Zelensky reports heavy Russian and North Korean losses
Russian and North Korean forces suffered “significant” losses in intense fighting in Russia’s southern Kursk region, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said.
Speaking during his nightly video address on Saturday, Mr Zelensky cited reports from top Ukrainian commander Oleksandr Syrskyi, saying battles near the village of Makhnovka, close to the Ukrainian border, resulted in the loss of up to a battalion of Russian paratroopers and North Korean infantry troops.
“This is significant,” Mr Zelensky said, without providing further details. A battalion typically comprises several hundred soldiers. However, the claims could not be independently verified.
Ukrainian and Western assessments suggest that around 11,000 North Korean troops are stationed in the Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces have occupied swathes of territory following a mass cross-border incursion in August.
Mr Zelensky previously reported heavy North Korean losses in the area and accused Russian forces of failing to adequately protect their North Korean counterparts. He also alleged that North Koreans were being executed by their own commanders to prevent surrender.
He said “fierce battles” along the entire 1,000km front line were ongoing, describing the situation near the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk as particularly difficult. “Russian forces continue to expend vast numbers of their own personnel in assaults,” he said.
A Ukrainian military spokesperson said earlier that Pokrovsk remains the “hottest” frontline sector. Russian troops have reportedly launched fresh attacks in an effort to bypass the city from the south and sever supply lines to Ukrainian defenders.
Pokrovsk, a strategic logistics hub and a key supplier of coking coal for Ukraine’s steel industry, had a pre-war population of 60,000, of whom around 11,000 remain.
Ukraine’s air defenses intercepted 61 of 103 drones launched by Russia in an overnight attack on Sunday. The air force reported that an additional 42 drones were “lost” due to electronic countermeasures. There were no immediate reports of major damage or casualties.
Russian aviation watchdog Rosaviatsia temporarily suspended flights at several airports in central Russia on Sunday morning, citing safety concerns. Operations resumed by midday, but the closures followed recent Ukrainian drone strikes in the region, including a 21 December attack on Kazan.
In Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region, a Russian guided bomb attack on Saturday injured 10 people, including two children, and caused extensive damage in the village of Svesa. Mr Zelensky shared video footage of rescue operations and described the destruction of an entire block of a residential building. Similar strikes hit the neighboring Kharkiv region, underscoring the ongoing toll of Russia’s full-scale invasion, which began in February 2022.
Both sides have continued to exchange heavy blows as the war grinds into its fourth year.
Hundreds of South Koreans brave cold to demand Yoon’s ouster
Hundreds of South Koreans, bundled up against freezing temperatures and snow, rallied overnight into Sunday near the residence of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, calling for his ouster and arrest, as authorities prepared to renew their efforts to detain him over his short-lived martial law decree.
Dozens of anti-corruption agency investigators and police attempted to execute a detainment warrant against Mr Yoon on Friday but retreated from his residence in Seoul after a tense standoff with the presidential security service that lasted more than five hours.
The one-week warrant for his detention is valid through Monday. There were no immediate indications that anti-corruption authorities were ready to send investigators back to the residence as of Sunday afternoon. Staff from the presidential security service were seen installing barbed wire near the gate and along the hills leading up to Mr Yoon’s residence over the weekend, possibly in preparation for another detention attempt.
A Seoul court last Tuesday issued a warrant to detain Mr Yoon and a separate warrant to search his residence after the embattled president repeatedly defied authorities by refusing to appear for questioning and obstructing searches of his office. But enforcing them is complicated as long as Mr Yoon remains in his official residence.
Investigators from the country’s anti-corruption agency are weighing charges of rebellion after the conservative president, apparently frustrated that his policies were blocked by a legislature dominated by the liberal opposition, declared martial law on 3 Dec and dispatched troops to surround the National Assembly.
The Assembly overturned the declaration within hours in a unanimous vote and impeached Mr Yoon on 14 Dec, accusing him of rebellion, while South Korean anti-corruption authorities and public prosecutors opened separate investigations into the events.
