Jumat, 28 Juli 2023

Donald Trump faces further charges in Mar-a-Lago documents inquiry - BBC

Donald Trump faces new charges in classified documents caseGetty Images

Donald Trump is accused of pressuring an employee to delete security footage at his Florida home, in new criminal charges related to his alleged mishandling of classified files.

The new indictment adds one count of wilful retention of defence information and two of obstruction, making 40 charges in total in this case.

Mr Trump denies any wrongdoing and has called the prosecutor "deranged".

He is fighting multiple legal cases as he runs for president again.

A staff member at the former US president's Mar-a-Lago estate, Carlos de Oliveira, has also now been indicted.

He is alleged to have asked what could be done to delete the footage - which prosecutors say shows illegally-held files being moved.

Mr Trump has pleaded not guilty alongside his close aide Walt Nauta, who also received two additional charges of obstruction on Thursday.

The revised indictment outlines alleged efforts between Mr Nauta and Mr de Oliviera, the property manager at Mar-a-Lago, to obstruct the justice department's investigation.

According to the new court documents, Mr Nauta and Mr de Oliveira conspired to delete footage from security cameras after the Department of Justice issued a subpoena asking for surveillance footage of the basement where it said confidential documents were held.

In the court documents, Mr de Oliveira is claimed to have texted another employee who was the director of information technology that "the boss" wanted the server deleted.

The documents allege that Mr de Oliveira later met with the employee in a small IT room, told him their conversation should remain private, then pressured the man into obliging his request after the employee told Mr de Oliveira that he did not have the authority.

The indictment sets out a scene where it is claimed Mr de Oliveira walked through bushes and foliage at the edge of Mar-a-Lago, a leisure resort that had been known as the Winter White House, to get to the IT room and meet Mr Nuata.

"What are we going to do," Mr de Oliveira allegedly asked his co-worker. A lawyer for Mr de Oliveira has declined to comment.

The updated indictment alleges that Mr Trump knowingly discussed a top-secret document with biographers visiting Mar-a-Lago to interview him.

The indictment says the document Mr Trump revealed to the biographers contained possible plans to attack "Country A", which CNN and other outlets identified as Iran.

"Look what I found... Isn't it amazing? I have a big pile of papers, this thing just came up. Look," Mr Trump allegedly said to one of his guests.

Boxes of papers are stacked in a bathroom with a chandelier and a toilet visible, at Mar-a-Lago
DoJ

The documents case is led by special prosecutor Jack Smith, who earlier in the day met with Mr Trump's lawyers over a separate investigation into alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

Mr Trump's attorneys John Lauro and Todd Blanche met officials at Mr Smith's office in Washington DC, US media reported.

The former president said earlier this month that he expected to be indicted in that case, but said on Thursday his lawyers received no indication of timing.

Mr Trump dismissed the fresh charges in the documents case in an emailed statement from his 2024 presidential campaign.

"Deranged Jack Smith knows that they have no case and is casting about for any way to salvage their illegal witch hunt," the statement read.

The latest charge against Mr Trump adds to a growing list of legal problems for the property and reality TV mogul.

He currently awaits trial for a hush-money case in which he faces 34 felony counts, he faces civil charges in a defamation case against author E Jean Carroll, and Georgia prosecutors are still weighing whether or not to press charges over an alleged effort overturn the election results there.

Former Trump aide Stephen Moore told the BBC the charges against the former president amounted to "attacks" which were serving to solidify his nomination in the Republican presidential primaries.

"The more they indict him, the more his popularity goes up with Republicans", he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Adblock test (Why?)


https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiMWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy93b3JsZC11cy1jYW5hZGEtNjYzMzMzNzDSATVodHRwczovL3d3dy5iYmMuY29tL25ld3Mvd29ybGQtdXMtY2FuYWRhLTY2MzMzMzcwLmFtcA?oc=5

2023-07-28 07:11:00Z
2289914135

Kamis, 27 Juli 2023

Key takeaways from the US congressional hearing on UFOs - Al Jazeera English

As Congress pursues the study of mysterious sightings, retired US whistleblower reveals alleged government cover-ups and brutal retaliation tactics.

