( MENAFN - Jordan Times) SEOUL - Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and agreed to boost military cooperation between the two isolated nations, Pyongyang state media said on Saturday. The United States and South Korea have accused the nuclear-armed North of sending more than 10,000 soldiers to help Russia fight Ukraine, with experts saying Kim is eager to gain advanced technology, and battle experience for his troops, in return. Kim, who met Belousov on Friday, blasted the recent decision by Western powers to permit Kyiv to strike inside Russia with their weapons, saying it constituted a "direct military intervention in the conflict", according to KCNA. "It is an exercise of the right to self-defence for Russia to take resolute action to make the hostile forces pay the price," Kim was quoted as saying. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kim signed a strategic partnership treaty in June that obligates both states to provide military assistance "without delay" in the case of an attack on the other and jointly oppose Western sanctions. KCNA said on Saturday that Belousov's visit "would greatly contribute to bolstering up the defence capabilities of the two countries and... promoting the friendly, mutual cooperation and development of the relations between the two armies." Belousov, in a statement, expressed gratitude for the two countries' deeping bonds and praised North Korea's "absolutely independent foreign policy". Analysts have suggested Pyongyang could be using Ukraine as a means of realigning its foreign policy. By sending soldiers, North Korea is positioning itself within the Russian war economy as a supplier of weapons, military support and labour - potentially even bypassing traditional ally, neighbor and main trading partner China, they say. Russia also offers access to vast natural resources, such as oil and gas, they say. Belousov is well-placed to help with such arrangements, Hong Min, a senior analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification, told AFP, calling the Russian "an economic expert without a military background". As Russia's defense chief, he specialises in "long-term strategies for securing weapons and military supplies, evading sanctions, and overseeing post-war reconstruction," Hong said. Invariable support Russia and North Korea have strengthened their military ties since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Both countries are under rafts of UN sanctions -- the former for its nuclear weapons programme and the latter for the Ukraine conflict. Since US President-elect Donald Trump's victory earlier this month, the Joe Biden administration has stepped up its support for Kyiv, transferring more weapons and giving Ukraine permission to fire long-range missiles onto Russian territory. Kim said on Friday that his government, army and people would "invariably support the policy of the Russian Federation to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity". Earlier this month, Pyongyang said it had ratified the landmark defence pact with Russia, after lawmakers in Moscow voted unanimously in favour of the deal, which Putin later signed. South Korea and Ukraine said on Wednesday they would deepen security cooperation in response to the "threat" posed by the deployment of North Korean troops, but there was no mention of potential arms shipments. President Yoon Suk -yeol said earlier this month that Seoul was "not ruling out the possibility of providing weapons" to Ukraine, which would mark a major shift to a long-standing policy barring the sale of weapons to countries in active conflict. MENAFN02122024000028011005ID1108949059 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel unleashed its largest wave of airstrikes across Lebanon since agreeing to a ceasefire with Hezbollah last week, killing at least 11 people on Monday after the Lebanese militant group fired a volley of projectiles as a warning over what it said were Israeli truce violations . The projectiles were apparently the first time that Hezbollah took aim at Israeli forces after the 60-day ceasefire went into effect last Wednesday. The increasingly fragile truce aimed to end more than a year of war between Hezbollah and Israel — part of a wider regional conflict sparked by the devastating Israel-Hamas war in Gaza . In the United States, President-elect Donald Trump demanded the immediate release of Israeli hostages held by the Palestinian militant Hamas group in Gaza, saying on social media that if they are not freed before he takes office in January there would be “HELL TO PAY.” It was not immediately clear whether Trump was threatening to directly involve the U.S. military in Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza. The U.S. has given Israel crucial military and diplomatic support throughout