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  • Iran recloses Strait of Hormuz after Israeli attacks on Lebanon

    Iran recloses Strait of Hormuz after Israeli attacks on Lebanon

    Tensions in the Middle East have escalated sharply once again after Iran ordered a full closure of the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz, a retaliatory move triggered by Israeli military attacks on southern Lebanon that violated a newly brokered ceasefire. The closure order was first issued by Iran’s Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters in an official statement carried by the country’s state-run Mehr News Agency, with confirmation and a formal security warning later issued by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

    In its official announcement, the Khatam-al Anbiya headquarters confirmed that all commercial vessel traffic through the key waterway has been suspended, framing this measure as an initial, proportional response to what it described as the enemy’s breach of signed ceasefire commitments. The statement warned that if Israeli aggression continues, Iran will implement additional, more far-reaching countermeasures to force adversaries to uphold their international agreements. The IRGC echoed this warning, advising all civilian and commercial vessels to avoid approaching the strait for their own safety, noting that any unauthorized entry would put vessels and crews at severe security risk. In its justification for the closure, the IRGC explicitly named two triggering factors: ongoing Israeli strikes against Lebanese territory and repeated violations of the ceasefire framework by the United States.

    The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most vital energy chokepoints, carrying roughly 20 percent of the global supply of crude oil and liquefied natural gas every day. This is not the first closure of the waterway in 2025: Iran effectively shut down the strait for nearly four months starting in late February, when Israel and the United States launched large-scale military operations across the region. The strait was only reopened earlier this week, after U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a preliminary truce agreement to end hostilities across all fronts, including the Lebanese-Israeli border.

    The latest closure followed a deadly wave of Israeli air and ground strikes across southern Lebanon launched on Saturday, just one day after Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah reached a Qatari- and U.S.-mediated ceasefire deal. The civilian death toll from Saturday’s attacks has risen to at least 29, according to multiple Lebanese official sources.

    Lebanon’s civil defense agency confirmed that 16 people were killed and 12 more wounded in a series of targeted strikes on the southern city of Nabatieh. Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported that an Israeli strike on the village of Barish, located near the coastal city of Tyre, killed four members of a single civilian family. Near the major southern city of Sidon, another Israeli attack on a local village left at least seven people dead and 13 others injured. Additional strikes claimed one life in the Shehour municipality of Tyre, another in the town of Sohmor in Lebanon’s western Beqaa Valley, and one Lebanese army officer was killed in an air strike targeting the Kfar Rumman-Nabatieh road, according to an official statement from the Lebanese military.

    In its official statement following the officer’s death, the Lebanese army condemned the unprovoked attacks, noting that the continued brutal Israeli assaults have the clear goal of derailing any diplomatic effort to restore lasting stability to Lebanese territory.

    The breaches of the ceasefire come at a critical diplomatic moment, as Iran and the U.S. move forward with efforts to implement a broader memorandum of understanding (MoU) designed to end cross-regional hostilities. The Friday ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah was secured after weeks of mediation by Qatari and U.S. diplomatic teams, with follow-up implementation talks scheduled to take place over the weekend at a secure venue in Switzerland. Iran’s foreign ministry confirmed that its official negotiating delegation planned to travel to Switzerland to follow up on the agreement and demand that all counterparties meet their signed commitments, according to comments from ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei carried by the official Islamic Republic News Agency.

    Switzerland’s foreign ministry confirmed Saturday that it had prepared a discreet, secure venue at Burgenstock to host the implementation talks, describing the location as a neutral, reliable setting for the sensitive negotiations. Citing the confidentiality of the discussions, the ministry declined to release further details on participating delegations or the specific content of the talks under way.

    The closure of the strait is expected to send immediate shockwaves through global energy markets, given the waterway’s outsize role in global fossil fuel trade, and raises fears of a further widening of hostilities across the Middle East that could disrupt global energy supplies for an extended period.

