International

Ukraine targets Moscow in ‘one of largest ever’ drone attacks

Published

2 years ago

August 22, 2024

Ukraine targets Moscow in ‘one of largest ever’ drone attacks

Ukraine has launched one of its largest drone attacks on Moscow, as it presses on with a major incursion into Russia’s Kursk region, Russian authorities said.

Russia’s Ministry of Defence said on Wednesday that air defence forces shot down 11 drones over Moscow and its surrounding region, with some reportedly downed over the city of Podolsk some 38km (24 miles) south of the Kremlin.

“This is one of the largest ever attempts to attack Moscow with drones,” Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on the Telegram messaging app. No damage or casualties were reported.

Drone attacks on Moscow are rare. Ukraine’s latest attempt to target the Russian capital appeared to be larger than an attack in May 2023, when at least eight drones were struck down.

The barrage was part of a broader attack on Russia, with the Ministry of Defence saying its air defence units destroyed 45 Ukrainian drones in total overnight.

In addition to the 11 drones destroyed over the Moscow region, 23 drones were downed in the border region of Bryansk, six in the border region of Belgorod, three in the Kaluga region, which borders the Moscow region to its northeast, and two in the embattled Kursk region, the ministry said.

Russia’s state news agency RIA reported that two drones were destroyed over the Tula region, which borders the Moscow region to its north.

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Following the assault on Moscow, temporary restrictions were imposed overnight at Moscow’s Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky airports, but all three returned to normal operations later on Wednesday.

Reporting from the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, Al Jazeera’s defence editor, Alex Gatopoulos, said given how well protected Moscow and other Russian cities are “it remains to be seen whether this is a departure or just a one-off by Ukraine’s military command”.

Lightning raid

Ukraine’s drone assault came as Russia struggles to push Ukrainian forces out of Kursk, two weeks after the surprise incursion.

Alexei Smirnov, the acting regional governor of Kursk, said one person was killed and two injured after a Ukrainian drone dropped an explosive on a vehicle.

Kyiv also claimed to have destroyed Russian pontoon bridges with US-made weapons to defend its incursion.

A video posted by Ukrainian special forces showed strikes on several pontoon crossings in the region, where Russia has reported that Ukraine has destroyed at least three bridges over the Seym river.

“Where do Russian pontoon bridges ‘disappear’ in the Kursk region? Operators … accurately destroy them,” Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces said on Telegram.

In a televised address on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the incursion was continuing and that his forces controlled some areas, but he gave no further details.

Hundreds of prisoners were taken and tens of thousands of civilians were forced to evacuate following Ukraine’s lightning raid on Kursk on August 6. Ukraine now claims to control 1,263sq km (488sq miles) of Kursk territory, including 93 settlements.

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Russia’s electoral commission said it was postponing elections in seven municipalities in Kursk, posting on Telegram that the polls would take place once there was “a full guarantee of the security of voters”.

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, promised on Wednesday that there would be no talks between the two countries until Ukraine is completely defeated.

“The empty chatter of intermediaries that no one had appointed about the wonderful peace is over,” he said on Telegram. “There will be no more negotiations until the complete defeat of the enemy.”

On Wednesday, Ukrainian forces said they had struck an S-300 antiaircraft missile system based in Russia’s southern Rostov region.

Ukraine’s military also said it had destroyed 50 of 69 attack drones launched by Russia during an overnight attack. One had entered Ukraine from Belarus and another had returned to Russia, it said.

Ukrainian drones had hit an oil storage facility in Rostov on Sunday, sparking a massive fire. On Wednesday, hundreds of Russian firefighters were still battling the blaze.

“Does this signal a departure in Ukraine’s strategic thinking? They’ve been targeting very successfully Russia’s industrial capacity to wage war,” said Al Jazeera’s Gatopoulos, adding that the output from the oil refinery was “down to a mere fraction of what it was beforehand”.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Wednesday that its forces have taken control of the settlement of Zhelanne in the Pokrovsk district of Donetsk, as part of an overall drive to capture the entire Donetsk region.

India-China diplomacy

Russian President Vladimir Putin met Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Moscow, the Kremlin said.

“Our countries have large-scale joint plans, projects in the economic and humanitarian areas, we expect them to last for many years,” RIA quoted Putin as saying.

Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping had agreed at a summit in May to deepen their “comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation entering a new era”.

After meeting Putin in July, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Kyiv on Friday to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and said he will be discussing ending the war with Russia.

India has avoided condemning Russia’s invasion and is the world’s largest buyer of Russian weapons.

Ukraine targets Moscow in ‘one of largest ever’ drone attacks

Source: Al Jazeera and news agencies

Related Topics:drone attacks Moscow Ukraine

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International

BREAKING: One Killed, Four Injured As Gunman Opens Fire Near White House

Published

12 hours ago

November 12, 2026

Trends Admin

BREAKING: One Killed, Four Injured As Gunman Opens Fire Near White House

WASHINGTON, D.C. — One person has been killed and four others injured after a gunman opened fire at and around a fitness centre in Washington, D.C., triggering a massive security operation in the US capital.

The shooting occurred on Thursday morning, November 12, 2026, in the Logan Circle neighbourhood, approximately one mile from the White House.

The suspected gunman also died after barricading himself inside a nearby apartment and apparently shooting himself, according to police.

Authorities said the first emergency call came in at about 8 a.m. from people inside VIDA Fitness, a gym located around 15th Street and P Street Northwest.

Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) reportedly arrived within 30 seconds and discovered a man who had been shot inside the fitness facility.

Additional emergency calls subsequently reported more gunfire and victims in the surrounding area, bringing the total number of people shot to five, including the deceased.

Police said four other victims sustained gunshot injuries, with one reportedly in critical condition, while the remaining three suffered injuries that were not considered life-threatening.

Following the shooting, the suspect reportedly left the immediate scene and barricaded himself inside an apartment on the seventh floor of a nearby residential building.

Police officers and tactical teams subsequently surrounded the building as negotiators attempted to persuade him to surrender.

However, officers reportedly heard a gunshot during the negotiations. Upon entering the apartment, they discovered that the suspect had died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Interim Metropolitan Police Chief Jeffery Carroll confirmed the development during a briefing, although authorities had yet to publicly disclose the identities of the victims or the suspected gunman.

The shooting prompted an extensive security operation involving local and federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Several surrounding streets were cordoned off, while residents and people working in the neighbourhood were advised to remain indoors as officers secured the area.

Nearby schools also implemented precautionary security measures during the emergency response.

Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the attack, including whether the suspect knew any of the victims.

Preliminary information from police indicated that the suspect may have been involved in a dispute with the homeowners’ association of the residential building where he barricaded himself. However, investigators have yet to establish a definitive motive for the shooting.

The incident has renewed concerns about gun violence in the United States, with the attack unfolding in a busy residential neighbourhood within close proximity to the White House.

The investigation is ongoing.

BREAKING: One Killed, Four Injured As Gunman Opens Fire Near White House

International

New York Police Arrest 17-Year-Old Over Murder of Ghanaian Student

Published

22 hours ago

November 12, 2026

Trends Admin

Javits Badu Nkansah

New York Police Arrest 17-Year-Old Over Murder of Ghanaian Student

Police in New York City have arrested a 17-year-old boy in connection with the fatal shooting of 15-year-old Ghanaian student, Javits Frimpong, who was killed while walking to school in the Bronx.

The New York Police Department (NYPD) announced the arrest on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, saying the suspect had been taken into custody and charged with murder over the October 29 killing.

The suspect, whose identity has not been disclosed because he is a minor, is also reportedly facing manslaughter and firearm-related charges.

Frimpong was shot in the abdomen near Crotona Park, close to East 171st Street and Crotona Place, while making his way to DreamYard Preparatory School in the Bronx.

He was rushed to St. Barnabas Hospital but was later pronounced dead.

According to police reports, the teenager was walking to school when he was attacked. Investigators have not established the motive for the shooting or confirmed whether the suspect knew the victim.

The arrest followed weeks of investigations and growing demands for justice from Frimpong’s family, members of the Ghanaian community and civil rights advocates.

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Police had previously indicated that three people might have been involved in the shooting and had been investigating possible motives, including robbery and alleged bullying at the victim’s school.

Frimpong’s father, Thomas Frimpong, had earlier said his son complained about being bullied by fellow students at DreamYard Preparatory School. Two students were reportedly suspended over the alleged harassment.