the nearly 15-month conflict. A new exchange of fire threatens Lebanon ceasefire Lebanon’s Health Ministry said an Israeli airstrike on the southern village of Haris killed five people and wounded two while another airstrike on the village of Tallousa killed four and also wounded two. Israel's military carried out a string of airstrikes late Monday against what it said were Hezbollah fighters, infrastructure and rocket launchers across Lebanon, in response to Hezbollah firing two projectiles toward Mount Dov — a disputed Israeli-held territory known as Shebaa Farms in Lebanon where the borders of Lebanon, Syria, and Israel meet. Israel said the projectiles fell in open areas and no injuries were reported. Hezbollah said in a statement that it fired on an Israeli military position in the area as a “defensive and warning response” after what it called “repeated violations” of the ceasefire deal by Israel. It said complaints to mediators tasked with monitoring the ceasefire “were futile in stopping these violations.” Before the Hezbollah projectiles, Israeli carried out at least four airstrikes and an artillery barrage in southern Lebanon, including a drone strike that killed a person on a motorcycle, according to Lebanese state media. Another strike killed a corporal in the Lebanese security services. Israel has said its strikes are in response to unspecified Hezbollah violations, and that under the ceasefire deal it reserves the right to retaliate. Lebanon’s parliament speaker, Nabih Berri, accused Israel of violating the truce more than 50 times in recent days by launching airstrikes, demolishing homes near the border and violating Lebanon's airspace. Officials in the U.S. — which along with France helped broker the truce and heads a commission meant to monitor adherence to the deal — played down the significance of Israeli strikes. White House national security spokesman John Kirby said, “Largely speaking, the ceasefire is holding.” “We’ve gone from dozens of strikes down to one a day maybe two a day,” Kirby told reporters, referring to Israeli strikes. “We’re going to keep trying and see what we can do to get it down to zero.” Under the deal, Iran-backed Hezbollah has 60 days to withdraw its fighters and infrastructure from southern Lebanon. During that time, Israeli troops are also to withdraw to their side of the border. ‘RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW!’ In a post on his Truth Social site, Trump called for Palestinian militants to free all of the roughly 100 Israeli hostages still held inside Gaza , around two-thirds of whom are believed to be alive. If not, Trump said, “Those responsible will be hit harder than anybody has been hit in the long and storied History of the United States of America. RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW!” Hours earlier, the Israeli government confirmed the death of Omer Neutra, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen, whose body is still believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza, according to the Israeli government. The Biden administration is mounting a last-ditch effort to try to restart talks between Israel and Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office declined to comment on Trump's post though President Isaac Herzog welcomed it. Fears of hunger mount in Gaza In Gaza, meanwhile, alarm is mounting over increasing hunger. The amount of food allowed in by Israel has plunged over the past two months, compounded by a decision Sunday by the United Nations to halt aid deliveries from the main crossing into the territory because of the threat of armed gangs looting convoys. Experts have already warned of famine in the northernmost part of Gaza , which Israeli forces have almost completely isolated since early October, saying they're fighting regrouped Hamas militants there. Displaced families have set up tents surrounded by piles of garbage on the streets of Gaza City. Bilal Marouf, 55, said he and 11 family members fled the Israeli offensive “barefoot and naked.” “We had nothing. Hunger and thirst killed us, and we did not have a single shekel, nor clothes, nor a mattress, nor a blanket,” he said, speaking near his tent. Israel’s campaign in Gaza, triggered by Hamas’ Oct 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel, has driven almost the entire population of the territory from their homes. