Wednesday, April 13, 2022 (08:00 GMT)

This content was published on April 13, 2022 – 07:46 April 13, 2022 – 07:46

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UKRAINE WAR

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RUSSIA

Russia asserts that 1,026 Ukrainian soldiers surrendered in Mariupol

Moscow (EFE).- The Russian military command has today assured that 1,026 Ukrainian marines have surrendered in the besieged city of Mariupol in south-eastern Ukraine. “In the city of Mariupol, in the Ilichi metallurgical zone (…) 1,026 Ukrainian soldiers of the 36th Marine Brigade laid down their arms and handed over their prisoners,” said Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konanschekov.

RUNNER

Ukraine cannot open humanitarian corridors today because of Russian attacks

Kyiv (EFE).- The Ukrainian authorities announced that this Wednesday they will not be able to open a humanitarian corridor in the country for the evacuation of civilians and the delivery of basic foodstuffs due to the blockades and ceasefire violations by Russian troops. Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Iryna Vereshchuk assured on her Telegram channel that in the Zaporizhia region in the south “the (Russian) occupiers blocked the evacuation buses and in the Lugansk region (east) are breaking fire”.

CHILDREN

The number of children killed in Ukraine since the start of the invasion rises to 191

Kyiv (EFE).- The number of children killed as a result of the war in Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24 has now risen to 191, according to figures published today by the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office via Telegram. Most of the minors who died occurred in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, which was partially occupied by Russian troops. In addition, “the number of identified and examined bodies of civilians killed in the Kyiv region as a result of Russian aggression already exceeds 720,” Andriy Nebitov, head of the Kiev regional police, said on his Facebook page on Wednesday.

RUSSIA

Putin denies “war crimes” in Bucha and defends his “noble” campaign

Moscow (EFE).- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday denied the alleged “war crimes” committed by Russian troops in Bucha and defended the military campaign in Ukraine, calling its goals “noble”. “What is happening in Ukraine is a tragedy, but we had no choice. It was the right decision,” said the Kremlin chief at a joint press conference with his Belarusian counterpart Alexandr Lukashenko.

prisoners

Zelenskyy proposes that Russia exchange the politician Medvedchuk for imprisoned children

International Writing (EFE).- Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenski proposed this Tuesday to exchange pro-Russian political prisoner Victor Medvedchuk, a friend of Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin, for the children captured by the Russian army. Zelenskyy announced Tuesday the arrest of Medvedchuk, who was under house arrest by judge’s order but fled on February 24, just as Russia began its “military special operation” in Ukraine. The 67-year-old politician and businessman has been charged with high treason for divulging state secrets, conducting business in Ukraine’s annexed Crimea peninsula, working for Russia and having “steady ties” with Putin.

MARIUPOL

The OPCW shows its “concern” about the alleged use of chemical weapons in Ukraine

The Hague/Washington (EFE).- The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on Tuesday expressed and offered its “concern” over unconfirmed information about a suspected chemical weapons attack on the port city of Mariupol in southern Ukraine. Assistance” in the event of “use or threat of use” of this prohibited weapon. The United States continues to evaluate this suspected chemical attack, which it has not yet been able to confirm, a senior Defense Department official said Tuesday.

POSITION

Ukrainian forces desperately defend besieged Mariupol

MOSCOW/KYIV (EFE).- Russian troops continued their offensive in Mariupol on Tuesday, where authorities have denounced the use of a chemical warfare agent and Ukrainian forces are increasingly desperate, while near Kyiv a French gendarmerie team with the Investigation into alleged war crimes began. The Russian army stepped up attacks near the Donetsk region’s town of Popásnoye, where at least 120 Ukrainian soldiers may have been killed, the Russian Defense Ministry said in its evening report.

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CORONAVIRUS SITUATION

The number of cases and deaths from Covid-19 in the world continues to decrease

Geneva (EFE).- The number of new confirmed cases and deaths caused by Covid-19 has continued to fall worldwide over the last week, according to data published today in the World Health Organization (WHO) weekly epidemiological report. This is the third consecutive week that both indicators are down 24% and 18%, respectively, over the past seven days. The global total for the past week was 7 million new cases of Covid-19 and 22,000 additional deaths, with declines across all regions.

