US Secretary of State Antony Blinken begins visit to Beijing to de-escalate Sino-US relations

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Beijing on Sunday, where according to Chinese state television he will meet with several high-ranking officials, dpa and Agerpres report. Blinken has not visited China since taking up his post in 2021.

South Africa's leader told Putin that the war in Ukraine must end

The war in Ukraine must end, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa told Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Ramaphosa's remarks came as he met Putin in St Petersburg on Saturday as part of a peace mission with six other African countries, reports the BBC.

Romania: Earthquake with a magnitude of 4.3 degrees in the Vrancea seismic zone

A medium earthquake with a magnitude of 4.3 occurred this afternoon in the Vrancea seismic zone, Buzau county.

EU nations back renewable deal

Ambassadors from EU member states yesterday reached an agreement on the expansion of renewable energy by 2030, after France secured assurances that nuclear power will play a greater role in the energy transition and thus dropped its last-minute opposition, reports Bloomberg and Digi24.

Zelensky rules out talks with Russia

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky ruled out the possibility of talks with Russia on Friday after a visiting delegation of African leaders urged both countries to de-escalate, AFP reports.

NATO to tighten Ukraine ties, but no membership invite at summit

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said Friday the alliance will tighten political ties with Ukraine at a summit next month, but there will be no talk of a membership invite for Kyiv, AFP reports.

Virgil Popescu: Romania will extract gas from the Black Sea in 2026

Romania will extract gas from the Black Sea at the end of 2026, the beginning of 2027, declared the former Minister of Energy, Virgil Popescu.

Stoltenberg rules out extension of mandate as NATO chief

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg ruled out on Thursday extension in his mandate as head of the 31-nation military alliance, Anadolu agency reports.

Analysis The Guardian // Could we have the hottest summer? Record average temperatures for the beginning of June

Global temperatures have accelerated to record-setting levels this month, an ominous sign in the climate crisis ahead of a gathering El Niño that could potentially propel 2023 to become the hottest year ever recorded, The Guardian reports.

Around 50 allied nations to supply additional air defence missiles to Ukraine

Four of Ukraine's Western backers said Thursday they were joining forces to supply "hundreds" of air defence missiles and their launch systems to Kyiv as it fights back against Russia, AFP reports.

Ukrainian fighter pilots trained to fly F-16s

Ukrainian fighter pilots are being trained to fly F-16 planes, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg revealed on Thursday. He arrived in Brussels at a meeting of defense ministers from the North Atlantic Alliance, reports Hotnews.ro.

The Greek government has described the deaths of more than 79 migrants as the biggest tragedy of its kind in Greece

The Greek government has described the deaths of at least 79 people in a shipwreck as the biggest migrant tragedy to occur in Greece. Several hundred people are still missing, the BBC reports.