News Alert Special

Ukraine war: Russia vetoes UN Security Council motion ‘deploring’ invasion

Moscow faced down the world by vetoing a United Nations Security Council resolution “deploring” the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The vote was 11 in favour, with Russia voting no and China, India and the United Arab Emirates abstaining, which showed significant but not total opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of his country’s smaller and militarily weaker neighbour. “Let us…

Ukraine: Meta restricts Russia from running Facebook ads amid row over media censorship

Meta said it is barring Russian state media from running ads or monetising on its platform anywhere in the world, the parent company of social media giant Facebook said on Friday. “We also continue to apply labels to additional Russian state media,” its security policy head, Nathaniel Gleicher, said on Twitter. “These changes have already begun rolling out and will continue into the weekend. “We…

With no more guests, this Kyiv hotel is offering shelter to citizens

The usually busy streets of central Kyiv are empty. Air strike sirens blare and a lone old woman prays outside St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery. Many of the city’s inhabitants have already fled, but now, as Russian troops advance, those who have chosen to stay are seeking shelter. Many have gone deep underground to the city’s metro system, while others have sought refuge elsewhere. In…

Ukraine war: Poland refuses to play Russia World Cup qualifying match after Moscow’s invasion

Poland’s star striker Robert Lewandowski has backed his country’s refusal to play Russia in a World Cup qualifier next month. Cezary Kulesza, the president of the Polish football federation, said it was “time to act” following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Lewandowski, the nation’s all-time leading scorer, said it was the “right decision”. “I can’t imagine playing a match with the Russian…

Ukraine invasion: Long queues at Polish border as thousands flee the violence

Ukrainians are queuing for hours near the Polish border as thousands bid to flee the war raging in their homeland. One of them is Tamara Kulman from Zhytomyr, which is situated west of the capital Kyiv. The 34-year-old was in a long queue of traffic at Mostyska, which is fewer than 20 kilometres from the border with Poland. “We are staying here for a long time,” said Tamara. “Maybe six or seven…

Fighting for democracy against Russia is worth facing higher energy prices, says Timmermans

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will lead to higher energy prices for Europeans but the cost of surrendering to Moscow’s attack against democracy will be even higher, Frans Timmermans, European Commission’s Executive Vice-President, told Euronews. “Because of the crisis, because of what’s happening, because of the manipulation also by the Russians of the market, we will have higher energy prices,…

Kyiv or Kiev? Why does it matter so much to Ukrainians?

Kyiv or Kiev? These are the two most common ways of writing the name of Ukraine’s capital. Last week the United States Board on Geographic Names (USGS) considered the appeal of the Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States and replaced “Kiev” with “Kyiv”, as the correct spelling for the capital of Ukraine. Many other international organisations, including the International Air Transport…

Live: Russia launches attack on Ukraine with Putin warning others not to interfere

Russia launched an attack against Ukraine on Thursday as Putin warned other countries that any attempt to interfere would lead to “consequences you have never seen”. Big explosions were heard before dawn in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa as world leaders decried the start of an Russian invasion that could cause massive casualties and topple Ukraine’s democratically elected government. Putin justified…

‘I felt true emptiness’: A hidden loneliness crisis is haunting Italy

In 2019, Marinella Beretta, 70, was living by herself in a quaint villa wedged between the foothills of northern Italy’s bucolic pre-Alps and Lake Como’s shores. Having no family other than a few cousins in a neighbouring region, she had recently sold her property to a Swiss entrepreneur. Her friends were few and far between, and acquaintances with whom she’d only had perfunctory interactions…

How do you join NATO and how close is Ukraine to becoming a member?

Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded that NATO not expand to Ukraine or any former Soviet states over, expressing concern over the extension of a military and political alliance founded to counter the former Soviet Union. Some claim this issue is at the heart of why 150,000 Russian troops are massed near the Ukrainian border, sparking warnings of an imminent invasion. Moscow denies…

Ukraine crisis: How the West’s sanctions on banks are only scratching the surface of Fortress Russia

The United States, the European Union and Britain announced new sanctions on Russia on Tuesday after Moscow’s recognition of two separatist regions in Ukraine as independent entities. Chief among their targets: Russian banks and their ability to operate internationally. Yet the impact of the new sanctions is likely to be minimal. Western governments – for now – are preferring to keep the much…

Ukraine crisis: Russia ‘nearly 100% ready’ for invasion, says Pentagon official

A senior US defence official in Washington said the Russian forces arrayed along Ukraine’s borders are “as ready as they can be” for an invasion, with about 80% in what the US considers “forward positions, ready to go” within 5 kilometres to 50 kilometres of the border. “We still cannot confirm that Russian forces have moved into the Donbas area,” added the official, who spoke on condition of…

Turkey accuses Greece of using ‘disproportionate’ force against fishing boats

Greek authorities have confirmed that a coastguard vessel fired warning shots at a Turkish fishing boat near the island of Chios. The shipping ministry said the Turkish vessel had refused to leave Greek waters and had attempted to ram a patrol boat before the shots were fired. The incident took place in the eastern Aegean Sea on Wednesday. Turkey said one person — a Turkish fisherman — was…

Utrecht mayor apologises for Dutch city’s past role in slave trade

The mayor of Utrecht has apologised for the Dutch city’s previous role in slavery and the country’s colonial history. Sharon Dijksma issued the apology on behalf of Utrecht City Council for its predecessor’s involvement in “the colonial slave trade and the oppression and exploitation of enslaved people”. “Today we pause to reflect on the history of slavery in our city and look ahead to learn…

France’s parliament approves extending abortion limit to 14 weeks

France’s parliament has approved a new law extending the deadline for abortions from 12 weeks to 14 weeks. The bill allows more time for citizens to voluntarily terminate their pregnancy, amid a shortage of doctors and the steady closure of recognised abortion centres. According to campaigners, 3,000 French women are forced to go abroad each year to have an abortion because they have exceeded the…

The right to work: enabling people with disabilities to thrive in the job market

In this episode, Real Economy travels to Poland and Spain to meet the women breaking down barriers in the workplace for those with disabilities and asks European Commissioner for Equality, Helena Dalli what action is being taken. This report is also available in sign language: Around 87 million people in Europe have some kind of disability and many of us are likely to face one in our lifetime,…

Abdelhak Nouri: Ajax reaches settlement agreement with family of former player

Ajax has reached a financial settlement with the family of former player Abdelhak Nouri, who suffered severe and permanent brain damage after collapsing during a preseason friendly in 2017. The Dutch football club previously acknowledged that Nouri did not get adequate medical attention after he suffered a heart attack and accepted responsibility. It announced on Monday it will pay Nouri’s family…