Latest news with #JonasGahrStore
Al Jazeera
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,244
Here is how things stand on Tuesday, July 22: Fighting A large-scale Russian drone and missile attack on Kyiv killed two people and wounded 15, including a 12-year-old, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. The attack caused widespread damage, including when a drone hit the entrance to a subway station in Kyiv's Shevchenkivskyi district, where people had taken cover. Ukraine's Air Force said Russia launched 426 drones and 24 missiles in the overnight attack, making it one of Russia's largest aerial assaults in months. A Russian drone attack on Ukraine's northeastern Sumy region injured 11 people, including a five-year-old boy, Governor Oleh Hryhorov said on Telegram. Ukraine's Air Force said it downed or jammed 224 Russian drones and missiles, while another 203 drones disappeared from radars. The Russian Ministry of Defence said that Russian air defence systems downed 132 Ukrainian drones on Monday. The governor of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhia region, Yevgeny Balitsky, said that fragments of Ukrainian drones fell on a kindergarten and a fire station in the region's port city of Berdyansk but there were no casualties. Military aid Norway is ready to help fund the deployment of US Patriot missile systems for Ukraine's air defences, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store told reporters at a joint news conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin. The Netherlands will also make a 'substantial contribution' to the delivery of Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine, the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf reported on Monday, quoting the country's Minister of Defence Ruben Brekelmans. Zelenskyy wrote on X that 'a decision by French companies to begin manufacturing drones in Ukraine' is 'highly valuable'. Ukrainian Minister for Defence Denys Shmyhal said the country needs $6bn to close this year's defence procurement gap, in an online meeting with Western allies. The Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting of high-level military donors to Kyiv was led by the United Kingdom's defence secretary, John Healey, and his German counterpart, Boris Pistorius. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and NATO leader Mark Rutte were among the attendees. Politics and diplomacy New talks between Russia and Ukraine will take place in Turkiye on Wednesday, Zelenskyy said in his daily public address, with more details to be released on Tuesday. 'A lot of diplomatic work lies ahead,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters earlier on Monday, commenting on the prospects for a breakthrough with Kyiv on ending the war. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot emphasised France's support to Ukraine in a surprise visit to Kyiv. Ukraine's security services detained an official from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine on accusations of spying for Russia. Italy's Royal Palace of Caserta cancelled a concert by Russian conductor Valery Gergiev, a vocal backer of Russian President Vladimir Putin, after uproar from Ukraine and its supporters.
Straits Times
21 hours ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Nato allies Germany, Norway vow to step up North Atlantic surveillance
Find out what's new on ST website and app. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (right) and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store addressing a joint press conference in Berlin on July 21. BERLIN - Nato allies Germany and Norway agreed on July 21 to step up surveillance against maritime and airborne 'threats' in the northern Atlantic region amid high tensions with Russia over the Ukraine war. 'Germany and Norway aim to ensure stability and security in maritime areas, including in the High North,' said a joint statement released as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz met with Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store in Berlin. The two countries also reaffirmed their 'unwavering support for Ukraine as it defends its freedom, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity against Russia's continued war of aggression.' Berlin and Oslo said that 'the North Atlantic, including the strategically crucial Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom (GIUK) and Bear gaps and adjacent waters, and the North and Baltic Seas, are crucial for both Norwegian and German security.' This, they said, was why their armed forces trained and patrolled the seas together and 'cooperate closely under Nato's Regional Plans', the statement added. During the Cold War, Nato kept close watch of the so-called GIUK gap, the key passageway for Soviet submarines and naval vessels from Arctic bases to enter the Atlantic Ocean. Germany and Norway said they would strengthen their 'surveillance and control over these strategic areas to counter potential threats, including maritime and airborne activities.' Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Subsidies and grants for some 20,000 people miscalculated due to processing issue: MOH Asia At least 19 killed as Bangladesh air force plane crashes at college campus Singapore ST Explains: What does it mean for etomidate to be listed under the Misuse of Drugs Act? Business Why Singapore and its businesses stand to lose with US tariffs on the region Singapore NTU to have compulsory cadaver dissection classes for medical students from 2026 World US authorities probing passenger jet's close call with B-52 bomber over North Dakota Singapore Jail for man who conspired with another to bribe MOH agency employee with $18k Paris trip Singapore New research institute will grow S'pore's talent in nuclear energy, safety They also said that their cooperation in the North Atlantic and North Sea would include 'enhanced protection of critical underwater infrastructure'. AFP
Bloomberg
21 hours ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Germany to Weigh Energy Needs Before TenneT Investment Decision
Germany wants to take a study on its future energy needs into consideration before making a final decision on a potential investment in TenneT, its largest power grid operator. The government is 'also discussing the question of whether there is a certain need for consolidation among the existing network operators,' Chancellor Friedrich Merz told reporters in Berlin on Monday during a meeting with Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, adding that he cannot anticipate the outcome.
