KAKAMMPI News

Mustafa Nayyem announces resignation a day before an international conference focused on rebuilding Ukraine. A senior Ukrainian reconstruction official has resigned, citing budget cuts and bureaucratic delays, as Kyiv seeks crucial international investment to rebuild after Russia’s invasion. Mustafa Nayyem, head of the State Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development, announced his resignation a day before an international conference in Berlin dedicated to mobilising international support for Ukraine’s reconstruction. “I made the decision on my own due to systemic obstacles that do not allow me to continue to effectively exercise my powers,” Nayyem said on the Telegram messaging application on Monday. “Starting from November last year, the Agency’s team began to face constant opposition, resistance and the creation of artificial obstacles,” he said, adding that there were also delays in payment for defence fortifications. The prominent former lawmaker also criticised a

Recruiters welcome Filipino workers, call for diversification KUWAIT: Recruiters in Kuwait have welcomed the lifting of the ban on issuing visas to Filipinos and the resumption of recruiting domestic workers. Mariam Macapudi, President of the Filipino Association of Secretaries of Employment Agencies in Kuwait (Fil-Aseak) and Founder of Bayaning Filipino Migrant Workers in Kuwait, said the Philippine Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) assured stronger protection and enhanced monitoring of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) deployed to Kuwait. The deployment will resume following the issuance of policy guidelines, which include implementing a blacklist and whitelist system for recruitment agencies and employers, ensuring timely payment of wages through electronic payment and appointing welfare officers to monitor, report and assist OFWs throughout their stay. Khaled Al-Dakhnan, Chairman of the Kuwait Union of Domestic Labor Offices (KUDLO), expressed hope that reopening visas for Fili

SEOUL: North Korea test-fired what appeared to be a hypersonic missile off its east coast on Wednesday, but it exploded in midair, South Korea’s military said. The missile was launched from near the capital, Pyongyang, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said. Japan’s Defense Ministry said the missile flew to an altitude of about 100 km (62 miles) and range of more than 200 km. Senior officials of South Korea, the United States and Japan held a phone call and condemned the launch as a violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions and a serious threat to the peace and stability of the region and beyond. South Korean and US air forces said they conducted joint exercises involving F-22 and F-35 stealth fighter as part of their annual Buddy Squadron training. South Korea’s marine corps staged separate firing drills near the maritime border with the North for the first time since Seoul scrapped an inter-Korean military pact early this month. The drills were announced earlier in Jun

SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq: In a sunbaked cemetery in northern Iraq, silence lingers over a forsaken corner devoid of mourners, where women killed in gender-based violence rest in unmarked graves. Domestic violence and femicide have long plagued Iraq’s conservative society, including through so-called “honor killings” — the murders of women deemed to have breached patriarchal social norms, often at the hands of close relatives. In the unmarked section of the Siwan cemetery in Sulaimaniyah, the second city of the autonomous Kurdistan region, many of the headstones are blank. Some are inscribed only with numbers that correspond to forensic records, and the signs have faded with time as wild scrub has covered the tombs. Lawyer and activist Rozkar Ibrahim, 33, pointed to three adjacent burial plots, the final resting places of a man, a woman and their child. The couple fell in love and had the child without their families’ approval, said Ibrahim, who regularly visits the cemetery to uncover vict

As the war enters its 854th day, these are the main developments. Here is the situation on Friday, June 28, 2024. Fighting Ukraine’s military said its forces had forced Russian soldiers out of a district in the strategically important town of Chasiv Yar on the war’s eastern front. Russia, meanwhile, said its forces had destroyed a communications tower near the town and made further headway. The head of Russia’s Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin, said the country had sent about 10,000 naturalised citizens to fight in Ukraine, and that it was cracking down on those who had received Russian citizenship but were not registering with military authorities. Russia’s Ministry of Defence said it launched missile attacks on Ukrainian airfields, which it believes have been designated to host Western military aircraft. It said the attacks were successful but did not provide any details. Politics and diplomacy Ukraine and the European Union signed a security pact to ensure long-term s

