Putin Lays Out Terms As Russia Shells Ukraine City, Killing 11

KYIV, Feb 28: Vladimir Putin has put out conditions on ending Russia's offensive as his forces shelled Ukraine's Kharkiv, killing at least 11. Ukraine, meanwhile, has demanded retreat of all Russian forces during talks between Kyiv and Moscow at Belarus border.

Putin told his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron that the demilitarisation of Ukraine and Western recognition of Russian sovereignty over the Crimean peninsula were prerequisites to ending fighting in Ukraine, the Kremlin said.

Talks between Ukraine and Russia lasted about five hours. "We discussed in detail all the items on the agenda and found some common points on which we predict common positions can be found," Russian state-owned news agency Sputnik reported.

Mikhail Podolyak, adviser to the head of Ukrainian President's Office, confirmed that a second round of talks was discussed.

"The two sides identified a number of priority topics on which certain decisions have been outlined. In order for them to have an opportunity to be implemented...the parties are leaving for consultations in their respective capitals. The possibility of a second round of negotiations in the near future during which these topics will receive concrete, practical development was discussed," Podolyak said.

The talks were held at Ukraine's border with Belarus -- near the Chernobyl exclusion zone -- after a call between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko. Ukraine had earlier refused to talk in Belarus, where Russian troops were stationed before the invasion.

The UN has said 102 civilians, including seven children, have been killed in Ukraine. The UN refugee agency has said tens of thousands are fleeing the fighting, with most crossing into Poland as the total count reaches 400,000. Others are seeking shelter in Hungary, Romania, Moldova and Slovakia. Pope Francis has called for corridors for civilians to escape the fighting.

The United Nations Security Council will hold a rare emergency special session of the General Assembly today to discuss Russia's attack on Ukraine. India abstained from the procedural vote, but welcomed the talks between Moscow and Kyiv.

Russia's invasion force has lost momentum and is having logistical and supply problems after facing stiff Ukrainian resistance, the White House claims. However, Russia military has claimed air superiority in Ukraine and alleged that Ukraine is using civilians as human "shield".

Ukraine claims to have expelled Russian troops from its second city Kharkiv in the east of the country after Russian armoured vehicles got through its defences. The country says it is holding the line around capital Kyiv. Ukrainian military said Monday that Russian troops had slowed down "the pace of the offensive".

Protests are building up against the invasion. Hundreds of thousands of people are taking part in solidarity marches from Berlin to Baghdad to Quito. Within Russia, over 5,000 people have been arrested for demonstrating against the attack.

European Union members have announced new sanctions and assured Ukraine of more military support in the coming days. The countries will even send fighter jets to help Ukraine counter the Russian assault, the bloc's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Sunday.

Ukraine Appeals For 'Immediate' EU Membership

KYIV, Feb 28: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday urged the European Union to grant his country "immediate" membership, as Russia's assault against the pro-Western country went into its fifth day.

"We appeal to the European Union for the immediate accession of Ukraine via a new special procedure," the 44-year-old leader said in a new video address.

"Our goal is to be together with all Europeans and, most importantly, to be on an equal footing. I'm sure it's fair. I'm sure it's possible."

He said 16 children had died during the first four days of Moscow's assault and another 45 were wounded as he hailed "Ukrainian heroes."

The UN's human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said Monday that at least 102 civilians, including seven children, had been killed but warned the real numbers were probably far higher.

"Ukrainians have shown the world who we are. And Russia has shown what it has become," Zelensky said.

The Ukrainian leader -- a former comedian who came to power in 2019 -- released his latest video statement as Russian and Ukrainian negotiators prepared to sit down for their first face-to-face talks since Russian leader Vladimir Putin ordered troops to invade last Thursday.

Zelensky urged Russian soldiers to lay down their weapons.

"Abandon your equipment. Get out of here. Don't believe your commanders. Don't believe your propagandists. Just save your lives," Zelensky said.

He claimed that more than 4,500 Russian soldiers had already lost their lives during the Kremlin's assault. Russia has admitted to deaths and casualties but given no toll.

The Ukrainian leader also said authorities would release convicts with combat experience so that they could help defend the country.

"We have taken a decision which is not easy from the moral point of view, but which is useful from the point of view of our defences," he said.

He once again thanked the West for its support. "Support of our anti-war coalition is unconditional and unprecedented," he said.

"Each of us is a warrior," he said. "And I am sure that each of us will win."

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has sent shockwaves around the world.

Ukraine forces, backed by Western arms, have managed to slow the advance of the Russian army.

Ukraine Agrees To Talks As Putin Puts Nukes On Alert

KYIV, Feb 27: Ukraine has agreed to hold talks with Russia on the Belarus border, according to reports on Sunday, quoting the presidency, shortly after Valdimir Putin ordered his defence chiefs to put the country's nuclear "deterrence forces" on high alert.

"I order the Defence Minister and the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces to put the deterrence forces of the Russian army into a special mode of combat service," Russian President Vladimir Putin said, accusing the West of taking "unfriendly" steps against his country.

Almost around the same time, Ukraine announced it was ready to hold talks with Russia at its border with Belarus - near the Chernobyl exclusion zone - after a phone call between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko.

Ukraine had earlier turned down Moscow's offer of a meeting in Belarus, which has allowed Russian troops passage to attack Ukraine. Ukraine had proposed Warsaw, Bratislava, Budapest, Istanbul and Baku as possible alternative locations for any talks.

Ukrainian forces had secured full control of its second city Kharkiv on Sunday following street fighting with Russian troops, the local governor said. "Kharkiv is fully under our control," the head of the regional administration, Oleg Sinegubov, said on Telegram, adding that the army was expelling Russian forces during a "clean-up" operation.

Ukraine took Russia to the International Court of Justice in The Hague on Day 4 of the invasion, as Russian forces continued to hit Ukrainian cities with artillery and cruise missiles.

Reports citing an European Union official said Putin was "furious" and "fuming" that his military's invasion of the smaller country hasn't gone more smoothly. Russia's invasion force is being slowed and frustrated by unexpectedly stiff resistance from Ukrainian troops, keeping them outside Kyiv, a senior US defence official has said.

Germany and its Western allies have agreed to cut Russia out of the SWIFT global payment system, a spokesperson for the German government said, in a third sanctions package aimed at halting the invasion. In a dramatic policy reversal, Germany on Saturday also ramped up its backing for Ukraine's battle against Russia, approving weapons deliveries for Kyiv.

Ukraine is establishing a foreign "international" legion for volunteers from abroad, President Zelenskiy said in a statement today. The President has vowed to remain in the capital Kyiv and has said it remains completely under Ukraine's control.

Protests against Russia's invasion of Ukraine have erupted in Moscow and other Russian cities amid ominous Kremlin threats. More than 900 people have been detained over the demonstrations. More than 100,000 people also protested in solidarity with Ukraine in Berlin on Sunday,
Ukrainian Health Minister Viktor Lyashko yesterday said 198 civilians, including three children, had been killed in the conflict and 1,115 wounded.

Russian Army To Broaden Ukraine Assault 'From All Directions'

KYIV, Feb 26: The Russian army has been ordered to broaden its Ukraine advance "from all directions" after Ukraine said it had repulsed an attack on Kyiv but "sabotage groups" were in the city.

Ukrainian forces repulsed a Russian attack on Kyiv but "sabotage groups" infiltrated the capital, officials said Saturday as a defiant President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed Ukraine would never give in.

On the third day of an invasion that Ukraine said has killed 198 civilians including three children, Russia also brushed off the barrage of Western sanctions and said it had fired cruise missiles at military targets.

Wearing olive green military-style clothing and looking tired but determined, Zelensky spoke in a video message posted on his Twitter account.

"I am here. We will not lay down any weapons. We will defend our state, because our weapons are our truth," he said.

"Our truth is that this is our land, our country, our children and we will protect all of this."

Russian President Vladimir Putin unleashed a full-scale invasion that has forced tens of thousands to flee their homes and sparked fears of a wider conflict in Europe.

In Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron warned that the world must brace for a long war.

"This crisis will last, this war will last and all the crises that come with it will have lasting consequences," Macron said, adding: "We must be prepared".

After speaking to Macron, Zelensky tweeted to thank "partners" for sending weapons and equipment.

"The anti-war coalition is working," he said.

In Kyiv heard occasional blasts of what soldiers said were artillery and Grad missiles being fired in an area northwest of the city centre.

There were also loud explosions in the centre.

Emergency services said a high-rise apartment block was hit by shelling overnight, posting a picture that showed a hole covering at least five floors blasted into the side of the building. Kyiv's mayor, Vitaly Klitschko, said that the building had been hit by a missile.

"The night was difficult, but there are no Russian troops in the capital," he said.

"The enemy is trying to break into the city, in particular from Gostomel, Zhytomyr, where the aggressors are neutralized," he said, referring to two settlements to the northwest and west of the city.

"Now in Kyiv there are, unfortunately, sabotage groups, there were several clashes, shootings," he said.

Ukraine's defence ministry said "two enemy targets were shot down" -- identifying them as a Russian SU-25 helicopter and a military bomber -- near the separatist zone in the east of the country.

A Russian Ilyushin Il-76 transport plane had also been "knocked down" near Vasylkiv, a town roughly 30 kilometres (19 miles) southwest of Kyiv, the ministry added on its official Facebook page.

Zelensky's aide Mykhailo Podolyak said more than 3,500 Russian soldiers had been killed and nearly 200 captured, without providing evidence.

Moscow has yet to report on casualties.

Putin Calls On Ukraine Army To Remove Kyiv Leadership

MOSCOW, Feb 25: Russian today said that Moscow was ready for talks if Ukraine's military surrendered and insisted that the invading forces were looking to free the country from "oppression".

