North Korea's Kim Jong Un attends launch of restored destroyer, KCNA says
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un leads a party meeting on strengthening the military in this handout picture released on May 30, 2025, by the Korean Central News Agency. KCNA via REUTERS/File Photo
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The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Russia says it tests new laser defences against drones
FILE PHOTO: A view shows the Russian flag on the facade of a historic building alongside the American flag on the facade of the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, Russia March 18, 2025. REUTERS/Yulia Morozova/File photo MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia said on Friday it had conducted large-scale tests of new laser-based systems to defend against drones. A government statement described the new technology as "promising" and said it had been tested against various types of drone in different weather conditions. It said the anti-drone lasers would become part of a "universal air defence system" that President Vladimir Putin said this week Russia needed to build. "The test results will be used to refine existing models and create systems capable of providing reliable protection against modern air attack weapons. Conducting tests allows us to move on to serial production and upscaling," the statement said. An accompanying video showed charred debris from a destroyed drone. Both sides have deployed drones on a huge scale in the Russia-Ukraine war, using them to spot and hit targets not only on the battlefield but way beyond the front lines. Ukrainian drones have frequently struck sites deep inside Russia such as oil depots, refineries and airfields, highlighting the need for Moscow to boost its defences. Earlier this month, Ukrainian drones smuggled close to air bases in trucks inflicted serious damage to Russia's long-range bomber fleet. (Reporting by Reuters, writing by Mark Trevelyan, Editing by William Maclean)
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Nigerian President Tinubu's pardon of 'Ogoni Nine' draws ethnic group's rejection
FILE PHOTO: FILE PHOTO: Nigerian President Bola Tinubu looks on as he meets with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in Cape Town, South Africa, December 3, Alexander/File Photo LAGOS (Reuters) -Nigeria's Ogoni activists on Friday rejected a posthumous pardon for nine members executed three decades ago by a military dictatorship, criticising President Bola Tinubu's move as inadequate and perpetuating injustice. To commemorate Nigeria's Democracy Day on June 12, Tinubu pardoned the men, known as the "Ogoni Nine", including writer Ken Saro-Wiwa, who were hanged after being tried by a military tribunal for their protests against Shell's pollution in the oil-rich Niger Delta, which is home to the Ogoni ethnic group. The executions sparked international condemnation against Nigeria's then-military junta and continue to be a contentious issue in the nation's history. "You cannot pardon someone that has not committed an offense; we are demanding total exoneration," said Celestine Akpobari, coordinator of the Ogoni Solidarity Forum. "To say 'pardon', I think it is insulting. If there is any group who needs pardon, it is the Nigerian government that has committed so much crime against the Ogoni people," he told Reuters. Tinubu's spokesperson rejected such criticism. "The president has done what is normal. They can make an argument for exoneration and the president will look into it," Bayo Onanuga told Reuters. Shell, which halted oil drilling in the area in the early 1990s and later sold its assets there, has denied any responsibility or wrongdoing. Tinubu's efforts to resume oil drilling in Ogoniland have drawn fresh criticism from environmental activists. Alagao Morris, deputy executive director of the Environmental Defenders Network, an interest group in the Niger Delta, said the pardon appeared to be an attempt to mollify the Ogoni people in the face of the region's continued environmental devastation. "The pollution that ought to be addressed has not been addressed," Morris said. He said the issue of oil drilling should be decided by the Ogoni people, but the complete exoneration of Saro-Wiwa and other executed activists should come first. Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, relies on oil for more than 90% of export earnings and around two-thirds of government earnings, exposing its economy to global price shocks. (Reporting by Ope Adetayo; editing by Elisha Bala-Gbogbo and Tomasz Janowski)
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Trump allowed to keep National Guard in Los Angeles as more protests planned
National Guard members keep watch outside the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building, during a protest against federal immigration sweeps, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., June 12, 2025. REUTERS/David Swanson LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump can keep his deployment of National Guard troops in Los Angeles, according to a court ruling, as protests against immigration raids look set to enter their second week in the strongest backlash since his return to power in January. Trump on Friday welcomed the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' decision that temporarily paused a lower court ruling that blocked the mobilization, although it does not mean that the court will ultimately agree to side with him. "We saved L.A. Thank you for the Decision!!!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. Cities across the United States were bracing for more demonstrations especially on Saturday, when those also opposed to a weekend military parade in Washington marking the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary are expected to take to the streets. "They've defied our courts, deported Americans, disappeared people off the streets, attacked our civil rights, and slashed our services," the group No Kings, which is behind the day of action, wrote on its website. A battalion of 700 U.S. Marines was expected to arrive on Friday in Los Angeles, marking an extraordinary use of military forces to support civilian police operations within the United States. Troops have stood guard at a federal detention center in the city's downtown where many of the protests have taken place in a show of solidarity for immigrants detained inside. The protests so far have been mostly peaceful, punctuated by incidents of violence, and restricted to a few city blocks. Demonstrations have also taken place in other U.S. cities this week including New York and Chicago. The guard had also accompanied Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on operations to detain immigrants. Democratic leaders in California have strongly opposed the ramping up of immigration enforcement since it began last Friday. "Peace begins with ICE leaving Los Angeles," Mayor Karen Bass, who has imposed a nighttime curfew over one square mile (2.5 square km) of downtown Los Angeles, said on Thursday. Trump is carrying out a campaign promise to deport immigrants, employing forceful tactics consistent with the norm-breaking political style that got him elected twice. Democrats have said that the use of military force was unnecessary and an example of Trump's authoritarianism. Americans are divided over Trump's decision to activate the military. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Thursday showed that 48% of respondents agreed with a statement that the president should "deploy the military to bring order to the streets" when protests turned violent, while 41% disagreed. (Writing by Costas Pitas; Editing by Mary Milliken and Mark Porter)