The US Congress has held a public hearing on claims the government was concealing a longstanding programme that retrieves and reverse engineers unidentified flying objects (UFOs).

Three retired military veterans testified on Wednesday before a House Oversight Subcommittee that was the Congress’s latest foray into the world of UAPs – unidentified aerial phenomena, the term the US government uses instead of UFOs.

The US government has begun taking the issue of UAPs more seriously in recent years, pushing for more research as the sightings observed could be a national security matter.

The central worry was that the sightings potentially are unknown aerial surveillance technology used by China to collect intelligence on US defences.

Here are some key takeaways from Wednesday’s hearing:

Alleged cover-up

Retired Major David Grusch, one of the veterans who testified on Wednesday, said he was asked in 2019 by the head of a government task force on UAPs to identify all highly classified programmes relating to the task force’s mission.

At the time, Grusch was detailed to the National Reconnaissance Office, the agency that operates US spy satellites.

“I was informed in the course of my official duties of a multi-decade UAP crash retrieval and reverse engineering program to which I was denied access,” he said.

When asked whether the US government had information about extraterrestrial life, Grusch said the US likely has been aware of “non-human” activity since the 1930s.

US Representative Tim Burchett supported the idea that the government was concealing information, saying at the opening of the hearing – which also featured testimony from two former Navy officers who said they witnessed UAPs – that “we’re going to uncover the cover-up”.

Pentagon denials

The Pentagon has denied Grusch’s claims of a cover-up.

In a statement, US Department of Defense spokesperson Sue Gough said investigators have not discovered “any verifiable information to substantiate claims that any programs regarding the possession or reverse-engineering of extraterrestrial materials have existed in the past or exist currently”.

The statement did not address UFOs that are not suspected of being extraterrestrial objects.

Violent tactics

Grusch said that he became a government whistleblower after his discovery and has faced retaliation for coming forward.

“It was very brutal and very unfortunate, some of the tactics they used to hurt me both professionally and personally,” he said. Grusch declined to be more specific about the retaliatory tactics, citing a continuing investigation.

During the hearing, Congressman Tim Burchett asked the former whistleblower if he possessed any knowledge of people who have potentially been harmed in efforts to conceal extraterrestrial technology, to which he replied, “Yes”.

Doubts

Pressed for details in the course of the hearing, Grusch seemed reluctant to answer even under oath, repeatedly saying he could not comment in a public setting because the information is classified.

He said the US government is hiding information on UAPs not only from the public but also from Congress.

Adblock test (Why?)


https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiYGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFsamF6ZWVyYS5jb20vbmV3cy8yMDIzLzcvMjcva2V5LXRha2Vhd2F5cy1mcm9tLXRoZS11cy1jb25ncmVzc2lvbmFsLWhlYXJpbmctb24tdWZvc9IBZGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFsamF6ZWVyYS5jb20vYW1wL25ld3MvMjAyMy83LzI3L2tleS10YWtlYXdheXMtZnJvbS10aGUtdXMtY29uZ3Jlc3Npb25hbC1oZWFyaW5nLW9uLXVmb3M?oc=5

2023-07-27 10:32:15Z
2264209298

Kim Jong Un shows off banned ballistic missiles to Russia's defence minister - Sky News

Kim Jong Un has showed off banned ballistic missiles to Russia's defence minister during his visit to North Korea.

Sergei Shoigu's trip coincides with the 70th anniversary of the Korean War's end, which is referred to in Pyongyang as Victory Day.

He is the first Russian defence minister to enter North Korea since the fall of the Soviet Union.

'Matters of mutual concern' discussed - live updates

Chinese officials were also part of the delegation, making them the first prominent visitors to the isolated state since the coronavirus pandemic.

All three countries are now pledging to boost ties, united by their rivalry with the US.

Kim's missiles were banned under UN Security Council resolutions that had initially been adopted with Chinese and Russian support.

