VIDEO: 'Will it happen? Only Putin knows:' Ukrainians leave as possible invasion looms.
Both tourists and nationals check in at Kyiv airport as they fear for their safety with the standoff between Russia and the West continuing over Ukraine
US to relocate its embassy in Kyiv to the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, citing a "dramatic acceleration" in the buildup of Russian forces at the country's border
@AFP's Allison Joyce photographs US service members based in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, preparing deploy to Europe as the crisis between Russia and Ukraine escalates. Before boarding flights to Europe they must surrender their cell phones
#BREAKING German FM calls on Russia to 'withdraw its troops' around Ukraine
#UPDATE Germany calls on Russia to withdraw its troops around Ukraine, as Chancellor Scholz prepares to meet President Putin over the crisis.
"The situation is particularly dangerous," says Foreign Minister Baerbock. "The responsibility for de-escalation is clearly with Russia"
Russia bolsters military deployment on the borders with Ukraine.
#AFPgraphics map showing Russian troop deployments on the borders with Ukraine and military bases and installations
#BREAKING Some Russian forces near Ukraine returning to bases: ministry
#UPDATE Moscow says some military deployed near Ukraine are returning to their bases, after a build up of Russian forces around Ukrainian borders spurred fears of an invasion.
"Units of the Southern and Western military districts... will begin moving to their military garrisons"
#BREAKING Ukraine and West have managed to 'prevent' Russian escalation: Kyiv
#UPDATE Ukraine's foreign minister said on Tuesday that the country's joint diplomatic efforts with Western allies had managed to deter a feared Russian invasion, and that "diplomacy is continuing to work" u.afp.com/wgyg
#UPDATE Russia's defence ministry spokesman said on Tuesday the country was pulling back some of its forces near the Ukrainian border to their bases, in what would be the first major step towards de-escalation in weeks of crisis with the West u.afp.com/wgyR
#BREAKING Russia confirms planned pullback of some troops from Ukraine border after drills: Kremlin
#BREAKING Russian lawmakers call on Putin to recognise Ukraine separatist statelets
#BREAKING Putin, Scholz begin talks in Moscow over Ukraine security
#BREAKING NATO chief says 'cautious optimism' over Russia signals on Ukraine, but no sign of de-escalation
#BREAKING UK intelligence on Russia-Ukraine border crisis 'not encouraging': PM
#UPDATE Russia said on Tuesday it was pulling back some of its forces near the border with #Ukraine to their bases, in what could be the first major step towards de-escalation in weeks of crisis with the West u.afp.com/wgyR
#BREAKING Russia's troop withdrawal announcement 'must be followed by action': German foreign minister Baerbock
#BREAKING Putin says 'ready to work further' with West on European security to de-escalate tensions
#BREAKING Diplomatic bid to avert Ukraine war 'far from exhausted': German Chancellor Scholz
#BREAKING 'Lasting security' in Europe only possible 'with Russia': German Chancellor Scholz
#BREAKING Putin says 'of course' Russia does not want war
#BREAKING EU condemns Russian lawmakers' bid to recognise separatist regions in Ukraine
#BREAKING 'Words are good ... acts would be even better,' French foreign minister tells Russia on Ukraine
#UPDATE US Secretary of State Antony #Blinken held a new phone call on the #Ukraine crisis Tuesday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei #Lavrov, the State Department said, after their last call on Saturday
#BREAKING In Blinken call, Lavrov urged 'pragmatic dialogue' over 'range of issues raised by Russia': Russian foreign ministry
#BREAKING Macron, Biden agree verification needed of Russian pullback: France
#BREAKING Russia recognition of Ukraine separatist regions would be 'attack without weapons': France
#UPDATE Any recognition by Russia of two eastern Ukrainian separatist regions would represent the equivalent of an attack on the country's sovereignty, France said Tuesday
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#BREAKING Romania's constitutional court orders recount of first round of presidential vote: statement
#UPDATE Romania's constitutional court on Thursday ordered a recount of votes cast in the first round of the presidential election, after a rival far-right contender filed a legal challenge ➡️ u.afp.com/597X
#BREAKING TikTok gave 'preferential treatment' to far-right candidate who won Romania election first round: presidency
#UPDATE A referendum on Moldova joining the EU passed with a razor-thin majority on Monday as pro-Brussels President Maia Sandu blamed the outcome on foreign meddling in a veiled reference to Russia, which denied the accusations ➡️ u.afp.com/5zL7
BREAKING France's high-speed train system disrupted by vandalism: operator
#UPDATE Hours before the opening ceremony of the Paris #Olympics , France's high-speed rail network has been hit by "malicious acts" including arson attacks that have disrupted the transport system, train operator SNCF says.
"This is a massive attack on a large scale to paralyse the TGV network," SNCF told @AFP, adding that many routes will have to be cancelled and the situation would last "at least all weekend while repairs are conducted"
BREAKING The arson attacks on France's high-speed rail network were coordinated acts of "sabotage", a source close to the investigation tells @AFP
#BREAKING 104 police, 30 journalists among injured in Bangladesh clashes: TV
#UPDATE Protesters in Bangladesh set fire to several government buildings during a day of deadly nationwide clashes between students and riot officers, a police statement said.
"The miscreants have already torched, vandalised and carried out destructive activities," on the offices of state broadcaster BTV and the national disaster management agency along with "various" police and government buildings, said the statement, issued after a nationwide internet shutdown
Bangladesh wakes to torched government buildings, internet blackout.
This week's unrest has killed at least 39 people including 32 on Thursday, with the toll expected to rise further after reports of clashes in nearly half of the country's 64 districts
#BREAKING Biden says still considers Xi a 'dictator'
#UPDATE US President Joe Biden said after a summit with Xi Jinping that he still considers the Chinese president a "dictator", after he sparked fury from Beijing by making the comparison earlier this year.
"Well look he is, I mean he's a dictator in the sense that he's a guy who's running a country, a Communist country, that's based on a form of government totally different than ours," Biden said at the end of a news conference when a reporter asked if he would still use the term to describe Xi
#BREAKING China will not begin armed conflict with any nation, President Xi Jinping said Wednesday, after a high-stakes summit with US President Joe Biden.
"China does not seek spheres of influence, and will not fight a cold or hot war with any country," he told a gathering of business leaders in San Francisco