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians now live in squalid tent camps, relying on international aid. The Israeli military said it allowed 40 trucks carrying 600 tons of flour for the World Food Program to enter the southern Gaza Strip on Sunday night, as well as 16 other food trucks. Israel has said it is working to increase the flow of aid. November saw an increase in the average number of humanitarian trucks it let into Gaza, up to 77 daily from 57 the month before, according to official Israeli figures. But the levels are still nearly the lowest of the entire 15-month war. And the U.N. says less than half of that actually reaches Palestinians because Israeli military restrictions, fighting and robberies make it too dangerous to deliver the aid. The World Food Program was able to only deliver aid to some 300,000 Palestinians in November across the Gaza Strip due to ongoing Israeli military offensives and the looting of convoys, Carl Skau, WFP’s deputy executive director, said Monday. In a tent camp in the central Gaza town of Deir al-Balah, Palestinians lined up at makeshift mud ovens trying to buy a few loaves of flatbread for their families. With the price of flour mounting because of scarcity, the bakers — women displaced from further north — said they could bake less bread, and families could afford far less. “They divide them to their children, one loaf every day,” said one woman baker, Wafaa al-Attar. Abou AlJoud reported from Beirut. Associated Press writer Fatma Khalid in Cairo contributed to this report. Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/mideast-wars
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Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman 's son has shared a rare update. Connor Cruise , 29, often steers clear of social media. While he used to be active on Instagram, sharing photos of his pets and some of the hobbies he enjoys, his last post was shared in April of last year. Over the weekend, he shared a photo of what he's been up to, revealing that he spent his Thanksgiving weekend in Florida. Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman's son, Connor Cruise, shared a rare glimpse at his private life Tom Cruise takes to the skies with his son Connor Connor shared a selfie on his Instagram story. The image showed him and a friend smiling for the cameras as the two played golf. It also featured a geo-location tag, placing the two at the Pelican Golf Club, a golf course located in Belleair, Florida, a town located in the Tampa Bay area. The image shows Connor with a white hat and a dark sweater that he paired with some reflective sunglasses. He and his sister Bella Cruise , 31, are the kids of Cruise and Kidman and were adopted during the couple's decade-long relationship . Both kids prefer to steer clear of the spotlight, with Connor sharing photos of his hobbies like golfing and fishing, and Bella sharing photos of her art. The two rarely share images of their parents, with them being spotted with Cruise at different occasions over the past years. In recent years, Connor was spotted going on a helicopter ride with his dad and attending the premiere of "Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning." Kidman's relationship with her adopted kids While neither Kidman nor Cruise normally discuss their relationship with their kids, Kidman hasn't been spotted publicly with the kids since 2007. Still, in interviews over the years, Kidman has alluded to Connor and Bella. "Motherhood is about the journey," she said in an interview with The Sun ." There are going to be incredible peaks and valleys, whether you are an adopted mother or a birth mother." Kidman has two birth daughters with her husband Keith Urban, Sunday Rose, 16, and Faith Margaret, 13. Following Sunday Rose's debut as a model, which led to her opening up an Instagram account, Bella was quick to follow her , showing that there is an existing bond between all family members.The Toronto Blue Jays missed the postseason in 2024 and are looking to make big moves to be more competitive in 2025. They could look to sign a superstar to join their rotation if they cannot land Juan Soto. While predicting moves for teams in free agency, ESPN's David Schoenfield predicted that the Blue Jays would sign Baltimore Orioles ace Corbin Burnes to a seven-year, $225 million deal. "The Blue Jays are in a precarious position as a franchise. They swung and missed on Shohei Ohtani last offseason and then went on to lose 88 games. This winter, they're going after Soto, but if they fail to land him and then watch Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette depart as free agents after next season, it could be an ugly rebuilding period," wrote Schoenfield. "So, they need to have a backup plan this time to be all-in for 2025. That means going after Burnes, the No. 2 player on our free agent board (or No. 3, if you include Roki Sasaki)." Burnes is a four-time All-Star and National League Cy Young Award winner. Last season was his first with the Baltimore Orioles and he was great, setting himself up for a payday. His 2.92 ERA was the best since his Cy Young Award season in 2021. Signing Burnes not only helps the Blue Jays in 2025, but puts their rotation in a good spot for