Author: Anadolu Agency
The Dec. 3 martial law declaration by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was “wrong,” Han Duck-soo, who was impeached as prime minister, accepted in a parliamentary briefing on Wednesday, Yonhap news reported. “Looking at its substantive flaws, including procedural ones, I believe (the martial law) was not normal,” Han told lawmakers during a committee meeting over Yoon’s martial law decree. Yoon shocked the nation last month when he imposed army law, which was annulled by a parliamentary vote within hours. “I think that the martial law was wrong,” Han said. The 63-year-old Yoon has since been impeached and was…
Russia on Tuesday accused Ukraine of carrying out an overnight attack on its Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine, using US-made ATACMS missiles and UK-made Storm Shadow missiles. According to a statement by the Russian Defense Ministry, six ATACMS missiles, six Storm Shadow missiles, and 31 drones were launched by Kyiv, targeting facilities in the region. The ministry claimed that Russian air defenses intercepted all missiles and drones, with no casualties reported. The ministry also alleged that two additional Storm Shadow missiles were intercepted over the Black Sea and warned that Ukraine’s actions “will not go unanswered.” In November 2024, Ukraine…
The Armenian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday summoned Russian Ambassador Sergey Kopyrkin to formally protest a program on Russian television whose contents were described as “violating the country’s territorial integrity.” The Armenian Foreign Ministry, in a statement, described the remarks made on Sunday during a news program as “directed against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia.” “During the meeting, the ambassador was presented with a formal note of protest,” the statement said. Meanwhile, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk commented on Armenia’s decision to back a bill announcing the start of the EU accession process, which he…
The US federal government’s budget deficit decreased by 33% in December 2024 compared to the same month of the previous year, the US Treasury Department published on Tuesday. The federal government’s budget deficit was calculated at $87 billion in the third month of the 2025 fiscal year, which started on October 1, 2024 and will end on September 30, 2025. The federal government had a budget deficit of $129 billion in December 2023. Market expectations for the budget balance in this period were for a deficit of $80 billion. The government’s revenues increased by 6% to $454 billion in December…
The Venezuelan government has imposed diplomatic restrictions on the Netherlands, France, and Italy, citing their “hostile actions” and “support for extremist groups” as reasons. Caracas asked the countries to limit the number of their accredited diplomats in their respective embassies to three within 48 hours, according to local media. “Venezuela will continue to take steps in accordance with international law to safeguard its stability, sovereignty, and the peace and prosperity it has achieved through its own efforts,” the country’s Foreign Minister Yvan Gil said on Telegram on Tuesday. Gil also said diplomats from the Netherlands, France, and Italy must get…
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday that while it is Armenia’s sovereign right to pursue EU accession, the country’s leadership has to carefully weigh the potential benefits and consequences, drawing parallels to Ukraine’s experience. Speaking at a news conference in Moscow, Lavrov reiterated Moscow’s position, earlier explained by Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk, who argued Armenia’s initiation of discussions on a draft bill to begin its EU membership application signals a move toward withdrawing from the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). “Membership in the EU and the EAEU are fundamentally incompatible. They operate under different customs systems and tariffs,…
Britain on Tuesday reiterated its support for an inclusive political process and said they are reviewing Syria sanctions along with allies at the moment. UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said it is vital that the new Syria includes representation for all of its people and that all Syrians see themselves represented in the government. “WE ARE SUPPORTING AN INCLUSIVE POLITICAL PROCESS THAT MUST RESPECT THE RIGHTS OF ETHNIC AND RELIGIOUS MINORITIES, AND WE WILL CONTINUE IN OUR EFFORTS,” he said during a Foreign Office questions session in the House of Commons. When asked whether the UK is planning to lift…
Six people were allegedly shot dead by police in Mozambique during protests on the first day of the inauguration of new members of parliament, according to the elections monitoring group Plataforma DECIDE. The group said three deaths were reported in the Zambezia province and as many in the Inhambane province on Monday, bringing the death toll to 300 since the start of demonstrations. Opposition presidential candidate Venancio Mondlane who is disputing the outcomes of the Oct. 9 elections called for three days of fresh protests starting on Monday. Mozambique has been gripped by protests since Oct. 21, when the ruling…
Germany on Tuesday warned of heightened security threats over Russia’s “hybrid warfare,” claiming it is especially targeting the country’s arms industry. “We are Ukraine’s biggest supporter in Europe, that’s what (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is after. We are therefore assuming an increased threat situation and are talking to companies about better protection – especially in the defense industry,” Interior Minister Nancy Faeser told the daily Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper. “The security situation has worsened significantly. Putin is acting absolutely unscrupulously,” she added. Faeser pointed to what she called Putin’s “brutality” with which he “wages his war of aggression against the Ukrainian…
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy submitted on Tuesday a bill to the parliament seeking approval of his decrees on extending the period of martial law and general mobilization. The document proposes extending martial law in Ukraine starting at 5.30 a.m. (0330GMT) on Feb. 8, 2025 for another 90 days. Similarly, it suggests extending the period of general mobilization, also by 90 days, beginning on the same date. Zelenskyy imposed martial law on Feb. 24, 2022, two days after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the beginning of Moscow’s “special military operation” in Ukraine. Since then, he has extended army rule several times.