WARS
Thursday, 30 January 2025 04:48
Here’s the latest as Israel-Hamas war enters Day 482
Israeli troops to remain in Jenin refugee camp, defence minister says Israeli troops will remain in the Palestinians' Jenin refugee camp once the large-scale raid they launched last week is complete, Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday as a crackdown in the occupied West Bank extended into a second week. Hundreds of Israeli troops backed by helicopters, drones and armoured vehicles have been fighting sporadic gunbattles with Palestinian militants while carrying out searches in the streets and alleyways for weapons and equipment. "The Jenin refugee camp will not be what it was," Katz said during a visit to the…
Thursday, 30 January 2025 04:44
What to know after Day 1071 of Russia-Ukraine war
WESTERN PERSPECTIVE Ukraine mounts big drone attack, says it hit Russian refinery Ukraine said on Wednesday it had struck a big Russian oil refinery in an overnight drone attack, and a Russian official said an attempted Ukrainian drone strike on a nuclear power plant had been thwarted. The Ukrainian military said the strike on the refinery in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod region had caused a large fire. Reuters was able to verify a video posted on social media that showed orange flames lighting up the night sky in the city of Kstovo, but could not confirm it was the refinery that…
Wednesday, 29 January 2025 04:42
Here’s the latest as Israel-Hamas war enters Day 481
Rubio told Egypt about need to stop Hamas from governing Gaza again, US says U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Egypt's foreign minister on Tuesday it was important to ensure Hamas can never govern Gaza again, the State Department said, with their call coming after President Donald Trump suggested Egypt and Jordan should take more Palestinians. WHY IT'S IMPORTANT Trump on Saturday floated a plan to "clean out" Gaza, where Israel's war has killed tens of thousands and caused a humanitarian crisis, in comments that echoed long-standing Palestinian fears of being permanently driven from their homes. The suggestion by…
Wednesday, 29 January 2025 04:40
What to know after Day 1070 of Russia-Ukraine war
RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE Zelensky lacks legitimacy to sign any deal – Putin Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky can participate in possible talks with Moscow if he wishes to, but he lacks the legitimacy to actually sign a peace deal, Russian President Vladimir Putin told journalist Pavel Zarubin on Tuesday. Negotiating with the de-facto Ukrainian leadership will not have any legal meaning, given that Kiev explicitly banned itself from engaging in talks with Moscow, according to Putin. In 2022, Zelensky, whose presidential term officially ended in May 2024, issued a decree prohibiting negotiations with Russia, and President Vladimir Putin specifically, a measure that remains…
Tuesday, 28 January 2025 04:18
Here’s the latest as Israel-Hamas war enters Day 480
Gaza hostages were held in tunnels for months, Israeli medical officer says Some of the hostages released from Gaza so far during the ceasefire had been held in Hamas tunnels for up to eight months straight, deprived of daylight and with little to no human contact, an Israeli general said on Monday. Three Israeli civilians and four soldiers - all women - have been released so far in the ceasefire, which began on Jan. 19. In return, Israel has released 290 Palestinian convicts and detainees. "Some of them told us that they've been in the past few months, that they've…
Tuesday, 28 January 2025 04:17
What to know after Day 1069 of Russia-Ukraine war
RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE Half of Ukrainians back compromise to end war – poll Half of Ukrainians now favor a compromise to end the conflict with Russia through peace negotiations involving international mediators, a recent survey by Ukrainian pollster Socis has suggested. According to a report by Ukrainskaya Pravda on Monday, the latest survey, conducted in December 2024, reflects shifting public sentiment in Ukraine, with increasing support for a diplomatic solution after years of conflict and the depleting situation on the battlefield. According to the poll, 50.6% of respondents support negotiations involving international leaders to secure guarantees for ending the conflict. This…
Monday, 27 January 2025 04:48
Here’s the latest as Israel-Hamas war enters Day 479
Trump says Jordan, Egypt should take in Palestinians from Gaza; Egypt and Jordan push back U.S. President Donald Trump said Jordan and Egypt should take in Palestinians from war-ravaged Gaza, a suggestion rejected by Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that runs the enclave, and apparently rebuffed by Jordan and Egypt. Asked if this was a temporary or long-term solution for Gaza, where Israel's military assault has caused a dire humanitarian situation and killed tens of thousands, Trump said on Saturday: "Could be either." Jordan is already home to several million Palestinians, while tens of thousands live in Egypt. Both countries…
