Around The World Archives - Page 199 of 203

09 Dec

M23 kills 131 civilians in eastern Congo: UN

United Nations, Dec 9 (IANS) In eastern Congo last week, M23 rebels killed at least 131 civilians, including 17 women and 12 children, a UN spokesman said. "An additional 8 people were shot and wounded, 60 people were abducted and at least 22 women and five girls were raped," said Stephane Dujarric, the Chief Spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, on Thursday. "Our colleagues say the victims were arbitrarily executed with bullets and with knives." The UN mission, known as MONUSCO, and human rights partners confirmed the toll after a preliminary investigation into what was described as a reprisal attack November…

09 Dec

Iranian Prez says US acknowledges failure to stop Iran’s oil exports

Tehran, Dec 9 (IANS) Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has said that the US anger at Iran is due to the fact that Washington has failed to stop Iran's oil exports through sanctions, reported the official news agency IRNA. In a speech during a visit to the Robat Karim County in Tehran Province, Raisi on Thursday added that "the enemy," referring to the US which has imposed "draconian sanctions" on Iran, is currently acknowledging that its embargoes have ended in "abject failure". The President also said that Iran's enemies also acknowledge that Iran is a leading country in many areas, adding that…

09 Dec

15 oil vessels blocked at Turkish Straits amid EU sanctions on Russian oil

Ankara, Dec 9 (IANS) Fifteen oil tankers were banned from passing through the Turkish Straits due to a lack of proper insurance amid the European sanctions on Russian oil, Turkey's maritime authority said. The Protection and Indemnity (P&I) insurance of these ships is invalid due to the EU sanctions and such insurance cannot be compensated in the event of an accident, the Turkish General Directorate of Maritime Affairs said on Thursday in a statement. "Crude oil tankers that cannot offer valid P&I insurance are not allowed to pass through the Turkish Straits and this rule has been in effect since 2002,"…

09 Dec

UK, Italy, Japan team up for new fighter jet

London, Dec 9 (IANS) UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is set to announce a collaboration between Britain, Italy and Japan to develop a new fighter jet that uses artificial intelligence (AI). According to Sunak, the joint venture aims to create thousands of UK jobs and strengthen security ties, reports the BBC. The nations will develop a next generation fighter, due to enter service in the mid-2030s, that will eventually replace the Typhoon jet. It is hoped the new Tempest jet will carry the latest weapons. Work on developing it is already under way, with the aim to create a combat aircraft…

09 Dec

US House sends defence funding bill to Senate for consideration

Washington, Dec 9 (IANS) The US House of Representatives has passed the annual defence authorization bill. The National Defence Authorization Act (NDAA) -- worth $847 billion -- now goes to the Senate for consideration. The NDAA includes a topline of $817 billion for the Pentagon and about $30 billion to fund nuclear activities overseen by the US Department of Energy, Xinhua news agency reported. The US has been heavily criticised for hefty spending on military activities. In 2021, the US military spending represented nearly 40 per cent of the world's total, more than the next nine countries combined. Andrew Lautz, Director…

08 Dec

South Korean Army retires scout dog famed for finding missing girl in 2019

Seoul, Dec 8 (IANS) The South Korean Army retired a scout dog, famed for his role in locating a missing teenager in 2019, from surveillance duty due to old age on Thursday, officials said, concluding the canine's decade-long career. The armed service held a retirement ceremony for the dog, Dalgwan, at the 32nd Infantry Division's maneuver battalion unit in Sejong, about 120 km south of Seoul, reports Yonhap News Agency. The 10-year-old German Shepherd rose to national prominence in 2019 when he played a pivotal role in the search mission for then-14-year-old Cho Eunnuri who had been missing for 10 days…

08 Dec

Violence in South Sudan forces thousands of civilians to flee: UN

United Nations, Dec 8 (IANS) Violence in South Sudan's Upper Nile State has forced many people to flee the country or hide in swamps, a UN spokeswoman said. "According to local responders, at least 75 per cent of the newly displaced are women and children," said Stephanie Tremblay, an associate spokeswoman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. "This surge of new arrivals puts additional pressure on the already limited capacity of our partners to provide services to support them." Peter Van der Auweraert, the UN's interim humanitarian coordinator in South Sudan, strongly condemned the ongoing violence, which has displaced more than 9,000…

08 Dec

Turkish FM urges US to finalise F-16 sale ‘as soon as possible’

Ankara, Dec 8 (IANS) Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that the sale of US F-16 fighter jets to Ankara "needs to be finalised as soon as possible". Cavusoglu made the remarks at a joint press conference in Istanbul with visiting Moldovian Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Nicu Popescu, in response to the latest US Congressional agreement to remove restrictive conditions in the final text of the defence budget on the sale of F-16s to Turkey, reports Xinhua news agency. Turkey, aiming to bolster its airforce with 40 F-16 jets, has been adamant in its opposition to any conditions…

08 Dec

EU new sanctions target Russia’s armed forces, drone supply

Brussels, Dec 8 (IANS) The European Commission has proposed the ninth package of sanctions against Russia that will include nearly 200 individuals and entities and cut Russia's access to drones. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday in a statement that the eight packages of sanctions introduced so far were "biting hard" but the Commission was "stepping up the pressure on Russia". The ninth package proposes adding nearly 200 additional individuals and entities to the sanctions list, including the Russian armed forces, as well as individual officers and defence industrial companies, among others. It also proposed sanctions against…

08 Dec

Palestinian killed by Israeli military for drive-by shooting attack

Ramallah, Dec 8 (IANS) A Palestinian, who reportedly launched a drive-by shooting attack on an Israeli military post, was killed by Israeli soldiers east of the West Bank city of Ramallah, Israeli and Palestinian authorities said. The Palestinian Health Ministry said on Wednesday in a statement that Mujahid Hammed, 32, was shot dead by Israeli soldiers near the town of Silwad, east of Ramallah. Silwad mayor Ra'ed Hammad told Xinhua that a group of Israeli soldiers, who were chasing Hammed in nearby mountains, shot him and held his body, Xinhua news agency reported. Meanwhile, Israeli media reported that earlier in the…