Ukraine's Weapons Production Teeming in Wartime
Almost three and a half years of war have transformed the battle-hardened country into a weapons factory.
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Russian navy parade cancelled due to 'security reasons'
A parade of ships meant to be the highlight of Russia's Navy Day honouring the country's sailors was cancelled for 'security reasons' the Kremlin said Sunday. Russian authorities provided no details of the threat that prompted the cancellation, which came after an overnight Ukrainian drone attack. Russia said on Sunday a major annual navy parade had been cancelled for 'security reasons', without specifying the threat or concern. 'It has to do with the general situation. Security reasons are of utmost importance,' said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, quoted by Russian news agencies. The parade was meant to be the highlight of Russia's Navy Day, which falls on the last Sunday of July each year and honours the country's sailors. But local authorities in the coastal city of Saint Petersburg, where the warships and submarines were scheduled to pass, said on Friday the parade had been cancelled without giving a reason. Read moreDeputy head of Russian Navy killed in Kursk 'combat' Russian President Vladimir Putin—who re-established Navy Day in 2017, nearly four decades after it was cancelled in Soviet times—appeared in a video message hailing the 'bravery' and 'heroism' of Russia's sailors participating in the offensive in Ukraine. 'We are celebrating the holiday in a working atmosphere,' Putin said later on Sunday, in a video address to Russian forces involved in large-scale naval manoeuvres called 'July Storm'. Read moreRussia launches largest navy drills of post-Soviet era alongside China in Sea of Japan The drills, launched earlier this week in the Baltic and Caspian seas as well as in the Arctic and Pacific oceans, involved more than 150 ships and over 15,000 troops, Putin said. 'Our main task is to ensure Russia's security and firmly protect the sovereignty and national interests,' Putin said in Saint Petersburg, where he was travelling on Sunday, according to the Kremlin. Russia, which launched its military operation on Ukraine in February 2022 with daily bombardments of its neighbour, has faced retaliatory Ukrainian drone strikes on its territory in recent months. The Russian defence ministry said on Sunday that 100 Ukrainian drones were downed overnight. At least 10 of them were intercepted not far from Saint Petersburg and a woman was wounded, the governor for the northwestern Leningrad region, Aleksandr Drozdenko, said on Telegram. That drone assault also disrupted operations at Saint Petersburg's Pulkovo airport, delaying dozens of flights, the facility's authorities said. (FRANCE 24 with AFP)
Yahoo
3 hours ago
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Sudan's paramilitaries announces a parallel government, deepening the country's crisis
CAIRO (AP) — A notorious paramilitary group and its allies in Sudan said they formed a parallel government in areas under the group's control, which are located mainly in the western region of Darfur where allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity are being investigated. The move, which was announced Saturday, was likely to deepen the crisis in Sudan, which plunged into chaos when tensions between the country's military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, exploded into fighting in April 2023 in the capital, Khartoum and elsewhere in the country. The RSF-led Tasis Alliance appointed Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the commander of the paramilitary group, as head of the sovereign council in the new administration. The 15-member council serves as head of the state. The RSF grew out of the notorious Janjaweed militias, mobilized two decades ago by then-president Omar al-Bashir against populations that identify as Central or East African in Darfur. The Janjaweed were accused of mass killings, rapes and other atrocities. In the current war, the RSF has been accused of numerous atrocities. The Biden administration slapped Dagalo with sanctions, saying the RSF and its proxies were committing genocide. The RSF has denied committing genocide. The alliance spokesman Alaa al-Din Naqd announced the new administration in a video statement from the Darfur city of Nyala, which is controlled by the RFF and its allied Janjaweed. Mohammed Hassan al-Taishi, a civilian politician who was a member of a military-civilian sovereign council that ruled Sudan following the 2019 overthrow of al-Bashir, was named as prime minister in the RSF-controlled government. Rebel leader Abdelaziz al-Hilu, who commands the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) which is active in the southern Kodrofan region, was appointed as Dagalo's deputy in the council. The SPLM-N is a breakaway faction of the SPLM, the ruling party of neighboring South Sudan. The announcement came five months after the RSF and its allies signed a charter in February in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, with the aim of establishing a parallel government in RSF-controlled areas. At the time, many countries, including the U.S., rejected the RSF efforts and condemned the signing by the paramilitary group and its allies of what they called 'transitional constitution' in the Kenya-hosted conference. The foreign ministry of the internationally recognized government in Khartoum condemned the announcement in a statement. It called it a 'fake government' and urged the international community to not engage with the RSF-led administration. The RSF-led move was likely to deepen the division in Sudan. Yasir Arman, a rebel leader, said the move is likely to prolong the conflict and divide Sudan between two rival administrations — similar to neighboring Libya.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
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Will China loosen its grip on critical mineral exports?
-- Capital Economics analysts questioned in a note to clients on Thursday whether China will loosen its grip on critical mineral exports after June trade data showed a pickup in exports of rare earth elements. Despite the rise, the firm added that shipments remain well below pre-Liberation Day levels. The analysts note that following pushback from the U.S. and other trading partners, China agreed to ramp up the pace of export license approvals in June. The June trade data is said to suggest that Beijing followed through on the commitment, with exports of rare earth elements more than doubling between May and June. However, 'China's rare earth exports remain weak,' said Capital Economics, stating they are almost 40% lower than June last year. In addition, exports of other critical minerals have continued to fall, according to the firm. 'While declines in rare earth exports following April's export controls were particularly sharp, China's exports of critical minerals have been falling sharply since the start of this year,' added the firm. While Trump announced last month that China had agreed to supply 'full magnets, and any necessary rare earths… up front,' Capital Economics said the signals from China have been less positive. 'China is showing little sign of being willing to loosen its control of the world's supply of critical metals,' commented the firm. They explain that China's export controls don't just serve as a tool in trade negotiations, but also have 'broader strategic aims,' giving Chinese manufacturers a competitive edge in strategic industries. 'The upshot is that, while China's relationship with the U.S. seems to be warming, Beijing will continue to keep a tight grip on critical mineral exports,' concluded Capital Economics. Related articles Will China loosen its grip on critical mineral exports? Clients buying into summer rally, bracing for later pullback, says BofA's Hartnett After soaring 149%, this stock is back in our AI's favor - & already +25% in July
