Boris Johnson, the British Prime Minister, said Wednesday that the United Kingdom would come to the defense of Finland and Sweden if attacked. Johnson, who has been one of the most outspoken critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin, also promised the countries that the U.K. would provide security assurances during any transition into NATO, the Financial...
A top EU official said in an interview last week that the bloc is determined to get Hungary to sign on to an all out Russian oil ban, a debate that has shown fissures in the bloc. “We are very much determined to work with Hungary and the rest of the EU member states to...
The European Commission has a draft proposal that envisions a world without Russian energy exports and determined that it will cost about €195 billion investment to detach itself from the Russian spigot, a report said. The Financial Times, which viewed the draft proposal, said the effort will last into 2027. The EU wants to slash...
In a court ruling that was essentially unreported by Western media, the Tokyo government was dealt a legal blow on Monday when a court ruled in favor of a restaurant chain operator who said it was illegal for the city to force his chain to reduce business hours to fight the COVID War. Kozo Hasegawa,...
More than 100,000 people died from drug overdoses in the U.S. last year—a 15 percent increase from 2020—due in large part to the spread of illegal fentanyl throughout the country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Health officials blamed the increase on the proliferation of a synthetic form of the drug as well...
Beijing announced last week that it will limit unnecessary travel by its citizens due to its ongoing COVID-19 outbreak in major cities that has sparked supply chain concerns and economic hardship around the world. There have already been travel restrictions throughout China but the latest measure announced by the Chinese National Immigration Administration was seen...
Jacinda Arden, the prime minister of New Zealand who has been one of the top peddlers of the COVID-19 vaccine, announced last week that she came down with the virus despite being fully vaccinated. Ardern had been symptomatic since Friday evening, Reuters reported, citing her office. Her COVID test showed a weak positive that night...
The Australian military said a Chinese intelligence ship was located about 250 nautical miles from the coast in Western Australia, prompting Canberra’s defense minister to accuse China of carrying out an “unprecedented” act of aggression. This Chinese ship, the Haiwangxing, crossed into Australia’s exclusive economic zone on 6 May and “hugged the coast.” Peter Dutton,...
German police on Friday banned a vigil intended to honor the memory of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh who, according to Palestinian government, was killed last week by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank. (See AL JAZEERA JOURNALIST’S DEATH: KILLED DURING ISRAELI RAID IN OCCUPIED TERRITORY.) The vigil was organized by Jüdische Stimme,...
The killing of Shireen Abu Akleh, the 51-year-old Al Jazeera journalist, has increased tension between Palestinians and Israel following allegations that she was shot by Israeli troops. Videos emerged from her funeral in Jerusalem’s Old City that showed violent clashes between mourners and Israeli police. The officers were seen using batons to pummel mourners as...