Two former fighters of the Russian private military company Wagner have spoken to CNN about their experiences on the battlefield in eastern Ukraine, where they described horrific losses in “first wave” assaults reminiscent of World War I. Ukrainian forces have responded to the shelling with counterattacks, and have managed to down five drones and capture two former Wagner fighters. Despite the shelling, officials in Kyiv said that Moscow is having trouble launching its large-scale offensive in the east of the country.
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Auckland, New Zealand is bracing for Cyclone Gabrielle, with Air New Zealand cancelling domestic and international flights, schools and universities closing, and the InterCity bus network reducing services. The MetService has already recorded gale force winds and issued a severe weather warning for the North Island, with heavy rain and strong winds expected. People are urged to take the necessary precautions to ensure their safety.
On Saturday, Iran celebrated the 44th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution with nationwide protests and heightened tensions with the West. During President Ebrahim Raisi's speech at Tehran's Azadi Square, a group of anti-government hackers known as “Edalate Ali (Justice of Ali)” interrupted the event, with a voice shouting “Death to the dictator”. Raisi responded by appealing to the “deceived youth” to repent and be pardoned by Iran’s supreme leader. The protests began in September and have continued to grow, raising questions about how the government will respond.
Justin Trudeau ordered a U.S. fighter jet to shoot down an unidentified object flying over the Yukon, following similar action taken by the U.S. in Alaska the day before. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) is now recovering and analyzing the wreckage, and both nations are committed to protecting their airspace from increased activity in the region.
Justin Trudeau has confirmed that an unidentified object was shot down over Canadian airspace on his orders on Saturday. The object was detected by NORAD and was shot down by a U.S. military F-22 over the Yukon. Trudeau and U.S. President Joe Biden have discussed the incident, and Canadian and U.S. forces will lead the recovery operation, highlighting the close cooperation between the two countries in defending their shared airspace.
The Biden administration has announced economic sanctions on six Chinese entities in response to an alleged Chinese spy balloon that flew across U.S. airspace last week. The sanctions are intended to make it more difficult for the entities to obtain American technology exports and are part of a broader effort to address Chinese surveillance activities. It remains to be seen how the Chinese government will respond to the sanctions and whether they will have any effect on the ongoing diplomatic dispute.
The US government has taken action against six Chinese entities in response to a suspected Chinese spy balloon that flew over US airspace last week. The US Commerce Department has blacklisted the five companies and one research institute from obtaining US technology without government authorization, and urged other countries to take similar measures. This is part of a broader effort to address Chinese surveillance activities, with more measures expected in the coming weeks and months.
US President Joe Biden and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva met at the White House to discuss the war in Ukraine. Lula proposed a coalition of countries not directly involved in the conflict to end the war and build peace. Biden will travel to Poland at the end of the month to meet with President Duda to discuss collective efforts to support Ukraine and bolster NATO's deterrence.