Justices rule for American woman in custody dispute
The Supreme Court has ruled unanimously for an American woman who is involved in an international custody dispute with her Italian husband over their young son. The high court determined that the boy would be at risk because of the father’s abuse of the mother.
news.yahoo.comUK slams Russia after officials duped by hoax video calls
Russia Ukraine War Britain FILE - British Defense Minister Ben Wallace speaks with the media as he arrives for a meeting of NATO defense ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, March 16, 2022. Britain accused Russia of spreading misinformation on Tuesday March 22, 2022, by posting doctored clips of the U.K.’s defense secretary speaking to a hoaxer posing as Ukraine’s prime minister. Two videos of Defense Secretary Ben Wallace speaking to the imposter were posted on the YouTube channel of Russian prankster duo Vovan and Lexus. The British government says the Russian state was behind the hoax, which it says was designed to sow false information and embarrass Britain. Vovan and Lexus have previously targeted international figures including Prince Harry, Elton John and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
wftv.comLive updates: Serbia refuses to slap sanctions on Russia
Russia Ukraine War Civilian volunteers attend a training camp of the Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces in Brovary, northeast of Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, March 21, 2022. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) (Felipe Dana)BELGRADE, Serbia — A senior Serbian official says Belgrade will never impose sanctions or join the Western “hysteria” against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. It appeared after the U.K. accused Russian President Vladimir Putin’s government of backing efforts to secure sensitive or embarrassing information through hoax calls. ___MADRID — Authorities in Gibraltar have detained a superyacht linked to a Russian tycoon who is the target of British sanctions over Russia’s war against Ukraine. “The latest situation has been all caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters Tuesday.
wftv.comLive updates: Russian Nobel winner sells medal for refugees
Russia Ukraine War Civilian volunteers attend a training camp of the Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces in Brovary, northeast of Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, March 21, 2022. It appeared after the U.K. accused Russian President Vladimir Putin’s government of backing efforts to secure sensitive or embarrassing information through hoax calls. ___MADRID — Authorities in Gibraltar have detained a superyacht linked to a Russian tycoon who is the target of British sanctions over Russia’s war against Ukraine. “The latest situation has been all caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters Tuesday. He also repeated his call for direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
wftv.comLive updates: 'Let it Go' girl performs at Poland concert
___LONDON — Britain is accusing the Russian state of being behind hoax calls to two government ministers by an imposter posing as the prime minister of Ukraine. Bennett has held multiple phone calls with both leaders in recent weeks and flew to Moscow earlier this month to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “There’s still a long way to go, because as I stated, there are a number of controversial issues, some of them fundamental,” the prime minister said at the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper’s conference. Prime Minister Janez Jansa has urged other European Union nations to do the same. ___KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denounced the Russian bombing of a school in Mariupol where civilians took refuge.
wftv.comLive updates: UK Defense Secretary: Russia growing desperate
APTOPIX Poland Russia Ukraine War A train with refugees fleeing Ukraine crosses the border in Medyka, Poland, Monday, March 7, 2022. __LVIV, Ukraine — Russian aircraft bombed cities in eastern and central Ukraine overnight, Ukrainian officials said. The United Nations has called the situation the fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II. __CANBERRA, Australia — The Australian government says it is placing sanctions on Moscow’s “propagandists and purveyors of disinformation” who legitimatize Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had been accompanied by a widespread disinformation campaign, both within Russia and internationally, she said.
wftv.comRussians should not assassinate Vladimir Putin, says Boris Johnson
Brexit on back burner due to Ukraine Anger over knighthood for Gavin Williamson NHS axes free flu jabs for over-50s and secondary students Fraser Nelson: Putin will regret a war that has united Europe Labour holds seat in by-election with reduced majority US says Nato is 'ready for conflict' seizure of nuclear plant
news.yahoo.comRussia Used Beatings and Tricks to Forcibly Send Rookie Troops to Ukraine, Rights Group Says
GettyRussian soldiers from all across the country were deceived into heading to the Ukrainian border, and some were beaten if they resisted, according to the Committee of Soldiers’ Mothers, a Russian non-governmental organization that works to expose human rights violations within the military.The group is reportedly preparing a complaint for the Chief Military Prosecutor’s Office alleging that their sons only recently joined the military as conscripts and were told they were going to the border
news.yahoo.comThe Latest: Austria summons Russian ambassador over Ukraine
Nehammer said Austria supports the EU’s approach of imposing sanctions against Russia step by step, starting with a formal decision Tuesday afternoon by the bloc’s foreign ministers. ——ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Russia’s decision to recognize two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine is “unacceptable” and is calling for a respect of international laws. ——SANAA, Yemen — Yemen’s Houthi rebels have welcomed Russia’s decision to recognize two separatist regions in southeast Ukraine. ——HELSINKI — The Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have strongly condemned Russia's decision to recognize the separatist regions of Luhansk and Donetsk as independent states. Non-EU member Norway said the Russian decision “directly contradicts the spirit and the letter of the Minsk agreements.”___Follow AP's coverage of the Ukraine crisis at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraineCopyright 2022 The Associated Press.
