Latest news with #deescalation
BBC News
21 hours ago
- Health
- BBC News
Young people across Kent being taught to calm violent situations
Children in Kent are being shown ways to de-escalate and calm potentially violent a campaign run by the Kent and Medway Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), young people are being encouraged to "clock it, check it, change it".The aim is to stop youngsters being bystanders if they see incidences of bullying or threatening campaign teaches them how to assess the danger, and decide if it is safe to step in, or to report the incident and seek help. Caley Walden, VRU co-ordinator for South Kent, said: "Sometimes at this time of year there's a spike in behaviours or reports of harm."There's a difference between grassing and reporting. This is just a gentle nudge to check in on each other." The campaign, which was created by young people for their peers, aims to encourage school pupils to report incidents such as bullying or other issues such as knife crime. "Clock it" means to recognise that a difficult or dangerous situation is happening."Check it" will teach children the safe way to respond."Change it" will show them what positive steps can be taken to reduce harm. Kent Police Chief Inspector Lara Connor, director of the unit said: "Stepping in could be as simple as asking someone who is being threatened or being aggressive if they're okay."We want young people to know, they have the power to make a difference. The campaign is not about putting themselves in danger, it's about thinking about how safe it is to step in."If you don't feel safe to step in, instead you can report what you see to a trusted adult or anonymously online to
Associated Press
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Nukta Explores the Escalation: A Timeline of Events Between India and Pakistan on May 9-10, 2025
05/24/2025, Dubai, United Arab Emirates // KISS PR Brand Story PressWire // In an effort to bring clarity to the intense events of May 9-10, 2025, this release presents a detailed timeline of the military escalation between India and Pakistan. This comprehensive breakdown explores the dramatic shifts that occurred in the course of just a few hours, marking one of the most tense moments in the region's history. Nukta Takes a Deep Dive into the Escalation between India and Pakistan: What Happened on May 9-10? The Timeline of Events Nukta's Insightful Exploration Nukta offers an in-depth examination of the sequence of these critical events, emphasizing the significance of each timeline entry. The platform highlights the military strategies, responses, and international reactions that contributed to the de-escalation efforts. By providing this detailed timeline, Nukta aims to bring its readers a clearer understanding of the sequence of actions that led to the temporary halt in violence. This exploration not only captures the immediacy of the conflict but also offers a broader view of the global influence on the South Asian security landscape. About Nukta Nukta is a leading digital news media platform known for its timely and in-depth analyses on global events. Offering news and insights with a unique perspective, Nukta continues to engage with its audience through compelling narratives and data-driven storytelling. For further information or media inquiries, please contact: Contact Name: Rimsha Nayyar Company Name: Nukta Email: [email protected] Website: Contact Number: 02132216851 City: Dubai Country: UAE
Arab News
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Committed to upholding ceasefire with India, Pakistan tells UN envoys from Arab nations
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's top diplomat at the United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, briefed his counterparts from Arab nations about a recent military standoff with India and said Islamabad was committed to upholding a ceasefire and taking 'all necessary steps' toward de-escalation, his office said on Tuesday. Tensions surged between India and Pakistan after New Delhi accused Pakistan of supporting an Apr. 22 militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that left 26 dead. Islamabad has denied any involvement. The tensions blew up into a full-on military conflict after India said it had hit 'terrorist infrastructure' in Pakistan on May 7. What followed was four days of the two nuclear-armed neighbors pounding each other with drones, missiles and artillery, until the United States brokered a ceasefire on May 10. 'Ambassador Ahmad expressed Pakistan's commitment to upholding the ceasefire and taking all necessary steps toward de-escalation and regional stability,' the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the UN said in a post on X following a meeting with Gulf nation counterparts. 'He informed the Arab Group that Pakistan's response to the blatant act of aggression by India was measured and proportionate, in exercise of its right to self-defense under the Charter.' Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN, briefed the Ambassadors/Permanent Representatives of the Arab Group on the prevailing regional situation in South Asia today. He informed the Arab Group that Pakistan's response to the blatant act… — Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the UN (@PakistanUN_NY) May 19, 2025 Pakistan and India have a history of bitter relations and frequently accuse each other of fomenting militancy in the other's territory. Kashmir, divided between the two countries since their independence from Britain in 1947, has been a flashpoint for decades, with the neighbors having fought two of their three wars over the region. They both acquired nuclear weapons in 1998.