The North Korean leader was given a letter from Russian President Vladimir Putin - and according to state media, Kim "repeatedly expressed belief that the Russian army and people would achieve big successes in the struggle for building a powerful country."

And while the KCNA news agency didn't explicitly refer to the war in Ukraine, North Korean defence minister Kang Sun Nam reportedly said he fully supported Moscow's "battle for justice".

Read more on Sky News:
Is India about to legalise gay marriage?
Prisoner's Shawshank-esque jailbreak

Kim and Shoigu's tour of ballistic missiles is being regarded as a significant development by analysts, as it suggests that Russia is now accepting of North Korea's nuclear programme.

Ankit Panda from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace described the tour as "remarkable", adding: "We've come a long way from when North Korea would avoid showing off its nuclear capabilities when senior foreign dignitaries from Russia and China were in town.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

North Korea's latest missile launch

"The personal tour for Shoigu - and Shoigu's willingness to be photographed with Kim in the course of this tour - is evidence that Moscow is complacent with North Korea's ongoing nuclear modernisation."

Other geopolitical experts believe Moscow may support Pyongyang more openly in the future.

Adblock test (Why?)


https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMib2h0dHBzOi8vbmV3cy5za3kuY29tL3N0b3J5L2tpbS1qb25nLXVuLXNob3dzLW9mZi1iYW5uZWQtYmFsbGlzdGljLW1pc3NpbGVzLXRvLXJ1c3NpYXMtZGVmZW5jZS1taW5pc3Rlci0xMjkyODI4M9IBc2h0dHBzOi8vbmV3cy5za3kuY29tL3N0b3J5L2FtcC9raW0tam9uZy11bi1zaG93cy1vZmYtYmFubmVkLWJhbGxpc3RpYy1taXNzaWxlcy10by1ydXNzaWFzLWRlZmVuY2UtbWluaXN0ZXItMTI5MjgyODM?oc=5

2023-07-27 08:26:13Z
2274881611

Niger coup: Captive President Bazoum defiant after takeover - BBC

This video can not be played

To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.

Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum has issued a defiant message on Twitter after soldiers announced a coup overnight in the West African nation.

Trouble began early on Wednesday when troops from the presidential guard took him captive.

His foreign minister has said the takeover does not have the backing of the whole military, but the army chief has now said he backs the junta.

Mr Bazoum is a key Western ally in the fight against Islamist militants.

The US and France both have military bases in the uranium-rich country - and have condemned the coup.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called up Mr Bazoum promising Washington's "unwavering support" and the UN and the European Union have called for the president's immediate release.

The 64-year-old, who was elected Niger's president two years ago, took to Twitter on Thursday morning to say: "The hard-won achievements will be safeguarded. All Nigeriens who love democracy and freedom will see to it."

The capital, Niamey, is currently deserted, but this is largely because it has been raining heavily all morning.

Even a march planned by those who support the takeover has not happened because of the downpours.

But people in Niger are sharply divided about the turn of events.

Some are shocked and upset and while it was under way on Wednesday, hundreds of the president's supporters defied the soldiers to go out on to the streets and call for the military to return to the barracks.

They dispersed after warning shots were fired - the only gunfire heard in this bloodless seizure of power.

They have said they will not accept the coup but it is not clear how they will oppose it. They have not called any more streets protests for the time-being.

Supporters of President Bazoum, 26 Jul 23
AFP

Others have welcomed the military's actions, accusing the ousted ruling party of corruption and not doing enough to improve the security situation and end the long-running jihadist insurgency.

Two neighbouring countries, Mali and Burkina Faso, have experienced coups triggered by jihadist uprisings in recent years.

In both countries the new military leaders have moved closer to Russia after falling out with France, the former colonial power, which also formerly ruled Niger.

2px presentational grey line
Analysis box by Frank Gardner, security correspondent

This coup is yet further bad news for French and Western efforts to restore stability to the part of West Africa known as the Sahel. When neighbouring Mali chose to partner up with Russia's Wagner Group in place of the French, Paris moved its centre of operations in the region to Niger.