wftv.comThe Latest: UK defense secretary warns on Russian forces
“This is a sovereign state which has now had some of its land effectively annexed from it." ——SANAA, Yemen - Yemen’s Houthi rebels have welcomed Russia’s decision to recognize two separatist regions in southeast Ukraine. Estonian President Alar Karis said that “Russia tore the Minsk agreements into pieces,” referring to a 2015 peace deal. In Baltic neighbor Latvia, President Egils Levits, Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins and the country’s Parliament released a joint statement condemning Moscow’s actions. Non-EU member Norway said the Russian decision “directly contradicts the spirit and the letter of the Minsk agreements.”Copyright 2022 The Associated Press.
wftv.comRussia says it pulls back more troops amid Ukraine standoff
Russia has massed about 150,000 troops east, north and south of Ukraine, sparking Western concerns it was planning an assault. A day earlier, the ministry reported the start of a pullback of troops following military exercises near Ukraine. Still, Putin did not commit to a full withdrawal, saying Russia’s next moves in the standoff will depend on how the situation evolves. The Russian military hasn't given the number of troops or weapons being withdrawn and offered few other details. Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei reaffirmed that all Russian troops will leave the country after the maneuvers wrap up Sunday.
wftv.comUkraine-Russia crisis: What to know about the fears of war
(AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru) (Andreea Alexandru)The chill of a Cold War hung over Eastern Europe again Friday, with Russian maneuvers and drills close to Ukraine, and NATO’s chief boosting troop morale on the Black Sea. Diplomats and government leaders, meanwhile, struggled ever more to jumpstart moribund talks to stave off full-out war. WATCH LIVE: Crews battle large wildfire near I-95 in Brevard CountyIt was yet another indication that hardware was being beefed up around the strategic Black Sea where Russia, Ukraine and three NATO allies have bases. “From here in the Black Sea region, all the way to the Baltic, allies are stepping up to reinforce NATO’s presence at this critical time,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said from Constanta. The ships join several similar vessels that are part of Russia’s Black Sea fleet, augmenting its amphibious landing capability.
wftv.comWhite House says Russia could invade Ukraine within the week
Russia Ukraine Tensions British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace speaks during a news conference following his meeting with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu at the British Embassy in Moscow, Russia, Friday, Feb. 11, 2022. He said British troops deployed to Ukraine to help train its military to use the British weapons and will leave “pretty soon” after they accomplish that mission. Wallace described the talks as “constructive and frank” and noted his Russian counterpart's assurances that Moscow has no intention to attack Ukraine. But he also emphasized that the concentration of Russian troops near Ukrainian territory is clearly “beyond normal exercising,” explaining that about half of Russia's land forces are concentrated around the border with Ukraine. Continuing its military buildup near Ukraine, Russia has moved six amphibious assault vessels into the Black Sea, augmenting its capability to land marines on the coast.
wftv.comRussia says US ignored its security demands over Ukraine
Ukraine Russia Soldiers take part in an exercise for the use of NLAW anti-aircraft missiles at the Yavoriv military training ground, close to Lviv, western Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Pavlo Palamarchuk) (Pavlo Palamarchuk)MOSCOW — (AP) — Russia said Friday it will not start a war in Ukraine but warned that the U.S. and NATO have ignored its demands and left little room for compromise in the crisis. “While they say they won’t change their positions, we won’t change ours,” Lavrov told Russian radio stations in a live interview. Washington has warned Moscow of devastating sanctions if it invades Ukraine, including penalties targeting top Russian officials and key economic sectors. During Friday's call with Macron, Putin spoke in favor of continuing talks about a stalled peace agreement for eastern Ukraine between Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany.
