An industry that has seen the most destruction with the use of drones in the Russia-Ukraine war has been revolutionized.
Published On 1 Dec 2025
How Ukraine turned into the world’s drone testing lab
ECOWAS delegation visits Guinea-Bissau for talks after military coup
Published On 1 Dec 2025
As regional pressure mounts against the military leaders who seized power following a contentious election, a delegation from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) travels to Guinea-Bissau for mediation talks with coup leaders from last week.
The mission, led by Julius Maada Bio, president of Sierra Leone and ECOWAS chairman, visited Guinea-Bissau on Monday to demand a “complete restoration of constitutional order.”
Recommended Stories
list of 4 itemsend of list
The country’s military has imposed stricter restrictions, putting an end to all strikes and demonstrations.
Sierra Leone’s foreign minister, Timothy Musa Kabba, described today as “very fruitful discussions.” “Both sides have voiced their distinct concerns.”
Guinea-Bissau’s newly appointed foreign minister, Joao Bernardo Vieira, stated that it was “very clearly established” that ECOWAS would remain in the country “durant this challenging period.”
He declared that “their discussions will continue with the military and the transitional authorities.”
Three days after the country’s intensely contested presidential election, both main contenders, opposition candidate Fernando Dias da Costa and incumbent president Umaro Sissoco Embalo, claimed victory before the results were scheduled to be announced. Since then, no conclusions have been made.
Embalo claimed that he had been deposed and detained while he was in charge of the takeover. Since then, he has fled to Brazzaville, the Republic of Congo’s capital.
General Horta Inta-A, a former army chief of staff, was chosen to lead a one-year transitional government, according to military officials in Guinea-Bissau. A new 28-member cabinet, made up primarily of people connected to the ousted president, was appointed by Inta-a on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Nigeria claimed that Dias da Costa, the leader of the opposition, was in imminent danger of his life.
Dias da Costa is currently at the Nigerian embassy in Bissau, according to a letter that the country’s minister of foreign affairs sent to ECOWAS. In order to protect the opposition candidate, the letter demanded a deployment of ECOWAS troops.
Separately, the main opposition group, the African Independence Party for Guinea and the Cape Verde (PAIGC), claimed that its capital’s headquarters had been “illegally invaded by heavily armed militia groups” in a statement.
In response to civil rights organizations’ criticism of the party’s decision as part of a wider crackdown on dissent, the party was prohibited from running for president on November 23.
Guinea-Bissau was suspended from all of its decision-making bodies until the country’s “full and effective constitutional order is restored,” according to ECOWAS, which is widely recognized as West Africa’s top political and regional body with 15 member states.
The number of people being dissented from the international community has increased, with Antonio Guterres, the head of the UN, expressing his concern for the military takeover and praising the country’s continued growing opposition.
‘People take pictures of me at the airport’ – Zhao on Crucible win
When Zhao Xintong became China’s first world snooker champion, life changed irreversibly for him – and the sport in his homeland.
Zhao, 28, made snooker history in May when he completed an incredible nine-match winning run from the opening qualifying round all the way to the final, beating Mark Williams 18-12 at the Crucible in Sheffield to achieve the sport’s ultimate glory.
“I’m trying to learn and now being world champion is very different, you need to do more things,” said Zhao after his 6-1 win on Monday over compatriot Long Zehuang in the opening round of the UK Championship.
“There’s a lot of pressure and that’s a big problem for me so I’m learning how to enjoy the table and when I win any match, I’m just very happy.
“This is my first time to be famous and I’m very busy. I don’t have time to practise but now I’m trying to get the balance and trying to get better. I’m not sure this is all real!”
There is no wonder Zhao is struggling to absorb all that has happened after a rollercoaster few years that have taken him from the sport’s depths to breathtaking highs.
Zhao announced himself to the snooker world in 2021 by winning the UK Championship title, beating Luca Brecel 10-5 in the final in York.
But then his future in the sport was in doubt as he was one of 10 Chinese players to be banned in a corruption scandal.
Zhao did not directly throw a match but was initially suspended for two and a half years, reduced to one year and eight months after his early admissions and guilty plea. He accepted charges of being a party to another player fixing two matches and betting on matches himself.