Time of India
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Nordic nations embrace total defense as the risk of sabotage and war rises
In 1944, Norwegian resistance fighters in the town of Kongsberg blew up a factory making cannons for occupying Nazi German forces during World War II. More than 80 years later, the municipality could once again be a target for sabotage and is preparing for war. The local authorities have dusted off Cold War-era bomb shelters, installed a new satellite communications system and are working with the military on plans to help a deployment of Western forces in case of conflict. "The lesson we learned from Ukraine is that everybody pitched in," said Odd John Resser, Kongsberg's Emergency Planning Officer, noting breweries that pivoted to making Molotov cocktails, local authorities that built schools in shelters and weapons factories which ramped up production. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 모공각화증, 스크럽보다 '이것' 먼저 해보세요 현명한소비자 Undo Across the Nordic nations , governments are boosting defense spending, reassessing security and pushing the concept of total defense. It's an approach which mobilizes the whole of society to defend against military and non-military threats. As Moscow wages war in Ukraine, Western officials are accusing Russia of being behind a campaign of sabotage, arson and cyberattacks and there are jitters across the continent about whether Europe can rely on the U.S. as a partner. Live Events The Norwegian government published its first national security strategy in May, saying the country is facing its most serious security situation since World War Two. "After decades of peace," it warned, "a new era has begun for Norway and for Europe." "What is now happening in Ukraine has to be a wake-up call for all and we must strengthen our defense to prevent anything like that from happening to us," Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store told The Associated Press. Total defense Norway announced in January that it plans to start building bomb shelters in new buildings after halting the practice in 1998. The Swedish government appointed its first minister for civil defense in 2022, shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine. Residents aged 16 to 70 are required to serve in the event or threat of war, either in the military or helping to provide rescue, firefighting, healthcare or other services. Finland's civil defense shelters are the envy of the Nordics and can fit around 86% of the Finnish population. One public shelter in Helsinki can fit 6,000 people, is designed to withstand the fallout from a nuclear attack and is in an almost constant state of readiness with beds and sinks tucked away behind blast doors and an underground hockey pitch. Norway and some other Nordic nations also tell residents to have enough food and water stored for seven days. "How would you and your nearest family manage if the electricity supply was cut off for a longer period? What would you do if the water supply failed?" the Norwegian handbook asks. AP spoke to 11 people in Kongsberg and the majority said they had some form of supplies. While most didn't have a stockpile for seven days - and some had nothing at all - two people said they could probably survive for more than a week. "Russia is very close to Norway and you don't know what's going to happen. I would rather be prepared than not prepared," said Katina Bakke, who works in a sports shop in Kongsberg. Community support for troops Although Norwegian authorities are not expecting an imminent conflict, if war comes to Northern Europe, Kongsberg could be critical. The municipality, 85 kilometers (52 miles) southwest of the Norwegian capital Oslo with a population of around 27,000 people, is the headquarters of the Kongsberg Group, which makes high-precision weapons