Admins 
Turkey has indefinitely postponed a new round of talks with Sweden and Finland on the Nordic neighbours’ NATO membership bids in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last February, according to Turkish state TV. The meeting scheduled to take place in Brussels was postponed at Ankara’s request, the state broadcaster said on Tuesday. NATO … Read moreTurkey postpones NATO meeting with Sweden, Finland: State TV
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said he is willing to discuss pay rises for nurses ahead of a meeting with public sector trade union leaders in an effort to end the biggest wave of industrial disputes in decades. The United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS), long treasured and funded by taxpayers, delivers free care … Read moreUK PM Sunak signals he is open to discussing pay rises for nurses
Sweden is confident that Turkey will approve its application to join the NATO military alliance, but it will not meet all the conditions that Ankara has set for its support, Sweden’s prime minister has said. “Turkey both confirms that we have done what we said we would do, but they also say that they want … Read moreSweden says cannot fulfil Turkey’s demands for NATO application
NATO’s mission in Kosovo has turned down a Serbian government request to send up to 1,000 Serbian police and army personnel to Kosovo after a spate of clashes between Serbs and Kosovo authorities. Serbia’s former province of Kosovo declared independence in 2008 following the 1998-1999 war during which NATO bombed the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, … Read moreNATO turns down Serbia’s request to deploy troops in Kosovo
Portugal’s footballing superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has arrived in Riyadh ahead of his grand unveiling before thousands of fans at Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr club. After sealing a deal estimated at more than 200 million euros ($213m), the 37-year-old touched down in the Saudi Arabian capital late on Monday, according to Al Ekhbariya state-run TV. The … Read moreRonaldo arrives in Saudi Arabia ahead of unveiling by Al Nassr
German opposition politicians are calling for Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht’s resignation over what they say is a series of blunders, the latest of which was a New Year’s Eve speech they describe as an embarrassment. Lambrecht drew heavy criticism for a video address released on social media and filmed on the streets of Berlin during … Read moreGermany’s defence minister in hot water over New Year’s video
Russia has said that 63 of its troops were killed during a Ukrainian New Year’s Eve attack on a makeshift barracks in the partly-occupied Donetsk region. The ministry said in a statement on Monday that Ukraine’s military had launched six projectiles at the “provisional base” in the eastern city of Makiivka using the HIMARS guided … Read moreRussia says 63 troops killed in Ukrainian attack on Makiivka
Russia is planning a protracted campaign of attacks with Iranian drones to “exhaust” Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. “We have information that Russia is planning a protracted attack using Shahed drones,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address. “It is probably banking on exhaustion. Exhausting our people, our anti-aircraft defences, our energy.” Ukraine, he … Read moreRussia-Ukraine updates: Kyiv claims deadly hit on Moscow’s troops
This year will be tougher than 2022 for most of the global economy as the United States, European Union and China see slowing growth, the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said 2023 will be a “tough year”, with one-third of the world’s economies expected to be … Read more2023 to be tougher for global economy than 2022, IMF chief says
Serb protesters have agreed to start removing barricades and end their blockade of roads in northern Kosovo, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has said. Vucic, who met Serbs from northern Kosovo in the Serbian town of Raska, said the process of removing the barricades, which have blocked roads for 19 days, will begin on Thursday morning. … Read moreProtesting Serbs in northern Kosovo agree to remove barricades