Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he takes full responsibility for his administration's "war on drugs", in a video message posted on his Facebook account, as he braces for a legal battle at the International Criminal Court.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukrainian troops have not been encircled by Russian forces in Kursk region, accusing Russian leader Vladimir Putin of “lying” about the situation on the ground.

Ukraine is facing a potential new attack on its north-east Sumy region, Mr Zelensky said. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Russia said on Tuesday that its troops had retaken over 100 square kilometres (38.6 square miles) of territory and 12 settlements in its Kursk region as part of an offensive to force the Ukrainian army to flee from western Russia.

Ukrainian troops are still fending off Russian and North Korean forces in Russia's Kursk region but face a potential new attack on Ukraine's northeast Sumy region, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday.

Russia has reclaimed more than 100 square kilometers (38.6 square miles) of territory and 12 villages from Ukrainian forces in the southwestern Kursk region over the past 24 hours, the Russian military said Tuesday.

Russia said on Tuesday that its troops had made major new gains in its western region of Kursk, accelerating their push to drive out Ukrainian forces who have been clinging on to a slice of Russian territory since last August.

Russian armed forces have regained control of over 12 settlements and more than 100 square kilometers of territory in the Kursk Region. The Russian Defence Ministry made this disclosure in a statement on Tuesday.