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Germany slams NATO 'bellicose policy' toward Russia

Saturday, 18 June 2016 3:42 PM [ Last Update: Saturday, 18 June 2016 3:42 PM ]

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier © AP

Here is a round-up of global news developments:

The Iraqi army has launched a massive operation in Nineveh Province. The operation is aimed at liberating Qayyarah district from Daesh in southern Nineveh. The Iraqi army and popular mobilization forces have recently scored major victories against the terrorists across the country.
Iraqis are celebrating the liberation of Fallujah from Daesh terrorists. They hope the victory would pave the way for the ultimate defeat of the terrorist group in Iraq. On Friday, Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi announced that almost all of the city has been taken back from the militants.
At least seven people have been killed in a mortar attack by foreign-backed militants on a neighborhood in the Syrian city of Aleppo. The Shaykh Maqsud area is controlled by Kurdish forces fighting against the terrorists. The mortar attack has also injured more than 40 people.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has criticized NATO for having a bellicose policy toward Russia. He described such a policy as warmongering. Steinmeier pointed to the deployment of NATO troops near Russian borders. The US-led military alliance has ramped up presence there after the Ukraine crisis.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has accused Britain of seeking to blackmail Europe through the EU referendum. Putin, however said it’s up to Britons to decide about their future. Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund has warned against Brexit, saying Britain’s economy would weaken in case of a Yes vote.
The suspect in the murder case of UK Labour lawmaker Jo Cox has appeared in a court in London. Thomas Mair is facing several charges including murder and possession of an offensive weapon. Police have found Nazi regalia at his home. Cox was killed in northern England on Thursday.
The Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro is in a state of financial emergency. The city is set to host the Olympic Games in less than two months. Rio’s governor has asked for federal funds to keep the city running during the Olympic Games.
British astronaut Tim Peake and two other space scientists have returned from the International Space Station to the Earth. The three left the station in a Soyuz capsule. The spacecraft landed in Kazakhstan. Peake is the first British astronaut to have conducted a spacewalk.