Russia suffered political, financial and judicial blows, but Ukraine’s battle on the eastern front remains difficult, too. Russia has suffered multiple diplomatic and judicial blows during the past week over its war on Ukraine, despite President Vladimir Putin’s high-profile visits to North Korea and Vietnam and Moscow’s claims that it is founding a “Eurasian security architecture that will replace the discredited Euro-Atlantic security arrangements”. Putin signed a “comprehensive strategic treaty” with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on June 19, incorporating what he said was a defensive alliance. South Korea’s government condemned the agreement. Its national security adviser, Chang Ho-jin, declared that Seoul would reconsider lifting a ban on arms supplies directly to Ukraine. Until now, South Korea has only sold weapons to Ukraine’s allies. Chang later added that the type of weapons supplied to Ukraine would depend on Russia’s cooperation with North Korea. Putin said it would be

Major Global South nations cited Russia’s absence or Israel’s presence as reasons for not accepting the communique. About 100 delegations from countries and international organisations attended the Switzerland-hosted Summit on Peace in Ukraine last weekend, aimed at crafting a path that many participants said could pave the way to ending Russia’s war on its smaller neighbour. But while a vast majority of participants signed on to the short communique issued at the end of the summit, several key nations did not. The two-day diplomatic summit took place in the Burgenstock resort in Stansstad, Switzerland, and was attended by United States Vice President Kamala Harris alongside leaders from the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan, and diplomats from many other nations. Here is more about the Ukraine peace communique and why some countries did not sign on. What did the Ukraine peace communique say? The communique laid out what it said was a “common vision” on “cr

A top US official on Thursday told a Chinese counterpart that Washington's defense commitments to the Philippines were "ironclad" after a violent clash in the South China Sea. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell "raised serious concerns" about Chinese actions in a call with Executive Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu, the State Department said. Campbell "reiterated that US commitments to the Philippines under the Mutual Defense Treaty remain ironclad," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement. Campbell also called for "peace and stability" in the Taiwan Strait, in the wake of China's military drills around the self-governing democracy following the inauguration of President Lai Ching-te, and renewed US concerns about Chinese exports that support Russia's defense industry. Chinese coast guard personnel wielding knives, sticks and an ax surrounded and boarded three Filipino navy boats last week, in the most se

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) announced a policy on first-time workers who plan to work in Kuwait after the ban on the entry of overseas Filipino workers was lifted. “Nagpapasyahan sa pagpupulong na yun, una, buksan muli ang hiring ng first-time skilled workers sa Kuwait. Pangalawa, sa domestic workers, papayagan yung mga may work experience. Hindi natin papayagan yung first-timers sa abroad,” said DMW Secretary Hans Cacdac in an interview with Super Radyo dzBB on Tuesday, sharing about the official trip of Undersecretary Bernard Olalia to Kuwait. (It was discussed during the meeting, first, the lifting of the hiring ban on first-time skilled workers in Kuwait. Second, we would allow the deployment of domestic helpers with work experience. We would not deploy first-timers.) The DMW chief added that the latest policy is expected to take place in the middle of July. Kuwait suspended the issuance of visas to Filipino workers in May last year after the murder of domestic wo

As of June 2024, a Philippine passport holder can visit 69 destinations without the need to apply for a visa beforehand, according to Henley Passport Index based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Of the total number, 39 countries/territories offer total visa-free access, 27 require visa but only upon arrival (VOA), while three require an electronical travel authorization (ETA) in place of a visa. This sounds exciting for a Filipino traveler – until one realizes that there are no direct flights between the Philippines and the great majority of these places. Which means one cannot just hop on a plane and arrive at the destination armed only with his/her passport. To reach these destinations, a Philippine passport holder typically needs to take connecting flights through other regional hubs. But for the eager Filipino wanderer who has the means and financial capacity, the fact that there are destinations that can be accessed without the trouble of securin

