Russia says troops won't stay in Belarus as U.S. and allies engage in diplomatic blitz to avert all-out war in Ukraine
CBSN
Washington and Kyiv — High-stakes diplomacy is underway in Washington and Europe this week as President Biden and other leaders race to find an agreement with Russia to prevent the military standoff on Ukraine's borders from escalating into all-out war. With more than 100,000 Russian forces positioned around Ukraine's borders and the U.S. warning that President Vladimir Putin could order an invasion any time, Mr. Biden and his German counterpart tried to show a united front on Monday amid concerns that Europe's biggest economy isn't confronting Moscow as forcefully as it could.
Mr. Biden hosted German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the White House, while Putin met for five hours behind closed doors in Moscow with French President Emmanuel Macron.
With additional U.S. troops and weaponry deploying to Eastern Europe, close to Russia's border, President Biden warned Americans in Ukraine to get out, saying he would "hate to see them get caught in the crossfire."
The world has now marked one full year of back-to-back monthly heat records, the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service announced on Wednesday. It said last month was the hottest May in recorded history — the 12th consecutive month in which the monthly high temperature record was broken.
New Delhi — India's 2024 election results show Prime Minister Narendra Modi set to win his third term in office, with the political alliance led by his Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) on track to win a solid majority of the seats up for grabs in India's Parliament. Final numbers were expected later Tuesday, but the results of the world's biggest democratic elections appeared clear: Modi will keep his job, but with a smaller mandate than was widely expected or promised by his party.
Seoul, South Korea — South Korea on Tuesday took steps to suspend a contentious military agreement with North Korea and resume front-line military activities, as tension between the rivals rises over the North's recent launch of trash-carrying balloons. North Korea didn't immediately respond, but South Korea's resumption of firing exercises or propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts will likely prompt North Korea to take similar or stronger steps along the rivals' heavily militarized border.
Berlin — A recent survey conducted for a sports program that airs on a regional public broadcaster in Germany revealed that one in five Germans (21% of respondents) would prefer to see more White players on the German national soccer team. The survey conducted for Western Germany's WDR network's "Sport Inside" show has drawn sharp criticism, with the national team's coach Julian Nagelsmann among those expressing shock.
Just hours after NASA was forced to scrap the Florida launch of the Boeing Starliner for the second time, a Chinese spacecraft landed on the far side of the moon Sunday to collect soil and rock samples that could provide insights into differences between the less-explored region and the better-known near side.