WESTERN PERSPECTIVE Biden allows Ukraine limited use of US arms to strike inside Russia, say US officials President Joe Biden quietly has authorized Kyiv to launch U.S.-supplied weapons at military targets inside Russia that are supporting an offensive against the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, four U.S. officials said on Thursday. The decision marks a policy shift by Biden, who had steadfastly refused to allow Ukraine to use American weaponry for strikes inside Russia. Russia's embassy in Washington and Russia's mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The U.S. officials,…

Israel seizes Gaza's entire border with Egypt, presses with raids into Rafah Israeli forces have taken control of a buffer zone along the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, the country's military said on Wednesday, giving Israel effective authority over the Palestinian territory's entire land border. Israel also continued deadly raids on Rafah in southern Gaza despite an order from the International Court of Justice to end attacks on the city, where half of Gaza's 2.3 million people had previously taken refuge. In a televised briefing, chief military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said Israeli forces had gained "operational" control over…

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE Soldiers in Ukraine say US-supplied tanks have made them targets for Russian strikes Ukrainian crews working on US-supplied Abrams tanks have told CNN of a series of the weaknesses and flaws with the armored vehicles, calling into doubt their utility on the war’s ever-changing frontlines. The donation was announced by US President Joe Biden as evidence of the United States’ “enduring and unflagging commitment to Ukraine.” CNN journalists were the first reporters to see the M1 Abrams in Ukraine, at a location in the country’s east, where around six vehicles were visible, hiding in the foliage. Crews trained…

US says latest Rafah deaths won't change Israel policy, military aid The Biden administration said on Tuesday it was closely monitoring the probe into a deadly Israeli airstrike it called tragic, but that the recent deaths in Rafah didn't constitute a major ground operation there that crosses any U.S. red lines. "The Israelis have said this is a tragic mistake," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters at the White House, when asked about whether the events over the weekend qualified as the type of "death and destruction" U.S. officials have warned could result in the withholding of more…