WASHINGTON — A Russian satellite broke up into more than 100 pieces of debris in orbit overnight, forcing astronauts on the International Space Station to take shelter, US space agencies said. There were no immediate details on what caused the break-up of the RESURS-P1 Russian Earth observation satellite, which was decommissioned in 2022. The event occurred in an orbit near the International Space Station, prompting US astronauts on board to shelter in their spacecraft for roughly an hour, NASA's Space Station office said. US radars detected the satellite releasing a cloud of debris in low-Earth orbit Wednesday night and early Thursday morning, space-tracking firm LeoLabs said. US Space Command said the satellite immediately created "over 100 pieces of trackable debris." "USSPACECOM has observed no immediate threats and is continuing to conduct routine conjunction assessments to support the safety and sustainability of the space domain," Space Command added

Filipino seafarers will no longer be allowed to board ships owned by the same owners of previously attacked ships that were passing through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said Tuesday. At a press briefing, DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said they may add other ship owners to the list following a review of past attacks on ships. "We are reviewing 'yung talaan ng (the list of) other ships who have been subjected to attacks in the past few months," Cacdac said. The DMW in March issued guidelines for licensed manning agencies (LMAs) to observe should Filipino seafarers be assigned on ships that would ply high-risk and conflict areas. Based on Department Order No. 1, the guidelines were released "in the paramount interest of the continued safety and well-being of all Filipino seafarers on-board ships and in light of the increasing incidence of piracy, hijacking, and/or armed violence against ships passing through the Red Sea

Kuwait said Monday it would lift a visa ban on domestic workers from the Philippines after a year-long suspension sparked by a row over the rights of employers and employees. An interior ministry statement carried by the official KUNA news agency said the oil-rich Gulf state and Manila had reached an "agreement to resume the recruitment of domestic workers" after a "breakthrough" in talks. "The countries agreed to form a joint committee pertinent to domestic labour affairs," the statement said. This "would convene in a routine manner to address any sticking points that could potentially emerge", it added. Kuwait suspended all new visas for Philippine nationals in May last year after relations soured over the murder of domestic worker Jullebee Ranara. Her charred body was found in the Kuwaiti desert in January 2023, prompting Manila to stop sending first-time workers to Kuwait. It sparked the latest in a series of spats between the Philipine

MANILA, Philippines — After nearly two years of dealing with repeated skirmishes in the West Philippine Sea, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. believes the Philippines must do more than file diplomatic protests to address Chinese vessels' aggression at sea. Marcos told reporters at the sidelines of an event on Thursday that the country has filed "over a hundred" protests and a similar number of démarches to respond to Chinese vessels' presence in Philippine waters. "We have to do more than just that," Marcos said, according to a Presidential Communications Office news release. On Tuesday, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said the Philippines and China are preparing to hold a bilateral consultation mechanism meeting in July. During this meeting, escalating tensions between the two nations in the South China Sea, the entirety of which China claims, are expected to be brought up. "Whatever confidence-building measures we achieve, they will be not

RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories — Palestinian teenagers bounced on trampolines and jumped through hoops inside a towering tent on the outskirts of Ramallah, the financial hub of the occupied West Bank. But the circus students weren't the only ones bending over backwards in the pavilion: the school's director faced financial hurdles to buy the tent from Europe and trampolines from Asia. "We are suffering with international payments," said Mohamad Rabah, head of the Palestinian Circus School, describing a bureaucratic process that could delay equipment delivery by up to a month. Banking in the Palestinian territories is challenging, with the Palestinian Authority (PA) under scrutiny for potential terror financing, hindering transactions. Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967, with strong economic ties allowing two Israeli lenders to serve as correspondent banks in the Palestinian territory. But this may change if Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bez

MINA, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia on Monday warned of a temperature spike in Mecca as Muslim pilgrims wrapped up the hajj in searing conditions, with more than a dozen heat-related deaths confirmed. One of the world's largest religious gatherings unfolded during the oven-like Saudi summer again this year, and authorities recorded more than 2,700 cases of "heat exhaustion" on Sunday alone, the health ministry said. On Monday temperatures were forecast to go as high as 49 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit) in Mecca, Islam's holiest city where pilgrims were circling the Kaaba, and in nearby Mina, where others were throwing stones at three concrete walls -- a ritual known as "stoning the devil" that is the last major step of the hajj. "The holy sites today record the highest temperatures since the beginning of hajj... with a degree that may reach 49 degrees Celsius, and we advise the guests of God not to be exposed to the sun," the health mini

