World
World
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is visiting the Qatar Economic Forum to do business and says the political relations between Hungary and Sweden are terribly wrong and says they do not want to import conflicts into NATO, still unclear when the country will vote on Swedish membership
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says in an interview that as long as Sweden continues to allow offshoots of terrorist groups to roam freely in the country they cannot look favorably on Swedens membership in NATO, says regarding Russia that they do not plan to impose sanctions on Russia and that they are not not bound by Western sanctions
The damage to the US Patriot air defense system after the Russian robot attack near Kiev is minimal, according to three US officials to CNN and is still operational, it is not yet clear whether it was damaged by a direct hit or indirectly by falling material
The umbrella organization for Turks in the Netherlands IOT urges Turks in the country to pass by calm and keep a cool head regardless of the results in Sunday's election in Turkey, the organization has not called for voting and chairman Zeki Baran says the election is taking place 3,500 kilometers away and we live here in the Netherlands and do not interfere in the elections in Turkey
The World Health Organization announces that Covid-19 no longer constitutes a global health emergency after the organization's expert committee held a meeting, and Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says, however, this does not mean that Covid-19 no longer constitutes a global health threat, citing as example that last week the virus claimed a life every third minute
Florida passes anti-hate crime law as Gov. Ron DeSantis signs law on site in Israel and delivers speech in which he shares, among other things, his oft-told story of using water from the Sea of Galilee to baptize his children, the Republican also signed measure against antisemitism on a trip to the country in 2019
As part of agreement with the relatives of the 11 Israeli victims, Germany sets up commission to investigate the attack during the 1972 Munich Olympics, days before the memorial ceremony at which the German president apologizes for the country's failure to decide on compensation of 28 million euros to relatives to avoid boycott of the event
Brazil's re-elected President Lula Da Salva is calling on the US and the EU to start talking about peace and to stop sending arms to Ukraine, which he says is the biggest obstacle to a ceasefire, according to a statement after a state visit to China
Classified documents on US and NATO plans for military aid to Ukraine ahead of potential counteroffensive leaked and posted on social media, Deputy Press Secretary at the Pentagon Sabrina Singh confirms the leak is being reviewed and officials work to have posts deleted
Russia will according to the rotating system with the 15 member states for a month assume the presidency of the UN Security Council, which is responsible for maintaining international peace and security, the role is mostly procedural but Moscow's UN ambassador Vasily Nebenzia says he wants to discuss a new world order that will replace the unipolar
Turkey ratifies Finland's NATO application by 276 votes to 0, the application will be sent to Washington for final signature after Turkish President Erdogan signs the bill within two weeks
Russian and Iranian foreign ministers Sergei Lavrov and Hossein Amir-Abdollahian meet in Moscow and agreed to increase cooperation with an emphasis on energy and economic issues, despite sanctions from the United States and its allies, trade between the countries increased compared to 2021 by 20 percent to USD 4.86 billion
Pentagon says US launches airstrikes against Iran-linked groups in eastern Syria in response to drone attack that killed one and injured five Americans, 19 pro-Iranian soldiers die, US has 900 troops stationed in the area and comes under frequent attack
US military says Russian fighter jet collided with US drone over Black Sea, US claims reckless behavior while Russia denies contact
The US government is warning its citizens on the ground in Sweden of retaliatory attacks by terrorists in the wake of the Quran burnings and urging them to be cautious around public gatherings, places of worship and diplomatic buildings
Chinese spy balloon is seen flying over the USA on Thursday and Foreign Minister Antony Blinken postpones trip to China, according to the Pentagon must have flown at such a high altitude that there was a military or physical danger to those on the ground, according to China it was a civilian
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan calls allowing Rasmus Paludan’s Quran-burning outside the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm an attack on 85 million Turkish citizens and a vileness that makes it clear that Sweden can no longer expect any charity from Turkey, also criticizes Sweden for
US says about 30 Islamist al-Shabab militants were killed in a US air strike assisting government troops in Somalia, the Somali army and al-Shabab militants have fought for control of the town of Galcad about 260km northeast of Mogadishu the past few days, the air strike came as the army was
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia among other Arab countries condemn Rasmus Paludan's Quran burning outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm, Saudi Arabia comments that it calls for spreading the values of dialogue, tolerance and coexistence while rejecting hatred and extremism, Turkey calls it a
