Month: October 2023

IOC Bans Russian Olympic Committee Effective Immediately

The International Olympic Committee, or IOC, on Thursday banned the Russian Olympic Committee after the ROC recognized regional organizations from four annexed Ukrainian territories. The ban takes effect immediately. On Oct. 5, the ROC recognized the regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, which are under the authority of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine. This move constituted a breach in the Olympic Charter, according to the IOC. Ukraine and the West denounced Russia’s referendums in the four regions in 2022 as a sham and decried the annexation as illegal. The ROC will be suspended until further notice, meaning that …

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Russia Holds Talks with Arab Leaders as Israel-Hamas Crisis Deepens

Russia had remained largely silent on the outbreak of hostilities between Israeli forces and Hamas, but the Kremlin this week gave signs that it is weighing its role – and its relationships – with Israel, Hamas and Iran. Without giving a date, Russian officials have announced an upcoming visit by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Luis Ramirez narrates this report from the VOA Moscow bureau.  Camera: Ricardo Marquina  …

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EU Foreign Policy Chief Arrives in China for Pre-Summit Talks

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell arrived in China on Thursday, looking to manage the bloc’s “de-risking” strategy with its largest trading partner while laying the foundations for a planned summit this year. The visit comes just days after war broke out between Israel and Hamas, prompting Borrell to assemble an emergency meeting of European foreign ministers. China has called on all parties to “cease fire.” Borrell’s trip, which was postponed twice this year and is expected to last until Saturday, will involve talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and will tackle issues including bilateral relations, global challenges …

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Russia Downs Ukrainian Drone in Belgorod, 3 Dead

A Russian official said Thursday that debris from a downed Ukrainian drone killed three people in the Belgorod region of Russia. Vyacheslav Gladkov, the regional governor, said on Telegram that the debris destroyed a house and that three bodies were recovered from the rubble. Russia’s Defense Ministry said it thwarted a Ukrainian drone attack, with air defenses downing a drone over Belgorod. Belgorod is one of the Russian regions that borders Ukraine. Ukraine’s military said Thursday that Russia attacked overnight with 33 drones targeting multiple regions, and that Ukrainian air defenses destroyed 28 of the aerial vehicles. One of the …

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