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    Wars drive number of forcibly displaced people to record high, UN says

    For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsThe number of people forcibly displaced in the world through wars, persecution and disasters, natural and man -made, rose to a record 117.3 million last year with the situation likely to get even worse, the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) has said.Forced displacement has continued to rise in the first four months of this year, and the total of those affected is expected to reach 120 million in the near future, with no end to global strife in sight.”These are refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced people, people being forced away by conflict, by persecution, by different and increasingly complex forms of violence,” said Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.The Israeli offensive in Gaza has led to 80 per cent of the territory’s population, 1.7 million people, to flee, often being driven from one refuge to another as Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has expanded the operation. Those who had fled across the border into Egypt, the UNHCR report said, may find themselves stranded.”Another refugee crisis outside Gaza would be catastrophic on all levels, including because we have no guarantee that the people will be able to return to Gaza one day,” Mr Grandi said.The civil war in Sudan, which has faded from international focus, has been “one of the most catastrophic ones” unfolding with more that nine million people internally displaced and another two million have fled to neighbouring countries including Chad, Egypt and South Sudan.While existing conflicts continue, the unstable international geopolitics could lead to more rather than less violence unfolding, says the report. “Unless there is a shift in international geopolitics, unfortunately, I actually see that figure continuing to go up,” Mr Grandi said. More

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    David Cameron laughs as he describes Donald Trump in two words following recent meeting

    David Cameron laughed as he described Donald Trump in two words, following their recent meeting.The foreign secretary and former US president met in Florida earlier this month to discuss the war in Ukraine and Nato spending.Lord Cameron described Mr Trump as an “interesting guy” when he was quizzed about the meeting when he appeared on ITV’s Peston on Wednesday (24 April).Lord Cameron said: “We had a good meeting, he’s certainly an interesting guy. We had a good meeting, we discussed a range of things. We did talk about Ukraine because I think it’s important. It’s not just about European and British security. “ More

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    US Secretary of State Blinken insists ‘Ukraine will become a member of Nato’

    Antony Blinken insists “Ukraine will become a member of Nato” and said the US will do “everything we can” to ensure the country has what it needs to defeat Russia.The US secretary of state made his comments as Nato celebrated its 75th anniversary in Brussels on Thursday (4 April).Mr Blinken said that “support for Ukraine, the determination of every country represented here at Nato, remains rock solid.”“We will do everything we can, allies will do everything that they can, to ensure that Ukraine has what it needs to continue to deal with Russia’s ongoing aggression.” More

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    New Delhi’s top elected official Arvind Kejriwal arrested in liquor bribery case as supporters stage protest

    Supporters of an anti-corruption crusader and one of India’s most consequential politicians of the past decade held protests today (Friday 22 March) against his arrest.Arvind Kejriwal was arrested yesterday by a federal agency that accused his party and ministers of accepting 1 billion rupees ($12 million) in bribes from liquor contractors nearly two years ago, a top leader of his party said.Atishi Singh, a leader of Kejriwal’s Aam Admi Party denied the accusations and said they were fabricated by the federal agency, which is controlled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.Singh said her party will ask India’s Supreme Court to quash Kejriwal’s arrest and that he should be questioned, not arrested, as the investigation is still in progress in the case. More

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    Watch: Kim Jong-un witnesses North Korean rocket launcher drills

    North Korea leader Kim Jong-un watched on as experts successfully tested a solid-fuel engine for its new-type intermediate-range hypersonic missile.Kim oversaw the test on Tuesday (19 March) at the Sohae Launch Site, a frequent venue for previous launches of missiles and satellites.This is seen as progress in developing a more powerful, agile missile designed to strike faraway US targets in the region.A hypersonic missile is among an array of high-tech weapons systems that Kim publicly vowed to introduce in 2021 to cope with what he called deepening US hostility. More

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    Watch: Alexei Navalny’s wife Yulia Navalnaya attends protest against Russian elections

    Alexei Navalny’s widow Yulia Navalnaya joined election protesters outside the Russian embassy in Berlin on Sunday (17 March).The crowd could be heard chanting her name as Ms Navalnaya shook hands with protesters.Protesters could also be seen holding up a fake street sign reading “Alexei Navalny Street”.The sham Russian election, taking place this weekend, is widely expected to confirm Vladimir Putin’s fifth term of presidency, set to last for at least another six years.Putin, 71, faces little competition; his opponents are either in jail or in exile abroad. His most prominent competition- Mr Navalny – died in a remote Arctic penal colony last month. More

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    Russian voter floods ballet box with green paint in protest against Putin

    A Russian voter flooded a ballet box with green paint in protest against Vladimir Putin.The resident took disruptive action at the polling station in the Alekseevsky district of the Belgorod region of Russia, by flooding a stationary ballot box with green paint on the second day of the presidential elections.The resident was promptly arrested by police at the scene.The sham election is widely expected to confirm Putin’s fifth term of presidency, set to last for at least another six years.Putin, 71, faces little competition; his opponents are either in jail or in exile abroad. More

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    Alexei Navalny’s wife issues defiant Russia election message to Putin at Hungarian rally

    Alexei Navalny’s wife Yulia Navalnaya has issued a defiant election message to Vladimir Putin at a Hungarian rally.The current Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban is reportedly an old friend and political ally of Putin.As Russia heads to the polls for a general election, Ms Navalnaya recorded an appeal, which was shown at the rally on Saturday (16 March).Ms Navalnaya said: “In every speech I make, I emphasise one thing: Putin is not Russia. Russia is not Putin. And Hungary is not Orban either. This is what you prove here today. Democratic and free Hungary has allies – tens of millions of my fellow citizens who also want to live in a democratic and free Russia.” More