currently used in Ukraine. The company opened a new factory in 2024, ramping up production of advanced missiles used by multiple European countries. The town could also play host to troops if there is a conflict. In May, local authorities across the region met with the military to plan support for Western troops with logistics and healthcare in the event of a deployment. "If the allies are coming to Norway, either staying, training, doing war work or in transit towards the east, we will have a big task for the whole community to support that," Resser said. By readying for the worst, Resser said, the municipality also prepares for other - more likely - threats such as a pandemic, extreme weather or power outages such as the one that immobilized Spain and Portugal in April. Power generation and print-outs Authorities in Kongsberg were not always so proactive but a flood in 2007 and an exercise simulating a four-day power disruption in 2016 made them realize they needed to step up. They did a risk assessment, as obliged by law, identified more than 30 vulnerabilities and started spending money on contingency plans. Back-up power generators were bought for the town hall, medical facilities and old people's homes as well as a satellite link to be able to call for help. In case of a cyberattack, the local health authorities print and file critical patient data once a week. There were teething problems - the first satellite phones purchased in 2017 could only connect from the local graveyard which was "not practical" in -20 degrees Celsius (-4 Fahrenheit) in winter, said Resser. The second system was discovered to be broken in November last year, shortly after Donald Trump was elected for a second term as U.S. president. Unsure of what Trump's election would mean for Norway, the local authorities chose a Norwegian satellite communications provider over an American competitor, Resser said, because the municipality wanted to make sure it had "national control" in an emergency. The "key difference" in the resilience model used across the Nordic nations is that it "empowers" local authorities to make decisions said Martha Turnbull, Director at the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats in Helsinki, Finland. In the Nordics it's not up to the army to bring in bottles of water in a crisis; rather, there is the "expectation" that local authorities will respond, along with civilians and businesses, Turnbull said. Sabotage Europeans elsewhere need to realize the threat from Moscow can reach "much deeper" than nations bordering Russia, said Matthew Redhead, a national security expert at the Royal United Services Institute in London. "The threat is rising," from Russia's campaign of vandalism, sabotage and arson across Europe and Moscow could target energy grids, internet cables and water supplies, Norway's Defense Minister Tore O. Sandvik told AP. "Sabotage has become one of the threats that is now on the radar to an extent that we haven't seen probably since the Second World War" said Even Tvedt, Chief Security Officer at the Kongsberg Group. Reeling off suspicious incidents at the company, he detailed how in 2024 an activist tried to destroy engines for fighter jets, drones were spotted over an area where it's illegal to fly and attempts were made to get through a factory perimeter. It's not always possible to identify motivation or to say if the incidents are separate, linked or just "some kid" flying a drone, but the number of suspicious events indicates sabotage is highly possible, Tvedt said. Moscow is ramping up its activities in Europe to a "pre-war" level, said Redhead, but away from Russia ordinary people and local authorities may be less ready for a crisis because "we don't think we will be on the front line." "Freaking people out about this at some point is potentially quite necessary."
