For Russian President Vladimir Putin, the issue of Ukraine is much more than NATO’s potential expansion eastward. The fall of the Soviet Union was a huge setback for Moscow and its influence, and the loss of Ukraine was particularly tough pill to swallow. Thus far, Ukraine has largely rejected Putin’s attempts to bring the former Soviet republic back into Russia’s orbit, despite his view that they share a “single historic and spiritual space”. Al Jazeera’s Bernard Smith explains why Ukraine matters so much to Putin. – Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish/ – Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera/ – Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/ #Russia #Ukraine
The standoff between Russia and Ukraine has Europeans worried about gas supplies. A third of Europe’s natural gas comes from Russia. And if there is a war – Europe would have to turn to other providers. EU leaders have been clear that a Russian act of aggression against Ukraine would have dire consequences for President Putin and his country. It would mean an end to his hopes of bringing the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline on time, depriving him of tens of billions of dollars in revenue and depriving the EU of hundreds of billions of cubic metres of Russian gas. Al Jazeera’s Dominic Kane reports from Germany. – Subscribe […]
Peru’s government says an oil spill triggered by the volcanic eruption near Tonga is twice as big as feared. It is estimated nearly 12,000 barrels has leaked into the Pacific Ocean. A judge in Peru has barred four executives from Spanish energy giant Repsol from leaving the country for 18 months, as authorities investigate a gigantic oil spill that saw approximately 11,900 barrels of oil leak into the ocean – almost double an initial estimate. The Peruvian government has described the January 15 spill, which Repsol said was caused by huge waves caused by a volcanic eruption on Tonga, as the largest “ecological disaster” in recent years. Al Jazeera’s Mariana […]
A community hospital in a remote corner of southwest Bangladesh has been crowned the best new building in the world. The Friendship Hospital won the prestigious International Prize from the Royal Institute of British Architects RIBA. Al Jazeera’s Tanvir Chowdhury reports from Satkhira, Bangladesh. – Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish/ – Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera/ – Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/ #Bangladesh #FriendshipHospital #RIBAInternationalPrize
In the self-declared Donetsk People’s Republic, a breakaway region of eastern Ukraine, little has changed since the fighting broke out in 2014. Most of the people who used to live there are too scared to return because of sporadic shelling and because fears are growing about potential renewed conflict. But the young generation, many of whom were children when the conflict started, seem determined to live their lives as normally as they can. Al Jazeera’s Charles Stratford reports from Donetsk, eastern Ukraine. – Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe – Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish – Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera – Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/ #RussiaUkraineTensions #RussiaUkraineCrisis #Donetsk
A powerful winter storm packing heavy snow and high winds has pummeled the United States East Coast, forcing the cancellation of thousands of flights as severe weather alerts were sounded across the region of nearly 70 million people. With blizzard warnings in effect, cities including New York and Boston bore the brunt of the storm on Saturday morning, but the far-reaching system also hit the mid-Atlantic. Freeze alerts were raised as far south as Florida, where the National Weather Service (NWS) warned of “scattered to isolated falling iguanas from trees” as plunging temperatures temporarily paralysed the large lizards, which can weigh up to 20 pounds (9kg). Al Jazeera’s Gabriel Elizondo […]
In Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), thousands of people have been forced from their homes because of fighting between the army and the rebel group known as M23. On Tuesday, an army position was attacked in Rutshuru, north of the city of Goma. M23 is widely believed to be backed by Rwanda and is one of more than 120 armed groups operating in eastern DRC. Al Jazeera’s @Priyanka Gupta reports. – Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe – Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish – Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera – Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/ #AlJazeeraEnglish #DRCongo #Attack
Caught in the middle of the diplomatic standoff between Russia and the West, Ukrainian soldiers are waiting on the front lines. Despite repeated assurances from Russia that it does not want war, these soldiers keep a careful watch. Each has a different theory about what form an invasion would take, but they also simply hope there will be no attack. Al Jazeera’s @Mohammed Jamjoom reports. – Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe – Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish – Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera – Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/ #AlJazeeraEnglish #Russia #Ukraine
Shoppers in Turkey cannot look forward to lower prices anytime soon. The central bank is forecasting a 23 percent inflation rate this year. Some analysts think that is too optimistic after inflation last year soared to a 20-year high and the lira lost almost half its value. Al Jazeera’s Sinem Koseoglu reports from Istanbul, Turkey. – Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish/ – Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera/ – Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/ #Turkey
The United States and NATO have delivered separate written responses to Russia’s security demands, as efforts to reach a diplomatic solution to the crisis over Ukraine continue. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that the US ambassador to Russia, John Sullivan, delivered Washington’s reply to Moscow, which is seeking security guarantees that NATO will halt its eastward expansion into former Soviet republics. Al Jazeera’s Rosiland Jordan reports from Washington, DC. – Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish/ – Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera/ – Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/ #Ukraine #RussiaUkraineTensions #RussiaUkraineCrisis
