US pressures Ukraine to nix its UN resolution demanding Russian forces withdraw

US pressures Ukraine to nix its UN resolution demanding Russian forces withdraw
Above, a protester marks the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in Ottawa on Feb. 23, 2025. (The Canadian Press via AP)
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Updated 24 February 2025
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US pressures Ukraine to nix its UN resolution demanding Russian forces withdraw

US pressures Ukraine to nix its UN resolution demanding Russian forces withdraw
  • But Kyiv refused to pull its draft resolution, and the UN General Assembly will vote on it Monday
  • Trump administration is seeking a vote on its proposal in the more powerful UN Security Council

UNITED NATIONS: The US has pressured Ukraine to withdraw its European-backed UN resolution demanding an immediate withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine in favor of an American proposal that does not mention Moscow’s invasion, a US official and a European diplomat said Sunday.

But Ukraine refused to pull its draft resolution, and the UN General Assembly will vote on it Monday, the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, two European diplomats said.

The 193-nation General Assembly then is expected to vote on the US draft resolution, according to the diplomats and the US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because private negotiations are still ongoing.

The Trump administration is also seeking a vote on its proposal in the more powerful UN Security Council. China, which holds the Security Council presidency this month, scheduled a vote on the US resolution for Monday afternoon.

The dueling resolutions – the first since the invasion – highlight the tension between the US, Ukraine and European countries in the five weeks since President Donald Trump took office and has opened talks with Russia after years of isolation in a bid to end the war. European leaders were dismayed that they and Ukraine were left out of preliminary negotiations between the US and Russia last week.

The General Assembly has become the most important UN body on Ukraine because the Security Council, which is charged with maintaining international peace and security, has been paralyzed by Russia’s veto power.

There are no vetoes in the General Assembly, and its votes are closely watched as a barometer of world opinion. However, its resolutions are not legally binding, unlike those adopted by the Security Council.

Since Russian forces crossed Ukraine’s border on Feb. 24, 2022, the assembly has adopted half a dozen resolutions condemning the war and demanding the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops.

The assembly votes have shown strong global opposition to Russia’s conflict, and the votes on the rival resolutions Monday will be closely watched to see if that support has waned – and to assess support for Trump’s effort to bring a speedy end to the war.

One European diplomat said there has been intense lobbying and arm-twisting on the rival resolutions. The US official said the US is trying to get Ukraine and the Europeans to back down on their draft. It comes as Trump plans to host French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday in Washington.

The United States believes “this is the moment to commit to ending the war. This is our opportunity to build real momentum toward peace,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement late Friday.

He said that “while challenges may arise, the goal of lasting peace remains achievable” and that the resolution would “affirm that this conflict is awful, that the UN can help end it, and that peace is possible.”

The Ukraine resolution, co-sponsored by the 27-nation European Union, refers to “the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation” and recalls the need to implement all previous assembly resolutions “adopted in response to the aggression against Ukraine.”

It singles out the General Assembly’s demand that Russia “immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders” and its demand to immediately halt all hostilities.

And it calls for “a de-escalation, an early cessation of hostilities and a peaceful resolution of the war against Ukraine.”

The very brief US draft resolution acknowledges “the tragic loss of life throughout the Russia-Ukraine conflict” and “implores a swift end to the conflict and further urges a lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia.” It never mentions Moscow’s invasion.

Russia’s UN ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, told reporters last week that the US resolution was “a good move.”

Russia also suggested an amendment, seeking to add the phrase “including by addressing its root causes” so the final line of the US resolution reads, “implores a swift end to the conflict, including by addressing its root causes, and further urges a lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia.”


Philippine government brings one-stop service for overseas Filipinos to Riyadh 

Philippine government brings one-stop service for overseas Filipinos to Riyadh 
Updated 8 sec ago
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Philippine government brings one-stop service for overseas Filipinos to Riyadh 

Philippine government brings one-stop service for overseas Filipinos to Riyadh 
  • Around 898,000 overseas Filipino workers live and work in the Kingdom 
  • Philippine officials plan to take ‘service caravan’ to Jeddah, Alkhobar, as well as Qatar, UAE

MANILA: The Philippine Department of Migrant Workers launched on Friday the Middle East leg of its “service caravan” in Riyadh, as officials seek to provide an all-in-one stop of essential government services for overseas Filipinos in the region. 

Saudi Arabia is the leading destination for overseas Filipino workers, with about 898,000 of them currently living and working in the Kingdom. 

The DMW collaborated with other government agencies to bring them the Serbisyo Caravan, or service caravan, an outreach program that offers various state services. 

“The Serbisyo Caravan here in the Middle East is part of the government’s ongoing program to bring vital services directly to our OFWs,” Rommel Romato, the Philippine consul-general in Jeddah, told Arab News. 

“By gathering multiple agencies in one place, the caravan makes it easier and faster for OFWs to access assistance without needing to make special trips to the Philippines.” 

