Live Streaming
Program Highlight
Company Profile
International News (6889)
April
South Korea says leaked US intel document 'untrue', amid spying allegations
Written by Nur Yasmin
South Korea said on Tuesday that information contained in a purportedly leaked U.S. confidential document that appeared to be based on internal discussions among top South Korean security officials was "untrue" and "altered".
Several documents have been recently posted on social media offering a partial, month-old snapshot of the war in Ukraine, sparking a diplomatic row between the U.S. and some allies.
One of the documents gave details of internal discussions among South Korean officials about U.S. pressure on Seoul to help supply weapons to Ukraine, suggesting the U.S. could have been spying on South Korea, one of its most important allies, and inviting condemnation from the Asian nation's lawmakers.
The office of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said in a statement that suspicions his office in Seoul was monitored are "utterly false" and that any attempts to shake its alliance with the U.S. is an act "compromising national interest".
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin held phone talks with his South Korean counterpart on Tuesday during which the two sides agreed that much of the document on South Korea has been fabricated, Yoon's office said.
It did not elaborate on which part of the document was untrue.
South Korea's defence ministry said that during the phone conversation that took place at the request of Austin, the Pentagon chief explained about recent media reports on the leak and vowed to closely communicate with South Korea on the issue.
The revelation comes just weeks before Yoon is scheduled to meet with U.S. President Joe Biden in Washington, on April 26.
Some lawmakers of South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party expressed "strong regret" on Monday over the alleged surveillance, calling it a clear violation of national sovereignty and a major security failure of the Yoon administration.
Kim Tae-hyo, South Korea's Deputy National Security Adviser, said the latest controversy will not have an impact on South Korea's alliance with the U.S., as he departed for Washington ahead of Yoon's visit.
"The U.S. is the country with the world's best intelligence capabilities and since (Yoon's) inauguration we have shared intelligence in almost every sector," Kim told reporters.
The document, which does not appear to have a date on it, said that South Korea had agreed to sell artillery shells to help the U.S. replenish its stockpiles, insisting that the "end user" should be the U.S. military. But internally, top South Korean officials were worried that the U.S. would divert them to Ukraine.
South Korea has said its law forbids supplying weapons to countries engaged in conflict, meaning it can't send arms to Ukraine.
Reuters has not independently verified the documents' authenticity. U.S. officials have said some giving battlefield casualty estimates from Ukraine appeared to have been altered to understate Russian losses. (Reuters)
April
Volcano erupts in Russian far east, carpeting villages in ash
Written by Nur Yasmin
One of Russia's most active volcanoes erupted on the far eastern Kamchatka peninsula on Tuesday, shooting a vast cloud of ash far into the sky that smothered villages in drifts of grey volcanic dust and triggered an aviation warning.
The Shiveluch volcano erupted just after midnight reaching a crescendo about six hours later, spewing out an ash cloud over an area of 108,000 square kilometres (41,699 square miles), according to the Kamchatka Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences' Geophysical Survey.
Lava flows tumbled from the volcano, melting snow and prompting a warning of mud flows along a nearby highway while villages were carpeted in drifts of grey ash as deep as 8.5 centimetres, the deepest in 60 years.
Pictures showed the cloud billowing swiftly over the forests and rivers of the far east and of villages covered in ash.
"The ash reached 20 kilometres high, the ash cloud moved westwards and there was a very strong fall of ash on nearby villages," said Danila Chebrov, director of the Kamchatka branch of the Geophysical Survey.
"The volcano was preparing for this for at least a year... and the process is continuing though it has calmed a little now," Chebrov said.
About 300,000 people live on Russia's vast Kamchatka peninsula, which juts into the Pacific Ocean northeast of Japan.
The volcano, one of Kamchatka's largest and most active, would probably calm now, Chebrov said, though he cautioned that further major ash clouds could not be excluded. Chebrov said the lava flows should not reach local villages.
There were no immediate reports of casualties, though scientists said the volcano was still erupting 15 hours after the start of the eruption.
DRIFTS OF ASH
The Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT) issued a red notice for aviation, saying "ongoing activity could affect international and low-flying aircraft."
Some schools on the peninsula, about 6,800 km east of Moscow, were closed and residents ordered to stay indoors, head of the Ust-Kamchatsky municipal region Oleg Bondarenko said in a Telegram post.
"Because what I have just seen here with my own eyes, it will be impossible for children to go to school, and in general, the presence of children here is questionable," Bondarenko said.
He said residents' power had been restored and drinking water was being supplied.
Shiveluch has had an estimated 60 substantial eruptions in the past 10,000 years, the last major one being in 2007.
