Russia | Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: WWF-Pakistan on Saturday demanded that the proposed export of snow leopards from Pakistan to Russia be immediately cancelled and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the conservation of its iconic wildlife species. The organisation called for strengthening the Naltar Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre to function as a dedicated facility for wildlife rescue, rehabilitation, and veterinary care. “A move to transfer the snow leopards from Gilgit-Baltistan to Moscow not only contradicts national and international conservation commitments but also risks setting a highly detrimental precedent for future transfer of threatened and iconic wildlife species from Pakistan,” WWF-Pakistan said in a letter to the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination on the proposed transfer of two snow leopards, currently housed at the Naltar Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre, to the Moscow Zoo, Russia. According to WWF-Pakistan, the snow leopard is listed as a threatened (vulnerable) species on the IUCN Red Lis...

Ukraine rallied support from its Western allies on Friday after Kyiv and Moscow failed to agree to a ceasefire at their first direct talks in more than three years, with Russia presenting conditions that a Ukrainian source described as “non-starters”. Under pressure from US President Donald Trump to end the bloodiest conflict in Europe since World War Two, delegates from the warring countries met for the first time since March 2022, the month after Russia invaded its neighbour. The talks in an Istanbul palace lasted well under two hours. Russia expressed satisfaction with the meeting and said it was ready to continue contacts. Both countries said they had agreed to trade 1,000 prisoners of war each in what would be the biggest such exchange yet. But Kyiv, which wants the West to impose tighter sanctions unless Moscow accepts a proposal from Trump for a 30-day ceasefire, immediately began rallying its allies for tougher action. As soon as the talks ended, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy held a phone ca...

Russia has voiced deep concern over the escalating military conflict between India and Pakistan, following cross-border strikes and retaliatory military actions that have left dozens of civilians dead and injured.

Chinese president Xi Jinping will make an official visit to Russia from May 7-10, where he will participate in celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany, the Kremlin said on Sunday. In a statement on Telegram, the Kremlin said that Xi will discuss with Russian President Vladimir Putin the development of the two countries’ strategic partnership, as well as signing a number of documents. “During the talks, the main issues of further development of relations of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction, as well as current issues on the international and regional agenda will be discussed,” the Kremlin said. The Soviet Union lost 27 million people in World War II but pushed Nazi forces back to Berlin, where Hitler died by suicide and the red Soviet Victory Banner was raised over the Reichstag in 1945. Several other national leaders are expected at the celebrations, including the presidents of Brazil and Serbia, and the prime minister of Slovakia. Putin has proposed a three-day ce...