Author Archives: TARIQ ABDULLAH

Kyiv is warned to brace for possible major barrage

(AP)

KYIV, May 26: Russia fired more than 100 drones and two ballistic missiles at Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian air force said Tuesday, as the country’s foreign ministry noted that Moscow’s recent threat to hit Kyiv especially hard from the air brought nothing new.

Russia on Monday urged foreign citizens, including members of diplomatic mis-sions, to leave the Ukrainian capital as quickly as possible and told residents to steer clear of military and govern-ment facilities. It said that “systemic strikes” on Kyiv were being prepared.

Russia has regularly bom-barded Kyiv, often causing

dozens of civilian casualties with every attack, since it launched an all-out invasion of neighbouring Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.

Russia’s Foreign Minis-ter Sergey Lavrov told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio by phone Monday that the US should evacuate its diplomatic staff from Kyiv, a foreign ministry statement said.

Rubio didn’t say whether the US State Department would take that step, but expressed concern during a trip to India that the “ter-rible” war in Ukraine could escalate further.

The Trump administra-tion has tried for more than

a year to stop the war. But its efforts yielded no significant breakthrough and are now on ice as Washington focuses on the Iran war.

No diplomats say they are leaving Kyiv

There were no announce-ments of diplomatic depar-tures from Kyiv. The Europe-an Union, French and Polish delegations publicly said that they would not leave.

The European Union summoned Russia’s rep-resentative in Brussels to convey its concerns Tuesday, with European Commission spokesperson Anita Hipper accusing Russia of “trying to sow panic.”

PTI Supporters of Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) listen to speeches by deposed leader Ozgur Ozel during a rally in Izmir, Turkey, on Tuesday. Riot police used water cannons on Tuesday to prevent people from gathering to hear a speech by the deposed leader. Ozel and the core leadership of the Republican People’s Party, or CHP, were removed from their posts on Thursday by a court order that many people consider to be politically motivated.

PTI

ISLAMABAD/BEIJING, May 26: Pakistan and China have agreed to “unswervingly safeguard” and develop their bilateral relations by working closely to build a shared future, according to a joint statement issued on Tuesday.

The statement was issued at the end of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s official visit to China from May 23-26 at the invitation of Premier Li Qiang.

During his visit, the two sides signed a number of cooperation documents in various fields.

President Xi Jinping and Premier Li separately held talks with PM Shehbaz, and the two sides reached a new broad consensus on further deepening the China-Pakistan All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership and on international and regional issues of mutual interest.

Shehbaz also attended the ceremony to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and visited Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province.

Both sides reiterated opposition to any unilateral actions and reaffirmed the significance of maintaining peace and stability in South Asia and resolving all outstanding disputes through dialogue and diplomacy, the statement said.

Like in the previous joint statements after Pakistan leaders’ visits, the new statement also said that the Pakistani side briefed the Chinese side on the latest developments on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

China, for its part, reiterated that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is left over from history, and should be properly and peacefully resolved in accordance with the UN Charter, relevant UN Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreements.

The two sides expressed readiness to conduct transboundary water resources cooperation under the principle of equality and mutual benefit, it said, without specifying any details of collaboration as the rivers emanating from China that flow to Pakistan pass through India.

China reiterated its “unwavering support” for Pakistan in defending its national sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, and firmly supported Pakistan’s efforts to safeguard its national security, stability, development and prosperity.

Both sides were determined to “unswervingly safeguard” and develop their bilateral relations, maintain high-level exchanges, and make significant progress, the statement said, the joint statement said. (PTI)

BUGGENHOUT, May 26: A crash between a bus and a train travelling at high speed in northern Belgium killed four people, including two children, and injured five other children, prosecutors said Tuesday.

The injured children were taken to the hospital in a serious condition, spokeswoman Lisa De Wilde said at a news conference.

The accident happened at a level crossing during the morning rush hour near the town of Buggenhout, about 30 kilometres northwest of the capital, Brussels.

De Wilde said that the dead included the driver of the minibus and an escort as well as two children.

She said that the cause of the accident had not been established.

Investigators are questioning witnesses and checking for images from nearby cameras. (AP)

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(AP)

SEOUL, May 26: South Korean retail tycoon Chung Yong-jin on Tuesday issued his second apology in two weeks as Starbucks’ local operation faces a backlash over a recent marketing campaign that was widely perceived as mocking victims of a bloody military crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in 1980.