This coup, even if it turns out to be short-lived, has shown that even Niger cannot necessarily be relied on to be a permanent safe base. Western influence in the region is shrinking like a water pool in the dry season.

The governments in Burkina Faso, Central African Republic (CAR) and Mali have all decided they would rather work with Russia's brutal Wagner mercenaries than any Western force. Wagner's primary interests in Africa have appeared to be more about enriching themselves and extending the Kremlin's influence than following the Western goals of trying to nurture better governance.

For the two major insurgent groups in the region, those linked to so-called Islamic State and al-Qaeda, this is good news. They thrive on instability, poor governance and local resentment of the government. So a coup in Niger is likely to further hamper efforts to contain them.

2px presentational grey line

Niger's Foreign Minister Hassoumi Massoudou has called on the population to oppose the takeover.

In an interview with France24, he said that the situation could still be resolved through dialogue and said envoys sent from neighbouring Nigeria were talking to the military.

Benin's President Patrice Talon is also on a mediation mission on behalf of the West African regional bloc, Ecowas.

For the moment, it is not clear who is really in charge.

The takeover was announced by a spokesman, Col Maj Amadou Abdramane, who said the takeover was instigated by the deteriorating security situation "and poor economic and social governance".

For the moment, there is no sign of any Russian involvement in this takeover, or particular influence in Niger.

The vast arid country on the edge of the Sahara desert - one of the world's poorest nations - has experienced four coups since independence from France in 1960, as well as numerous attempted coups.

Niger map

Related Topics

Around the BBC

Adblock test (Why?)


https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiMGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3dvcmxkLWFmcmljYS02NjMyNDg3NdIBNGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3dvcmxkLWFmcmljYS02NjMyNDg3NS5hbXA?oc=5

2023-07-27 11:23:40Z
2284205708

Singapore to execute woman on drugs charge for the first time in 20 years - BBC

Singapore Changi prisonGetty Images

Singapore is scheduled to execute a woman for the first time in almost 20 years, human rights advocates say.

Singaporean national Saridewi Djamani, 45, was found guilty of trafficking 30g (1.06oz) of heroin in 2018.

She will be the second drug convict to be executed in three days, after fellow Singaporean Mohd Aziz bin Hussain, and the 15th since March 2022.

Singapore has some of the world's toughest anti-drug laws, which it says are necessary to protect society.

Aziz was convicted of trafficking 50g of heroin. Under Singapore law, the death penalty can be applied for trafficking of more than 15g of heroin and more than 500g of cannabis.

Singapore's Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said Aziz was accorded "full due process", and that his appeal against his conviction and sentence was dismissed in 2018.

In April, another Singaporean, Tangaraju Suppiah, was executed for trafficking 1kg (35oz) of cannabis that he never touched. Authorities say he co-ordinated the sale via mobile phone.

The CNB declined to comment on Saridewi Saridewi's case when contacted by the BBC.

British billionaire Sir Richard Branson, has again criticised Singapore for its executions, saying the death penalty is not a deterrent against crime.

"Small-scale drug traffickers need help, as most are bullied due to their circumstances," Mr Branson said on Twitter, adding that it was not too late to stop Saridewi Djamani's execution, he said.

She is one of two women on death row in Singapore, according to the Transformative Justice Collective, a Singapore-based human rights group. She will be the first woman executed by the city-state since hairdresser Yen May Woen in 2004, the group said. Yen was also convicted of drug trafficking.

Local media reported that Saridewi testified during her trial that she was stocking up on heroin for personal use during the Islamic fasting month.

While she did not deny selling drugs such as heroin and methamphetamine from her flat, she downplayed the scale of those activities, noted judge See Kee Oon.

Authorities argue that strict drug laws help keep Singapore as one of the safest places in the world and that capital punishment for drug offences enjoys wide public support.

But anti-death penalty advocates refute this.

"There is no evidence that the death penalty has a unique deterrent effect or that it has any impact on the use and availability of drugs," said Amnesty International's Chiara Sangiorgio in a statement.