  • Israel kills at least 29 in Lebanon, one day after ceasefire deal

    Israel kills at least 29 in Lebanon, one day after ceasefire deal

    Just 24 hours after a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah was announced to de-escalate cross-border tensions, a fresh wave of Israeli air and ground strikes across southern Lebanon and the western Beqaa Valley has left at least 29 people dead, shattering fragile hopes for regional stability.

    Lebanon’s civil defence agency confirmed Saturday that 16 civilians lost their lives and 12 more were wounded in a string of attacks targeting the Nabatieh district in southern Lebanon, with rescue crews working nonstop from dawn to pull survivors from rubble and respond to ongoing bombardment. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) labeled an Israeli strike on the village of Barish, near the coastal city of Tyre, a “massacre,” after it killed four members of a single family. Additional strikes left seven dead and 13 injured near the southern city of Sidon, one dead in the Shahour municipality of Tyre district, and one more dead in Sohmor, a town in Lebanon’s western Bekaa region. The Lebanese army announced in a post on X that one of its officers was killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Kfar Rumman-Nabatieh road.

    In its statement, the Lebanese army condemned the ongoing brutal assault, noting that the attacks clearly aim to block any diplomatic path to restoring stability across the country. The Israeli military, for its part, claims the strikes are a retaliatory measure against Hezbollah, responding to projectile attacks targeting Israeli troops deployed in southern Lebanon that took place overnight.

    Hezbollah confirmed the overnight confrontation, saying its fighters ambushed Israeli forces that attempted to infiltrate the strategic Ali Taher hills overlooking Nabatieh, under the cover of the newly announced ceasefire. “Our fighters confronted the enemy with appropriate weapons after the infiltration attempt last night,” the group said in its official statement.

    Hassan Fadlallah, a Lebanese parliamentarian aligned with Hezbollah, emphasized Saturday that the group retains the full right to retaliate for the Israeli attacks. He argued that any ceasefire is meaningless as long as Israel continues to occupy Lebanese territory, adding that Israel must fully honor the ceasefire terms by halting all attacks on Lebanese soil and withdrawing from occupied positions. “The resistance has the full right to confront this enemy when it attacks us, as it is the aggressor and the occupier,” Fadlallah said.

    The fresh escalation comes as the United States and Iran worked to implement a broader memorandum of understanding (MoU) designed to end hostilities across the entire region. The tentative U.S.-Iran deal has sparked fierce anger among hardline Israeli officials, who have publicly denounced the agreement across social media. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called the deal “bad for Israel” and claimed Israel would be forced to continue its campaign against Iran independently. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir added that “Trump’s agreement does not bind us.”

    U.S. President Donald Trump has openly criticized Israeli actions in the wake of the new strikes, saying that “too many people have been killed in Lebanon” and arguing that Israeli military tactics have been disproportionate and indiscriminate. Earlier this week, Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a preliminary agreement to halt hostilities on all regional fronts, including the Israel-Lebanon border. However, follow-up negotiations scheduled for Friday in Switzerland were indefinitely postponed after an earlier Israeli strike killed 18 people in Lebanon.

    The Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire announced Friday afternoon was mediated by both Qatar and the United States. Just hours before the deal was signed, Ben-Gvir posted on X that “all of Lebanon must burn,” responding to the deaths of four Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the post, saying it reflects the official position of the Israeli government and constitutes “a threat to all of humanity.”

    “This is not a rant by a random genocidal lunatic. It is a public post by the national security minister of the Israeli regime,” Araghchi wrote on X. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh reaffirmed Tehran’s stance in an interview with Al Jazeera Arabic Friday, saying Iran’s willingness to continue negotiations with Washington depends on the U.S. demonstrating the seriousness required to force Israel to comply with the MoU’s terms. Khatibzadeh warned that Israel’s “continued war-making” would bring “serious and immediate” consequences. “There will be no peace or stability in Lebanon and the region without ending the occupation and Israel’s commitment to international law,” he added.

