WORLD
Chernobyl workers 'constantly on duty': IAEA
In a statement, the IAEA Chief Rafael Grossi said the Ukrainian authorities had told him the same group of about 210 workers had been on duty constantly for the past two weeks, the BBC reported. Grossi added that he was deeply concerned about the stressful situation facing the personnel.The employees, he said, must be able to rest and work in regular shifts, stressing that this was crucial for overall nuclear safety.
How PM Modi's phone calls with Putin, Zelensky ensured safe evacuation of Indian students from Ukraine
The precarious rescue of Indian nationals, mostly students, from Sumy in north-eastern Ukraine began with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s separate telephonic conversations with President Putin of Russia and President Zelensky of Ukraine on Monday. The calls provided a massive impetus to create a “humanitarian corridor” to rescue around 700 Indian nationals stuck in the city which was receiving heavy bombardment.
Covid deaths in US 10x higher than from seasonal flu: Report
The 136-page document by the Covid Roadmap Group was authored by a group of two dozen scientists, doctors and public health experts, several of whom have advised the Joe Biden administration on its Covid-19 policies. It lays out a road map for the US to transition to a new normal in which the country can live with Covid without major disruptions to daily life, CNBC reported. Covid is still causing an "intolerable" level of death.
Pak Oppn parties submit no-confidence motion against PM Imran Khan
The move comes amid joint opposition parties, including Pakistan Muslim League -- Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People Party (PPP), JUI-F and other members decided to oust the ruling government of Imran Khan, aimed at dissolving the assemblies and moving towards early elections. "This government has inflicted unprecedented damage on the country's economy during its almost four year in power," said PML-N leader Shahbaz.
Six humanitarian corridors to try and evacuate civilians: Ukraine
In a video statement, she said Ukrainian Armed forces had agreed to stop firing in those areas for 12 hours from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. local time and urged Russian forces to fulfill their commitment to local ceasefires, the BBC reported. The news comes as Ukraine managed to carry out its first mass evacuation exercise on Tuesday, carrying an estimated 5,000 civilians from the city of Sumy in north-eastern Ukraine to Poltava, in the center.
US biological laboratories in Ukraine a direct threat: Russia
The presence of biological laboratories in Ukraine under the leadership of the US completely changes the role of Washington, it is an instrument of a direct threat to Russia, said the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova. She added that such laboratories were the points of American military experiments in the biological field.
UK Transport Secy denies refugee response faltering
Shapps told the BBC's Today programme that nearly 760 refugees have arrived in the UK so far, lagging behind neighbouring countries, including Ireland, which has accepted more than 2,000 people since the crisis began, the BBC reported. While he argued that the UK has "massively ramped up" the pace at which it deals with visa applications from Ukrainian refugees, he noted that "we do need to know who is coming to the country".
Ukraine's air defences enjoying success: UK Defence
The UK government's latest dispatch on the war states that Ukraine's air defences have "enjoyed considerable success" against Russian aircraft. That has likely prevented Moscow from achieving "any degree of control of the air", the Defence Ministry said on Wednesday as quoted by the BBC. The Ministry in a statement said the Russian forces continue to struggle in their Kiev campaign and have failed to make any breakthroughs in taking the Ukrainian capital city.
UAE, Saudi Arabia refuse to take calls from White House on oil prices
The White House unsuccessfully tried to arrange calls between President Biden and the de facto leaders of Saudi Arabia and the UAE as the US was working to build international support for Ukraine and contain a surge in oil prices, said Middle East and US officials, Wall Street Journal reported. Persian Gulf monarchies have signalled they won't help ease surging oil prices unless Washington supports them in Yemen, elsewhere.
Russia claims new 'proof' Ukraine was planning attack on Donbas
The Reuters news agency says the Ministry has published six pages of documents that "prove" Kiev was planning a military assault on the Russian-backed rebel regions in Donbas, the BBC reported. Reuters says it can not independently verify the documents -- written in Ukrainian -- which appear to outline combat preparations for tactical military units.
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