Ukraine has released dozens of Russian soldiers as part of a negotiation brokered by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Russia’s defence ministry has said, the same day 116 Ukrainian servicemen were also freed as fighting rages in the eastern city of Bakhmut. “A complicated negotiations process resulted in 63 Russian servicemen returned from the Ukrainian … Read moreRussia, Ukraine swap prisoners as battle for Bakhmut rages
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has dismissed one of his secretaries for homophobic comments that the prime minister called “outrageous”. Kishida said the remarks by Masayoshi Arai, in which he said he “doesn’t even want to look at” married same-sex couples, were “outrageous” and “incompatible” with an inclusive society the government is aiming for. “I … Read moreJapan PM dismisses aide over anti-LGBTQ+ comments
Brazil has sunk a decommissioned aircraft carrier in the Atlantic Ocean despite concerns expressed by environmental groups that the ageing warship was packed with toxic materials. The “planned and controlled sinking occurred late in the afternoon” on Friday, some 350 km (220 miles) off the Brazilian coast in the Atlantic Ocean, in an area with … Read moreBrazil sinks aircraft carrier in Atlantic despite pollution risk
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez says Spain and Morocco have agreed to set aside their differences as they seek to repair a relationship marked by frequent disputes over migration and territory. Sanchez was speaking on Thursday at a summit in Rabat where the two countries signed about 20 agreements to boost trade and investment, including … Read moreSpain, Morocco seek reset of testy relationship at Rabat summit
Serbia does not plan to join NATO and will stick to its military neutrality, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told a parliament meeting. Serbia has been a candidate to join its single-biggest trade partner and investor, the European Union, since 2012. It is militarily neutral but maintains ties with NATO and has bought weapons from its … Read moreSerbia to maintain ‘military neutrality’, president says
European Union leaders have arrived in Kyiv for talks with Ukraine’s government, bringing the promise of new sanctions against Russia but disappointing Ukraine’s hopes for swift membership to the EU. The head of the group’s executive commission, Ursula von der Leyen, arrived in Kyiv by train on Thursday, a symbolic journey to demonstrate support for … Read moreEU’s top brass prepares for summit with Zelenskyy in Kyiv
Germany has confirmed that it will send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine and approve their re-export from other countries, in a move that was hailed by Kyiv’s Western allies and decried by Russia as a dangerous escalation. Fourteen of the German-made tanks from Berlin’s military stocks will be sent initially as part of Berlin’s historic … Read moreGermany to send battle tanks to Ukraine, angering Russia
On the night of January 4, a section of tracks along the Trans-Siberian Railway in Russia’s Krasnoyarsk region was blown up. The rail line was used by the Russian army to transport supplies to Ukraine. A photo and video clip of an explosion ripping through a railway bridge were posted on Telegram by an organisation … Read moreRussian saboteurs seek to hamper Putin’s war machine
In July 2022, the Home Office of the United Kingdom published a white paper titled Swift, Certain, Tough: New Consequences for Drug Possession, outlining a new three-tiered punishment system for drug possession. Aimed at targeting middle-class people who use drugs recreationally, who the government blames for fuelling crime in the country, the white paper proposes … Read moreThe UK is still waging an unwinnable war on drugs
Turkey has indefinitely postponed a new round of talks with Sweden and Finland on the Nordic neighbours’ NATO membership bids in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last February, according to Turkish state TV. The meeting scheduled to take place in Brussels was postponed at Ankara’s request, the state broadcaster said on Tuesday. NATO … Read moreTurkey postpones NATO meeting with Sweden, Finland: State TV