Malaysia to import chicken eggs to address ‘temporary’ shortage
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 08, 2022
Malaysia will temporarily import chicken eggs as a stopgap measure to address the country’s egg supply shortage until a long-term solution is decided, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Mohamad Sabu said.
The short-term solution is vital to ensure the food security of Malaysians, the minister said.
He added that Malaysians consume an average of 968 million chicken eggs every month.
He said several foreign sources have been identified, adding that all imported egg sources would adhere to established safety standards with “zero compromises”.
Mohamad also assured the people that the initiative was not designed to pressure local egg producers through competition but to prevent disruptions to the domestic egg supply.
“The initiative to bring in chicken eggs from foreign sources will ensure that the supply of eggs in the country is not cut off and the welfare of the people is maintained,” he said in a Facebook post.
He added that the foreign imports would be reviewed once the domestic supply has stabilised.
He said the ministry’s secretary-general had been tasked with monitoring the impact of importing eggs from foreign sources on local markets.
He also said that Agrobank had been asked to provide advice to local suppliers and entrepreneurs on how to remain competitive.
Mohamad added he was confident that the egg shortage would be resolved in the future with the cooperation of various parties.
Indonesia updated its Criminal Code (KUHP) on Tuesday, when the House of Representatives passed a newly revised version that has ushered the country into a new era in which illiberalism and religious conservatism prevail.
For decades, Indonesia has maintained its status as a country that is “neither religious nor secular” — a philosophical compromise, or conundrum, that reflects the longstanding ideological tensions between conservative and liberal forces in the country.
A pioneering partnership between a non-governmental organisation and an oil palm plantation in Malaysia was selected as one of the 15 finalists for The Earthshot Prize 2022, the world’s most prestigious environmental prize led by Prince William and the Royal Foundation.
Authorities in several Chinese regions eased COVID-19 restrictions to varying degrees on Tuesday, slowly and steadily adopting a new approach to deal with the virus and making life less regimented for the people.
U.Khurelsukh, the President of Mongolia posted on his official website that it is necessary to openly report to the public about the open discussion on the coal issue.
IN opposition, the PTI chairman may undoubtedly be one of the most popular leaders in Pakistan’s history, but despite the groundswell of public support for his party, it appears Imran Khan is unable to use the situation to his political advantage and has no clear path for his next move.
These days, Korean pop culture, from K-pop, to K-film to K-food, enjoys fame and popularity all over the world. The Korean people are proud of the phenomenon and greatly elated when foreign columnists remark that the popularity of Korean pop culture seems to have replaced that of American and British pop culture, which enchanted the world in the past.
The recent agreement by all countries to establish a new fund for loss and damage from human-induced climate change at COP27 was a simple recognition of an unfortunate reality that has existed for a long time. The reality is that the impacts that are now scientifically attributable to global temperature rise are now happening every day around the world, and most countries, rich or poor, are not at all prepared to address those impacts.
As though our current national debt was not troubling enough, the bright boys around President Marcos Jr. are planning to set up a state investment fund that seeks to participate in the highly diversified global investment game. Dubbed the “Maharlika Investments Corp.,” the proposed entity is to be headed by Mr Marcos as chair of the board.
Samsung Electronics said Tuesday that the company will collaborate with local internet giant Naver to develop next-generation semiconductor solutions for advanced artificial intelligence systems.
Vietnamese automaker VinFast, a member of private conglomerate Vingroup, on December 5 officially opened its first two stores in Cologne of Germany, and Paris of France.
Rolls-Royce has been busy building this nuclear micro-reactor. It’s a whole new classification of reactor and one the company says could eventually provide power for Nasa’s planned base on the moon.
“We are in a new space race, there’s a lot of commercial opportunities but also agencies having aspirations to go to the moon, stay there and beyond,” Matthew Marriott, Rolls-Royce engineer said.
‘’So what we’re looking at here is a scale model of our micro-reactor core system.’
Perhaps better known for its engines, British engineering firm, Rolls-Royce has spent more than 60 years quietly building the power plants for the UK’s fleet of nuclear submarines…
The experience it hopes will help it compete in the new space race, according to engineer Matthew Marriott.
