While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, July 12
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (left) and Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg hold a press conference at the Nato summit in Washington.
PHOTO: AFP
Follow topic:
Zelensky urges Nato leaders to lift limits on striking Russia
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on July 11 called on Nato leaders to drop all restrictions on letting Kyiv strike inside Russia with Western weaponry as they wrapped up a three-day summit in Washington.
The 32-nation alliance has used the pomp-filled 75th anniversary gala in the US capital to showcase its resolve against Moscow and backing for Kyiv.
The Ukrainian leader joined his Nato counterparts after receiving promises of new air defences for Ukraine and as allies began the transfer of long-promised F-16 jets. But Mr Zelensky called on Kyiv’s backers, especially the US, to go further - including by giving his outgunned forces greater scope to strike inside Russia.
“If we want to win, if we want to prevail, if we want to save our country and to defend it, we need to lift all the limitations,” Mr Zelensky said.
Russia tried to assassinate CEO of German arms firm
REUTERS
US intelligence discovered earlier this year that Russia planned to assassinate the chief executive of German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall which has been producing artillery shells and military vehicles for Ukraine, CNN reported on July 11, citing five unidentified US and Western officials.
The plot to kill Rheinmetall chief Armin Papperger was one of a series of Russian government plans to assassinate defence industry executives across Europe who were supporting Ukraine’s war effort, according to CNN.
The US informed Germany, the report said, adding that German security services were able to protect Mr Papperger.
Israeli military presents probe into Oct 7 security failings
EPA-EFE
The Israeli military published on July 11 the findings of a first probe into its own security failings during the devastating Oct 7 Hamas attack, acknowledging it had not protected the citizens of one of the worst hit communities, Kibbutz Be’eri.
More than 100 people were killed in the attack on Be’eri, a community of about 1,000 people, and 32 taken hostage to Gaza, 11 of whom are still there. The probe examined the day’s chain of events, fighting and security forces’ conduct, the military said.
While acknowledging its own failure in protecting the kibbutz civilians, the military hailed the bravery of Be’eri residents, including its rapid response team, who despite being vastly outnumbered, tried to repel the militants who invaded.
WHO warns mpox remains global health threat
A new strain of the virus has been spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo since September 2023.
PHOTO: REUTERS
The WHO warned July 11 that mpox remains a global health threat, voicing particular concern at a swelling outbreak of a new deadlier strain of mpox in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The World Health Organisation said it had received reports of cases from 26 countries in the past month alone.
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, “remains a global health threat”, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a media briefing. He highlighted that South Africa had recently reported 20 cases, including three deaths – “the first cases in the country since 2022“.
Moroccan lifestyle influencer is the first Miss AI
After judges of the world’s first artificial intelligence (AI) beauty pageant unveiled 10 finalists in June, the inaugural Miss AI has now been crowned.
Meet Kenza Layli, a Moroccan lifestyle influencer who hopes to bring “diversity and inclusivity” to the AI creator landscape.
With nearly 200,000 Instagram followers, and a further 45,000 on TikTok, Miss Layli is entirely AI-generated, from her images to her captions and buzzword-filled acceptance speech.