BURGENSTOCK, Switzerland — World leaders on Sunday backed Ukraine's independence and territorial integrity, and the need for eventual talks with Russia on ending the war -- but left the key questions of how and when unresolved. More than two years after Russia invaded, leaders and top officials from more than 90 states spent the weekend at a Swiss mountainside resort for a two-day summit dedicated to resolving the largest European conflict since World War II. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the diplomatic "success" of the event, to which Russia was not invited. The path was open for a second peace summit, with a view to ending the war with a just and lasting settlement, he added. "Russia and their leadership are not ready for a just peace," Zelensky told the closing news conference. "Russia can start negotiations with us even tomorrow without waiting for anything -- if they leave our legal territories." Moscow, meanwhile, doubled dow

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te said Wednesday that China was attempting to force the self-ruled island into submission but that it would not bow to pressure. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has said it will never renounce the use of force to bring it under Beijing's control. In recent years, Beijing has upped military and political pressure on the Taipei government, with the latest show of force coming three days after Lai's inauguration, when China conducted war games around the island. Speaking at a press conference Wednesday marking his first month in office, Lai said: "The annexation of Taiwan is a national policy of the People's Republic of China". "In addition to military force, they have increasingly employed non-traditional methods of coercion to try to force Taiwan into submission," he said. "However, Taiwan will not bow to the pressure. The people of Taiwan will resolutely defend national sovereignt

MANILA, Philippines — Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino has written Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo urging him to convince the International Committee of the Red Cross to assist in the resupply missions to Ayungin Shoal. “In view of the escalating conditions in the West Philippine Sea, particularly near the Ayungin Shoal relative to our resupply missions, my humble recommendation is to seek the assistance of the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) based in Geneva, Switzerland,” Tolentino said in his letter to Manalo dated June 18. The senator wrote the letter following Monday’s collision and alleged towing of Philippine vessels by the Chinese maritime militia near Ayungin Shoal, where the Philippine military is maintaining an outpost on the beached BRP Sierra Madre. Tolentino said the ICRC, under the Geneva Convention, “can facilitate the necessary humanitarian aid to our Navy personnel living in BRP Sierra Madre and would pave the way for delivering the need

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines said Tuesday one of its navy personnel was severely injured after the China Coast Guard rammed a Philippine vessel near Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea. "A Philippine Navy personnel sustained severe injury after the CCG's (China Coast Guard's) intentional high-speed ramming during the rotation and resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre (LS57) on June 17," a military statement said. The shoal, which hosts a tiny Philippine garrison stationed on a deliberately beached old warship, has been a focus of escalating confrontations between Chinese and Philippine ships in recent months as Beijing steps up efforts to push its claims to the disputed area. Shortly after the incident, the Chinese coast guard reported that a Philippine resupply ship in the area had "ignored many solemn warnings from the Chinese side". It "approached the... Chinese vessel in an unprofessional way, resulting in a collision", B

AFP / Ted Aljibe MANILA, Philippines (Updated 3:09 p.m.) — The US and other nations have condemned the actions of Chinese maritime forces in the West Philippine Sea during a routine resupply mission by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to the BRP Sierra Madre. On Monday, the National Security Council said that China’s coast guard and maritime militia engaged in “dangerous maneuvers” which included “ramming and towing.” It also said that China's actions put at risk the lives of the personnel and damage the PCG's boats. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), U.S. ambassador to the Philippines, MaryKay Carlson, stated that Washington "condemns" China's "aggressive and dangerous maneuvers," which resulted in bodily injuries, damaged Philippine vessels and obstructed lawful maritime activities. The U.S. State Department also called China’s actions "escalatory" and emphasized that the 72-year-old mutual defense treaty between the U.S. and the Philippi

𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐒 𝐋𝐄𝐎 𝐉. 𝐂𝐀𝐂𝐃𝐀𝐂 (outlined in his statement on 25 April 2024 upon receiving notice of his appointment) 1. Streamline and digitalize OFW-protective processes to ensure greater OFW convenience and more efficient operations by stakeholders in overseas employment; 2. Perform regulatory functions for purposes of safe, fair, and ethical recruitment and to combat illegal recruitment and human trafficking; 3. Help OFWs protect and leverage their income as aggressively as we protect their rights through popularized and widespread financial education and literacy, financial inclusivity, anti-fraud campaigns, increased interest in the Philippine stock market, and development of livelihood or entrepreneurial endeavors; 4. Develop career, employment, and entrepreneurship pathways for OFWs in partnership with relevant government agencies and the private sector; 5. Develop skills upgrading or development pathways for OFWs, especially those in lower income le

CNN — Talks to bring about a ceasefire and hostage deal that could stop the war in Gaza were thrown into doubt when Israel characterized a Hamas response to the latest proposal as a rejection, precipitating a blame game between the two sides. Hamas had submitted its response to Qatari mediators, proposing amendments to the Israeli proposal, including a timeline for a permanent ceasefire and complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, a source with knowledge of the talks told CNN on Tuesday. A diplomatic source familiar with ongoing negotiations, however, told CNN Wednesday that Hamas has neither accepted nor rejected the deal, and that framing the Hamas response as a rejection is misleading. Speaking at a news conference in Doha on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that “Hamas has proposed numerous changes to the proposal that was on the table” for a permanent ceasefire and release of the hostages. “Some of the changes are workable. Some are not,” he said, without pr

Beirut, Lebanon CNN — The fate of the 120 remaining hostages in Gaza is crucial to any deal to end the protracted and bloody conflict between Israel and Hamas. But a senior Hamas official has told CNN that “no one has an idea” how many of them are alive, and that any deal to release them must include guarantees of a permanent ceasefire and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. In an interview with CNN, Hamas spokesperson and political bureau member Osama Hamdan offered an insight into the militant group’s position on the stalled ceasefire talks, a view on whether Hamas regrets its decision to attack Israel given the mounting Palestinian death toll, and a commentary on the leak earlier this week of messages from its chief in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, the man believed to be the ultimate decision-maker on any peace deal. The US believes that Hamas holds the key to the talks. “The haggling has to stop,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told NBC on Thursday, urging Sinwar t

MANILA, Philippines — With their silence on China’s harassment at sea and their “paradoxical” reaction to police operation to arrest alleged sex offender and human trafficker Apollo Quiboloy, some Philippine politicians have only exposed their questionable loyalty to the country. This was according to Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman Jay Tarriela, who posted on X on Independence Day that many politicians were quick to denounce the police operation to arrest Quiboloy, but “never had any comments when the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Coast Guard were subjected to inhumane and barbaric harassment while carrying out a medical evacuation in Ayungin Shoal.” He did not name the politicians. “When the mansion of the fugitive Pastor Quiboloy was surrounded by the Philippine National Police, they had lengthy statements and even criticized the police’s efforts to arrest him,” he added. Tarriela, PCG spokesman for the National Task Force-West Philippine Sea, said th

ROME, Italy — Pope Francis and Indian premier Narendra Modi will join G7 leaders this week during a summit focussed notably on Ukraine and the Middle East, according to a program released Tuesday. Against a backdrop of rising global tensions, the June 13-15 summit will see leaders of the Group of Seven rich nations, including US President Joe Biden, France's Emmanuel Macron and Japanese premier Fumio Kishida, gather at the luxury southern Italian resort of Borgo Egnazia. Other guests have been invited by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to round out the event, but they will not participate in official G7 discussions. They include Pope Francis -- who will attend a session on artificial intelligence -- and Modi, fresh from an election setback that has forced him into a coalition government. They also include several African leaders: Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Tunisia's Kais Saied, Kenyan President William Ruto and Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, the president of Ma

KUWAIT CITY, Kuwait — A fire in Kuwait killed 49 people when it ripped through a building housing nearly 200 foreign workers on Wednesday, the government said. The blaze, which broke out in the six-storey building south of Kuwait City at around dawn, also left dozens injured, the health ministry said. Flames engulfed the lower floors as black smoke poured out of the upper-storey windows, unverified images posted on social media showed. The interior ministry revised the death toll up to 49, from 35 issued earlier, after forensic teams scoured the charred building. "The number of deaths as a result of the fire in the workers' building... has risen to 49," the ministry said. The official Kuwait News Agency quoted Health Minister Ahmed al-Awadhi as saying hospitals had received 56 people injured in the fire in the Mangaf area, which is heavily populated with migrant labourers. The building, whose exterior was blackened with soot, housed 196 workers, according to informa

