January 31, 2022 - a podcast by TRT World

*) US lawmakers warn Russia of 'mother of all sanctions' ahead of UNSC meet

The United States has worked to ramp up diplomatic and financial pressure on Russia over Ukraine, promising to put Moscow on the defensive at the UN Security Council.

The American ambassador to the United Nations said the UNSC would press Russia hard in a Monday session to discuss its massing of troops near Ukraine and fears it is planning an invasion.

The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Bob Menendez, said that in the event of an attack, lawmakers want Russia to face "the mother of all sanctions".

*) US seeks direct talks after North Korea tests 'most powerful' missile

The United States has urged North Korea to join direct talks about its nuclear and missile programmes after Pyongyang tested what it called “the most powerful missile since 2017”.

A senior Biden administration official told reporters the latest test was part of an "increasingly destabilising" pattern and violated UN Security Council resolutions.

The official spoke after North Korea confirmed it had tested a Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile, state media reported.

*) UN: Over 100 former Afghan forces, officials killed since Taliban takeover

The United Nations says it has received “credible allegations” that more than 100 former members of the Afghan government and officials have been killed since the Taliban took over the country.

In a report obtained by The Associated Press, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said “more than two-thirds” of the victims were allegedly subjected to extrajudicial killings by the Taliban or its affiliates.

The killings were carried out despite the Taliban’s announcement of “general amnesties” for those affiliated with the former government and US-led coalition forces.

*) PM Costa's Socialists win re-election in Portugal

Portugal's Prime Minister Antonio Costa has said his centre-left Socialist Party has secured a full parliamentary majority of 117-118 seats in snap general election.

At the Socialist party's campaign headquarters, supporters stood up cheering as the projected results were published.

The ballot took place on Sunday amid a surge in Covid-19 cases, with about 1.2 million people confined at home but allowed to go to polling stations to vote.

*) Nadal beats Medvedev in Australian Open, makes history with record titles

Rafael Nadal has won a record 21st Grand Slam men's title after beating Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open final.

Nadal came out on top in the physical war of attrition to move ahead of era rivals Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer on the all-time list of men's major winners.

It was one of the 35-year-old's greatest title victories in his 29th Grand Slam final winning his second Australian Open - 13 years after his first in 2009.

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