WARS
Saturday, 23 December 2023 04:36
Here’s the latest as Israel-Hamas war enters Day 78
UN approves watered-down resolution on aid to Gaza without call for suspension of hostilities The U.N. Security Council adopted a watered-down resolution Friday calling for immediately speeding aid deliveries to hungry and desperate civilians in Gaza but without the original plea for an “urgent suspension of hostilities” between Israel and Hamas. The long-delayed vote in the 15-member council was 13-0 with the United States and Russia abstaining. The U.S. abstention avoided a third American veto of a Gaza resolution following Hamas’ surprise Oct. 7 attacks inside Israel. Russia wanted the stronger language restored; the U.S. did not. Still, “It was…
Saturday, 23 December 2023 04:35
What to know after Day 667 of Russia-Ukraine war
WESTERN PERSPECTIVE Ukraine claims to down three Russian fighter-bomber jets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and military officials said the country's forces shot down three Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber aircraft on Friday on the southern front, hailing it as a success in the 22-month-old war. The Russian military made no mention of the incident. But Russian bloggers acknowledged the loss, and analysts suggested U.S.-supplied Patriot missiles had probably been used. Reuters could not independently confirm the reports. "Today at noon in the southern sector -- minus three Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers!" Ukrainian Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk wrote on the Telegram messaging app.…
Friday, 22 December 2023 04:47
Here’s the latest as Israel-Hamas war enters Day 77
Israel intensifies Gaza strikes, Hamas fires rockets amid truce talks Fighting in the Gaza Strip escalated on Thursday with some of the most intense Israeli bombardment of the war and Hamas demonstrated its ability to rocket Tel Aviv, even as the foes engaged in the most serious talks for weeks on a new truce. Israeli bombing was at its most intense over northern Gaza, where orange flashes of explosions could be seen from across the fence in Israel in the morning hours. Later, Israeli planes roared over central and southern areas, dropping bombs that sent up plumes of smoke, residents…
Friday, 22 December 2023 04:45
What to know after Day 666 of Russia-Ukraine war
WESTERN PERSPECTIVE Russia has fired 7,400 missiles, 3,700 Shahed drones in war so far, Kyiv says Russia has launched about 7,400 missiles and 3,700 Shahed attack drones at targets in Ukraine during its 22-month-old invasion, Kyiv said on Thursday, illustrating the vast scale of Moscow's aerial assaults. Ukrainian air defences were able to shoot down 1,600 of the missiles and 2,900 of the drones, air force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat said in televised comments. "We are faced with an enormous aggressor, and we are fighting back," he said. He said the lower missile downing rate was due to the use of…
Thursday, 21 December 2023 04:36
Here’s the latest as Israel-Hamas war enters Day 76
Israel uncovers major Hamas command center in Gaza City as cease-fire talks gain momentum The Israeli military on Wednesday said it had uncovered a major Hamas command center in the heart of Gaza City, inflicting what it described as a serious blow to the Islamic militant group as pressure grows on Israel to scale back its devastating military offensive in the coastal enclave. The army said it had exposed the center of a vast underground network used by Hamas to move weapons, militants and supplies throughout the Gaza Strip. Israel has said destroying the tunnels is a major objective of…
Thursday, 21 December 2023 04:35
What to know after Day 665 of Russia-Ukraine war
WESTERN PERSPECTIVE Ukrainian army proposal to call up more civilians gets mixed reaction in Kyiv A Ukrainian army proposal to conscript up to 500,000 more civilians has produced mixed feelings in Kyiv, with many people saying more troops are needed to fight Russia but some suggesting it is pointless unless they get more weapons. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced the army's proposal on Tuesday but said he had not yet decided whether to back it. Such a move would be intended to help replenish exhausted Ukrainian forces nearly two years of Russia's full-scale invasion, but could risk a backlash from those…
Wednesday, 20 December 2023 04:40
Here’s the latest as Israel-Hamas war enters Day 75
Israel keeps pounding Gaza, Houthis vow more Red Sea attacks Israeli forces pounded the shattered Gaza Strip on Tuesday while Yemen's Houthis vowed to defy a U.S.-led naval mission and keep targeting Red Sea shipping in support of the Palestinian enclave's ruling Hamas movement. Israel's campaign to eradicate Hamas militants behind an Oct. 7 massacre has left the coastal enclave in ruins, brought widespread hunger and homelessness, and killed nearly 20,000 Gazans, according to the Palestinian enclave's health ministry. Under foreign pressure to avoid killing innocents, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the war will not stop until a remaining…
Wednesday, 20 December 2023 04:39