If the anti-corruption agency manages to detain Mr Yoon, it will likely ask a court for permission to make a formal arrest. Otherwise, Mr Yoon will be released after 48 hours.
The Corruption Investigation for High-Ranking Officials, which is leading a joint investigation with police and military investigators, says detaining Mr Yoon would be “virtually impossible” as long as he is protected by the presidential security service. The agency has urged the country’s acting leader, Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, to instruct the service to comply with their execution of the detainment warrant, but Mr Choi has yet to publicly comment on the issue.
The chiefs and deputy chiefs of the presidential security service defied summonses on Saturday from police, who planned to question them over the suspected obstruction of official duty following Friday’s events.
Hundreds of anti-Yoon protesters rallied for hours near the gates of the presidential residence from Saturday evening to Sunday, voicing frustration over the failed detention attempt and demanding stronger efforts to bring Mr Yoon into custody. Separated by police barricades and buses, pro-Yoon protesters were gathering in nearby streets, denouncing his impeachment and vowing to block any efforts to detain him.
Mr Yoon’s lawyers have challenged the detention and search warrants against the president, saying they cannot be enforced at his residence due to a law that protects locations potentially linked to military secrets from search without the consent of the person in charge – which would be Mr Yoon. They also argue the anti-corruption office lacks the legal authority to investigate rebellion charges and that police officers don’t have the legal authority to assist in detaining Mr Yoon.
While the presidential security act mandates protection for Mr Yoon, it does not authorize the presidential security service to block court-ordered detainments. The service’s attempts to block the execution of the warrant may amount to an obstruction of official duty, according to Park Sung-bae, an attorney specializing in criminal law. While the president mostly has immunity from prosecution while in office, the protection does not extend to allegations of rebellion or treason.
The agency said its outnumbered investigators had several scuffles with presidential security forces that threatened their safety and expressed “serious regret” that Mr Yoon was not complying with the legal process.
After getting around a military unit guarding the residence’s grounds, the agency’s investigators and police were able to approach within 200 meters (yards) of Mr Yoon’s residential building but were stopped by a barricade comprising around 10 vehicles and approximately 200 members of the presidential security forces and troops. The agency said it wasn’t able to visually confirm whether Mr Yoon was inside the residence.
The Defense Ministry says the troops at Mr Yoon’s official residence are under the control of the presidential security service. Kim Seon-ho, the acting defense minister, conveyed his concern to the presidential security service, saying that deploying military personnel to block the execution of the detention warrant would be “inappropriate” and requesting that the troops aren’t placed in a position where they might confront police, according to the ministry.
Mr Yoon’s defense minister, police chief and several top military commanders have already been arrested over their roles in the period of martial law.
Mr Yoon’s presidential powers have been suspended since the National Assembly voted to impeach him on 14 Dec. Mr Yoon’s fate now lies with the Constitutional Court, which has begun deliberations on whether to uphold the impeachment and formally remove Mr Yoon from office or reinstate him.
What is HMPV? China steps up measures amid new virus outbreak
China is experiencing a surge in infections of a respiratory virus, leading to overcrowded hospitals, emergency measures, and public concerns about an outbreak.
The virus, identified as human metapneumovirus (HMPV), has seen cases spiking across northern Chinese provinces this winter, particularly among children.
The outbreak comes five years after the world was first alerted to the emergence of a novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China, which later turned into a global pandemic with seven million deaths reported.
Photos and videos of people wearing masks in hospitals in China emerged on social media platforms and local reports said the scenes of an outbreak of HMPV were similar to the initial Covid outbreak.
Health authorities are implementing emergency measures to monitor and manage the spread. However, Beijing has downplayed the developments as an annual winter occurrence.
China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday: “Respiratory infections tend to peak during the winter season”.
“The diseases appear to be less severe and spread with a smaller scale compared to the previous year,” she said.
