The United States will back Ukraine until its security is «guaranteed», US Secretary of State Antony Blinken vowed on a trip to Kyiv on Tuesday, after Russian forces claimed further advances in the northeastern Kharkiv region. Blinken's visit came just weeks after the US Congress finally approved a $61-billion financial aid package for Ukraine following months of political wrangling, unlocking much-needed arms for the country's outgunned troops. «We're with you today. And we will stay by your side, until Ukraine's security, sovereignty, and ability to choose its own path is guaranteed,» Blinken said in a speech. «The assistance is now on its way. Some of it has already arrived. More will be arriving,» he had told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a meeting earlier. «That's going to make a real difference against the ongoing Russian aggression on the battlefield,» he said. Zelensky thanked Washington for the aid, which he said was «crucial» -- but stressed it was «important to get it as quickly as possible». «We need a noticeable acceleration of supplies. Now too much time passes between the announcement of packages and the actual appearance of weapons on the frontline,» he said in an evening address. Zelensky said air defence was the «biggest problem» for Ukraine and requested two Patriot batteries for the Kharkiv region, where Russian forces have been advancing and pounding villages along the border since Friday. Blinken was on his fourth visit to Kyiv since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. After meeting Zelensky, he met Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Veterano, a pizzeria set up by a military veteran in the city centre. Driving his point home at a visit to an underground Kyiv bar, the Barman Dictat, later on Tuesday, Blinken picked up a guitar and sang the Neil Young classic «Rockin' in the Free World», accompanied by Ukrainian musicians. - 'Minimal human losses' - Russia's surprise ground offensive in the Kharkiv region has forced thousands to evacuate and pushed Kyiv to mobilise troop reinforcements. Ukraine said several civilians have been killed by Russian fire in the region, including on Tuesday two people aged 80 and 83. Officials in the region's main municipality, also called Kharkiv -- Ukraine's second-biggest city -- said Russian strikes hit the centre, injuring 20 people. One civilian, a 47-year-old man, was also reported killed in the city of Nikopol in southern Ukraine. Russia's defence ministry meanwhile said its forces had captured another village in the Kharkiv region. «Units of the North group of troops liberated the village of Bugruvatka in the Kharkiv region and advanced deep into the enemy defences,» the ministry said. The advance is the latest in a string of tactical successes for Russia on the battlefield this year after initial setbacks in a conflict that Moscow hoped would be wrapped up in days. Russia's incoming defence minister, economist Andrei Belousov, said the priority was to secure victory on the battlefield while minimising human losses. «The key task, of course, remains achieving victory and ensuring the military-political goals of the special military operation, set by the president, are achieved,» Belousov told a session of the Russian parliament on Tuesday. «In this respect, I want to especially emphasise 'with minimal human losses'.» - 'Firing on everything' - The Ukrainian army has acknowledged Russian successes in Kharkiv but Zelensky has stressed that reinforcements have been sent there and Ukrainian «counterattacks are ongoing». At a checkpoint outside the city of Kharkiv, a Ukrainian official said Russian forces had entered Ukraine through «villages on the very border that were complicated for us to defend». Russian forces «are on high ground and are shelling us from there», added Volodymyr Usov, head of the Kharkiv district military administration. The head of Ukraine's security council, Oleksandr Lytvynenko, said Moscow had massively upped its troop deployment for the new offensive in the Kharkiv region. In an interview this week with AFP, he said Russia had sent more than 30,000 troops over the border, but insisted there was no threat of an assault on Kharkiv city. Usov, the Kharkiv district head, estimated there were still around 300 residents left in Lyptsi, a border village under Russian bombardment. «They are shelling the villages, firing on everything they can,» Sergiy Kryvetchenko, deputy head of the Ukrainian military administration in Lyptsi, told AFP. State power operator Ukrenergo said it was forced to introduce emergency blackouts in all regions of the country on Tuesday after weeks of Russian strikes on power plants left the country unable to meet demand during a cold snap. © Agence France-Presse