Meanwhile, amid Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin is ready to send a delegation to Minsk for Ukraine talks. Putin further called on the Ukraine army to remove the leadership in Kyiv, while calling the Ukrainian authorities "gang of drug addicts and neo-Nazis".

Moscow had said its first day of the Ukraine invasion had achieved all its goals and that it had destroyed 83 land-based Ukrainian targets. According to official reports, Russia had carried out 203 attacks on its western neighbour since the beginning of the day.

Ukrainian forces battled Russian invaders on three sides on Thursday after Moscow mounted an assault by land, sea and air in the biggest attack on a European state since the second World War.

The attack triggered Western warnings of unprecedented sanctions against Russia as NATO, EU and G7 leaders condemned the invasion and vowed to hold Moscow accountable.

The European Union has agreed to place Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on its list of sanctioned individuals following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Friday.

Ukrainian forces are putting up resistance and inflicting damage on Russia's invading military as it seeks to push deeper into the country, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said Friday. "It is still a fluid situation. What we have seen is that the Ukrainian forces are fighting bravely and are actually able to inflict damage on the invading Russian forces," Stoltenberg said after a video summit of NATO leaders.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday the alliance is bolstering its defences with troops and air power on its eastern flank in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He said allies had activated defence plans and "as a result ... are deploying elements of the NATO Response Force on land, at sea and in the air", including thousands more troops and over 100 jets put on high alert in 30 locations, he said.

Russia's flagship carrier announced Friday it was suspending flights to London and Dublin after the UK sanctioned the airline for Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. "Due to restrictions imposed by the UK authorities, Aeroflot is suspending all flights to London and Dublin until May 23, 2022," Aeroflot said in a statement.

Russia's media regulator said today it was limiting access to Facebook, accusing the US tech giant of censorship and of violating the rights of Russian citizens. "In accordance with a decision from the General Prosecutor with regard to the social network Facebook, from February 25, Roskomnadzor is adopting measures to partially restrict access," to Facebook, media regulator Roskomnadzor said in a statement, without elaborating.

All efforts are being made, in coordination with the Centre, to ensure safe evacuation from Ukraine of students from Bihar who had gone to the war-hit country for pursuing higher education, the Nitish Kumar government said on Friday. State minister Sanjay Kumar Jha in a series of tweets said that the Resident Commissioner in Delhi has also been instructed to be in touch with the embassy of Ukraine over the matter.

Forty Indian students have managed to walk to the Ukraine-Poland border after they were dropped off by their college bus some 8 km from the border, news agency ANI reported. Read here.

Sviatoslav Yurash, a Ukraine MP, walks down the streets of Kyiv, an AK-47 rifle in his hands. "It is our capital, it is our country, it is our land, our people. I cannot just stand idly by as a mad dictator tries to destroy my nation."

Russia fired on two foreign ships near the Black Sea port of Pivdennyi on Friday, Ukraine's infrastructure ministry said on its Facebook page. Russia fired on "Namura Queen" under Panama's flag and "Millennial Spirit" under Moldova's flag, the ministry said. The crew had been evacuated and taken to the Chernomorsk port by Ukrainian rescue service, it added. Ukraine has said it closed all its seaports due to war with Russia.

Most Powerful Country Looked On From Distance: Ukraine President

KIEV, Feb 25: The sanctions imposed on Moscow are not enough to curtail Russian military operations against Ukraine, the country's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday and added that they are defending their country alone.

Speaking after a reported Russian operation in the capital of Kiev, Zelenskyy said the world was still just observing the events in Ukraine from a distance.

"This morning, we are defending our country alone. Just like yesterday, the most powerful country in the world looked on from a distance," he said in a Facebook video.

"Russia was hit with sanctions yesterday, but these are not enough to get these foreign troops off our soil. Only through solidarity and determination can this be achieved," he added.

Leaders from a number of countries including the UK, the US, Canada, and the European Union have condemned Russia's military operations in Ukraine. They have also imposed heavy sanctions on Russia.

US President Joe Biden on Thursday said that the US will introduce a new wave of sanctions against Russia in a broad effort to isolate Moscow from the global economy.

The new package of sanctions aims to cut Russia off from the US financial markets and includes freezing the assets of four major Russian banks, including VTB Bank, the nation's second-biggest bank.

Hours after that, President of the European Council Charles Michel said that the EU has made a political decision to impose additional sanctions on Russia over its military operation in Ukraine.

"We took a political decision to add an additional package of mass sanction which will be painful for the Russian regime," Michel said after the extraordinary EU Summit.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the new EU sanctions against Russia will hit 70 percent of the Russian banking sector, key state-run corporations and deprive Russia of access to modern technologies.

"First, this package includes financial sanctions that cut Russia's access to the most important capital markets. We are now targeting 70% of the Russian banking market. But also, key state-owned companies including in field of defense," von der Leyen said after the extraordinary EU Summit.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday recognized Ukraine's breakaway regions - Donetsk and Luhansk - as independent entities. Later, Putin ordered special military operations "to protect" the people in eastern Ukraine and "demilitarise" the country.

Russia Says Over 70 Targets In Ukraine Destroyed, Dozens Dead

KYIV, Feb 24: Russia said Thursday that its military had destroyed more than 70 military targets, including 11 airfields in Ukraine. "As a result of strikes carried out by the Russian armed forces, 74 Ukrainian military ground facilities were destroyed," said Igor Konashenkov, a defence ministry spokesman.

Destroyed facilities included 11 airfields, three command posts and 18 radar stations of the S-300 and Buk-M1 anti-aircraft missile systems, he said.

He added that a Ukrainian military helicopter and four drones had also been shot down.

Konashenkov said separatist forces continued an offensive backed by air support of the Russian armed forces.

Currently "armed groups of nationalists" are putting up resistance, he said, claiming that Ukrainian troops wanted to leave the area of hostilities.

He said that Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu had ordered Russian troops to "treat Ukrainian servicemen with respect".

Putin launched an offensive on Ukraine in the early hours of Thursday after a national address aired at around 5:40 am local time.

Shortly afterwards, the first bombardments were heard in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, and several other cities.

At least 68 people were killed, including both soldiers and civilians, according to various Ukrainian official sources.

In the deadliest single strike reported by the authorities, 18 people were killed at a military base near Ukraine's Black Sea port city of Odessa.

Ukraine's border guards said Russian forces had reached the region around the capital, Kyiv.

A reporter in the northern part of the city saw several low-flying helicopters overhead amid reports that an airfield was under attack.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said a "full-scale invasion" was underway.

President Volodymyr Zelensky declared martial law and said Russia was attacking his country's "military infrastructure" but urged citizens not to panic and vowed victory.

Modi Dials Putin, Appeals For Immediate End To Violence In Ukraine

NEW DELHI, Feb 24: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed for an immediate cessation of violence during his telephonic conversation with Russian president Vladimir Putin today.

He also called for concerted efforts from all sides to return to the path of diplomatic negotiations and dialogue, said a statement from his office.

He reiterated his "long-standing conviction that the differences between Russia and the NATO group can only be resolved through honest and sincere dialogue, a statement from the Prime Minister's Ofice read.

President Putin briefed Modi about the recent developments regarding Ukraine.

Indo-French ties free from sudden shifts and surprise: Jaishankar

PARIS, Feb 23: India’s ties with France are based on a great sense of trust and it is a relationship that has been free from sudden shifts and surprises seen in other cases, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said.

In an address at a think-tank in Paris, Jaishankar said India and France intend to create better options for countries in the Indo-Pacific region and enable them to make sovereign and free choices as they should neither be subjected to domination nor caught in a binary power rivalry.

The external affairs minister said New Delhi is specifically looking forward to France as a key partner in the defence and industrial sectors and “ambitious ideas” for collaborative defence ventures in India are being explored that will support common interests in the Indo Pacific as well.

He said India sees France as a trusted collaborator in countering security challenges from the seabed to space and from cyber to oceans. “Through the tumult of our times, India’s relations with France have continued to move forward on a steady and clear course. It is a relationship that has been free from sudden shifts and surprises that we sometimes see in other cases,” Jaishankar said at the French Institute of International Relations on Tuesday.

“In India, there is a great sense of trust and confidence in the relationship. It is deeply institutionalised and benefits from a strong political consensus on its importance. I believe that we have seen the same here in France,” he said.

Delving into the finer aspects of the ties, Jaishankar said France has never hesitated to voice its own positions on key issues and its lack of dogmatism contributed to building a strong partnership with a rising power like India. “We saw that, for example, when it came to a complex issue like accommodating India in the global nuclear order,” he said.

Jaishankar said France was also an important influence in the development of India’s strategic thinking, especially its nuclear force posture. “Indeed, the very concept of credible minimum deterrence was derived from the learnings of French experience. Not just that, after the 1998 nuclear tests, France was the first nuclear power to show an understanding of our strategic compulsions,” he said.

He also said that French support played an important role in India getting an exemption from the Nuclear Suppliers Group in 2008 to resume international cooperation in civil nuclear energy.

Referring to the Indo-Pacific region, Jaishankar said developments there and ensuing regional order will have a direct impact across the world, including in Europe. “What is at stake is the credibility of a rules-based order and the efficacy of the international system. India is at the strategic centre of this region; France represents its two bookends with a vast EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zones),” he said.

The external affairs minister said India sees France as a resident power in the Indo Pacific region which is vital for its peace and stability. “We both seek a free, open and inclusive region. And, we both have multiple, inter-linked partnerships with a positive agenda to address the challenges and advance stability and security in the region,” he said.

Describing France as an “important bridge” for India to the European Union, Jaishankar said a key expectation today is French support for the launch of negotiations between India and the EU on trade and investments.

