nuclear power plant. Ukraine’s emergency services said it was able to put out the fire after the Russian […]

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Biden urges Russia to stop military activities at Ukraine nuclear site

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Joe Biden on Thursday urged Russia to stop its military activities at a Ukrainian nuclear power plant and to allow in emergency services. Biden joined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “in urging Russia to cease its military activities in the area and allow firefighters and emergency responders to access the site,” a White House readout of a call between the two leaders said. Russian troops attacked the Ukrainian […]

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Ukraine nuclear plant on fire after Russia shelling

  by Dmitry ZAKS / Dmytro GORSHKOV Agence France Presse KYIV, Ukraine (AFP) — Europe’s largest nuclear power plant was on fire Friday after Russian strikes hit the Ukrainian facility, with the country’s foreign minister demanding an immediate ceasefire at the site to avoid disaster. Russia has intensified strikes across the country, with fresh reports of civilian casualties and devastating damage, even as Moscow agreed to a Ukrainian request for humanitarian corridors to allow terrified […]

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Facebook, multiple media sites partially down in Russia: AFP, NGO

Facebook and multiple media websites were partially inaccessible in Russia on Friday, as authorities crack down on critical voices and fighting rages in Ukraine. AFP journalists in Moscow were not able to access Facebook, as well as the sites of media outlets Meduza, Deutsche Welle, RFE-RL and the BBC’s Russian-language service. The monitoring NGO GlobalCheck also said the sites were partially down. On its Telegram account, independent outlet Meduza said that its site was no longer […]

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Top carmakers suspend operations at Russian plants

Toyota and Volkswagen, the world’s two biggest auto manufacturers, said Thursday they would suspend operations at their production facilities in Russia, following the invasion of Ukraine. Toyota said it would halt work at its only factory in Russia and stop shipping vehicles to the country, citing “supply chain disruptions” linked to Moscow’s assault on Ukraine and Western sanctions. The world’s top-selling carmaker said its plant in Saint Petersburg produced around 80,000 vehicles last year, mainly […]

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Kyiv, Moscow agree on evacuation corridors in Ukraine war

Ukraine and Russia agreed to create humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians on Thursday, in a second round of talks since Moscow invaded last week, negotiators on both sides said. “The second round of talks is over. Unfortunately, Ukraine does not have the results it needs yet. There are decisions only on the organisation of humanitarian corridors,” Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said on Twitter. The talks between the Russian and Ukrainian officials took place on […]

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Putin says Russian military advance in Ukraine going ‘to plan’

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Moscow’s advance in Ukraine is going “according to plan” and ordered large compensations for Russian soldiers killed in the invasion. “I want to say that the special military operation is going strictly according to schedule, according to plan,” he said, opening a meeting with his security council. “We are at war with neo-Nazis,” the Russian leader said, adding: “I will never give up on my conviction that Russians […]

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Leaders allow Czechs to fight for Ukraine

Czechs who will leave for Ukraine and help defend it against the Russian invasion will not face punishment, the Czech Republic’s leaders agreed on Thursday. “We can guarantee indemnity through a presidential reprieve,” Prime Minister Petr Fiala told reporters after meeting President Milos Zeman. The law prevents Czechs from serving in an army other than their country’s, slapping a prison sentence of up to five years on offenders. If they want to fight abroad, they […]

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‘Senseless war’ forces one million to flee Ukraine: UN refugee chief

Migrants and Refugees The “senseless war” in Ukraine has forced one million people to flee the country in just seven days, while countless others have been displaced within its borders, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said on Thursday. “I have worked in refugee emergencies for almost 40 years, and rarely have I seen an exodus as rapid as this one,” he remarked. “And unless there is an immediate end to the conflict, millions […]

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Germany’s Scholz urges Gerhard Schroeder to quit Russian posts

  German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Thursday urged former leader Gerhard Schroeder to quit his posts with Russian energy giants Rosneft and Gazprom following Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. “I find that it is not correct for Gerhard Schroeder to hold these offices. And I think it would be correct for him to give them up,” said Scholz in an interview with public broadcaster ZDF. Schroeder, who was Germany’s chancellor from 1998 to 2005, is […]

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Saudi crown prince offers war mediation in call with Putin

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman offered to host mediation talks between Russia and Ukraine in a phone call Thursday with Russian leader Vladimir Putin as the conflict entered its second week. The Gulf state’s de facto leader called for a “political solution” after the Russian invasion and also reiterated his support for the OPEC+ group of oil producers, which includes Russia, to stabilise oil markets. “The crown prince explained the kingdom’s… support for efforts […]

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Putin vows ‘uncompromising fight’ as Ukraine war enters second week

by Dmitry ZAKS / Dmytro GORSHKOV Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed no let-up in his invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, even as the warring sides met for ceasefire talks and Kyiv demanded safe passage for besieged civilians. After the fall of a first major Ukrainian city to Russian forces, Putin appeared in no mood to heed a global clamour for hostilities to end as the war entered its second week. “Russia intends to continue the […]

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