"The only message that these executions send is that the government of Singapore is willing to once again defy international safeguards on the use of the death penalty," she said.

Amnesty International noted that alongside China, Iran and Saudi Arabia, Singapore is one of only four countries to have recently carried out drug-related executions.

Adblock test (Why?)


https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiLGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy93b3JsZC1hc2lhLTY2MzA5MzQ30gEwaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmJjLmNvbS9uZXdzL3dvcmxkLWFzaWEtNjYzMDkzNDcuYW1w?oc=5

2023-07-27 05:07:42Z
2268681967

Niger soldiers declare coup on national TV - BBC

Soldiers in the West African country of Niger have announced a coup on national TV.

They said they had dissolved the constitution, suspended all institutions and closed the nation's borders.

Niger President Mohamed Bazoum has been held by troops from the presidential guard since early on Wednesday.

He was promised Washington's "unwavering support" in a call from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres also said he had spoken to the president and offered the UN's full support.

Mr Bazoum is a key Western ally in the fight against Islamist militancy in West Africa.

Two neighbouring countries, Mali and Burkina Faso, have experienced coups triggered by jihadist uprisings in recent years.

In both countries the new military leaders have fallen out with France, the former colonial power, which also formerly ruled Niger.

Mr Bazoum's whereabouts are unclear but in a statement on Twitter on Thursday morning he said the "hard-won gains will be safeguarded" and that Nigeriens who love democracy will see to it.

Foreign Minister Hassoumi Massoudou has declared himself the head of state and called on all democrats to "make this adventure fail".

In the TV announcement on Wednesday, Col Maj Amadou Abdramane, alongside nine other uniformed soldiers behind him, said: "We, the defence and security forces... have decided to put an end to the regime you know.

"This follows the continuing deterioration of the security situation, and poor economic and social governance."

He also said that all of the country's institutions had been suspended and that the heads of the ministries would take care of day-to-day business.

"All external partners are asked not to interfere," he went on. "Land and air borders are closed until the situation has stabilised."

He added a night curfew would take effect from 22:00 until 05:00 local time until further notice.

Col Maj Abdramane said the soldiers were acting for the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP).

After the soldiers' TV announcement Mr Blinken called for the release of President Bazoum.

He told a news conference in New Zealand that "what it clearly constitutes is an effort to seize power by force and to disrupt the constitution".

Niger President Mohamed Bazoum, 15 Jul 22
AFP

In neighbouring Mali, heavily armed Russian Wagner mercenaries are helping the military regime to fight jihadist insurgents. Niger's unrest comes on top of existing Western anxiety about Wagner operations and the Sahel region's instability.

President Vladimir Putin, keen to expand Russian influence in Africa, is hosting African leaders in St Petersburg on Thursday.

The West African economic bloc Ecowas has said it "condemns in the strongest terms the attempt to seize power by force" in Niger.

On behalf of Ecowas, Benin's President Patrice Talon has arrived in the capital Niamey on a mediation mission.

Mr Talon said "all means" would be used, if necessary to restore constitutional order in Niger, "but the ideal would be for everything to be done in peace and harmony".

Earlier on Wednesday, crowds in Niamey took to the streets in support of Mr Bazoum. A BBC reporter also saw heavily armed forces loyal to the president stationed around the national broadcaster.

The city was mostly peaceful, although soldiers behind the coup fired shots to break up the protests.

Supporters of President Bazoum, 26 Jul 23
AFP

Niger is grappling with two Islamist insurgencies - one in the south-west, which swept in from Mali in 2015, and the other in the south-east, involving jihadists based in north-eastern Nigeria.

Militant groups allied to both al-Qaeda and Islamic State are active in the country.

President Bazoum, who was democratically elected in 2021, is a close ally of France, and other Western nations.

Niger has experienced four coups since independence from France in 1960, as well as numerous attempted coups.