He said there are two areas of national interest for India where India is looking forward to France as a key partner. “One is in the realm of defence and security. We see France as a trusted collaborator in countering security challenges from the seabed to space, from cyber to oceans,” he said.

Jaishankar said France is also among the foremost countries as India seeks to build industrial self-reliance in the defence sector, with a sense of urgency and priority.

“In this, we draw inspiration from the national self-sufficiency France has itself built. Naturally, given the history of our defence partnership, we are exploring ambitious ideas for collaborative ventures in India. This will support our common interests in the Indo Pacific region as well,” he said

“The other area is the transformation of our industrial sector. Like France, India, too, saw the erosion of its industrial base, and like France, we are determined to restore it, especially with emphasis on the industries of the future. The Indian economy is experiencing a strong rebound, with a growth of 9.2 per cent,” he added.

Jaishankar said the political comfort and trust in the relationship added to the attractiveness of India for French businesses.

“The agenda of our partnership is truly extensive. So, whether it is India’s own national transformation agenda, or the future of the Indo-Pacific region and its maritime commons, the advancement of plurilateralism or the reform of multilateralism, or indeed addressing global challenges, we count on France as amongst our most important partners,” he said.

Ukraine Coming Under 'Massive' Cyberattack: Minister

KYIV, Feb 23: Ukraine is coming under a "massive" cyberattack, a senior minister said on Wednesday, with the main websites of the government and foreign ministry refusing to open.

Deputy Prime Minister Mykailo Fyodorov said the attack began in the late afternoon and affected several banks as well as official websites, without specifying its origin.

The official site of Ukraine's cabinet of ministers and the foreign ministry refused to open when tried to access it on Wednesday

But most of the main news sites in Ukraine were working, as well those of banks and the main public institutions.

Fyodorov said the functioning sites had managed to "switch traffic to a different provider to minimise the damage."

The sites of several ministries and banks also went down for a few hours last week, with officials suggesting the denial-of-service (DDoS) attack was of Russian origin.

Ukraine is facing mounting fears of a Russian invasion, which have intensified after the Kremlin recognised the independence of Ukraine's two eastern separatist region.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has also approved the deployment of troops into east Ukraine, although he said Tuesday that he has not yet decided to order the move.

Putin orders troops to rebel Ukrain regions

WASHINGTON, Feb 22: With Russia recognising two breakaway Ukrainian provinces as independent republics, and moving its troops into the Donbas region, the United States and its allies have slammed Russian president Vladimir Putin for violating Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, rolled out the first set of sanctions, and pushed back on joint economic projects, with Germany halting the Nordstream-2 pipeline project.

The US and European nations were preparing to announce more sanctions later on Tuesday, but plan to tailor their responses to Russia’s future actions – and are carefully observing if Russian forces stay within the territory controlled by separatist governments in Ukraine, or move beyond it to areas controlled by Ukrainian government.

Moscow, on Tuesday, indicated that its recognition of the new republics extends to areas controlled by Ukrainian forces, triggering the possibility of a further escalation and prolonged conflict.

Russia’s move, following a speech by Putin where he accused the West of conspiring to weaken Russia and questioned Ukraine’s statehood, drew widespread condemnation.

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he was “greatly concerned” at Russia’s decisions related to “certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine”, termed it as a “violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine”, and reiterated the UN’s support for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine “within its internationally recognised borders”.

Late on Monday night in New York, at Ukraine’s request, the UNSC also held an emergency meeting to discuss the developments.

In an address to his nation, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky said that the Ukraine of 2022 was different than the Ukraine of 2014 – when Russia occupied Crimea and first backed separatists in the Donbas regions as they set up separatist enclaves – and expressed his determination to fight for Ukrainians’ sovereignty, while pressing for a peaceful diplomatic solution.

Among the most significant outcomes of Russia’s decision was Germany’s move to halt the Nordstream-2 gas pipeline project, and pull back its certification, with chancellor Olaf Scholz saying the situation was now “fundamentally different”. The continuation of the pipeline project had caused a gulf in the transatlantic alliance, with political constituencies in the US strongly opposing it.

The developments since late Monday also led to a spike in energy prices, with crude oil reaching levels not seen since 2014. Brent crude closed at $100 a barrel.

The UK government on Tuesday imposed tough sanctions against five Russian banks and three super-rich oligarchs from the country over President Vladimir Putin’s aggressive action on the Ukraine border. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the House of Commons that this is the “first tranche” of measures.

In Washington, on Monday, US president Joe Biden first held consultations with his national security team, then Zelensky, and then Chancellor Scholz and France’s president, Emmanuel Macron. He then signed an executive order prohibiting “new investment, trade and financing by US persons to, from, or in” the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, and providing authority to impose sanctions on any persons operating in the two regions.

The US has clarified that this is separate from, and in addition to, the “swift and severe” measures it had been preparing if Russia proceeded with an invasion. More sanction-related announcements, both from the US and European Union, were expected late on Tuesday.

While Russia’s move has vindicated the US assessment that Putin had been planning aggressive moves, it also sharpens a dilemma for the West for whether the deployment of Russian troops in Donbas constitutes an “invasion” and thus necessitates the full force of all planned sanctions, or whether it converts the de-facto situation of Russian presence and control of the region into a de jure recognition.

On Monday evening, a senior US administration official – while claiming that Russia’s action constituted a violation of international law and its own international commitments, terming Putin’s speech as an attempt to justify a war, and expressing US’s determination to support Ukraine – pointed out that Russia had occupied these regions since 2014.

“It has been Russia’s position that there are not Russian forces present in this part of Donbas. The reality… has been quite different. There have been Russian forces present in these areas throughout. And so, we are going to be looking very closely at what they do over the coming hours and days, and our response will be measures according to their actions.”

On Tuesday, Moscow said that its recognition of the two provinces extended to areas under the control of Ukrainian forces. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia has recognised the independence of the rebel regions “in borders that existed when they proclaimed” their independence in 2014 — broad territories that extend far beyond the areas now under the rebel control and that include the major Black Sea port of Mariupol.

The possibility of Russian escalation in areas beyond separatist-held territory is likely to trigger more sanctions from the US and West.

Putin mulls independence of separatist Ukraine regions

KYIEV, Feb 21: Russian President Vladimir Putin convened top officials Monday to consider recognising the independence of Russia-backed separatist regions in eastern Ukraine.

Putin’s statement follows televised statements by separatist leaders, who pleaded with Putin to recognise them as independent states and sign friendship treaties envisaging military aid to protect them from what they described as the ongoing Ukrainian military offensive. Russia’s lower house made the same plea last week.

Russia’s military said on Monday that troops and border guards had prevented a “diversionary reconnaissance” group from breaching Russia’s border from Ukrainian territory and that five people had been killed, Russian news agencies reported.

Ukraine rejected the report, calling it “fake news”, and said no Ukrainian forces were present in the Rostov region where the incident was alleged to have taken place. Interfax cited the Russian military as saying that Ukrainian armed vehicles had been destroyed.

Earlier, Russia’s FSB security service said a shell from Ukrainian territory had completely destroyed a border guard post in Russia’s Rostov region but had caused no casualties, the Interfax news agency reported. The incident occurred 150 metres from the border between Russia and Ukraine, Interfax cited the FSB as saying. Sporadic shelling across the line dividing Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatists in the east has intensified since Thursday.

Canada Police Reclaim Capital After Truckers' Anti-Vaccine Protest Ends

OTTAWA, Feb 22: The last big rigs were towed Sunday out of Canada's capital, where the streets were quiet for the first time in almost a month after a massive police operation ended a drawn-out siege by protesters opposing Covid health rules.

A major cleanup was underway in Ottawa's snowy downtown, where police in riot gear had faced off with trucker-led demonstrators for two full days, finally driving them out of their protest hub outside parliament.

"I'm very happy to have my city back," Jeff Lindley, who lives and works downtown, told AFP. "It's so much better today, calmer and quieter without the ominous presence of all the trucks and protesters."

A few protesters stayed late into Saturday night, singing '80s protest anthems and setting off fireworks outside a hastily erected four-meter-high (13-foot) security fence surrounding the parliamentary precinct.

But the last gasp protest-turned-street-party fizzled as a deep freeze gripped the city.

Early Sunday, police were manning checkpoints restricting access to a 500-acre (200-hectare) downtown area, while a sizable force remained on standby to defend the ground reclaimed from the truckers.

Only a handful of protesters in the area were seen, testing the perimeter.

One who gave his name only as John said he was packing it in after wandering for hours with a Canadian flag in hand.

"It's pretty locked down, all I see is cops everywhere," he said.

Ottawa police issued a reminder that the core area remains off-limits except to local residents and workers.

Police tweeted midmorning that two people had just been arrested -- for a total of 191, including protest leaders, since police moved in on Friday.

They said 57 vehicles had so far been towed out of the city center -- paralyzed since January 29 when hundreds of trucks, RVs and other vehicles parked there in protest.

Meanwhile, crews took down the last tents, food stands and other makeshift structures erected by demonstrators, and cleared snow from streets in preparation for local businesses to reopen.

For the first time in weeks, Ottawa residents were not awakened by the incessant honking that had become a staple of the protests.

Ukraine calls on Putin to meet, seeks security guarantee from west

MUNICH, Feb 19: Amid invasion threat, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on Russia's Vladimir Putin for a meeting as separatist leaders in the eastern region ordered a full military mobilization on Saturday.

“I don't know what the president of the Russian Federation wants, so I am proposing a meeting,” he said at the Munich Security Conference where he met US vice president Kamala Harris. The world “is at a decisive moment in history,” Harris said on heightened tensions.

