Nato allies rule out sending troops to Ukraine
The United States and key European allies said on Feb 27 they had no plans to send ground troops to Ukraine, after France hinted at the possibility, and the Kremlin warned that any such move would inevitably lead to conflict between Russia and Nato.
French President Emmanuel Macron had said on Feb 26 that Western allies should exclude no options in seeking to avert a Russian victory in Ukraine, though he stressed there was no consensus at this stage.
His comments, made at a hastily convened meeting of European leaders in Paris on ways to boost flagging support for Kyiv, come amid battlefield gains by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forces in eastern Ukraine as well as growing shortages of ammunition and manpower on the Ukrainian side.
However, Germany, Britain, Spain, Poland and the Czech Republic distanced themselves from any suggestion they might commit ground troops to the Ukraine war, now in its third year.
Biden warns of ‘dire’ Ukraine fate in high-stakes talks
US President Joe Biden warned top congressional leaders on Feb 27 of the dire cost of failing to give Ukraine military aid as he hosted high-stakes talks at the White House.
The rare Oval Office meeting escalated efforts to unlock billions of dollars of stalled assistance for Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s invasion – and to avert a government shutdown at home.
“On Ukraine, I think the need is urgent,” said Mr Biden, flanked by Vice-President Kamala Harris, adding that the “consequence of inaction every day in Ukraine is dire.”
A quarter of Gazans one step away from famine, UN says
At least 576,000 people in the Gaza Strip - one quarter of the population - are one step away from famine, a senior UN aid official told the Security Council on on Feb 27, warning that widespread famine could be “almost inevitable” without action.
One in six children under two years of age in northern Gaza are suffering from acute malnutrition and wasting and practically all the 2.3 million people in the Palestinian enclave rely on “woefully inadequate” food aid to survive, Mr Ramesh Rajasingham, director of coordination for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, told the council.
The World Food Programme “is ready to swiftly expand and scale up our operations if there is a ceasefire agreement,” WFP deputy executive director Carl Skau told the 15-member council.
Jon Rahm ghosted by Tiger Woods since LIV signing
Jon Rahm says Tiger Woods never responded when he attempted to explain his move to LIV Golf.
The 29-year-old Spaniard, currently ranked No. 3 in the world, joined the circuit in December for a deal in the neighbourhood of US$500 million (S$670 million).
During a recent interview with ESPN, Rahm said he tried texting Woods to discuss his departure.
Two men guilty of 2002 murder of Run-DMC’s Jam Master Jay
A jury on Feb 27 found two men guilty of the 2002 murder of Run-DMC rap pioneer Jam Master Jay, who was fatally shot at his New York City recording studio, in one of the most infamous killings in rap history.
Ronald Washington, 59, and Karl Jordan Jr, 40, were convicted of federal charges of murder while engaged in drug trafficking in the shooting of Jam Master Jay, the stage name of Run-DMC founding member Jason Mizell, the US attorney’s office in Brooklyn said, on the X social media platform.
The verdict came after a month-long trial at the US District Court in Brooklyn.