Niger map

Related Topics

Adblock test (Why?)


https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiLmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy93b3JsZC1hZnJpY2EtNjYzMjA4OTXSATJodHRwczovL3d3dy5iYmMuY29tL25ld3Mvd29ybGQtYWZyaWNhLTY2MzIwODk1LmFtcA?oc=5

2023-07-27 08:01:35Z
2284205708

Russia-Ukraine war live: Missile strike on Odesa port kills one; Moldova orders Moscow diplomats to leave - The Guardian

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to discuss military issues and the regional security environment, state media said Thursday.

The North’s official Korean Central News Agency said Kim and Shoigu talked Wednesday in the capital, Pyongyang, and reached a consensus on unspecified “matters of mutual concern in the field of national defence and security and on the regional and international security environment.”

The Associated Press reports that during the meeting, Shoigu conveyed to Kim a “warm and good letter” signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, KCNA said. The report did not specify the military matters that were discussed.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, second left in front, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, left, and China’s Vice Chairman of the standing committee of the country’s National People’s Congress Li Hongzhong, fourth right in Pyongyang, North Korea Thursday, 27 July 2023.

On Wednesday, Shoigu also held talks with North Korean Defence Minister Kang Sun Nam that were aimed at “strengthening cooperation between our defence departments,” Russia’s Defence Ministry said in a statement.

Russian state-owned news agency Tass is reporting casualties and damage within the occupied regions of Ukraine.

It states that Russian-imposed authorities in occupied Zaporizhzhia have recorded two injuries in the city of Tokmak due to Ukrainian shelling.

In Lysychansk, the occupying authorities report that a school was damaged on Wednesday evening when it was struck by Ukrainian forces. The message on Telegram states “cluster munitions were used, which are prohibited by the Geneva Convention!”

More than 120 countries have signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which prohibits the use, production, transfer and stockpiling of the weapons. Russia and Ukraine have both declined to sign the treaty.

Pavlo Kyrylenko, Ukraine’s governor of Donetsk, has given civilian casualtiy figures in the Ukraine-controlled portion of the region. On Telegram he stated that in the last 24 hours one person was killed and nine injured.

The claims have not been independently verified.

Christopher Miller is near Bakhmut for the FT, and this morning has filed for them a report explaining how Ukraine’s tactics have changed in their counteroffensive after early heavy losses. He writes:

The losses from Ukraine’s much vaunted counteroffensive were heavy and early. Pushing into the country’s sprawling southern fields earlier this summer, Kyiv lost almost a fifth of Nato kit provided for the operation, according to Ukrainian and western officials.

Kyiv’s military response across much of the frontline is now becoming clear: to change tactics. The shift in fighting doctrine applied in recent weeks, according to Ukrainian commanders, appears to be achieving some hard-fought but tangible results on the battlefield, at a more tolerable cost.

Rather than dart across Russian minefields aiming to punch through enemy lines with Nato armour, Ukrainian forces have moved their focus to pounding Russian defensive positions with heavy artillery fire.

Artillery gunners operating multiple-launch rocket systems and howitzers, some loaded with US-supplied cluster munitions, aim to clear pathways for small teams of sappers and infantry units. These troops then attempt to advance methodically on foot, moving forward one narrow tree line at a time in a select few spots along the 1,000-kilometre front line.

Suspilne, Ukraine's state broadcaster, offers this round-up of overnight news on its Telegram channel:

At night, the Russian Federation launched eight Shahed drones and two Kalibr cruise missiles over Ukraine. Air defence forces shot down all the drones, the Kalibr could not be hit, the air force reported.

Russian troops hit the port infrastructure of Odesa: a security guard was killed when a rocket hit the administration building of the port, and the equipment of one of the cargo terminals was damaged.

The Russian army struck Kivsharivka in Kharkiv, with a guided aerial bomb. A 74-year-old woman was killed when a five-story building was hit nearby, and four more people were injured.

During the night Kherson and Dnipropetrovsk regions also came under fire. There were no injuries.

Natalia Humeniuk, spokesperson for Ukraine’s southern military command, said an overnight thunderstorm had helped Russia in the attack on Odesa.

“The enemy took advantage of the weather conditions, and launched the missile during the thunder and wind and at an extremely low height in order to make spotting them more difficult,” she said.

