Tens of thousands of Turks swarmed a central Istanbul square on Thursday in solidarity with the city's opposition mayor after he was banned from politics ahead of next year's presidential election.. Polls show the 52-year-old Istanbul mayor as one of the more likely challengers to beat Erdogan in a head-to-head race.
The US Commerce Department on Thursday blacklisted 36 Chinese companies including top producers of advanced computer chips, severely restricting their access to American technology.. In October more than 30 Chinese high-tech companies were placed on the US Entity List, with officials saying they did not want American technology helping the Pentagon's top rival, the Chinese military.
Russian shelling on Thursday killed two people in Kherson and left the southern city "completely without power", Ukrainian officials said after the latest strikes on infrastructure as temperatures have plummeted.. The city that was the only regional capital held by Moscow was also left "completely without power", the regional governor Yaroslav Yanushevych said.
President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday stood by his decision to travel to Qatar to support France's World Cup team, despite allegations linking the Gulf monarchy to corruption in the European Parliament.. The European Parliament, whose president Roberta Metsola declared the alleged bribes to MEPs as an attack on Europe's democracy, will vote on a motion Thursday that could bar Qatari lobbyists from its premises.
The last French troops deployed in the Central African Republic left on Thursday following a chill in relations caused by closer ties between Bangui and Moscow, an AFP reporter saw.. "France decided that the conditions were no longer appropriate for us to continue working for the benefit of the Central African armed forces," General Francois-Xavier Mabin, the commander of the MISLOG logistical force, told AFP. French troops stationed at Bangui airport's M'Poko base had been providing logistical support for the European Union Training Mission and a contingent of the UN peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).
The United States is expected to announce it will equip Ukraine with Patriot missile units, boosting its defenses against Russia's assault on its infrastructure.. Meanwhile, Russia is expected to continue its air assault on Ukraine infrastructure.
Prince Harry accused his brother William of a furious response to his plans to quit royal life but insisted he had few regrets about leaving in final docuseries episodes out on Thursday.. In the final three episodes of "Harry & Meghan", Harry recalled a family summit in January 2020 over their plans to move abroad.
UK nurses on Thursday staged an unprecedented one-day strike as a "last resort" in their fight for better wages and working conditions, despite warnings it could put patients at risk.. The UK is currently grappling with a cost-of-living crisis as spiralling inflation outstrips wage growth.
Wrapped up in brightly coloured snowsuits, Yekaterina Filimonova cycles through Moscow's snow-blanketed streets with her three sons to their nursery.. In their cosy family apartment in Moscow, Filimonova gathers her sons so their father can read them a bed-time story in a video call.
The thorny issue of how much money wealthy countries are willing to pony up to protect the world's remaining biodiversity took center stage Wednesday at UN talks in Montreal aimed at creating a "peace pact with nature.". A long pause in technical talks on other items was resolved after China, the chair, held an hours-long meeting of the heads of delegations Wednesday, though the finance issue isn't yet settled.
