Georgia conducts partial vote recount after reports of polling irregularities
Tbilisi, Georgia Reuters Georgia’s central electoral commission said it would recount ballots at some 14 per cent of polling stations on Tuesday after a disputed parliamentary election in the South Caucasus country. Official results said the governing Georgian Dream party won nearly 54 per cent of Saturday’s vote, but pro-Western opposition parties and Georgia’s president […]
Thousands protest in Georgia as opposition challenges election results
Tbilisi, Georgia Reuters Thousands of people protested outside Georgia’s parliament on Monday after the governing party won an election marred by reports of voting irregularities which Western powers said must be investigated. Some protesters carried anti-Russia banners after a parliamentary election they had cast as choice between the Georgian Dream party, which has deepened ties […]
Serbian elections marred by President’s involvement, vote buying – observers
Belgrade, Serbia Reuters Serbia’s ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) gained an unfair advantage in snap parliamentary elections through media bias, the improper influence of President Aleksandar Vucic and voting irregularities such as vote buying, an international monitoring mission said on Monday. The populist SNS won 46.72 per cent of the votes in Sunday’s elections, according […]
Putin makes surprise trip to Russian-occupied Mariupol in wake of ICC warrant
Reuters A day after being accused of war crimes by the International Criminal Court, President Vladimir Putin made a surprise visit to the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Mariupol, scene of some of the worst devastation of his year-old invasion. State television showed extended footage of Putin being shown around the city on Saturday night, meeting […]
Four Ukraine regions prepare to hold referendums on joining Russia
Kyiv, Ukraine Reuters Four areas of Ukraine controlled by Russia and pro-Moscow forces were preparing to hold referendums on Friday on joining Russia, a move widely condemned by the West as illegitimate and a precursor to illegal annexation. Russian-installed leaders on Tuesday announced plans for the votes, a challenge to the West that could sharply […]
European rights experts say Russia has committed war crimes in Ukraine
Vienna, Austria Reuters A mission of experts set up by Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe has found evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity by Russia in Ukraine, the mission said in a report on Wednesday. The mission was set up last month by 45 of the OSCE’s 57 participating states to […]
UN chief: prospect of nuclear conflict back “within realm of possibility” over Ukraine
Reuters United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday sounded the alarm over Russia raising the alert level for its nuclear forces after invading Ukraine, describing it as a “bone-chilling development”. “The prospect of nuclear conflict, once unthinkable, is now back within the realm of possibility,” Guterres told reporters, and repeated his call for an immediate […]
US says Russia may create pretext to attack Ukraine; Pope leads crowds in prayer for peace
Washington DC, US/Kyiv, Ukraine Reuters Russia could invade Ukraine at any time and might create a surprise pretext for an attack, the United States said on Sunday, as it reaffirmed a pledge to defend “every inch” of NATO territory. Russia has more than 100,000 troops massed near Ukraine, which is not part of the Atlantic […]
Russia says Ukraine talks hit “dead end”, Poland warns of risk of war
Vienna, Austria/Moscow, Russia Reuters Poland’s foreign minister said on Thursday that Europe was at risk of plunging into war as Russia said it was not yet calling time on diplomacy but that military experts were preparing options in case tensions over Ukraine could not be defused. In Washington, the White House said the threat of […]
Wield the law to stop human traffickers exploiting pandemic, watchdog says
Mexico City, Mexico Thomson Reuters Foundation Countries should focus on prosecuting human traffickers to stop a surge in exploitation as the economic fallout from coronavirus lockdowns makes more people vulnerable to the crime, a senior European security official said on Tuesday. Criminal justice has been interrupted globally by the pandemic and needs to be revived […]