The International Energy Agency announced on Tuesday that $2.2 billion had been pledged by governments and companies to improve access to less deadly and polluting cooking methods in Africa. More than two billion people cook on basic stoves or over open fires and exposure to this smoke is a leading cause of early death around the world. These cooking methods also harm the planet, with carbon-absorbing forests stripped for firewood and emissions from burning these dirty fuels a major contributor to global warming. Only around one-third of the money needed to drive the global switch to cleaner cooking methods like LPG or electric stoves is raised every year, according to the IEA. At a world-first summit, representatives from 60 nations and leaders from business and development sectors pledged $2.2 billion to help African households combat the scourge. «This summit has delivered an emphatic commitment to an issue that has been ignored by too many people, for too long,» said IEA executive director Fatih Birol, whose agency co-hosted the Paris gathering with the African Development Bank. «We still have a long way to go,» he added. A little over half of the money pledged came from the private sector, with around 30 percent in the form of favourable loans from public funds and the rest in carbon credits. It is still modest: the IEA says around $8 billion is needed annually to address the problem, half of that in Africa, but only around $2.5 billion is raised worldwide. Progress has been made in Asia but in sub-Saharan Africa, four out of five households still reply on highly polluting cooking fuels like wood, charcoal, coal, animal dung and agricultural waste. Burning these pollute indoor and outdoor air with fine particles that penetrate the lungs and cause respiratory and cardiovascular problems, including cancer and strokes. The threat is particularly acute for women and children, who are also prevented from accessing education or earning a wage as they spend hours looking for fuel. Switching to clean cooking methods would save 1.5 billion tonnes of CO2 a year by 2030 -- roughly the amount emitted by ships and planes last year, according to the IEA. «Successfully advancing the clean cooking agenda in Africa would contribute towards protecting the environment, climate, health, and ensuring gender equality,» said Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who attended the summit. Birol said the IEA would «rigorously track the commitments announced today to make sure they’re met on time and in full». © Agence France-Presse

After seven years in office, the Ombudsman of Seychelles, Nichole Tirant-Gherardi, will end her mandate at the end of May. Prior to her appointment as the Ombudsman, she served as the chief editor for the Today in Seychelles newspaper and was also the secretary general of the Seychelles Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) from 1999 to 20101. She is a barrister and attorney-at-law with a diverse experience and background. As she comes to the end of her term as Ombudsman, despite the challenges, Tirant-Gherardi told SNA she can count many accomplishments during her tenure.   SNA: You are leaving your position as Ombudsman, after seven years, how does that feel? NTG: The mandate of an Ombudsman is quite long, it is for seven years. I am now past retirement age, and I don't think I can continue giving the same amount of energy to the job for another seven years. So, I do not want to start something that I will have to quit after two years. Plus, I think it's time for somebody else to come in, with new ideas and bring this work further.   SNA: Tell us about your achievements and challenges as Ombudsman. NTG: What I have done before my departure is to create what I have called a handover report, which I have given a copy to the Constitutional Appointees Authority (CAA). This will help prepare questions for the interviews with my potential successor. I also wish that the report can be published, as I spoke about my work for the past seven years. I also believe that I have improved this institution during my time. This is a very important institution and unfortunately, I think that it has fallen by the wayside. I have gone overseas and also worked a lot locally, to give it the visibility it deserves. There needs to be a lot of education to ensure people understand the role of the Ombudsman and other government institutions, but that is not something I can do on my own.   SNA: Have you made any changes to the office itself? NGT: Yes. I have changed a lot in the Office of the Ombudsman and I feel it will make it easier for whoever comes after me to settle into the job, and look to continue what I started and even improve upon it. We have put a lot of procedures in place concerning how we process reports and how we deal with them. We have also worked to give the office more visibility and for that, I want to thank the media for coming to us and giving us a space to share what we do with the public. I have noticed that every time we appear on the local media, the number of cases we receive go up. The Ombudsman presenting her annual to President Wavel Ramkalawan. (State House) Photo License: CC-BY    SNA: Do you receive a lot of complaints at your office? NGT: We have received over 2,000 complaints here and so we have created a database, called a case management system, which allows us to have quick access to all documents linked to any of the cases we work on. This is something we are really proud of and has made things more effective for us. We have also re-branded the logo and made some small changes to it aimed at making the office more visible to the public. We are also affiliated with two international bodies, and in both of them, I was elected on the executive committee. We also have updated our website, where all information about us can be seen.   SNA: Is there anything you feel you have not achieved or could have done better during your time as Ombudsman? NGT: Well, what I wish we could have done better is to see the office focus more on what we call 'own motions'. This allows the Ombudsman to verify complaints and remove the person from this problem and focus instead on the problem itself, which could be at a particular ministry or multiple ministries, then make a more detailed investigation. When we finish with this type of investigation, we will be able to come out with a report that covers that particular issue in all aspects with recommendations on how to solve such issues. This will allow for the identification of issues within the ministries themselves, which can help reduce the number of grievances reported.   SNA: Now that you are leaving this position can you tell us more about your professional journey? NGT: I have had a long career doing a lot of different things. For me, variety is the spice of life. I have never been happy when I am not learning something new, and I always want to push myself and get to a higher level. I started my career in administration at the Ministry of Agriculture in 1978, after completing my law degree. After that I went back to complete my final year of my law studies and became a lawyer, working with the Attorney General's office for some years. Then I worked for two years at a parastatal law agency, Francis Rachel Law Centre, and then went back to University in France where I specialised in international marketing, which was my first departure from law. In 1994, I returned to Seychelles for good, where I went back to being a lawyer and did not like it as I felt I was not moving forward. I left to become the secretary general of the Seychelles Chamber of Commerce. I spent 11 years there because there was a lot to learn.   Then a bit of political interest brought me to the media world, where I joined Today in Seychelles at its inception, another completely new job for me. But if you ask me, where I enjoyed the most, it was there, although it was also the toughest place I worked. Then, finally, I moved to be Ombudsman. I had always wanted to become a judge, and sent a lot of applications, but that never worked out, and so being an ombudsman was the closest I could get to that dream.   SNA: You said you want to take things a little lighter now, what can we expect from you then? NGT: Yes, I think you might see me somewhere else soon enough. I have done a lot of research and learned a lot of things, and that increased my interest in NGOs that's something that I would like to see myself in and look to bring more awareness to the work of the Ombudsman and also look at ways where I can transmit the things I have learned to the younger generation.   SNA: Is there anything final message that you wish to share? NGT: The only thing I want to add is that I have really enjoyed my time here. Honestly, I never thought I would last the whole seven years, but these seven years went by so fast. I think I got a lot of respect from the Seychellois public and I have really appreciated that. 

