Tag: All Regions

The office of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has said senior military commanders have agreed to hold onto Artyomovsk – a key Donbass city – after German media outlets claimed a top Ukrainian general had encouraged withdrawing from Artyomovsk, known as Bakhmut in Ukraine, weeks ago.

The number of people at risk of becoming mortgage prisoners in Australia has jumped by 42% since the Reserve Bank started lifting the cash rate, with NSW households struggling the most. This was according to new data from personal finance marketplace and advice company Compare Club. The data  was released ahead of the Reserve Bank’s March cash rate meeting, where the board is expected to hike for the 10th consecutive time. Compare Club’s data, based on 6,725 home loan refinancing…

Defence minister says Taiwan prepared to ‘fire the first shot’ if Chinese forces enter its territorial space.

“The introduction of independent settlement mechanisms is being successfully carried out, which will help protect cooperation with Cuba from the negative impact of the US trade, economic and financial blockade, as well as establish ties bypassing the financial organizations of unfriendly states,” the Russian diplomat said. In January, the chairman of the Russia-Cuba Business Council, Boris Titov, said that in order to mitigate the effect of Western sanctions, the countries are considering new mechanisms for mutual settlements, including in ruble and cryptocurrencies, as well as clearing schemes.

Moscow has been also promoting its SPFS interbank messaging system as an alternative to SWIFT as the West has ramped up economic restrictions. Nearly 470 participants, including foreign entities from 14 countries, have already joined the SPFS. Russia has also accelerated efforts to move away from the US dollar and euro towards settlements in national currencies.

The United States and California filed the suit alleging that HVI Cat Canyon, which previously owned and operated multiple oil and gas production facilities in Santa Barbara County, California, was liable for:

12 oil spills into waters of the United States in violation of the Clean Water Act;
17 oil spills into waters of the state in violation of state law;
Reimbursement of the federal and state governments’ costs of cleaning up the oil spills;
Natural resource damages under state law for harm to fish, plant, bird, or animal life and habitat; and
Numerous violations of federal Oil Pollution Prevention Regulations identified in 16 EPA inspections across 11 facilities.

The U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts have entered into a consent decree with the City of Gloucester, Massachusetts, to resolve violations of the Clean Water Act regarding the city’s water pollution control facility that discharges undertreated effluent into Massachusetts Bay.

Undertreated sewage from the city’s existing water treatment facility results in a variety of harmful discharges into Massachusetts Bay, including disease causing organisms and toxic pollutants.

DAMASCUS (AP) — An Israeli airstrike hit the Aleppo airport early Tuesday and put it out of service, Syrian state media reported. Citing a military source, the state news agency SANA said Israel “carried out an air attack from the direction of the Mediterranean Sea, west of Latakia, targeting Aleppo International Airport.” SANA said the strike “caused material damage” to the airport. It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties. There was no comment from Israeli officials. Israel…

A Norfolk Southern train derailed in Clark County on Saturday, prompting Clark County officials to ask residents to shelter in place out of “an abundance of caution.” “The Clark County Emergency Management Agency is asking residents within 1,000 feet of a train derailment at Ohio 41 near the Prime Ohio Business Park to shelter-in-place out of an abundance of caution,” a post by the county reads on Facebook. “We ask that all residents in need of travel to Ohio 41…

The Biden administration has restricted sales of some US technology to 37 companies and organisations, saying that their activity threatened national security. Three-quarters of the companies included in the announcement, which was made on Thursday, are based in China. They include entities that the commerce department said had supported Beijing’s military modernisation or produced technology that risked being diverted for military purposes. The Biden administration has warned in recent weeks that China could be gearing up to provide military support…

A news outlet reported that jewels worth more than $3m were discovered in the backpack of a former aide in October 2021.

Pressure from Russian forces mounted Saturday on Ukrainians hunkered down in Bakhmut, as residents attempted to flee with help from troops who Western analysts say may be preparing…

Tens of thousands rally for the ninth straight week against government plan to overhaul court system.

Dozens of schoolgirls admitted to hospital across several Iranian provinces, according to local media reports.

State Secretary – Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Yevgeny Ivanov said that these are countries such as Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Haiti, Zambia, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago MOSCOW, March 5. /TASS/. Russia is preparing intergovernmental agreements on visa-free travel with 11 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, The Bahamas, Malaysia and Mexico, State Secretary – Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Yevgeny Ivanov told TASS. “We’re preparing draft intergovernmental agreements on visa-free travel for [Russian] citizens with a number…

Royal Park Investments (RPI), the so-called “bad bank” of the former Fortis, has filed a billion-dollar claim against rating agency S&P. De Tijd writes this and appears from media reports in the Cayman Islands, the place where the lawsuit was filed.