  • Bolivian president declares state of emergency

    Bolivian president declares state of emergency

    After months of escalating anti-government demonstrations that have paralyzed swathes of Bolivia and choked supply chains across the country, center-right President Rodrigo Duterte? No, Rodrigo Paz has activated a national state of emergency to clear protester-led roadblocks that have triggered crippling shortages of essential goods. The emergency declaration grants the executive expanded authority to disperse blockades and restore public order, marking the most drastic step Paz has taken to date to address the unrest that has shaken his young administration, which took office following October 2025 elections.

    Per Bolivia’s constitutional framework, Congress now has a 72-hour window to formally approve or reject the emergency measure. In public remarks, Paz framed the action as a necessary defense of national stability, arguing that the sustained blockades have held ordinary Bolivian citizens hostage, preventing access to workplaces, schools, medical care and basic groceries for families across the country. “Bolivians cannot continue to be hostages of blockades that prevent working, studying, receiving medical attention, supplying themselves, and bringing sustenance to their homes,” he shared in a social media post Saturday.

    The wave of protests first erupted in late April 2026, initially sparked by a controversial land reform proposal put forward by Paz’s government. Critics of the plan warned it would clear the way for large landowners to acquire small, community-held plots, a charge that prompted widespread pushback from farming and indigenous communities. Facing growing unrest, Paz ultimately withdrew the reform proposal, but the movement quickly expanded as other groups joined to air grievances over a series of the government’s economic and policy changes.

    Central to the current demands are calls to reinstate long-standing fuel subsidies that Paz has cut, roll back the administration’s broader austerity agenda, and remove the president from office entirely. Demonstrators have also pushed back against proposed constitutional amendments that Paz argues are critical to attracting much-needed private investment to Bolivia’s economy. Opponents of the changes counter that they would weaken regulatory oversight of the country’s valuable natural resources and leave key economic sectors vulnerable to exploitation.

    Months of unrest have already left several people dead and hundreds of protesters in custody, according to official and on-the-ground reports. Paz has repeatedly claimed the crisis is not a spontaneous expression of public discontent, but a coordinated plot to destabilize his government. He has directly accused left-wing former President Evo Morales of orchestrating the demonstrations, an allegation Morales has publicly denied.

    In advance of declaring the state of emergency, Paz announced a breakthrough deal with Bolivia’s largest union, the Bolivian Workers’ Confederation, in a move that appeared designed to split the broader protest movement. But AFP reports that key indigenous factions have rejected the agreement and pledged to continue their demonstrations, with major roadblocks remaining in place across key transport routes as of Saturday. On-the-ground reporting from journalists confirmed heavy police and military presence in major public squares across the country on Saturday, a visible sign of the government’s heightened security posture. Road blockades have already exacerbated existing shortages of fuel and other essential supplies, leaving communities across Bolivia struggling to access basic necessities.

    Prior to this week’s emergency declaration, Paz had already implemented a series of concessions in a bid to quell the unrest: he reshuffled his entire cabinet, cut his own salary and that of his senior ministers by 50%, and launched a formal negotiation council to engage with alienated sectors of society. None of these moves succeeded in ending the demonstrations. Last month, Congress, which approved legislation that streamlined the president’s authority to declare a state of emergency and deploy military personnel to respond to public unrest, cleared the legal path for Saturday’s announcement.

  • Bolivia’s president declares a state of emergency as road blockades choke supplies

    Bolivia’s president declares a state of emergency as road blockades choke supplies

    Five weeks of mass anti-government protests have pushed Bolivia into a deep political and humanitarian crisis, prompting President Rodrigo Paz to issue a 90-day national state of emergency that grants the military sweeping authority to clear road blockades that have paralyzed supply chains across the country’s major urban centers, including the administrative capital La Paz.

    The demonstrations, led largely by highland Indigenous and rural worker groups that helped elect Paz to office last November, were triggered by the president’s sweeping austerity reforms — most notably the controversial cancellation of decades-long national fuel subsidies. Protesters have demanded Paz’s immediate resignation, arguing his administration has abandoned the working-class and rural communities that form the backbone of Bolivia’s population.