GENEVA, Switzerland — The UN voiced alarm on Tuesday at the civilian toll of Israel's rescue of four hostages in Gaza, and the fact that Palestinian armed groups are holding captives there. The United Nations rights office said acts committed by both Israelis and Palestinians "may amount to war crimes". "We are profoundly shocked at the impact on civilians of the Israeli forces' operation in An Nuseirat at the weekend to secure the release of four hostages," spokesman Jeremy Laurence told reporters in Geneva. The UN, he said, was also "deeply distressed that Palestinian armed groups continue to hold many hostages, most of them civilians". Israeli forces stormed Nuseirat refugee camp on Saturday to rescue four Israeli hostages. Almog Meir Jan, Noa Argamani, Andrey Kozlov and Shlomi Ziv were kidnapped from the Nova festival in southern Israel on October 7. Hamas-run Gaza's health ministry said at least 274 Palestinians were killed and 698 w

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano commended the Philippines' relations with Hong Kong during this year's Independence Day on June 12, saying that the financial and business center in China remains a "vital partner" to the country's progress. During an Independence Day event hosted by the Consulate General of the Philippines in Hong Kong, the Senate accounts committee chairperson said the country's relations with Hong Kong are "resilient, relevant and reliable," according to a press release. "If you ask me to describe our relationship with Hong Kong in particular, and China in general, it is resilient. [There are] issues and problems [that we face], but we always find a way to become brothers and sisters again," said Cayetano, who previously served as foreign affairs secretary from 2017 to 2018. The senator also described how both countries have remained "relevant" and "reliable" to each other, particular

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) is investigating a potential internal leak following a recent "compromised" raid on the sprawling Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) compound in Porac, Pampanga. PAOCC spokesperson Winston John Casio said that all members of the different government agencies who participated in the operation have been subjected to investigation, including himself. "Someone, somewhere, in the long chain of government or in the process of applying for the search warrant leaked this particular information," Casio said during an interview with ANC's Headstart on Thursday. This comes after reported that the raid on Wednesday resulted in the arrest of 158 Chinese, Vietnamese and Malaysian nationals, far fewer than the expected 1,000. He suggested that the operation might have been compromised by a leak. "We arrived on June 4 — the entire complex was dark, closed, and no one was inside the f

BEIJING, China — A former navy captain arrested in Taiwan for illegal entry was acting of his own accord and would be punished if returned to China, Beijing said Wednesday, after Taipei raised spying suspicions. Taiwan's coast guard picked up the man on Sunday after his vessel collided with other boats on the Tamsui River, which flows from the self-ruled island's capital Taipei to its northern coast. The man -- who claimed he wanted to "defect" according to local news reports -- had served as a captain in the Chinese navy, Taiwan's minister of ocean affairs said Tuesday, adding that he was among 18 purported defectors seen recently who claimed to admire Taiwan's "democratic way of life and came for freedom". The man and his motives for entry would be investigated, Minister Kuan Bi-ling said, as China has stepped up pressures in recent years on the island it claims as part of its territory. Beijing's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO), which handles

Mustafa Nayyem announces resignation a day before an international conference focused on rebuilding Ukraine. A senior Ukrainian reconstruction official has resigned, citing budget cuts and bureaucratic delays, as Kyiv seeks crucial international investment to rebuild after Russia’s invasion. Mustafa Nayyem, head of the State Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development, announced his resignation a day before an international conference in Berlin dedicated to mobilising international support for Ukraine’s reconstruction. “I made the decision on my own due to systemic obstacles that do not allow me to continue to effectively exercise my powers,” Nayyem said on the Telegram messaging application on Monday. “Starting from November last year, the Agency’s team began to face constant opposition, resistance and the creation of artificial obstacles,” he said, adding that there were also delays in payment for defence fortifications. The prominent former lawmaker also criticised a