Category: World

The DPRK leader declared his intention to unlimitedly strengthen its nuclear capabilities through US cooperation with Japan and South Korea. He accused the United States of destabilizing the region and prolonging the war in Ukraine.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has vowed to strengthen the country's nuclear capabilities “indefinitely” amid deepening security partnerships between the United States and its allies in the region, Bloomberg reports, UNN.

Details

According to the publication, Kim Jong-un made these statements during a conference with battalion commanders, urging the military to complete preparations for a possible war.

He emphasized that the United States, Japan, and South Korea are responsible for destabilizing the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

The United States, Japan, and South Korea will never escape responsibility as perpetrators of the destruction of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the region. The most important and critical task for our armed forces is to prepare for war,

Kim emphasized, referring to the partnership, which he called “Asia's version of NATO”

He also accused the United States of dragging out the war in Ukraine, arguing that supplying weapons to Kyiv leads to international conflicts and raises fears of World War III.

Recall

According to the G20 countries, North Korea can provide Russia with up to 100,000 troops for the war in Ukraine. There are already more than 10,000 North Korean troops in the Kursk region.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has commented on media reports that the US, the UK and France have granted permission to use long-range missiles against Russian territory, saying that "the missiles will speak for themselves".

Source: Zeleskyy's evening address

Quote: "The plan to strengthen Ukraine is the Victory Plan which I presented to our partners. One of its key points is long-range capabilities for our army.

Today, there’s a lot of talk in the media about us receiving permission for respective actions. But strikes are not carried out with words. These things are not announced. The missiles will speak for themselves. Definitely."

Background:

• Earlier, The New York Times reported that US President Joe Biden had for the first time authorised Ukrainian forces to use long-range ATACMS missiles to strike Russian territory. The newspaper’s sources said that initially, these weapons are likely to be used against Russian and North Korean troops in Kursk Oblast.
• According to Reuters, Ukraine plans to carry out strikes on Russian territory using US long-range missiles in the coming days.
• French outlet Le Figaro reported that France and the UK, following the US, have granted Ukraine permission to use their long-range SCALP and Storm Shadow missiles for strikes on Russian territory.

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On the night of November 18, Moscow Region reported the downing of two drones flying toward the Russian capital. According to Mayor Sobyanin, there was no damage or casualties in the Ramensky and Pavlovo-Posad districts.

On the night of November 18, Russia allegedly shot down drones flying towards Moscow. This was announced by the mayor of the Russian capital, Sergei Sobyanin, on Telegram, UNN reports.

Details

According to the mayor of the aggressor country's capital, last night in the Ramensky urban district, which is part of the Moscow region, an attack by a drone flying toward Moscow was allegedly "repelled.

According to preliminary reports, there was no damage or casualties at the crash site,

– the message says.

Later, he added that another drone was allegedly shot down in the Pavlovo-Posad urban district, which was flying to Moscow.

According to the SHOT Telegram channel, residents of Ramenskoye heard a loud explosion around 3:40 a.m. (local time).

Recall

On November 10, the mayor of Moscow reported that 17 drones attacked the Russian capital. The "Carpet" plan was announced at Domodedovo and Vnukovo airports, and flights were delayed.

Following the morning attack by Russian forces on 17 November, the most challenging conditions in the oblast are in the city of Odesa, where heat, electricity and water are partially unavailable.

Source: Oleh Kiper, Head of Odesa Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram and the national 24/7 joint newscast

Details: On the evening of 17 November, Kiper reported that the situation with heating, water and electricity in the oblast remains difficult. In the southern and central districts – Izmail, Rozdilna, Berezivka and Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi – the power supply is stable. Energy providers are working on fully restoring power in the Bolhrad and Podilsk districts. Invincibility centres [heated premises stocked with food and power banks to assist residents facing hardships due to power cuts] are open in these areas.

Quote:"The most difficult situation is in the city of Odesa and the Odesa district. Repair works are underway to fully restore supplies of heat, electricity and water. According to DTEK [Ukraine's largest private energy firm], as yet there is no technical ability to supply power to critical infrastructure in the Kyivskyi and Prymorskyi districts of the city. Generators are in use.

In total, 674 invincibility centres are operational in the oblast, with an additional 138 ready to open if necessary. We hope that given favourable conditions, the power supply in Odesa Oblast will be fully stabilised soon. Water and heating services are expected to be restored by morning."