“There’s a lot of commercial opportunities but also agencies having aspirations to go to the moon, stay there and beyond. And, really in order for everyone to do that they need power and reliable power. There are power options in space, solar electricity being a good opportunity. But there are instances where solar isn’t a viable option. It can’t deliver you the power that you need for space. So this product, that is sat here behind me, will enable all of these companies to realise their ambitions in space.”
NASA plans to establish a base on the moon as a stepping stone for eventual human expeditions to Mars.
Astronauts would go there to learn the skills needed for deep space missions.
Sustaining human life and habitat on the moon requires a serious amount of power…
which is where products like micro-reactors come into play.
‘’Two years ago, if you’d said to me, we’ll be looking at designing reactors to go on the moon, I’d have said that you were absolutely barking and it was a crazy idea. ‘’
Abi Clayton is Director for Future Programs at Rolls-Royce.
“If you think about Mars, it’s a really, really long way away. So it can take up to 18 months effectively to travel to Mars using conventional types of fuels. If we use the power of nuclear to do that, you can probably cut that to around a three-month period to travel to Mars so it actually makes that planet more accessible for us to actually go and explore, make sure that you can do experiments there, but again also work out, can humans get to Mars? And that’s certainly the plan by 2040, as a target out there, to get humans on Mars.”
Micro-reactors designed for space will also have plenty of uses on Earth too, says Gary Jones, head of manufacturing innovation.
“It can be used for disaster relief. So you can actually transport one of these systems within a short timeframe, hours rather than weeks to re-establish a grid, and then you could have power from a box that would really help disaster relief. You could also replace diesel-electric generators to help decarbonize a multitude of applications on Earth. And you could also use it as the main power train for shipping for example.”
Rolls-Royce says they plan to have a prototype micro-reactor operating by the end of 2028.
Trump Organization found guilty of tax fraud scheme
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 07, 2022
Donald Trump’s real estate company was convicted on Tuesday of carrying out a 15-year-long criminal scheme to defraud tax authorities, adding to the legal woes facing the former US president as he campaigns for office again in 2024.
The Trump Organization – which operates hotels, golf courses, and other real estates around the world – faces up to $1.6 million in fines following the guilty verdicts by a jury on all charges the company faced.
Alan Futerfas, a lawyer for the Trump Organization, told reporters the company would appeal.
Futerfas said the law allowing the company to be found guilty if executives took criminal acts “on behalf of” the company was vague.
“It was central to the case,” Futerfas said.
The exact amount of the fines will be determined by the judge overseeing the trial in New York State court. The jury deliberated for a total of about 12 hours. Following the verdict, the judge set a sentencing date of Jan. 13.
The company had pleaded not guilty. Trump himself was not charged in the case.
While the fine is not expected to be material for a company of the Trump Organization’s size, the conviction could complicate its ability to do business by spooking lenders and partners.
The case centred on charges that the company paid personal expenses like free rent and car leases for top executives including former chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg without reporting the income, and paid them bonuses as if they were independent contractors.
“The smorgasbord of benefits is designed to keep its top executives happy and loyal,” prosecutor Joshua Steinglass told jurors during his closing argument on Friday.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who was in the courtroom for the verdict, said afterwards: “The former president’s companies now stand convicted of crimes. That is consequential.”
“This was a case about lying and cheating. False documents. To the end of evading taxes,” Bragg said.
Republican Trump, who on Nov. 15 announced his third campaign for the presidency, had called the probe a politically motivated “witch hunt.” Both Bragg and his predecessor who brought the charges, Cyrus Vance, are Democrats.
SEPARATE LAWSUIT
The Trump Organization separately faces a fraud lawsuit brought by New York state Attorney General Letitia James.
Trump himself is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice over his handling of sensitive government documents after he left office in January 2021 and attempts to overturn the November 2020 election, which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.
Weisselberg, 75, testified as the government’s star witness as part of a plea deal with prosecutors that will allow him to spend no more than five months in jail.
The Trump Organization argued that Weisselberg carried out the scheme to benefit himself. He is on paid leave from the company and testified that he received more than $1 million in salary and bonus payments this year.
“The question here is not whether as a byproduct the company saved some money,” Susan Necheles, a defence lawyer, said in her closing argument on Thursday. “(Weisselberg’s) intent was to benefit himself, not the company.”
Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Nov. 19. that his family got “no economic gain from the acts done by the executive.”
