UNITED STATES
Syria pullout planned
Washington is planning to withdraw all of its 1,000 troops from Syria over the next two months, media reports said. It is to end its presence in the country after the Syrian government extended its control over the nation and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces once key to fighting Islamic State (IS) pledged to integrate into the state, the Wall Street Journal reported. Television network CBS also reported on the plan, citing unnamed US officials. The decision comes after US forces recently withdrew from some bases in Syria, including al-Tanf and al-Shadadi, which were used in the US-led international coalition’s fight against IS.
UNITED KINGDOM
London blasts Iran sentence
British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs Yvette Cooper yesterday condemned as “totally unjustifiable” the 10-year sentence given to two British nationals detained in Iran, saying the government would continue pressing for their release. Craig and Lindsay Foreman had been charged with espionage after Iran accused them of gathering information in several parts of the country. “We will pursue this case relentlessly with the Iranian government until we see Craig and Lindsay Foreman safely returned to the UK and reunited with their family,” Cooper said in a statement.
UNITED STATES
ICE detainee dies
A detainee died in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Indiana on Monday, with the cause of death under investigation, the agency said on Wednesday, marking at least the seventh death this year in federal immigration custody. Lorth Sim, a 59-year-old Cambodian national, was being held at the Miami Correctional Facility. Staff found him unresponsive in his cell, ICE said in a statement. He was arrested and detained in December in Boston, ICE said, adding that an immigration judge had ordered his removal to Cambodia in 2006. ICE said Sim had been arrested previously for disorderly conduct, indecent exposure and larceny and received a suspended sentence and probation. Democrats and civil rights groups have criticized conditions in ICE detention facilities, calling the conditions inhumane.
KENYA
Kenyans drafted for Russia
More than 1,000 Kenyans have gone to fight for the Russian army in Ukraine, most of them tricked into signing military contracts, an intelligence report presented to parliament on Tuesday said. Multiple media investigations, including one published earlier this month by AFP, have exposed how Russia has enticed men from African countries with promises of lucrative jobs, only to force them into fighting on the front line in Ukraine. A joint investigation by Kenya’s National Intelligence Service and Directorate of Criminal Investigations put the number of Kenyan recruits at “over 1,000” — far higher than the figure of “around 200” given by authorities in December. “The Kenyans leave the country on tourist visas to join the Russian army through Istanbul, Turkey, as well as Abu Dhabi, UAE [United Arab Emirates],” parliamentary majority leader Kimani Ichung’wah said. However, given increased border enforcement at Nairobi’s airport, recruits were traveling to other African countries to avoid detection, he said, adding that unlicensed recruitment agencies in Kenya were “colluding with rogue airport staff.” At least 39 Kenyans were hospitalized, 28 missing-in-action and 89 on the front line, he said.
Heavy rain and strong winds yesterday disrupted flights, trains and ferries, forcing the closure of roads across large parts of New Zealand’s North Island, while snapping power links to tens of thousands. Domestic media reported a few flights had resumed operating by afternoon from the airport in Wellington, the capital, although cancelations were still widespread after airport authorities said most morning flights were disrupted. Air New Zealand said it hoped to resume services when conditions ease later yesterday, after it paused operations at Wellington, Napier and Palmerston North airports. Online images showed flooded semi-rural neighborhoods, inundated homes, trees fallen on vehicles and collapsed
‘COST OF DEFECTION’: Duterte’s announcement could be an effort to keep allies in line with the promise of a return to power amid political uncertainty, an analyst said Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte yesterday announced she would run for president of the Southeast Asian nation of 116 million in 2028. Duterte, who is embroiled in a bitter feud with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, was impeached last year only to see the country’s Supreme Court throw the case out over procedural issues. Her announcement comes just days before her father, former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, begins a pretrial hearing at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Netherlands over crimes against humanity allegedly committed as part of a brutal crackdown on drugs. “I offer my life, my strength and my future
NOT YET THERE: While the show was impressive, it failed to demonstrate their ability to move in unstructured environments, such as a factory floor, an expert said Dancing humanoid robots on Monday took center stage during the annual China Media Group’s Spring Festival Gala, China’s most-watched official television broadcast. They lunged and backflipped (landing on their knees), they spun around and jumped. Not one fell over. The display was impressive, but if robots can now dance and perform martial arts, what else can they do? Experts have mixed opinions, with some saying the robots had limitations and that the display should be viewed through a lens of state propaganda. Developed by several Chinese robotics firms, the robots performed a range of intricate stunts, including martial arts, comedy sketches and choreographed
POST-UPRISING: Bangladesh Nationalist Party lawmakers were yesterday expected to formally elect Tarique Rahman as their leader and new head of government Bangladesh’s prime minister-to-be Tarique Rahman and lawmakers were yesterday sworn into parliament, becoming the first elected representatives since a deadly 2024 uprising. Rahman is set to take over from an interim government that has steered the country of 170 million people for 18 months since the autocratic government of Sheikh Hasina was overthrown. The lawmakers, who promised loyalty to Bangladesh, were sworn in by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin. Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) lawmakers are expected to formally elect Rahman as their leader, with President Mohammed Shahabuddin then to administer the oath of office to the prime minister and his ministers
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