
Not PM but still sought after, 'elated' Dr M quips at Russian event
A long line of guests queued up to greet Dr Mahathir Mohamad at the Russia National Day celebration in Kuala Lumpur today, with many taking the opportunity to snap photos and extend well wishes ahead of his 100th birthday next month.
The former prime minister and his wife, Dr Siti Hasmah Ali, were among the guests of honour invited by the Russian ambassador to Malaysia, NM Latypov, who hosted the event.
Asked why people still flocked to events to meet him, Mahathir cheekily stated...

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The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Zelenskiy says Ukrainian troops pushing back Russian forces in Sumy
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks during a joint press conference with German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius (not pictured) after talks, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine June 12, 2025. REUTERS/Thomas Peter (Reuters) -Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday that Ukrainian forces were gradually pushing Russian forces out of the border Sumy region, where Moscow has established a foothold in recent weeks. Russian forces have been moving into Sumy region since April when Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin called for the creation of a buffer zone after he said all Ukrainian troops had been evicted from a months-long incursion into Russia's western Kursk region. Both Russian and Ukrainian reports indicate that Russian forces have seized a series of villages in the region, which has for many months also come under heavy Russian air attacks. And Russian reports said Moscow's troops were advancing in the area. "Our units in Sumy region are gradually pushing back the occupiers," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address. "I thank you! Thanks to every soldier, sergeant and officer for this result." The Ukrainian president provided no further details and offered no proof of Ukrainian advances in the area. Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said there had been a concentration of Russian men and equipment in Sumy region because of months of military operations across the border in Kursk region. He advised caution to establish details of the situation on the ground. "I think (Ukraine's) military has the situation under control and I think we shall see a different picture in the coming days," Podolyak told Ukrainian TV Channel 24. The popular Ukrainian military blog DeepState, which charts the position of Russian troops using open-source materials, reported Russian gains in recent days around villages inside the border. Other Ukrainian bloggers said on Thursday that Russian forces had advanced to within 20 km (12 miles) of the city of Sumy and were likely to move southward on villages to secure high ground outside the city. Russian media reported similar advances through the region. One military site "Voyennoe Obozrenie" said Russian forces had made "significant progress" and were now positioned south of a major highway. (Reporting by Ron Popeski and Bogdan KochubeyEditing by Marguerita Choy)


Free Malaysia Today
6 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Govt spent RM486,000 on Dr M's Japan trip, says Anwar
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The Star
6 hours ago
- The Star
Ukrainian refugees in Sumy fear Russian advance, shelling
Margaryta Husakova, 37, mother of eight children, who fled the Ukrainian town of Bilopilia, sits with her children near a refugee centre, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Sumy, Ukraine June 12, 2025. REUTERS/Sofiia Gatilova SUMY (Reuters) -Margaryta Husakova, her broken arm secured in a metal orthopedic fixation device, smoked nervously as she sat on the staircase of a refugee shelter in Sumy, a city in northern Ukraine, contemplating what the future holds. In May, Husakova, 37, a mother of eight, lost her mother, sister, and uncle in a Russian drone attack on a van near the town of Bilopillia, west of Sumy. Nine people died in total and Husakova was among the five wounded. 'A man pulled me out of the bus, emergency services arrived, and I was sitting there on the grass,' she said. Despite talk of peace, the war is creeping closer to Sumy, a regional capital of 250,000 people, located just 25 kilometers (15 miles) from the border with Russia. After the bus attack, Husakova and her family fled their native town Bilopillia, now a target of Russian artillery, and sought shelter at a refugee center in Sumy. 'What's next? We're sitting here, but if they offer us somewhere else, we'll go with the children,' she said. Her father, Vyacheslav, expressed worry about the future. 'I don't know what's next … the most important thing for me is to take the children away, because katsapy will come to Sumy too,' he said, using a pejorative term for Russians. Russia, which controls just under one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, has seized over 190 square kilometers (73 square miles) of the Sumy region in less than a month, according to pro-Ukrainian open-source maps. Russian troops have captured more ground in the past days, advancing to around 20 kilometers from Sumy's northern suburbs, bringing the city closer to being within the range of long-range artillery and drones. The number of displaced people arriving in Sumy is increasing, said Kateryna Arisoi, head of Pluriton, a non-governmental organization that operates the shelter for internally displaced people. 'We are seeing the frontline slowly moving toward Sumy,' she said. "So far evacuation has been ordered in more than 200 settlements." Last week, a Russian rocket attack on Sumy killed three people and injured 28, including three children, while also damaging several buildings. Both Russia and Ukraine deny targeting civilians in their attacks, but thousands of civilians have died in the three-year-long conflict, the vast majority of them Ukrainian. (Reporting by Vitaly Hnidyi; Writing by Aleksandar Vasovic; Editing by Nia Williams)