BRUSSELS: The main international forum for drumming up weapons and ammunition for Ukraine will for the first time meet under the auspices of a country other than the US as uncertainty surrounds the future of Washington’s support for arming the war-torn country.
The Ukraine Defense Contact Group, a consortium of about 50 partner nations, was brought together by former US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to coordinate weapons support in the months after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
President Donald Trump has expressed skepticism for backing Ukraine, criticizing its President Volodymyr Zelensky and saying last month that his administration had already held ” very serious” discussions with Russia about ending the conflict.
The UK is convening the 26th meeting of the contact group on Wednesday at NATO headquarters in Brussels.
The meeting is aimed at discussing “priorities for Ukraine as the international community continues to work together to support Ukraine in its fight against (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s illegal invasion,” the British Ministry of Defense said in a statement released on Thursday.
It’s the first time that a country other than the US has convened the forum, although Austin’s successor, Pete Hegseth, is scheduled to take part. It was not immediately clear whether the UK convened the meeting on its own initiative or whether Washington requested it.
A senior US official said, “We appreciate the UK’s leadership in convening the 50-plus countries who participate in this forum. Ally and partner burden-sharing remains critical to helping achieve peace in Ukraine.”
The official spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media.
The US is by far the largest single foreign contributor of military aid to Ukraine, providing about 30 percent of Ukraine’s weaponry, as much as the 27 members of the European Union put together.
Kathleen Burk, emeritus professor of history at University College London, told The Associated Press that if the US has asked Britain to chair the meeting of Ukraine’s Western backers, it “seems to tell me that disengagement has already begun.”
Zelensky attended the last meeting in January, as the Biden administration rushed to provide his country with as much military support as it could, including a new $500 million package of weapons and relaxing restrictions on missile strikes into Russia.
The aim was to put Ukraine in the strongest position possible for any future negotiations to end the war.
In June last year, NATO defense ministers approved a permanent system to provide reliable long-term security aid and military training for Ukraine after delays in Western deliveries of funds, arms and ammunition helped invading Russian forces to seize the initiative on the battlefield.
The NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU), which began work in December, had been described as a way to “Trump-proof” NATO backing for Ukraine, a reference to concern that Trump might withdraw US support for Kyiv.
NSATU, which is headquartered at a US military base in Wiesbaden, Germany, was publicly portrayed by NATO officials as a system that would complement rather than replace the contact group.
Ukraine’s Western backers will meet for arms talks as doubts over US intentions grow
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Ukraine’s Western backers will meet for arms talks as doubts over US intentions grow
- President Donald Trump has expressed skepticism for backing Ukraine
- The UK is convening the 26th meeting of the contact group on Wednesday at NATO headquarters in Brussels
Macron decorates Indonesia leader, announces cultural partnership
- Says partnership would be based on cinema and fashion, video games, design and gastronomy
- Macron’s trip to Indonesia is the second stop of a three-nation, six-day tour of Southeast Asia
MAGELANG, Indonesia: French President Emmanuel Macron bestowed Indonesia’s leader with France’s top award on Thursday, before announcing a new cultural partnership with Jakarta on a visit to the world’s largest Buddhist temple.
Macron’s trip to Indonesia is the second stop of a three-nation, six-day tour of Southeast Asia that began with Vietnam and concludes in Singapore.
After meeting for talks in the capital Jakarta, Macron and his counterpart Prabowo Subianto flew by helicopter on Thursday from Javan city Yogyakarta to a military academy in Magelang, a city surrounded by mountains in Central Java.
The pair attended a military parade and Macron gave Prabowo the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour, France’s highest military or civil award.
Prabowo is an ex-general accused of rights abuses under dictator Suharto’s rule in the late 1990s. He was discharged from the military over his role in the abductions of democracy activists but denied the allegations and was never charged.
Macron rode in a jeep driven by Prabowo with the pair welcomed by a marching band and hundreds of students waving Indonesian flags.
Macron then visited Borobudur, a Buddhist temple built in the 9th century that is the world’s largest, where the pair announced they were boosting cultural ties.
“In front of this temple, we are taking an important step by launching a new cultural partnership,” said Macron.
“The first pillar is heritage and museum cooperation. The second pillar is cultural and creative industries,” he said.
Macron said the basis of the new partnership would be cinema and fashion, as well as video games, design and gastronomy.
The French leader will now depart for Singapore where he will deliver the opening address Friday at the Shangri-la Dialogue, Asia’s premier security forum.
On Wednesday, the pair called for progress on “mutual recognition” between Israel and the Palestinians at a key meeting next month as Macron brought the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation into his diplomatic efforts.
“Indonesia has stated that once Israel recognizes Palestine, Indonesia is ready to recognize Israel and open the diplomatic relationship,” said Prabowo.