    What began as peaceful demonstrations has devolved into repeated violent clashes between demonstrators armed with dynamite and national riot police. Official government data confirms at least 365 people have been arrested and 37 others injured since the protests began. Independent human rights groups and Bolivia’s national ombudsman’s office have recorded at least 17 fatalities linked to the unrest, the vast majority of which stem from blocked access to emergency medical care. Government figures add that at least seven of those deaths occurred when critically ill patients were unable to reach hospitals across barricaded routes.

    Key arterial roads connecting La Paz to the rest of the country have been completely blocked by protester-erected barricades, cutting off the capital of 1.8 million people from critical fuel and food shipments. Supermarket shelves have been emptied as local businesses shuttered operations amid unrest, hospitals have reported critical shortages of medical oxygen, and all ground transportation across the region has been paralyzed.

    In a live nationally televised address Saturday, Paz framed the emergency declaration as a measure to protect, rather than restrict, public freedom. “This is not a state of emergency to restrict people’s lives. It is a state of emergency to give people back their freedom,” he said.

    The official decree bans all public blockades of streets, avenues, and highways that disrupt transportation and essential supply flows, and authorizes the armed forces to provide temporary support to national police to re-open critical routes and restore public safety. The text of the order explicitly states that no constitutional due process rights or fundamental guarantees will be suspended during the emergency, and that ordinary daily activities will remain unaffected. While the state of emergency is set to run for 90 days, government officials note it could be lifted early if all violent unrest and blockades are ended.

    Late Friday, Paz secured a breakthrough with one major labor union, whose leadership agreed to call on its members to lift their blockades. But hardline core protest groups have rejected all negotiations and maintained their demand that Paz resign immediately.

    Paz’s election last November ended nearly two decades of uninterrupted rule by the left-wing Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party, which left Bolivia grappling with the worst economic crisis the country has seen in a generation. A centrist candidate who defeated more hardline conservative challengers, Paz campaigned on a pledge to resolve chronic national fuel shortages, refill the nearly depleted central bank reserves, and preserve the popular social welfare programs that made MAS a dominant political force for decades.

    However, his austerity agenda has sent already high inflation soaring across the country. While the administration succeeded in ending widespread fuel shortages, it was forced to sell low-quality gasoline that damaged thousands of civilian vehicles, sparking further public anger. Proposed pro-market reforms designed to attract foreign investment and boost economic growth have also been stalled in Congress, where opposition parties hold a majority.

    The current political landscape leaves Paz squeezed between two opposing forces: the hard-right faction that controls Congress, and the ousted left-wing MAS. Former MAS President Evo Morales, who is currently evading an arrest warrant on statutory rape charges from a hideout in Bolivia’s coca-growing tropical lowlands, has publicly backed the protests and called for an immediate new national election.

    International backing for Paz’s government has come from the United States, which saw relations with Bolivia restored after years of anti-Western policy under the Morales administration. Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Paz to confirm that Washington is ramping up emergency assistance and logistical support to help alleviate the supply shortages caused by road blockades.

    U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth went further, publicly denouncing the protests as a deliberate attempt to overthrow Bolivia’s democratically elected legitimate government. In a post on the social platform X, Hegseth issued a sharp warning to groups he accused of profiting from death and destruction in the Western Hemisphere, writing: “The United States is watching.”

    Reporting from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Isabel Debre contributed to this story.

  • Trump hits out at Italy’s Meloni after pushback on G7 photo claim

    Trump hits out at Italy’s Meloni after pushback on G7 photo claim

    A bitter public exchange of accusations between former (and current, per the news timeline) U.S. President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has brought a growing diplomatic rift between the two NATO allies into sharp focus, just days after their face-to-face encounter at the 2026 G7 Summit held in Evian, France.

