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The Defence Ministry reports that Russia has destroyed 120 Ukrainian drones in one night.
The Russian Defence Ministry reported that the anti-aircraft system of Russia had destroyed 120 Ukrainian drones over night, mainly in bordering regions, but there was no damage. Ukraine is increasingly using drones in its war against Russia, which has lasted more than three years. Defence Ministry reported that drones were intercepted over night in Belgorod, Kursk and western Bryansk regions. The Oryol area, bordering Kursk, has also been the target of previous Ukrainian drone attacks that targeted oil facilities. Rosaviatsiya (Russia's Civil Aviation Authority) has lifted the restrictions placed overnight at airports such as St. Petersburg, Kaluga and Moscow to ensure safety. (Reporting and editing by Helen Popper; Vladimir Soldatkin)
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China extends flight path over Taiwan Strait by a third time
China announced on Sunday that it had opened a third flight extension along the M503 route. This is located just west of a unofficial dividing boundary in the Taiwan Strait. Taipei reacted by saying this was an "unilateral move" aimed at changing status quo. Last year, China moved the M503 flight route closer to median line. This drew a similar angry response from Taipei. It said that any changes made to the flight routes and their extensions should be communicated and agreed upon in advance by both parties. The W121 extension was opened just days before Taiwan's annual Han Kuang drills, which simulate a Chinese invasion and blockade of its democratic island. China has been flying warplanes over the median line to try to get Taipei, which claims sovereignty in China, to accept Beijing's claim. Civil Aviation Authority of China announced that "in order for the civil aviation to improve the operational efficiency and further optimize the airspace, the W121 line will be used as a connection of the M503 route." In a recent statement, Taiwan's China Policy-making Mainland Affairs Council stated that mainland China had "used unilateral action to change the status quo" and to increase unrest in the region and across Taiwan Strait. The third extension is W123, located to the south of W121. It was opened last year. All three extend west-east from mainland China to Taiwan. The Taiwan Affairs Office of China said that this measure was taken to "ensure flight safety, reduce flight delays and protect the rights and interest of passengers." The opening of the Strait was deemed "beneficial" for both sides. Taipei rejected the explanation, calling it "unjustified". It said that "the number" of international air travelers on the mainland had not recovered to levels before the COVID-19 pandemic. The Han Kuang military exercises will last 10 days. Taiwan is under increased pressure from China who considers Taiwan as their own. (Reporting from Yimou Le in Taipei and Marius Zaharia, Hong Kong; editing by Christian Schmollinger).
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China extends flight path over Taiwan Strait by a third time
China's Civil Aviation Authority said on Sunday that it had opened a third expansion of the M503 route. This flight route has been the subject of complaints by Taipei for many years due to its location just west of a unofficial dividingline in the Taiwan Strait. China moved the M503 route last year closer to the median, provoking an angry response from Taipei. It said Beijing was "packaging" civil aviation to serve political or military purposes, and potentially change the status quo of the Strait. The W121 extension was opened just days before Taiwan's annual Han Kuang drills, which simulate a Chinese invasion and blockade of its democratic island. China has been flying warplanes over the median line to try to get Taipei, which claims sovereignty in China, to accept Beijing's claim. Civil Aviation Authority of China announced that "to further optimize airspace and improve operational efficiency from now on, the civil aviation will use W121 connection lines of the M503 routes." Taiwan's China Policy-making Mainland Affairs Council has not responded to a comment request immediately. The third extension is W123, located to the south of W121. It was opened last year. All three extend west-east from mainland China to Taiwan. The Taiwan Affairs Office of China said that the measure was designed to "ensure flight safety, reduce flight delays and protect the rights and interest of passengers." The opening of the Strait was "beneficial" for both sides. Han Kuang, which will last 10 days, is set to begin on 9 July. Taiwan, facing increased military pressure from China which views the island as its own. (Reporting and editing by Saad Saeed; Additional reporting in Taipei by Yimou Le.