Here are ten big points on Ukraine-Russia tensions:

1. Citing “terrible lessons from history”, Zelenskyy sought a new security guarantee from the west, adding he wanted to convene a meeting of world powers. "The rules that the world agreed on decades ago no longer work. They do not keep up with new threats. Not effective for overcoming them. This is a cough syrup when you need a coronavirus vaccine," he said. The 44-year-old leader received a standing ovation before starting remark.

2. “Let me be clear, I can say with absolute certainty: If Russia further invades Ukraine, the United States, together with our allies and partners, will impose significant, and unprecedented economic costs,” Kamala Harris said. She told Zelenskyy: “Any threat to your country will be taken very seriously”.

3. The massive Russian troop buildup has sparked concerns of the biggest east-west crisis since the cold war. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin compared Russia to a snake, saying, ”They are uncoiling and are now poised to strike.”

4. In Ukraine’s Donetsk region, Denis Pushilin, the head of the pro-Russia separatist government said that was an immediate threat of Ukraine aggression. “I appeal to all the men in the republic who can hold weapons to defend their families, their children, wives, mothers. Together we will achieve the coveted victory that we all need,” he said.

5. A shell had hit a house in a village near Ukraine border, Russia’s TASS news agency reported. Ukraine dismissed earlier reports that its shells had landed on the Russian territory. In Ukraine, news agency Reuters reported, the ruling party’s spokeswoman claimed a group of lawmakers and foreign media had to be moved under shelter after they came under fire in eastern region.

6. Fearing further escalation, Germany has asked its citizens to leave Ukraine at the earliest. "German citizens are urgently requested to leave the country now," read the updated travel advice on the German foreign ministry website as saying.

7. “The Kremlin’s dangerous thinking, which comes straight out of a dark past, may cost Russia a prosperous future,” EU chief Von der Leyen warned on Saturday.

8. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Saturday told Moscow “it’s never too late to stop preparing for war”. "If Russia wants to divide us, they actually get the opposite, they get a more united NATO. And if Russia wants less NATO at its borders, they get the opposite, they get more NATO," he said.

9. UK has warned that Taiwan may bear brunt of the aggression too. "If Ukraine is endangered, the shock will echo around the world. And those echoes will be heard in east Asia, will be heard in Taiwan," British PM Boris Johnson said. "People would draw the conclusion that aggression pays, and that might is right,” he added. China claims Taiwan is a part of its territory.

10.Earlier on Saturday, Russia's President Vladimir Putin launched exercises by strategic nuclear missile forces amid tensions with Ukraine.

India-UAE sign 'pathbreaking' trade deal

NEW DELHI, Feb 18: Union minister of commerce and industry Piyush Goyal today said both India and UAE are entering a golden era of economic and trade cooperation with the signing of the India-UAE CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement).

The agreement will provide significant benefits to Indian and UAE businesses, including enhanced market access and reduced tariffs. The CEPA will boost bilateral trade from the current $60 billion to $100 billion in the next 5 years.

The Union minister held a bilateral meeting with the UAE delegation led by Minister of Economy Abdulla bin Touq Al-Marri and Minister of State for Foreign Trade.

"The deal is done! Signed the pathbreaking #IndiaUAECEPA along with the UAE Minister of Economy H.E Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri. The sky is the limit for our trade & economic ties as we commit to building a shared future & enhancing the prosperity of our people," Goyal said, adding that both nations are entering a golden era of economic and trade cooperation with the signing of India-UAE CEPA.

The formal talks over CEPA started in September 2021. The trade deal between India and UAE bears significance as the heads of both the countries, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan, will now hold another round of talks over economic and trade cooperation.

CEPA is expected to create new jobs, raise living standards, and provide wider social and economic opportunities in both nations. The new strategic economic agreement will increase bilateral trade in goods to $100 billion in five years of the signed agreement and increase trade in services to $15 billion, a statement released during the launch of formal trade tasks back in September 2021 said.

Notably, the UAE is currently India’s third-largest trading partner with bilateral trade in 2019/2020 valued at $59 billion. The UAE is also India’s second-largest export destination after the US, with exports valued at $29 billion in 2019-2020. India was the UAE’s second-largest trading partner in 2019, with bilateral non-oil trade valued at $41 billion.

The UAE is also the eighth-largest investor in India, having invested $11 billion between April 2000 and March 2021, while investment by Indian companies in the UAE is estimated to be over $85 billion.

India's major exports to the UAE include petroleum products, precious metals, stones, gems and jewellery, minerals, food items such as cereals, sugar, fruits and vegetables, tea, meat, and seafood, textiles, engineering and machinery products, and chemicals.

India's top imports from the UAE include petroleum and petroleum products, precious metals, stones, gems and jewellery, minerals, chemicals and wood and wood products. India imported $10.9 billion of crude oil from the UAE in 2019-2020.

Russia Welcomes India's 'Independent' Approach To Ukraine Crisis At The UN

NEW DELHI, Feb 18: Facing bitter criticism from the West on Ukraine, the Russian embassy in India today welcomed India's "balanced, principled and independent approach" at the United Nations Security Council Briefing on the implementation of the Minsk Agreements on Ukraine.

India has said that "quiet and constructive" diplomacy is the need of the hour and any steps that increase tension "may best be avoided by all sides" in the larger interest of securing international peace and security.

The issue can only be resolved through diplomatic dialogue, India said at the UN.

"We welcome #India's balanced, principled and independent approach," the Russian embassy tweeted while resharing a video clip from the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations in New York.

Singapore PM's Remarks On Indian MPs With Criminal Records Uncalled For

NEW DELHI, Feb 17: India has slammed the Singapore Prime Minister's comments on "Nehru's India" and the criminal record of MPs and has said it will take it up with the country.

"The remarks by the Prime Minister of Singapore were uncalled for. We are taking up the matter with the Singaporean side," according to government sources.

Sources said the foreign ministry summoned the Singapore High Commissioner and conveyed its objection.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is reported to have made the comment during an impassioned debate in the Singaporean parliament yesterday on how democracy should function.

"...Nehru's India has become one where, according to media reports, almost half the MPs in the Lok Sabha have criminal charges pending against them, including charges of rape and murder. Though it is also said that many of these allegations are politically motivated," he said.

Lee, 70, was trying to make the point that "most countries are founded and start off on the basis of high ideals and noble values", but gradually, the texture of politics changes. Most political systems today would be "unrecognisable" to their founding leaders, he said.

Referring to various world leaders including India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, the Singapore Prime Minister said: "Things start off with passionate intensity. The leaders who fought for and won independence are often exceptional individuals of great courage, immense culture, and outstanding ability. They came through the crucible of fire and emerged as leaders of men and nations. They are the David Ben-Gurions, the Jawaharlal Nehrus, and we have our own too."

Lee continued: "Imbued with enormous personal prestige, they strive to meet the high expectations of their peoples to build a brave new world, and shape a new future for their peoples, and for their countries. But beyond that initial fervour, succeeding generations often find it hard to sustain this momentum and drive."

"Ben-Gurion's Israel", he remarked, had morphed into one which could barely form a government, despite four general elections in two years, and where senior politicians and officials faced criminal charges.

Russia announces end of Crimea military drills, troops leaving

MOSCOW, Feb 16: Russia on Wednesday said military drills in Moscow-annexed Crimea had ended and that soldiers were returning to their garrisons, a day after it announced a first troop pullback from Ukraine's borders.

"Units of the Southern Military District, having completed their participation in tactical exercises, are moving to their permanent deployment points," Moscow's defence ministry said in a statement.

State television showed images of military units crossing a bridge linking the Russia-controlled peninsula to the mainland.

The statement said tanks, infantry vehicles and artillery were leaving Crimea by rail.

It comes a day after Moscow said it was pulling back some of the troops deployed on its neighbour's borders.

But Western leaders remain concerned that Russia could still launch an attack on Ukraine, with US President Joe Biden warning on Tuesday that an attack by Moscow remained "very much a possibility".

Biden said that despite Russian claims earlier in the day, Washington and its allies had yet to verify the withdrawal of any of the tens of thousands of troops he says Moscow has now mustered along Ukraine's border.

Russia Pullbacks Some Troops From Ukraine Border

MOSCOW, Feb 15: Russia said Tuesday it was pulling back some of its forces near the Ukrainian border to their bases, in what could be the first major step towards de-escalation in weeks of crisis with the West.

Moscow released few details and there was no immediate outside confirmation of the withdrawal, which the Kremlin said had always been planned despite Western "hysteria" over a feared invasion of Ukraine.

It came amid an intense diplomatic effort to avert a war in Europe after Russia amassed more than 100,000 troops on the borders of its pro-Western neighbour.

Western leaders accused Moscow of preparing for a possible invasion, a claim Russia repeatedly denied, and threatened wide-ranging sanctions if an attack took place.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said in Brussels there were "grounds for cautious optimism" in signs coming from Russia, but warned: "We have not seen any sign of de-escalation on the ground."

In Moscow, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz became the latest world leader to meet Vladimir Putin in recent days, sitting for talks with the Kremlin leader that were to finish with a news conference later Tuesday.

On the streets of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, residents enjoying bright winter sunshine were warily optimistic, and grateful that Ukraine and its allies appeared to have held their nerve.

"There is no panic in society... You see how many people are walking around, they are all smiling, they are all happy," lawyer Artem Zaluznyi, 22, said on the city's main thoroughfare, Khreschatyk Street.

But there was also caution, with many doubting that Russia would honour any promise to withdraw.

"To believe it fully would be neither smart nor wise," Zaluznyi said.

The crisis -- the worst between Russia and the West since the Cold War ended -- reached a peak this week, with US officials warning a full-scale invasion, including an assault on Kyiv, was possible within days.

Washington took the dramatic step on Monday of relocating its embassy in Kyiv to the western city of Lviv, after previously urging US citizens to leave Ukraine.

On Tuesday morning, the Russian defence ministry spokesman said some forces deployed near Ukraine had completed their exercises and were packing up to leave.

