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Ducks, bears, parrots and… a lion: Vladimir Putin’s strange gift to Kim Jong-un

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Steph Deschamps / November 26, 2024

 

Russia and North Korea have never been so close. The war in Ukraine and their shared hatred of the United States have brought the two countries closer together. To prove their friendship, the leaders exchange gift after gift.
 
Russian President Vladimir Putin offered North Korea dozens of animals for a zoo in Pyongyang, Russia announced on Wednesday, a new illustration of the rapprochement between these two countries, allies against the West and in the conflict in Ukraine.
 
“One African lion, two brown bears, two domestic yaks, five white cockatoos, 25 pheasants of various species and 40 mandarin ducks were transferred from Moscow Zoo to Pyongyang Zoo,” said the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources.
 
The minister, Alexander Kozlov, who visited North Korea, stressed that it was a “gift from Vladimir Putin”.
 
His ministry released a video showing the animals, encased in wooden crates, being unloaded from a cargo plane. It also shows the lioness in her new glass and concrete cage at Pyongyang Zoo.
 
Vladimir Putin recently gave 24 pedigree horses to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who gave dogs to the Russian president.
 
The two countries, which regard the United States as an existential threat, have been forging a high-speed rapprochement since Russia launched its assault on Ukraine in February 2022.
 
They signed a mutual defense pact this year, and Pyongyang is accused of supplying large quantities of ammunition, missiles and even 50,000 soldiers to the Russian army.
 
The West also fears that Moscow could in return help North Korea accelerate its nuclear and missile programs.
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Full-Scale Escalation in the Middle East: Washington and Israel Launch Operation “Epic Fury” Against Iran

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2 days ago

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March 1, 2026

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Steph Deschamps / February 28, 2026

In what appears to be the most radical shift in regional geopolitics in decades, the United States and Israel launched a massive aerial offensive against the Islamic Republic of Iran on Saturday. Tehran immediately retaliated with a barrage of ballistic missiles targeting Israel and several Gulf nations, plunging the region into open warfare.

The Middle East has tilted into the unknown. This Saturday, February 28, 2026, the joint operation codenamed “Epic Fury” began with a series of devastating explosions rocking Tehran, Isfahan, and Qom. The strikes targeted nuclear infrastructure, missile depots, and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) command centers.

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The Fate of Ali Khamenei and Iranian Retaliation

Several Israeli sources claim that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei may have been hit during strikes on his compound in Tehran. While unconfirmed, this news was followed by a message from President Donald Trump urging the Iranian people to “take back your government.”

In response, Iran triggered operation “Honest Promise 4,” launching hundreds of projectiles. While the Iron Dome protected most of Israeli territory, impacts were reported in Tel Aviv. In the Gulf, U.S. bases and civilian infrastructure in Dubai and Abu Dhabi were also targeted.

Canada Backs the Offensive

From Mumbai, where he was attending an economic forum, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney reacted firmly. In a joint statement with Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand, Canada expressed its support for the U.S.-Israeli actions aimed at dismantling Iran’s nuclear program.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran is the principal source of instability and terror in the Middle East,” Carney stated. While clarifying that Canada is not participating militarily and was not involved in the planning, he asserted that Iran must “never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.”

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Ottawa has, however, urged all parties to protect civilian lives and instructed Canadians in Iran to “shelter in place.” Meanwhile, the New Democratic Party (NDP) sharply criticized this stance, denouncing what they called “blind support” for a dangerous escalation.

Transport Chaos

The repercussions are global. Air Canada has already cancelled its flights to the Gulf, and oil prices are skyrocketing. The international community, though divided, now fears a regional conflagration that no one seems able to control.

*** Last updated: February 28, 2026, 7:45 PM.

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China inaugurates the world’s highest bridge

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5 months ago

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October 13, 2025

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Steph Deschamps / October 12, 2025

China inaugurated the world’s highest bridge on Sunday. The Huajiang Canyon Bridge, built in the mountainous province of Guizhou, spans a 625-meter gorge and a river winding below.
The structure, which took three years to build, breaks the record held by the Duge Bridge, also known as the Beipanjiang Bridge, located in the same province. At 565 meters high, it has been relegated to second place.
 
State television footage showed cars driving across the immense structure, its blue pylons fading into the clouds.
 
According to authorities, the bridge will reduce travel time between the two banks from two hours to two minutes. This project should not only facilitate transportation, but also stimulate economic development in the region.
 
The southern province of Guizhou already boasts a series of spectacular bridges. According to the Xinhua news agency, nearly half of the world’s 100 tallest bridges are located there.
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Pinched, slapped, punched, nursery worker convicted of abusing 21 babies in UK

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5 months ago

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October 13, 2025

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Sylvie Claire / October 12, 2025

A 22-year-old woman who worked in two nurseries in the UK was sentenced on Friday to eight years in prison for molesting 21 babies, acts that were “gratuitous” and “sadistic”, according to the judge.
 
It’s the kind of story every parent of a toddler fears. Indeed, a young woman, Roksana Lecka, aged 22, was sentenced on Friday to eight years in prison for molesting 21 babies in two British nurseries where she worked. These were “gratuitous” and “sadistic” acts, according to Sarah Plaschkes, the judge in charge of the case. The young woman committed numerous “acts of cruelty” in the two establishments where she was employed between October 2023 and June 2024 on the outskirts of London, Sarah Plaschkes emphasized in her decision. The young woman, who said she was addicted to cannabis, admitted to committing such acts against seven children under the age of 16, and the court in Kingston, south-west of the capital, found her guilty of similar acts against 14 others at her trial.
 
These children were “pinched, slapped, hit, slapped and kicked. You pulled their ears, hair and toes“, listed the judge, ”multiple acts of gratuitous violence” perpetrated when she was out of sight. Surveillance videos from the second nursery, Riverside, show Roksana Lecka pinching and scratching children on the arms, legs and abdomen, or kicking a little boy in the face.
 
Numerous parents were present in the room to witness the verdict, and recounted on the stand the impact of this violence on their children and themselves. “These children were so innocent and vulnerable. They couldn’t speak, they couldn’t defend themselves (…) they were totally helpless and Roksana attacked them”, said an indignant mother.
 
The judge described his behavior as “sadistic”, while the Irwin Mitchell law firm, representing 18 of the families, questioned how Lecka’s assaults could have gone “unnoticed”, before they were discovered in June 2024.
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