Author: Deutsche Presse-Agentur - Dpa
North Korea is supplying Russia with up to 15,000 soldiers, as well as heavy artillery and ammunition, the South Korean news agency Yonhap reported on Wednesday. Citing the National Intelligence Service (NIS) in Seoul, Yonhap said intelligence services believe that between 12,000 and 15,000 North Korean troops have been assigned to the Russian military and that some have already been deployed against Ukrainian forces. Yonhap also said that Pyongyang had provided Russia with heavy artillery including self-propelled howitzers and rocket launchers, confirming a report by the Financial Times on Saturday. The UK-based newspaper said some 50 M1989 Koksan self-propelled howitzers…
Former Germany coach Joachim Löw has said he could return to the dugout if he receives an interesting national team job offer. Löw, 64, led Germany to the 2014 World Cup title during his 15-year reign 2006-2021. He has not coached since then and told broadcasters SWR on Sunday night that he was not interested in coaching a Bundesliga club, but only a national team, “if it really interests me and I find the task exciting. “So far, I haven’t been absolutely and passionately gripped by a task. If that happens, then I’m certainly ready to do something again,” Löw…
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called on his country’s military to focus all efforts on completing war preparations, state news agency KCNA reported on Monday. KCNA reported Kim as describing the Korean peninsula as “the world’s biggest hotspot,” in a speech delivered to battalion commanders in Pyongyang on Friday. Kim also accused the US and South Korea of having brought tensions in the peninsula “to the worst phase in history,” KCNA reported. On Saturday the Financial Times reported, citing sources, that North Korea is now supporting Russia in its war against Ukraine not only with soldiers and ammunition…
A NATO spokeswoman expressed sharp criticism of massive overnight Russian attacks on Ukraine’s power grid and said the alliance would continue to support Kiev. “NATO strongly condemns Russia’s large-scale attack against Ukraine, that has killed and terrorized civilians and targeted critical energy infrastructure,” the spokeswoman said. “We stand by Ukraine, and allies continue to make unprecedented contributions to Ukraine’s defences,” she added. She noted that in response to the war, NATO had strengthened its air and missile defence and said it would continue to assess its posture and defend all members.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk queried the usefulness of a phone call between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the war in Ukraine in a post on X on Sunday. “No one will stop Putin with phone calls,” Tusk posted. The massive Russian overnight attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure had shown that “phone diplomacy” could not replace genuine support for Ukraine from the West as a whole. “The coming weeks will be decisive, not only for the war itself, but also for our future,” Tusk predicted.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk queried the usefulness of a phone call between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the war in Ukraine in a post on X on Sunday. “No one will stop Putin with phone calls,” Tusk posted. The massive Russian overnight attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure had shown that “phone diplomacy” could not replace genuine support for Ukraine from the West as a whole. “The coming weeks will be decisive, not only for the war itself, but also for our future,” Tusk predicted.
Diego Forlan embraced a new chapter in his athletic career, stepping onto the tennis court at home in Uruguay despite a tough doubles loss. The former Manchester United star entered the Uruguay Open in Montevideo with a wild-card entry, joining the Challenger Tour event just a tier below the elite ATP circuit. Paired with Argentina’s Federico Coria, ranked No. 101, Forlan faced a 6-1, 6-2 defeat against Bolivia’s Boris Arias and Federico Zeballos. Yet the result mattered little to the 45-year-old soccer legend, who represented Uruguay more than 100 times and was simply savoring his venture into a different professional…
Two years after Germany’s disappointing World Cup campaign in Qatar, captain Joshua Kimmich continues to reflect on the team’s actions, both on and off the pitch, and cautioned against repeating similar mistakes in the 2034 edition in Saudi Arabia. The tournament was marred by controversy over Qatar’s human rights record, with many fans and pundits criticizing the national team for overly engaging in the debate, which many believe contributed to their poor performance and early group-stage exit. Ahead of Germany’s Nations League match against Bosnia-Herzegovina on Saturday, Kimmich admitted that, as a team, federation, and nation, Germany “didn’t make a…
Türkiye is bidding to host the 2026 UN Climate Change Conference, Climate Minister Murat Kurum announced at Wednesday’s annual gathering in Azerbaijan. “As chair, Türkiye will form a bridge between developed and developing countries,” Kurum said at the Baku conference, known as COP29. He did not specify which Turkish city is under consideration to host the conference in 2026. The conferences rotate between the world’s regions. Next year, Belem in Brazil will host COP30 on behalf of the Latin America and Caribbean region. Türkiye is part of the Western Europe and Others Group, which will decide which country will host…
The Ballon d’Or award presented to Manchester City midfielder Rodri has sparked confusion and disappointment among current and former Real Madrid players, who believe the award should have gone to runner-up Vinícius Júnior. No representative of Real Madrid travelled to the award ceremony in Paris after it was announced that the prestigious trophy would not go to the Brazilian striker. Vinícius Júnior himself also hinted that he disagrees with the result: “I’ll do it 10x if I have to. They’re not ready,” the Brazilian wrote on social media platform X. In a statement published by Spanish newspaper El País, the…