    The conflict ignited when Trump gave an interview to Italy’s La7 television network, where he made the inflammatory claim that Meloni had repeatedly begged him for a joint photo during their meeting at the summit. Meloni pushed back immediately, releasing an Instagram video to push back against what she called completely false assertions. She stated she was frankly stunned by Trump’s remarks toward a key allied leader, noting that this was not the first time the U.S. president had targeted her publicly. In a sharp retort, she pointed out that Trump has often been far more accommodating to leaders of Western adversaries than he is to allied heads of state, ending with a firm line: “neither I nor Italy ever beg.”

    Just days after her initial response, Trump doubled down on his attacks in a post on his Truth Social platform. He repeated his false narrative that Meloni had begged “over and over” for the photo, and went a step further to accuse her of undermining U.S. efforts to block Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Trump claimed Meloni created major operational disruptions by banning U.S. military aircraft from using Italian air bases for strikes targeting Iran, referencing a March 2026 incident where Rome reportedly denied U.S. military access to Sicily’s Sigonella Air Base for Iran-related operations.

    Trump also mocked Meloni’s domestic standing, claiming that her approval ratings in Italy are flagging, and that she was only seeking to repair ties after the U.S.’s recent military defeat of Iran to boost her own political numbers. He closed his post with a blunt rejection: “No thanks!!!”

    The deepening dispute has already had tangible diplomatic consequences: Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has officially canceled a scheduled visit to the U.S. planned for early next week. Prior to this latest public clash, the two leaders had once shared a close political alignment: Meloni was the only major European head of government to attend Trump’s January 2025 inauguration, a move that cemented warm early ties between the two administrations. This is not the first disagreement either: earlier this year, Trump launched a scathing attack on Pope Leo XIV on Truth Social, calling him weak on crime and ineffective on foreign policy, a comment Meloni publicly labeled unacceptable.

    In the immediate aftermath of their G7 meeting, Meloni had downplayed tensions, telling reporters that her relationship with Trump remained unchanged and that there had been no recriminations between the two leaders. But the rapid escalation of public accusations has made clear that the rift between Washington and Rome is now out in the open, driven by stark disagreements over Iran policy and personal friction between the two leaders.

  • A founder of Assassin’s Creed maker Ubisoft killed in a plane crash in western France

    A founder of Assassin’s Creed maker Ubisoft killed in a plane crash in western France

    A tragic aviation accident has claimed the life of one of the founding fathers of the world-renowned video game developer Ubisoft, the studio behind blockbuster franchises including *Assassin’s Creed*. French authorities confirmed the news of Claude Guillemot’s death in a public update issued on Saturday.

    Local Mayor Franck Louvrier shared details of the crash, which unfolded on Friday evening close to La Baule airport along France’s Atlantic coastline. The aircraft involved was a twin-engine Cessna 421, carrying both Guillemot and a certified flight instructor. According to Louvrier’s statement, both men were licensed pilots with extensive flying experience, yet neither survived the impact of the crash. An official investigation into the cause of the accident has already been launched, with authorities working to piece together what led to the crash.

    A senior airport official, who requested anonymity as they were not granted permission to speak on the record to media, confirmed to the Associated Press that the aircraft went down in an open agricultural field while it was making its final approach to land at La Baule-Escoublac Airport.

    Guillemot co-founded Ubisoft alongside his four brothers back in 1986, growing the small studio into one of the biggest names in the global gaming industry. Over the decades, the company has built a portfolio of some of the most popular and best-selling video game franchises in history. Beyond the cultural phenomenon that is the *Assassin’s Creed* series, Ubisoft is also responsible for hit properties including the rhythm game staple *Just Dance*, the iconic platformer series *Rayman*, and the tactical *Tom Clancy* franchise, which includes fan favorites like *Rainbow Six* and *Splinter Cell*.

    Ubisoft issued a brief confirmation of Guillemot’s death following the accident, but declined to provide any additional comment as the company processes the loss.

  • Australia flogs the Netherlands for a third straight Women’s T20 World Cup win

    Australia flogs the Netherlands for a third straight Women’s T20 World Cup win

    SOUTHAMPTON, England — The Australian women’s national cricket team extended its perfect run at the Women’s Twenty20 World Cup on Saturday, securing a dominant third consecutive victory with a 98-run defeat of first-time qualifier the Netherlands at the Rose Bowl.

