VIOLENT RHETORIC BY TRUMP ALLIES DISTURBS EXPERTS

Following the federal indictment of former President Donald Trump, there has been a disturbing surge in calls for violence and an uprising among his supporters. Close allies of Trump have portrayed the indictment as an act of war and depicted him as a victim of a weaponized justice system controlled by President Joe Biden. These calls to action and threats have spread through social media and right-wing media sites, receiving support and cheers from the audience. Experts warn that when elected officials or prominent figures issue threats or calls for violence without consequences, attacks against people or institutions become more likely. The pro-Trump mob that stormed the Capitol earlier this year was partly influenced by Trump's earlier tweet promising a "wild" event. Prominent individuals such as Representative Andy Biggs, Kimberly Guilfoyle (Trump's eldest son's fiancée), and Kari Lake have made aggressive statements hinting at retribution or the possession of firearms. While such language may not directly lead to physical harm, it creates a dangerous environment that normalizes violence. The FBI has faced criticism and threats, prompting field offices to report all related threats to the headquarters. Additionally, Trump himself posted a video on Instagram featuring him hitting a golf ball at Biden's head, superimposed with footage of Biden's recent stumble.

UKRAINE COUNTER-OFFENSIVE: KYIV SAYS IT HAS LIBERATED VILLAGES IN DONETSK REGION

Ukraine says it has liberated three villages in the south-east of the country in the first victories of its much-anticipated counter-offensive.

Footage on social media showed Ukrainian troops celebrating in the neighbouring settlements of Blahodatne and Neskuchne in the Donetsk region.

Kyiv's deputy defence minister said nearby Makarivka was also taken.

On Saturday, President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that the counter-offensive had begun.

These three settlements would be the first liberated since his comments, but not the first that Ukraine has recaptured since Monday, when pockets of its forces began to advance in the country's south.

Moscow has yet to confirm the fall of any of the villages, instead speaking of repelling Ukrainian assaults in the region.

Elsewhere, Ukraine says Russia has blown up another dam in the Zaporizhzhia region, following the destruction of the major Nova Kakhovka on Monday, which caused widespread flooding.

Ukraine says the dam was blown up by Russian forces, who have controlled it since February 2022.

Valeriy Shershen, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian military, said Moscow's forces had chosen to blow up a second dam near the village of Novodarivka, which "led to the flooding on both banks of the Mokri Yaly river".

Mr Shershen said Russia was deliberately blowing up dams in the region to halt Ukraine's advance towards occupied areas.

WAGNER WON’T SIGN ANY RUSSIA DEFENCE MINISTRY CONTRACTS

Wagner group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin said his mercenary forces fighting in Ukraine won’t sign contracts with Russian defence ministry, pushing back on a new requirement aimed at formalising the nation’s volunteer formations. Prigozhin says orders and decrees from defence minister Sergei Shoigu pertain only to ministry staff and soldiers, not his group.

RUSSIA ‘DESTROYED’ 7 GERMAN TANKS, 5 US-MADE VEHICLES

Russia on Sunday said it had destroyed at least seven German-made Leopard tanks and five US-made Bradley vehicles over 48 hours while repelling Ukrainian attacks. The defence ministry said it had repelled over a dozen Ukrainian attacks over the past day in three major directions and had destroyed a column of armoured vehicles in the Zaporizhzhia region.

STURGEON ARRESTED OVER PARTY’S FINANCES PROBE

London : Former Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon has been arrested by police investigating the finances of the Scottish National Party (SNP), which advocates for independence. Sturgeon, who was a dominant figure in Scottish politics for years, was detained as a suspect in connection with an ongoing investigation into the funding and finances of the SNP. The police have not officially named Sturgeon as the arrested woman, but media outlets have identified her as such. The investigation relates to the spending of £600,000 designated for a Scottish independence campaign.

Previously, the party's treasurer and former chief executive were arrested and questioned as part of the probe. Sturgeon resigned unexpectedly in February, leaving the SNP amid divisions and with her main goal of independence unfulfilled. The party seeks a new independence referendum, but the UK government has refused to authorize one without its consent. Sturgeon's departure has sparked a struggle for the future of the SNP, marked by declining membership and divisions regarding the best path towards independence.

CHINA HAS HAD A SPY BASE IN CUBA SINCE AT LEAST 2019, SAYS US

Washington : China has been operating a spy base in Cuba since at least 2019, part of a global effort by Beijing to upgrade its intelligence-gathering capabilities, according to a Biden administrationofficial.

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the US intelligence community has been aware of China’s spying from Cuba and a larger effort to set up intelligence-gathering operations around the globe for sometime.