What to know after Day 664 of Russia-Ukraine war
RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE Ukraine conflict exposed truth about Western military equipment – Putin Ukraine is facing significant battlefield losses, and its counteroffensive has failed to impress the country's foreign backers, according to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Speaking during a Defense Ministry Board meeting on Tuesday in Moscow, he pointed out that Kiev’s forces are having these problems despite receiving high-grade Western military equipment. Kiev has lost over 14,000 tanks and infantry fighting vehicles since the start of Russia’s military operation in the country, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said during the meeting. “The myth of the invulnerability of Western military equipment has…
Tuesday, 19 December 2023 04:43
Here’s the latest as Israel-Hamas war enters Day 74
US envoys work for new hostage release deal, scale-down of Israel-Hamas war but say no timetable The head of the CIA jetted to Europe for talks with Israeli and Qatari officials Monday, sounding out the potential for a deal on a new cease-fire and the release of hostages in Gaza, as the U.S. defense secretary spoke to Israeli military leaders about scaling back major combat operations against Hamas. Still, there was no sign that a shift in the war was imminent after more than two months of devastating bombardment and fighting. Fierce battles raged in northern Gaza, where residents said…
Tuesday, 19 December 2023 04:42
What to know after Day 663 of Russia-Ukraine war
WESTERN PERSPECTIVE Ukraine's top general criticizes president's firing of recruitment chiefs- media Ukraine's top general on Monday issued his strongest criticism to date of a previous presidential decision to fire regional military draft office chiefs, Interfax Ukraine reported. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy fired all of Ukraine's regional military recruitment heads in August in a corruption crackdown. He said at the time a state investigation into centres across Ukraine had exposed abuses by officials ranging from illegal enrichment to transporting draft-eligible men across the border despite a wartime ban on them leaving the country. Asked by reporters on the sidelines of…
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Monday, 18 December 2023 04:41
Here’s the latest as Israel-Hamas war enters Day 73
Israeli army says it uncovered biggest Hamas tunnel yet The Israeli army said on Sunday it had uncovered the biggest Hamas tunnel in the Gaza Strip so far, just a few hundred metres from a key border crossing. Such was its size that small vehicles would be able to travel within the tunnel, an AFP photographer granted access to it reported. The underground passage formed part of a wider branching network that stretched for over four kilometres (2.5 miles) and came within 400 metres (1,300 feet) of the Erez border crossing, the army said in a statement. It cost millions…
Monday, 18 December 2023 04:39
What to know after Day 662 of Russia-Ukraine war
WESTERN PERSPECTIVE Russia and Ukraine launch swarm of drones at each other's territory Ukraine and Russia launched a swarm of drones at each other's territories on Sunday as both sides step up attacks, with the Russian assault reportedly killing one person in Odesa and the Ukrainian strike targeting a Russian military airfield. Ukraine's air force said on Sunday morning that it had destroyed 20 drones and a cruise missile that Russia launched overnight. Nine of the drones were downed over the southern Odesa region, with falling debris starting a fire in a residential house and killing one person. The Russian…
Sunday, 17 December 2023 04:42
Here’s the latest as Israel-Hamas war enters Day 72
Netanyahu says Israel is as 'committed as ever' to war after soldiers mistakenly killed 3 hostages Three Israeli hostages who were mistakenly shot by Israeli troops in the Gaza Strip had been waving a white flag and were shirtless when they were killed, military officials said Saturday, in Israel’s first such acknowledgement of harming any hostages in its war against Hamas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a nationwide address that the killings “broke my heart, broke the entire nation’s heart,” but he indicated no change in Israel’s intensive military campaign. “We are as committed as ever to continue until…
Sunday, 17 December 2023 04:41
What to know after Day 661 of Russia-Ukraine war
RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE Russian forces carry out 40 group strikes on Ukrainian military facilities over week The Russian forces have carried out 40 group strikes on Ukrainian military airfields and ammunition depots, intercepted a Tochka-U missile and two S-200 missiles, as well as shot down a Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter and 119 drones over the past week, the Russian Defense Ministry said. TASS has compiled the main achievements of the Russian armed forces in the special military operation over the past week. Krasny Liman area Russia’s battlegroup Center repelled 11 Ukrainian attacks in the Krasny Liman area over the past week, the…