It has two main parts, the smaller of which -- Young Shiveluch -- scientists have reported as being extremely active in recent months, with a peak of 2,800 metres (9,186 feet) that protrudes out of the 3,283 metre-high Old Shiveluch. (Reuters)
April
Philippines tells China sites for U.S. military pact not for 'offensive action'
Written by Nur Yasmin
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr assured China on Monday that military bases accessible to the United States would not be used in any offensive action, stressing the arrangement with Washington was designed to boost his country's defences.
China's foreign ministry last week said the United States strengthening military deployment in the Philippines would only lead to more tension in the region, after Manila allowed Washington access to more of its bases.
"China's reaction was not surprising," Marcos told reporters. "The Philippines will not allow the bases to be used in any offensive action," he said.
The Philippines identified last week four more of its bases the United States will get access to, almost doubling the number included in its Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).
The locations of the bases are significant, with three facing north towards Taiwan and one near the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, where China has built artificial islands equipped with runways and missile systems.
EDCA underlines the Philippines' strategic importance to the former colonial ruler the United States, coming at a time of growing concern over China's conduct in the South China Sea and tension over self-ruled Taiwan.
Signed in 2014, it allows U.S. access to Philippine bases for joint training, pre-positioning of equipment and building of facilities such as runways, fuel storage and military housing, but it is not a permanent presence.
"If no one is attacking us, they need not worry because we will not fight them," Marcos said. "What we are doing is we are strengthening our territorial defence, the defence of the Republic."
Marcos' remarks also come ahead of the largest ever joint military exercises between the Philippines and the United States, which will feature for the first time live fire exercises at sea. (Reuters)
April
EU concerned by Chinese drills around Taiwan, calls for restraint
Written by Nur Yasmin
The European Union expressed concern on Monday over Chinese military drills around Taiwan, saying the island's status should not be changed by force as any escalation, accident or use of force there would have huge global implications.
China's military carried out aerial and naval blockade drills around Taiwan on Monday, its last scheduled day of exercises, with a Chinese aircraft carrier joining in combat patrols as Taipei reported another surge of warplanes near the island. read more
"We are concerned by the intensification of military activities of the People's Liberation Army in the Taiwan Strait and around Taiwan, with incursions in Taiwanese Air Defence Identification Zone and crossing of the median line," EU Commission spokeswoman for foreign affairs Nabila Massrali said.
"The status quo should not be changed unilaterally or by force. Any instability in the Strait resulting from escalation, accident or use of force would have huge economic and security implications for the region and globally," she said.
"It is key to exercise restraint. Tensions should be resolved through a meaningful and open dialogue. The EU and its Member States will continue supporting efforts aiming to preserve peace and stability in the region," she said. (Reuters)
April
Drifting migrant boat in Mediterranean supplied with fuel but no rescue, NGO says
Written by Nur Yasmin
A merchant ship has supplied fuel and water to a boat with around 400 migrants on board which is in distress between Greece and Malta but Maltese authorities have ordered it not to conduct a rescue, German NGO Sea-Watch International said on Monday.
The vessel, which departed from Tobruk in Libya amid a sharp rise of migrant boats crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa, was reported to be adrift and taking on water by support service Alarm Phone early on Sunday.
Alarm Phone said the boat was in the Maltese Search and Rescue area (SAR).
Sea-Watch International, which located the boat with one of its two planes, on Monday accused Malta of not wanting to rescue the people on board despite them being in serious danger and the vessel struggling with 1.5 meter waves.
"If the boat keeps moving, it might reach Italy and Malta does not have to accept the people," it said on its Twitter account.
Maltese authorities did not respond to several requests for comment.
In a separate episode, at least 23 Africans were missing and four died on Saturday after their two boats sank off Tunisia as they tried to reach Italy.
Last week 440 migrants were rescued off Malta after a complex 11-hour operation in stormy seas by the Geo Barents vessel of the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) charity.
According to press agency ANSA, on Sunday almost 1,000 migrants arrived in the Italian island of Lampedusa, south of Sicily. (Reuters)
April
Belarus leader says he wants guarantees that Russia will defend his country if it is attacked
Written by Nur Yasmin
Alexander Lukashenko, the president of Belarus, told Russia's defence minister on Monday that he wanted guarantees that Moscow would defend his country if it was attacked, the state-owned BelTA news agency reported.
BelTA cited Lukashenko as making the remarks to Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu during a meeting in the Belarusian capital Minsk.
Lukashenko was cited as saying that he had previously discussed the matter with Russian President Vladimir Putin who he said had agreed with him that such security guarantees were necessary and needed to be formalised.
"In general, it sounded at the talks (with Putin) that in the case of aggression against Belarus, the Russian Federation would protect Belarus as its own territory. These are the kind of security (guarantees) we need," Lukashenko was quoted as saying.
Belarus, which currently hosts a contingent of Russian forces, has offered assistance to Moscow during its military campaign in Ukraine which Russia calls "a special military operation."
