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MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday vowed to continue with his countrys year-long war in Ukraine and accused the United States-led Nato military alliance of fanning the flames of the conflict in the mistaken belief that it could defeat Moscow in a global confrontation.

He updated Russias political and military elite on the war nearly one year to the day since ordering the invasion that has triggered the biggest confrontation with the West since the depths of the Cold War.

He said the events leading to Moscows special military operation on Feb 24, 2022, were forced upon Russia.

We did everything possible, genuinely everything possible, in order to solve this problem (in Ukraine) by peaceful means. We were patient, we were negotiating a peaceful way out of this difficult conflict, but a completely different scenario was being prepared behind our backs, he said from Russias Parliament.

Flanked by four Russian tricolour flags, Mr Putin said Russia would carefully and consistently resolve the tasks facing us.

Mr Putin said Western countries, led by the US, were seeking unlimited power in world affairs and that Kyiv was speaking to the West about weapon supplies even before the beginning of the invasion.

The President added that Russia had done everything it could to avoid war, but that Western-backed Ukraine had been planning to attack Russian-controlled Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014.

The West, he said, had let the genie out of the bottle in a host of regions across the world by sowing chaos and war.

The people of Ukraine have become the hostage of the Kyiv regime and its Western overlords, who have effectively occupied this country in the political, military and economic sense, Mr Putin said.

They intend to translate the local conflict into a global confrontation, we understand it this way and will react accordingly.

Defeating Russia, the 70-year-old said, was impossible.

Mr Putin said Russia would never yield to Western attempts to divide its society, adding that a majority of Russians supported the war.

He warned the West may incite a backlash over money flows to the war that were not diminishing.

Mr Putin said: The more long-range Western systems are being delivered to Ukraine, the farther we will be forced to move the threat from our borders. Russian National Guard officers patrol on Red Square prior to Mr Putin’s annual state address, in central Moscow, on Feb 21. PHOTO: AFP When he spoke about the annexation of four Ukrainian territories in 2022, he got a standing ovation at the Gostiny Dvor exhibition centre, just a few steps from the Kremlin.

Towards the end of the speech, Mr Putin said Russia was suspending its participation in the New Start treaty with the US that limits the two sides strategic nuclear arsenals.

Together, Russia and the US hold around 90 per cent of the worlds nuclear warheads enough to destroy the planet many times over.

Mr Putin asked the audience, which included lawmakers, soldiers, spy chiefs and state company bosses, to stand to remember those who had lost their lives in the war.

He promised a special fund for the families of those killed in the war.

He said the West was supporting traitors who opposed Russias actions, and thanked Russians for their courage and resolution in supporting Moscows operation in Ukraine.

Mr Putin said he understood how difficult it was for relatives of Russian soldiers who had died fighting in Ukraine. Mr Vladimir Putin arrives to deliver his annual address to the Federal Assembly in Moscow, on Feb 21, 2023. PHOTO: REUTERS We all understand, I understand how unbearably hard it is now for the wives, sons, daughters of fallen soldiers, their parents, who raised worthy defenders of the Fatherland, he said.

The Ukraine conflict is by far the biggest bet by a Kremlin chief since at least the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union and a gamble Western leaders such as US President Joe Biden say Mr Putin must lose.

Russian forces have suffered three major battlefield reversals since the war began, but still control around one-fifth of Ukraine.

Tens of thousands of men have been killed, and Mr Putin has said Russia is locked in an existential battle with an arrogant West, which he says wants to carve up Russia and steal its vast natural resources.

The West and Ukraine reject that narrative, and say Nato expansion eastwards is no justification for what they say is an imperial-style land grab doomed to failure.

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan described Mr Putins accusations that Russia had been threatened by the West as justification for invading Ukraine as absurdity.

Nobody is attacking Russia. Theres a kind of absurdity in the notion that Russia was under some form of military threat from Ukraine or anyone else, he told reporters. People gather for Mr Vladimir Putins address to the Federal Assembly at the Gostiny Dvor conference centre in Moscow, on Feb 21. PHOTO: EPA-EFE More On This Topic US slams 'absurdity' of Putin's anti-West speech Putin set for major Ukraine war speech after Biden walks streets of Kyiv Speaking hours ahead of Mr Biden delivering his own speech in Warsaw to mark the anniversary of the war, Mr Sullivan said the Kremlin leader was the aggressor.

