Russia on Wednesday warned South Korea against taking “a rather unfriendly stance” by indicating that it may supply arms to Ukraine in the future. “The start of arms supplies will indirectly mean a certain stage of involvement in this conflict,” Kremlin spokesperson Dimitry Peskov said.
On Wednesday, Myanmar’s Supreme Court agreed to hear ousted democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s convictions and appeals for a reduced sentence. While the court has not yet set a date for the same, it is expected to do so in the next two months.
On Wednesday, the US Department of Defense announced $325 million in additional security aid for Ukraine in its war against Russia. The military aid package includes ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rockets Systems (HIMARS), 155mm and 105mm artillery shells, anti-armour weapon systems, anti-tank mines, and more than nine million rounds of small arms ammunition. The package, authorized through a Presidential Drawdown, is Ukraine’s 36th security package since the Russian invasion began last year.
A Wednesday report published by the Kyiv School of Economics said that since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, the losses to Ukraine’s agricultural industry and land resources were over $8.7 billion. Agricultural machinery damage accounted for most losses — around $4.65 billion. Approximately 109,600 agricultural machinery units were damaged during the conflict. Theft and destruction of manufactured goods are estimated to have cost the agricultural industry $1.87 billion in damages.
At least 78 people were killed and several injured in a stampede during the distribution of aid in Yemen’s capital, Sana’a, on Wednesday. The incident occurred at a school where merchants were providing charitable donations in the final days of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Thirteen people are reported to be in critical condition. The head of the Houthi supreme revolutionary committee blamed the tragedy on the Saudi-led coalition’s aggression amid the ongoing conflict in Yemen, which has created the worst global humanitarian crisis.
A senior delegation from the Palestinian militant group Hamas, including chief Ismail Haniyeh and ex-leader Khaled Meshaal, has been captured on video in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. This development is significant as Saudi Arabia’s relationship with Hamas has been tense for years, with the kingdom even arresting individuals with ties to the group. However, in the wake of its recent rapprochement with Iran, Saudi Arabia seems keen to mend fences with Hamas, which has ruled the Gaza Strip since 2007.
Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreed to a 24-hour ceasefire starting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday after several days of a violent power struggle and clashes with the army. However, it remains unclear whether the army will respond in kind. The two sides had previously announced a ceasefire on Tuesday, but tanks were heard firing after it was due to begin.
Cuba’s National Assembly ratified President Miguel Díaz-Canel for a new five-year term on Wednesday. Díaz-Canel secured 459 of the 462 legislators’ votes present, while Vice President Salvador Valdés Mesa was also ratified by 439 votes. In its new term, the president’s team aims to address the economic crisis by focusing on controlling inflation, food production, exports, and the development of the “socialist-state enterprise.”