Chung, chairman of Shinsegae Group, which owns a 67.5 per cent stake in Starbucks Korea, bowed three times during a televised statement as he pleaded for forgiveness from the families of democracy activists killed by the country’s former military dictatorship and from the broader public.

The coffee chain sparked public outrage when it attempted to promote a large size of tumbler it calls a “tank” by declar-ing May 18 to be “Tank Day”. That’s the anniversary of a democratic uprising in the southern city of Gwangju that was brutally suppressed by troops, tanks and helicopters, killing or injuring hundreds.

The campaign compounded outrage by using the slogan “Thwack it on the table!”, which many read as a reference to a notorious 1987 police statement that attempted to cover up the torture death of student activist Park Jong-chol. Police claimed that Park died suddenly after investigators “hit the desk with a thwack”.

The promotion was met with immediate outrage and within hours Shinsegae canceled it and fired the chief executive of Starbucks Korea. Police also opened an investigation based on complaints by families of people killed at Gwangju.

“I take it very seriously the fact that many people felt deep pain and anger because of Starbucks Korea’s inappropriate marketing campaign,” Chung said Tuesday.

He also asked people not to take out their frustration on staff at Starbucks shops, saying the responsibility lies with management. There were no immediate reports of major incidents at stores.

Chung issued his first apology on May 19, saying in a state-ment that the campaign caused “deep pain to the victims and bereaved families of the May 18 Democratisation Movement as well as to the public”.

Jeon Sangjin, a senior Shinsegae Group executive, said the company has yet to find conclusive evidence that Starbucks Korea marketing employees intended to mock the pro-democ-racy movement, an accusation the employees have denied. However, he said some employees refused to hand over their smartphones during a weeklong internal review.

SEOUL, May 26: North Korea launched a close-range ballistic missile and other weapons toward the sea on Tuesday, South Korea’s military said, days after the leaders of Russia and China voiced their opposition to Western pressures on North Korea.

The missile fired from Jongju, a city near the North’s west coast, flew about 80 kilometres, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said. North Korea launched other kinds of projectiles, it said.

South Korean media, citing the military, reported that the other weapons systems mobilised included multiple rocket launch systems. The reports said that the simultaneous launches of different kinds of weapons were likely meant to test the ability to evade South Korean and US defences. (AP)

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, May 26: Meghalaya’s ambitious push to strengthen its sporting infrastructure gathered momentum on Tuesday as the Committee on Government Assurances of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly reviewed progress at three major projects, including the under-construction Mawkhannu Football Stadium, the indoor stadium at Umsawli and the Water Sports Centre at Umtham.

The inspection team, led by Committee Chairman Renikton Lyngdoh Tongkhar, visited the sites in East Khasi Hills and Ri-Bhoi districts to assess the pace of work and overall development of the facilities, which are expected to play a key role in boosting football and adventure sports in the state.

The biggest attraction remains the football-specific stadium at Mawkhannu in New Shillong. Once completed, the 40,000-capacity venue is expected to become one of the largest football stadiums in the country and a major landmark for the sport in the Northeast. Officials informed that the project, being implemented by KPC Projects Limited, is scheduled for completion by the latter part of 2028 in accordance with the tender agreement.

Members of the committee expressed satisfaction over the ongoing construction work and said the project reflects Meghalaya’s growing sporting ambitions. Tongkhar described the stadium as a matter of pride for the state and said the infrastructure being developed could significantly strengthen Meghalaya’s position as an emerging football hub in India. Apart from the football stadium, the committee also inspected the Water Sports Centre at Umtham in Ri-Bhoi district, where a dedicated canoe slalom course is being developed. Spread across 14 acres and estimated to cost around Rs 21 crore, the facility is expected to serve both as a national-level training centre and as a boost for adventure sports tourism in the state.

Umtham has steadily gained attention in recent years for activities such as river canoeing, kayaking and rafting, and the upcoming infrastructure is likely to further establish the area as a key destination for whitewater sports in the Northeast.

The delegation also reviewed the indoor sports infrastructure at Umsawli and noted the rapid pace of development in New Shillong, particularly in terms of connectivity and supporting infrastructure around the upcoming sports venues.

PTI

A police officer runs after launching tear gas at protesters during an anti-government demonstration in La Paz, Bolivia, on Monday.

PTI: Israeli settler parents travel with their baby on camels in the Judean Desert near the settlement of Kochav Hashachar, in the West Bank, on Monday.