WORLD

A Chinese official confirmed on Monday that Beijing had made a delivery of military equipment to Serbia under a longstanding partnership with the Balkan nation, but the transfer has reportedly rattled nerves in the West as media outlets warned of an “arms buildup” by a “Russian ally” amid the Ukraine …

Finland and Sweden could join NATO as early as this summer in response to Moscow’s ongoing military assault on Ukraine, according to a report from Britain’s The Times newspaper, on Monday. The Finnish application to join the bloc is expected to be submitted in June, with Sweden following suit shortly after …

A hockey commentator in Finland went two whole NHL games without saying the name of Washington Capitals star player Alexander Ovechkin at the weekend. Viasat pundit Tero Kainulainen set himself the challenge which he later referenced on Twitter. “I tried not to mention the name of the visitors’ captain,” he wrote, …

The European Union’s foreign ministers have not agreed on a ban on Russian oil and natural gas imports, Head Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said on Monday, adding that discussions on the issue will continue. The energy ban was expected to be …

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has refuted former US President Bill Clinton’s position on NATO’s supposed open-door policy towards Russia, insisting that Washington made it impossible for Moscow to join the military bloc. “I know for sure that the American side has repeatedly spoken about the impossibility of such membership. De …

North Korea marked ten years of Kim Jong Un’s rule, on Monday, with top officials praising the 38-year-old leader’s record. The country has been governed by three generations of the Kim family since 1948, and is considered to be the world’s most isolated state. The current premier’s grandfather Kim Il-sung …

Thirty years ago, when the Soviet Union ceased to exist, many observers expressed their surprise at the relatively peaceful nature of the huge state’s disintegration. The deconstructions of other great European empires – including the British, French, Spanish, and Portuguese – were followed by large-scale armed conflicts, some of which …

Rheinmetall, one of Germany’s renowned arms manufacturers, is ready to start delivering tanks to Ukraine, the company’s chairman told Handelsblatt newspaper on Monday. Armin Papperger revealed that his company was preparing to ship up to 50 decommissioned Leopard 1 tanks, with the first delivery possible as early as in six …

Closed-doors talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer concluded outside Moscow on Monday. No press conference or joint statements followed the meeting at Putin’s official residence, and no photo or video materials were published. The negotiations were not a “friendly visit” but were rather “very direct, …

Hungary is ready to accept the new ruble-based payment mechanism for Russian gas to secure the country’s energy supplies, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto told a news conference on Monday. “As for paying in rubles, we have a solution that does not violate any sanctions but at the same time it …