In the war's earliest days, Minsk allowed Moscow to use its territory to launch an ultimately unsuccessful assault on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.
Since late last year, a flurry of military drills and visits from high-level Russian officials have sparked speculation that Belarus may formally join a new attack on Ukraine.
Lukashenko has consistently denied such intentions, but has said that Belarus will respond to any incursions onto its territory or attempts to foment unrest. (Reuters)
April
Ukraine says Russia using 'scorched earth' tactics in Bakhmut
Written by Nur Yasmin
A senior Ukrainian commander said on Monday that Russian troops were using "scorched earth" tactics in the embattled city of Bakhmut and destroying buildings and positions with air strikes and artillery.
Ukrainian forces have hung on for months in Bakhmut, a small city in eastern Donetsk region, where the fiercest fighting of Moscow's full-scale Feb. 2022 invasion has killed thousands of soldiers and been dubbed the "meat-grinder".
"The enemy switched to so-called scorched earth tactics from Syria. It is destroying buildings and positions with air strikes and artillery fire," said Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of Ukraine's ground forces.
But the defence of the city of Bakhmut continued, he said.
Syrskyi, who is overseeing the operation in the east, on Sunday visited front line areas with the fiercest fighting around Bakhmut, Ukraine's Military Media Centre said.
"The situation is difficult but controllable," he said.
Ukraine also accused Russia of using "scorched earth" tactics last summer in its assault on Sievierodonetsk, a city in the eastern Luhansk region. Kyiv's forces were forced to withdraw from there in July after a Russian onslaught.
Ukraine has said its defence of Bakhmut is buying time for it to build up and reconstitute forces for a much-vaunted spring offensive and that it is inflicting huge losses on Russian forces trying to seize control.
But Russian forces have gained ground on the flanks of Bakhmut in recent weeks, threatening key supply lines for Kyiv's defenders and have also made advances inside the city.
The capture of Bakhmut would be Moscow's first major gain since it took the similarly-sized cities of Sievierodonetsk and neighbouring settlement Lysychansk.
Syrskyi said Russia was bringing in special forces and airborne assault units to help their attack on the city as members of Russia's private Wagner military group had become "exhausted".
Wagner militia fighters have been spearheading the assault on Bakhmut.
Reuters could not verify the battlefield accounts. (Reuters)
April
Macron: Europe should not follow US or Chinese policy over Taiwan
Written by Nur Yasmin
French President Emmanuel Macron said in comments published on Sunday that Europe had no interest in an acceleration of the crisis over Taiwan and should pursue a strategy independent of both Washington and Beijing.
Macron has just returned from a three-day state visit to China, where he received a warm welcome from President Xi Jinping. China began drills around Taiwan on Saturday in anger at President Tsai Ing-wen's meeting with the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday.
China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control. Taiwan's government strongly objects to China's claims.
Macron said Europe should not accelerate the conflict but take the time to build its position as a third pole between China and the United States in comments to French newspaper Les Echos and Politico made during his visit to China.
"The worst thing would be to think that we Europeans must become followers on this topic and adapt to the American rhythm or a Chinese overreaction," Politico quoted him as saying.
Europe must better fund its defence industry, develop nuclear and renewable energy and reduce dependence on the U.S. dollar to limit its reliance on the United States, both media outlets quoted him as saying.
The joint interview was given on a flight on Friday between Beijing and the city of Guangzhou.
On Friday, an adviser to Macron told reporters in Guangzhou that Xi and Macron had a "dense and frank" discussion on the issue of Taiwan during their meetings.
"The president's feeling is that we should be careful there's no accident or an escalation of tensions (that could lead) to the Chinese going on the offensive," the Elysée adviser said.
Macron travelled to China with a 50-strong business delegation including Airbus and nuclear energy producer EDF, which signed deals during the visit. (Reuters)
April
China criticises Indian minister's visit to Arunachal Pradesh
Written by Nur Yasmin
China firmly opposes a visit by India's home minister to Arunachal Pradesh and views his activities in the area as violating Beijing's territorial sovereignty, a foreign ministry spokesperson told a news briefing on Monday.
China has renamed some places in what India regards as its eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims as part of its territory.
"Zangnan is China's territory," spokesperson Wang Wenbin said in response to a question on the visit by Indian Home Minister Amit Shah.
"The Indian official's visit to Zangnan violates China's territorial sovereignty, and is not conducive to the peace and tranquility of the border situation."
China and India have had several skirmishes over the disputed border and clashes in mountainous regions in recent years have seriously strained ties. (Reuters)
April
Intelligence Leak Has US Officials Bracing For Impact At Home and Abroad
Written by Nur Yasmin
The U.S. national security community is grappling with fallout from the release of dozens of secret documents, including the impact on sensitive information-sharing within the government and ties with other countries, two U.S. officials said.
