Israel takes Iran's Aragchi, Qalibaf off hit list after Pakistan request to US
ISLAMABAD, March 26 (Reuters/AFP): Israel took Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi and Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf off its hit list after Pakistan requested that Washington not target them, a Pakistani source with knowledge of the discussions told Reuters on Thursday. "The Israelis had their coordinates and wanted to take...
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US links security promise to Ukraine giving up Donbas: Zelenskiy
KYIV, March 26 (Reuters): The U.S. is making its offer of security guarantees for a peace deal in Ukraine conditional on Kyiv ceding all of the country's eastern region of Donbas to Russia, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told Reuters in an interview.With the U.S. focused on its own conflict with Iran,...
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Trump confirms meeting with Xi in China on may 14-15
NEW YORK, Mar 26 (BBC): US president Donald Trump says he will meet Chinese president Xi Jinping in China on 14-15 May, after delaying the landmark trip amid the US-Israel war with Iran.This would be the first visit to China by a US president in nearly 10 years.Trump is also...
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Russian oil hit by drone in Black Sea near Turkey
ISTANBUL, March 26 (Reuters): A marine drone struck a crude oil tanker that had departed Russia, causing an explosion in the Black Sea near Istanbul's Bosphorus strait on Thursday, Turkey's transportation minister said.The incident, one of several in recent months involving Western-sanctioned vessels heading to or from Russian ports, occurred...
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Allies must urgently rethink defence
PARIS, Mar 26 (AFP): NATO countries urgently need to rethink how they ensure their defence, but many have yet to fully grasp the scale of the challenge, particularly when it comes to boosting weapons production, a top NATO officer said on Wednesday.Since Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Russia...
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Kim 'warmly' welcomes Belarusian leader
SEOUL, Mar 26 (AFP): North Korea's Kim Jong Un "warmly" welcomed Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on his maiden visit to the fellow Russia ally, with the two strongmen set to sign a friendship and cooperation treaty, state media reported Thursday.Besides supporting Russia's war against Ukraine-around 2,000 North Korean soldiers are...
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India bill to amend transgender rights sparks protests
NEW DELHI, Mar 26 (BBC): India's parliament has passed a controversial bill that seeks to change how transgender people are legally recognised and their right to self-identify, amid protests by opposition parties and the LGBTQ community.The government says the changes will make welfare benefits more accessible and strengthen an existing...
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