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F-16 escorts aircraft out of the area after airspace violation near Trump's Golf Course
The U.S. military released a statement saying that an F-16 fighter jet intercepted on Saturday a general aviation plane that had violated the temporary restriction placed over the golf club of U.S. president Donald Trump in Bedminster in New Jersey. North American Aerospace Defense Command said that the incident occurred at 2:39 pm (1839 GMT) and marked the fifth unauthorised incursion into the restricted airspace Saturday. The jet's identity was confirmed by a spokesperson. NORAD released a press release stating that the NORAD aircraft performed a headbutt maneuver in order to attract the attention of the civilian pilot. The aircraft was then safely escorted away from the area. The White House did not comment immediately on the incident. NORAD reported several similar incidents over the past few weeks and urges general aviation pilots in that area to review all notifications. (Reporting and editing by Alistair Bell; Reporting by Andrea Shalal)
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Mayor of Moscow: Russian air defences shot down four drones heading for Moscow
The mayor of Moscow said that Russian air defences destroyed four Ukrainian drones heading for Moscow on Saturday. One of the main airports in the capital temporarily stopped outgoing flights. The mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, said that emergency services are working on the site of the drones which have fallen but did not give any information about potential damage. In a Telegram report, the Russian Defence Ministry said that air defence units destroyed 48 Ukrainian drones over a five-hour period on Saturday evening. Five drones were in the area surrounding Moscow and two others were heading for the capital. According to the report of the Defence Ministry, the total consisted of 17 drones flying over the Bryansk Region near the Ukrainian border as well as 11 in the adjacent Oryol Region. Belgorod region governor, on the border, said that four Ukrainian drones injured a driver of a bus and a driver of a car. A report from the Defence Ministry stated that 94 drones were destroyed in Russia over night on Saturday, and 45 others within six hours of each other during the day. The Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow reported delays after flights had been temporarily halted. Civil Aviation Authority Rosaviatsiya stated that the measures were taken as a result of "restrictions", over the capital's skyspace, as well as high winds. Rosaviatsiya reported that incoming and departing flights were temporarily halted at airports across Russia, including Pulkovo Airport in St Petersburg, due to safety concerns. (Reporting and editing by Jan Harvey, Diane Craft and Lucy Papachristou)
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Homeland Security reports eight migrants were deported to South Sudan from Djibouti.
The Department of Homeland Security announced on Saturday that the Trump administration deported eight migrants to South Sudan who were held by the U.S. for more than one month at a Djibouti military base. This was after the migrants failed to stop their transfer in a last ditch effort. Two officials at Juba Airport said that an aircraft carrying U.S. citizens deported from the United States arrived in South Sudan Saturday. Unidentified airport staffer said he saw a document that showed the aircraft had "arrived today morning at 6:00am" (0400 GMT). A second immigration official confirmed that the deportees were in the country, but did not provide any further information. He referred all questions to National Security Service. A source from the South Sudanese government said that U.S. officials were at the airport waiting for the arrival of the migrants. The fate of these migrants has become a hot topic in the debate over the legality and effectiveness of Trump's immigration campaign, which involves high-profile deportations of migrants to "third countries", where they claim to be at risk of harm. This issue has been taken to two Supreme Courts. South Sudan is dangerous, even for the locals. U.S. State Department warns Americans not to travel to South Sudan due to violence and armed conflict. The United Nations warned that the African country's current political crisis could rekindle a brutal civil conflict that ended in 2018. Eight men from Cuba, Laos Mexico, Myanmar, Sudan, and Vietnam were deported to South Sudan, according to their attorneys, because it would be a violation of the U.S. Constitution which prohibits cruel or unusual punishment. The Americans had been in custody in Djibouti ever since a Boston federal judge blocked the Trump administration in May from moving them immediately to South Sudan due to concerns about due process. The Supreme Court of Canada on Thursday ruled that additional litigation was necessary following the Supreme Court's ruling. Siding with the Administration Lifting these limits. The courts were closed on July 4th for Independence Day, so two courts heard the emergency requests of the lawyers for migrants on Friday. However, U.S. district judge Brian Murphy said that the Supreme Court's order forced him to deny the request, allowing their deportation. It was not immediately clear where the men were located in South Sudan following their arrival.
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Mayor of Moscow: Russian air defences shot down four drones heading for Moscow
The mayor of Moscow said that Russian air defences destroyed four Ukrainian drones heading for Moscow on Saturday. One of the main airports in the capital temporarily stopped outgoing flights. The mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, said that emergency services are working on the site of the drones which have fallen but did not give any information about potential damage. The Defence Ministry reported that 94 drones were destroyed in the air over Russia on Saturday night, and another 45 between 8am MSK (0400 GMT), and 1350 MSK. The Rosaviatsia Aviation Authority in Russia said that Saturday, the outgoing flights from Sheremetyevo Airport were temporarily suspended before being lifted. They cited "restrictions" on the airspace of Moscow as well as high winds. Rosaviatsia reported that incoming and departing flights were temporarily halted at airports across Russia, including Pulkovo Airport in St Petersburg, due to safety concerns. (Reporting and editing by Lucy Papachristou)
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Liverpool players carry red wreaths to Diego Jota funeral
Diogo Jota, a soccer star from Liverpool, died along with his brother, in a car accident on Thursday. On Saturday, his Liverpool teammates, as well as local residents, attended the funeral in a small Portuguese village. Liverpool's captain Virgil Van Dijk and goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, as well as manager Arne slot, were all present and past teammates who attended the Gondomar service for Andre Silva and the striker. The English Premier League players carried into the chapel two floral tributes, one in the form of a shirt and the other in the colour red. Jota's shirt, worn by Van Dijk, has the number 20 in white flowers. One wore the number 30 worn by Jota, whose brother played in Portugal's 2nd division for FC Penafiel. The teammates entered the church silently, dressed in black with their heads down. The only sound that could be heard was the applause of the crowd. Rute Cardoso arrived with her family. She had married her childhood sweetheart Jota just weeks before the tragic accident. Jota was surrounded by hundreds of Gondomar residents, a small village in northern Portugal, where she grew up. Manuel Linda, Bishop of Porto presided over the private service for close family members and friends. Linda's emotional homily to Jota, his parents, his wife, and their three children said that "solidarity of love is stronger than death". The service was also attended by teammates of the Portuguese national squad, including Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes and both who play in the English Premier League. Jota’s death, at age 28, sent shockwaves through the soccer world and beyond. Condolences poured in from leaders across the country as well as the entire sport. After midnight on Thursday, the brothers' Lamborghini was believed to have veered from the road as they drove to a ferry to Britain. The police suspected that a tyre burst. Reporting by Graham Keeley & Sergio Gonclaves. Mark Potter edited the story.