NATO rejects Serbia's request to deploy 1,000 Serbian military personell in Kosovo on the grounds that there is no need for the Serbian army to return to the territory according to President Aleksandar Vučić, in June 1999, a UN Security Council resolution was passed authorizing the
Iran shuts Tehran-based French research institute in protest against cartoons of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei published by French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo to mark the anniversary of the 2015 terror attack on its Paris office, the cartoons are published as a special edition in support of the
WHO warns that China under-represents the Covid-19 impact in general and deaths in particular, WHO emergencies director Dr Michael Ryan says they believe that the country's definition where only those who die of respiratory illnesses are counted and 22 deaths have been announced since December
Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Nishimura Yasutoshi says free trade and economic inter-dependence has bolstered authoritarian regimes and asks for a new world order based on the fundamental values of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law, promises to work more
Russia bans oil sales to the countries that implemented a price cap on Russian oil from February 1, Vladimir Putin has the option to make exceptions, applies to the G7 countries, the EU and Australia
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba says he wants a peace summit at the UN in February with Secretary-General António Guterres as mediator, but does not expect Russia's participation, also makes it clear that for direct talks between the countries to take place, Russia must first be
No evidence that Russia is behind the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines as reported by the Washington Post citing interviews conducted with 23 diplomats and intelligence officials from nine different countries, Russia has previously blamed Britain for the explosions
Volodymyr Zelenskyy visits the United States, holds press conference with Joe Biden and addresses Congress on the verge of approving $45 billion in aid to Ukraine that its president said was not charity but an investment in global security and democracy, his first foreign visit since the
Prime Minister Mark Rutte apologizes for the Netherlands' historical role in slavery, before the speech Surinam-born pensioner Waldo Koendjbiharie said that an apology is not enough as he thinks it's about money and you can't buy anything with apologies, no compensation is given to slave
Whistleblower Edward Snowden becomes a Russian citizen, has sought protection in the country from US authorities since 2013 and, according to the Russian constitution, cannot now be extradited to a foreign state
Volodymyr Zelensky believes it is only a matter of time before stronger tools must be used than the $60 price cap on Russian oil agreed by the EU and G7 countries, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says Russia is prepared and will not accept the price cap
World BEYOND War launches online world map showing 867 US military bases, the tool provides detailed information about each base and can for example be filtered by country, government type, opening date and number of employees, writer David Swanson claims that the country's bases in foreign countries often increase geopolitical tensions and act as recruiting tool for anti-American militant groups
Turkish Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu rejects the condolences from the United States, which he equates to murderers who are the first to arrive at the scene of the crime, Turkey blames the bombing in Istanbul on the Kurdish PKK, which both countries consider to be terrorists, but on the other hand, they do not agree on Kurdish forces in Syria from which country the arrested woman originates
The German government blocks two sales of semiconductor manufacturers to Chinese companies, one concerns Swedish Silex, a subsidiary of Chinese Sai Microelectronic, which is denied the acquisition of Elmos Semiconductor's factory in Dortmund, but the other deal, Industry Minister Robert Habeck does not comment on, citing business secrets
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visits China together with business leaders such as the CEOs of Volkswagen, Deutsche Bank, Siemens and BASF, the first visit to the country by a G7 leader in three years, China's zero-tolerance policy against Covid-19 has become a major problem for German companies because the country is Germany's largest trading partner
Iran now admits after a period of denial that they supplied Russia with drones before the outbreak of war but denies that the deliveries have continued, the rumors about missile deliveries are however completely wrong, says Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, last month the EU decided on new sanctions against the country due to the drone deliveries
The US is sending an undisclosed number of weapons experts to Ukraine to inspect american-supplied weapons, among the first from the US military on the ground apart from security personnel at the embassy in Kyiv, Joe Biden pledges to not send troops into combat
Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles is asking everyone to take a deep breath after China condemned US plans to station up to six B-52 long-range bombers in northern Australia, saying US bombers have been coming to Australia since the 1980s