Human metapneumovirus, or HMPV, is a respiratory virus that causes symptoms similar to the common cold and influenza. While the illness is typically mild, it can lead to severe complications such as pneumonia, particularly in infants, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems.
The virus is not new but has gained attention amid a surge in cases, particularly in children under 14 in northern China.
First identified in 2001, HMPV is a single-stranded RNA virus that spreads through respiratory droplets or contact with contaminated surfaces. The infections have been previously identified in various countries, including the United Kingdom.
Its symptoms include cough, fever, nasal congestion, and fatigue, with an incubation period of three to six days. Unlike Covid-19, there is no vaccine or specific antiviral treatment for HMPV; treatment primarily involves managing symptoms.
The spike in cases coincides with colder weather and increased indoor activity, conditions that typically fuel the spread of respiratory viruses. Health officials emphasize that this surge is consistent with seasonal trends.
China’s National Disease Control and Prevention Administration recently reported an increase in respiratory infections, including HMPV, during the winter. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has not flagged the situation as a global health emergency, but the rise in cases has prompted authorities to bolster monitoring systems.
A pilot programme has been launched to track pneumonia of unknown origin, ensuring labs and health agencies report and manage cases more effectively, state broadcaster CCTV reported, quoting an administration official at a news conference.
Hong Kong has reported a few cases of HMPV. Neighbouring countries like Cambodia and Taiwan are keeping a close watch on the situation. Cambodia’s Communicable Disease Control Department has issued warnings about HMPV, noting its similarity to Covid-19 and influenza.
Taiwan’s Centers for Disease Control has said the virus’s higher risks for children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals.
In neighbouring India, officials said there is no need for panic as HMPV is “like any other respiratory virus”.
“There has been news doing the rounds about a Metapneumovirus outbreak in China. Let me be very clear on that count. Metapneumovirus is like any other respiratory virus which causes the common cold, and in the very old and the very young it could cause flu-like symptoms,” Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) official Dr Atul Goel said, according to local media.
Reassuring citizens and tourists, foreign ministry spokesperson said: “I can assure you that the Chinese government cares about the health of Chinese citizens and foreigners coming to China”, adding that “It is safe to travel in China”.
Foreigners among 6,000 prisoners to be freed by Myanmar junta
Myanmar’s military government has released over 6,000 prisoners in a mass amnesty to mark the country’s 77th Independence Day, state media reported on Saturday.
The release, which comes amid long-standing demands from rights groups and international governments to free political detainees, included only a small number of individuals jailed for opposing the military regime.
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the leader of Myanmar’s military regime, granted pardons for 5,864 domestic prisoners and 180 foreign nationals, who will be deported, according to state-run MRTV.
Mass amnesties are a common practice on national holidays in Myanmar, but the majority of those freed are rarely political detainees.
Among those released were approximately 600 prisoners prosecuted under Section 505(A) of Myanmar’s penal code, a broad law used by the military to jail critics for spreading “false news” or creating public unrest.
One notable release was Khet Aung, the former chief minister of Kachin State, who had been serving a 12-year sentence on corruption charges since his arrest following the coup.
Major general Zaw Min Tun, the spokesperson for the junta, said many of the freed foreign prisoners included Thais arrested for gambling in the border town of Tachileik and Indonesians detained for fishing in Myanmar’s territorial waters.
He did not confirm whether four Thai fishermen detained after a November border clash were among those released.
While buses departed from Yangon’s Insein Prison on Saturday, carrying freed detainees to reunite with waiting families, there was no indication that Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s ousted civilian leader, was among those pardoned.
Ms Suu Kyi, who has been held incommunicado since the coup, is serving a 27-year sentence after a series of trials that her supporters and rights groups say were politically motivated.
The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a monitoring organisation, estimates that 28,096 people have been arrested on political charges since the coup, with 21,499 still in detention as of Friday. The group also reports that over 6,100 civilians have been killed by security forces during the same period.
