Author: Publisher
North Korea test-fired, on Tuesday, two strategic cruise missiles and three anti-warship missiles as part of an “operational efficiency test”.South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has once again overseen the test-firing of strategic cruise and anti-warship missiles from the destroyer Choe Hyon, stressing that the country’s top priority is to bolster a nuclear deterrent.Kim expressed great satisfaction over the fact that the preparedness of our army’s strategic action has been strengthened in a qualitative way with various achievements recently made in the field of defence science, according to the North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).In March, North Korea conducted similar strategic cruise missile tests from the 5,000-ton warship on two occasions ahead of its commissioning. Pyongyang’s designation of the weapons as “strategic” suggests that it may possess nuclear capabilities. Source link
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung urged on Tuesday nations involved in the war in West Asia to take a courageous step toward peace, with a fragile ceasefire deal between the US and Iran hanging in the balance and threatening the global economy.Speaking at a Cabinet meeting, Lee asked “the warring parties to take a courageous step toward peace that the world desperately wants based on the principles of the protection of universal human rights and lessons from history.”With the war in West Asia entering its seventh week, Lee also called on the government to explore alternative supply chains and pursue structural reforms to address vulnerabilities exposed by uncertainties stemming from the ongoing war.Lee instructed the government to maintain the current emergency posture to brace for volatility in global energy markets and supply chains.Lee also called for the swift implementation of a KRW 26.2 trillion (USD 17.7 billion) supplementary budget aimed at supporting those affected by the war, stressing the urgency of distributing funds to support people’s livelihoods. Source link
Two sides could return to Pakistan by week’s end, say sources* Oil prices fall below $100* Trump says Iranians want to make a deal* VP Vance, leading US side, says future talks depend on IranNegotiating teams from the US and Iran could return to Islamabad this week to resume talks to end the war, sources told Reuters on Tuesday, after the collapse of weekend negotiations prompted Washington to impose a blockade on Iranian ports.While the US blockade drew angry rhetoric from Tehran, signs that diplomatic engagement might continue helped calm oil markets, pushing benchmark prices below $100 on Tuesday..But a source involved in the talks said on Tuesday both countries could return as early as the end of this week, and that a proposal had been shared with Washington and Tehran to resend their delegations.”No firm date has been set, with the delegations keeping Friday through Sunday open,” a senior Iranian source said.US President Donald Trump said Iran had been in touch on Monday and wanted to make a deal, adding that he would not sanction any agreement that allowed Tehran to possess a nuclear weapon.Since the United States and Israel began the war on February 28, Iran effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz to nearly all vessels except its own, saying passage would be permitted only under Iranian control and subject to a fee. The fallout has been widespread, as nearly a fifth of the world’s oil and gas previously flowed through the narrow waterway.In a countermeasure, the US military said it began blocking shipping traffic in and out of Iran’s ports on Monday. Tehran has threatened to hit naval ships going through the strait and to retaliate against its Gulf neighbours’ ports.Nearly 24 hours into the US blockade, there had yet to be reports of Washington taking direct action against shipping to enforce it. Three Iran-linked tankers were seen transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, shipping data showed, but the vessels were not heading to or from Iranian ports.The United States’ NATO allies including Britain and France said they would not be drawn into the conflict by taking part in the blockade, although they have offered to help safeguard the strait when an agreement is in place.French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will chair a video conference on Friday for countries willing to contribute to a defensive multilateral mission to restore freedom of navigation in the strait when security conditions permit, Macron’s office said.China, the main buyer of Iranian oil, said the US blockade was “dangerous and irresponsible” and would only aggravate tensions.Reflecting the growing disruption, the International Energy Agency on Tuesday sharply cut its forecasts for global oil supply and demand growth, saying both are now expected to fall from 2025 levels as war in the Middle East disrupts oil flows and weighs on the global economy. Source link
Italy’s government has decided to suspend the automatic renewal of a defence cooperation deal with Israel, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Tuesday, citing the conflicts in the Middle East. Meloni’s right-wing government has been one of Israel’s closest allies in Europe, but in recent weeks it has criticised Israeli attacks on Lebanon. Those affected have included Italian troops serving there under a U.N. mandate.”In light of the current situation, the government has decided to suspend the automatic renewal of the defence agreement with Israel,” Meloni was quoted as saying in Verona, nothern Italy, by Italian news agencies.A defence ministry source said one of the consequences is that Italy will no longer cooperate with Israel on military training.Meloni took the decision on Monday with her foreign and defence ministers, Antonio Tajani and Guido Crosetto, as well as Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.A spokesperson for Israel’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters. Source link
The United Nations called on Lebanon and the Israeli entity to leverage all available diplomatic avenues at their disposal to immediately end hostilities and address outstanding provisions of Security Council resolution 1701, at a time when negotiations between the Israeli entity and Lebanon are expected to take place on Tuesday.In this context, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric affirmed, “We stand ready to work with the parties to facilitate efforts in this regard.”The UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, continues her good office’s role in support of the parties towards the full implementation of resolution 1701 towards a permanent ceasefire and long-term solution to the conflict. We call on all parties to engage constructively in this regard.On the peacekeeping front, the UN spokesperson said that the “UNIFIL continues its operations on the ground in support of deconfliction, protection of civilians and humanitarian access, to the extent possible amid ongoing hostilities.””Peacekeepers continue to report rocket fire towards Israel and airstrikes in UNIFIL’s area of operations, including around Shama, At Tiri, and Bint Jbeil in Sector West, where heavy clashes continue,” he added.”On the humanitarian front, as high-intensity hostilities continue, as you can imagine humanitarian needs continue to deepen across the country and civilians continue to bear the brunt of the violence. Israeli military activity remains particularly intense in southern Lebanon and the western Bekaa governorate,” he continued.”As of yesterday, more than 2,000 people have been killed and over 6,500 injured, as casualties continue to rise, according to the Government,” the spokesman said.”Civilian infrastructure continues to be damaged. Our colleagues at UNICEF report at least 18 incidents affecting water systems across the country, damaging reservoirs, pumping stations and main supply lines, and disrupting people’s access to safe water,” Dujarric added. Source link
* Fighting in south Lebanon focused on Bint Jbeil town* Hezbollah against talks with IsraelIsraeli troops launched an attack yesterday to seize a key town in south Lebanon from Hezbollah fighters holed up there, pressing the war on the group on the eve of rare talks between Israeli and Lebanese government envoys. With the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to the US set to meet today in Washington, Lebanon’s foreign minister said Beirut would use face-to-face negotiations to press for a ceasefire in the war, which has complicated wider diplomacy to halt the conflict in the Middle East. But the outlook for the meeting — an unusual, face-to-face encounter between countries formally in a state of war — is uncertain. Israel has said it will not discuss a ceasefire, while Hezbollah has objected to negotiations with Israel, reflecting sharply worsening political tensions in Lebanon. Destroyed buildings in Bint Jbeil, southern Lebanon, near the border, as seen from the Israeli side of the border in northern Israel, yesterday. (Reuters) In a televised speech yesterday, Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said the Lebanese government should cancel today’smeeting, describing it as “pointless” and saying his group would continue confronting Israeli attacks on Lebanon. On the ground in south Lebanon, the Israeli military completed its encirclement of the town of Bint Jbeil just over the border and had begun a ground assault there, an Israeli military spokesperson and Lebanese security sources said. The Lebanese sources said Hezbollah fighters holed up inside were ready to fight to the death, citing the strategic and symbolic significance of Bint Jbeil, a Hezbollah stronghold, provincial capital, and gateway to surrounding villages. An Israeli military official said full operational control of Bint Jbeil would be achieved within days, and that only a small number of fighters remained in the area. Yesterday, the International Committee of the Red Cross said there had been a strike on a Red Cross centre in southern Lebanon’s Tyre. Lebanon’s state news agency said one person was killed in the strike. It did not identify the person. