Author: Anadolu Agency
The UN deputy high commissioner for human rights on Wednesday called on Russia to halt the summary executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war, saying such executions “constitute a war crime.” “I am deeply concerned by a significant increase in credible allegations of executions of Ukrainian military personnel captured by Russian armed forces. Summary executions constitute a war crime,” Nada Al-Nashif said in her speech on the findings of the human rights office’s periodic report on the situation of human rights in Ukraine. According to Al-Nashif, the office recorded 62 such executions in 19 separate incidents between September and November and…
A British lawmaker has called for economic and military isolation of Israel to bring it to “some form of negotiated settlement,” and suggested the Israeli ambassador to the UK should face expulsion. Independent MP John McDonnell recalled the crippling situation in the Gaza Strip that has been exacerbated during harsh winter conditions. “We’ve witnessed over the Christmas period when we’re celebrating with our families, the scenes of children starving and freezing to death as a result of Israeli actions,” he said. Speaking in the House of Commons on Tuesday, McDonnell said that the only solution that they have had in…
Britain’s safeguarding minister fired back Tuesday at remarks by US tech billionaire Elon Musk, calling them “ridiculous.” Jess Phillips said she has “more important things to be thinking about” after Musk accused her of being a “rape genocide apologist” over her handling of child abuse cases. Speaking to Sky News, Phillips said the SpaceX CEO and close ally of US President-elect Donald Trump “should crack on with this ‘getting to Mars'” instead of wading into British politics. “You know, Elon Musk is going to (do) Elon Musk. I’ve got bigger and more important things to be thinking about,” she said.…
France’s foreign minister on Wednesday cautioned US President-elect Donald Trump against encroaching on the European Union’s sovereign borders, amid renewed debate over US control of Greenland. The remarks came after Trump reignited controversy by suggesting on his Truth Social platform that US control of Greenland is an “absolute necessity” due to its strategic importance. His comments have revived tensions over Greenland, a self-governing territory under Denmark’s monarchy. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told France Inter radio that while he does not believe the US would attempt to invade Greenland, he underscored the EU’s commitment to defending its territory. “It is…
NASA has announced revisions to its Mars Sample Return Program, aiming to simplify the mission, reduce costs, and expedite the timeline for bringing Martian soil samples to Earth. The initial plan, which involved multiple spacecraft, is being restructured to address technical and financial challenges. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said Tuesday that the agency is now considering two new options for the spacecraft that will land on Mars to collect samples. One option involves using a landing technique similar to the successful methods employed for the Curiosity and Perseverance rovers. This method uses rockets to slow the spacecraft’s descent and a…
Kabul on Wednesday “totally rejected” US President-elect Donald Trump’s claim that outgoing President Joe Biden’s administration is paying billions of dollars to the Taliban in Afghanistan, claiming Washington did not pay a single penny and instead confiscated Afghanistan’s money. Hamdullah Fitrat, the Afghan Taliban’s deputy spokesperson, reacted strongly to Trump’s statement, saying the US is spending money to “serve its own interests.” “The United States’ claims regarding the provision of billions and millions of dollars in aid to the Islamic Emirate are entirely incorrect, and we categorically reject these assertions,” Fitrat said in a statement on X. Earlier on Tuesday,…
At first light in Mabatini, a crowded slum clinging precariously on the rugged hills of Tanzania’s port city of Mwanza, life stirs into action. Children’s laughter echoes down narrow dirt paths, fishmongers shout their prices, and the sharp clatter of cooking pots signals the start of the day. From a craggy outcrop overlooking this chaotic sprawl, Elias Kabashi, a fisherman and father of four, gazes out at Lake Victoria. The lake sparkles faintly in the distance, reflecting the rising sun. To a casual observer, it looks serene, almost eternal. But for Kabashi, who has fished its waters for over a…
Russian envoy to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, accused Israel on Wednesday of pursuing a “fait accompli” in Syria, and warned about “the unlawful actions of Israel” that threaten Syria’s territorial integrity. Nebenzia pledged continued support to Syria during a “new stage in their history.” “We would in particular like to point to the direct threat to the territorial integrity of Syria borne by the unlawful actions of Israel, which is carrying out a policy of fait accompli on the occupied Golan Heights,” he told a UN Security Council session on Syria, adding that 500 square-kilometers (123, 553 acres) of Syrian…
Outgoing US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that Washington has been working with Türkiye, which “has very legitimate concerns,” regarding the PKK terror group and terrorism. “We’ve been working very closely as well with our ally, our partner … (Türkiye) which has very legitimate concerns, of course, about the PKK and about terrorism, to navigate this transition, to navigate it in a way that I think leads to a resolution of many of those concerns,” Blinken said in a joint news conference with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot in Paris. He emphasized efforts to address these challenges…
US President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday expressed sympathy for Russia’s opposition to Ukraine’s accession to NATO. Addressing a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump also criticized outgoing Democratic President Joe Biden of allegedly altering the US stance on Ukraine’s NATO membership. “A big part of the problem was, Russia – for many, many years, long before Putin – said, ‘You could never have NATO involved with Ukraine.’ Now, they’ve said that. That’s been, like, written in stone. “And somewhere along the line Biden said, ‘No. They should be able to join NATO.’ Well, then Russia…