Author: Steven Sahiounie

Russian forces have conducted a strike on Ukraine’s key military communications facility, as well as a number of other high-priority targets, the Defense Ministry in Moscow has said. In a statement on Thursday, the ministry said that Russian warplanes, drones, missiles and artillery had successfully “hit the main center of special radio communications of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” plus critical airfield infrastructure facilities. Officials did not say where the center was located, nor comment on the extent of the damage. Ukrainian media and officials reported several explosions in Kharkov and Sumy Region, with several blasts also…

President Joe Biden stated that inflation rates and interest rates in the United States have begun to decline. In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, he mentioned inheriting “the worst economic crisis the United States has seen since the Great Depression” four years ago. Biden added, “Now inflation and interest rates are starting to fall.” He emphasized, “There is still more work to be done. I will soon discuss our efforts to lower costs and grow our economy.” These remarks follow the Federal Reserve’s decision to cut interest rates by 50 basis points, signaling the start of monetary…

The Russian military has destroyed a German-made Leopard 2 tank in Russia’s Kursk Region, as Ukraine’s ill-fated attempt to hold on to Russian territory drags on. Video footage shows the tank suffering multiple hits from kamikaze drones. In a statement released on Wednesday, the Russian Defense Ministry said that more than 500 casualties had been inflicted on Ukrainian forces throughout Kursk Region in the preceding 24 hours. Two Leopard tanks, four Swedish-made CV-90 infantry fighting vehicles, and dozens of other armored vehicles and pieces of military equipment were destroyed in the same period, the ministry stated. In a video posted…

One person has been killed and another one was wounded in a stabbing attack in the Dutch city of Rotterdam on Thursday evening, police said. The suspect has been detained. The attack occurred near the iconic Erasmus Bridge in the central part of the city. Police said that bysnanders have confronted and “overpowered” the assailant. Police spokesman Wessel Stolle told reporters that the detained suspect was himself injured and was taken to a hospital. Stolle added that investigators haven’t yet determined a motive and were looking “into all possible scenarios.” According to the newspaper De Telegraaf, the suspect was armed with two large knives and…

The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that U.S. officials currently believe a ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza is unlikely before the end of President Joe Biden’s term in January. The report, citing senior officials from the White House, State Department, and Pentagon, noted that the prospects for an agreement remain uncertain. Earlier, Washington had stated that 90% of a ceasefire deal and the release of hostages had been agreed upon. However, gaps remain concerning Israel’s presence at the Philadelphi Route on Gaza’s border with Egypt and details regarding the release of Palestinian prisoners…

The Israeli military announced that its warplanes targeted Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon in recent hours, striking hundreds of rocket launch sites that were ready to fire toward Israel. According to the military, Israeli fighter jets hit approximately 100 rocket launchers, which included around 1,000 firing positions. The statement added, “The Israel Defense Forces will continue dismantling Hezbollah’s terrorist infrastructure and capabilities to protect Israel.”

Preliminary investigations by Lebanese authorities have revealed that the communication devices, which exploded in Lebanon this week, were rigged with explosives before arriving in the country, according to a letter from Lebanon’s UN mission. The letter, sent to the UN Security Council, stated that the devices, including pagers and other wireless communication tools, were detonated remotely through electronic messages. The mission further accused Israel of being responsible for planning and executing the attacks. The UN Security Council, consisting of 15 member states, is scheduled to discuss the explosions on Friday. The attacks, which targeted communication devices used by Hezbollah operatives,…

The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a warning on Thursday, stating that the monkeypox outbreak across Africa remains out of control, with cases continuing to rise in several countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern after detecting a new variant. Many African nations are struggling to manage this significant new outbreak, following the strain of the COVID-19 pandemic, which exposed weaknesses in healthcare systems unprepared for large-scale public health crises. According to data from the Africa CDC, monkeypox cases on the continent have surged by 177%,…

The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, stated on Thursday that recent explosions involving wireless communication devices (pagers) and other radios in Lebanon have caused severe disruptions to the country’s already fragile healthcare system. According to WHO reports from Lebanese health authorities, 37 people were killed and 3,000 injured in the explosions, which occurred in areas known to be Hezbollah strongholds. Ghebreyesus emphasized during a press conference that these incidents have significantly strained Lebanon’s healthcare infrastructure, which was already vulnerable. He added that WHO has provided blood bags and medical supplies to assist in the response.…

Following the recent explosions in Lebanon, which reportedly targeted communication devices used by Hezbollah, U.S. and French foreign ministers urged all parties to “de-escalate tensions in the Middle East” on Thursday. Both expressed “deep concern” over the potential for further escalation linked to Israel’s involvement in the attacks. French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné stated, “We have coordinated efforts to send de-escalation messages,” while U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, speaking from Paris, added, “We do not want to see any escalation from any side that worsens the situation.” Blinken acknowledged that “there is a real issue that needs to be…