The services include welfare counseling, free legal consultations, business support assistance, as well as registration and processing of official documents, among other things that are usually only available within the Philippines. 

Many Filipino nationals in the Saudi capital flocked to take advantage of the service caravan, with large numbers queuing since Friday morning, as seen in a video posted by the DMW on Facebook. 

“We want to regularize this program as we expand our diplomatic and consular services to millions of OFWs abroad,” Romato said. 

Philippine First Lady Louise Marcos arrived in Riyadh on Friday to oversee the launch of the outreach program. As part of the working visit, she will also meet with Filipino migrant workers in the Kingdom, according to Presidential Communications Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro. 

Though Philippine officials first launched the service caravan in Hong Kong last month, Friday’s service marks the first time it was brought to the Middle East.

After Riyadh, the DMW is set to take the caravan program to the Saudi cities of Jeddah and Alkhobar, as well as Qatar and the UAE in July and August. 

Around 20 percent of Filipino migrant workers are in Saudi Arabia, while about 13.6 percent live and work in the UAE, and another 6.2 percent are in Qatar.


UK police hunt suspects after anti-migrant protests turn violent

UK police hunt suspects after anti-migrant protests turn violent
Updated 59 min 43 sec ago
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UK police hunt suspects after anti-migrant protests turn violent

UK police hunt suspects after anti-migrant protests turn violent
  • Eight police officers were injured and three vehicles were damaged, Essex police said
  • Essex police on Friday insisted officers would “continue to support those communities that want to peacefully protest“

EPPING, UK: Police promised Friday to track down suspects behind violence at a protest outside a southeast England hotel believed to house asylum seekers, after officers and vehicles were attacked.

The violence followed several demonstrations in recent days in the town of Epping which flared after police charged an asylum seeker with sex offenses.

Eight police officers were injured and three vehicles were damaged, Essex police said.

The unrest, which police blamed on people from “outside of our community,” comes a year after anti-immigration riots rocked the UK in the wake of the fatal stabbings of three young girls in the northern town of Southport.

Then, rioters targeted hotels housing asylum seekers in several different English cities, infamously attempting to set fire to one in Rotherham, northeast England.

Essex police on Friday insisted officers would “continue to support those communities that want to peacefully protest” but would not tolerate “acts of violence and vandalism.”

“After last night I’ve got a team of specialist detectives today that are combing through the body-worn video CCTV to identify those who are responsible,” Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Hooper told AFP.

“And what I can say is if you’re one of those individuals you can expect a knock on the door.”

Hooper said the “selfish individuals” behind the violence were mostly “from outside of the area” and had traveled to Epping “intent on causing criminality.”

Right-wing agitators, including far-right activist Tommy Robinson, have been sharing posts and videos about the situation on social media.

Footage of Thursday’s protests showed masked people pelting police vans and jumping on them, as well as clashing with officers.

The disturbances came after police charged 38-year-old asylum seeker Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu with three counts of sexual assault, one count of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity and one count of harassment without violence.

The charges stem from allegations he tried to kiss a 14-year-old girl as she ate pizza at a restaurant in Epping, just northeast of London, on July 7 and again the following day.

He has pleaded not guilty, and appeared in court for a hearing on Thursday.

An asylum seeker from Ethiopia, he arrived in the UK irregularly after crossing the Channel on a small boat at the end of last month.

In the wake of the incident, local officials have called for the Bell Hotel to no longer house asylum seekers.


Disinformation catalyzes anti-migrant unrest in Spain

Disinformation catalyzes anti-migrant unrest in Spain
Updated 18 July 2025
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Disinformation catalyzes anti-migrant unrest in Spain

Disinformation catalyzes anti-migrant unrest in Spain
  • The altercations were sparked after a 68-year-old pensioner said three men of North African origin attacked him without provocation on July 9
  • The conservative-led city council organized a protest against insecurity, which quickly escalated when far-right groups joined with hostile slogans against immigrants

MADRID: The rare anti-migrant violence that recently rocked a Spanish town demonstrated how online disinformation feeds xenophobic hate speech, which leapt from screens to real life with the support of politicians, experts said.

Last weekend’s unrest in the southeastern town of Torre Pacheco pitted far-right groups against immigrant residents, mainly of Moroccan origin, but a heavy police presence prevented serious confrontations.

The altercations were sparked after a 68-year-old pensioner said three men of North African origin attacked him without provocation on July 9.

Two days later, the conservative-led city council organized a protest against insecurity, which quickly escalated when far-right groups joined with hostile slogans against immigrants.

That day, and for several nights, riots broke out in the streets of the southeastern city of 40,000.

Authorities have arrested 14 people, including three suspected of involvement in the attack on the retiree.

Also among those detained is the leader of the far-right “Deport Them Now” group, who allegedly called for a “hunt” of migrants on social media.

