PARIS, 27th February 2025 (BSS/AFP) – France is engaged in discussions with Ukraine regarding access to its mineral resources, which may include materials intended for military purposes, according to Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu. “We are in talks about this issue for France’s requirements,” Lecornu told the Franceinfo broadcaster, one day before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky […]

WASHINGTON, 27 February 2025 (BSS/AFP) – US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he was revoking the permit allowing Chevron to operate in Venezuela, cutting off a critical source of revenue for the crisis-stricken economy of Nicolás Maduro’s government. Sanctions Reinstated Amid Political Tensions Trump’s decision comes amid escalating tensions with the Venezuelan administration, […]

PORT LOUIS, 27 February 2025 (BSS/AFP) – The Indian Ocean islands of Mauritius and La Réunion are preparing for the impact of Cyclone Garance, an intense tropical storm that has been classified as a “direct threat” to both territories. Authorities in Mauritius closed the country’s main airport on Wednesday, while the French island of La […]

SEOUL, 27 February 2025 (BSS/AFP) – North Korea has dispatched additional soldiers to Russia and redeployed several troops to the frontline in Kursk, according to intelligence sources in Seoul. South Korean and Western intelligence agencies have previously reported that more than 10,000 North Korean soldiers were deployed to Russia last year to support its military […]

NIAMEY, Niger, 27 February 2025 (BSS/AFP) – Two attacks carried out by “armed bandits” in southwestern Niger have resulted in the deaths of 16 people, according to reports from state radio. Although the perpetrators have not been identified, the nature of the attacks closely resembles jihadist raids that have increasingly destabilised the central Sahel region […]

HANOI, 27 February 2025 (BSS/AFP) – A Vietnamese court on Thursday sentenced a prominent independent journalist to 30 months in prison over Facebook posts that criticised the government, according to state media. Huy Duc, a veteran journalist who once worked for major state-run newspapers, gained prominence through his widely followed blog and Facebook account, where […]

MOSCOW, 27 February 2025 (BSS/AFP) – Russia’s Ministry of Defence announced on Thursday that it had intercepted and destroyed 19 drones overnight across various regions of the country, including the annexed Crimean Peninsula. Meanwhile, local authorities reported the death of one person in the Belgorod region following a drone attack. The governor of Belgorod, Vyacheslav […]