Reuters reports Ukraine’s air force said it wasn’t able to shoot down the Kalibr missiles, although it said it had downed eight drones overnight in other regions of Ukraine.

Russia hit port infrastructure in Ukraine’s Odesa region in overnight missile attack, killing a security guard and damaging a cargo terminal, the region’s governor said.

Odesa’s ports have been regular targets for Russian attacks since Moscow’s withdrawal from the Black Sea grain initiative last week.

Governor Oleg Kiper wrote on Telegram:

At night, [Russia] launched a missile attack on the Odesa region.

The target of the aggressor is the port infrastructure.

The Russians fired Caliber missiles from a submarine in the Black Sea.

A civil guard born in 1979 died as a result of the hit.

The equipment of one of the cargo terminals was damaged, the security building and two cars were destroyed.

Sincere condolences to the family of the deceased.

Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told a weekly briefing that Moldova’s decision would “not go unanswered,” calling it “another step in the destruction of bilateral relations” between the countries.

The Kremlin said it regretted Moldova’s decision and accused the country’s leadership of encouraging “Russophobia”.

“Unfortunately, Chișinău is deliberately driving our relations into a very miserable state,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters:

Moldova has ordered 45 Russian diplomats and embassy staff to leave, sharply reducing the number of officials Russia can have in its capital Chișinău, while citing years of “hostile actions” by Moscow.

“We agreed on the need to limit the number of accredited diplomats from Russia, so that there are fewer people trying to destabilize the Republic of Moldova,” foreign minister Nicu Popescu said at a cabinet meeting.

Russia will have until 15 August to cut its embassy personnel from more than 80 to 25, the foreign ministry said.

“For many years we have been the object of hostile Russian actions and policies. Many of them were made through the embassy,” Popescu said.

North Korea’s official news agency reported that at a reception hosted by Kang, Shoigu praised the North Korean People’s army under the leadership of Kim, saying it “has become the strongest army in the world.” Russian media reports did not include that comment.

North Korea has been aligning with Russia over the war in Ukraine, insisting that the “hegemonic policy” of the US-led West forced Moscow to take military action to protect its security interests. The Biden administration has accused North Korea of providing arms to Russia to aid its fighting in Ukraine, although the North has denied the claim.

Both Moscow and Beijing have been derailing US efforts to strengthen UN Security Council sanctions on North Korea over its flurry of missile tests.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to discuss military issues and the regional security environment, state media said Thursday.

The North’s official Korean Central News Agency said Kim and Shoigu talked Wednesday in the capital, Pyongyang, and reached a consensus on unspecified “matters of mutual concern in the field of national defence and security and on the regional and international security environment.”

The Associated Press reports that during the meeting, Shoigu conveyed to Kim a “warm and good letter” signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, KCNA said. The report did not specify the military matters that were discussed.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, second left in front, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, left, and China’s Vice Chairman of the standing committee of the country’s National People’s Congress Li Hongzhong, fourth right in Pyongyang, North Korea Thursday, 27 July 2023.

On Wednesday, Shoigu also held talks with North Korean Defence Minister Kang Sun Nam that were aimed at “strengthening cooperation between our defence departments,” Russia’s Defence Ministry said in a statement.

Welcome back to our continuing live coverage of the war in Ukraine. This is Helen Sullivan with the latest.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met with Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu in Pyongyang to discuss military issues and the regional security environment, state media said Thursday. North Korea has aligned with Russia over the war in Ukraine, insisting that the “hegemonic policy” of the US-led west forced Moscow to take military action to protect its security interests.

Meanwhile, Moldova has ordered 45 Russian diplomats and embassy staff to leave “over numerous unfriendly actions”, officials said on Wednesday. Moldova’s pro-EU government has firmly condemned Russia’s war in Ukraine.

  • Ukrainian forces have stepped up their counteroffensive after two months of gruelling, incremental gains, mounting a new push in the south of the country while edging closer to the fiercely contested eastern city of Bakhmut. The Ukrainian army is pouring thousands of western-trained and equipped reinforcements into a perceived weak spot in Russian defences in the Zaporizhzhia region. Ukraine is also attempting a partial encirclement of Bakhmut, pushing from the north and south to threaten Russian forces within.