Monday, 27 January 2025 04:47
What to know after Day 1068 of Russia-Ukraine war
RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE Zelensky explains ban on talks with Moscow Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has explained that he banned negotiations with Russia in order to prevent what he called “separatist” talks outside official government oversight. Russia tried to reach out to Kiev through various intermediaries, including Ukrainian lawmakers, European parliamentarians, US contacts, and even ordinary people, he claimed in comments to journalists on Saturday. Speaking at a press conference with Moldovan President Maia Sandu, Zelensky complained that Moscow started “setting up a large number of various channels” it could use for talks after the start of its military campaign against Kiev in…
Sunday, 26 January 2025 04:12
Here’s the latest as Israel-Hamas war enters Day 478
Four Israeli soldiers swapped for 200 Palestinians; north Gaza shut over hostage still held Hamas freed four female Israeli soldiers on Saturday in exchange for 200 Palestinian prisoners, but a delay in freeing another hostage prompted Israel to block hundreds of thousands of Gazans from returning to the enclave's bombed-out north. The four Israelis freed in the second swap of the week-old Gaza truce were led onto a podium in Gaza City amid a large crowd of Palestinians and surrounded by dozens of armed Hamas men. The hostages waved and smiled before being led off, entering Red Cross vehicles to…
Sunday, 26 January 2025 04:09
What to know after Day 1067 of Russia-Ukraine war
WESTERN PERSPECTIVE Inside the Ukrainian drone unit conducting deep strikes on Russia As snow fell in a wooded area of Ukraine, the long-range attack drones accelerated one by one down an unlit, abandoned road and their whirring engines propelled them into the night sky. The unmanned aircraft carrying explosive warheads are part of a Ukrainian campaign of long-range drone attacks that aim to inflict blows on Russia far behind the front line as Moscow's troops advance in the east. "Our main goal is to conduct strikes to hit logistics hubs in the rear, ammunition warehouses and decrease our enemy's pressure…
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Saturday, 25 January 2025 04:58
Here’s the latest as Israel-Hamas war enters Day 477
Hamas has added up to 15,000 fighters since start of war, US figures show The Palestinian militant group Hamas has recruited between 10,000 and 15,000 members since the start of its war with Israel, according to two congressional sources briefed on U.S. intelligence, suggesting the Iran-backed fighters could remain a persistent threat to Israel. The intelligence indicates a similar number of Hamas fighters have been killed during that period, the sources said. The latest official U.S. estimates have not been previously reported. Hamas and Israel began a ceasefire on Sunday after 15 months of a conflict that has devastated the…
Saturday, 25 January 2025 04:57
What to know after Day 1066 of Russia-Ukraine war
RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE US suspends aid to Ukraine – Politico US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has frozen nearly all aid grants to Ukraine for 90 days, Politico reported on Friday. The move comes after President Donald Trump ordered a full review of all foreign assistance. Rubio instructed diplomatic and consular posts to issue “stop-work orders” on nearly all “existing foreign assistance awards,” Politico said, citing an internal document. According to Politico, the order has “shocked”State Department officials and appears to apply to funding for military assistance to Ukraine. The magazine cited three current and two former officials familiar with the…
Friday, 24 January 2025 04:20
Here’s the latest as Israel-Hamas war enters Day 476
Israel sees more to do on Lebanon ceasefire as deadline nears Israel said on Thursday the terms of a ceasefire with Hezbollah were not being implemented fast enough and there was more work to do, while the Iran-backed group urged pressure to ensure Israeli troops leave south Lebanon by Monday as set out in the deal. The deal stipulates that Israeli troops withdraw from south Lebanon, Hezbollah remove fighters and weapons from the area and Lebanese troops deploy there - all within a 60-day timeframe which will conclude on Monday at 4 a.m (0200 GMT). The deal, brokered by the…
Friday, 24 January 2025 04:19
What to know after Day 1065 of Russia-Ukraine war
RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE Kremlin responds to Trump’s threat over Ukraine deal The Kremlin has dismissed US President Donald Trump’s threats of sanctions and tariffs over a Ukraine peace deal, calling the tactics “nothing new.” Trump issued a thinly-veiled ultimatum to Moscow on Wednesday by calling on it to end the Ukraine conflict and strike a “deal”or to face new sanctions instead. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday that Russia remains open to “equal and respectful dialogue” with the United States, adding that, during his first term in office, Trump had engaged in this kind of exchange with President Vladimir…