the future as well. "Chris Bassitt is a free agent after 2025 and Kevin Gausman is too after 2026, so they'll need a long-term reinforcement for the rotation," wrote Schoenfield. "Sign Burnes, get a bounce-back season from Bichette, strengthen the bullpen and the Jays could jump back into playoff contention. And they should sign Guerrero while they're at it." Burnes is one of the best pitchers in the game, and after Blake Snell's signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers he is the best pitcher available. The Blue Jays will have to outbid teams that are already proven contenders to land him. More MLB: Blue Jays predicted to focus on $259 million superstar if they miss on Juan SotoKyle Tucker trade: Cubs land All-Star outfielder from Astros in four-player deal
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SpaceX plans to launch a mystery mission from Florida's Space Coast this evening (Dec. 13). A Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to lift off from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station today at 8:04 p.m. EDT (0104 GMT on Dec. 14), kicking off a mission that SpaceX calls RRT-1. The company will livestream the action live via its X account, starting about 10 minutes before launch. Many space observers think tonight's launch is sending an advanced GPS satellite to orbit — specifically, GPS 3-10 , another member of the venerable navigation network's third generation of spacecraft. SpaceX holds a contract to launch three of these satellites for the U.S. military and has already sent one of them aloft, in January 2023 . Related: SpaceX launches advanced GPS satellite for US Space Force, nails the landing But SpaceX's mission description doesn't say anything about GPS satellites; it doesn't even explain what RRT-1 stands for, if that name is indeed an acronym. And the fairing that surrounds and protects the RRT-1 payload apparently features no artwork or logos , a departure from the norm that adds to the intrigue. If all goes according to plan tonight, the Falcon 9's first stage will come back to Earth about 8.5 minutes after launch, touching down on the drone ship "A Shortfall of Gravitas" in the Atlantic Ocean. It will be the fourth liftoff and landing for this particular booster, according to SpaceX's mission description. The rocket's upper stage, meanwhile, will deploy the RRT-1 payload, whatever it may be, into orbit about 90 minutes after launch.French Premier Warns of Market ‘Storm’ If Budget Voted Down
You may know Suni Lee for her show-stopping , behind-the-scenes in the Paris Olympic Village, and just her overall ‘It’ girl status. Next on her résumé? A partnership with that just makes perfect sense. I mean, who wouldn’t want to know the Olympian-turned-content creator’s personal picks ahead of the holiday shopping season? I know I do! So ahead of event, I caught up with Suni about her favorite items to give for the holidays, her personal gifting hacks, and of course, what she’s adding to her cart during all the Cyber Week sales. It’s no surprise that she has freaking amazing taste. Find all the details on her fave items, below! “Tiktok has influenced me to buy literally everything, I feel like anything that blows up I go buy it, and mostly everything is on Amazon,” she says. “Like the , air fresheners, candles, bags, shoes—literally everything is from Amazon.” As soon as I heard the word viral collagen mask, I had to ask further about the viral beauty product that’s been flooding my FYP. BIODANCE Bio-Collagen Real Deep Mask “I love how moisturizing it is, and I travel with it everywhere when I fly,” she reveals. “I love to put it on during flights because I get super dehydrated and dry.” Well, if it's good enough for Suni and beloved by , then it’s good enough for me (and good enough for everyone else who I’ll be buying it for while it’s on major sale this week!). I also asked her Suni tips on gift-giving for the holiday season amid all the shopping madness. “I recommend making a list for everything you think you’ll need and taking advantage of sales like Amazon's Black Friday Week, of course. There are millions of deals launching everyday throughout the event.” You read that right, of deals! “I also like getting gifts that are practical for everyday, like masks and accessories are perfect and so easy to give, especially as stocking stuffers.” And of course, I had to get a lil personal with the Olympian, and I asked her what the most recent item that she added to cart was. “Oh my gosh it’s gonna be something so random,” she laughs. “I bought this because mine broke.” We love a relatable queen. Make sure to add Suni’s fave products to cart ASAP! Amazon’s discounts will be running until December 2. De'Vondre Campbell won't be part of the 49ers after his refusal to enter a game, Kyle Shanahan says