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A6 WORLD NEWS
Monday 31 october 2022
Global food concerns rise as Russia halts Ukraine grain deal

By Sam Mednick Russia had been setting
Associated Press conditions to withdraw from
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — U.S. the deal for some time, the
President Joe Biden has Institute for the Study of
warned that global hunger War, a Washington think
could increase because tank said. The institute said
of Russia’s suspension of a even if Ukraine did order an
U.N.-brokered deal to allow attack Saturday on Russia’s
safe passage for ships car- Black Sea Fleet, that would
rying Ukrainian grain. have been proportionate
“It’s really outrageous,” to Russia’s intense bombing
said Biden speaking in campaign against Ukraini-
Wilmington, Delaware, on an civilian targets and en-
Saturday. “There’s no merit ergy infrastructure in recent
to what they’re doing. The weeks.
U.N. negotiated that deal Earlier this month, Moscow
and that should be the end intensified its missile and
of it.” Biden spoke hours drone strikes on Ukraine’s
after Russia announced power stations, waterworks
it would immediately halt and other key infrastruc-
participation in the agree- ture, damaging 40% of
ment, alleging that Ukraine Ukraine’s electric system
staged a drone attack and forcing the govern-
Saturday against Russia’s The ship Navi-Star sits full of grain since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began five months ago as it ment to implement rolling
Black Sea Fleet ships off the waits to sail from the Odesa Sea Port, in Odesa, Ukraine, July 29, 2022 blackouts. Kyiv’s mayor
(AP Photo/David Goldman, File)
coast of occupied Crimea. said the Ukrainian capital’s
Ukraine has denied the at- in March, according to the will be food on the tables sandr Kubrakov, Ukraine’s power system was operat-
tack, saying that Russia mis- United Nations. Ukrainian of people in Egypt or Ban- minister of infrastructure. ing in “emergency mode.”
handled its own weapons. President Volodymyr Zel- gladesh?” he said Saturday Russia’s action is facing in- The Kremlin said it was
The grain initiative has al- enskyy called the decision in his nightly address to the ternational condemnation. ready for peace talks but
lowed more than 9 million predictable and said Rus- nation. European Union foreign stressed that they should
tons of grain in 397 ships sia has been deliberately Other Ukrainian officials policy chief Josep Borrell be held with Washington,
to safely leave Ukrainian aggravating the food crisis were more vehement, with urged Russia to reverse its which Russia views as Kyiv’s
ports since it was signed in since September. Currently, one saying that Russia has decision in a tweet Sunday. “mastermind,” Dmitry Pes-
July, and the U.N. chief on some 176 ships loaded with started a real-life “hunger Stephane Dujarric, spokes- kov, a Kremlin spokesman
Friday urged Russia and grain are being prevented games” for the world’s man for the U.N. secretary told Russian state television
Ukraine to renew the deal from sailing from Ukraine’s poor.A ship with 40,000 tons general, said the world on Sunday.
when it expires in late No- ports, he said. of grains bound for Ethiopia body is in touch with Rus- “Obviously, the deciding
vember. The grain agree- “This is food for more than 7 under the United Nations sian authorities about the vote belongs to Washing-
ment has succeeded in million consumers. … Why is aid program could not decision and that it’s vital ton … It is impossible to
bringing down global food it that a handful of people leave Ukraine on Sunday as all parties refrain from any talk about something, for
prices, which have fallen somewhere in the Kremlin a result of Russia’s suspen- actions that would impede example, with Kyiv,” he
about 15% from their peak can decide whether there sion of the deal, said Olek- the grain initiative. said.q

UK politicians demand probe into Liz Truss phone hack claim

Associated Press curity for government of- hacked while she was U.K. ally, former Treasury chief tion was withheld from the
LONDON (AP) — The British ficials, after a newspaper foreign minister. Kwasi Kwarteng. public to protect Liz Truss’
government insisted Sun- reported that former Prime The Mail on Sunday said The U.K. government leadership bid, that would
day it has robust cyberse- Minister Liz Truss’ phone was that the hack was discov- spokesperson declined to be unforgivable.”
ered when Truss was run- comment on security ar- Labour Party law-and-or-
ning to become Conserva- rangements, but said it had der spokesperson Yvette
tive Party leader and prime “robust systems in place Cooper said “the story
minister in the summer. It to protect against cyber raises issues around cyber-
said the security breach threats,” including regular security.”
was kept secret by then- security briefings for minis- “It’s why cybersecurity has
Prime Minister Boris Johnson ters. to be taken so seriously by
and the head of the civil Opposition parties de- everyone across govern-
service. The newspaper, manded an independent ment, the role of hostile
citing unnamed sources, investigation into the hack, states,” she told Sky News.
said Russian spies were sus- and into the leak of the in- “But also the allegations
pected of the hack. It said formation to a newspaper. about whether a Cabinet
the hackers gained ac- “Was Liz Truss’s phone minister has been using a
cess to sensitive informa- hacked by Russia, was personal phone for serious
tion, including discussions there a news blackout government business, and
Britain’s Foreign Secretary Liz Truss leaves a Cabinet meeting about the Ukraine war with and if so why?” said Liberal serious questions about
at 10 Downing Street in London, Tuesday, April 19, 2022. (AP foreign officials, as well as Democrat foreign affairs why this information or this
Photo/Alastair Grant, File) private conversations be- spokesperson Layla Moran. story has been leaked or
tween Truss and a political “If it turns out this informa- briefed right now.”q