    In a historic batting performance, Australia crossed the 200-run mark for the first time in tournament history, posting an equal tournament-record total of 219 runs for the loss of six wickets. The Dutch side was only able to muster 121 runs for the loss of three wickets in response, never coming close to challenging the massive target set by the defending favorites.

    Australia’s run chase got off to a promising start, but delivered an early scare when star opening batter Beth Mooney was forced to retire hurt on 74 runs off 42 deliveries after complaining of a stiff back. Speaking to reporters after the innings, Mooney downplayed the injury, saying the withdrawal was purely a precautionary measure. The issue, she explained, likely stemmed from the extensive bus travel the team has undertaken throughout the tournament, to which she has not yet adjusted.

    Despite Mooney’s early exit, Australia’s batting line-up held firm to deliver a record-breaking total. Mooney shared a 50-run opening stand off just 28 balls with Georgia Voll, who scored 17, before building a 101-run partnership off 55 deliveries with all-rounder Ash Gardner, who returned to the side following a recent ankle sprain and finished with 58 runs. It was spinner Georgia Wareham who pushed Australia across the 200-run threshold, bludgeoning 41 runs off 18 deliveries, with 32 of those coming from boundaries.

    Mooney’s early departure created an unexpected gap behind the stumps, as the team’s usual backup wicketkeeper Phoebe Litchfield was already sidelined with a quad injury. The gloves were handed to opening batter Voll, who stepped up seamlessly to the role, pulling off a clean catch in just the second over of the Netherlands’ innings. Australian pace bowler Kim Garth capitalized on the early opportunity, taking two wickets for just 10 runs in her opening two overs to put the Dutch side on the back foot immediately.

    Making their first-ever appearance at the Women’s T20 World Cup, the Netherlands never looked likely to chase down the target of 220 runs. However, the side delivered a gritty middle-order performance, with captain Babette de Leede and batter Sterre Kalis putting together a 96-run partnership from the fourth over through to the 19th. Kalis, who was dropped twice while on 21 and 40, was eventually bowled for 44 runs. De Leede remained unbeaten on 56 runs off 57 deliveries to close out the innings alongside Robine Rijke, with the pair both playing their 100th Twenty20 international match in the historic fixture.

    Speaking after the match, de Leede framed the clash against the world-leading Australian side as a landmark moment for her team. “This is a massive moment for us,” she said. “Australia are a quality team, so to learn from them, see how they go about their innings, it’s just incredible.”

    The match was the first of four fixtures scheduled for Saturday at the tournament, with subsequent group stage matches between Pakistan and Bangladesh, and hosts England against Scotland kicking off later in the day.

  • Russia strikes an apartment block in Ukraine’s Kharkiv city, killing 1

    Russia strikes an apartment block in Ukraine’s Kharkiv city, killing 1

    Fresh exchanges of long-range strikes between Russian and Ukrainian forces have pushed the ongoing full-scale conflict into another deadly chapter over the weekend, with civilian infrastructure and energy targets hit on both sides, leaving multiple non-combatants dead and wounded.

    The first deadly incident unfolded early Saturday in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city located in the country’s northeast. According to local authorities, Russian guided bombs directly hit a low-rise residential apartment building in the city’s Kholodnohirskiy district. Hours after the attack, rescue teams pulled one dead body from the collapsed rubble, Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov confirmed in an official post on the messaging platform Telegram.

    Regional administration head Oleh Syniehubov added that at least nine people were wounded in the apartment block strike, among them a 6-year-old child. Five of the injured required immediate hospital care for their wounds. This attack marked the second deadly Russian strike on civilian targets in Kharkiv within 24 hours: on Friday evening, a Russian drone hit a privately owned civilian car, killing a male passenger and leaving the female driver injured, Syniehubov said.

    As of Saturday, Moscow has not issued any public acknowledgment or comment on these strikes against Kharkiv civilian infrastructure.

