. REUTERS (CANADA)
Russia’s Lavrov arrives in Turkey for talks with Ukraine counterpart
Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov arrived after a flight to Turkey’s southern city of Antalya on Wednesday, according to a Reuters witness, ahead of planned talks Thursday with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba.
. NIKKEI ASIA (JAPAN)
South Korea election latest: Yoon vows strong defense vs. North but willing to talk
Polls closed at 7:30 p.m. local time in South Korea’s presidential election, with pre-election surveys indicating it could be a very tight race.
. THE RIO TIMES (BRAZIL)
Bolivia’s Evo Morales sees reasons for Ukraine crisis in NATO and USA
Former Bolivian President Evo Morales told Sputnik he believes that the core reasons behind the Ukrainian crisis are the progressive expansion of NATO-led by the US and their interference in the domestic affairs of other countries
. AL JAZEERA (QATAR)
Foreign ministers conclude talks in Turkey
Ukrainian foreign minister says no agreement reached on ceasefire during talks with his Russian counterpart in Turkey.
Australia to expand defence personnel by a third by 2040
Australia will expand its active defence personnel by a third by 2040, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced, describing the move as part of efforts to keep the country safe “in an increasingly uncertain global environment”.
. THE HILL (USA)
Harris lands in an Eastern Europe bloodied by war
Vice President Harris will become the face of the Biden administration in Europe amid Russia’s war in Ukraine when she engages with leaders in Poland and Romania starting Thursday.
. THE JERUSALEM POST (ISRAEL)
Russia says it will no longer participate in Council of Europe
Russia will no longer participate in the Council of Europe, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on its website on Thursday morning.
. AFP (FRANCE)
Scholz, Macron demand ‘immediate ceasefire’ in call with Putin
Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron urge Russian President Vladimir Putin to continue with talks over the war in Ukraine in a phone call, French and German sources say.
. NEWS 24 (SOUTH AFRICA)
Ramaphosa appoints Zondo as Chief Justice
President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo as Chief Justice. The Presidency announced the appointment on Thursday afternoon
. POLITICO (EUROPE)
Gerhard Schröder in Moscow to meet Putin in Ukraine peace bid
Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder is in Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday as part of a mediation effort to end the war in Ukraine, sources familiar with the matter told POLITICO.
