
Moscow strikes kill six in Ukraine; Kyiv hit two oil refineries in Russia
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There was no reduction in hostilities on the frontline, even as the United States and Russia agreed to hold a summit in a bid to resolve the conflict, which so far does not include Ukraine.
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The focus of the Russian offensive is on eastern Ukraine, where it has stepped up gains in recent months against its less well-equipped opponents.
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A Russian glide bomb hit a busy bus station in the city of Zaporizhzhia in a separate afternoon strike, wounding 19 people at once, the local officials said, adding that a search and rescue operation was still ongoing.
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Visuals from the site shared by the authorities showed rescuers with sniffer dogs pulling injured people in blood stains and dust from the rubble in the shattered central bus station building.
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Three beachgoers were killed earlier in the Black Sea coastal city of Odesa, after they triggered a mine while swimming in a prohibited area.
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The Ukrainian army claimed its drones had hit a large oil refinery in Russia's western Saratov region. Its governor Roman Busargin only gave a vague comment about it, saying that 'one of the industrial enterprises was damaged' and adding that one person died as a result of the drone attack.
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Another refinery was damaged in Russia's remote northern town of Ukhta in the Komi Republic, some 2,000 kilometres (1,200 miles) from the frontline, a source in Ukraine's GUR main intelligence directorate told AFP.
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The Komi governor confirmed in his Telegram channel there was a drone attack on the region, but didn't mention the Ukhta refinery and said there were no casualties in the assault.
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Another woman died in Russia's Belgorod region, often under Ukrainian fire due to its proximity to the frontline, the local governor said.
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Kyiv is trying to hamper Moscow's ability to fund the more than three-year war of attrition by attacking its oil and gas facilities, the key source of revenue for the state budget.
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Global News
32 minutes ago
- Global News
U.S. human rights reports criticize NATO allies, minimize some abuses
The Trump administration on Tuesday released human rights reports for countries worldwide that eliminate mentions of discrimination faced by LGBTQ2 people, reduce a previous focus on reproductive rights and criticize restrictions on political speech by U.S. allies in Europe that American officials believe target right-wing politicians. The reports, which cover 2024 before President Donald Trump took office, reflect his administration's focus on free speech and restricting access to abortion. However, the reports also offer a glimpse into the administration's view of dire human rights conditions in some countries that have agreed to accept migrants deported from the United States under Trump's immigration crackdown. 'This year's reports were streamlined for better utility and accessibility in the field and by partners,' the U.S. State Department said. The congressionally mandated reports in the past have been frequently used for reference and cited by lawmakers, policymakers, academic researchers and others investigating potential asylum claims or looking into conditions in specific countries. Story continues below advertisement The reports had been due to be released in March. The State Department said in an overview that the delay occurred because the Trump administration decided in March to 'adjust' the reports, which had been compiled during the Biden administration. Among other deletions, the reports do not include accounts from individual abuse survivors or witnesses. 'Frequently, eyewitnesses are intimidated or prevented from reporting what they know,' the overview said. 'On the other hand, individuals and groups opposed to a government may have incentive to exaggerate or fabricate abuses. In similar fashion, some governments may distort or exaggerate abuses attributed to opposition groups.' Human rights groups decried the changes in focus and omissions of certain categories of discrimination and potential abuse. 'With the release of the U.S. State Department's human rights report, it is clear that the Trump Administration has engaged in a very selective documentation of human rights abuses in certain countries,' Amnesty International said in a statement. 'In addition to eliminating entire sections for certain countries – for example discrimination against LGBTQ+ people – there are also arbitrary omissions within existing sections of the report based on the country,' it said. The reports do follow previous practices in criticizing widespread human rights abuses in China, Iran, North Korea and Russia. Story continues below advertisement 2:49 Trump warns 'severe consequences' if Putin doesn't end war in Ukraine The report on Russia, as well as a separate one on Russia-occupied areas of Ukraine, go much further in documenting its abuses in Ukraine — including acknowledging accusations of war crimes — than Trump or U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio have done in public. It says Moscow 'did not take credible steps or action to identify and punish most officials who committed human rights abuses.' The Ukraine report admonishes the Ukrainian government of curtailing freedoms of the press and expression, though it notes many of the measures are due to martial law imposed during wartime. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The report's section on Israel was much shorter than last year's edition and contained no mention of the severe humanitarian crisis or death toll in Gaza. What does it say about NATO allies? The reports take issue with what the Trump administration believes are restrictions on free speech imposed against generally right-wing voices in the United Kingdom, France and Germany. Story continues below advertisement The reports use identical language to say that human rights conditions in each of the three NATO allies 'worsened during the year.' The executive summaries for each of the three reports say 'significant human rights issues included credible reports of serious restrictions on freedom of expression, including enforcement of or threat of criminal or civil laws in order to limit expression; and crimes, violence, or threats of violence motivated by antisemitism.' These governments have rejected such assertions that have been made by senior U.S. officials, including Trump, Rubio and Vice President JD Vance. The report on Canada is less critical and acknowledges no change in U.S. assessments of its human rights conditions. However, it repeats language alleging 'credible reports of serious restrictions on freedom of expression' and accuses the federal government of limiting press freedom. A mention of ongoing trials related to the 2022 'Freedom Convoy' protests says they protested against 'draconian lockdown measures that substantially damaged the communities and economic livelihoods of many Canadians.' Last year's report, the final one issued by the Biden administration, said the Canadian government 'did not restrict or disrupt access to the internet or censor online content' and allowed independent media to 'express a wide variety of views without restriction.' Past reports have taken particular issue with violence and threats against minority groups, including Indigenous and LGBTQ2 people. Story continues below advertisement What about El Salvador? Although such deportations did not begin until after Trump took office, the reports, with one notable exception, detail general poor human rights conditions in many of the countries that have agreed to accept migrants, even if they are not citizens of that nation. The exception is El Salvador, which was the first of several countries in Latin America and Africa to agree to accept non-citizen migrant deportees from the U.S. Despite claims from rights advocates to the contrary, the report about the country says 'there were no credible reports of significant human rights abuses' in El Salvador in 2024 and that 'the government took credible steps to identify and punish officials who committed human rights abuses.' Human rights groups have accused authorities of abuses, including at a notorious prison where many migrants are sent. Story continues below advertisement 1:12 'I thought they would kill us': Venezuelan migrant details alleged abuse in El Salvador prison However, for Eswatini — a small country in Africa formerly known as Swaziland — South Sudan and Rwanda, the reports paint a grimmer picture. All have agreed to accept third-country deportees from the United States. In all three countries, the reports noted 'significant human rights issues included credible reports of arbitrary or unlawful killings, torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment … serious restrictions on freedom of expression and media freedom, prohibiting independent trade unions or significant or systematic restrictions on workers' freedom of association.' Those governments 'did not take credible steps or action to identify and punish officials who committed human rights abuses,' the reports said. Singling out the treatment of white South Africans South Africa was also singled out for its human rights situation 'significantly worsening.' Story continues below advertisement The report pointed to unfair treatment of white Afrikaners following the signing of major land reforms that the Trump administration has said discriminate against that minority, which ran the country's apartheid government. That system brutally enforced racial segregation, which oppressed the Black majority, for 50 years before ending in 1994. With the signing of that law in December, the report said that 'South Africa took a substantially worrying step towards land expropriation of Afrikaners and further abuses against racial minorities in the country.' It also said the government 'did not take credible steps to investigate, prosecute and punish officials who committed human rights abuses, including inflammatory racial rhetoric against Afrikaners and other racial minorities, or violence against racial minorities.' This year, the administration admitted as refugees some groups of white Afrikaners. The South African government on Wednesday dismissed the report as 'inaccurate and deeply flawed.' 2:05 Trump confronts South African president with white farmer 'genocide' claims What the report says about Brazil Freedom-of-speech issues were also raised in Brazil, which has more recently provoked Trump's ire by prosecuting his ally — former right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro — and led to the imposition of massive U.S. tariffs and sanctions against Brazil's Supreme Court chief justice. Story continues below advertisement 'The human rights situation in Brazil declined during the year,' the report said. 'The courts took broad and disproportionate action to undermine freedom of speech and internet freedom by blocking millions of users' access to information on a major social media platform in response to a case of harassment.' It added that the government 'undermined democratic debate by restricting access to online content deemed to undermine democracy' and specifically mentioned suppressing the speech of Bolsonaro and his supporters. —With additional files from Global News and Reuters


CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
The US-Russia summit marks Putin's first trip to the West since the war in Ukraine began
Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with an officer upon his arrival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Dec. 6, 2023. (Konstantin Zavrazhin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File) For most of his quarter-century rule, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Paris, London, Vienna and New York. Since Moscow invaded Ukraine, however, his destinations have been places like Minsk, Pyongyang, Hanoi and Beijing, as the West sought to turn Russia into a pariah. Russia has countered Western attempts to isolate it by bolstering its ties with ex-Soviet allies and other developing countries. Putin's travel also has been limited by an International Criminal Court arrest warrant issued in 2023 that has prompted him to avoid visits to places that recognize the court's authority. The U.S. isn't a member of the court and thus doesn't have an obligation to arrest him. The trip to Alaska will be Putin's first to the United States since 2015, when he attended the UN General Assembly in New York. It's also his first visit to a Western country since the start of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Here's a look at some foreign trips Putin has made since the start of the war in February 2022: 2022 June 28-29, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan — Putin's visit to the two ex-Soviet nations was his first after launching the Ukraine war. In Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Putin attended a summit of the Caspian Sea nations to discuss regional cooperation. July 19, Iran — Putin met with leaders of Iran and Turkey, focusing on the situation in Syria. Sept. 15-16, Uzbekistan — In Tashkent, he held a summit of the eight-nation Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a group dominated by China and Russia. Putin met on the sidelines of the summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, their first encounter since the war began. Oct. 13-14, Kazakhstan — Putin attended a conference aimed at promoting peace and security in Asia. Nov. 23, Armenia — Visiting Yerevan, Putin attended a summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, a Moscow-dominated group of nations that once were part of the former Soviet Union. Dec. 9, Kyrgyzstan — Putin attended a Bishkek meeting of the Eurasian Economic Council, an economic alliance of several ex-Soviet nations. Dec. 19, Belarus — Putin met in Minsk with President Alexander Lukashenko, Russia's neighbor and staunch ally that was a staging area for Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. 2023 Oct. 12-13, Kyrgyzstan – Putin returned to Bishkek for a summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States, a grouping of ex-Soviet nations. Oct. 17-18, China — Putin attended a forum of China's Belt and Road Initiative in a trip that underscored Beijing's support for Moscow. Nov. 9, Kazakhstan -- A visit by Putin to Astana, Kazakhstan, was part of his efforts to cement ties with the ex-Soviet neighbor and major economic partner. Nov. 23, Belarus — Putin attended a summit in Minsk of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, a Moscow-dominated security grouping of several ex-Soviet nations. Dec. 6, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — The Kremlin leader made a working visit to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in a lightning tour intended to raise Moscow's profile as a Middle East power broker. 2024 May 16-17, China — Putin visited Beijing to emphasize Russia and China's burgeoning strategic ties and his own personal relationship with Xi as they sought to present an alternative to U.S. global influence. May 23-24, Belarus -- Putin visited Belarus in another of several foreign tours to kick off his fifth term in office. May 26-28, Uzbekistan -– On a visit to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Putin signed an accord for Moscow to build the Central Asian country's first nuclear power plant. June 18-19, North Korea -– Putin made his first visit in 24 years to Pyongyang, where he and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty, a pact stipulating mutual military assistance if either country is attacked. North Korea later sent its troops to Russia to help fight an incursion by Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk region. June 19-20, Vietnam — After North Korea, Putin visited Vietnam and signed a dozen deals with President To Lam, seeking to bolster ties with a Soviet-era ally. July 3-4, Kazakhstan – Putin and Xi joined the leaders of other countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Astana, for an annual meeting of the security group created by Moscow and Beijing to counter Western alliances. Aug. 18-19, Azerbaijan – Putin made a state visit to Baku, Azerbaijan, where he met President Ilham Aliyev to secure trade routes and retain Moscow's clout in the South Caucasus. Sept. 2-3, Mongolia — Putin made an official visit to Mongolia, where he got a red-carpet welcome as the country — a member of the International Criminal Court — ignored calls to arrest him on a warrant for alleged war crimes stemming from Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Oct. 11, Turkmenistan – Putin visited Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, where he met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of an international forum and discussed the situation in the Middle East. Nov. 28, Kazakhstan — Putin traveled to Astana for a summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, a Moscow-dominated security grouping of several ex-Soviet nations. Dec. 6, Belarus — In Minsk, Putin and Lukashenko signed a security pact that for the first time put Belarus under Russia's nuclear umbrella, including the potential use of Russian tactical nuclear weapons to respond to an aggression. 2025 June 27, Belarus -– Putin traveled to Minsk for a summit of the Eurasian Economic Council, an economic alliance of several ex-Soviet nations. The Associated Press


CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Trump says Russia will face ‘severe consequences' if doesn't end war
Ahead of a planned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters there would be 'very severe consequences' if Putin doesn't agree to end the war in Ukraine.