"Units of the southern and western military districts, having completed their tasks, have already begun loading onto rail and road transport and today they will begin moving to their military garrisons," the ministry's chief spokesman, Igor Konashenkov, said in a statement.

The ministry released a video that it said showed Russian tanks climbing on to rail cars to leave an area where drills had been taking place.

It was not immediately clear how many units were involved and what impact the withdrawals would have on the overall number of troops surrounding Ukraine, but it was the first announcement of a Russian drawdown in weeks.

Konashenkov said "large-scale" Russian military drills were continuing in many areas, including joint exercises in Belarus and naval exercises in the Black Sea and elsewhere.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova suggested Tuesday's news would show it was the West that had been ratcheting up tensions with its claims.

"February 15, 2022, will go down in history as the day Western war propaganda failed. Humiliated and destroyed without a single shot being fired," she wrote on social media.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the pullback was the "usual process" after military exercises and again blamed the West for the crisis.

"This is nothing but a totally unprecedented campaign to provoke tensions," he said, calling decisions to move embassies to western Ukraine "ostentatious hysteria".

Ukraine said deterrence efforts against Russia appeared to be working but that it would watch to see if any Russian withdrawal was real.

"We have a rule: don't believe what you hear, believe what you see. When we see a withdrawal, we will believe in a de-escalation," Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told reporters.

And in a separate move that would be sure to anger Kyiv, Russia's parliament on Tuesday voted to urge Putin to recognise two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as "sovereign and independent states".

This would allow Russia to abandon the Minsk agreements peace plan for eastern Ukraine and potentially move in Russian troops -- giving Putin a strong card to play in any future negotiations with Kyiv.

Moscow has repeatedly blamed the crisis on the West, saying the United States and western Europe are ignoring Russia's legitimate security concerns on its doorstep.

The Kremlin insists NATO must give assurances Ukraine will never be admitted as a member and roll back its presence in several eastern European and ex-Soviet countries.

Russia already controls the Crimean Peninsula that it seized from Ukraine in 2014 and supports separatist forces who have taken control of parts of eastern Ukraine, in a conflict that has claimed more than 14,000 lives.

Cabinet approves preparations for India's G20 presidency

NEW DELHI, Feb 15: The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved setting up of a G20 secretariat to put in place arrangements required for India’s presidency of the prestigious grouping.

India will hold the Presidency of the G20 from December 1 to November 30, 2023. India will host the G20 summit next year.

"The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, today approved the setting up of a G20 Secretariat and its reporting structures, which will be responsible for implementation of overall policy decisions and arrangements needed for steering India’s forthcoming G20 Presidency,” the government said in a statement.

G20 is the premier forum for international economic cooperation that plays an important role in global economic governance.

"As per practice, a G20 Secretariat is being established to handle work relating to substantive / knowledge / content, technical, media, security and logistical aspects of India’s G20 Presidency,” according to the statement.

"It will be manned by officers and staff from the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Finance, and other relevant line Ministries / Departments and domain knowledge experts,” it said.

The government said the secretariat will be functional till February 2024. Italy held the G-20 presidency in 2021 while Indonesia will play the role till November, 2022.

Italy, Indonesia and India are the G20 troika countries at present.

Italy held the G-20 presidency in 2021 while Indonesia will play the role till November, 2022.

North Korea Is In A Phase Of 'Provocation': US Condemns Missile Tests

HONOLULU, Feb 13: The top diplomats of Japan, South Korea and the United States declared their unity against North Korea on Saturday after a series of ballistic missile launches by Pyongyang.

After a day of meetings in Honolulu, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong, and Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa condemned the series of seven launches as "destabilizing" in a joint statement.

Pyongyang needs "to cease its unlawful activities and instead engage in dialogue," they said.

"The DPRK is in a phase of provocation," Blinken told a press conference alongside his fellow foreign ministers, using the acronym for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"We continue to work to find ways to hold the DPRK accountable," he said, citing the most recent sanctions slapped on eight people and entities tied to the North Korean government.

The three diplomats reiterated their commitment to the denuclearization of the entire Korean Peninsula, and readiness to resume talks with Pyongyang, which has not responded to overtures from the administration of US President Joe Biden in the past year.

"The Secretary and Foreign Ministers emphasized they held no hostile intent towards the DPRK and underscored continued openness to meeting the DPRK without preconditions," they said in the statement.

Biden Dials Putin Over Ukraine, Warns Of 'Swift, Severe Costs' On Russia

MOSCOW, Feb 13: oscow: Efforts to defuse the crisis in Ukraine via a frenzy of telephone diplomacy failed to ease tensions Saturday, with US President Joe Biden warning that Russia faces "swift and severe costs" if its troops carry out an invasion.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin slammed Western claims that Moscow was planning such a move as "provocative speculation" that could lead to conflict in the ex-Soviet country, according to a Russian readout of a call with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Speaking after new phone talks between Putin and Biden, the Kremlin's top foreign policy advisor Yury Ushakov told a conference call: "Hysteria has reached its peak."

Weeks of tensions that have seen Russia nearly surround its western neighbor with more than 100,000 troops intensified after Washington warned that an all-out invasion could begin "any day" and Russia launched its biggest naval drills in years across the Black Sea.

"If Russia undertakes a further invasion of Ukraine, the United States together with our allies and partners will respond decisively and impose swift and severe costs on Russia," Biden told Putin, according to the White House.

While the United States was prepared to engage in diplomacy, "we are equally prepared for other scenarios," Biden said, as the two nations stare down one of the gravest crises in East-West relations since the Cold War.

While the Biden-Putin talks were "professional and substantive," lasting just over an hour, they produced "no fundamental change" in dynamics, a senior US official told reporters.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated a US warning that Russia could stage a "false flag" incident to invade.

"No one should be surprised if Russia instigates a provocation or incident, which it then uses to justify military action it had planned all along," said Blinken, who spoke with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Saturday.

Russia's defense ministry added to the febrile atmosphere by announcing that it had chased off a US submarine it said had crossed into its territorial waters near the Kuril Islands in the northern Pacific.

But the US Indo-Pacific Command denied it had been operating in Russian territorial waters.

Putin began his afternoon holding talks with Macron that lasted almost two hours.

Macron's office said "both expressed a desire to continue dialogue" but, like Washington, reported no clear progress.

Russia added to the ominous tone by pulling some of its diplomatic staff out of Ukraine Saturday, with the foreign ministry saying its decision was prompted by fears of "possible provocations from the Kyiv regime."

But Washington and a host of European countries along with Israel cited the growing threat of a Russian invasion as they called on their citizens to leave Ukraine as soon possible.

Britain and the United States also pulled out the majority of their remaining military advisors, while the US embassy ordered "most" of its Kyiv staff to leave.

Australia said it had directed all remaining embassy staff in Kyiv to evacuate, and Canada said it was closing its embassy temporarily and moving operations to the western city of Lviv.

Dutch carrier KLM announced that it was suspending commercial flights to Ukraine until further notice.

The prospect of fleeing Westerners prompted Kyiv to issue an appeal to its citizens to "remain calm."

"Right now, the people's biggest enemy is panic," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on a visit to troops stationed near the Russian-annexed peninsula of Crimea.

Washington on Friday issued its most dire warning yet that Russia had assembled enough forces to launch a serious assault.

"Our view that military action could occur any day now, and could occur before the end of the Olympics, is only growing in terms of its robustness," US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan warned.

Sullivan stopped short on Friday of saying that the United States has concluded that Putin has made the decision to attack.

But some US and German media cited intelligence sources and officials as saying that a war could begin at some point after Putin concludes talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Moscow on Tuesday.

The German leader is due to travel to Kyiv on Monday and then visit Putin, as Europe strives to keep lines of communication open with Moscow.

Ukrainian leaders have been trying to talk down the prospects of an all-out war because of the damaging effect such fears are having on the country's teetering economy and public morale.

But the mood across the country remained tense.

The mayor's office in Kyiv said it had prepared an emergency evacuation plan for the capital's three million residents as a precaution.

Russia is seeking binding security guarantees from the West that include a pledge to roll NATO forces out of eastern Europe and to never expand into Ukraine.

Washington has flatly rejected the demands, but offered talks on a new European disarmament agreement with Moscow.

Blinken said Russia was preparing a response to the US proposals of "concrete areas for discussion."

"It remains to be seen if they'll follow through on that but if they do, we'll be ready to engage together with our allies and partners."

S Jaishankar slams China for ‘disregarding’ written commitments

MELBOURNE, Feb 12: With Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne by his side, External Affairs minister S Jaishankar Saturday slammed China for “disregarding” written commitments between Delhi and Beijing for not amassing forces at the border, and said that when a large country disregards written commitments, it is an issue of “legitimate concern” for the entire international community.

Responding to Beijing’s criticism of the Quad, Jaishankar said China has been taking this line for some time and by criticising the Quad grouping repeatedly but it “doesn’t make the grouping less credible”.

These sharp words came from the External Affairs minister, who is usually very diplomatic in his choice of words especially, when it comes to China. But this reflects a deep sense of frustration on the establishment in Delhi on Beijing’s behaviour over the last 21 months.

However, he was at his diplomatic self when it came to responding to questions on Russia’s actions along the Ukrainian border. When asked, he merely said that “diplomacy is the only way out”, and did not criticise the Russians for amassing troops along the Ukrainian border, which has sparked fears of a conflict.

Payne, however, was critical of the Russian behaviour as she expressed “concern” at the “extraordinary unilateral action” by Russia and expressed “support” for “Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”.

So, while both Jaishankar and Payne agreed on the Chinese behaviour along the LAC, there were divergences in their public statements on the Russia-Ukraine situation.

