Ukraine has begun the mass production of its first drone and missile hybrid, called ‘Palianytsia’, which has been developed within the framework of the long-range missile program launched by Kiev after the Russian invasion and which combines the characteristics of both types of weapons.
“A new emerging company has executed the Palianytsia missile project, which has already entered the series production phase thanks to the support of the Ministry of Defense,” said the head of this department of the Ukrainian government, Rustem Umérov, in an article published this Wednesday in the Ukrainian digital media LB.ua.
A word with several meanings
‘Palianytsia’ is the name of a typical Ukrainian bread and the word that Ukrainian soldiers sometimes use to identify citizens of the enemy country, due to the difficulty that its pronunciation poses for those who speak exclusively Russian.
The missile-drone ‘Palianytsia’ was officially presented on August 24, the day of independence of Ukraine, by President Volodymyr Zelensky, who stressed that it is a type of weaponry difficult to intercept for enemy defenses and that it had already been successfully used against enemy military targets.
“The use of foreign missiles often requires coordination with partners,” Minister Umerov wrote in his article on Wednesday.
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Ukraine accelerates missile production
Due to the fear that Moscow’s possible reprisals cause in Western capitals, Ukraine has had to wait until last November for the allies who provide it with ballistic missiles to allow it to use them against targets located within Russia.
“Ukrainian cruise and ballistic missiles will allow our Armed Forces to act independently, making possible localized attacks against key enemy targets,” Umerov added.
Zelenski announced on Tuesday that they were already testing several Ukrainian-made missiles.
The president also stressed that Ukraine is “accelerating” the production of some of the missiles that it has developed in close cooperation with the private sector.
Trump signs order to end federal funding for NPR and PBS
U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to halt federal funding for two public media outlets, PBS television and NPR radio, accusing them of being biased.
NPR and PBS are partially funded by American taxpayers but rely heavily on private donations.
Trump has long maintained a hostile relationship with most media outlets, which he has referred to as the “enemy of the people.”
An exception is the conservative Fox News channel, some of whose hosts have played important roles in the administration of the Republican magnate.
“National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) receive taxpayer funding through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB),” Trump said.
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“Therefore, I direct the CPB board and all executive departments and agencies to cease federal funding for NPR and PBS,” he added.
The Republican leader argued that “neither of these entities provides a fair, accurate, or impartial portrayal of current events to the taxpayer citizens.”
At the end of March, Donald Trump called on Congress to end public funding for these two “horrible and completely biased networks.”
Man arrested after deliberately driving into seven children in Osaka
Japanese police arrested a man on Thursday after he rammed his car into a group of seven schoolchildren in an apparent deliberate attack in the city of Osaka.
The children, who were on their way home from school, sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital. All seven remained conscious, according to local authorities.
An Osaka police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the suspect is a 28-year-old man from Tokyo. The officer shared statements the man made after his arrest: “I was fed up with everything, so I decided to kill people by driving into several elementary school children,” the suspect reportedly said.
The man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
The injured children, aged between seven and eight, included a seven-year-old girl who suffered a fractured jaw. The six other children—all boys—suffered minor injuries such as bruises and scratches and were undergoing medical evaluation.
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Witnesses described the car as “zigzagging” before hitting the children. One witness told Nippon TV that a girl was “covered in blood” and the others appeared to have scratches.
Another witness said the driver, who was wearing a face mask, looked to be in shock when school staff pulled him from the vehicle.
Violent crimes are rare in Japan, though serious incidents do occur from time to time. In 2008, Tomohiro Kato drove a two-ton truck into pedestrians in Tokyo’s Akihabara district, then fatally stabbed several victims. Seven people were killed in that attack.
Clashes erupt during may day protests across France amid calls for better wages
May Day protests in France were marked by a heavy police presence and clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement in several cities.
In Paris, Lyon, and Nantes, thousands took to the streets to demand better wages, fairer working conditions, and to voice their dissatisfaction with President Emmanuel Macron’s government.
While the majority of the demonstrations remained peaceful, isolated confrontations broke out in some areas. Protesters threw objects at the police, prompting the use of tear gas and resulting in several arrests.
Videos showing police crackdowns circulated widely on social media, drawing criticism from labor unions and human rights advocates, who denounced the authorities’ response to the protests.