Arab News
16-05-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Pakistan says agreed with India for ‘phased de-escalation' after last week's strikes
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has agreed with India for 'phased de-escalation' after last week's military conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbors, the Pakistani foreign office said on Friday, adding that military officials from both countries had been in 'periodic contacts.' The latest conflict between India and Pakistan had sparked global concerns that it could spiral into a full-blown war before a ceasefire was announced by United States President Donald Trump. Fighting began when India launched strikes on May 7 against what it called 'terrorist camps' in Pakistan following an April attack in Indian-administered Kashmir which killed 26 people. New Delhi blamed Islamabad for backing the militants it claimed were behind the attack — the deadliest on civilians in Kashmir in decades. Pakistan denies the charge and has demanded a credible, international probe into the assault. Four days of intense drone, missile and artillery exchanges left around 70 people, including dozens of civilians, dead on both sides. Speaking at a press briefing in Islamabad, Pakistani foreign office spokesman Shafqat Ali Khan said the ceasefire between both nations was achieved through 'facilitation of several friendly nations,' reiterating Islamabad's support for President Trump's announcement of engaging with Pakistan and India to seek a resolution to the Kashmir dispute. 'I would like to highlight that Directors General of Military Operations of Pakistan and India have maintained periodic contacts since 10th May 2025. Both sides have agreed on a structured mechanism for phased de-escalation,' he said, adding that Pakistan was committed to the ceasefire. 'As a goodwill gesture, Pakistan handed over an Indian Border Security Force constable on May 14, 2025. In return, India released a sepoy of Pakistan Rangers.' There was no immediate response from New Delhi to Khan's statement but it came hours after Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said the International Monetary Fund (IMF) should reconsider a one-billion-dollar loan to Pakistan, alleging Islamabad was 'funding terror.' Both India and Pakistan, who are members of the International Atomic Energy Agency, have also accused each other of failing to control their nuclear weapons. 'I believe a big portion of the $1 billion coming from IMF will be used for funding terror infrastructure,' Singh told troops at an air force base in western India. 'I believe any economic assistance to Pakistan is nothing less than funding terror.' The IMF last week approved a loan program review for Pakistan, unlocking a $1 billion payment which the state bank said has already been received. A fresh $1.4 billion loan was also approved for Pakistan under the IMF's climate resilience fund. Khan said at a time when the international community was actively promoting regional peace and stability, India's rhetoric reflected a 'persistent tendency to distort facts, justify aggression, and cast unwarranted aspersions' on Pakistan's nuclear assets. 'Pakistan as a responsible state remains committed to the ceasefire and to taking necessary steps toward de-escalation and regional stability,' he said. 'Given India's belligerent posture, we call upon our international partners to ensure that India honors its commitments and refrains from further aggression. Should India resume hostilities, Pakistan will have no choice but to respond.' Bitter rivals India and Pakistan have fought three wars, including two over the disputed region of Kashmir, since gaining independence from British rule in 1947. Both claim the Himalayan territory in its entirety but rule it in part. India has long battled an insurgency on the side it rules by armed separatists fighting for independence or a merger with Pakistan. New Delhi accuses Pakistan of backing the militants, Islamabad says it only offers political and diplomatic support to the Kashmiris. The region has long been described as the 'nuclear flashpoint' of South Asia and prompted President Trump last week to offer Washington's mediation to resolve the issue. 'Pakistan firmly believes in peaceful coexistence. We prioritize dialogue and diplomacy over conflict and confrontation. We have consistently advocated for meaningful engagement and result-oriented dialogue to resolve all outstanding issues, including the core dispute of Jammu and Kashmir,' Khan said. 'A just and peaceful settlement of these disputes remains indispensable for lasting peace in South Asia.' India has for years insisted Kashmir is a bilateral issue and not allowed any third-party mediation.
CTV News
15-05-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Ukraine's Zelenskyy says he is sending a delegation to Istanbul for peace talks with Russia
Analyst George Beebe explains what each side wants to talk, why Vladimir Putin won't attend talks in Turkiye, and what the U.S. is saying. Analyst George Beebe explains what each side wants to talk, why Vladimir Putin won't attend talks in Turkiye, and what the U.S. is saying. Why Putin is not attending talks between Ukraine and Russia ANKARA — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday he is sending a team headed by his defence minister to Istanbul for the first direct peace talks with a Russian delegation since the early weeks of Moscow's full-scale invasion in 2022. Zelenskyy made the move after Russian President Vladimir Putin stayed away from a face-to-face meeting with him in Turkiye that the Ukrainian leader had proposed in a flurry of diplomatic maneuvers last weekend. Zelenskyy told a news conference in the Turkish capital Ankara the Russian delegation doesn't include 'anyone who actually makes decisions,' accusing Moscow of not taking efforts to end the war seriously. But he said that to demonstrate to U.S. President Donald Trump that Ukraine is seeking an end to the conflict he had decided to send officials from Ankara to Istanbul — more than 400 kilometers (almost 300 miles) away — for their first direct talks since March 2022, following Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighbor the previous month. He said the Ukrainian side would be headed by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and its aim is 'to attempt at least the first steps toward de-escalation, the first steps toward ending the war — namely, a ceasefire.' Putin's absence punctured hopes of a breakthrough in peace efforts that were given a push in recent months by the Trump administration and Western European leaders amid the intense maneuvering. It also raised the prospect of intensified international sanctions on Russia that have been threatened by the West. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier welcomed Zelenskyy with an honor guard at the presidential palace in Ankara before the two held talks. 'Now, after three years of immense suffering, there is finally a window of opportunity,' Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said at a NATO meeting taking place separately in Turkiye. 'The talks ... hopefully may open a new chapter.' The war has killed tens of thousands of soldiers on both sides and more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians, according to the UN, and continues along the roughly 1,000-kilometre (620-mile) front line. Russian forces are preparing a fresh military offensive, Ukrainian government and Western military analysts say. At least five civilians were killed and 29 injured in the past day, according to authorities in five eastern regions of Ukraine where Russia's army is trying to advance. A weekend of diplomatic maneuvering The diplomatic maneuvering began over the weekend when European leaders met Zelenskyy in Kyiv and urged the Kremlin to agree to a full, unconditional 30-day ceasefire as a first step toward peace. Putin later responded by proposing direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul. Then came Zelenskyy's challenge to Putin for face-to-face talks. After days of silence, the Kremlin finally responded Thursday, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying Putin has no plans to travel to Istanbul in the next few days. Trump said he was not surprised that Putin was a no-show. Trump had pressed for Putin and Zelenskyy to meet but brushed off Putin's apparent decision not to attend. 'I didn't think it was possible for Putin to go if I'm not there,' Trump told reporters at a meeting with business executives in Doha, Qatar, on the third day of his visit to the Middle East. Trump said a meeting between him and Putin was crucial to break the deadlock. 'I don't believe anything's going to happen whether you like it or not, until (Putin) and I get together,' he said on Air Force One while traveling from Doha to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. 'But we're going to have to get it solved because too many people are dying.' Peskov said Putin has no plans to meet with Trump in the coming days. Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to Putin, is leading the Russian team that will also include three other senior officials, the Kremlin said. Putin also appointed four lower-level officials as 'experts' for the talks in Istanbul. Also absent from the talks were Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Putin's foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov, both of whom represented Russia at the talks with the U.S. in Saudi Arabia in March. The top-level Ukrainian delegation included Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, and the head of the Ukrainian presidential office Andriy Yermak, a Ukrainian official said. Zelenskyy will sit at the negotiating table only with Putin, said presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak. Details about whether, when and where the Ukrainian delegation might meet their Russian counterparts were unclear. Russia said the talks have been postponed until the afternoon 'at the initiative of the Turkish side' Tass said the talks were to take place in a presidential office on the Bosporus, in Istanbul. Putin met Wednesday evening with senior government officials and members of the delegation in preparation for the talks, Peskov said. Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, General Staff chief Valery Gerasimov, and National Security Council secretary Sergei Shoigu also attended. Russia calls the talks a 'restart' The Kremlin billed Thursday's talks as a 'restart' of peace negotiations that were held in Istanbul in 2022 but quickly fell apart. Moscow accused Ukraine and the West of wanting to continue fighting, while Kyiv said Russia's demands amounted to an ultimatum rather than something both sides could agree on. Russia's delegation then was also headed by Medinsky. Putin's proposal came after more than three months of diplomacy kickstarted by Trump, who promised during his campaign to end the devastating war swiftly — though it's been hard to pull off. The Trump administration in recent weeks indicated that it might walk away from the peace effort if there was no tangible progress soon. Sybiha, the Ukrainian foreign minister, met with U.S. State Secretary Marco Rubio and Sen. Lindsey Graham on Wednesday night in the Turkish city of Antalya, which is hosting NATO foreign ministers to discuss new defense investment goals as the U.S. shifts its focus to security challenges away from Europe. Sybiha reaffirmed Ukraine's support for Trump's mediation efforts and thanked the U.S. for its continued involvement, urging Moscow to 'reciprocate Ukraine's constructive steps' toward peace. 'So far, it has not,' Sybiha said. On Thursday morning, Sybiha also met with other European foreign ministers, including his French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot, who in a post on X reiterated the call for a ceasefire and the threat of 'massive sanctions' if Russia doesn't comply. 'We're in a very difficult spot right now, and we hope that we can find the steps forward that provide for the end of this war in a negotiated way and the prevention of any war in the future,' Rubio said Thursday. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer accused Putin of 'standing in the way of peace.' 'There was only one country that started this conflict -- that was Russia. That was Putin. There's only one country now standing in the way of peace -- that is Russia, that is Putin,' he said in a visit to Tirana, Albania. Barrot echoed that sentiment: 'In front of Ukrainians there is an empty chair, one that should have been occupied by Vladimir Putin,' he said. 'Vladimir Putin is dragging his feet and in all evidence does not want to enter into these peace discussions.' —- By Mehmet Guzel, Hanna Arhirova And Suzan Fraser Associated Press writers Lorne Cook in Brussels; Illia Novikov and Samya Kullab in Kyiv, Ukraine; Dasha Litvinova in Tallinn, Estonia; Aamer Madhani in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; and Matthew Lee in Antalya, Turkiye, contributed.