Responding to a question on whether they had a discussion on the situation along the Line of Actual Control, Jaishankar said, “Yes, we had a discussion on India-China relations, because it was a part of how we briefed each other about what was happening in our neighbourhood. And it’s an issue in which a lot of countries legitimately take interest, particularly if they are from the Indo Pacific region, because the situation has arisen due to the disregard by China in 2020 of written agreements with us, not to amass forces at the border. So, when a large country disregards written commitments, I think it’s an issue of legitimate concern for the entire international community.”

On Quad and China’s criticism of it, Payne said, “We are not against anything. We’re about building confidence and resilience about promoting a region in which all countries are able to be and feel sovereign and secure without the threat of coercion or intimidation.” This was an oblique reference to China’s actions at the India-China LAC and in the Indo-Pacific region.

The two Foreign ministers held a meeting on the cyber security as well.

A joint statement on the cyber security dialogue said the ministers reiterated their commitment to secure, resilient and trusted technology and agreed to work together to “address the significant threat of malicious cyber activity by state and non-state actors”.

“They acknowledged the importance of the security and resilience of telecommunication networks and the need to work closely with each other to protect next generation telecommunications networks, including 5G and 6G,” it said.

The ministers emphasised the integral role of cyber and cyber-enabled critical technologies in fostering sustainable development and inclusive economic growth. They recognised the importance of diverse and trusted technology supply chains, including trusted sources and products, it said.

Recognising the importance of working collaboratively with international partners, it said the ministers agreed to undertake joint engagement with Indo-Pacific partners to collaboratively improve the region’s cyber capabilities to promote a resilient and trusted cyberspace and effective incident response.

India faces ‘significant challenges’ from China's aggression in Indo-Pacific: US

WASHINGTON, Feb 12: India faces significant geopolitical challenges from China and its behaviour on the Line of Actual Control (LAC), stated the White House on Friday in its Indo-Pacific strategic report. The Chinese coercion spans the globe, the report stated, but it is most acute in the Indo-Pacific.

The Indo-Pacific strategic report was released as part of the Quad Ministerial with foreign ministers of Australia, India, Japan and the US, which is underway in Australia. The ministers expressed concerns over the malign Chinese role in the region.

"India faces very significant challenges. China's behaviour on the Line of Actual Control has had a galvanizing impact on India. From our standpoint, we see tremendous opportunities in working with another democracy - with a country that has a maritime tradition that understands the importance of the global commons - to advance critical issues in the region,” said a senior White House official.

He extended the US' desire to continue building on the work of past administrations to significantly broaden and deepen that relationship, giving India the recognition of a critical strategic partner.

China, the strategic report said, is combining its economic, diplomatic, military, and technological might as it pursues a sphere of influence in the Indo-Pacific and seeks to become the world's most influential power.

This is the first region-specific report released by US President Joe Biden-led administration. It outlines Biden's vision to firmly anchor the United States' position in the Indo-Pacific by supporting India's rise and regional leadership in the process.

"We will continue to build a strategic partnership in which the United States and India work together and through regional groupings to promote stability in South Asia; collaborate in new domains such as health, space, and cyberspace; deepen our economic and technology cooperation; and contribute to a free and open Indo-Pacific," the statement read.

"We recognise that India is a like-minded partner and leader in South Asia and the Indian Ocean, active in and connected to Southeast Asia, a driving force of the Quad and other regional fora, and an engine for regional growth and development," it added.

From the economic coercion of Australia to the conflict along the Line of Actual Control with India to the growing pressure on Taiwan and bullying of neighbours in the East and South China Seas, the People's Republic of China (PRC) has been undermining human rights and international law, including freedom of navigation, as well as other principles that bring stability and prosperity to the region, the strategy said.

"Our collective efforts over the next decade will determine whether the PRC succeeds in transforming the rules and norms that have benefitted the Indo-Pacific and the world. For our part, the United States is investing in the foundations of our strength at home, aligning our approach with those of our allies and partners abroad, and competing with the PRC to defend the interests and vision for the future that we share with others," it noted.

"We will strengthen the international system, keep it grounded in shared values, and update it to meet 21st-century challenges. Our objective is not to change China but to shape the strategic environment in which it operates, building a balance of influence in the world that is maximally favourable to the United States, our allies and partners, and the interests and values we share," the report added.

Internal Matter, Says India After US Remarks On Hijab Row

NEW DELHI, Feb 12: Amid a global uproar on the hijab row, India today said that motivated comments on internal issues are not welcome. Muslim students in several Karnataka colleges are demanding that they be allowed to attend classes wearing a hijab.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that those who know India well would have a proper appreciation of the realities.

"A matter regarding dress code in some educational institutions in the State of Karnataka is under judicial examination by the Hon'ble High Court of Karnataka. Our constitutional framework and mechanisms, as well as our democratic ethos and polity, are the context in which issues are considered and resolved," Bagchi said in a statement.

"Those who know India well would have a proper appreciation of those realities," he added.

Bagchi's response came when asked by the media about comments by some countries on dress code in some educational institutions in Karnataka.

Yesterday, a US government body that monitors and reports on religious freedom abroad had criticised Karnataka.

Rashad Hussain, the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, or IRF, tweeted "hijab bans in schools violate religious freedom", referring to the controversy in Karnataka that has prompted the state government to keep schools and colleges shut till the high court completes looking into petitions on the hijab ban.

Hussain was appointed Ambassador-at-Large for IRF by the US Senate in December last year. He is the first Muslim Ambassador-at-Large for IRF. He previously held several high-level positions in the US government including serving as the Special Envoy to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation during the Obama administration.

The hijab row started in Karnataka in December-end when a few students of a government pre-university college in Udupi who attended classes wearing headscarves were asked to leave the campus.

The matter then spread to different parts of the state, with youngsters, backed by right-wing outfits, responding by wearing saffron scarves.

With the protests taking a violent turn at some places earlier this week, the state government on Tuesday declared a three-day holiday for the institutions.

Quad Foreign Ministers Vow To Work Towards Free, Open Indo-Pacific

MELBOURNE, Feb 11: The foreign ministers of the Quad grouping of India, the US, Australia and Japan on Friday vowed to work vigorously to achieve the grouping's shared vision of a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific and collectively deal with common threats such as terrorism.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Australia's Marise Payn held the talks in Melbourne.

At a joint media briefing after the talks, Payne said the Quad foreign ministers reaffirmed their support to principles of openness, protection of national sovereignty and observance of rules and fair play, in remarks seen as a message to China.

Jaishankar said the interactions made it evident that robust bilateral relations between the Quad countries, their strategic convergences and shared democratic values have all combined to make the Quad a vibrant and substantial framework.

"We are building an agenda which seeks to further our shared vision of a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific," Jaishankar said.

"We are keen to work together to further peace and stability and economic prosperity in the Indo-Pacific," he added.

Jaishankar said the meeting reviewed the Quad's ongoing efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and agreed to expedite delivery of safe and affordable vaccines, support capacity building and augment infrastructure for last-mile delivery.

Ahead of their talks, Jaishankar, Blinken, Hayashi and Payne jointly called on Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

"A long and productive day in Melbourne. Just finished the 4th Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting. Impressed by the progress we have made," Jaishankar said on Twitter.

In the meeting with the Quad foreign ministers, Morrison talked about the importance of the grouping in the context of current geopolitical developments.

"We live in a very fragile, fragmented and contested world, and that is no more accentuated than here in our Indo-Pacific, and the like-minded partners that we see gathered together in this Quad, I always find so incredibly reassuring," he said.

The Australian Prime Minister said that he was reassured by the incredible support that Australia has received by its Quad partners, and that he did not mean it only in a security context.

"I mean that in terms of our economic partnership and cooperation. I mean that in our humanitarian partnership. I mean that in terms of how each of us stands for a world order that favours freedom, and particularly here in a free and open Indo-Pacific. And I want to thank you for all of that," he said.

He said the Quad countries are working together on many shared projects and the partnership is not only about the traditional regional security issues.

"And the things we discussed today are principally how we will continue to always stand up for our values, which combined, which is what unites us most. Secondly, I think, in doing so, we stand up to those who would seek to coerce us," he said.

"And as I understand from our Quad partners, none of you know, understand better than we do, and that is a great comfort to us, that the coercion and the pressure that Australia has been placed under. We greatly appreciate your support," he added.

Australian Foreign Minister Payne said on Thursday that the fourth meeting of the Quad foreign ministers would focus on coronavirus vaccine distribution, countering terrorism and cooperation in maritime security and climate change.

Payne had also highlighted the need for ensuring that all Indo-Pacific nations are able to make their own strategic decisions, free from coercion, in remarks seen as a veiled reference to China's increasing bullying in the region.

It was the third in-person meeting of Quad foreign ministers, following their meeting in Tokyo in October 2020 and the inaugural meeting in New York in September 2019.

The ministers last held talks virtually in February last year.

In March last year, US President Joe Biden hosted the first-ever summit of the Quad leaders in the virtual format that was followed by an in-person summit in Washington in September for which Prime Minister Narendra Modi had travelled to the US.

The Quad has been focusing cooperation in areas such as producing vaccines, connectivity projects, facilitating the mobility of students, and looking at promoting startups and technology collaboration.

The Quad vaccine partnership was announced in March last year with an aim to deliver one billion doses of vaccines to the Indo-Pacific region by the end of 2022.

It is learnt that there has been good progress under this initiative.

The production of Johnson and Johnson's Janssen vaccines started at India's Biological E facility in Hyderabad in October last year with the assistance of the US Development Financial Cooperation (DFC) through a credit line of USD 50 million to augment manufacturing capacity.

India is also open to supplying safe and affordable Made in India vaccines, such as COVOVAX and CORBEVAX, under the Quad vaccine partnership.