PHILIPPINES STORM

At least 53 dead in Philippines tropical storm

Manila (EFE).- At least 53 people have died and six remain missing after a tropical storm devastated the central part of the archipelago, authorities said this Wednesday. The mayor of the city of Baybay in eastern Leyte province, the hardest-hit area, has confirmed that a land avalanche has claimed the lives of at least 47 people in a barangay (neighborhood), a number that could increase in the next few hours due to the Number of hospital admissions. For its part, the National Council for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management said another 3 people died in Mindanao and another three in Eastern Visayas, and a total of almost 35,000 people were evacuated to the makeshift centers approved by the authorities.

US SHOOT

NYPD identifies ‘person of interest’ in subway attack

New York (EFE) .- New York police have identified Frank James, a 62-year-old man whom authorities are searching for “by any means available”, as a “person of interest” in Tuesday’s subway attack. However, it is not yet clear whether he is the perpetrator. Police Chief Keechant Sewell said: “Although it was a violent incident, it appears that no one was fatally injured in this case.” Of the 10 people injured by bullets, half are in critical but stable condition, a health source said, while another 19 being treated in hospitals, some of them for smoke inhalation.

UNITED GOVERNMENT

Johnson and his wife have been fined for partying at Downing Street in the midst of the pandemic

London (EFE). – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his business chief Rishi Sunak faced calls for their resignations on Tuesday after confirming they were fined by police for attending illegal parties at Downing Street during the pandemic . Carrie Johnson, the Prime Minister’s wife and mother of his two minor children, will also receive a sanction, alongside fifty penalties already imposed by Scotland Yard. The political opposition bloc has called for the immediate sacking of Johnson and Sunak for misleading the electorate and Parliament.

USA D. HUMANOS

The US has accused Russia of “widespread atrocities” in Ukraine in recent weeks

Washington (EFE).- The United States government on Tuesday accused Russia of committing “widespread atrocities” in recent weeks in Ukraine, where Moscow launched an invasion on February 24. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made the complaint at a press conference, where he explained that these abuses came to light as Russian troops withdrew from cities they occupied or besieged. The foreign minister cited the testimonies of raped women and girls and bombed civilian infrastructure such as a theater and a train station.

USA D. HUMANOS

The US repeats complaints against Vox and Podemos for harassment of journalists

Washington (EFE).- The US Department of State, in its annual human rights report for 2021, published this Tuesday, reiterated the complaints against the Spanish political parties Vox and Podemos for their attitude towards the media. The document mentions “Reporters Without Borders’ (RSF) “concerns” about “growing polarization and lack of transparency” in Spain, which have undermined citizens’ trust in journalists and encouraged “rhetoric” against media communications. The State Department said that in 2021 there were “multiple reports” of cases of government officials and politicians “harassing” certain media outlets and journalists.

USA D. HUMANOS

In its human rights report, the USA refers to Russia, Cuba, Nicaragua and China

Washington (EFE).- The United States highlighted on Tuesday in its annual report on human rights Russia, Cuba, Nicaragua and China expressing its concern about the torture, executions and oppression allegedly carried out in these countries . This State Department document, released today and covering the year 2021, will serve as guidance for the US Congress in determining the foreign aid provided to each nation. In a press conference, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned that over the past year Washington has seen the human rights record deteriorate and authoritarianism continue to rise in many parts of the world.

UN DEVELOPMENT

According to the UN, the debt of poor countries is slowing down their recovery from the pandemic

United Nations (EFE).- The vast resources that developing countries are having to expend to pay down their debts are making their recovery from the economic crisis triggered by the pandemic much more difficult and further widening the gap between rich and poor countries, the UN warned on Tuesday. In a report, the organization analyzed in detail how debt financing is forcing many governments to cut key development policies, including social protection, health or education.

EFE

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