The military government’s amnesty also included sentence reductions for other prisoners, with most receiving a one-sixth reduction in their terms. However, those convicted under anti-terrorism laws and other statutes commonly used to target political dissidents were excluded from this leniency.
Independence Day commemorates Myanmar’s liberation from British colonial rule on 4 January 1948. The junta marked the anniversary with a flag-raising ceremony in Naypyidaw.
Additional reporting by agencies.
World’s oldest person who climbed Mount Ontake twice dies at 116
Tomiko Itooka, a Japanese woman who was the world’s oldest person according to Guinness World Records, has died, an Ashiya city official said Saturday. She was 116.
Yoshitsugu Nagata, an official in charge of elderly policies, said Itooka died on 29 Dec at a care home in Ashiya, Hyogo Prefecture, central Japan.
Itooka, who loved bananas and a yogurt-flavored Japanese drink called Calpis, was born on 23 May 1908. She became the oldest person last year following the death of 117-year-old Maria Branyas, according to the Gerontology Research Group.
When she was told she was at the top of the World Supercentenarian Rankings List, she simply replied, “Thank you.”
When Itooka celebrated her birthday last year, she received flowers, a cake and a card from the mayor.
Born in Osaka, Itooka was a volleyball player in high school, and long had a reputation for a sprightly spirit, Nagata said. She climbed the 3,067m (10,062ft) Mount Ontake twice.
She married at 20, and had two daughters and two sons, according to Guinness.
Itooka managed the office of her husband’s textile factory during World War II. She lived alone in Nara after her husband died in 1979.
She is survived by one son and one daughter, and five grandchildren. A funeral service was held with family and friends, according to Nagata.
According to the Gerontology Research Group, the world’s oldest person is now 116-year-old Brazilian nun Inah Canabarro Lucas, who was born 16 days after Itooka.
Three people dead after fishing ship capsizes off South Korean island
Three people died after a fishing ship hit a rock and capsized off a southwestern island of South Korea on Saturday, officials said.
The accident occurred near Gageo Island in Sinan, South Jeolla Province, around 10.30am, according to the coast guard.
The ship was carrying 22 people, out of which three people were found by the rescue teams in a state of cardiac arrest, and later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
Nineteen others were pulled from the water by the coast guard and a nearby vessel. None of the survivors sustained life-threatening injuries, officials said.
The survivors are believed to have jumped into the ocean when the boat appeared to be in danger of capsizing, awaiting rescue.
Authorities initially stated the boat carried 21 people but later clarified the total was 22. An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the accident and the reason for the headcount discrepancy.
The captain of the vessel may face charges of professional negligence resulting in death, the Coast Guard said.
Earlier this week, a car ferry capsized in waters west of Seosan, about 100km southwest of Seoul. Two people were rescued while the body of the captain was found in a state of cardiac arrest.
Tributes to couple found dead in Vietnam hotel weeks after engagement
A British woman and her fiance have been found dead in a Vietnamese hotel just weeks after announcing their engagement.
Greta Marie Otteson, 33, and Arno Quinton Els, 36, were found in separate hotel rooms in the Hoi An Silverbell villa in Hoi An Twon after drinking wine, according to police.
Cleaners found the bodies of Ms Otteson, a social media manager and travel influencer, in her bed in room 101 and her South African partner Mr Els in room 201 on Boxing Day.
A provincial police spokesperson said: “There were no signs of ransacking at the scene. The victims’ belongings and phones were untouched.”
Initial reports indicated no signs of scratches or external force on the bodies of the couple, who were discovered on their beds.
Police were photographed collecting several empty bottles of alcohol from both rooms and taking them away for forensic analysis.
A YouTube video announcing the couple’s engagement posted just two weeks before they were found dead sees the pair kissing and holding hands as they walk through Hoi An.
Mr Els, who has worked as a barista and a stand-up comedian, said in the clip: “We’re just two people from opposite ends of the world, living in Asia, which is quite precious, I think.
“Life outside is always a bit chaotic so it’s nice to have someone who can just ground you and keep you sane.”