Details: Earlier, Kiper announced that the Commission on Technogenic and Environmental Safety and Emergencies had decided that schools and educational institutions of all types in the city of Odesa, both state and private, will be closed on Monday and Tuesday. However, provisions have been made for on-site childcare groups and classes in preschools and general secondary schools.

Kiper revealed on the national 24/7 joint newscast that Odesa Oblast was attacked with nearly 50 aerial targets, 80% of which were missiles of various types. Two employees of Ukrenergo, Ukraine’s state-owned electricity transmission operator, were killed, and a 17-year-old boy was injured.

Most of the oblast was initially left without electricity, but efforts to restore the power supply are ongoing. There are issues with the water supply in the city of Odesa; technical water is being delivered and water distribution points remained open until 22:00 to ensure access to drinking water.

Background:

• On 17 November, Russian forces carried out a large-scale attack, damaging critical energy infrastructure in Odesa Oblast. This has resulted in disruptions to heating, water and electricity supplies.
• The attack claimed the lives of two Ukrenergo employees and caused widespread power outages across the oblast.
• The Oblast Administration says the power supply is expected to be fully restored within 24 hours, with water and heating services anticipated to resume by the morning of 18 November.

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The Japanese government is considering strengthening sanctions against Russia and the DPRK due to the development of their cooperation. Tokyo is concerned about the impact of this cooperation on security in Europe and the Indo-Pacific region.

The Japanese government is considering tightening sanctions against Russia and North Korea (DPRK) due to the development of their cooperation. This was reported by NHK, according to UNN.

Details

The newspaper notes that Tokyo is concerned that the interaction between Moscow and Pyongyang affects security in Europe and the Indo-Pacific region, and also believes that it “violates international law.

Japan has already imposed several restrictive measures on exports and imports, as well as freezing the assets of individuals and organizations.

The newspaper notes that Tokyo intends to coordinate its actions with other countries, including members of the G7.

Recall

Ukraine and Japan signed an agreement to strengthen cooperation in information security. Japan has provided $12.1 billion in aid to Ukraine and plans to allocate another $3 billion from frozen Russian assets.

Biden urges Xi Jinping to convince DPRK not to help RussiaNov 17 2024, 08:52 PM • 9262 views

Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog has canceled his visit to the UN climate conference in Baku because Turkey refused to grant him permission to fly over. Officially, the reason for the cancellation was “security concerns.

Turkey did not allow the plane of Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog to fly over, which is why he canceled his visit to the UN climate conference in Baku. This was reported by Milliyet, according to UNN.

It is noted that Herzog canceled his planned visit to the UN climate conference, which was held in the Azerbaijani capital Baku.

The reason for canceling the visit was “security concerns” that arose after the situation was assessed.

However, according to the Yedioth Ahronot newspaper, sources in the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry announced that the real reason is that Turkey did not allow the Israeli presidential plane Wing of Zion to pass through its airspace.

Recall

Turkish President Erdogan called on the international community to stop Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, comparing him to Hitler. He proposed to consider coercive measures against Israel at the UN General Assembly.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has described Sunday's massive Russian attack on Ukraine as the answer to everyone who was attempting to achieve something through calls and efforts to appease Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Source: Zelenskyy's evening address

Quote: "Today marked one of the largest and most dangerous Russian attacks in the entire war. Two hundred and ten drones and missiles launched simultaneously – including hypersonic and aeroballistic ones. Fortunately, most of the targets were intercepted. Russia aimed for energy and critical infrastructure.

And this is the answer to all those who wanted to achieve something with Putin through conversations, phone calls, hugs – appeasement. Today, this ‘dove of peace’ sent us yet another barrage of Kinzhal and Kalibr missiles. That’s his diplomacy. His language is treachery."

Details: Zelenskyy highlighted that during the repulsion of the large-scale Russian attack, "Patriot systems performed brilliantly today. The F-16s also showed their worth intercepting missiles."

Quote: "Special thanks to all our partners who help us with air defence systems and missiles. This is truly a global effort. Every time such Russian strikes take place, we see how important it is that our partners do not leave Patriots and other systems in warehouses somewhere, but transfer them to exactly those people who can protect lives and need them. We still haven’t received all the systems we need from our partners. But we’re continuing to work on that. Once we have what’s needed, repelling these attacks will be even more comprehensive."

Zelenskyy added that recovery efforts are ongoing in four oblasts. Over a million people were cut off from electricity this morning, but now that number has been significantly reduced.