Following the launch of the Quad working group on critical and emerging technologies in March last year, four subgroups were established, with each country leading on one group.

The Quad is pursuing work on 5G technology and vendor diversification to maintain a diverse, open and interoperable telecommunication ecosystem through collaboration with like-minded partners.

Amid Ukraine tensions, Putin ready to compromise after talks with Macron

MOSCOW, Feb 8: Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was ready for compromise and would look at proposals put forward by French leader Emmanuel Macron in talks on Monday, while still blaming the West for raising tensions over Ukraine.

Emerging from nearly five hours of talks in the Kremlin, the two leaders voiced hope that a solution could be found to the worst crisis between Russia and the West since the end of the Cold War.

Repeatedly thanking Macron for coming to Moscow, Putin said at a joint press conference that the French leader had presented several ideas worth studying.

"A number of his ideas, proposals... are possible as a basis for further steps," Putin said, adding: "We will do everything to find compromises that suit everyone."

He did not provide any details but said the two leaders would speak by phone after Macron meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday.

Macron said he made proposals of "concrete security guarantees" and that Putin had "assured me of his readiness to engage".

The French presidency said the proposals include an undertaking from both sides not to take any new military action, the launching of a new strategic dialogue and efforts to revive the Ukrainian peace process.

Putin again denied that Russia was acting aggressively, despite Western fears of a possible invasion of Ukraine after Russia amassed tens of thousands of its troops on its borders.

"It is not us who are moving towards NATO's borders," he said, in reference to alliance deployments in eastern Europe.

The meeting in Moscow came at the start of a week of intense diplomacy over the Ukraine crisis, with US President Joe Biden also hosting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Washington on Monday.

Biden made a categorical vow at the talks to shut down the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Europe if Moscow launches an invasion.

"If Russia invades -- that means tanks or troops crossing the border of Ukraine, again -- then there will be no longer a Nord Stream 2," Biden told a joint White House news conference with Scholz, following bilateral talks in the Oval Office.

"I promise you," Biden said, "we will bring an end to it."

US officials say Moscow has assembled 110,000 troops near the border with Ukraine and is on track to amass a large enough force -- some 150,000 soldiers -- for a full-scale invasion by mid-February.

Russia insists it has no plans to attack and has instead put forward its own demands for security guarantees.

It is demanding a permanent ban on Ukraine, a former Soviet republic, joining the US-led alliance and that the bloc roll back its military presence in eastern Europe.

Macron, whose country currently heads the European Union has tried to position himself as the key EU figure in negotiations with Russia.

Germany's new government has come under criticism from Ukraine and some in the United States over accusations that it is not fully engaging with US-led efforts to push back against Russian military pressure on Ukraine.

But Biden and Scholz in Washington insisted there were no disagreements on how to deal with Moscow.

"We're working in lockstep to further deter Russian aggression in Europe," Biden said in the White House's Oval Office.

"We are close allies and we act in a coordinated and united way, when it comes to responding to the current crises," Scholz told reporters earlier Monday, saying Russia would pay "a very high price" if it attacks Ukraine.

Biden has reacted to the Russian troop build-up by offering 3,000 American forces to bolster NATO's eastern flank, with a batch of the troops arriving in Poland on Sunday.

India summons S Korean envoy on Hyundai tweet in Pak, says it’s ‘unacceptable’

NEW DELHI, Feb 8: Social media posts by the Pakistan distributor of Hyundai Motors supporting the Islamabad-backed Kashmir Solidarity Day triggered a diplomatic row, with India summoning the South Korean ambassador to lodge a strong protest over the matter.

The matter also figured in a phone conversation on Tuesday between external affairs minister S Jaishankar and South Korea’s foreign minister Chung Eui-yong, who called his Indian counterpart in an effort to clear the air on the issue and to contain the fallout of the spat.

Pakistan has observed the Kashmir Solidarity Day on February 5 since 2004 to express its support to separatists backing the merger of Jammu and Kashmir with Pakistan. Islamabad says it offers political, diplomatic and moral support to the Kashmiri people but New Delhi has for long accused the Pakistani side of fomenting unrest and supporting terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, and beyond.

The distributor of Hyundai Motors was among the several Pakistani and multinational companies that posted messages on Twitter and Facebook supporting the Kashmir Solidarity Day on Saturday. The messages initially sparked outrage on social media, and there were numerous messages from Indian users calling for a boycott of the South Korean company and accusing it of supporting terrorism.

The external affairs ministry summoned South Korean ambassador Chang Jae-bok on Monday and conveyed the “strong displeasure of the government on the unacceptable social media post by Hyundai Pakistan”, according to ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.

“It was highlighted that this matter concerned India’s territorial integrity on which there could be no compromise,” Bagchi said. India expects Hyundai Motor to take “appropriate action to properly address these issues”, he added.

South Korean foreign minister Chung Eui-yong also telephoned Jaishankar on Tuesday morning. “While they discussed several issues, the South Korean foreign minister also conveyed that they regretted the offence caused to the people and government of India by the social media post,” Bagchi said.

Jaishankar acknowledged the call from his South Korean counterpart in a tweet and said they had discussed “bilateral and multilateral issues as also the Hyundai matter”.

The Indian ambassador in Seoul contacted the Hyundai headquarters on Sunday and sought an explanation over the social media posts. “A statement was also issued by Hyundai Motors conveying its deep regret to the people of India and making it clear that it does not comment on the political or religious issues,” Bagchi said.

“India welcomes investments by foreign companies in various sectors. But it is also expected that such companies or their affiliates will refrain from false and misleading comments on matters of sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he added.

Hyundai Motors in Pakistan is a joint venture between the South Korean firm and Nishat Group, one of Pakistan’s largest conglomerates with interests in areas ranging from cement to textiles. In a message posted on Twitter, the Pakistani distributor said: “Let us remember the sacrifices of our Kashmiri brothers and stand in support as they continue to struggle for freedom.”

The distributor posted a separate message on Facebook that said: “Praying for the liberation of our eternally beautiful Kashmir today and always!” Both messages were either deleted or restricted by Tuesday as a result of the controversy.

Hyundai Motor India too sought to distance itself from the row, posting a statement on its social media accounts that said the company, as a matter of business policy, does not comment on political and religious issues in any specific region. “Therefore, it is clearly against Hyundai Motor’s policy that the independently-owned distributor in Pakistan made unauthorised Kashmir-related social media posts from their own accounts,” the statement said.

The Pakistan distributor was made “acutely aware of the inappropriateness of the action” and the Indian subsidiary took measures to “ensure the distributor, which misused the Hyundai brand identity, has removed the social media posts”. Processes were also put in place to “prevent a future recurrence”.

Several Pakistani businesses or affiliates of global brands – including KFC, Kia Motors, Pizza Hut, Osaka Batteries, Isuzu D-Max, Bosch Pharmaceuticals, Atlas Honda Limited – had also posted messages on social media supporting Kashmir Solidarity Day but it couldn’t immediately be ascertained what, if any, action the Indian side planned to take regarding this.

“We stand together this Kashmir Solidarity Day, to realize their right to freedom,” KFC in Pakistan had said in its message. In response, KFC India offered an apology on its social media accounts “for a post that was published on some KFC social media channels outside the country”.

KFC India added, “We honour and respect India, and remain steadfast in our commitment to serving all Indians with pride.”

Anti-mandate protests in Canada: Emergency declared in Ottawa

OTTAWA, Feb 7: A state of emergency has been declared in the Canadian capital of Ottawa as a protest by truckers’ camping there entered its tenth day.

The emergency was declared in a brief statement from city Mayor Jim Watson on Sunday. The decision was taken “due to the ongoing demonstration”.

“Declaring a state of emergency reflects the serious danger and threat to the safety and security of residents posed by the ongoing demonstrations and highlights the need for support from other jurisdictions and levels of government,” the statement added.

The city has been under siege since January 28 when the truckers started rolling into the city, under the banner of Freedom Convoy 2022 with the stated objective of remaining in Ottawa till the government removed restrictions such as a vaccine mandate on truckers plying between Canada and the United States. They also oppose other Covid-19 related measures such as lockdowns.

While the truckers have shown no sign of vacating Ottawa, Watson also called upon the government to step in. In an interview with the outlet CTV, he said there was a need for “some kind of mediation to get this situation resolved because it’s now spreading all across the country”.

After attacking the demonstrators last week, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been silent and remains at an undisclosed location in the National Capital Region, for reasons of security. Trudeau is also in self-isolation as he tested positive for Covid-19 on January 30.

In a release, the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) said it continues to “advise demonstrators not to enter Ottawa, and to go home.”

Enforcement measures have also been increased. Among them, the OPS said were the opening of 97 criminal offence investigations in relation to the demonstration, while intelligence and evidence gathering teams continue to collect financial, digital, vehicle registration, driver identification, insurance status, and other related evidence that will be used in criminal prosecutions.

Queen Elizabeth Wants Prince Charles' Wife To Be Known As 'Queen Consort'

LONDON, Feb 6: Queen Elizabeth II has announced that she wants Camilla, the wife of her heir Prince Charles, to ultimately be known as Queen Consort, as she became the first British monarch to reign for seven decades Sunday.

The 95-year-old said she hoped her daughter-in-law will be known as Queen Consort when Charles accedes to the throne, in a remarkable journey to public acceptance for Camilla after being vilified for her role in the break-up of Charles' marriage to Princess Diana.

Addressing the nation in a written statement on the eve of the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne, the Queen said that when Charles becomes monarch she hoped the British people would give him and Camilla "the same support that you have given me".

Charles and Camilla, now known as the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, had a highly publicised relationship that ended their previous marriages and there had been doubts over whether the public would accept her.