This was a war of choice. Putin chose to fight it. He could have chosen not to. And he can choose even now to end it, to go home, he added.

Russia stops fighting the war in Ukraine and goes home, the war ends. Ukraine stops fighting and the United States and the coalition stops helping them fight then Ukraine disappears from the map.

Mr Putin, who frequently decries Western gender and sexual freedoms as an existential danger, said on Tuesday that paedophilia had become the norm in the West.

Look at what they do to their own people: the destruction of families, of cultural and national identities and the perversion that is child abuse all the way up to paedophilia are advertised as the norm… and priests are forced to bless same-sex marriages, he said. Mr Vladimir Putin is seen on screens of a shopping mall as he delivers his annual address to the Federal Assembly in Moscow, on Feb 21. PHOTO: REUTERS Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak said that Mr Putins speech showed he has lost touch with reality.

He is in a completely different reality, where there is no opportunity to conduct a dialogue about justice and international law, said the adviser to Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelensky. Tilt to Asia?

Mr Putin, who was handed the presidency in 1999 by Boris Yeltsin, said the West had failed to destroy the Russian economy with the severest sanctions in modern history.

They want to make the people suffer… but their calculation did not materialise. The Russian economy and the management turned out to be much stronger than they thought, he added.

Russias US$2.1 trillion (S$2.8 trillion) economy is forecast by the International Monetary Fund to grow 0.3 per cent this year, far below China and Indias growth rates but a much better result than was forecast when the war began.

Russia was turning to major Asian powers, e said, and will expand ties and build economic cooperation with countries such as India, Iran and Pakistan. REUTERS More On This Topic Beijing hopes peace between Russia and Ukraine can be Made in China Zelensky: Its obvious Ukraine wont be Putins last stop

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Politics

Southport stabbings: Axel Rudakubana received second longest sentence in history and UN prevents harsher punishment, says Downing Street

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Southport stabbings: Axel Rudakubana received second longest sentence in history and UN prevents harsher punishment, says Downing Street

Southport child killer Axel Rudakubana received the second-longest life sentence in English history and the government does not ever want to see him released, Downing Street has said.

Sir Keir Starmer’s official spokesman said ministers “share the public’s disgust at [Rudakubana’s] barbaric crimes” but said imposing a whole life order (WLO) was not possible because of international law.

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The 18-year-old was jailed for life with a minimum of 52 years on Thursday for the murder of Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, in July last year at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.

However, the sentence prompted calls for a change in the law on WLOs, which are usually only imposed on criminals aged 21 or over but can be considered for those aged 18 to 20 in exceptional circumstances.

WLOs ensure that an offender will die behind bars, whereas a life sentence imposes a minimum term that must be served in prison before they are eligible for parole, with convicts then remaining on licence if they are released.

Rudakubana was 17 when he launched the attack, and his sentence is the second-longest tariff on record after Hashem Abedi, the brother of Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi, Downing Street said.

Abedi was sentenced to at least 55 years in prison for his part in the bomb attack that killed 22 people – a life order not being possible at the time because he was under 21.

(L-R) Victims Elsie Dot Stancombe, Bebe King and Alice Dasilva Aguiar
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(L-R) Victims Elsie Dot Stancombe, Bebe King and Alice Dasilva Aguiar

Reforms passed by the Tories extended WLOs to young killers aged 18 upwards at the time of the offence.

Downing Street said on Friday ministers were not looking at further changes, claiming they were prevented from doing so by UN laws.

The spokesman did not name which acts the government was bound by, but Article 37 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child states that people under 18 should not be imprisoned for life with no chance of ever being released.

He said the government did not want to see Rudakubana leave prison and it was “likely he will never be released”.

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Could the Southport killings have been prevented?

Baby serial killer Lucy Letby and Sarah Everad’s killer Wayne Couzens are among the 70 people currently serving WLOs.

Those calling for a change in the law include Patrick Hurley, the MP for Southport, who has asked the attorney general to review Rudakubana’s jail term under the unduly lenient sentence scheme.