    Concurrent to the ground reports from Ukraine, Ukrainian air defense command announced Saturday that its anti-air systems successfully intercepted 92 out of 99 Russian drones launched across Ukrainian territory overnight. Only seven of the Russian drones managed to evade interception and strike intended targets across three unspecified locations, the force said.

    The cross-border strike activity extended deep into Russian territory as well, with Russian officials reporting a repelled drone attack on a key oil refinery in Tyumen, a city in Western Siberia thousands of kilometers from the Ukrainian border. Tyumen Governor Alexander Moor confirmed Saturday that all incoming drones were intercepted by Russian air defenses, no structural damage was recorded at the refinery, and all on-site staff were evacuated as a safety precaution.

    This attempted strike on the Russian refinery aligns with Ukraine’s long-declared strategy of targeting Russian energy infrastructure. Kyiv has repeatedly launched attacks on Russian oil processing and distribution facilities to cut off Moscow’s fossil fuel revenue that funds its invasion, and to spread the impacts of the war to everyday Russian citizens. The strikes have already led to reported fuel shortages in multiple Russian regions. Just two days before the Tyumen attack, Ukraine carried out one of its largest drone strikes since the 2022 full-scale invasion, hitting a major oil refinery on the outskirts of Moscow for the second time in a single week. That strike generated massive plumes of black smoke visible across the capital and forced the diversion or cancellation of hundreds of commercial flights.

    Russia’s Defense Ministry said Saturday that its air defense systems shot down 177 Ukrainian drones across Russian territory overnight. The ministry did not specify how many remaining drones reached their intended targets. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin added that two drones were intercepted before they could reach targets inside the capital.

    Moscow has not commented on any casualties or damage from the overnight Ukrainian drone strikes outside of the confirmed interceptions. This latest wave of mutual cross-border strikes comes as European Union leaders remain publicly divided over potential diplomatic outreach to Moscow, and a growing diplomatic rift between Ukraine and Poland over a recent decision by Warsaw to strip Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of a historic Polish honor.

  • Trump deepens the dustup with Italy’s Meloni over a disputed photo from the G7 summit

    Trump deepens the dustup with Italy’s Meloni over a disputed photo from the G7 summit

    A growing public rift between former U.S. President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni took a sharp new turn over the weekend, as Trump doubled down on unsubstantiated claims that Meloni repeatedly begged for a photograph with him at this year’s Group of Seven summit, while also leveling fresh criticism over Italy’s refusal to support U.S. military actions related to the Iran conflict. The escalating exchange has already triggered diplomatic friction, leading Italy’s top diplomat to scrap a scheduled visit to Washington just days after the initial controversy emerged.

    The confrontation first ignited earlier this week during an interview with Italian broadcaster La7, where Trump brought up Meloni unprompted after a question about the war in Ukraine and repeated the assertion that she had “begged” for a photo during the G7 gathering held in France. In response, Meloni flatly denied the accusation, calling it “completely fabricated,” and her entire administration rallied to her defense. The diplomatic fallout followed quickly, with Italy’s foreign minister announcing the cancellation of his planned U.S. trip.

    On Saturday, from his weekend stay at the Camp David presidential retreat, Trump published a post on his own social media platform repeating the photo request claims. The original post contained a misspelling of Meloni’s first name, which was corrected after publication. He went on to attack Meloni’s political standing in Italy, claiming her popularity is flagging, and blamed that downturn on her refusal to back U.S. efforts to block Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. “But so did NATO, for that matter!” he added in the post, extending his criticism to the wider transatlantic military alliance.

    La7 confirmed that Trump raised the topic of Meloni without prompting during Friday’s interview, and published a dubbed version of the conversation to its digital platforms, though it has not released the original unedited English audio. The outlet also noted that Trump claimed he had no obligation to take the photograph, but agreed out of pity for the prime minister.

