Rorisang Modiba delivers daily updates from around the world.
Ukraine – Ukraine arrested two security officers, both colonels, who are accused of being involved in a Russian plan to kill President Volodymyr Zelensky. The plan, prevented by Ukraine’s State Security Service, involved these officers engaging in actions against Ukraine for money. They were charged with treason, and one faces additional charges related to planning a terrorist act. They allegedly received drones and ammunition from Russia’s Federal Security Service to enable an explosion.
China – A knife attack at Chengnan Hospital in Zhenxiong County, Yunnan Province, resulted in two deaths and 21 injuries. The incident happened just before midday on Tuesday. A 40-year-old man was arrested shortly after the attack. While the motive is unclear, the suspect’s relatives and locals suggest it could be related to a past conflict which resulted in his previous imprisonment. The suspect had served three years for assault related to a dispute over a motorcycle sale and reportedly changed significantly after his release from jail. The investigation is ongoing.
Russia – President Vladimir Putin has directed Russian military forces to work on drills involving tactical battlefield nuclear weapons in response to what he concludes as threats from the West. This announcement follows Putin’s prior hints at the possible use of these weapons since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The exercises will focus on the operational aspects of deploying non-strategic nuclear weapons, which are designed for battlefield use and are less powerful than those intended to destroy cities. The Russian defence ministry attributes these drills to recent “provocative statements and threats” from Western officials amid heightened tensions.
Philippines – Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte publicly criticised his successor, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr, calling him a drug addict, to which Marcos retorted, suggesting Duterte was under the influence of opioids. This exchange marked a significant rift in the political alliance between the Duterte and Marcos families, which had been instrumental in Marcos’s landslide victory in 2022. Despite predictions of their partnership dissolving, Marcos and Vice-President Sara Duterte, Rodrigo Duterte’s daughter, continue to present a united front as the “UniTeam.”
Pictured above: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Image source: X