Time of India
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Nordic nations embrace total defence as risk of sabotage, war rises
The above-ground entrance to a public shelter, which can fit around 450 people in case of crisis or war, is seen in Kongsberg, Norway (Image credit: AP) In 1944, Norwegian resistance fighters in the town of Kongsberg blew up a factory making cannons for occupying Nazi German forces during World War II. More than 80 years later, the municipality could once again be a target for sabotage and is preparing for war. The local authorities have dusted off Cold War-era bomb shelters, installed a new satellite communications system and are working with the military on plans to help a deployment of Western forces in case of conflict. "The lesson we learned from Ukraine is that everybody pitched in," said Odd John Resser, Kongsberg's Emergency Planning Officer, noting breweries that pivoted to making Molotov cocktails, local authorities that built schools in shelters and weapons factories which ramped up production. Across the Nordic nations, governments are boosting defence spending, reassessing security and pushing the concept of total defence. It's an approach which mobilizes the whole of society to defend against military and non-military threats. As Moscow wages war in Ukraine, Western officials are accusing Russia of being behind a campaign of sabotage, arson and cyberattacks and there are jitters across the continent about whether Europe can rely on the US as a partner. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trading CFD dengan Teknologi dan Kecepatan Lebih Baik IC Markets Mendaftar Undo The Norwegian government published its first national security strategy in May, saying the country is facing its most serious security situation since World War Two. "After decades of peace," it warned, "a new era has begun for Norway and for Europe." "What is now happening in Ukraine has to be a wake-up call for all and we must strengthen our defence to prevent anything like that from happening to us," Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store told The Associated Press. Total defence Norway announced in January that it plans to start building bomb shelters in new buildings after halting the practice in 1998. The Swedish government appointed its first minister for civil defence in 2022, shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine. Residents aged 16 to 70 are required to serve in the event or threat of war, either in the military or helping to provide rescue, firefighting, healthcare or other services. Finland's civil defence shelters are the envy of the Nordics and can fit around 86 per cent of the Finnish population. One public shelter in Helsinki can fit 6,000 people, is designed to withstand the fallout from a nuclear attack and is in an almost constant state of readiness with beds and sinks tucked away behind blast doors and an underground hockey pitch. Norway and some other Nordic nations also tell residents to have enough food and water stored for seven days. "How would you and your nearest family manage if the electricity supply was cut off for a longer period? What would you do if the water supply failed?" the Norwegian handbook asks. AP spoke to 11 people in Kongsberg and the majority said they had some form of supplies. While most didn't have a stockpile for seven days - and some had nothing at all - two people said they could probably survive for more than a week. "Russia is very close to Norway and you don't know what's going to happen. I would rather be prepared than not prepared," said Katina Bakke, who works in a sports shop in Kongsberg. Community support for troops: Although Norwegian authorities are not expecting an imminent conflict, if war comes to Northern Europe, Kongsberg could be critical. The municipality, 85 kilometres southwest of the Norwegian capital Oslo with a population of around 27,000 people, is the headquarters of the Kongsberg Group, which makes high-precision weapons currently used in Ukraine. The company opened a new factory in 2024, ramping up production of advanced missiles used by multiple European countries. The town could also play host to troops if there is a conflict. In May, local authorities across the region met with the military to plan support for Western troops with logistics and healthcare in the event of a deployment. "If the allies are coming to Norway, either staying, training, doing war work or in transit towards the east, we will have a big task for the whole community to support that," Resser said. By readying for the worst, Resser said, the municipality also prepares for other - more likely - threats such as a pandemic, extreme weather or power outages such as the one that immobilized Spain and Portugal in April. Sabotage: Europeans elsewhere need to realise the threat from Moscow can reach "much deeper" than nations bordering Russia, said Matthew Redhead, a national security expert at the Royal United Services Institute in London. "The threat is rising," from Russia's campaign of vandalism, sabotage and arson across Europe and Moscow could target energy grids, internet cables and water supplies, Norway's defence minister Tore O Sandvik told AP. "Sabotage has become one of the threats that is now on the radar to an extent that we haven't seen probably since the Second World War" said Even Tvedt, Chief Security Officer at the Kongsberg Group. Reeling off suspicious incidents at the company, he detailed how in 2024 an activist tried to destroy engines for fighter jets, drones were spotted over an area where it's illegal to fly and attempts were made to get through a factory perimeter. It's not always possible to identify motivation or to say if the incidents are separate, linked or just "some kid" flying a drone, but the number of suspicious events indicates sabotage is highly possible, Tvedt said. Moscow is ramping up its activities in Europe to a "pre-war" level, said Redhead, but away from Russia ordinary people and local authorities may be less ready for a crisis because "we don't think we will be on the front line." "Freaking people out about this at some point is potentially quite necessary."