The prime ministers of Finland and Sweden do not rule out nuclear weapons on the countries' territory as they do not set preconditions for joining NATO, a similar comment also comes from the Swedish Commander-in-Chief Micael Bydén, Vladimir Putin has said that he does not see the countries' joining NATO as a threat but that he would provide answers to the expansion of the alliance's infrastructure in the region
Russia suspends agreement with Ukraine on the export of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea, refers to drone attacks on the port where Russia's Black Sea fleet is stationed, something that Ukraine denies has happened, the grain export deal has meant that more than nine million tons of grain have been exported
Poland builds its first nuclear power plants, plans to spend USD 40 million to build two power plants with three reactors each, cooperates with the US and Westinghouse in the project which is planned to start producing electricity in 2033, US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm says the project which will result in more than 100,000 jobs for American workers sends a clear message to Russia that they will not be allowed to weaponize energy anymore and that the West stand together against the unprovoked aggression
Three Swedish citizens in India violate their tourist visas and are deported as they are suspected of trying to convert people to Christianity, traveled on the pretext of visiting the Peace and Healing Prayer Festival but are said to have given sermons, a spokesman for the organizer Assam Christian Forum says the accusation is baseless as only Christians participated in the program
Hungary will ratify Sweden's NATO application by the end of the year, together with Turkey the only one of the member states that has not yet approved Sweden and Finland's application
Salman Rushdies will survive but is unable to use one hand and has lost the sight of one eye after the attack in New York in August, his literary agent Andrew Wylie said in an interview, as for the situation of the agent's other clients, he says he is worried that nationalism is on the rise and that half of America seems to believe that the election was stolen from Donald Trump who is completely incompetent, a liar and a crook
Iran continues to deny accusations from Ukraine that it supplied Russia with Shahed-136 drones, government spokesman Nasser Kanani says it is ready to engage in dialogue and negotiation to clear up the allegations, kamikaze drones are relatively cheap and reliable, flies long distances to crash and set off built-in explosives
Russia and Ukraine exchange a total of 218 prisoners of war, 108 Ukrainian women and 110 Russians, mainly sailors, the swap confirmed by both sides
WHO warns that peoples increasing inactivity costs over $27.4 billion USD a year, 70 percent of the costs are estimated to come from depression, dementia and high blood pressure, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says more countries need to scale up implementation of policies to support people to be more active through walking, cycling, sport, and other physical activity
Britain wants to change law to stop former RAF pilots from being recruited by China to train the Chinese military, about 30 pilots are said to have accepted generous offers
Protests outside the Chinese consulate in Manchester lead to Hong Kong protester saying he was dragged in and beaten, Britain calls in senior Chinese diplomat to express deep concerns, China's foreign ministry disagrees, saying protesters entered illegally and threatened security and that the diplomatic missions of all countries have the right to take the necessary measures so that its peace and dignity must not be violated
Saudi Arabia provides $400 million in aid to Ukraine following phone calls between Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, this comes after the US expressed a willingness to reassess its relationship with and calls in the US Congress to end military sales to the kingdom
After OPEC announces oil supply cuts, US comments the Joe Biden has no plans to meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at G20 summit in November, evaluates further response options, Democrats in Congress propose cutting the military sale and expresses concern about the war in Yemen
The US is extending its battalion in Lithuania, as the threat from Russia remains, according to Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas it will stay at least until 2026, he also says that having a persistent presence of the US military is one of the most essential objectives put forward by the sitting government
11 dead on Russian soil in what Russian Ministry of Defense calls a terrorist attack, state media reports it was carried out by two residents of the CIS countries during a shooting exercise in Belgorod Oblast near the Ukrainian border, both suspects dead
WHO warns of new Covid-19 wave in Europe, its Europe director Hans Kluge and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control director Andrea Ammon say that although we are not where we were one year ago it is clear that the pandemic is still not over and urge European countries to administer both flu and Covid-19 vaccines especially for vulnerable groups
Vladimir Putin may consider meeting Turkish President Erdogan to discuss possible future talks between Russia and "the West" according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, during the week the two leaders are expected to visit Kazakhstan, saying further that they are open to discuss the idea but have not received any requests , Turkey hosted the last known meeting between Ukraine and Russia in March
