While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Feb 26
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G-20 finance ministers failed to agree a joint statement on the global economy, after China sought to water down references to the Ukraine conflict.
PHOTO: AFP
Russia says West ‘destabilised’ G-20 talks
Russia on Saturday accused the West of destabilising the Group of 20 (G-20) finance ministers’ meeting in India by trying to force through a joint statement on Ukraine that stalled because of disagreements.
“We regret that the activities of the G-20 continue to be destabilised by the Western collective and used in an anti-Russian... way,” the foreign ministry said.
Moscow accused the United States, the European Union and the G-7 nations of having “disrupted the adoption of collective decisions” by trying to impose their “diktat” by what they said was “clear blackmail”.
Their aim had been to impose their interpretation of the conflict in Ukraine in the joint statement by means of lobbying and “ultimatums”, said the ministry statement.
China to welcome Belarus leader, raising concerns over Ukraine
As officials in Ukraine anxiously watch evolving diplomatic overtures between Moscow and Beijing, China’s top leader will host the president of Belarus – a staunch Kremlin ally – this week.
On Saturday, China announced the visit, to take place over three days starting Tuesday, for President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus, who a year ago allowed Russian forces to use his country as a staging ground for their full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The presence in Beijing of such a close partner of President Vladimir Putin of Russia is likely to increase international attention, and pressure, over China’s straddling position on the war.
French prosecutors drop ‘sexual assault’ probe into cardinal
French prosecutors said on Saturday they had closed an investigation into sexual assault charges against a cardinal as the statute of limitations had passed.
The probe was launched in November last year after Jean-Pierre Ricard, a retired bishop made a cardinal by pope Benedict XVI in 2006, admitted in public that he had “behaved in a reprehensible way” towards a young girl 35 years ago.
The 78-year-old, taken into custody on Feb 2, told investigators he had “kissed” the girl, who he said was about 13 years old.
Haaland sets Man City record, as champions crush Bournemouth
Erling Haaland set a Manchester City goal record as the Premier League champions thrashed Bournemouth 4-1 to keep the pressure on leaders Arsenal on Saturday.
Haaland scored his 27th goal in 24 Premier League appearances, establishing a new single-season City record in the competition as he moved past Sergio Aguero’s total of 26 in 2014-15.
Pep Guardiola’s side were already leading at Dean Court through Julian Alvarez’s early strike by the time Haaland netted.
Tennis: Medvedev halts Murray heroics to take Qatar title
Daniil Medvedev beat fellow former world number one Andy Murray 6-4, 6-4 in the Qatar Open final on Saturday to win his second ATP title in a week.
The 27-year-old world number eight, who won in Rotterdam seven days earlier, convincingly ended his 35-year-old opponent’s comeback heroics that saw Murray fight four three-set battles and overcome eight match points to reach the final in Doha.
Medvedev broke Murray’s first serve in each set as he remained unbeaten in three encounters between the two.