World

Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma, has ratified an agreement on military cooperation with India ahead of President Vladimir Putin’s visit to the country later this week. The pact was ratified at a plenary session of the State Duma on Tuesday. The treaty, which is aimed at streamlining bilateral armed forces drills, rescue and humanitarian efforts, will allow …

Families of domestic workers who died in the Tai Po fire will each receive nearly HK$800,000 (US$102,718) in condolence and compensation payments, Hong Kong’s labour chief has said. As of 5pm on Tuesday, 10 domestic workers were among the 156 residents confirmed dead in last week’s blaze at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, while the fate of 30 others …

Russia is facing an imminent HIV crisis, as new cases surge amid cuts to government funding due to the Ukraine war. Lack of government support has been compounded by bans on foreign AIDS charities amid a general tightening of controls on international organisations. The Kremlin has for years refused to acknowledge the scale of the HIV epidemic in Russia. The …

Kiev should sign on to an “agreement that no one will like” to avoid years of war, Dmitry Kuleba has said Kiev must accept an “agreement that no one will like” if it wants to avoid many more years of conflict with Russia and a potential complete collapse, former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba has said. Speaking at a conference …

Chinese and Japanese coastguard vessels have been involved in a stand-off near the disputed Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea. The two sides gave conflicting accounts of Tuesday’s incident, with the Chinese coastguards saying they had driven a Japanese fishing boat away from the islands, which are known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan. Liu Dejun, a spokesman for …

Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law, is set to join forces with Steve Witkoff in a high-stakes meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday. The White House has expressed “very optimistic” sentiments about the prospects of reaching a deal to end the devastating war in Ukraine, which has raged on for nearly four years, reports The Times. Kushner …

Northern regions across China are introducing “snow breaks” this winter as part of broader efforts to stimulate domestic tourism and spending amid deflationary pressures. Northeastern Jilin province is the latest to announce the initiative, with plans to give primary and secondary school pupils a short holiday from Wednesday to Sunday. The additional days off will not shorten the traditional winter …

Donald Trump delivered a stark ultimatum to embattled Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, warning he could save himself and his family if he relinquished power and fled the country at once, the Telegraph has revealed. The high-stakes phone call between the two leaders came amid escalating tensions between Washington and Caracas. During the dramatic exchange, Maduro reportedly pleaded with Trump, expressing …

Police in Britain will be able to require illegal migrants to remove their coats and allow mouth searches at British ports so officers can look for mobile phones or SIM cards and gather intelligence on their journey, the government said on Monday. The Home Office, Britain’s interior ministry, said the new powers would support investigations aimed at dismantling criminal gangs …

The bloc needs to consider the risks and consequences of a direct confrontation with Russia, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said A recent statement by the NATO military chief about the bloc considering a “preemptive strike” against Russia shows that it seeks escalation and wants to derail the Ukraine peace process, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said. …