Weisselberg, who pleaded guilty in August to concealing $1.76 million in income from tax authorities, testified that Trump himself signed the Christmas bonus checks and personally paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in private school tuition for Weisselberg’s grandchildren.
He also said Trump’s two sons – who took over the company’s operations in 2017 after Trump became president – gave him a raise after they knew about his tax dodge scheme.
“The whole narrative that Donald Trump was blissfully ignorant is just not real,” Steinglass said.
The Trump Organization also sought to argue that Donald Bender, an outside accountant, should have caught and blown the whistle on Weisselberg’s fraud.
The company called Bender as its main witness, but his testimony appeared to backfire when he said he trusted that the information Weisselberg gave him was accurate and that he was under no obligation to investigate further.
Thailand’s Joon Wanavit joins Forbes’ list of Asia’s top philanthropists
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 06, 2022
Forbes Asia on Tuesday unveiled its annual Heroes of Philanthropy list, which highlights altruists in the Asia-Pacific region who have shown a strong commitment to philanthropic causes like education and the environment.
Among those listed was Thailand’s Joon Wanavit, founder of Hatari Electric.
Others featured include Gautam Adani, chairman of Adani Group; Li Ka-shing, senior advisor to CK Hutchison Holdings; Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht, co-founders of Canva; as well as Hiroshi Mikitani, founder and CEO of Rakuten Group.
Forbes Asia today unveiled the 16th edition of its annual Heroes of Philanthropy list, which highlights leading altruists in the Asia-Pacific region who demonstrated a strong personal commitment to philanthropic causes such as education and the environment, among others. The full list can be found at www.forbes.com/altruists and in the December issue of Forbes Asia.
The unranked list highlights philanthropists who are donating from their own fortunes and giving personal time and attention to their select causes. The list does not include corporate philanthropy except for privately held companies where the individual is a majority owner. The list is kept to a select group of 15, with nine new entrants on this year’s list. Previous honorees are considered if they have made recent significant contributions that justify a relisting.
Gautam Adani, India’s richest person, pledged 600 billion rupees (US$7.7 billion) when he turned 60 in June, making him one of India’s most generous philanthropists. The money will address healthcare, education and skill development, and will be channelled through the family’s Adani Foundation. The Adani Foundation, founded in 1996, has been spearheaded since the start by his wife Priti Adani, who is the chairperson. Each year, the foundation helps nearly 3.7 million people across India.
As climate change continues to be a major issue of concern worldwide, Hong Kong-based private equity billionaire Jean Salata and his wife Melanie gifted $200 million in June to establish the Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability at Harvard University. The institute will coordinate research at the university, provide grants, assist course development and link students with alumni in the field. The Salatas have previously donated to other schools, including $5 million last year to help build the Salata Technology and Innovation Center at Cathedral Prep-Villa Maria in the U.S. where Jean went to high school.
Last year, Australian co-founders of Canva, Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht signed the Giving Pledge, promising to donate the majority of their shares in the $26 billion (valuation) graphic design platform to support charitable initiatives. Canva has so far provided Covid-19 support in India and humanitarian response funds in Ukraine and contributed to a $10 million project in Malawi that benefits people living in extreme poverty. The company also donates access to its premium platform to over 250,000 nonprofits and has launched Canva for Education initiative, a free service designed for K-12 students and teachers worldwide.
Elsewhere, global crises such as the war in Ukraine also prompted tycoons like Japan’s Hiroshi Mikitani, the founder of e-commerce giant Rakuten, to donate to humanitarian aid. In February, Mikitani tweeted the announcement of a ¥1 billion ($7.2 million) gift to Ukraine to deal with the humanitarian fallout of Russia’s invasion earlier that month. A Rakuten online donation site started in February has raised nearly ¥1.3 billion from over 70,000 contributors to support aid efforts in Ukraine. In May, Mikitani hosted Ukrainian pop superstar Tina Karol for a charity music event in Tokyo to help raise money for the country.
Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing has over the past 12 months donated over HK$1 billion ($128 million) to various initiatives in mainland China, Hong Kong and elsewhere in the world through the eponymous Li Ka Shing Foundation. This includes HK$150 million to fund research at the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s Faculty of Medicine and over HK$70 million to fight Covid-19. The foundation has sought to ease pressure on Hong Kong’s public health system by supporting private hospitals in treating non-Covid patients and funding the purchase of protective materials for elderly homes and meals for the underprivileged.