China readies for Lunar New Year, amidst fret about the economy
Travellers thronged train stations and airports on Friday, clutching large suitcases and gifts such as boxes of fruit as they joined millions of Chinese going back to their home towns to commemorate the Lunar New Year celebration with family.
The vacation, China's greatest, this year falls between Jan. 28-Feb. 4 and marks the arrival of the Year of the Snake.
The festivities generally supercharge companies such as stores, movie theaters and dining establishments as households delight in time together feasting and shopping.
Authorities are specifically keen for individuals to open their wallets this year to improve the slow economy, and have increased the main vacation period from seven days to 8, in keeping with last year.
Main efforts to restore weak consumption also include promoting winter-themed holiday destinations and ensuring affordable airfares throughout the country, authorities said on Friday at a State Council press conference in Beijing.
More broadly, the government has actually been attempting to increase the economy with an aggressive raft of stimulus steps consisting of rate of interest cuts,
raising fundamental pensions
and expanding trade-in programs for consumer goods.
However organizations and visitors informed Reuters they were seeing indications that individuals were continuing to tighten their belts in the face of an extended property depression and stress over job security.
A Beijing-based sales professional named Liu, who was at a. railway station in the Chinese capital preparing to return to. his home town in the northeast, stated concerns about the economy. and employment were widespread.
He preferred not to share his complete name because of the. sensitivity of the concern.
It's become even more difficult to make money and discover a. job. There are much more out of work people, and they all say it. is harder, he said.
Qiang, a hairdresser operating in central Beijing who desired. to be understood only by his nickname, said that while people were. still getting their hair cut for the vacation, they were being. more selective about other services.
At this time of year, we generally have many consumers who. concerned color their hair or get a perm. However we have less of those. lucrative customers now, he said. We utilized to have eight to 10. such clients a day throughout this season in regular years. But last. year and this year, we only have about two to three.
China's transport ministry estimates a total of 9 billion. journeys will be made throughout the country throughout the 40 day travel. duration around the celebration, up from 8.4 billion journeys tape-recorded. throughout the exact same duration last year.
But some individuals stated they were foregoing the return home so. they could earn more money.
If I remain in Beijing, I will be paid triple income for four. days, I do not wish to give up the opportunity to generate income,. stated Nie, a 57-year-old who operates at a sports centre in Beijing. I began working here simply three months ago, I haven't handled. to make much money in 2024. She withheld her complete name for. personal privacy reasons.
OVERSEAS TRAVEL EYED
One brilliant spot for usage is the cinema, with advance. movie ticket sales going beyond 400 million yuan ($ 55.24 million) by. Jan. 23, according to data from ticketing platform Maoyan, the. fastest-ever pre-sales for the Lunar New Year season.
Much of the need has actually been driven by the film Legends of. the Condor Heroes: The Gallants starring star and vocalist Xiao. Zhan, who is likewise a brand name ambassador for luxury products companies. including Gucci and Tod's.
The recovery is welcome news for the movie industry, which. has had a hard time recently, total profits for China's ticket office. were 22.6% lower in 2024 than in the year before.
More Chinese are also choosing to go overseas on long-haul. journeys this year, according to Trip.com, China's biggest online. travel agency. The extended holiday means people will just need. to take two days leave for an 11-day break.
Travel agency Qunar said that reservations for outgoing flights. and vacation bundles on its platform had doubled from last year.
The most popular destinations are somewhere else in Asia,. according to data from the World Travel & & Tourism Council
(source: Reuters)