Tanks move away from Ukraine: Russia

Russia said more of its forces surrounding Ukraine were withdrawing on Wednesday but NATO said the troop buildup was continuing, questioning Moscow’s stated willingness to negotiate a solution to the crisis.

Ottawa Police Chief resigns amid Freedom Convoy pressure – media

Ottawa Feb 15 rt.com- Ottawa Police chief Peter Sloly has resigned amid criticism of the force’s handling of the ongoing Freedom Convoy trucker-led protest against federal Covid-19 vaccination mandates in the Canadian capital, local media said on Tuesday.

First woman reported cured of HIV

A US patient with leukemia has become the first woman and the third person to date to be cured of HIV after receiving a stem cell transplant from a donor who was naturally resistant to the virus that causes AIDS, researchers reported on Tuesday.

Queen to fund Prince Andrew’s rape case settlement – report

Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, will pay Virginia Roberts Giuffre more than £12 million ($16.3 million) following an out-of-court settlement using money from the Queen, The Telegraph reported on Wednesday.

Pak-India talks only if special status of Kashmir restored:Imran Khan

There is currently “no relationship” between India and Pakistan and talks between the two countries can be held only if New Delhi restores the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Tuesday.

Yemen aid cuts to deepen as funds dry up: UN

Yemenis face more cuts in humanitarian aid in coming months because of funding shortages that could reduce food rations in a country where millions face starvation, the United Nations aid chief warned, as the war sees its biggest escalation in years.

Pollution causing more deaths than Covid: UN

Pollution by states and companies is contributing to more deaths globally than Covid-19, a U.N. environmental report published on Tuesday said, calling for “immediate and ambitious action” to ban some toxic chemicals.

China dumping US$ in trade & investment in Asia

The Chinese government is planning to work with other Asian nations to strengthen the use of local currencies in trade and investment as part of a broader plan to bolster regional economic strength, according to Yi Gang, the governor of the country’s central bank.

Pakistan permits India sending wheat, medicine to Afghanistan

Pakistan will allow India to use its territory to transport 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat and medicine to Afghanistan, beginning this month, Pakistani customs officials said on Tuesday.

Hunger crisis threatens half of Somalia’s young children: UN

Severe drought risks pushing nearly half of Somali children under five into acute malnutrition this year, with hundreds of thousands needing life-saving treatment, the UN warned Tuesday, calling for urgent action.

NATO to consider new troops on southeastern flank

BRUSSELS, Feb 15 (Reuters) - NATO defence ministers are expected this week to set in motion a plan that could establish four multinational battlegroups in southeastern Europe in response to Russia’s military build-up in Ukraine, four diplomats said.

India’s hijab dispute reaches its most populous state

LUCKNOW Feb 15 Reuters- A dispute over restrictions on the wearing of the hijab by female students in a southern Indian state has now reached India’s most populous state of Uttar Pradesh, with a group of youngsters asking a college to ban the head covering.

Ukraine denies NATO U-turn plan

Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK was “taken out of context” when he suggested that Kiev may officially end its goal to join NATO as a means of averting war with Russia, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has said.

Hong Kong city ‘overwhelmed’ by Omicron wave says leader

Hong Kong’s health facilities have been overloaded by an “onslaught” of Covid-19 infections, its leader Carrie Lam said, as a rise in Omicron cases threatens to bring down the city’s “zero-Covid” policy.

Hijab ban forces choice of religion or education: Muslim students

Ayesha Imthiaz, a devout Indian Muslim who considers wearing a hijab an expression of devotion to the Prophet Mohammad, says a move by her college to expel hijab-wearing girls is an insult that will force her to chose between religion and education.

Canada protesters, police deadlocked as tensions simmer at border bridge

A tense standoff between Canadian police and protesters opposing COVID-19 restrictions was set to continue on Sunday, as a court order and threats of arrest failed to end a blockade of a key Canada-U.S. border crossing.

Diplomacy still open to end Ukraine standoff with Russia: US

The United States said the diplomatic path remained open to end a standoff with Moscow over Ukraine but said the risk of Russian military action was high enough to warrant pulling U.S. embassy staff out of Kyiv.

Five cops injured while rescuing baby during shootout

Five police officers and a woman have been hospitalized after sustaining gunshot wounds in Phoenix, Arizona in the early hours of Friday morning.

Olympic invasion possible - US

With the world’s attention drawn to the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, Moscow could seize the opportunity to wage a war against neighbouring Ukraine, Washington has warned, amid a growing standoff on the border between the two Eastern European nations.

Western leaders to discuss Ukraine crisis from 1600 GMT

Western leaders including US President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and France’s President Emmanuel Macron are due to hold a telephone conference on the Ukraine crisis, German government sources told AFP on Friday.

INDIAN STUDENTS BLOCK ROADS, ROW OVER HIJAB IN SCHOOLS MOUNTS

Hundreds of students in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata on Wednesday chanted slogans and blocked roads in protest of a hijab ban in the southern state of Karnataka, as a row over wearing the head covering in schools intensifies.

Scientists take ‘huge step’ towards harnessing power of stars

Oxford-based scientists announced on Wednesday that they have hit a “major milestone” in the quest to make nuclear fusion a viable and low-carbon energy source.

Boy abused by priest ‘shown corpse’ to keep him quiet

WELLINGTON REUTERS FEB 9-A New Zealand inquiry on Wednesday heard harrowing accounts from people who were abused as children while they were under the care of the Catholic Church, one of whom said he was shown a corpse in a hospital morgue by a priest to keep him quiet.

Alzheimer’s may be prevented with toothpaste: Researchers

A protein called SCPPPQ1 that normally makes gums adhere to teeth may prove effective in combating a bacterium called P. gingivalis, which could cause Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions, a research team from the University of Montreal, Canada, has discovered.

‘Beyond tragic’: WHO laments 500,000 Covid death toll since Omicron

The World Health Organization lamented Tuesday that half a million Covid-19 deaths had been recorded since the Omicron variant was discovered, calling the toll “beyond tragic”.

Johnson reshuffles team in move to rescue administration

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, fighting for his political survival, reshuffled some ministers in his administration on Tuesday in an effort to appease his lawmakers angered by a series of scandals. Johnson had pledged to reset his premiership to turn the tide on his gravest crisis yet, which is fueled by the fall-out from a number of boozy parties in his Downing Street office and residence during strict COVID-19 lockdown restrictions.

Millions facing severe hunger in Horn of Africa: UN food agency

The UN World Food Programme said on Tuesday that 13 million people across the Horn of Africa face severe hunger, calling for immediate assistance to avoid a repeat of a famine a decade ago that killed hundreds of thousands of people.

Trudeau demands an end to trucker protest

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau demanded an end Monday to a protest by hundreds of truckers against Covid-19 restrictions that has paralyzed the capital, as Ottawa’s mayor called on federal authorities for support.

PUTIN PLEDGES NO NEW UKRAINE ESCALATION: MACRON

French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday he had convinced Russia’s Vladimir Putin not to escalate the crisis around Ukraine, ahead of talks in Kyiv aimed at defusing fears Moscow could invade.

MACRON FLIES TO MOSCOW IN BID TO EASE UKRAINE TENSIONS

French President Emmanuel Macron flies to Moscow on Monday in bid to persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to dial down tensions with Ukraine, where Western powers fear the Kremlin plans an invasion.