International
The United States confirms that North Korea has sent soldiers to Russia to fight in Ukraine
The United States Secretary of Defense, Lloyd J. Austin III, has confirmed that North Korea has sent troops to Russia to join the Russian forces fighting in the war with Ukraine, US media reported on Wednesday.
In statements made on a visit to a military base in Italy, Austin described North Korea’s presence in Russia as a “very serious” escalation that would have consequences in both Europe and Asia.
“What exactly are they doing?” Austin told journalists at a military base in Italy. “It’s to be seen.”
The Secretary of Defense did not give details about the number of troops that are already there or the number expected to arrive, but its confirmation comes after US intelligence officials have announced that they are preparing to publish a large amount of information, including satellite photographs, showing troop ships moving from North Korea to training areas in Vladivostok, on the east coast of Russia, and other Russian territories further north.
Seoul believes that there are already 3,000 North Korean soldiers in Russia
According to US officials, so far the North Korean soldiers have not arrived in Ukraine.
However, the South Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS) estimates that Pyongyang has already sent about 3,000 soldiers to Russian territory, where they are theoretically preparing to be transferred to the front in Ukraine.
This information, which has been shared with members of the Parliamentary Intelligence Committee, indicates that about 10,000 soldiers could be deployed in Ukraine by December, without offering more information about it.
Already on Friday, the NIS itself revealed that it foresaw the sending of about 12,000 troops, including a unit of the Special Forces, a figure that is close to what Kiev also said.
Of the total number of troops, about 1,500 troops would already be in bases in the Russian Far East, receiving instruction, in addition to weapons, uniforms and Russian identity cards.
South Korean intelligence considers that after the first transport of those 1,500 soldiers, which took place between October 8 and 13, new transfers have been made that have practically doubled the number of North Korean troops on Russian soil.
One of the parliamentarians of the committee who was informed by the director of the NIS himself has assured that “he provided fairly well-founded information indicating that about 10,000 men will be deployed” for the month of December in Ukraine, according to statements collected by the Yonhap agency.
Partnership agreement between Moscow and Pyongyang
This information has been labeled as “hoaxes by Moscow and “absurd comments” by Pyongyang.
South Korea considers, like many experts, that the sending of troops is based on the strategic partnership pact that Pyongyang and Moscow signed in June and that urges mutual assistance in the event that one of the two countries is attacked, a scenario that would have opened up after Ukraine’s incursions in the Russian regions of Belgorod and Kursk.
International
Israel accuses six Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza of being Hamas “agents”
The Israeli Army accused on Wednesday six journalists in Gaza of the Qatari network Al Jazeera, banned in Israel since last April, of being “agents of the military wing” of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, assuring that it has found documents in the enclave that would supposedly prove its relationship with the Palestinian militias.
“The security forces have revealed intelligence information and numerous documents found in the Gaza Strip that confirm the military affiliation of six journalists from Al Jazeera in Gaza with the terrorist organizations of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad,” the Army said in a statement, in which it quotes the journalists with names and surnames.
In the note, they indicate that the documents found on these six Gaza journalists include “staffing boards, lists of training courses for terrorists, telephone directories and terrorist salary documents.”
For Israel, these documents “constitute unequivocal proof that these individuals act as military agents of terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip” and are speakers of “pro-Hamas propaganda” especially in the northern Strip through Al Jazeera.
The Islamist organization Hamas, which governs in Gaza, responded with a statement in which it accused Israel of trying to “morally murder” and “demonize” Palestinian journalists with this type of ads, and called its accusation a “false narrative”.
Hamas assured that the Hebrew State has used lists of injured to present them as lists of members of the organization, as well as that it has manipulated “general data that are not important or have any relationship” with the organization.
Israel intensifies its attacks in Gaza
Israel’s accusations against Al Jazeera journalists come after Israeli troops have intensified their offensive in the northern Strip in the last three weeks, causing more than 700 deaths, thousands of wounded trapped and tens of thousands of displaced, according to UN data.
Yesterday, Al Jazeera denounced that Israel is preventing the “urgent medical evacuation” of two of its journalists who were seriously injured in Israeli attacks in the Strip two weeks ago.
The Qatari chain has been banned in Israel since last April, when the Government accused the chain of being “a damage to national security.”