However, investigators have not established a connection between the alleged bullying and the fatal shooting.

The arrest was announced as the victim’s parents, civil rights lawyer Ben Crump, Reverend Al Sharpton and Ghana’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Samuel Yao Kumah, gathered at a news conference in New York to demand justice.

Frimpong’s mother, Doris Adu Gyamfi, broke down in tears during the event as she appealed for justice for her son.

She reportedly travelled from Ghana following her son’s death, while New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani had earlier appealed to US President Donald Trump to facilitate arrangements for her to travel to the United States to mourn with her family.

Frimpong had moved from Ghana to the United States about a year before his death to reunite with his father and pursue better educational opportunities. He was a Grade 10 student and reportedly aspired to become a doctor.

The killing sparked protests and public demonstrations in New York, with demonstrators calling for accountability under the campaign slogan, “Justice for Javits!”

Crump, who is representing the family, acknowledged the arrest but said several questions surrounding the teenager’s death remained unanswered.

He called for a thorough investigation to establish why Frimpong was killed and whether the tragedy could have been prevented.

Ghanaian authorities have also been engaging with their American counterparts over the case. Ghana’s government has engaged Crump to assist in seeking justice for its nationals killed in the United States.

The NYPD said investigations were continuing, with the possibility of other arrests not ruled out.

The arrest marks a significant development in the case, although the circumstances and motive behind the killing remain under investigation.

New York Police Arrest 17-Year-Old Over Murder of Ghanaian Student

International

Canada Announces Permanent Residency Plan for 100,000 Foreign Workers, Families

Published

22 hours ago

November 12, 2026

Trends Admin

Canada Announces Permanent Residency Plan for 100,000 Foreign Workers, Families

Canada has announced plans to provide permanent residency opportunities for up to 100,000 foreign workers and their eligible family members already living in the country under a new immigration measure scheduled for 2027.

The initiative is part of the Canadian government’s efforts to address labour shortages, reduce immigration application backlogs and provide greater certainty for migrant workers who have established themselves in Canadian communities.

According to details released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the programme will create additional permanent residency admission spaces for eligible workers living outside Quebec, alongside their family members.

The measure is expected to benefit workers whose skills are needed in local economies, particularly in smaller communities, as the government works with provincial and territorial authorities to identify eligible applicants.

However, the announcement does not establish a new immigration pathway open to every foreign worker. It is designed to accelerate permanent residency for people who already meet specified eligibility conditions under existing immigration programmes.

Under the proposed arrangement, workers may qualify through two main routes. They must either be awaiting a decision on a permanent residency application submitted under selected immigration programmes that are now closed to new applicants, or be eligible to apply through Canada’s Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).

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The selected programmes include the Start-Up Visa Programme, Self-Employed Persons Programme, Agri-Food Pilot and Home Care Workers (Caregivers) immigration programme.

The government said the additional admission spaces would cover workers living outside Quebec and their eligible family members.

The initiative is intended to recognise the contributions of foreign workers who have established roots in Canadian communities, paid taxes and helped address labour shortages.

Beyond the workers’ initiative, Canada is also setting aside additional permanent residency spaces for other categories of applicants.

These include up to 45,000 spouses, common-law partners and dependent children of Canadian citizens and permanent residents who are already in Canada and awaiting decisions on their applications.

Another 12,600 applicants whose permanent residency cases have already received approval in principle on humanitarian and compassionate grounds are expected to benefit.

The government is also targeting outstanding applications under special immigration arrangements for Hong Kong residents and Ukrainians with family members in Canada.

According to IRCC, the measures are designed to provide stability for people who are already contributing to Canadian society while reducing outstanding immigration applications and improving processing times.

The department clarified that applicants do not need to submit separate applications or take additional steps to be considered under the temporary measures.

The 2027 initiative is time-limited and will operate outside Canada’s regular immigration admission targets. It is not a permanent expansion of immigration programmes.

The announcement is part of Canada’s wider effort to reform its immigration system, balance labour market requirements with sustainable population growth and prioritise applicants who are already living and working in the country.

The government said the additional admission spaces would help eligible migrants and their families secure greater certainty about their future in Canada.