Europe
UKRAINE WAR / Russian forces take control of 3 settlements
Russian forces have taken control of two more settlements in Ukraine’s north-east Kharkiv region and one in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, the defence ministry said yesterday, building on a run of incremental gains that have alarmed Kyiv.
Putin to visit China on May 16-17 to deepen ties with Xi Jinping
Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit China on May 16-17, the Kremlin said yesterday, using the first foreign trip of his new six-year term to underscore the deepening partnership with China’s Xi Jinping.
UK charges three for allegedly assisting HK intel services
UK police said yesterday that they had charged three men for allegedly assisting Hong Kong intelligence services, with the suspects due to appear in court later in the day.
Missile hits Russia housing block; 7 killed
At least seven people were killed and 17 injured when a whole section of a Russian apartment block collapsed after it was struck by a Soviet-era missile launched by Ukraine and shot down by Russia, Russian officials said.
Sikh killing / Canada arrests fourth Indian national
A fourth Indian national was charged by Canadian authorities Saturday in the 2023 killing of a separatist Sikh leader in Vancouver.
Russia claims gains in Kharkiv offensive
Russia yesterday said it had captured six villages in Ukraine’s east during a surprise ground offensive that prompted mass evacuations.
Putin reappoints Mishustin as Russia's PM
Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed the reappointment on Friday of Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, a technocrat who has helped him through the war in Ukraine and the economic challenges wrought by Western sanctions over Moscow's invasion
Two Paris police officers wounded after man shot them inside police station
A man shot and wounded two police officers in Paris after he got hold of one of the officer's weapons while he was being held at a police station, said Paris police chief Laurent Nunez on Friday, confirming earlier media reports
West risking global conflict
Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday accused the West of risking a global conflict and said no one would be allowed to threaten the world’s biggest nuclear power as Russia marked the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two.
Russia agrees to remove some troops from Armenia
Russia has agreed to remove some of its troops and border guards from Armenia, the Kremlin said yesterday, after months of spiralling tensions between the two ex-Soviet allies.
Australia raises minimum savings for student visa
Australia said yesterday it would raise the amount of savings international students will need to get a visa and warned several colleges of fraudulent student recruitment practices, as part of efforts to rein in migration.
New blow for PM Sunak
Britain’s ruling Conservatives yesterday suffered their second defection to the main opposition Labour party in as many weeks, piling pressure on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Pro-Palestinian Protest: Dozens detained at Sorbonne Univ in Paris
French police detained 86 people following an operation to remove students staging a pro-Palestinian occupation at the Sorbonne university in Paris, prosecutors said yesterday.
Europe student Gaza protests spread, sparking clashes, arrests
Protests by students demanding universities sever ties with Israel over the Gaza war spread across western Europe on Tuesday, sparking clashes and dozens of fresh arrests
India pulls most troops from Maldives before deadline
The Maldives has said India withdrew more than half of its troops deployed in its territory ahead of a Friday deadline, as the strategically located archipelago strengthens ties with China.
Putin sworn in for fifth term
Russian President Vladimir Putin was sworn in for a new six-year term yesterday at a Kremlin ceremony that was boycotted by the US and other Western countries at which he said he was open to nuclear talks with West.
More Palestinians will be killed ‘whatever they say’
Israel’s offensive on Rafah will likely kill more civilians and is being carried out despite explicit warnings against it from European Union member states and the United States, the EU’s top diplomat said yesterday.
French bakers make world’s longest baguette
French bakers cooked the world’s longest baguette on Sunday at 140.53 metres (461 ft), reclaiming a record for one of the nation’s best-known emblems taken by Italy for five years.
