Below is a summary of current world news.
EU president says Ukraine has unconditional support ahead of summit
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said ahead of next week’s EU-Ukraine summit that Ukraine had the bloc’s unconditional support and that the country must stand up to Russian attacks to defend European values . “We stand by Ukraine without any ifs or buts,” von der Leyen said in a speech on Saturday at an event of her party, the Christian Democrats CDU, in Düsseldorf, Germany.
France extends mandatory COVID testing for Chinese travelers until February 15
France has extended mandatory COVID testing for travelers from China until February 15, a government decree released on Saturday showed. Although Chinese officials have said infections have peaked, some global experts have warned of the possibility of a surge in cases in rural areas less equipped to deal with them as millions of Chinese travel for meetings relatives during the Lunar New Year holidays.
Spanish police seize cocaine worth 114 million dollars from a cattle ship
Spanish police have seized 4.5 tons of cocaine with an estimated street value of 105 million euros ($114 million) after raiding a livestock vessel in the Canary Islands earlier this week, it has been reported a statement on Saturday. The ship had stopped at ports in a dozen countries before Tuesday’s attack, and police said drug traffickers had started using cattle boats because it was harder for police to track their illegal load
Israeli army beefs up in West Bank after synagogue shooting
Israel’s military said it was increasing its forces in the occupied West Bank a day after a Palestinian gunman shot dead seven people on the outskirts of Jerusalem and another shooting attack in the city on Saturday wounded two people. The attacks come at the end of a month of escalating confrontation and follow an Israeli incursion into the West Bank that killed nine Palestinians, including seven gunmen, and cross-border fire between Israel and Gaza that raised fears of a spiral in blood
Russian Antarctic ship docks in South Africa as environmental groups protest
A Russian research vessel that has been searching for oil and natural gas in Antarctica docked in South Africa on Saturday after protests by environmental activists who say its operations in the region violate a treaty banning mineral exploration . Several members of the environmental group Extinction Rebellion carried placards reading “Hands off Antarctica” as the polar explorer vessel Akademik Alexander Karpinsky arrived in Cape Town harbor in the morning as scheduled.
Revivalist churches in the Congo attract Catholics
Congolese event organizer Deo Malela was born to Roman Catholic parents and identifies as such. But like more and more Catholics in the central African nation, Malele, 28, also regularly attends an evangelical church where he says he finds solutions to everyday problems.
In Beijing’s backyard, the US demonstrates its military power
For a few hours under a gray sky, dozens of fighter jets and helicopters roared in and out of the flight deck of the aircraft carrier Nimitz, in a show of American military might in some of the world’s most contested waters. MH-60 Seahawk helicopters and F/A-18 Hornet jets bearing pilot call signs like “Fozzie Bear,” “Pig Sweat” and “Bongoo” let out deafening screams as they land in the rain from the Nimitz, which is leading a carrier attack. group that entered the South China Sea two weeks ago.
Exclusive: Top US Treasury official to warn UAE, Turkey on sanctions evasion
The U.S. Treasury Department’s top sanctions official on a trip to Turkey and the Middle East next week will warn countries and companies that they could lose access to the U.S. market if they do business with entities subject to U.S. sanctions -Americans as Washington cracks down on Russian attempts to evade sanctions. imposed by its war in Ukraine. Brian Nelson, Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, will travel to Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey from January 29 to February 3 and meet with government officials as well as businesses and financial institutions to reiterate that Washington will continue to comply aggressively. its sanctions, a Treasury spokesman told Reuters.
Italy’s Meloni expected to sign a major gas deal when the visit to Libya begins
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni flew to Tripoli on Saturday, where she is expected to agree a major gas deal aimed at increasing energy supplies to Europe despite insecurity and political chaos in the North African country. Meloni will meet Mohamed al-Menfi, head of Libya’s three-man Presidential Council, and Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, head of the internationally recognized Government of National Unity (GNU) in Tripoli.
Trump is heading to New Hampshire, South Carolina, to boost the campaign
Former US President Donald Trump will swing through New Hampshire and South Carolina on Saturday in the first two stops of a presidential campaign that has largely been on hold since he launched his new bid for the White House in november Trump will first speak at the New Hampshire Republican Party’s annual meeting in Salem before heading to Columbia, South Carolina’s capital, where he will unveil his leadership team in the state.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)