Education was a key focus for some listees this year. John Lim, cofounder of ARA Asset Management (recently acquired by ESR Cayman), tasked his elder son Andy with setting up the Lim Hoon Foundation in 2008, named after his school-teacher father. The foundation provides scholarships to so-called sandwich students – driven but disadvantaged youths in Singapore who don’t qualify for most of the country’s grades-based financial support. To date, it has granted over 1,600 bursaries totalling about S$1 million ($727,000) to students from primary school to pre-university levels. The foundation is also a longstanding donor to the Singapore Management University, to which it contributed S$3 million in April to set up the JLFO-LHF Scholarship.
Indonesia parliament ratifies criminal code that bans sex outside marriage
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 06, 2022
Indonesia’s parliament approved a criminal code on Tuesday that bans sex outside marriage with a punishment of up to one year in jail, part of a raft of legal changes that critics say undermine civil liberties in the world’s third-largest democracy.
The new code, which will apply to Indonesians and foreigners alike, will also prohibit cohabitation between unmarried couples. It was passed with support from all political parties and despite warnings from business groups that it could scare away tourists and harm investment.
However, the code will not come into effect for three years to allow for implementing regulations to be drafted.
Currently, Indonesia bans adultery but not premarital sex.
The laws also include bans on black magic, insulting the president or state institutions, spreading views counter to state ideology, and staging protests without notification.
Critics say the new laws can be used to police morality in the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation, which has seen a rise in religious conservatism in recent years.
Maulana Yusran, deputy chief of Indonesia’s tourism industry board, said the new bill was “totally counter-productive” at a time when the economy and tourism were starting to recover from the pandemic.
“Hotels or any accommodation facilities are like second homes for tourists. With the ratification of this criminal code, hotels are now problematic places,” he said.
Decades in the making, legislators hailed the passage of the criminal code as much needed overhaul of a colonial vestige.
“The old code belongs to Dutch heritage … and is no longer relevant now,” Bambang Wuryanto, head of the parliamentary commission in charge of revising the code told lawmakers.
Opponents of the bill have highlighted articles they say are socially regressive, will curb free speech and represent a “huge setback” in ensuring the retention of democratic freedoms after the fall of authoritarian leader Suharto in 1998.
Responding to the criticism, Indonesia’s Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly told parliament: “It’s not easy for a multicultural and multi-ethnic country to make a criminal code that can accommodate all interests.”
THREAT TO LGBT COMMUNITY
Legal experts say that an article in the code on customary law could reinforce discriminatory and sharia-inspired bylaws at a local level, and pose a particular threat to LGBT people.
“Regulations that are not in accordance with human rights principles will occur in conservative areas,” said Bivitri Susanti, from the Indonesia Jentera School of Law, referring to existing bylaws in some regions that impose curfews on women, or target what are described as “deviant” sexualities.
The new laws will also include more lenient sentences for those charged with corruption.
The morality charges have been partially watered down from an earlier version of the bill so that they can only reported by limited parties, such as a spouse, parent or child.
The government had planned to pass a revision of the country’s colonial-era criminal code in 2019 but nationwide protests halted its passage.
Lawmakers have since diluted down some of the provisions with President Joko Widodo urging parliament to pass the bill this year, before the country’s political climate heats up ahead of the presidential elections scheduled for early 2024.
The public response to the new code has been muted so far, with only small protests held in the capital on Monday on Tuesday.
PM Anwar promises to work for free until Malaysia recovers
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 06, 2022
Anwar Ibrahim has announced that he will not get paid a salary, both as prime minister and as finance minister.
Meanwhile, Anwar said, other ministers have also agreed to a 20% pay cut until the country’s economy recovers.
Rubbishing speculation that he will be paid as finance minister even though he has refused to be paid for the top job, Anwar said he will not be taking any wages from the government.
This was in line with the promise he made while campaigning for votes.
During the election campaign, Anwar had promised voters that he would not take a salary if he was elected as premier because people themselves were struggling to cope with rising costs.
“Some people say I’m not taking the prime minister’s salary because I’m the finance minister. That’s not true, there is only one salary,” he said, laughing off the claims.
The Members of Parliament Act only allows ministers, deputy ministers or political secretaries just one salary.
