Author: AFP
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stressed that the United States was dedicated to a diplomatic resolution in Lebanon and urged Israel to improve “dire” conditions in Gaza, in a call Saturday with his Israeli counterpart. Austin “reiterated US commitment to a diplomatic resolution in Lebanon that allows Israeli and Lebanese civilians to return safely to their homes on both sides of the border” in his call with Israel Katz, according to a Pentagon spokesperson. Austin also “urged the Government of Israel to continue to take steps to improve the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza and emphasized the US commitment to securing…
Russian strikes killed at least two people in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy, the acting mayor said Friday. “Several massive explosions occurred in Sumy,” Artem Kobzar said in a video message on Telegram, adding that at least two people had died. He said air defences were still working as of just before 6:00 am local time (0400 GMT) and warned residents to stay away from windows. The Sumy regional military administration said a residential neighbourhood had been struck by a Russian UAV, adding that rescue operations were underway. Sumy lies across the border from Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukrainian…
The head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on Friday described the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a former defence minister as the “end and political death” of Israel, in a speech. “This means the end and political death of the Zionist regime, a regime that today lives in absolute political isolation in the world and its officials can no longer travel to other countries,” Revolutionary Guards chief General Hossein Salami said in the speech aired on state TV.
Bitcoin touched a fresh record high on Friday, with its sights set firmly on the $100,000 barrier, in a stellar rally for the cryptocurrency sparked by expectations of a more friendly regulatory environment under a Donald Trump administration. It has more than doubled in value this year and is up about 45% since Trump’s sweeping election victory on Nov.5, which has also seen a slew of pro-crypto lawmakers being elected to Congress. The cryptocurrency was last up just over 1% on the day at $99,380, and is on track for its best monthly performance since February. Its surge has made…
Sweden will not be intimidated by Russia’s provocations, Defence Minister Pal Jonson said Friday after President Vladimir Putin hinted at strikes on Western countries supplying weapons to Ukraine. The Swedish minister’s remarks came as he announced “substantial funding” to Ukraine for the procurement of long-range missiles and drones. “The Russian escalation and provocation that we’ve been noticing recently is an attempt to scare us from supporting Ukraine, and that will fail. This will not happen,” Jonson told reporters at a joint press conference in Stockholm with his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov. “Supporting Ukraine is both the right thing to do…
Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone call with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani on Thursday during which they discussed the OPEC+ oil agreement and the situation in the Middle East, the Kremlin said.
Moscow on Thursday launched an intercontinental ballistic missile at Ukraine for the first time, Kyiv said, marking the latest escalation of the conflict after Ukraine fired Western-supplied long-range missiles on Russia. The Ukrainian air force said Russian forces had used the missile in an early morning attack on the city of Dnipro, while a source confirmed to AFP it was the first such use of the weapon by Moscow since the invasion in 2022.
A resolution tabled by Western countries to censure Iran’s nuclear program at the International Atomic Energy Agency “will weaken and disrupt” interactions between the UN body and Tehran, it warned ahead of the vote on Thursday. Paris, Berlin, London and Washington have formally submitted a text condemning Iran for alleged lack of cooperation with the agency and its nuclear observers. A formal vote is scheduled for later on Thursday at the UN nuclear watchdog’s board of governors meeting at its Vienna headquarters. The tabling of the resolution comes a week after a visit to Iran by the head of the…
Russia on Wednesday accused the US of prolonging the “war in Ukraine” by stepping up weapons deliveries to Kyiv ahead of Donald Trump entering the White House. The US will soon provide Ukraine with antipersonnel land mines to shore up its defences against Russian forces, a US official said late Tuesday, the latest step-up in military supplies announced by the administration of US President Joe Biden following Trump’s election victory. “If you look at the trends of the outgoing US administration, they are fully committed to continuing the war in Ukraine and are doing everything they can to do so,”…
Iran’s top diplomat Abbas Araghchi warned on Wednesday of a “proportionate” response from Tehran if a Western-backed resolution critical of Iran is passed at the International Atomic Energy Agency. Araghchi said in a phone conversation with IAEA chief Rafel Grossi that if the parties “ignore Iran’s goodwill and interactive approach and put non-constructive measures on the agenda in the Board of Governors meeting through the issuance of a resolution, Iran will respond in a proportionate and appropriate manner.”