Author: Daily Sabah With Reuters

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Israel was committed to its ceasefire deal with Hezbollah, but warned that it did not mean the war was over. Speaking at the start of a cabinet meeting in the northern border city of Nahariya, Netanyahu said Hezbollah had seriously violated the accord on Monday and that Israel had subsequently attacked more than 20 targets across Lebanon in retaliation. “We are currently in a ceasefire, I note, a ceasefire, not the end of the war,” he said. “We have a clear goal to return the residents, to rehabilitate the north. We…

Russian Navy frigates equipped with new generation hypersonic cruise missiles have conducted drills in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Tuesday. The crews of the frigates fired Zircon (Tsirkon) hypersonic anti-ship missiles, while a Russian submarine launched a Kalibr cruise missile, another weapon capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, the ministry said. On the coast nearby, a missile system carried out a live launch of an Onyx anti-ship missile, it said.

A visit to Russia by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is being prepared, but there is no clarity yet on when it will take place, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday. Peskov said it was unclear whether the visit would happen this year, but that a date for the trip could be agreed very quickly if necessary. “Such a visit is being prepared, preparations are underway,” Peskov told reporters at a daily briefing when asked about the matter. Moscow is preparing to sign a new bilateral treaty with Tehran that will include closer defence cooperation, the kind of treaty that…

France is at a turning point due to uncertainty over the country’s budget and the future of the government, said Finance Minister Antoine Armand on Tuesday. “The country is at a turning point,” Armand told France 2 TV, adding that politicians had a responsibility “not to plunge the country into uncertainty.” Prime Minister Michel Barnier, who is facing no-confidence motions, is due to address TV news programmes on Tuesday evening.

Prince William and his wife Kate will greet Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and his wife on Tuesday as they begin a two-day state visit to Britain. The visit marks the return of Kate to formal welcoming duties after she missed the Japanese emperor and his wife in June while she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy for cancer. A royal salute and a carriage procession kick off a morning of pageantry, before the emir heads to the Houses of Parliament to address both chambers. A state banquet at Buckingham Palace will follow in the evening. Britain is seeking…

Russian drones struck critical infrastructure in Ukraine’s western Ternopil and Rivne regions overnight, the Ukrainian air force said on Tuesday. The attack left part of the city of Ternopil without electricity, its mayor said, a week after Moscow’s strikes cut power to much of the city and its surrounding region. “Energy workers and rescuers are eliminating the consequences of the attack. Stock up on water, charge your phones,” mayor Serhiy Nadal said on his Telegram messaging channel. Ternopil lies about 220 km (135 miles) east of NATO-member Poland. Russia mounted two big attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in November, triggering…

Novak Djokovic is eager to take on Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz at the Grand Slam level when he returns to action at the Australian Open after a lackluster 2024 season, the 24-time Grand Slam champion said. After dominating last year with three major titles, the 37-year-old has struggled in 2024, failing to secure a Grand Slam victory for the first time since his injury-hit 2017 season. World No. 1 Sinner dethroned Djokovic at Melbourne Park en route to his maiden Grand Slam win, and the 23-year-old Italian also beat the Serb in the Shanghai Masters final in October. Reigning…

Novak Djokovic is eager to take on Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz at the Grand Slam level when he returns to action at the Australian Open after a lackluster 2024 season, the 24-time Grand Slam champion said. After dominating last year with three major titles, the 37-year-old has struggled in 2024, failing to secure a Grand Slam victory for the first time since his injury-hit 2017 season. World No. 1 Sinner dethroned Djokovic at Melbourne Park en route to his maiden Grand Slam win, and the 23-year-old Italian also beat the Serb in the Shanghai Masters final in October. Reigning…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Israel would respond “strongly” after the Iran-backed Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, citing repeated Israeli ceasefire violations, carried out a strike on an Israeli military position.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has discussed the escalating situation in Syria with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian by phone, the Kremlin said on Monday. “The focus was on the escalating situation in the Syrian Arab Republic,” the Kremlin statement said. “Unconditional support was expressed for the actions of the legitimate authorities of Syria to restore constitutional order and to restore the political, economic and social stability of the Syrian state.” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country was ready for any cooperation with Russia to control the regional situation and help resolve the crisis in Syria, according to the Iranian government’s…