The Biden administration has stepped up efforts to thwart the Chinese push to expand its spying operations and believes it has made some progress through diplomacy and other unspecified action, according to the official, who was familiar with US intelligence on the matter. The existence of the Chinese spy base was confirmed after Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that China and Cuba had reached an agreement in principle to build an electronic eavesdropping station on the island. Journal reported China planned to pay a cash-strapped Cuba billions of dollars as part of thenegotiations. The White House called the report inaccurate. The US intelligence community had determined Chinese spying from Cuba has been an “ongoing” matter and is “not a new development,” the administration official said.

34 KILLED AS HEAVY RAIN BRINGS DOWN TREES AND WALLS IN PAKISTAN

PESHAWAR: Torrential rains coupled with strong winds and thunderstorms have killed at least 34 people and injured over 100 others in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in northwest Pakistan. The casualties occurred due to collapsing of walls and uprooting of trees in parts of southern districts.

ASH, ROCKS FROM PHILIPPINE VOLCANO FORCES OFFICIALS TO EVACUATE PEOPLE

DARAGA: More than 12,800 people have been moved to an evacuation centre as officials warned on Sunday of health risks from ash and toxic gases spewing from the Mount Mayon volcano in the Philippines. Mayon, about 330 km southeast of the capital Manila, is considered one of the most volatile of the country's 24 active volcanoes.

HONDURAS OPENS EMBASSY IN CHINA AFTER BREAKING OFF TIES WITH TAIWAN

BEIJING: Honduras opened an embassy in Beijing on Sunday, Chinese state media reported, months after the Central American nation broke off relations with Taiwan to establish diplomatic ties with China. China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang and his Honduran counterpart Enrique Reina took part in the inauguration of the embassy.

TAIWAN SCRAMBLES FIGHTERS AS CHINA WARPLANES CROSS MEDIAN LINE AGAIN

Taipei : Taiwan’s air force scrambled into action on Sunday after spotting 10 Chinese warplanes crossing the sensitive median line of the Taiwan Strait, as the island’s defence ministry said four Chinese warships also carried out combat patrols. This is the second time in less than a week that Taiwan has reported renewed Chinese military activity, after 37 Chinese military aircraft on Thursday flew into the island’s air defence zone. Chinahas over the past three years regularly flown its air force into the skies near the island, though not into Taiwan’s territorial air space. Taiwan’s defence ministry said that as of 2pm Sunday it had detected 24 Chinese air force planes, including J-10, J-11, J-16 and Su-30 fighters, as well as H-6 bombers.

IMRAN KHAN BOOKED IN LAND SCAM CASE

Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan was booked on Sunday in yet another case related to the purchase of over 5,000 kanals (625 acres) of land at throwaway prices through fraud in the country’s Punjab province.

The total number of cases against the 70-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief has now swelled to over 140 following his ouster as the Prime Minister of Pakistan in April last year.

The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) of the Punjab province in Pakistan registered the new case against Mr. Khan.

Mr. Khan’s sister Uzma Khan, her husband and former Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar have also been booked.

NOTHING WRONG IN A NUCLEAR DEAL WITH THE WEST: KHAMENEI

Iran’s supreme leader said on Sunday that reaching a deal with the West over Tehran’s disputed nuclear work was possible if the country’s nuclear infrastructure remained intact, state media quoted Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as saying.

“There is nothing wrong with the agreement (with the West), but the infrastructure of our nuclear industry should not be touched,” he said, adding that Tehran should continue working with the UN nuclear watchdog.

Indirect talks between Tehran and Washington to revive Iran’s 2015 nuclear accord have been at a stalemate since September, with both sides accusing each other of making unreasonable demands.

Both Tehran and Washington on Thursday denied a report that they were nearing an interim deal under which Tehran would curb its nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief.

HAQQANI SEEKING CONTROL OF AF SECTION OF TAPI PIPELINE, SAYS UN REPORT

United Nations : According to a UN report, Afghanistan's Taliban-appointed interior minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani, is seeking control over significant economic projects, particularly the construction of the Afghan section of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline. The report highlights discord among Taliban officials regarding the distribution of positions in the government and provincial administrations. While first deputy PM Mullah Baradar has less influence, he retains support from southern provincial administrations and aims to control the process of gaining international recognition, accessing frozen Afghan assets, and expanding foreign assistance. The conflict within the Taliban leadership revolves around competition for power, financial resources, natural resources, and smuggling channels. Friction within the Taliban is growing due to frustrations with the direction of the de facto authorities, including the centralization of power in Kandahar and controversial policy decisions like the ban on girls' education. The report also notes that the Taliban's relationship with al-Qaida is a source of both unity and division, with some Taliban members feeling deceived over the presence of al-Qaida leader Aiman al-Zawahiri, who was killed in Kabul last year.