A close friend who grew up with Mr Els in Durban, told The Independent: “They were an incredible couple—different in many ways, yet so perfectly in sync.
“They truly brought out the best in each other, inspiring one another with their ambition and zest for life.
“Spending time with them was always a joy and hearing about all their adventures, both together and individually, was equally captivating.
“To me, they seemed to be in the prime of their lives, wholeheartedly embracing and enjoying everything Vietnam had to offer.”
Another friend posted on X: “Greta loved Arno unconditionally and was his bedrock, giving him the freedom to do what he needed to without a faltering foundation and I don’t know many people who could be that selfless in the support of the people they love.
“What an incredible example… They celebrated each other there and I know they will continue doing that, wherever they are.”
The pair had registered for long-term temporary residence at the tourist villa from 4 July last year after moving from Dubai.
Ms Otteson had posted how she had rescued a dog in a cage from a hunter believed to be heading for the meat trade.
They named the street dog Bambi after her shaky legs and posted photos of her in their bed just weeks before they were found dead in the villa.
A statement from a family spokesperson, posted on X, said: “It is with a heavy heart that we confirm that Greta Otteson and Arno Els have passed away in Vietnam on the 26th of December.
“Please respect the family’s privacy as they have not yet completed all investigations at this time.”
They added: “Please people, we don’t have all the answers right now. Greta and Arno’s families have not yet claimed their bodies. Please, I’m begging you, respect their pain and privacy.
“Do not speculate.”
Hoi An Ancient Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site on the backpacker’s trail famed for its tailoring and lantern-lined streets.
Biden blocks Japanese takeover of US Steel over national security
President Joe Biden on Friday invoked a rarely-used presidential power to prevent the Japanesesteel giant Nippon Steel from purchasing the United States Steel Corporation, citing the $14.1 billion deal’s potential consequences to American national security after a year-long review process.
The long-awaited decision to prohibit the transition, which would have placed America’s largest steel-making enterprise under foreign control, blocks Nippon Steel and its’ American affiliates from any attempt to acquire control of the Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel.
It comes after a inter-agency committee charged with reviewing overseas business acquisitions of American businesses and other transactions with national security implications failed to reach a decision on whether to recommend approval or prohibition of the merger. The review had been ongoing since the deal was first announced last December, though both Biden and President-elect Donald Trump had each pledged to keep the deal from going through.
In a statement, Biden cited the need to keep steel production, which he described as “the backbone of our nation,” fully in American hands because it “represents an essential national security priority and is critical for resilient supply chains.”
“That is because steel powers our country: our infrastructure, our auto industry, and our defense industrial base. Without domestic steel production and domestic steel workers, our nation is less strong and less secure,” said Biden, who has long championed the need to protect American workers, particularly the unionized ones who are employed by U.S. Steel and other U.S. based steelmakers.
Biden also noted that U.S. Steel and its’ American competitors have long had to deal with unfair trade practices including Chinese dumping of cheap foreign steel into the U.S. market at prices that are unfairly low in order to undermine domestic manufacturing. He recalled how he’d tripled tariffs on imported steel first imposed during Donald Trump’s first term and said that “decisive action” had helped American steelmakers to open more than 100 new steel and iron mills over his own four-year term.
“We need major U.S. companies representing the major share of US steelmaking capacity to keep leading the fight on behalf of America’s national interests,” Biden said, adding later that the inter-agency committee — known as CFIUS — had found that the proposed takeover of U.S. Steel by Nippon Steel could “create risk for our national security and our critical supply chains.”
Continuing, he said it had been his “solemn responsibility as President” to “ensure that, now and long into the future, America has a strong domestically owned and operated steel industry that can continue to power our national sources of strength at home and abroad.”
“It is a fulfillment of that responsibility to block foreign ownership of this vital American company. U.S. Steel will remain a proud American company – one that’s American-owned, American-operated, by American union steelworkers – the best in the world,” he added.