Israel invades Al Jazeera’s office in the West Bank
On September 22, Israel also ordered the closure of the Qatari office in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, after breaking into the headquarters with soldiers where they seized and destroyed equipment.
During the office raid, the soldiers tore off a poster from journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was murdered by an Israeli soldier two years ago while covering a military raid in the occupied West Bank.
After the closure of the Ramalah office, the non-governmental organization Amnesty International accused the Israeli authorities of “another blatant attack on the right to freedom of expression” and of giving a “destroting blow” to press freedom.
Al Jazeera is one of the channels with the largest deployment and journalists in the Strip, where the Israeli Government does not allow access to the international press.
International
Israel claims to have found tunnels and arsenal of Hizbulá next to UN bases
The head of Operations of the second brigade of the Israeli Army, Ariye Hominer, said on Monday that the troops have found numerous tunnels and arsenal of the Shiite group Hezbula near positions of the UNFI, the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, during its operations in the south of the country.
“It is surprising that, despite the number of bases of the UN forces, we have found so much infrastructure of Hizbulah: tunnels, arsenal… in the noses of the blue helmets. How is it possible?” Hominer criticized in a visit to the troops in the Israeli town of Shlomi, adjacent to the border with Lebanon.
Shlomi is one of the cities in Israeli Galilee that have become closed military zones in which troops are preparing for their operations in Lebanese territory since the Hebrew State invaded the south of the neighboring country on October 1.
There, the military spokesman defends the good communication of the Israeli Army with UNFINUL, after being questioned by the various incidents between the Hebrew troops against positions of this UN mission that so far leave at least five injured blue helmets.
However, the military assures that “the UN mandate is not doing the work it should be doing” in Lebanon.
Attacks on Lebanon
Hominer also said that Israel will not cease its attacks on Lebanon – which, in addition to the land invasion, consist of a bombing campaign that began on September 23 – until it fulfills the objective of returning displaced Israelis from nearby communities to the border of the neighboring country.
“I hope it’s soon, but it doesn’t limit our time or space,” he said.
Throughout the day, the armed forces have detected the launch of more than 110 rockets from Lebanon aimed at Israel, although most have been intercepted or have fallen in open spaces.
“A drone approaching Israeli territory from Lebanon was intercepted by the Air Force” before entering the country, a military statement was collected around 15.00 local time (12.00 GMT), this being the fifth unidentified aerial vehicle shot down by the armed forces today.
Some 60,000 Israelis were displaced from northern Israel when the exchange of fire between the Army and Hezbullah began on October 8 last year, in a gesture of solidarity of the Shiite group with the Palestinians after the start of the war in Gaza.
On the other hand, more than 1.2 million Lebanese have had to move through Israeli bombings and the deaths from these attacks in more than a year exceed 2,500, most of them since Israel intensified its offensive in September.
International
Blinken calls for an end to the war and addresses the reconstruction of Gaza with Saudi Arabia
The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, asked on Wednesday from Saudi Arabia to “end the war in Gaza and release all the hostages,” while also addressing with the Saudi authorities the reconstruction of the punished Palestinian enclave once the conflict ends.
The head of US diplomacy stressed with his Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan, “the importance of ending the war in Gaza and releasing all hostages,” according to a statement issued by the US Department of State at the end of the meeting held between the two politicians in Riyadh.
For its part, the official Saudi news agency SPA limited itself to reporting that the meeting “the evolution of regional events was analyzed, especially the situation in Gaza and Lebanon,” in addition to the joint efforts that are being made to stop the escalation in the Middle East.
According to the US department, Blinken and Bin Farhan also “continued talks on how to establish security, governance and reconstruction in the post-conflict period” in the Gaza Strip, completely devastated after more than a year of war, which has caused the death of about 43,000 Palestinians.
A “diplomatic solution” in Lebanon
On the other hand, they stressed the need for “a diplomatic solution in Lebanon,” where Israel began a massive bombing campaign on September 23 and, a week later, began a land invasion in the south of the Mediterranean country that has been condemned by much of the international community.
Subsequently, Blinken met with the Saudi crown prince, Mohamed bin Salman, with whom he addressed “the efforts made to stop military operations and face the humanitarian and security repercussions” of the wars in Gaza and Lebanon, according to a statement from Saudi Foreign Affairs.
