UKRAINE
US defense head arrives
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin yesterday made an unannounced visit to Kyiv to reassure Ukraine that Washington would continue supporting its fight against invading Russian forces. The US has provided tens of billions of dollars in security aid for Ukraine and repeatedly pledged to back Kyiv for “as long as it takes,” but opposition from hardline Republican lawmakers has raised doubts about more US assistance. Austin “traveled to Ukraine today to meet with Ukrainian leaders and reinforce the staunch support of the United States for Ukraine’s fight for freedom,” the Pentagon said in a statement on the trip, which was not previously announced due to security concerns. “He will also underscore the continued US commitment to providing Ukraine with the security assistance it needs to defend itself from Russian aggression,” it said.
PHILIPPINES
Quake death toll rises
The number of people killed in a magnitude 6.7 earthquake that struck the Mindanao region on Friday has risen to nine, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said yesterday, warning the toll could increase. At least 15 people were injured and more than 800 houses damaged or destroyed in the quake, the agency said in its latest update. The death toll steadily rose over the weekend as searchers found more bodies buried under rubble or soil. “I’m hoping to God that our death toll won’t go up anymore, but we’re still waiting for the information coming from the regions,” council spokesman Mark Timbal said.
FRANCE
Napoleon hat sold for US$2m
A faded and cracked felt bicorne hat worn by Napoleon Bonaparte sold for US$2.1 million at an auction on Sunday of the French emperor’s belongings. The signature broad, black hat — one of a handful still in existence that Napoleon wore when he ruled 19th-century France and waged war in Europe — was initially valued at 600,000 to 800,000 euros (US$655,956 to US$874,608). It was the centerpiece of Sunday’s auction in Fontainebleau of memorabilia collected by a French industrialist who died last year. The bidding quickly rose until a buyer was declared at 1.5 million euros, Osenat auction house said. The buyer, whose identity was not released, must pay a 28.8 percent commission, bringing the overall cost to 1.9 million euros, Osenat said.
BRAZIL
Bolsonaro probed over whale
Federal police are investigating former president Jair Bolsonaro after a man who resembled him was filmed “harassing” a humpback whale while riding a personal watercraft near Sao Sebastiao. Bolsonaro’s anti-environmental policies earned him the nickname “Captain Chainsaw” during a four-year administration characterized by soaring destruction of the Amazon. In June a man fitting Bolsonaro’s description was filmed about 15m from a humpback whale that had surfaced. “The man, thought to be Bolsonaro, was shooting a video with a mobile phone as the whale performed aerial behaviors suggesting distress or discomfort,” the news Web site iG reported. The “deliberate harassment of any species of cetacean” is illegal in Brazil. The ex-president on Saturday dismissed the inquiry as political persecution. “Every day they accuse me of some kind of mischief. Yesterday it was hounding whales,” Bolsonaro told supporters, before making a disparaging remark about Minister of Justice Flavio Dino, whom he likened to a whale.
Seven people sustained mostly minor injuries in an airplane fire in South Korea, authorities said yesterday, with local media suggesting the blaze might have been caused by a portable battery stored in the overhead bin. The Air Busan plane, an Airbus A321, was set to fly to Hong Kong from Gimhae International Airport in southeastern Busan, but caught fire in the rear section on Tuesday night, the South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said. A total of 169 passengers and seven flight attendants and staff were evacuated down inflatable slides, it said. Authorities initially reported three injuries, but revised the number
‘BALD-FACED LIE’: The woman is accused of administering non-prescribed drugs to the one-year-old and filmed the toddler’s distress to solicit donations online A social media influencer accused of filming the torture of her baby to gain money allegedly manufactured symptoms causing the toddler to have brain surgery, a magistrate has heard. The 34-year-old Queensland woman is charged with torturing an infant and posting videos of the little girl online to build a social media following and solicit donations. A decision on her bail application in a Brisbane court was yesterday postponed after the magistrate opted to take more time before making a decision in an effort “not to be overwhelmed” by the nature of allegations “so offensive to right-thinking people.” The Sunshine Coast woman —
BORDER SERVICES: With the US-funded International Rescue Committee telling clinics to shut by tomorrow, Burmese refugees face sudden discharge from Thai hospitals Healthcare centers serving tens of thousands of refugees on the Thai-Myanmar border have been ordered shut after US President Donald Trump froze most foreign aid last week, forcing Thai officials to transport the sickest patients to other facilities. The International Rescue Committee (IRC), which funds the clinics with US support, told the facilities to shut by tomorrow, a local official and two camp committee members said. The IRC did not respond to a request for comment. Trump last week paused development assistance from the US Agency for International Development for 90 days to assess compatibility with his “America First” policy. The freeze has thrown
TESTING BAN: Satellite photos show a facility in the Chinese city of Mianyang that could aid nuclear weapons design and power generation, a US researcher said China appears to be building a large laser-ignited fusion research center in the southwestern city of Mianyang, experts at two analytical organizations said, a development that could aid nuclear weapons design and work exploring power generation. Satellite photos show four outlying “arms” that would house laser bays, and a central experiment bay that would hold a target chamber containing hydrogen isotopes the powerful lasers would fuse together, producing energy, said Decker Eveleth, a researcher at US-based independent research organization CNA Corp. It is a similar layout to the US$3.5 billion US National Ignition Facility (NIF) in northern California, which in 2022 generated
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