As for ministers’ pay cut, he said it was their way of acknowledging the tough times faced by the citizens.
“The pay cut will be implemented for as long as Malaysia continues to recover economically. It shows the ministers are also concerned about the livelihood of the public,” he said.
Asked if the pay cut would be carried out throughout the government’s five-year tenure, he simply said that it could range from three to five years, depending on the situation.
State Minister for Petroleum Musadik Malik announced on Monday that Russia has decided to provide crude oil, petrol, and diesel to Pakistan at discounted rates.
More Chinese cities have adjusted their COVID-19 measures to facilitate people resuming work and social activities, as members of the public are being asked to take greater responsibility to protect their own health.
There were several serious lapses in the alleged RM600bil expenditure during Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s term as prime minister, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim
Scams India Cyber fraud syndicate duping job seekers busted, four held – The Statesman An international syndicate of cyber frauds operating from Dubai and targeting unemployed youths on the pretext of providing work from home (WFH) in E-commerce Amazon Company has been busted by a cyber police team of North District in Delhi.
Thirty-two years have gone by since our national leaders made a pledge to make Bangladesh a democracy where the fundamental rights of the people would be protected, and the judiciary’s independence and neutrality and the rule of law would be guaranteed. Laws contrary to fundamental rights would be scrapped. Their core pledge was to establish a sovereign parliament elected through a free and fair election.
President Bongbong Marcos (PBBM) appears frustrated at China’s intransigence in blocking the past administration’s effort to extract the oil and gas resources in our exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea (SCS), saying our government may abandon government-to-government (G2G) talks and “find other ways” to address this “small matter to China [which] for us, is something huge. So, we need to fight for it and benefit from it…”
The Philippine government’s economic managers on Monday lowered the growth outlook for 2023, following a year of record-high inflation and the substantial weakening of the local currency.
Nearly half of the nation’s top 500 companies by sales have yet to come up with investment plans for next year, amid recession fears on more rate hikes and a strong US dollar, a survey showed Monday.
Finance HK HK to bolster role as global risk management hub | China Daily Hong Kong will integrate the city’s insurance sector with national development, riding on the country’s “dual circulation” strategy to bolster the special administrative region’s role as an international risk management centre.
Auto China Nation’s auto manufacturers focus on wider Asian market – China Daily Asia is emerging after Europe as a new market for China-made new energy vehicles, attracting Chinese carmakers to introduce their cutting-edge products and scale up investment in the region.
Samsung Electronics on Monday appointed a female president, it’s first who is not a member of the founding family, in a year-end reshuffle that put emphasis on elevating young leaders based on their performances.
Singapore needs to remain open to foreign talent to ensure the economy continues to grow over the longer term and there is more for everyone to share, said Mr Chee Hong Tat, Senior Minister of State for Finance and Transport.
SINO-AGRI POTASH CO., LTD. reported that Laos would be at the top level in the world in the near future after the company recently signed a potassium exploration agreement with the government.
Marketing specialist named Samsung’s first female president outside founding family
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 06, 2022
Samsung Electronics on Monday appointed a female president, its first who is not a member of the founding family, in a year-end reshuffle that put emphasis on elevating young leaders based on their performances.
Lee Young-hee, now president and head of global marketing, is a veteran marketer who joined Samsung in 2007 after serving in various roles at global companies, including Unilever and L’Oreal.
The 58-year-old is known for playing a leading role in elevating the awareness of Samsung’s flagship smartphone brand Galaxy globally.
“Lee has made great contributions to fostering the brand value of Samsung, bringing its focus to customer value and experience,” Samsung said in a statement. “As the first female president, she is expected to breathe fresh air into the company.”
Together with Lee, Samsung also promoted six other executive vice presidents to president, most of them being tech specialists, especially in the field of semiconductors.
Kim Woo-june, senior vice president in charge of products and business strategy, was promoted to president and head of network business in recognition of his leadership in the areas of sales, technology and strategy. Kim, 54, is the youngest figure to be promoted in the latest reshuffle.
Head of global manufacturing of semiconductor business Nam Seok-woo was promoted to president, having proved his skills by leading the process development and manufacturing of all of the company’s memory chip products.