wftv.comMilitary staff step in to help strained London hospitals
A string of National Health Service local organizations have declared "critical incidents" in recent days amid staff shortages. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) (Matt Dunham)LONDON — (AP) — British troops were deploying Friday to hospitals in London that are struggling to cope with “exceptional” staff shortages amid the surge in COVID-19 cases fueled by the omicron variant. The military deployment underscores the impact on Britain's health service of the pandemic that infected nearly 180,000 people on Thursday alone in the country, forcing many workers to stay home. Health service leaders said the military deployment highlighted how the country is battling to stay on top of the pandemic. While the current military focus is on London, it could spread.
wftv.comUK minister sorry over Afghan interpreters' data breach
British media reports said the people whose email addresses were distributed included some individuals who are in hiding from the Taliban. “It is an unacceptable level of service that has let down the thousands of members of the armed forces and veterans. On behalf of the Ministry of Defense, I apologize," Defense Minister Ben Wallace told Parliament. He told lawmakers that authorities believe there are 900 “credible cases” of Afghan resettlement currently being processed. “These Afghan interpreters worked alongside our British forces and the Government rightly pledged to protect them," lawmaker John Healey said.
wftv.comUK's Johnson replaces foreign secretary in Cabinet shake-up
APTOPIX Britain Politics Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves 10 Downing Street as he makes his way to Parliament to attend the weekly Prime Minister's Questions session, in London, Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021. In the biggest move, Johnson demoted Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who has faced criticism for delaying his return from a holiday in Greece as the Taliban took over Afghanistan last month. Raab was appointed justice secretary with the added title of deputy prime minister. Truss, who is Britain's second female foreign secretary, will also remain minister for women and equalities. Michael Gove, a longtime ally and sometime rival of Johnson, was appointed Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.
wftv.comReport: Afghan staff details left behind at UK Kabul embassy
LONDON — (AP) — The U.K.'s defense chief promised Friday to “get to the bottom of” a security lapse that saw documents identifying Afghan staff members and job applicants left behind at the abandoned British Embassy in Kabul. Times of London reporter Anthony Loyd said he found the papers scattered on the ground as he toured Kabul’s abandoned diplomatic district with a Taliban escort this week. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said “clearly it’s not good enough” that the documents were left unsecured. Loyd said the documents included the name and address of a senior embassy staff member, the contact details for other employees and the resumes and addresses of people applying to be interpreters. The Foreign Office said in a statement that “during the drawdown of our embassy every effort was made to destroy sensitive material.”Copyright 2021 The Associated Press.
wftv.comThe Latest: US strikes at IS in retaliation for bombing
The United States military has struck back at the Islamic State, bombing an IS member in Afghanistan less than 48 hours after a devastating suicide bombing claimed by the group killed as many as 169 Afghans and 13 American service members at the Kabul airport.
UK animal charity staff caught up in deadly Kabul blast
The attack — involving two explosions and gunfire — hit near a gate where people gathered attempting to get into the airport. “We’re fine but everything is chaos here at the moment,” Paul “Pen” Farthing told Britain’s Press Association news agency. Farthing is trying to get staff of his Nowzad charity out of Afghanistan, along with about 200 of the group’s rescued animals. Armed Forces Minister James Heappey said Thursday that U.K. forces at the airport would “facilitate” the flight. The U.K. government says the RAF has airlifted more than 12,000 people, including over 7,000 Afghans, from Kabul in the past two weeks.
wftv.comAnimal charity's staff, pets seek way out of Afghanistan
Paul “Pen” Farthing appealed to the Taliban to allow the group safe passage into the airport. He tweeted to Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen that “we have been here for 10 hours after being assured that we would have safe passage. Truly would like to go home now.”Farthing has been pressing for days to get staff of his Nowzad charity out of Afghanistan, along with the group’s rescued animals. Dominic Dyer, a British animal campaigner who is assisting Farthing, said the chartered plane was due to leave the U.K. later Thursday for Kabul. Armed Forces Minister James Heappey said Thursday that U.K. forces at the airport would “facilitate” the flight.
wftv.comG-7 leaders meet to press Biden on Afghanistan deadline
Biden President Joe Biden speaks about the situation in Afghanistan in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Sunday, Aug. 22, 2021, in Washington. Ahead of the meeting, British defense secretary Ben Wallace said he was doubtful that Biden would agree to extend the deadline. Biden addressed the leaders for several minutes near the start of the meeting that lasted less than an hour, according to the White House. The G-7 leaders were also joined by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. The leaders put Afghanistan as number 57 out of 70 points in their final 25-page communique -– behind Ukraine, Belarus and Ethiopia.