He made his return to top-level snooker at the UK Championship last year, before his stunning Crucible run.
Hugs, pictures and pressure – life as world champion
On Monday, Zhao played his first match in a Triple Crown event (World Championship, UK Championship or Masters) since that memorable May night and he impressed throughout, making breaks of 107, 68, 51, 59, 52 and 72 in his victory over 28-year-old UK debutant Long.
Long, 54th in the world rankings, had to battle through three qualifying rounds to get to York and avoided a 6-0 defeat with a fortunate pot on the pink in the sixth frame, but could not fight back against Zhao.
Twelve of the 32 players in the draw are from China, the highest number in a Triple Crown tournament, and Zhao could meet another Chinese player in the last 16 if Zhang Anda beats England’s Gary Wilson on Monday evening (19:00 GMT).
Zhao is hoping to having another extended run at York Barbican, a venue that will always be close to his heart.
He said: “I have good memories here as it was my first championship – Barbican is my lucky place so I enjoyed that today. Now I’ve just started, I’ve not finished, so I can get better in the future in every area.”
After his win over Long, Zhao spoke of how his life had changed over the past few months.
“It is a big difference now when I go back to China,” added Zhao.
To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
It is not just Zhao who feels the nerves when he plays, as he revealed his family were so tense they could not watch his World Championship final.
“When I played the final, they turned off their phone and went on a city walk because there was big pressure,” said Zhao. “They did not want to look at the TV, three hours later they turned on the phone to get the message [he was world champion].
Zhao aims to inspire Chinese youngsters
Zhao hopes he can inspire other players, just as Ding Junhui inspired him after he won the 2005 China Open, two days after his 18th birthday, by beating Stephen Hendry.
“It’s very good for Chinese players and Chinese snooker now is very strong,” added Zhao. “I won the World Championship and that gives everybody the confidence and helps them get stronger.
There was a piece of snooker history in Monday’s afternoon session when for the first time at a Triple Crown competition, four Chinese players were on the two television tables.
Three-time UK champion Ding beat Xu Si 6-4 on table two, helped by breaks of 103, 66, 92, 109 and 64.
“The first five or six frames it didn’t look like I was in the game, then I found some breaks, but before we were both struggling and messing around.”
Ding feels Zhao’s world title will help inspire more Chinese youngsters and the country could dominate the sport in the future.
“There are more young Chinese players now that are playing much better,” said Ding. “I’ve done a lot for snooker in China in my career and now Xintong has won a world title.
“In 15 years, I don’t see many players from the UK or Europe [being in the top 16]. In China there are hundreds of young ones at a good level, at 12 or 13.
Related topics
- Snooker
- 19 hours ago
- 30 minutes ago
‘People take pictures of me at the airport’ – Zhao on Crucible win
Zhao Xintong’s life changed forever, and so did the sport in his native China.
In May, Zhao, 28, defeated Mark Williams 18-12 at the Crucible in Sheffield to become the sport’s all-time greatest champion, completing an incredible nine-game winning streak that stretched from the opening qualifying round all the way to the final.
After winning 6-1 over compatriot Long Zehuang on Monday in the first round of the UK Championship, Zhao said, “I’m trying to learn, but now being world champion is very different, you need to do more things.”
“I’m learning how to enjoy the table and when I win any match, I’m just very happy because there’s a lot of pressure,” he said.
I’m very busy because this is my first public appearance. Although I don’t have time to practice, I’m now trying to find the balance and improving. This is not entirely true, in my opinion!
After a rollercoaster few years that plunged him from the sport’s depths to breathtaking highs, Zhao is struggling to deal with all that has happened.
Zhao won the UK Championship title over Luca Brecel 10-5 in the final match in York to officially introduce himself to the snooker world in 2021.
However, because he was one of the ten Chinese players to be banned from the game due to the corruption scandal, his future in the sport was uncertain.
Zhao did not directly play the game; instead, he was initially given a two-and-a-half year suspension that was later reduced to a year and eight months. He accepted the accusations that he had personally cheated on matches with other players and had been a party to them.
Before his stunning Crucible run, he made his first appearance at the top-level snooker last year at the UK Championship.