  • The Ukrainian security service has claimed responsibly for the Crimea Bridge blast that happened in October last year. Vasyl Malyuk, the head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), said his agency was behind the attack, speaking in comments shown on television as he presented a commemorative postage stamp marking wartime special forces operations.

  • Nato said on Wednesday it was stepping up surveillance of the Black Sea region as it condemned Russia’s exit from a deal assuring the safe passage of ships carrying Ukrainian grain. The announcement came after a meeting of the Nato-Ukraine Council, a body established earlier this month to coordinate cooperation between the western military alliance and Kyiv.

  • The Kremlin said it was impossible for Russia to return to the Black Sea grain export deal for now, as an agreement related to Russian interests was “not being implemented”. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters, however, that Vladimir Putin had made it clear the deal could be revived if its Russia-focused part was honoured.

  • The Kremlin said on Wednesday that just 17 African heads of state would be attending this week’s Russia-Africa summit. This is far fewer than at its 2019 conference or at similar summits held elsewhere, including a meeting in December with Joe Biden that dozens of African leaders flew to Washington DC to attend.

  • The EU announced a ban on exports of battlefield equipment and aviation parts to Belarus. Spain, the current holder of the EU’s rotating chair, said in a post on social media that the new sanctions were a response to “the situation in Belarus and the involvement of Belarus in the Russian aggression against Ukraine”.

  • A criminal case was opened against a Ukrainian lawmaker suspected of taking a luxury Maldives holiday. Private trips abroad by officials have been banned since January. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy appeared to allude directly to the case in his nightly speech on Tuesday, in which he railed against corruption and officials who shirk their responsibilities during the war.

  • Ukraine will spend $1bn on domestic drone manufacturing this year. Prime minister, Denys Shmyhal announced 40bn hryvnia ($1.08b) would be invested into domestic drone manufacturing.

  • Russian armed forces claimed to have struck at a Ukrainian fuel warehouse and training centre in Donetsk. Suspilne, Ukraine’s state broadcaster, also reported that “during the night and morning of 26 July, the Russian army shelled six communities of Sumy oblast”

  • A decade-long failure by the British government has allowed the Wagner network to grow, spreading its tentacles deep into Africa and exploit vulnerable countries, according to a highly critical report from the UK’s foreign affairs select committee. It called on the government to proscribe the Wagner group in the UK and to make a far more concerted effort to stop it using the City of London as a financial centre.

  • President Vladimir Putin is planning to visit China in October, the Kremlin has said. “It is known that we have received an invitation and that we intend to go to China when the Belt and Road Forum is held in October,” Yuri Ushakov, an aide to the Russian president on international affairs, said in comments carried by Russian news agencies.

Adblock test (Why?)


https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiogFodHRwczovL3d3dy50aGVndWFyZGlhbi5jb20vd29ybGQvbGl2ZS8yMDIzL2p1bC8yNy9ydXNzaWEtdWtyYWluZS13YXItbGl2ZS1raW0tam9uZy11bi1ub3J0aC1rb3JlYS1ydXNzaWFuLWRlZmVuY2UtbWluaXN0ZXItc2VyZ2VpLXNob2lndS1tb2xkb3ZhLW1vc2Nvdy1kaXBsb21hdHPSAaIBaHR0cHM6Ly9hbXAudGhlZ3VhcmRpYW4uY29tL3dvcmxkL2xpdmUvMjAyMy9qdWwvMjcvcnVzc2lhLXVrcmFpbmUtd2FyLWxpdmUta2ltLWpvbmctdW4tbm9ydGgta29yZWEtcnVzc2lhbi1kZWZlbmNlLW1pbmlzdGVyLXNlcmdlaS1zaG9pZ3UtbW9sZG92YS1tb3Njb3ctZGlwbG9tYXRz?oc=5

2023-07-27 04:28:00Z
2235113624