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Volodymyr Zelensky to address UN Security Council over Russian ‘genocide’ in town of Bucha

The Arab News reported, citing the AFP, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky will address the UN Security Council on Tuesday, where he is expected to demand tough new sanctions on Moscow over killings in the town of Bucha that he has called “war crimes” and “genocide.”
The speech, Zelensky’s first to the body since Russia’s invasion, comes after he made an emotional trip to Bucha, where dozens of bodies were discovered after the withdrawal of Russian troops.
Horrific images of corpses lying in the streets, some with their hands bound behind them, have drawn international condemnation of Russia.
Moscow has denied responsibility and suggested the images are fake or that the deaths occurred after Russian forces pulled out of the area.
But newly released satellite photographs taken by Maxar Technologies in mid-March, before the Russian withdrawal, showed what appeared to be bodies in some of the same places they were later found by Ukrainian troops and seen by journalists.

On Monday, wearing body armor and visibly distressed, Zelensky spent half an hour in Bucha, where he blamed Russian troops for the killings.
He said: “These are war crimes and it will be recognized by the world as genocide."
Later in his nightly address, he said “the sanctions response to Russia’s massacre of civilians must finally be powerful.”
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He asked in the video posted to Telegram: “But... did hundreds of our people have to die in agony for some European leaders to finally understand that the Russian state deserves the most severe pressure?”
He also called for additional weapons from Western allies, saying more equipment could have saved thousands.
“I do not blame you — I blame only the Russian military,” he said. “But you could have helped.”
Ukraine’s allies have called the killings in Bucha war crimes, with the EU offering to send investigators to gather evidence.
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US President Joe Biden told reporters at the White House that there should be “a war crimes trial,” adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin “is a war criminal.”
The White House said it would announce fresh sanctions on Moscow this week, with France suggesting new measures could target Russian oil and coal exports.
But Germany warned it was too soon to cut off Russian gas.
All economic ties to Russia would have to be severed, German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said, adding, “but at the moment, it’s not possible to cut the gas supplies. We need some time.”
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Elsewhere, the United States and Britain said they would seek Russia’s suspension from the UN Human Rights Council — a move Moscow branded “unbelievable.”
Russia has called for a UN Security Council meeting on what it dubbed the “heinous provocation of Ukrainian radicals in Bucha,” but Britain — which holds the Council presidency — has so far refused the request.
The full nature of the killings in Bucha and other areas from which Russian troops have withdrawn is still being pieced together.
On Monday, the bodies of five men were found in a children’s sanatorium basement in Bucha. The Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office said they were unarmed civilians, who had been bound, beaten and killed by Russian troops.
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And in Motyzhyn, west of Kyiv, Ukrainian police showed AFP journalists the bodies of five civilians with their hands tied, including those of the village’s mayor, her husband and son.
Ukrainian officials say over 400 civilian bodies have been recovered from the Kyiv region, many of whom have been laid to rest in mass graves.
But Zelensky has warned that the deaths in Bucha could be only the tip of the iceberg, saying he had information that even more people had been killed in places like nearby Borodianka.
AFP reporters who briefly visited the area saw no bodies in the streets, but locals reported many deaths.
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58-year-old Rafik Azimov said: “I know five civilians were killed.” He added: “But we don’t know how many more are left in the basements of the ruined buildings after the bombardments.”
another resident, Volodymyr Nahornyi, said: “I buried six people,” adding that, “More people are under the ruins.”
The Russian withdrawal from Kyiv has been seen as a pivot to a renewed offensive in the country’s east and south, where Moscow wants to consolidate territory around occupied Crimea and the separatist statelets of Donetsk and Lugansk.
The Ukrainian government has warned that Moscow is preparing a “full-scale” attack in the country’s east and regional officials urged civilians to evacuate Lugansk fearing a major Russian attack.
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The Pentagon estimates Russia has withdrawn about two-thirds of the troops it had around Kyiv and will redeploy them to the east and south, with the White House warning the war’s “next phase could be measured in months or longer.”
Even where troops have withdrawn, fears remain, with Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko telling residents to wait before returning, citing the danger of continued shelling and the danger of unexploded munitions.
Overnight, air raid sirens rang out across much of the country, from Lviv in the west to southern Mykolaiv, where officials said Monday that Russian strikes killed 10 civilians and wounded 46.
The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said cluster munitions, which explode in the air and send dozens of small bomblets over a large area, were used on the city.
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A 2008 UN convention bans the production and use of the weapons, but it has not been signed by Russia or Ukraine.
The Ukrainian army said residential and medical facilities, including a children’s hospital, were fired on.
It said: “There are dead and wounded, including children."
Elsewhere in the south, concerns remain about civilians trapped in the besieged city of Mariupol.
According to Mayor Vadym Boichenko, authorities say at least 5,000 people have been killed in the city, 90 percent of which has been destroyed.
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He said that around 130,000 residents are still trapped inside, and efforts to evacuate them are now on hold because of “incessant” bombing.
The Red Cross said Monday a team it sent to help get civilians out of Mariupol was being held by police in Russian-controlled territory.
According to Ukrainian estimates, Europe’s worst conflict in decades has killed as many as 20,000 people since Russia’s February 24 invasion.
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UN agencies say that more than 4.2 million Ukrainians have fled the country and about 6.5 million have been internally displaced.
Source: arabnews
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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
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