The sudden outbreak of violence took Spain by surprise but anti-migrant discourse had already been brewing, partly due to disinformation circulating on social media.

AFP’s digital verification team in Spain has debunked many false claims linked to immigrants, mostly concerning public benefits they supposedly receive and alleged attacks by foreigners on Spanish customs.

For Alexandre Lopez Borrull, a professor in communication and information science at the Open University of Catalonia, disinformation in such cases is “the fuel and the spark at the same time.”

The narrative “is fueled over a long period of time” and when a specific event occurs, it can act as a spark in scenarios like the one that played out in Torre Pacheco, he said.

A video purporting to show the assault on the pensioner, along with a list of alleged attackers, quickly circulated online — both debunked by AFP.

Elisa Brey, a sociology professor at Madrid’s Complutense University, likened the phenomenon to criminals setting off wildfires.

“It’s hot, there’s a temperature alert, and an arsonist passes by and throws a match. That is what happens with disinformation,” she said.

Experts also emphasized the role of politicians, particularly the far-right Vox party, in fanning the flames of anti-migrant rhetoric.

Vox has long connected immigration to crime and recently proposed, echoing other EU political parties and far-right activists, that some migrants be deported as part of a broad “remigration” plan.

Foreigners make up 14 percent of Spain’s population, up from only 1.6 percent in 1998.

In events like the violent protests in Torre Pacheco, malicious discourse seeps through different layers of social media before erupting into the public sphere, Brey explained.

First, it simmers at an “underlying” level on less visible platforms like Telegram, before jumping to more popular networks such as X and TikTok. Politicians then amplify the message through public statements, she said.

Vox’s leader in the southeastern Murcia region, which includes Torre Pacheco, blamed the unrest on “illegal immigration,” claiming that migrants had assaulted the elderly and committed sexual violence against women.

Prosecutors have opened an investigation into his comments to determine if they constitute a hate crime.

Social media was used in a way that, “in the end, it led to these events,” added Marcelino Madrigal, an expert in online platforms and cybersecurity.

Madrigal also detected that parties were shifting their position on immigration with an eye on political gain at a time of speculation about early elections in Spain.

“With disinformation about immigration, the aim is to destabilize a government or a country as well as present yourself as an alternative to save us from a problem that does not exist,” he said.


Baby dies after being left in hot car in Belgium

Baby dies after being left in hot car in Belgium
Updated 18 July 2025
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Baby dies after being left in hot car in Belgium

Baby dies after being left in hot car in Belgium
  • Prosecutors launched a manslaughter investigation
  • A forensics examination ruled out foul play

BRUSSELS: A 15-month-old baby has died in Belgium after being left inside a car on a warm summer day, authorities said on Friday.

Prosecutors in the southern city of Namur said they had launched a manslaughter investigation following the incident, which took place on Thursday.

A forensics examination ruled out foul play and concluded the baby died of hyperthermia, or overheating.

“According to the preliminary findings of the investigation, the child was forgotten inside a vehicle,” the prosecutor’s office said.

Local media alleged that the father forgot to drop the baby off at daycare on his way to work.

The child was left for several hours inside the car at the man’s company car park.

Temperatures in Namur reached around 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit) on Thursday afternoon.


UK police drop Kneecap probe after Glastonbury performance

UK police drop Kneecap probe after Glastonbury performance
Updated 18 July 2025
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UK police drop Kneecap probe after Glastonbury performance

UK police drop Kneecap probe after Glastonbury performance
  • Irish rappers were being investigated over comments during a performance at Glastonbury
  • Band member Liam O’Hanna has been previously charged with 'terror' offense over alleged support for Hamas and Hezbollah

LONDON: UK police said on Friday they had dropped a criminal investigation into on-stage comments by Irish rappers Kneecap at the Glastonbury festival.

Avon and Somerset Police in southwest England said last month it had launched an enquiry after reviewing “video footage and audio” of both Kneecap and London-based duo Bob Vylan, whose frontman led a chant against the Israeli army at the festival.

The Kneecap probe was focused on remarks made about a forthcoming court case in which one band member Liam O’Hanna, known by his stage name Mo Chara, is charged with a “terror” offense over alleged support for banned organizations Hamas and Hezbollah.

But in an update the force said it would take no further action against Kneecap, whose members had been informed of the decision.

“Detectives sought advice from the Crown Prosecution Service during their enquiries and after that advice, we have made the decision to take no further action on the grounds there is insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offense,” it said.

Inquiries into the separate allegations against Bob Vylan, however, would continue, it added.

Chara appeared in court in June accused of having displayed a Hezbollah flag while saying “Up Hamas, Up Hezbollah” at a London concert last year.

The Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah and the Palestinian militants Hamas are banned in the UK, where it is an offense to express support for them.

Kneecap deny the terrorism charge and say the video featuring the Hezbollah flag has been taken out of context.