International

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 […]

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 […]

5.7-magnitude earthquake shakes eastern Mexico

A 5.7-magnitude earthquake rattled eastern Mexico on Thursday, seismologists said, triggering the early warning alarm system in the capital several hundred kilometers (miles) away. The epicenter was near the municipality of Isla in Veracruz state, at a depth of 113 kilometers, the National Seismological Service reported, revising an initial estimate of 6.2 magnitude. The tremor triggered Mexico City’s alarm system, which uses seismic monitors to give advance warning of a quake, prompting residents to evacuate […]

Russia’s Lavrov accuses West of fixating on ‘nuclear war’

  MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday accused Western politicians of fixating on nuclear war, one week after Moscow launched the invasion of Ukraine. “It’s clear that World War Three can only be a nuclear war,” Lavrov said in an online interview with Russian and foreign media. “I would like to point out that it’s in the heads of Western politicians that the idea of a nuclear war is spinning […]

Equities rise as Federal Reserve chief soothes rate fears, oil close to $120

Brent oil hits $119.84 a barrel for the first time since early 2012   HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Stocks rose Thursday after Federal Reserve chief Jerome Powell said the bank would hike interest rates gradually to fight inflation, though oil marched towards $120 as the Ukraine conflict continues to roil energy markets. With the Russian invasion of its neighbour hammering all assets across the board as uncertainty reigns supreme, traders were given a much-needed […]

One million refugees fled Ukraine in week: UNHCR

  GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — One million refugees have fled Ukraine in the week since Russia’s invasion, the United Nations said Thursday, warning that unless the conflict ended immediately, millions more were likely to flee. “In just seven days we have witnessed the exodus of one million refugees from Ukraine to neighbouring countries,” UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi tweeted. “Unless there is an immediate end to the conflict, millions more are likely to be forced […]

Germany to deliver more anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine

  FRANKFURT, Germany (AFP) — Germany will increase its weapons deliveries to Ukraine following the Russian invasion by sending an 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 East Germany, the source said. Germany’s first arms consignment of 1,000 anti-tank and another 500 […]

Germany begins slow move away from Russian gas after Ukraine invasion

by Florian CAZERES Agence France-Presse BERLIN, Germany (AFP) – The invasion of Ukraine has thrown Germany’s problematic dependence on Russian gas into stark relief, forcing Europe’s largest economy to urgently reshape its energy mix. In a previously unthinkable step for Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s young government, the crisis even has politicians considering delaying Germany’s planned exit from nuclear energy and coal to keep the lights on. “We will change course to overcome our import dependence,” Scholz […]

Committee investigating Capitol assault believes Trump broke law

WASHINGTON, D.C., United States (AFP) – The legislative panel probing the assault on the US Capitol by a mob of then-president Donald Trump’s supporters alleged in a court filing Wednesday that he and his allies took part in a criminal conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election. The filing by the House of Representatives Select Committee seeks access to documents from rightwing lawyer John Eastman, who has refused to testify, citing attorney-client privilege. “The Select Committee…has […]

Mutilated bodies, gang wars shock once-peaceful Ecuador

by Paola LÓPEZ Agence France-Presse QUITO, Ecuador (AFP) – A headless body discarded in the street. Two corpses dangling from a bridge. An intensifying drug war has shocked once-peaceful Ecuador with scenes of horrific violence. Experts say the two crimes committed within a single week last month evoked the savage methods of Mexican narco gangs which, according to the government in Quito, has infiltrated the South American country of 17.7 million people. “The cruelty is […]

Russian forces capture Ukrainian city of Kherson

KYIV, Ukraine (AFP) – Russian forces have taken the Ukrainian city of Kherson, local officials confirmed, the first major urban centre to fall since Moscow invaded one week ago. “The (Russian) occupiers are in all parts of the city and are very dangerous,” Gennady Lakhuta, head of the regional administration, wrote on messaging service Telegram late Wednesday. The strategic port city of 290,000 people near the Black Sea came under siege as Russian forces pressed […]

Shoah survivors condemn Putin’s claim of Ukraine ‘denazification’

VIENNA, Austria (AFP) – Leading groups representing Holocaust survivors have condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin’s claim that the “denazification” of Ukraine was one reason he invaded the country. “The signatories of this appeal denounce the use of the words ‘denazification’ and ‘genocide’ to justify the attack on Ukraine,” reads the statement sent to AFP on Wednesday. “We cannot accept that these words are tarnished in this way,” it added. The statement was signed by representatives […]