President of Poland Andrzej Duda says in interview that there has been discussion about whether US considers to have the country host nuclear weapons, he emphasize that this would not be a nuclear weapon under the control of Poland
Russian Duma unanimously ratifies annexation of four Ukrainian teorritories, no votes against, Ukraine states that the four regions are not currently under control of the Russian forces
EU statement on behalf of all 27 members says the bloc is deeply concerned about the damage to the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines, promises to meet any deliberate disruption of European energy infrastructure with a robust and united response, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the country will remain committed to promoting European energy security
Global Covid-19 cases drop to the lowest level since March 2020 after 28% decrease of new cases during week 36, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says the world is in a winning position where it is time to run harder and make sure to cross the line to reap the rewards of all the hard work, adds that he is incredibly proud of WHO's people and their work during the pandemic
Cary Yan and Gina Zhou extradited from the Marshall Islands to US for attempting to set up a mini-state on one of the country's atolls and in the process bribing several Marshalls officials as well as nearly toppling the president of the nation, the couple allegedly engaged in a multi-year scheme and are charged with violating the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, money laundering and conspiracy to commit those offenses in connection with a bribing scheme
Moderna sues Pfizer and BioNTech for patent infringement in the development of the first Covid-19 vaccine approved in the United States, alleges that the companies copied technology that Moderna patented between 2010 and 2016, lawsuit filed in US district court in Massachusetts and the regional court of Düsseldorf in Germany, says the lawsuit is not meant to stop people from getting vaccines, Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine has brought in USD 10.4 billion in revenue this year while Pfizer's has brought in about USD 22 billion
WHO declares monkeypox a global health emergency which is its highest alert level, Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says the outbreak has spread rapidly and that they understand too little about the transmission, more than 16,000 cases of the zoonosis have been reported across 75 countries so far this year, 98% of infections among men who have sex with men and primarily those who have had multiple recent anonymous or new sexual partners
Russia and Ukraine reach deal to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports, the deal also signed by UN and Turkey
18 migrants dead and 76 injured after two-hour skirmish as 2,000 adult men stormed the border between Morocco and the Spanish enclave Melilla, 130 people breached the border and are evaluated at a local migrant center, 140 Moroccan security officers injured
Swimming's world governing body Fina votes to stop transgender athletes from competing in women's elite races if they have gone through any part of male puberty, requires that the sex change is finished by the age of 12, aims to establish an open category for swimmers who do not identify with their sex
Travel mayhem predicted for the summer, extreme airport lines and canceled flights in Ireland, the Netherlands, UK and US among other countries, Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary has commented that the UK should bring in the army to help ease the chaos
WHO comments that monkeypox is not a gay disease just because the cases have mainly been identified among men who have sex with men, explains that the overrepresentation can be explained by the community's tendence to contact health services regarding sexual health concerns
G7 finance ministers announce commitment of USD 19.8 billion in financial support to Ukraine, German Finance Minister Christian Lindner says they stand by Ukraine during this war and after that and are ready to do more, rules out EU Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans' idea of a borrowing scheme similar to EU's Covid-19 recovery fund Next Generation EU as that was a one-off opportunity
Bill Gates: The risk of a new more transmissive and fatal Covid-19 variant way above 5 %, still considers himself optimistic as the pandemic may be our last
Joe Biden tells US troops in Poland that they will witness Ukrainians' bravery "when you're there", White House official quickly clarifies that Biden is not changing his stance on deploying military into Ukraine, officials also clarify that US has no intention of using chemical weapons under any circumstances after Biden's remark in Belgium that the US will respond in kind to such attacks
Russia invades Ukraine after speech by Putin where he says the country will conduct a special military operation to denazify Ukraine, Russian tanks roll over the border from Belarus, Crimea and Russia, aerial attacks reported on strategic locations throughout Ukraine
Bill Gates says that omicron has sadly done a better job than vaccines in spreading immunity, urges health officials around the globe to respond more quickly to the next pandemic, hopes sufficient funding leads to a new generation of vaccines eradicating entire families of respiratory viruses including influenza and coronaviruses within a decade