Russia demands control of Ukraine’s Donbas ahead of UAE peace talks

Russia refuses to drop its demand that Ukrainian forces withdraw from the eastern Donbas, hardening a core territorial red line hours before three-way talks with Ukraine and the United States in the United Arab Emirates. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said territory remains the decisive issue and will be on the table in Abu Dhabi, where the delegations are expected to hold the first direct public negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow over a plan pushed by U.S. President Donald Trump to end the nearly four-year war.…

Kyiv Mayor: 1,940 Apartment Buildings Still Lack Heating

Kyiv struggles to restore heat and power after Russian strikes; oil depot fire reported in Russia as talks eyed in UAE As of this morning, 1,940 apartment buildings in Ukraine’s capital were still without heating after Russia’s latest air assault, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said, underscoring the strain on the city’s energy grid as temperatures remain well below freezing. Klitschko said on the Telegram messaging app that crews were reconnecting buildings for the second time this month after an earlier Jan. 9 barrage forced…

Trump hails full-access Greenland pact as EU boosts Arctic security

Trump claims ‘total’ U.S. access to Greenland under NATO framework; Denmark insists sovereignty not up for discussion U.S. President Donald Trump said he has secured “total and permanent” American access to Greenland under a framework discussed with NATO, even as Denmark and Greenland stressed that sovereignty over the Arctic island is not on the table and European leaders vowed to step up regional security. News of the nascent deal emerged as Trump backed off tariff threats against Europe and ruled out taking Greenland by…

Venezuela’s interim leader Rodríguez plans diplomatic visit to the United States

Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, will soon visit the United States, a senior U.S. official said, signaling President Donald Trump’s willingness to engage with the oil-rich country’s new leader despite years of hostility. Excluding United Nations gatherings, it would be the first bilateral visit by a sitting Venezuelan president in more than a quarter-century. The White House official, who was not authorized to discuss details publicly, said no date has been set. Caracas has not confirmed the trip. Rodriguez…

Former special counsel: Trump orchestrated criminal plan to overturn election

WASHINGTON — Former special counsel Jack Smith on Wednesday defended his now-abandoned prosecutions of President Donald Trump, telling the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee that his team developed proof “beyond a reasonable doubt” that Trump engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the 2020 election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden. “Rather than accept his defeat in the 2020 presidential election, President Trump engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results and prevent the lawful transfer of power,” Smith said in…

Former special counsel: Trump orchestrated criminal plot to overturn election

Former special counsel Jack Smith mounted a rare public defense of his now-abandoned prosecutions of President Donald Trump, telling the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee that Trump “engaged in a criminal scheme” to overturn the 2020 election and that investigators had developed “proof beyond a reasonable doubt.” “Rather than accept his defeat in the 2020 presidential election, President Trump engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results and prevent the lawful transfer of power,” Smith said, adding that the…

Denmark considers building small nuclear reactors to meet power needs

Denmark is weighing the use of small modular nuclear reactors to bolster its power supply, a move that would require lifting the country’s 1985 ban on nuclear energy, the Climate and Energy Ministry said. A government framework to examine the “potentials and risks” of new nuclear technologies—and to study ending the moratorium—is now in place, the ministry added. “Green energy from solar and wind is now and will continue to be the backbone of the Danish energy supply, but we can also see that it cannot stand alone,” Climate,…

Spain train crash death toll hits 45 after two more bodies found

Spain’s rail network reeled from a fourth accident in less than a week as authorities recovered two more bodies from the wreckage of last weekend’s high-speed train collision in Andalusia, raising the death toll to 45. The discovery comes hours after a commuter train struck a crane arm near the port city of Cartagena in the southeastern Murcia region, lightly injuring six, officials said. An Andalusia emergency services spokesman said the bodies were retrieved from a Renfe-operated train that crashed into a derailed Iryo…

Putin Welcomes New Foreign Ambassadors at the Bolshoi Kremlin Palace

Russia Embraces Multipolarity Amid Changing Geopolitical Landscape This article examines President Vladimir Putin's recent remarks regarding Russia's commitment to a multipolar world during a ceremony welcoming new foreign ambassadors. It highlights his vision for international relations and cooperation with African nations, underlining historical ties and future aspirations. Putin’s emphasis on a multipolar world and constructive foreign policy. The significance of partnerships with African countries. Ongoing…

Irish doctor recounts harrowing scene after Australian shark attack

SYDNEY — An Irish doctor out for a jog on Sydney’s Manly beach helped save the life of a surfer mauled by a shark, racing alongside lifeguards and a helicopter medical team to restart the man’s heart and rush him to surgery amid a spate of shark attacks along Australia’s east coast. Brian Burns, a clinical professor of emergency medicine and emergency physician at Royal North Shore Hospital, told RTÉ’s News at One that his “training just kicked into gear” when he saw professional lifeguards performing CPR on the sand on…