Tag Archives: reuters

More than a third of remaining Gaza hostages are believed to be dead, Israel says

Israel believes that more than a third of the remaining Gaza hostages are dead, a government tally showed on Tuesday, as the United States sought to advance their recovery under a proposal to wind down the war with Hamas. Of about 250 people dragged into the Gaza Strip by Hamas-led Palestinian gunmen during the Oct. 7 cross-border rampage that sparked …

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What to know about the upcoming Swiss summit on Ukraine's peace plan

Switzerland will host a summit on June 15-16 that aims to build broad international support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s peace proposals, which include the full withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine, but Moscow has not been invited. With Russia’s invasion well into its third year and Kyiv’s forces under increased pressure on the front lines, Zelenskiy hopes to put …

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Spanish and French farmers form border blockade before EU election

Spanish and French farmers blocked roads along the border through the Pyrenees mountains on Monday ahead of European Parliament elections to protest against what they say is unfair competition from outside the European Union. Earlier this year, farmers obstructed roads for weeks in countries across the EU, saying they faced rising costs and taxes, red tape, excessive environmental regulations and …

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Ukraine's military recruits thousands of prison inmates with promise of forgiven sentences

In its quest to fill the dwindling ranks of its infantry, Ukraine has turned to recruiting prisoners to join the fight against Russia, and more than four thousand have applied so far. Under a deal offered to inmates by the government, prisoners will have their remaining sentences cleared – regardless of length – if they agree to serve in the …

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Combat in part of north Gaza is over, Israeli military says

Israeli forces have ended combat operations in the Jabalia area of north Gaza after destroying more than six miles of tunnels during days of intense fighting that included over 200 air strikes, the military said on Friday. At the south end of Gaza, Israeli forces pressing an offensive into Rafah found rocket launchers and other weapons as well as tunnel …

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US, allies demand end to North Korean weapon transfers for Russian use against Ukraine

The United States and its main allies said on Friday they are “gravely concerned” by deepening cooperation between North Korea and Russia and called for an end to North Korean arms transfers for use against Ukraine. The U.S. Secretary of State and foreign ministers from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and Britain, as well as …

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Ukraine seeks to strike Russian targets with Western weapons, Zelenskyy says

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday that Ukraine using any Western weapon to strike Russian territory is “a question of time”. Outgunned and outmanned on the battlefield, Kyiv has been increasing pressure on its Western allies to be able to launch offensive strikes at military targets inside Russia to better repel Russian advances. “I think that using any weapon, …

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Russia, Ukraine release 75 POWs each in prisoner swap

Ukraine and Russia announced their first exchange of prisoners of war in nearly four months on Friday, with 150 people freed after negotiations mediated by the United Arab Emirates. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said 75 Ukrainian prisoners had been returned from Russia. They included four civilians while the rest were members of the military. Russia’s Defense Ministry said Ukraine handed …

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China says military drills around Taiwan met goals, warns of further action if provoked

China’s military achieved its “expected goals” during two days of drills around Taiwan last week but is prepared for further action if provoked, a defense ministry spokesperson said on Thursday. China, which views democratically-governed Taiwan as its own territory, staged two days of war games around the island following the inauguration of President Lai Ching-te, whom Beijing calls a “separatist”. …

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With global crises multiplying, WHO's emergency program faces severe funding shortfall, report says

The World Health Organization’s emergencies department is facing “existential threats” as multiplying health crises have left it so short of cash that it needed emergency funds to pay staff salaries at the end of last year, an independent report said. It will likely have to ask for funding again to cover salaries up to June, the document, released ahead of …

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