Reuters has reviewed more than 50 of these documents, labeled "Secret" and "Top Secret", that first appeared on social media websites in early March and purportedly reveal details of Ukrainian military vulnerabilities and information about allies including Israel, South Korea and Turkey. The material did not draw much notice until a New York Times article on Friday.
Reuters has not independently verified the documents' authenticity. U.S. officials have said some giving battlefield casualty estimates from Ukraine appeared to have been altered to understate Russian losses.
The leak was sufficiently alarming within the Pentagon that it referred the matter to the Department of Justice, which has opened a criminal investigation into the disclosure of the documents.
Two U.S. defense officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, said the Pentagon was examining procedures governing how widely some of the most sensitive U.S. secrets are shared.
Some of the documents, one of the officials said, would most likely have been available to thousands of people with U.S. and allied government security clearances despite being highly sensitive, as the information directly affected those countries.
The Pentagon on Sunday said in a statement that an interagency effort was assessing the impact the photographed documents could have on U.S. national security as well as that of close American allies, a standard procedure known as "damage assessment" for leaks of classified information.
The first official said the number of people who had access to the documents underscores that sensitive information was perhaps being shared too widely with personnel who might not require the level of detail some of the documents contained.
"The Pentagon has needed to curtail the unbridled access to some of the most sensitive intel when they've (got) no justifiable reason to have it," the first official said.
The two officials said further that although the leaks were highly concerning, many of them provided only snapshots of time in February and March - when they were dated - but did not appear to disclose anything about future operations.
Although the release of documents appears to be the most serious public leak of classified information in years, officials say it so far does not reach the scale and scope of the 700,000 documents, videos and diplomatic cables that appeared on the WikiLeaks website in 2013.
SEARCHING FOR A MOTIVE
The first defense official said Pentagon investigators were trying to determine who would have an incentive to leak this kind of information.
Since the leak first came to light in March, the investigators have been pursuing theories ranging from someone simply sharing the documents to show off the work they were doing to a mole inside the U.S. intelligence community or military, the first official added.
Daniel Hoffman, a former senior CIA undercover officer, said that given past activities of Moscow's intelligence agencies, it was "highly likely" that Russian operatives posted documents related to Ukraine as part of a Russian disinformation operation.
He said such operations - meant to sow confusion, if not discord, among Russia's adversaries - were a "classic" practice of Russian spy services to leak authentic documents in which they have inserted false information.
The aim, he said, appeared to be to drive a wedge between Ukraine and the United States, Kyiv's largest provider of military support.
Some national security experts and U.S. officials say they currently suspect that the leaker could be American, given the breadth of topics covered by the documents, but they do not rule out pro-Russian actors. More theories could develop as the investigation progresses, they said.
The Kremlin and the Russian embassy did not respond to a request for comment about whether it was involved in the leak.
Ukraine said its president and top security officials met on Friday to discuss ways to prevent leaks.
The White House has declined to discuss publicly who might be responsible for the breach, and has referred all questions about the leak to the Pentagon. The Pentagon said that over the weekend, U.S. officials spoke with allies and had notified the relevant congressional committee about the leak.
"I'm deeply troubled by the possible extent and nature of the information exposed and expect to be fully briefed in the days to come," said Representative Jason Crow, a former Army Ranger who sits on the U.S. House of Representatives intelligence and foreign relations committees.
IMPACT ON ALLIES
The leaks have already drawn responses from some foreign governments.
In a statement on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office labeled as "mendacious and without any foundation whatsoever" a document asserting that the Mossad, one of the country's intelligence agencies, encouraged recent protests against Netanyahu's plan to tighten controls on the judiciary.
A South Korean presidential official said on Sunday the country was aware of reports about the leaked documents and planned to discuss "issues raised" with Washington.
One of the documents gave details of internal discussions among senior South Korean officials about U.S. pressure on Seoul to supply weapons to Ukraine, and its policy of not doing so.
One of the documents marked "Top Secret" purportedly detailed how Russian private military contractors met with Turkish "contacts" to buy weapons from Ankara.
The Turkish embassy in Washington declined to comment.
Some of the most sensitive information is purportedly related to Ukraine's military capabilities and shortcomings.
It is not uncommon for the United States and other countries to spy on their allies. But public disclosures of such spying are uncomfortable for those allies, who need to explain to their populations how they will respond.
"It is going to take some time to rebuild trust with our allies," the second U.S. defense official interviewed by Reuters said.
Michael Mulroy, a former senior Pentagon official, played down the lasting impact of the leak.
"It is of course embarrassing when these activities become publicly disclosed," Mulroy said. "It may cause short-term problems for the relationships but I believe long-term the shared interests between the countries will still be strong." (Reuters)