"We will definitely respond to the occupier. And we must withstand the pressure now. Any pressure. Any strikes. So that next year, we can achieve our goal. So that we achieve peace," the president said.

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TikTok's parent company reached a record $300 billion valuation during a share buyback. ByteDance may lose the US market if it does not sell TikTok by mid-January.

TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, is currently valued at about $300 billion, one of the highest valuations for a Chinese tech company, even as it struggles to keep its popular social network alive in the United States. This was reported by Bloomberg with reference to the WSJ, UNN reports.

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The valuation was made during a recent share buyback offer, the newspaper said, citing anonymous sources. TikTok will be banned in the United States under federal law if ByteDance does not sell the app to an American owner by mid-January.

According to the Wall Street Journal, ByteDance's value has been growing due to several share buybacks. Thus, in October 2023, the company was valued at almost $225 billion as part of a tender offer for employees. In December 2023, the buyout raised the valuation to $268 billion, as evidenced by the company's email to investors, which was seen by journalists.

President-elect Donald Trump had previously supported the ban on TikTok, but has recently expressed the view that it is a bad idea. While it will be a difficult process to lift or mitigate the ban, Trump's election victory "greatly improves the outlook for TikTok – there's no doubt about that.

– Glenn Gerstell, former general counsel of the National Security Agency, said in an interview with Bloomberg.

The founder of the company that owns TikTok has become the richest man in China – ReutersOct 29 2024, 06:59 PM • 19693 views

A Russian ballistic missile struck a residential building in Sumy on the evening of 17 November.

Source: Artem Kobzar , acting Mayor of Sumy, in a video on Telegram; Sumy City Council

Quote: "Another ballistic missile strike in the city of Sumy targeting a residential building.

We are heading to the site of the strike together with a representative of the Red Cross; more updates will follow."

Details: The Sumy City Council reported that the Russians carried out a missile strike on Sumy in the evening.

"All necessary services are working at the site of the strike. The emergency response headquarters is setting up its operations at Kindergarten No. 9," the city council stated.

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Super Typhoon Man-yi with winds of up to 230 km/h is approaching the island of Luzon in the Philippines. Authorities are evacuating more than 500,000 people due to the threat of catastrophic storm surges and devastating floods.

On Sunday, a super typhoon is approaching the largest island of the Philippines, and more than half a million people will seek shelter. UNN writes about this with reference to CNN.

Details

Super typhoon Man-i, also known as Pepito, made landfall for the first time on the coast of the island province of Catanduanes on Saturday evening and then headed offshore toward the main island of Luzon. It is expected to make landfall on Sunday evening. The storm is expected to bring several meters of potentially catastrophic storm surges, damaging winds and power outages, severe flooding and landslides across a large area of eastern Luzon.

Man-i is the fourth strong typhoon to hit the Philippines in less than two weeks. The storm is predicted to make landfall farther south than the previous three, and therefore will affect many more people. Man-i is expected to weaken considerably as it passes through Luzon, home to more than half of the country's population. But it will still create a potentially dangerous and life-threatening situation.

Tropical storm in the Philippines: death toll rises, threat of returnOct 25 2024, 03:24 PM • 13847 views

Experts say that the maximum wind speed in the center of Man-yi is 185 kilometers per hour, and gusts reach 230 kilometers per hour – the equivalent of a Category 3 hurricane.

On the eve of Man-i's arrival, more than 500 thousand people were evacuated in the Bicol region of Luzon. This number is expected to grow.

Earlier, at least 26 thousand people in the northern province of Samar were evacuated on Friday and Saturday. Another 18 thousand people were previously evacuated from the provinces of Eastern Samar and Samar.

Seven dead in the Philippines after storm EvignardMay 28 2024, 11:32 AM • 18363 views

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Last week, Typhoon Yinxing hit the northeast of the Philippines with winds equivalent to a Category 4 Atlantic hurricane. There were no casualties, but the storm brought heavy rains, storm surges and landslides.

Experts warn that Southeast Asia is already one of the world's most climate-vulnerable regions, making it more susceptible to extreme weather conditions such as heat waves, storm surges, and flooding.

This year, the Philippine capital of Manila and parts of Luzon were hit by devastating floods from Typhoon Hemi in July. In September, the country was also hit by the powerful Typhoon Yagi, which killed dozens of peopleas it swept through southern China and Southeast Asia.

Cuba was left without electricity again amid hurricaneNov 7 2024, 02:19 PM • 14210 views