With the outlook grim for the next year’s semiconductor market, Samsung promoted Song Jae-hyuk, vice president and head of the Semiconductor R&D Center, to president. Song contributed to fostering the company’s competitiveness in semiconductor technology, and for the company to reach the top position in the global memory chip market, Samsung added.
Baek Su-hyeon was promoted to lead the communications team, while Park Seung-hee, former communications chief of Samsung C&T, was named as new head of corporate relations.
Baek, based on his career background in journalism, is credited for enhancing communications in and outside the company.
In a move to bolster responsiveness to China issues, Samsung also promoted Greg Yang, a China expert, to lead Samsung’s Chinese office. Having served several manager positions on China sales, Yang has led Samsung’s expansion in China, the company said.
Paul (Kyung-whoon) Cheun, president and general management of the network business unit of the smartphone and home appliance business division, called DX or digital experience.
Sebastian Seung, president and head of Samsung Research became the head of global R&D cooperation of Samsung Research, the company’s research and development centre.
For some time, Samsung is expected to maintain its co-CEO system, under which Vice Chairman Han Jong-hee oversees smartphone and home appliance businesses, while Vice Chairman Kyung Kye-hyun handles its semiconductor business, called DS or digital solution division.
Monday’s executive reshuffle is the first of its kind since Chairman Lee Jae-yong took the top seat last month. The Samsung chief is said to be visiting the United Arab Emirates this week to attend a private forum hosted by the kingdom’s de facto ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Russia says three killed in Ukrainian drone attacks on two of its air bases
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 06, 2022
Russia said on Monday that three of its military personnel were killed in what it said were Ukrainian drone attacks on two Russian air bases hundreds of miles from the front lines in Ukraine.
Ukraine did not directly claim responsibility. If it did carry out the attacks, they were the deepest military strikes it has conducted inside the Russian heartland since the start of what Moscow calls “special military operation” on Feb. 24.
One of the targets, the Engels air base near the city of Saratov, houses bomber planes that are part of Russia’s strategic nuclear forces.
“The Kyiv regime, in order to disable Russian long-range aircraft, made attempts to strike with Soviet-made unmanned jet aerial vehicles at the military airfields Dyagilevo, in the Ryazan region, and Engels, in the Saratov region,” the Russian defence ministry said.
It said the drones, flying at low altitudes, were intercepted by air defences and shot down. The wreckage caused slight damage to two aircraft, it said, and four people were wounded.
The ministry called it a “terrorist act” aimed at disrupting its long-range aviation.
Despite that, it said, Russia responded with a “massive strike on the military control system and related objects of the defences complex, communication centres, energy and military units of Ukraine with high-precision air- and sea-based weapons” in which it said all 17 designated targets were hit.
Ukraine said it shot down more than 60 of over 70 missiles launched by Russia on Monday – the latest in weeks of attacks targeting its critical infrastructure that have cut off power, heat and water to many parts of the country.
Russia’s RIA news agency said the three deaths occurred at the air base in Ryazan, 185 km (115 miles) southeast of Moscow.
The other base that was hit was Engels, near the city of Saratov, about 730 km southeast of Moscow. It is one of two strategic bomber bases housing Russia’s air-delivered nuclear capability, the other being in Amur region in the Russian Far East.
Russia has 60 to 70 strategic bomber planes of two types: the Tu-95MS Bear and the Tu-160 Blackjack. Both are capable of carrying nuclear bombs and nuclear-armed cruise missiles.
Saratov is at least 600 km from the nearest Ukrainian-held territory. Russian commentators noted on social media that if Ukraine could strike that far inside Russia, it may also be capable of hitting Moscow.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters at a morning briefing that President Vladimir Putin was aware of the incidents, but declined further comment.
Ukrainian officials acknowledged the incidents on social media with tongue-in-cheek comments.
Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak wrote on Twitter: “If something is launched into other countries’ airspace, sooner or later unknown flying objects will return to (their) departure point.”
Ukraine has previously demonstrated the ability to strike strategic Russian targets far beyond the 1,100 km-long front lines in the south and eastern Ukraine.
In August, at least seven Russian warplanes were destroyed by explosions at a Russian airbase on the southwest coast of Russian-annexed Crimea.
Ukraine did not publicly claim responsibility for that, or for a spate of explosions at sites such as weapons stores and fuel depots in Russian regions close to the border with Ukraine.
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