Indonesia has no formal ties with Israel and support for the Palestinian cause among Indonesians runs high.
The nations also signed a series of agreements on cooperation in a range of fields including defense, trade, agriculture, disaster management, culture and transport.
Torrential rains kill 25 in Nigerian city: rescuers
- Flooding after a rainstorm late Wednesday washed away or submerged at least 50 homes
- 10 people remained missing on top of the confirmed dead
KANO: Torrential rains devastated the central Nigerian city of Mokwa and killed at least 25 people, emergency services said Thursday amid a search for more bodies.
Flooding after a rainstorm late Wednesday washed away or submerged at least 50 homes in the city and 10 people remained missing on top of the confirmed dead, an emergency management official said.
“The surging flood water submerged and washed away over 50 residential houses with their occupants,” said Abdullahi Baba-Arah, director general of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).
Divers and volunteers one woman and her two children, who were being treated in hospital for “wounds and shock.”
Nigeria is hit by flooding every rainy season, which runs between May and September.
The floods are largely caused by inadequate drainage, the construction of homes on waterways, and the dumping of waste in drains and water channels.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) had warned of possible flash floods in 15 of Nigeria’s 36 states, including Niger state, between Wednesday and Friday.
In 2024, more than 1,200 people were killed and 1.2 million displaced in one of the country’s worst floods in decades.
Federal judge extends order blocking Trump administration ban on foreign students at Harvard
- Judge Burroughs extended the block she imposed last week with a temporary restraining order
- “Harvard will continue to take steps to protect the rights of our international students and scholars,” a university spokesman said
BOSTON: A federal judge on Thursday extended an order blocking the Trump administration’s attempt to bar Harvard University from enrolling foreign students.
US District Judge Allison Burroughs extended the block she imposed last week with a temporary restraining order, which allows the Ivy League school to continue enrolling international students as a lawsuit proceeds.
Harvard sued the Department of Homeland Security on Friday after Secretary Kristi Noem revoked its ability to host foreign students at its campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
“Harvard will continue to take steps to protect the rights of our international students and scholars, members of our community who are vital to the University’s academic mission and community — and whose presence here benefits our country immeasurably,” a university spokesman said in a statement.
On Wednesday, the Trump administration introduced a new effort to revoke Harvard’s certification to enroll foreign students. In a letter sent by the acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement director, Todd Lyons, the government gave Harvard 30 days to respond to the alleged grounds for withdrawal, which include accusations that Harvard coordinated with foreign entities and failed to respond sufficiently to antisemitism on campus.
The developments unfolded in a courtroom not far from the Harvard campus, where speakers at Thursday’s commencement ceremony stressed the importance of maintaining a diverse and international student body.
The dispute over international enrollment at Harvard is the latest escalation in a battle between the White House and the nation’s oldest and wealthiest college. In April, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem sent a letter to the school, demanding a range of records related to foreign students, including discipline records and anything related to “dangerous or violent activity.” Noem said it was in response to accusations of antisemitism on Harvard’s campus.
Harvard says it complied. But on May 22, Noem sent a letter saying the school’s response fell short. She said Harvard was being pulled from the federal program that allows colleges to sponsor international students to get US visas. It took effect immediately and prevented Harvard from hosting foreign students in the upcoming school year.
In its lawsuit, Harvard argued the government failed to follow administrative procedures and regulations for removing schools from eligibility to host international students, which include giving schools the opportunity to appeal and a 30-day window to respond.
Noem’s earlier letter to Harvard notified the school that its eligibility was revoked immediately. It did not cite any regulations or statutes that Harvard allegedly violated. The Wednesday letter accuses Harvard of violating regulations around reporting requirements and violating an executive order regarding combatting antisemitism.
Already, despite the restraining order, the Trump administration’s efforts to stop Harvard from enrolling international students have created an environment of “profound fear, concern, and confusion,” the university’s director of immigration services said in a court filing on Wednesday.
In a court filing, immigration services director Maureen Martin said that countless international students had asked about transferring.
Martin said that international Harvard students arriving in Boston were sent to additional screening by Customs and Border Protection agents, and that international students seeking to obtain their visas were being denied or facing delays at consulates and embassies.
More than 7,000 international students, exchange scholars and alumni participating in a post-graduate career training period rely on Harvard for their sponsorship and legal status in the United States.
The sanction, if allowed to proceed, could upend some graduate schools that draw heavily from abroad. Among those at risk was Belgium’s Princess Elisabeth, who just finished her first year in a Harvard graduate program.