Hugs, photos, and pressure of being a world champion
Making breaks of 107, 68, 51, 59, 52, and 72 in his victory over 28-year-old UK debutant Long on that memorable May night, Zhao impressed in a Triple Crown event (World Championship, UK Championship, or Masters).
Long, who is 54th overall in the world rankings, battled through three qualifying rounds to reach York and was unable to hold back Zhao’s 6-0 defeat.
If Zhang Anda defeats England’s Gary Wilson on Monday evening (19:00 GMT), Zhao could meet another Chinese player in the last 16 and make the draw for 12 of the 32 players, which is the highest number in a Triple Crown tournament.
Zhao hopes to make another extended run to York Barbican, a place that will always be near his heart.
He said, “I have good memories here because this was my first championship; Barbican is my lucky location, so I enjoyed that today.” I’ve only just begun, and I’ve not finished, so I can improve in every way in the future.
Zhao described how his life had changed recently following his victory over Long.
When I return to China, Zhao added, “It is a significant difference.”
JavaScript must be enabled in your browser to play this video.
Zhao revealed that his family was so agitated they couldn’t watch his World Championship final, but that he is also the one who gets the nerves when he plays.
Because there was a lot of pressure, Zhao said, “When I played the final, they turned off their phone and went on a city walk.” They turned on the phone three hours later to receive the message that [he was world champion] they did not want to look at the TV.
Zhao hopes to inspire young people in China.
Zhao hopes to inspire other players, just as Ding Junhui did him when he defeated Stephen Hendry in the 2005 China Open to win the tournament two days after his 18th birthday.
It’s very beneficial for Chinese players, Zhao continued, and the current standing of Chinese snooker is impressive. Everyone gains confidence and strength because I won the World Championship, and that’s what I did.
Four Chinese players were present on the two television tables for the first time in a Triple Crown tournament on Monday afternoon, bringing a piece of snooker history to the table.
Three-time UK champion Ding beat Xu Si 6-4 on table two, helped by breaks of 103, 66, 92, 109 and 64.
Before we both started struggling and messing around, I found some breaks and it didn’t seem like I was in the game for the first five or six frames.
Ding believes Zhao’s world championship will inspire more young Chinese people, putting the nation on the map for the future.
Ding remarked, “There are more young Chinese players now who are playing much better.” I’ve done a lot of snooker in China throughout my career, and Xintong has just won a championship.
“In 15 years, I don’t see many players from the UK or Europe]achieving top 16,” said one player. There are countless young people in China who are 12 or 13 years old.
related subjects
- Snooker
- 19 hours ago
- thirty seconds ago
BREAKING: Ellie Goulding announces second pregnancy with boyfriend, 28, at Fashion Awards
Following a romance with a 28-year-old, Ellie Goulding, 38, is expecting her second child. The singer showed off her bump at the Fashion Awards to announce her pregnancy.
The singer, who previously had a relationship with art dealer Caspar Jopling, has a son named Arthur. Ellie and Caspar had been married for two years when the boy was born in 2021. She has also been connected to Beau Minniear, a 10-year-old girl, more recently.
Ellie wore a black crop top and low-waist black pants to show off her pregnancy at the Fashion Awards. Her long leather jacket remained unbuttoned despite her enthusiastic reaction to the cameras.
In February of this year, Caspar and Ellie parted ways. After the pair were seen on a number of dates over the summer, including a romantic minibreak to Italy, Beau, an actor, was initially believed to be dating the singer. After their break, they both revealed their respective boxing matches.
A source earlier this year stated to The Sun that Beau and Ellie share many similar interests, such as exercise and art. They’ve been having fun together, and they’re undoubtedly a charming couple.
One of the 21st century’s most popular British female singers is Ellie. She has received 43 billion streams in total for her songs, including Anything Could Happen and How Long Will I Love You.
Ellie has been writing new music in addition to having a son and raising one more child. She stated at the end of 2024, “I’ve been writing about what’s been happening in my life.”
“But also just observations, friends, and my connection to nature,” which is something I’ve always gravitated toward writing about, perhaps slightly more advanced or evolved since the most recent album.
She explained that writing songs “don’t come easily to me,” and that making them difficult is because of it. She also had been working on an album that hasn’t yet been released.