Outrage over the case has also promoted calls from two Reform UK MPs, Lee Anderson and Rupert Lowe, to bring back the death sentence, which was abolished in the UK in 1969.

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‘Our lives went with them – he took us too’

Number 10 said there were no plans to bring it back, citing parliamentary votes in recent history which have rejected capital punishment.

The government has launched an inquiry into the stabbings, which aims to give families “answers” about what happened in the lead-up to the attack.

Read more:
Police investigation continues
The 14 minutes of terror
Victim’s parents describe horror

The prime minister has also said he will look at changing the law to recognise the “new and dangerous threat” of lone attackers not driven by one ideology.

It has emerged that Rudakubana was referred to the government anti-extremism scheme – known as Prevent – three times before the murders due to a fixation with violence.

He was also in contact with the police, the courts, the youth justice system, social services and mental health services.

Earlier, the UK’s most senior police officer warned thousands of young men were obsessed with violence, and called for this to be looked at as part of the review.

Rudakubana was sentenced after earlier pleading guilty to the murders, along with the attempted murders of eight other children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, class instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes.

He was also convicted of having a knife on the date of the killings, production of the deadly poison ricin, and possessing information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing to commit an act of terrorism.

Judge Mr Justice Goose said he would have been given a whole life term if he had been nine days older.

The judge also said he “must accept” that the prosecution had made it clear the attack did not meet the legal definition of an act of terrorism because there was no evidence of attempting to advance a political, religious, racial or ideological cause.

But he added: “His culpability for this extreme level of violence is equivalent in its seriousness to terrorist murders, whatever his purpose.”

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US

Migrants in shackles led on to US military plane – as Mexico refuses to accept deportation flight

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Migrants in shackles led on to US military plane - as Mexico refuses to accept deportation flight

US military aircraft have started flying detained migrants out of America on the orders of Donald Trump, as Mexico refused a request from his administration to allow a deportation plane to land in the country.

It comes as the White House released images of men whose hands and ankles were shackled being led on to a plane.

Mr Trump‘s press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted the photos on X and declared: “Deportation flights have begun.”

She said Mr Trump was “sending a strong and clear message to the entire world: if you illegally enter the United States of America, you will face severe consequences”.

Two US military aircraft, each carrying around 80 migrants, flew from America to Guatemala on Friday.

One C-17 reportedly took off from Biggs Army Air Field in Texas, while another C-17 departed from Tucson in Arizona.

But a plan to have another C-17 transport aircraft land in Mexico foundered after the country denied permission.

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It was unclear why permission to land was denied.

Mexico’s foreign ministry said the country had a “very great relationship” with the US and cooperated on issues such as immigration.

‘Putting an end to illegal migration’

It was the first time in recent memory that American military aircraft were being used to fly migrants out of the US, according to an official.

Such planes have in the past been used to relocate people from one country to another, including in 2021 during the US’s withdrawal from Afghanistan.

“Guatemala and the United States are committed to putting an end to illegal migration and strengthening border security. Starting with two flights today,” the US State Department said.

Men in shackles being led on to a military plane. Pic: X/PressSec
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Pic: X/PressSec

On Instagram, Guatemalan vice president Karin Herrera’s office posted a video of a military plane landing in Guatemala.

A caption said: “The [Guatemalan government] remains committed to protecting the integrity of migrants. The vice presidency will continue to verify that the reception of the returnees is in a dignified and safe manner.”

Some 79 Guatemalans returned, all of whom were adults, including 31 women and 48 men, the Guatemalan Migration Institute wrote.

The Pentagon has said the US military would provide flights for the deportations of more than 5,000 immigrants held by US authorities in El Paso, Texas, and San Diego, California.

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Migrants stay home as people live in fear of mass deportation threats
Trump says January 6 attacks on police were ‘minor incidents’

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On his first day in the Oval Office, Mr Trump declared illegal immigration a national emergency, and tasked his military with helping to boost security at the Mexico border.

The president has promised the biggest deportation operation in US history, with his new border czar, Tom Homan, saying he’ll target “the worst, first”.

His executive order on 20 January told the Pentagon to send as many troops as needed to obtain “complete operational control of the southern border of the United States”.