    In his social media statement, Trump also reiterated a longstanding grievance that has shaped his approach to NATO: he accused Meloni of blocking U.S. access to Italian military airfields and runways during the recent Iran war, despite the United States bearing the largest share of defense spending across the alliance. This criticism comes ahead of the upcoming NATO summit scheduled to take place in Turkey next month, and follows Trump’s White House meeting this week with newly appointed NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

    Italy has long served as a critical logistics hub for U.S. military operations across the Middle East and Mediterranean. Back in March, the Italian government moved to block American bombers bound for the Middle East from using a key Sicilian air base unless it received formal parliamentary approval, a decision that rankled U.S. officials. In his Saturday post, Trump claimed that in the wake of the recent U.S.-Iran ceasefire deal that ended the conflict, Meloni now “wants to be friends again” after refusing cooperation during the war.

  • Mitchell steadies New Zealand as the lead swells to 445 against England at The Oval

    Mitchell steadies New Zealand as the lead swells to 445 against England at The Oval

    On the fourth morning of the ongoing Test match at London’s iconic Oval ground, New Zealand’s all-rounder Daryl Mitchell anchored a resilient batting performance to extend his side’s already formidable first-innings lead, putting the Black Caps in a nearly unassailable position against host nation England on Saturday.

    When play got underway under overcast skies, New Zealand lost three early wickets before conditions cleared, reaching 345 for the loss of six wickets by the lunch break. This gave New Zealand an overall lead of 445 runs, with Mitchell remaining unbeaten on 66. He was joined at the crease by fast bowler Nathan Smith, who had already posted a quickfire 30 runs off just 35 deliveries by the interval.

    New Zealand’s 345-run second innings total at lunch already gave them a second-innings lead well beyond England’s historic record for the highest successful fourth-innings chase, which stands at 378 runs. The Black Caps added 93 runs in 25 overs on Saturday morning against an England attack that extracted significant seam movement from a 60-over-old ball, particularly from seasoned fast bowlers Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue.

    Mitchell survived a scare on the very first delivery of the day: he drove loosely at a full delivery from Archer and edged the ball toward second slip, only for the chance to slip through the outstretched fingers of Harry Brook. That drop would prove costly for England, as it remained the only mistake Mitchell made for the entire morning session.

    Having already scored a quick 32 runs off 43 deliveries during Friday evening’s closing play, Mitchell adapted perfectly to Saturday’s bowler-friendly conditions, picking up just 34 additional runs off 59 balls to reach his half-century. He brought up his 50 in the over after the mid-session drinks break off 68 deliveries, a milestone that came as little surprise to cricket observers.

    Mitchell has built a reputation as England’s nemesis, holding a phenomenal batting average of 56 against the Three Lions in Test cricket, far above his career Test average of 42. This innings marked Mitchell’s eighth half-century and third century against England across just 12 Test matches, underlining his exceptional record against the side.

    While Mitchell anchored the innings from one end, wickets fell consistently at the other end. Brook made amends for his earlier dropped catch when he held onto a defensive edge from overnight centurion Henry Nicholls off Archer’s bowling. Nicholls, who posted an unbeaten 119 on Friday, had just been struck on the fingers by a short delivery from Tongue, and only added two runs to his overnight score before falling.

    Tom Blundell became Tongue’s next victim after the New Zealand batter tried to glide a fine tickle down the leg side for 16 runs. The ball looped to Joe Root at first slip, who fumbled the catch, only for debutant wicketkeeper James Rew to snatch the rebound. The dismissal ended with Root accidentally falling on top of Rew, prompting a playful celebratory scrum among England’s players — a light moment that also served to encourage the debutant, who has already conceded 33 byes, the most by an England wicketkeeper in a Test match in 12 years.

    First-innings centurion Glenn Phillips was the next batter to depart, out for just 3 runs when he edged Archer to Jacob Bethell at the gully position. That brought Smith to the crease to join Mitchell, and the pair stemmed the flow of wickets to head into lunch unbeaten. Smith hit four boundaries and a towering six over long-on off Bethell, setting the stage for New Zealand to extend their lead further in the afternoon session when clearer weather is expected to make batting easier.