Get live updates and elections results from the Maryland, Nebraska and West Virginia primaries. Plus the latest news on Biden and Trump from the campaign trial.

JEDDAH: Ministers and other representatives from 22 Arab nations gathered in Jeddah on Tuesday for the start of the 121st session of the Executive Council of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization. The two-day session concludes on Wednesday and will be followed on Friday by the organization’s General Conference.

«The Anglo-Saxons have always feared our unity and they have long been trying to pit us against each other and drown us in a bloody fratricide,» Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said

The Chinese yuan moved up by 0.1 kopecks to 12.609 rubles

According to The New York Times, European countries «would like to transfer them to Ukraine yearly or biannually,» while the US wants «to find a way to get more money to Ukraine more quickly»

«The attacks involved US-made ATACMS missiles, French-made Hammer guided aerial bombs, US-made HARM, large-caliber projectiles and fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles,» the statement says

The French administration has imposed a curfew in New Caledonia after two days of riots Read Full Article at RT.com

India is on high alert as China and the Philippines exchange warnings over the South China Sea Read Full Article at RT.com

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said earlier the US demand that Tbilisi change its policy course raised the question of Washington’s true values

«Over the past five years, we have doubled the Russia-China turnover: it reached $227.8 billion last year, against $111 billion in 2019,» the Russian leader said

«We have a whole range of relevant programs, competitions and projects in place,» the Russian leader stressed

Aleksandar Vucic met with Moscow’s Ambassador to Belgrade Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko

The PRCS called on the international community to urgently intervene and pressure the Israeli authorities

A plea and case management hearing has been set for July 9 for three men charged for allegedly pocketing money from the sale of phone credit at a Portmore gas station. Morris Murrant, Cheveroll Osbourne and Tyrique Austin are...

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Survey and Geospatial Information is serving as a strategic partner in the Geospatial World Forum, a global event with more than 300 speakers specializing in geospatial information. Themed “Geospatial Transition: Powering the World Economy,” the four-day forum is taking place in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, until May 16. GEOSA represents the Kingdom at home and abroad in the geospatial sector.

RIYADH: Delegations from NASA and the Saudi Space Agency visited Prince Sultan University on Tuesday to engage with students on the future of human missions in space. A panel session titled “Beyond Earth: Journeys to the Stars,” brought together NASA administrator Bill Nelson and Saudi astronauts Rayannah Barnawi, Ali Al-Ghamdi and Mariam Fardous, to discuss their own experiences in space.