Trump administration discusses Venezuela amid military build-up concerns
As US President Donald Trump’s administration continued to defend a contentious double strike on alleged drug smugglers in the Caribbean, top US officials were scheduled to meet at the White House to discuss Venezuela.
The US military’s planned meeting on Monday was held as the Caribbean’s economy grew, according to Reuters news agency. Even though Trump has sent mixed messages in recent days, there are concerns about a potential land invasion that would threaten Venezuela’s president Nicolas Maduro’s government.
Recommended Stories
list of 3 itemsend of list
The US president announced last week that land operations against alleged Venezuelan drug smugglers could begin “very soon,” escalating the US military’s months-long operations against alleged Venezuelan drug smugglers in international waters and the Caribbean.
The Cartel de los Soles, which officials describe as a “foreign terrorist organization” (FTO), was designated by the US a day earlier as a “foreign terrorist organization” (FTO). Experts disagree with the characterization, claiming that the “Cartel de los Soles” has historically referred to a shaky system of corruption within the Venezuelan government.
Trump claimed that Venezuelan airspace should be regarded as being “in its entirety,” in a post he made on Truth Social, as the final stages of military action.
Trump, however, warned reporters on Sunday against “reading anything” into the action.
No one is certain why Trump announced the airspace closure, according to Al Jazeera’s chief US correspondent Alan Fischer, who was reporting from Washington, DC on Monday. He continued, adding that rumors in US media outlets suggested the announcement had taken place without the Pentagon’s knowledge.
Trump responded, “You shouldn’t read too much into it when asked about it on Air Force One.” However, that did not stop the speculation because no-fly zones are typically established prior to any military operations, according to Fisher.
He added that many Washington-based observers saw the threats and asset growth as a means of obstructing Maduro’s frightened country before any military action is taken. Trump’s statements in the past about Venezuela’s vast oil reserves have sparked concerns that he might start a “war for oil” in the eyes of some.
“Dennis Trump has to balance his MAGA]Make America Great Again supporters because he campaigned on the grounds that he wouldn’t engage in what he described as stupid foreign wars,” Fisher said.
According to Al Jazeera’s Phil Lavelle, who was reporting from Puerto Rico, the US territory where the military’s Caribbean expansion has taken place, it is still difficult to tell whether any operations are imminent.
As this readiness process is underway, Lavelle said, “We have about 15, 000 or so military personnel in this region of the world.”
The USS Winston S. Churchill and the USS Bainbridge are among the sea systems that are in play, he said.
renewed investigation into boat strikes
The Trump administration has continued to grow as a result of its renewed pressure over its deadly attacks on alleged Venezuelan drug smugglers in Caribbean international waters.
Republican and Democratic members of the US House and Senate armed services committees announced over the weekend that they would increase oversight of the strikes.
Following last week’s report from the Washington Post and CNN, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth verbally ordered everyone to board a vessel suspected of smuggling drugs from Venezuela.
After two people appeared to survive the initial strike, military officials reportedly ordered a “follow-on” strike on the vessel.
The defense secretary has entered even more precarious legal grounds by explicitly ordering forces to kill all passengers on board the vessels, which is contradicted by legal experts who have long claimed that US strikes on alleged “narco-terrorists” in international waters may be against both domestic and international law.
A group of former US military attorneys wrote in a letter that the orders “if true” would “contain war crimes, murder, or both.”
Hegseth responded to the report by stating that “every military action in the Caribbean is in accordance with the law of armed conflict.”
He has since doubled down in defiance, posting a mock-of-a-children’s character Franklin with a rocket-propelled grenade launcher on social media on Sunday.
Trump claimed that Hegseth had denied issuing the kill order in a statement to reporters on Sunday.
He claimed that he did not say that, and that he had faith in him to be 100%.
A second strike did indeed occur, according to White House spokesman Karoline Leavitt, who claimed Admiral Frank Bradley had given the order for the subsequent attack.
Leavitt told reporters that Bradley “executed well within his authority and the law directing the engagement to ensure the boat was destroyed and the threat to the United States of America was eliminated.” She described the attack as being carried out in the “self-defence” of the US.
Venezuela’s National Assembly scheduled to meet on Monday for an extraordinary session to discuss creating a commission on the strikes.