Author: AFP
Russia on Friday criticised US President Donald Trump’s plan to build a “Star Wars”-like missile defence shield for the United States, saying it risked turning space into an arena of “confrontation”. “We regard this as yet another confirmation of the US intent to turn space into an arena of armed confrontation and to deploy weapons there,” Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, comparing Trump’s plans to create a US version of Israel’s “Iron Dome” to an “odious” Reagan-era plan nicknamed “Star Wars”.
Ukraine believes North Korean soldiers fighting alongside Russia’s army on the Kursk front line have been “withdrawn” after suffering heavy losses, a military spokesman told AFP on Friday. Western, South Korean and Ukrainian intelligence agencies say Pyongyang deployed more than 10,000 troops to support Russia’s forces fighting in its western Kursk region, where Ukraine launched a shock cross-border offensive in August. Kyiv captured dozens of border settlements in the operation — the first time a foreign army had crossed into Russian territory since the Second World War — in an embarrassing setback for the Kremlin. The North Korean deployment –…
The UN peacekeeping force in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has warned of the risk of ethnically motivated attacks as conditions deteriorate in the region, haunted by the legacy of the 1994 Rwanda genocide and its aftermath. The warning came as an armed group backed by Rwandan troops took control of the airport in the besieged city of Goma, a security source said, putting the eastern regional capital on the brink of falling. “Ethnically motivated attacks in the region with a very sensitive history need to be taken seriously,” Vivian van de Perre, the deputy special representative for operations in…
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday that Vladimir Putin was “afraid” of negotiations on ending the Ukraine war, after the Russian president ruled out direct talks with his Ukrainian counterpart. “Today, Putin once again confirmed that he is afraid of negotiations, afraid of strong leaders, and does everything possible to prolong the war,” Zelensky posted on X.
The UN peacekeeping force in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has warned of the risk of ethnically motivated attacks as conditions deteriorate in the region, haunted by the legacy of the 1994 Rwanda genocide and its aftermath. The warning came as an armed group backed by Rwandan troops took control of the airport in the besieged city of Goma, a security source said, putting the eastern regional capital on the brink of falling. “Ethnically motivated attacks in the region with a very sensitive history need to be taken seriously,” Vivian van de Perre, the deputy special representative for operations in…
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday that Vladimir Putin was “afraid” of negotiations on ending the Ukraine war, after the Russian president ruled out direct talks with his Ukrainian counterpart. “Today, Putin once again confirmed that he is afraid of negotiations, afraid of strong leaders, and does everything possible to prolong the war,” Zelensky posted on X.
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday to restrict gender transition procedures for people under the age of 19, in his latest move targeting transgender people since returning to office. The order comes the week after Trump said in his inauguration speech that his government would only recognize two genders, male and female, plugging into an issue at the heart of America’s culture wars. “Across the country today, medical professionals are maiming and sterilizing a growing number of impressionable children,” said the order. “This dangerous trend will be a stain on our Nation’s history, and it must end.”…
Israel said on Wednesday that 11 more hostages held in Gaza, including five Thais, would be freed over two days this week as part of a fragile Gaza ceasefire. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said it had received a list from Hamas of eight hostages to be freed on Thursday, including the Thais, and another three, all men, to be released on Saturday. The announcement came shortly after Hamas officials had accused Israel of delaying aid deliveries to Gaza and jeopardising the agreement. The truce hinges on the release of Israeli hostages taken during Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, in…
Kim Jong Un vowed that North Korea’s nuclear programme would continue “indefinitely”, state-run media reported Wednesday, days after new US President Donald Trump said he would make renewed diplomatic overtures to the reclusive leader. After inspecting a nuclear-material production facility, Kim also warned of an “inevitable” confrontation with hostile nations and said 2025 would be a “crucial year” for bolstering North Korea’s nuclear forces, the KCNA news agency said. “It is our firm political and military stand and invariable noble task and duty to develop the state’s nuclear counteraction posture indefinitely,” Kim said, according to KCNA. The report, and Kim’s…
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday said that multiple humanitarian projects had suspended operations due to the US freeze on foreign aid, and that Kyiv would replace funding where possible. “There are many projects. We will determine which of them are critical and need solutions now,” Zelensky said in his evening address. “We can provide part of this funding through our public finances,” he added.