Trump railed against Harvard on social media after Burroughs temporarily halted the action last week, saying “the best thing Harvard has going for it is that they have shopped around and found the absolute best Judge (for them!) — But have no fear, the Government will, in the end, WIN!”
The Trump administration has levied a range of grievances against Harvard, accusing it of being a hotbed of liberalism and failing to protect Jewish students from harassment. The government is demanding changes to Harvard’s governance and policies to bring it in line with the president’s vision.
Harvard was the first university to reject the government’s demands, saying it threatened the autonomy that has long made US higher education a magnet for the world’s top scholars. In a pair of lawsuits, Harvard accuses the government of retaliating against the university for rebuffing political demands.
Driver charged with causing grievous bodily harm after Liverpool soccer parade tragedy
- Doyle faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted
- The people injured ranged in age from 9 to 78, with at least 50 treated at hospitals
LONDON: A driver who injured nearly 80 people when his car rammed into a crowd of Liverpool soccer fans celebrating their team’s Premier League championship was charged Thursday with intentionally causing grievous bodily harm and six other serious counts, a prosecutor said.
Paul Doyle, 53, was also charged with dangerous driving and five other counts alleging different variations of causing grievous bodily harm, Prosecutor Sarah Hammond said.
He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted.
The people injured ranged in age from 9 to 78, with at least 50 treated at hospitals. Seven people remained in the hospital Thursday in stable condition.
The charges did not indicate how many victims the counts were tied to but Hammond said the investigation was at an early stage as police review a huge volume of evidence, including videos and eyewitness statements.
“It is important to ensure that every victim gets the justice they deserve,” Hammond said.
The city had been celebrating Liverpool’s record-tying 20th title when the driver turned down a street full of fans and joy quickly turned to tragedy.
“We know that Monday’s shocking scenes reverberated around the city of Liverpool, and the entire country, on what should have been a day of celebration for hundreds of thousands of Liverpool FC supporters,” Hammond said.
Doyle remained in custody and faces his first court hearing Friday in Liverpool Magistrates’ Court.
Police had previously said they believed Doyle dodged a road block by tailing an ambulance responding to a report of a person in cardiac arrest.
Video that circulated on social media showed scenes of horror as the car struck and tossed a person in the air who was draped in a Liverpool flag and then swerved into a sea of people packed on the side of the road.
Merseyside Police said the driver was believed to have acted alone and they did not suspect terrorism.
“I fully understand how this incident has left us all shocked and saddened, and I know many will continue to have concerns and questions,” Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims said during a short news conference.
“Our detectives are working tirelessly, with diligence and professionalism to seek the answer to all of those questions.”
France to ban smoking outdoors in most places: minister
- The new ban, which will enter into force on July 1, will cover all spaces where children could be present
- The ban will also extend to schools, to stop students smoking in front of them
PARIS: France will ban smoking in all outdoor places that can be accessed by children, including beaches, parks and bus stops, the health and family minister announced Thursday.
Famed as a country where smokers linger over cigarettes on cafe terraces or strolling down cobblestone streets, France has increasingly tightened restrictions on tobacco use in public spaces in recent years.
The new ban, which will enter into force on July 1, will cover all spaces where children could be present, including “beaches, parks, public gardens, outside of schools, bus stops and sports venues,” said the minister Catherine Vautrin.
“Tobacco must disappear where there are children,” Vautrin said in an interview published by the regional Ouest-France daily on its website.
The freedom to smoke “stops where children’s right to breathe clean air starts,” she said.
The ban will also extend to schools, to stop students smoking in front of them.
Offenders face a fine of up to 135 euros ($154), Vautrin said.
The ban will not extend to France’s iconic cafe terraces however, the minister said.
Electronic cigarettes, which have boomed in France in recent years, are also not covered.
France already forbids smoking in public spaces such as workplaces, airports and train stations, as well as playgrounds.
Anti-smoking groups had been fighting for a broader ban.
An estimated 35 percent of France’s population are smokers — higher than the averages for
Europe (25 percent) and the world (21 percent), according to the World Health Organization.
Around 75,000 people are estimated to die from tobacco-related complications each year in France.
According to a recent opinion survey, six out of 10 French people (62 percent) favor banning smoking in public places.
The government’s National Anti-Tobacco Programme for 2023 to 2027 proposed a smoking ban similar to the one announced by Vautrin, calling France to “rise to the challenge of a tobacco-free generation from 2032.”
But anti-tobacco organizations had voiced concern the authorities were dragging their feet on implementing the measures.
More than 1,500 cities and villages had already imposed their own bans on smoking in public spaces such as parks, beaches and ski slopes.
Vautrin said there were no plans to place additional taxes on cigarettes “at the moment,” citing the thriving black market that emerged after existing taxes were introduced in a bid to discourage smoking.
