Russian lawmakers' request for Putin to recognize Ukraine's breakaway regions gives him another card to play
CBSN
Kyiv — Russian lawmakers voted on Tuesday to send a formal request to President Vladimir Putin to recognize the independence of two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine's Donbas region.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that if Putin were to sign the legislation, it would "amount to the Russian government's wholesale rejection of its commitments" under previously negotiated, but never fully implemented peace agreements known as the Minsk Accords.
Both the West and Russia have said they view the Minsk Accords, which ended major fighting between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian forces in Donbas in 2015, as roadmaps to a diplomatic solution to the current crisis. While the war in Donbas was quieted by the agreements, the fighting never completely stopped. Ukraine's government says the grinding conflict has now left at least 14,000 people dead.
Noumea — France's president held a flurry of meetings with local representatives in the restive Pacific territory of New Caledonia on Thursday, urging calm after deadly rioting, and vowing thousands of military reinforcements will stay in place to quell what he called an "unprecedented insurrection."
Kathmandu — Nepali climber Phunjo Lama on Thursday reached Mount Everest's summit in 14 hours and 31 minutes, smashing the record for the world's fastest ascent of the mountain by a woman. Climbers usually take days to reach the top of the 29,032-foot mountain, spending nights on its different camps to rest and acclimatize.
New Delhi — Indian justice officials have changed course amid outrage over the bail terms set for a teenager accused of killing two people while driving a Porsche at high speed while drunk and without a license. The 17-year-old son of a wealthy businessman had been ordered to write a 300-word essay and work with the local traffic police for 15 days to be granted bail — a decision that was made within 15 hours of his arrest.
Zurich — A woman jogger was killed by a naked man who was screaming and attacking people in a lakeside park in Switzerland, police said Wednesday. The attack happened Tuesday evening in Mannedorf on Lake Zurich, around 12 miles southeast of Switzerland's biggest city, the Zurich cantonal police said.
Norway, Ireland and Spain said Wednesday they are recognizing a Palestinian state in a historic move that drew condemnation from Israel and jubilation from the Palestinians. Israel immediately ordered back its ambassadors from Norway and Ireland and appeared ready to do the same with its ambassador to Spain.