In a previous phone call with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Blinken addressed ways to implement UN Security Council resolution 1701, which ended the war that Israel and the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbula fought in 2006.
Eleventh Middle East tour
The head of US diplomacy landed this Wednesday in Saudi Arabia as part of his eleventh tour of the Middle East since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, on October 7, 2023, although so far his visits to the countries of the region have not given tangible results for the resolution of the conflict and prevent its expansion in the area.
Yesterday, Blinken highlighted in Israel the need to take advantage of the death last week in a confrontation in southern Gaza by Hamas leader, Yahya Sinwar, to reach an agreement that allows the release of the hostages.
In addition to Israel and Saudi Arabia, Blinken will travel to Qatar and the United Kingdom until October 25 to “analyze the importance of ending the war in Gaza” and plan “the post-conflict period,” as well as to reach a diplomatic resolution in Lebanon, according to the US Department of State.
Israel accuses six Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza of being Hamas “agents”
Israel claims to have found tunnels and arsenal of Hizbulá next to UN bases
Blinken calls for an end to the war and addresses the reconstruction of Gaza with Saudi Arabia
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Ecuador prison riot leaves at least 43 dead
-
International2 days agoThe president of Brazil cancels his trip to Russia due to a domestic accident
-
International2 days agoThousands of Georgians march in Tbilisi in favor of the country’s European future
-
International1 day agoDeath toll rises to seven after the passage of tropical storm Oscar in Cuba
-
International1 day agoBoluarte announces that Venezuelan migrants must show rental and work contracts
-
International2 days agoMigrants from Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela are left in limbo in Mexico due to US measures.
-
International1 day agoThe Government of Venezuela says that detained former officials diverted funds to opposition campaign
-
International2 days agoHarris vs Trump: the battle for the young male vote and the debate on masculinity
-
International2 days agoTrump gains ground over Harris and the elections are emerging as the closest of the century
-
International1 day agoMiguel Ángel Oliver: The EFE Agency is an antidote against racism
-
Internacionales3 days agoPresident Xi Jinping to Attend BRICS Summit in Russia as International Attention Grows
-
International3 days agoTragedy Strikes Sapelo Island: Seven Dead as Walkway Collapses During Celebration
-
International4 days agoMilitary intercepts 8.3-ton drug shipment in historic maritime operation
-
International2 hours agoFive dead and nineteen injured in the terrorist attack on a military factory in Turkey
-
International2 hours agoBlinken calls for an end to the war and addresses the reconstruction of Gaza with Saudi Arabia
-
International2 hours agoMembers of the BRICS alliance call for reform of the UN and more prominence for Latin America and Asia
-
International2 days agoKamala Harris turns 60 two weeks before the presidential elections
-
International3 hours agoRiots in Lisbon and surroundings after the death of a Cape Verdean by police shooting
-
International44 mins agoIsrael claims to have found tunnels and arsenal of Hizbulá next to UN bases
-
International42 mins agoIsrael accuses six Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza of being Hamas “agents”
-
International2 days agoUkraine claims to have reached an airfield and an explosives and weapons factory in Russia
-
International3 hours agoGisèle Pelicot, the victim of hundreds of rapes orchestrated by her husband, testified again at the trial
-
International2 hours ago“Israel’s goal is to destroy memory,” says former Palestinian Minister of Culture
-
International2 hours agoBrussels will continue to explore the development of deportation centers for migrants outside the EU
-
International2 days agoMore than 150 dead in Israeli attacks in Gaza in 24 hours
-
International2 hours agoLula defends opening peace negotiations in the war in Ukraine during a summit with Russia
-
International2 hours agoWith its top unheaded, Hamas seeks new leadership in the middle of the war in Gaza
-
International2 days agoThe pope proclaims Father Manuel Ruiz López and six other Spanish Franciscans saints
-
International2 days agoA third total blackout in Cuba in three days thwarts attempts to recover the service
-
International2 days agoThe Empress Emeritus of Japan, Michiko, turns 90
-
International2 days agoRussia reveals that the BRICS are considering adding about 15 countries to the group as partners
-
International4 days agoHamas leader Yahya Sinwar killed by gunshot, autopsy reveals