Author: Prima News

Taiwan opposition leader Cheng Li-wun leaves on Tuesday for China and a potential meeting with President Xi Jinping ​on what she says is a peace mission as Beijing makes a renewed push to convince Taiwanese to support “reunification”. Cheng, ‌chairwoman of the Kuomintang (KMT), Taiwan’s largest opposition party, is travelling at a time of increased Chinese military pressure on Taiwan, which Beijing views as its own territory, and as the opposition-dominated parliament stalls a government plan for $40 billion in extra defence spending. The KMT and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) have released duelling social media messages ​ahead of the trip, using…

Iran’s parliament speaker warned US President Donald Trump Sunday against further escalation, saying Washington’s actions risk dragging the US into a “living hell.” “Your reckless moves are dragging the United States into a living HELL for every single family, and our whole region is going to burn because you insist on following (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu’s commands,” Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said on US social media company X. “You won’t gain anything through war crimes,” the speaker said. “The only real solution is respecting the rights of the Iranian people and ending this dangerous game.” Trump threatened early Sunday to…

Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said Sunday that Kyiv’s forces have regained control of 12 settlements since the end of January. Syrskyi said Ukrainian forces retook 480 square kilometers (185 square miles) of territory, including eight settlements in the Dnipropetrovsk region and four in the Zaporizhzhia region. He accused Russia of continuing attacks in the Oleksandrivka direction, including in the areas of Ternove, Oleksandrivka, Ivanivka, Zeleny Hai, Andriivka-Klevtsove, Sichneve, as well as toward Sosnivka, Verbovye and Zlagoda. Syrskyi said Russia carried out 64 attacks in that direction over the past week, alleging that Moscow aims to seize more Ukrainian territory and…

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in a rare move expressed regret to North Korea on Monday over drone flights by people that he said has triggered unnecessary military tensions with Pyongyang, local media reports said. Lee made the remarks during a cabinet meeting following last month’s indictment of three individuals accused of flying drones into North Korea between September and January, Yonhap News Agency reported. “Although this was not an act by our government, I express regret to the North Korean side over the unnecessary military tension caused by such reckless behavior,” he said. Lee has repeatedly criticized the…

Syria on Sunday condemned an attack on the United Arab Emirates’ Embassy in Damascus, saying “such actions will be met with firm legal measures.” Peaceful demonstrations are a legitimate right guaranteed by law as a form of expressing opinions, Syria’s Interior Ministry said in a statement. The ministry affirmed, however, that the attack during recent protests is a “reprehensible and unacceptable act, constituting a clear violation of national laws.” Dozens of protesters gathered Friday in front of the embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Damascus. Some attempted to storm the building, and videos posted online showed demonstrators tearing down…

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the largest Muslim civil rights organization in the US, called on Congress on Sunday to reconvene and vote to end the war on Iran, condemning the US president’s “mocking” of Islam and threats to target civilian infrastructure. The call came after Donald Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social that Tuesday “will be power plant day, and bridge day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran,” calling on Tehran to open the Strait of Hormuz. “Or you’ll be living in hell — just watch! Praise be to Allah,” he wrote. CAIR said…

The Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian group Hamas, stated on Sunday that Israel is obstructing the implementation of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip. After Israeli attempts to evade its obligations, Washington announced in mid-January the start of the second phase of the agreement, which has been in effect since Oct. 10, 2025, under US President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan. In a video statement, Al-Qassam Brigades spokesman Abu Ubaida said: “What is required is to put pressure on Israel to fulfill its obligations in the first phase of the ceasefire agreement before discussing the second phase,…

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, agreed in a phone call on Sunday to “uphold fairness on matters of principle and adopt an objective and balanced approach” as permanent members of the UN Security Council while discussing the impending vote on a draft resolution on the opening of the Strait of Hormuz. Wang said Moscow and Beijing should also “strive to gain greater understanding and support from the international community,” according to a statement from China’s Foreign Ministry. Earlier this week, Bahrain submitted a draft resolution to the UN Security Council over Iran’s effective closure…

The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) voiced concern Sunday over continued exchanges of fire by Israeli forces and Hezbollah near its positions, warning that such actions endanger peacekeepers. UNIFIL spokesperson Kandice Ardiel said in a statement that the mission has “continually expressed concern about Hizbullah fighters and Israeli soldiers firing projectiles and bullets at or near our positions,” noting that such incidents have already resulted in death and injuries among peacekeepers. She added that both sides have also carried out attacks from near UN positions, which “could potentially draw return fire,” warning about the presence of combatants close to…

A few held back tears, others offer nervous smiles, each aware that the moment marks the beginning of a life-changing journey far from home.“I’ve never left Guatemala City, let alone my country,” said Billy, one of the participants. “My family is very excited because I’ll be the first one among us to travel abroad.”Safe pathwayTheir three-month opportunity is part of a pilot project designed to create safe and regular labour migration pathways, supported by the Guatemalan Government, the Embassy of Germany in Guatemala, the Technical Training and Productivity Institute, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).The journey is guided by…