Putin ‘unruffled and unapologetic’, despite war crimes charge John Sparks International correspondent @sparkomat The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, is now liable to arrest in 123 countries – but he knows that no one is going to detain him in Crimea. The peninsula was seized from Ukraine in 2014 and Russia’s long-time leader has returned to
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An arrest warrant issued against Russian President Vladimir Putin is the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) “first shot” in what could be a substantial indictment against him, Ukraine’s leading lawyer has said. The intergovernmental group – based at The Hague – has accused Mr Putin of being responsible for the abduction of children from Ukraine. An
Russia has hit back after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin, which accuses him of war crimes for his alleged involvement in child abductions from Ukraine. The ICC said the president is allegedly responsible for the “unlawful deportation of children and unlawful transfer of children from the territory of Ukraine
Wyoming has become the first US state to ban abortion pills. Those who “prescribe, dispense, distribute, sell or use any drug for the purpose of procuring or performing an abortion” will face up to six months in prison and a fine of up to $9,000 (£7,300). However, the law adds that women “upon whom a
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of abducting children from Ukraine. It also issued a warrant for the arrest of Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, Russia‘s commissioner for children, on similar allegations of war crimes. The Kremlin said Russia found the questions raised by the ICC
Police in Paris pepper sprayed young protesters near the Sorbonne University as two motions of no confidence were tabled against French President Emmanuel Macron. One motion of no confidence came from Marine Le Pen’s party Rassemblement National and was signed by 88 cross-party MPs. Another group of independent politicians put forward a second motion which
Emmanuel Macron’s attempt to raise France’s state retirement age has triggered nationwide protests and more than 300 arrests. Roads have been blocked in Paris, Rennes and other major cities, while rubbish piles up on the streets as several sectors walk out over the pension reforms. It comes after the government invoked article 49.3, allowing it
We’re racing across town in battle-torn eastern Ukraine, trying to keep up with a battered BMW driven by an 18-year-old with his 21-year-old mate urging him on; but they aren’t joyriding youngsters. They’re soldiers in the military and part of a special unit, and they’re taking us to their headquarters. We had met an hour
Poland is to send Ukraine four MiG-29 fighter jets in the coming days, it has been announced, with more to follow later. “Firstly, literally within the next few days, we will hand over, as far as I remember, four aircraft to Ukraine in full working order,” Polish President Andrzej Duda said on Thursday. “The rest
The battle of the AI chatbots has stepped up a notch after Chinese search giant Baidu unveiled its much-anticipated rival to ChatGPT. The company showed off Ernie (short for “enhanced representation through knowledge integration”), which analysts believe could be Beijing’s strongest competitor in a crowded field dominated by US firms. ChatGPT is made by the
The US says the drone which crashed into the Black Sea after encountering two Russian fighter jets will not provide intelligence of any value should Moscow attempt to recover its wreckage. Russian officials have said they will seek to find whatever is left of the MQ-9 Reaper, which was downed on Tuesday. Sergei Naryshkin, head
Police in Vienna have put more armed officers on the streets after intelligence suggested a possible Islamist terror attack was being planned against churches. “There is a nonspecific threat of an assault against churches,” police in the Austrian capital tweeted. “If there is a concrete danger for the population at a concrete location, Vienna police
The US and Russia have different accounts of what caused an American drone to crash into the Black Sea on Tuesday. It is the first time the two powers have come into direct contact since the Ukraine war started last year. ‘Something clearly went wrong’; follow Ukraine latest American officials say two Russian fighter jets
Joe Biden will visit Northern Ireland following a formal invitation from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The invitation was extended as the pair met for talks in San Diego to announce a nuclear submarine deal with Australia. “It’s my intention to go to Northern Ireland and the Republic,” Mr Biden said as they met in Point
Naatu Naatu from the Telugu-language blockbuster RRR has made history as the first Indian song to win an Academy Award, taking the Oscar for best original song. With its catchy chorus and energetic choreography, the song sparked a viral TikTok challenge as people tried to master the acrobatic moves. The song by MM Keeravani and Chandrabose beat
Aside from the business at hand, events in China’s Great Hall of the People really are an impressive spectacle. Everything is performed to perfection, from the synchronised tea pouring to the delegates clapping and even page-turning in unison. The National People’s Congress (NPC) is an annual event that theoretically decides policy and occasionally makes changes
China must modernise its military to make it a “Great Wall of Steel”, President Xi Jinping has said. Speaking for the first time in his precedent-breaking third term as head of state, Mr Xi called for China to step up its ability to safeguard national security and manage public security. “Security is the foundation for
The Indian government is pushing back on an attempt by campaigners to win legal recognition for same-sex marriage, according to reports. Officials have urged the court to reject challenges to the current legal framework lodged by LGBT couples, reported Reuters news agency, which has seen a Sunday filing submitted to the Supreme Court. The Ministry
The Israeli army says its soldiers have shot dead three Palestinian gunmen who opened fire on their post in the West Bank. The incident happened near the northern city of Nablus and a fourth gunman was arrested after he surrendered, the military added. The Palestinian health ministry confirmed three people were killed. It did not
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been brutal and attritional, and has shocked most of the “civilised” world. Russia’s evident disregard for casualties and collateral damage in the pursuit of victory is very different to the West’s approach to warfare, which has profound implications for the war in Ukraine, and the West’s wider defence planning assumptions.