Before the Ukraine conflict, farmers across the world were struggling to buy enough fertilizers, some of which more than doubled in price last year. Higher natural-gas prices hampered production of the ammonia needed for nitrogen fertilizers, while power outages at Chinese fertilizer plants and Hurricane Ida in the U.S. curtailed global production. War in Ukraine […]
Category: Foreign
Mastercard, Visa suspend operations in Russia after invasion
Mastercard and Visa are suspending their operations in Russia, the companies said Saturday, in the latest blow to the country’s financial system after its invasion of Ukraine. Mastercard said cards issued by Russian banks will no longer be supported by its network and any Mastercard issued outside the country will not work at Russian stores […]
Zelensky slams Nato over rejection of no-fly zone
Ukraine’s president has attacked Nato leaders in a fiery speech over their refusal to implement a no-fly zone around the country. Speaking from Kyiv, Volodymyr Zelensky said the West’s reluctance to intervene has given Russia “a green light” to continue bombarding towns and villages. Nato has argued that a no-fly zone will result in confrontation […]
Nuclear plant: How dangerous was the attack and what is the risk in Ukraine?
Buildings at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station in Ukraine – the largest in Europe – have been damaged after it was hit by shelling. The attack has prompted world leaders to accuse Russia of acting recklessly – the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it could “directly threaten the safety of all of Europe”. The […]
China asked Russia to wait until after Olympics to invade Ukraine
Chinese officials in early February asked Russian officials to wait until the Winter Olympics in Beijing had concluded before sending troops into Ukraine, U.S. officials said, according to a report. A Western intelligence service collected the information before the invasion and the U.S. considers it credible, according to the New York Times. The intelligence reportedly […]
Canada’s Trudeau Faces Fallout After Trucker Protest
The protests that rocked Canada are over, but they have undermined Canadians’ faith in their government and hurt the image of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, new polling shows. Approval among Canadians about the Trudeau-led Liberal Party is near a 12-month low as of last week, according to polling from Ottawa-based Nanos Research. A separate Nanos […]
Countless human remains found at cartel “extermination site” near U.S. border as Mexico can’t account for nearly 100,000 missing
Countless human were remains found at cartel “extermination site” near U.S. border, as Mexico can’t account for nearly 100,000 missing. For the investigators, the human foot — burned, but with some fabric still attached — was the tipoff: Until recently, this squat, ruined house was a place where bodies were ripped apart and incinerated, where […]
Kyiv and Moscow Hold Talks as Ukrainian Troops Repel Russian Attacks
KYIV, Ukraine—A delegation led by Ukraine’s defense minister began cease-fire talks on Monday with Russian officials at the Ukrainian border with Belarus, as Ukrainian forces repelled a series of Russian attacks on the capital, Kyiv, and Russian troops shelled a residential neighborhood of the eastern city of Kharkiv. The talks on the fifth day […]
Putin puts Russia’s nuclear deterrent forces on high alert in response to sanctions
Russian President Vladimir Putin raised the alert status for his nuclear forces to “special regime of combat duty” as Russia and Ukraine battle for the fourth day. Putin ordered the Russian defense minister and the chief of the military’s General Staff to put the nuclear deterrent forces in a “special regime of combat duty.” The […]
Russia central bank urges calm amid cash run fears
Russia’s central bank has issued an appeal for calm amid fears that new financial sanctions could spark a run on its banks. It said it “has the necessary resources and tools to maintain financial stability and ensure the operational continuity of the financial sector”. The EU, the US, the UK and Canada have announced […]
Russia’s attack on Ukraine raises a harrowing question: How widespread would fallout from a nuclear bomb be?
Russian forces attacked Ukraine with missile strikes and shelling on Thursday, kicking off a dramatic escalation of the conflict in the region. Russia has launched about 200 missiles since the start of the attack, a senior US defense official said at a Friday news briefing. At least 25 civilians have been killed in the fighting, […]
Kyiv still standing on Day 3, Zelenskyy refuses to leave country
Kyiv remains under Ukrainian control as Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy refuses to leave his country on the third day of Russia’s invasion. Russia started its advance into the capital city Friday night but appeared to make limited progress until early Saturday morning local time when gunfire could be heard in the city center. Government officials […]