They married in 2005, with a royal announcement that Camilla would become known as Princess Consort due to the sensitivity of the issue, but she gradually won plaudits as the future king's loyal wife.

China's Bridge On Pangong Is 'Illegal Occupation': India

NEW DELHI, Feb 4: The Chinese Bridge across the Pangong Lake in Eastern Ladakh is being built in an illegally held area, the government told Parliament today. It added that it expects other countries to respect India's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

"The Government has taken note of a bridge being constructed by China on Pangong lake. This bridge is being constructed in areas that have continued to be under the illegal occupation of China since 1962," the government told Parliament in a written response.

"Government of India has never accepted this illegal occupation. Government has made it clear on several occasions that the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh are an integral part of India and we expect other countries to respect India's sovereignty and territorial integrity," it added.

The bridge, which is 8 metres wide, lies just south of a Chinese army field base on the North Bank of Pangong where Chinese field hospitals and troop accommodations were seen during the standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in 2020.

Since 2020 - and particularly after the violent face-off in the Galwan river area in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed in the line of duty - more than 50,000 troops from both sides have been deployed in eastern Ladakh - from the Depsang plains to the north to the Demchok area further south.

China's bridge construction threatens to wreck the delicate calm that has reigned since.

India has been involved in talks with China over the disengagement process.

"Our approach in these talks has been and will continue to be guided by three key principles, that, (i) both sides should strictly respect and observe the LAC; (ii) neither side should attempt to alter the status quo unilaterally; and (iii) all agreements between the two sides must be fully abided by in their entirety," the government said.

The last round of talks between the senior commanders of India and China was held on January 12. They agreed that both sides would work for the resolution of the remaining issues at the earliest, restoring peace along the Line of Actual Control.

On reports of China renaming places in Arunachal Pradesh, the government reiterated that the northeastern state is an integral part of India.

"Government has noted reports of renaming of some places by China in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. This is a futile exercise that will not alter the fact that Arunachal Pradesh has always been, is and will always be an integral part of India," it said.

Biden says IS leader killed during US raid in Syria

WASHINGTON/ ATME (Syria), Feb 3: The leader of the violent Islamic State group was killed during an overnight raid carried out by US special forces in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province, President Joe Biden said Thursday.

The raid targeted Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, who took over as head of the militant group on Oct 31, 2019, just days after leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi died during a US raid in the same area.

A US official said al-Qurayshi died as al-Baghdadi did, by exploding a bomb that killed himself and members of his family, including women and children, as US forces approached.

The operation came as IS has been trying for a resurgence, with a series of attacks in the region, including a 10-day assault late last month to seize a prison.

US special forces landed in helicopters and assaulted a house in a rebel-held corner of Syria, clashing for two hours with gunmen, witnesses said. Residents described continuous gunfire and explosions that jolted the town of Atmeh near the Turkish border, an area dotted with camps for internally displaced people from Syria’s civil war.

First responders reported that 13 people had been killed, including six children and four women.

Biden said in a statement that he ordered the raid to “protect the American people and our allies, and make the world a safer place.” He planned to address the American public later Thursday morning.

“Thanks to the skill and bravery of our Armed Forces, we have taken off the battlefield Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi – the leader of ISIS,” Biden said in a statement. He said all Americans involved in the operation returned safely.

The operation marked a military success for the United States at an important time after setbacks elsewhere – including the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal – have led allies and opponents to conclude U.S. power globally was weakening.

The two-story house, surrounded by olive trees in fields outside Atmeh, was left with its top floor shattered and blood spattered inside. A journalist on assignment for The Associated Press and several residents said they saw body parts scattered near the site. Most residents spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

“The mission was successful,” Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in a brief statement. “There were no US casualties.”

Idlib is largely controlled by Turkish-backed fighters but is also an al-Qaida stronghold and home to several of its top operatives. Other militants, including extremists from the rival IS group, have also found refuge in the region.

“The first moments were terrifying; no one knew what was happening,” said Jamil el-Deddo, a resident of a nearby refugee camp. "We were worried it could be Syrian aircraft, which brought back memories of barrel bombs that used to be dropped on us," he added, referring to crude explosives-filled containers used by President Bashar Assad’s forces against opponents during the Syrian conflict.

The top floor of the low house was nearly destroyed; a room there had collapsed, sending white bricks tumbling to the ground below.

Blood could be seen on the walls and floor of the remaining structure. A wrecked bedroom had a child’s wooden crib and a stuffed rabbit doll. On one damaged wall, a blue plastic baby swing was still hanging. Religious books, including a biography of Islam’s Prophet Mohammad, were in the house.

Al-Qurayshi had kept an extremely low profile since he took over leadership of the Islamic State. He had not appeared in public, and rarely released any audio recordings. His influence and day-to-day involvement in the group’s operations was not known and it is difficult to gauge how his death will affect the group.

His killing, however, is a significant blow just as the group had been trying to reassert itself in Syria and Iraq.

The opposition-run Syrian Civil Defence, first responders also known as the White Helmets, said 13 people were killed in shelling and clashes that ensued after the US commando raid.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, also said the strike killed 13 people, including four children and two women. Ahmad Rahhal, a citizen journalist who visited the site, reported seeing 12 bodies.

The Pentagon provided no details on casualties in the raid.

At least 38 Chinese soldiers drowned in river during 2020 Galwan clash, claims report

MELBOURNE, Feb 3: An investigative report by Australian newspaper The Klaxon, it has been claimed that at least 38 Chinese troops drowned in the early stages of the June 15-16 battle while attempting to cross back over the Galwan River in the dark.

The report draws heavily on research conducted by a group of unnamed social media researchers whose sources include Chinese bloggers, information obtained from mainland-based Chinese citizens and media reports that have since been deleted by Chinese authorities.

According to the report, Indian troops went to a disputed area in Galwan Valley on the night of June 15 to remove a Chinese encroachment. They were met by China’s Col Qi Fabao and 150 Chinese soldiers who formed a battle formation instead of discussing the issue with the Indian troops, the report adds.

“The moment Col Fabao attacked, he was immediately besieged by the Indian army troops. To rescue him, PLA battalion commander Chen Hongjun and soldier Chen Xiangron started a physical scuffle with Indian troops using steel pipes, sticks and stones [When 3 Chinese soldiers died] PLA soldiers panicked into retreat,” the report says.

Wang Zhuoran, one of the confirmed dead, reportedly came forward to help his retreating comrades and lead the way back.

“The PLA soldiers didn’t even have time to wear water pants. They decided to cross the icy water of the river in pitch dark under the guidance of Wang. The river rose suddenly and injured comrades kept slipping and (being) washed downstream,” the report says.

Citing “several Weibo users”, the report says that at least 38 Chinese troops along with Wang were washed away and drowned that night.

After the initial Galwan clash, both sides appear to have called for reinforcements. It is assumed that the 20 Indian soldiers who lost their lives died in the subsequent fighting.

The Australian newspaper report also makes other claims about the Galwan clash. As per the report, “a lot of facts about what really happened, what led to the skirmish, have been hidden by Beijing”.

“What was told by China to the world were mostly fabricated stories,” it says.

Evidence has also emerged to strongly suggest that several reports of the Galwan Valley clash conflated facts and imagery from two separate but similar clashes that occurred just over a week apart in the region, according to the new report. One clash took place in the day and the other at night.

Finally, the report also claims that the June 15 clash was sparked by the building of a temporary bridge by Indian soldiers across Galwan River in May.

“Though People’s Liberation Army was constructing its own infrastructure in the buffer zone, the construction of a temporary bridge by Indian troops aroused strong opposition by the Chinese,” the report states.

It is this that eventually led to the bloody clash on June 15 in 2020, the report says.

US To Send Warship, Fighter Jets To Assist UAE After Yemen Houthi Attacks

DUBAI, Feb 2: The United States will deploy a guided missile destroyer and state-of-the-art fighter jets to help defend the United Arab Emirates after a series of missile attacks by Yemeni rebels, a US statement said Wednesday.

The deployment, to "assist the UAE against the current threat", follows a phone call between Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the US embassy in the UAE said.

The UAE, part of the Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels, suffered its third missile attack in consecutive weeks on Monday.

The guided missile destroyer USS Cole will partner with the UAE Navy and make a port call in Abu Dhabi, the statement said, while the US will also deploy fifth-generation fighter planes.

Other actions include "continuing to provide early warning intelligence", it added.

The rebel attacks have opened a new front in Yemen's seven-year war, which has killed hundreds of thousands directly or indirectly and displaced millions.

Three foreign workers were killed in a drone-and-missile assault targeting Abu Dhabi's oil facilities and airport on January 17, triggering a salvo of deadly air strikes in retaliation.

On January 24, US forces stationed at Abu Dhabi's Al Dhafra air base fire Patriot interceptors and scrambled to bunkers as two ballistic missiles were shot down over the city.

And on Monday, a third missile attack was thwarted during the visit to the UAE of Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

The US, a supporter of the Saudi-led coalition, intends the deployment to be "a clear signal that the United States stands with the UAE as a long-standing strategic partner", the statement said.

The rebel attacks have raised Gulf tensions further at a time when international talks over Iran's nuclear programme are stumbling, and have helped push oil prices to seven-year highs.

The Huthis began attacking UAE interests after a series of defeats on the ground in Yemen, inflicted by the UAE-trained Giants Brigades militia.

In early January, the rebels seized a UAE-flagged ship in the Red Sea, saying it was carrying weapons -- a claim denied by the Emirates.

Yemen's civil war began in 2014 when the Huthis seized Sanaa, prompting Saudi-led forces to intervene to prop up the government the following year.

The UAE, one of the world's biggest arms buyers, announced a redeployment from Yemen in 2019 but remains an influential player.

The grinding conflict has left millions on the brink of famine, according to the UN, which has called it the world's worst humanitarian crisis.