WORLD BRIEFING: February 6, 2024
King Charles has been diagnosed with cancer and began treatment on Monday, Buckingham Palace says. The Palace says the cancer was identified during the King's recent hospital treatment for a benign enlarged prostate. "A separate issue of concern was noted," the Palace says, and "subsequent diagnostic tests have identified a form of cancer.” The Palace has not said what type of cancer the King has been diagnosed with. Charles, 75, has been advised to postpone public duties, but will "undertake state duties" and continue to meet Prime Minister Rishi Sunak weekly. He is being treated as an out-patient, and is at home in London on Monday night, the Palace says - BBC
The Dutch government on Monday said it would send Ukraine six additional F-16 fighter jets after cancelling the planned sale of the aircraft to a private contractor, said Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren. "The Netherlands Ministry of Defence is readying six additional F-16 fighter aircraft for delivery to Ukraine," Ollongren said on social media, adding that those will come in addition to the 18 already pledged. "Ukraine's 's aerial superiority is essential for countering Russian aggression," the minister said. In a statement, the ministry said that the planned sale of the six jets to private military aircraft operator Draken International had been cancelled, allowing the government to make the extra pledge to Kyiv - Politico
Jack Watling of the Royal United Services Institute, a frequent visitor to the frontline in Ukraine, says the situation there is now “extremely serious”. The ammunition shortage has already led to an increase in Ukrainian casualties. With no certainty about when new supplies of materiel will arrive, the Ukrainian military is finding it impossible to plan future operations. Watling believes that the consequences of the munitions shortage “will initially be felt slowly and then felt fast”. He warns that “when it reaches the point that the consequences are very obvious, it will already be too late” - FT
Spain will send the United Nations’ Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA an additional 3.5 million euros ($3.8 million) in aid, Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told lawmakers on Monday. Major donors to UNRWA, including the United States and Germany, suspended funding after allegations emerged that around 12 of its tens of thousands of Palestinian employees were suspected of involvement in the October 7 attacks in Israel by Hamas. “UNRWA’s situation is desperate and there is a serious risk that its humanitarian activities will be paralysed in Gaza within a few weeks,” Albares told lawmakers. Madrid contributed 18.5 million euros directly to UNRWA in 2023, including 10 million euros approved in December following the decision to triple development and humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territories. On Friday, neighbouring Portugal announced additional aid to UNRWA worth one million euros. Foreign Minister Joao Cravinho wrote on social media platform X it was essential “not to turn our backs on the Palestinian population at this difficult time” - Reuters
Ukrainian President Voldoymyr Zelenskiy on February 5 submitted to his country's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, draft laws to extend martial law and the military mobilization in the country as Russia's full-scale invasion nears the two-year mark. Zelensky's drafts provide for the extension of the two measures for another 90 days from February 14, in line with the provisions of Ukraine's constitution. This will be the 10th time since February 24, 2022, when the Kremlin launched its invasion, that the Verkhovna Rada will vote on the two measures. The extensions, if approved by Ukrainian lawmakers, will overlap with Ukraine's presidential election cycle. A vote would have been held next month but is constitutionally prohibited from taking place when the country is under martial law. In November, Zelenskiy strongly hinted at a potential delay of the presidential poll, saying it would be "irresponsible" to hold it under wartime conditions - RFE/RL
Yaroslav Hunka, the man at the centre of the controversy surrounding Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's September address to Parliament, was also invited by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to attend a Toronto rally honouring Zelenskyy during his visit to Canada. Hunka was in the gallery during Zelenskyy's address to parliamentarians and received a standing ovation after then-Speaker Anthony Rota acknowledged the Ukrainian-Canadian for fighting the Russians during World War II. Media reports later revealed he fought for Nazi Germany. An invitation obtained through an access to information request, and first reported by Rebel News, was sent to Hunka to attend a rally in Toronto on the day that Zelenskyy addressed Parliament. "The individual in question's name was submitted by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress. The individual did not attend. Knowing what is known now — the individual shouldn't have been invited” - CBC News
The head of the Department for the Protection of National State Security Service of Ukraine, Roman Semenchenko, has been fired in connection with a SBU operation to monitor the Bihus.Info editorial office. This was reported to TSN.ua by sources in the SBU. According to sources, the decision on this was made by the head of SBU, Vasyl Malyuk - he sent the relevant submission to the president, who signed the decree. “The position of the leadership of the SBU is clear - the actions of individual employees cannot cast a shadow on the Service, which does so much during the war: from blowing up the Crimean bridge and carrying out other unique special operations to the elimination of war criminals on the territory of the Russian Federation. So the "cadres" who watched over editorial office of Denys Bigus, they should definitely be held responsible. At the very least, they should be sent to the front line," says our SBU source.