wftv.comThe Latest: Britain 'not going to get' everyone out of Kabul
Britain and other allies are pressing President Joe Biden to extend the evacuation past the end-of-the-month date agreed with the Taliban. The statement says Qureshi told Lavrov that a peaceful and stable Afghanistan was of critical importance for Pakistan and the region. ___COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soereide says the evacuation deadline in Afghanistan should be extended beyond Aug. 31. In neighboring Sweden, Foreign Minister Ann Linde said that she too could not guarantee that they can help all those who want to get out. ___CANBERRA, Australia — Australian Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said that Australia has helped evacuate more than 1,600 people from the Kabul airport in 17 flights since last Wednesday.
wftv.comUK struggles for influence as Afghan crisis strains US ties
London’s powerlessness, so far, to change Washington’s course also is a blow to U.K. hopes that an assertive “Global Britain” will be a major global player in the wake of its exit from the European Union. “We affirmed the special relationship — it’s not said lightly — the special relationship between our people,” Biden said. Britain’s lack of clout with Washington underscores the fragility of Johnson’s goal of making post-Brexit “Global Britain” a key international player and bridge between the U.S. and Europe. Opponents say Johnson's unwillingness to work closely with the EU and his decision to slash Britain's foreign aid budget, citing the economic blow of the pandemic, makes “Global Britain” little more than a slogan. U.K. Armed Forces Minister James Heappey acknowledged that Britain would have liked “a more conditions-based” U.S. withdrawal, but he insisted the special relationship remains strong.
wftv.comAfghan withdrawal extension would cross a 'red line', warns Taliban
Any extension to the deadline for withdrawal from Afghanistan would cross a red line that will lead to "consequences", the Taliban has said, as the British defence minister warned that the UK was "down to hours now, not weeks" in its evacuation plan.
news.yahoo.comUK unveils plan for smaller, more high-tech armed forces
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson walks, during a visit to BAE Systems at Warton Aerodrome in Lancashire, England, Monday, March 22, 2021 to mark the publication of the Integrated Review and the Defence White Paper. (Christopher Furlong/Pool Photo via AP)LONDON – Britain plans to cut the size of its army and boost spending on drones, robots and a new “cyber force” under defense plans announced by the government on Monday. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said the British Army would shrink from 76,500 soldiers to 72,500 by 2025. He said the army hadn't been at its “established strength” of 82,500 for several years. In November the government announced a 16.5 billion-pound ($23 billion) increase in defense spending over the next four years, focusing on the future battlefields of space and cyber rather than traditional resources such as army troops.
Fauci: Watch Super Bowl at home with family
(AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)MEXICO CITY — Mexico reported a near-record 1,707 confirmed coronavirus deaths Wednesday, as the country runs out of vaccines. Ad___THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:Spain surpasses 60,000 confirmed virus deaths. Dr. Fauci suggests watching Super Bowl at home with household to avoid spreading coronavirus. British officials say Oxford study backs up their decision to delay second vaccine shot for up to 12 weeks. ___MANAGUA, Nicaragua — Nicaragua’s government says it has approved Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine for emergency use.
UK defense spending boost stokes concerns about overseas aid
Johnson said the armed forces will receive an additional 16.5 billion pounds ($21 billion) over and above the governments earlier plans. Since the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s, Britain, like many other Western countries, cut defense spending in order to reap a peace dividend. Starmer and others, including members of Johnson's Conservative Party, voiced concerns that the government is about to abandon its commitments on overseas aid to pay for the higher military spending. The government has already rolled the department overseeing overseas aid into the Foreign Office. Some in government have argued for a reduction in the commitment to maintain aid spending at 0.7% of national income to 0.5%, which could free up billions of pounds for use elsewhere.
Crew safe, 7 detained after UK special forces raid tanker
The Nave Andromeda oil tanker is docked next to the Queen Elizabeth II Cruise Terminal in Southampton, England, Monday, Oct. 26, 2020. The U.K. military seized control of the oil tanker that dropped anchor in the English Channel after reporting it had seven stowaways on board who had become violent. (Andrew Matthews/PA Wire via AP)LONDON – All crew members of an oil tanker that was stormed by British naval special forces after a group of stowaways threatened violence are “safe and well,” the ship‘s operator confirmed Monday. Seven people were detained in the raid, which unfolded in the English Channel after darkness fell on Sunday. “I commend the hard work of the armed forces and police to protect lives and secure the ship,″ Wallace said.