World 7 days ago - featured news

1. Rare message from North Korea

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

North Korea issued a rare statement on January 25, addressed to "all North Koreans at home and abroad."

In the statement, Pyongyang called on people to make a breakthrough in unification without the help of other countries.

All Koreans should promote contact, travel and cooperation between North Korea and South Korea, the North's media quoted the statement as saying. In addition, Pyongyang will crush challenges against the reunification of the Korean Peninsula.

2. Putin inspects Russia's most powerful bomber on test flight

A Tu-160 landing. Photo: Sputnik.

Russian President Vladimir Putin recently inspected the test flight of the country's air force's most modern supersonic strategic bomber, the Tu-160M2.RTJanuary 25 news.

After witnessing the performance of the Tu-160M2, Mr. Putin said that with the current economy, Russia can use the civilian passenger version of this supersonic "White Swan" aircraft for commercial purposes.

3. Hospital fire in South Korea, 41 people died

South Korean firefighters at the scene of a fire in Miryang. Photo: AFP.

The fire broke out at around 7:30 a.m. on January 26 in the emergency room on the first floor of Sejong Hospital in Miryang City, about 380 km southeast of Seoul.YonhapThe fire was extinguished in about 1 hour and 40 minutes, authorities said.

At least 41 people were killed and 70 injured, 13 of them critically, the National Fire Agency said.

Police estimated there were about 200 patients in the hospital when the fire broke out. Fifty-two people, most of them patients, were transferred to four nearby hospitals. About 93 patients in the nursing home were safely evacuated.

4. Türkiye invades Syria

Turkish artillery fired across the Syrian border at YPG positions. Photo: AFP.

According toBBCTurkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim confirmed on January 21 that the country's army had entered Afrin province in northern Syria, which was under the control of the US-backed Kurdish armed forces (YPG).

Ankara said the ground advance was part of its “Olive Branch” operation targeting the YPG and remnants of IS in Syria. The goal of the operation is to establish a “safe zone” about 30 km from the Turkish-Syrian border inside Syria.

5. Continue the trial of Doan Thi Huong

Doan Thi Huong in court on January 22. Photo: AFP.

On the morning of January 22, the trial of two suspects in the murder of North Korean citizen Kim Chol resumed in Malaysia after a 7-week break. Witnesses appeared in court this time to testify to the authenticity of images recorded by security cameras.

At the trial, the Indonesian suspect's lawyer said the court and prosecutors' approach to verifying images from security cameras was "too simplistic".

Meanwhile, prosecutors say the two suspects knew they were handling poison.

6.Is the US preparing a preemptive strike on North Korea's nuclear base?

B-2 Spirit bomber drops B61-11 bomb. Photo: Sputnik

It is no longer a “secret” that the US military has been gradually concentrating military equipment on the Korean peninsula after Pyongyang tested a series of ballistic missiles since April last year. According to the news agencySputnik(Russia), the Pentagon appears to be preparing forces for an attack on North Korea's nuclear bases.

Recently, B-2 Spirit stealth bombers and B-52 Stratofortress strategic bombers, two aircraft in the US nuclear triad, were deployed to the Korean Peninsula. Business Insider also reported that the B-2s may soon be equipped with improved B-61 nuclear bombs.

7. Mr. Putin discussed the Türkiye-Syria war

From right to left: Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov visit an aviation facility in Kazan (Russia) on January 25. Photo: Reuters

On January 26, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with the Russian Security Council to prepare for the Syrian National Dialogue Congress to take place in Sochi early next week. Also attending the meeting were Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

In addition to the preparations for the congress in Sochi, Mr. Putin also spent time discussing Türkiye's "Olive Branch" operation against the Kurdish militia (YPG) in Afrin (Syria). At the meeting, Mr. Putin announced his phone call with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on January 23 about Afrin.