RIYADH: The Kingdom’s Museums Commission will host the International Conference for Education and Innovation in Museums from June 1-3 in Riyadh. The conference will feature discussions on the latest trends in museum education and innovation, with sessions led by local and international experts, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday. Attendees can explore modern and innovative technologies such as virtual and augmented reality, and participate in workshops, seminars and research discussions.

MANAMA: Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister for International Multilateral Affairs Abdulrahman Al-Rassi on Tuesday participated in the ministerial working group’s meeting in Manama, Bahrain, about supporting Somalia in confronting attacks on its sovereignty and territorial integrity. During the meeting, the group discussed the importance of strengthening Arab coordination on issues of common interest, and the importance of respecting the sovereignty of states in accordance with international laws and norms, the foreign ministry said in a report.

RIYADH: The National Center for Wildlife Development launched on Tuesday a project that aims to assess the state of marine habitats in the Arabian Gulf’s Saudi waters, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The NCWD said the goal behind the project was to build a baseline for developing an integrated management plan for marine environments, preserving biodiversity and reducing threats. It will also enhance the sustainability of marine environments in Saudi waters in light of their economic, social and cultural value and their provision of many valuable ecosystem services.

Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong wants Singapore to be a place that embraces different pathways to success, with people from all walks of life assured of the basics – such as housing, education, healthcare and retirement needs – as long as they work consistently. DPM Wong, who will be sworn in as the next prime minister on May 15, added that in considering the best way to take Singapore forward, the country is prepared to relook fundamental assumptions as society’s circumstances, needs and expectations change. “It is not so much that we are going to slay a sacred cow for the sake of doing so,” he said in an hour-long interview on May 10, where he outlined his approach to governance and his aspirations for Singapore. “But we are prepared to re-examine all our assumptions and consider, under different circumstances, different societal expectations and needs – what might we do differently?” This process started with the Forward Singapore exercise, said DPM Wong, who launched the movement to refresh the social compact together with the People’s Action Party’s (PAP) fourth-generation leadership team.

The exorbitant parking fee at an Outram HDB estate, as high as $6 per hour, has left drivers wary about staying too long there. Shin Min Daily News reported that parking at the HDB car park at Everton Park is free for the first 15 minutes. But the next half-hour would cost drivers $2, and $4 for each subsequent half-hour, which works out to $6 every hour.  The car park is also used as a loading and unloading bay. The higher fees to park there is meant to encourage higher vehicle turnover so that more motorists can carry out loading and unloading activities, according to HDB. As a comparison, short-term parking charges for cars within the central area at HDB car parks is $1.20 per half hour. And $0.60 for those located outside the central area.  A Shin Min reporter observed drivers parking their vehicles to buy food from the nearby coffee shop.

Transport Minister Daryl Vaz says the Jamaica Urban Transport Company (JUTC) is to receive an additional 100 buses in July. Vaz, who is attending the inaugural Caribbean Spectrum Management Conference being held in Montego Bay, St James, told...

The Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) has been barred by a Supreme Court order from convening its July 10 annual general meeting to select its next president. Justice Tracy-Ann Johnson ordered today that the injunction must remain in force until...

Two people are dead and at least five others have been rushed to hospital after a taxi transporting students slammed into a parked truck near Blueberry Hill in Buff Bay, Portland, on Tuesday. A police source told The Gleaner that the incident...

Career-diplomat Julia Hyatt has been appointed to head Jamaica's diplomatic mission in Mexico City. The new ambassador-designate to Mexico was announced by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Kamina Johnson Smith, in a...

Minister of Transport and Member of Parliament for Portland Western, Daryl Vaz, is bemoaning the deaths of two Titchfield High School students in a traffic crash in the parish on Tuesday afternoon. They died after a blue Toyota Picnic...

Les préparatifs de la grande journée de cohésion des écoles primaires ont débuté aux Marquises. Ce «Matavaa des écoles» aura lieu le 27 juin prochain.

The 8.5ft-tall oil on canvas by Jonathan Yeo was revealed to the public and the Royal family at a ceremony in Buckingham Palace today.

Armed officers swarmed on a north London neighbourhood this evening after a woman in her 30s was shot in the leg near Reizel Close, Stamford Hill at about 7.40pm.

The couple, who left Abuja yesterday following a three-day visit, were pictured being whisked away by a car at Los Angeles International Airport's 'Private Suites' facility.