US slams UN conference on Israel-Palestinian issue, warns of consequences U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is discouraging governments around the world from attending a U.N. conference next week on a possible two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians, according to a U.S. cable seen by Reuters. The diplomatic demarche, sent on Tuesday, says countries that take "anti-Israel actions" following the conference will be viewed as acting in opposition to U.S. foreign policy interests and could face diplomatic consequences from Washington. The demarche, which was not previously reported, runs squarely against the diplomacy of two close allies France and Saudi Arabia,…

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE Kiev’s unwillingness to compromise to lead to more territorial losses — Russian negotiator Ukraine’s unwillingness to compromise in talks with Russia will only lead to more territorial losses for Kiev, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing Russian Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky, who heads Moscow’s delegation to negotiations with Ukraine. "We want peace," he pointed. "But if Ukraine keeps being driven by the national interests of others, then we will be simply forced to respond," Medinsky added. He also "warned that a lack of compromise from Kiev would only lead to more territorial losses," the newspaper notes. "With Russia,…

Israel's Netanyahu says significant progress made in talks to release hostages Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that there had been "significant progress" in efforts to secure the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza, but that it was "too soon" to raise hopes that a deal would be reached. Despite efforts by the United States, Egypt and Qatar to restore a ceasefire in Gaza, neither Israel nor Hamas has shown willingness to back down on core demands, with each side blaming the other for the failure to reach a deal. Netanyahu, who has come under pressure from…

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE Intense Russian drone attack on Kharkiv kills 2, injures 54, Ukraine says A nine-minute-long Russian drone attack on Ukraine's second largest city of Kharkiv in the middle of the night killed at least two people and injured 54, including five children, regional officials said on Wednesday. The intense strikes with 17 drones sparked fires in 15 units of a five-storey apartment building and caused other damage in the city close to the Russian border, Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said. "There are direct hits on multi-storey buildings, private homes, playgrounds, enterprises and public transport," Terekhov said on the Telegram…