‘Hundreds of US soldiers to Mexican border’

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Donald Trump’s first acts as new president

The Trump administration said earlier this week the US military would be sending 1,500 additional active-duty troops to the Mexican border. A second tranche of troops could be deployed as soon as next week.

Meanwhile, hundreds of people have been arrested across the US by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in places such as Buffalo, New York, Chicago, St Paul, Salt Lake City, San Francisco and Denver.

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Trump deportation threats spark fear

‘Daily ICE arrests almost double’

Of the 538 arrests on Thursday, 373 were for criminal allegations and 165 were for non-criminal reasons.

According to the most recent data, the 538 figure was almost double ICE’s daily average of 282 in September 2024.

The Trump administration has said its priority is to arrest migrants with criminal backgrounds. The Department of Homeland Security said on Tuesday it would allow ICE to arrest undocumented people at places such as schools and churches, which was barred under previous administrations.

“Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest,” the department said.

Many of the ICE actions were not unusual. Similar deportation flights also took place under the Biden administration, though not using military planes.

NBC News reports that New Jersey officials and immigrant rights supporters have criticised federal immigration authorities for carrying out a workplace raid on a small business in the city of Newark without a warrant.

In a news conference, Mayor Ras Baraka said several agents with ICE entered the back of the business, arrested three undocumented workers, and detained and questioned employees who are US citizens.

“People were fingerprinted. Pictures of their IDs and faces were taken there,” the Democrat mayor said. “I was appalled, upset, angry that this would happen here in this state, in this country, that this would be allowed.”

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UK

School and mosques vandalised with anti-Muslim graffiti in London

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School and mosques vandalised with anti-Muslim graffiti in London

Anti-Muslim graffiti has been found daubed on seven London buildings this month, including mosques, community centres and a primary school.

The Metropolitan Police said it is investigating “several incidents of criminal damage” and is treating them as “shocking” hate crimes.

The first incident took place on Monday 6 January, with the most recent recorded on Saturday 25 January. The force is looking into whether they are linked, including examining CCTV footage.

The incidents are reported to have been fuelled by a Telegram hate group, which was offering £100 to people who committed acts of vandalism. The Met said its inquiries are continuing.

The force has stepped up reassurance patrols in the affected areas and is in contact with local faith leaders.

Here are the sites that were targeted and when:

• West Norwood Mosque, SE27, on Monday 6 January

• South Norwood Islamic Community Centre, Croydon, SE25, on Monday 6 January

• Thornton Heath Islamic Centre, CR7, on Thursday 16 January

• Stratford mosque, Newham, E15, on Thursday 23 January

• Leyton Jamia Masjid, E10, on Thursday 23 January

• Albirr Foundation mosque, E10, on Thursday 23 January

• Noor Ul Islam Primary School, E10, on Saturday 25 January

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Leyton Jamia Masjid was vandalised with anti-Islam graffiti
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Leyton Jamia Masjid was also targeted

‘Hate has no place on our streets’

Worshippers at the Stratford mosque and Leyton Jamia Masjid contacted Sky News saying their buildings had been vandalised with anti-Islamic graffiti.

The Met’s Deputy Assistant Commissioner Jon Savell said: “We understand that Muslim communities will be feeling particularly concerned for their safety following this series of shocking hate crimes.

“Hate has no place on our streets, and tackling it is at the centre of our efforts to make Londoners from all backgrounds and communities feel safe.

“Our local officers will continue to work with community leaders and ensure that a thorough investigation is being conducted”.

‘This is not an act of faith – it’s an act of cowardice’

A statement from Stratford Islamic Association to Sky News said: “Our mosque has been part of this community since 1993, and in all that time, we’ve only known kindness and respect from our neighbours.

“We are proud to be an integral part of this community, and today, we’ve been deeply moved by the overwhelming support from people of all backgrounds.”

It added: “The council and the police have stood with us, and we are truly grateful for their swift and compassionate response.

“Those responsible for this act of hate have shamed only themselves. This is not an act of faith – it’s an act of cowardice. But they will not intimidate us. We will not live in fear. Together, as a united community, we will stand strong.”

Police are urging anyone with information about the incidents to contact them on 101.

No arrests have been made.

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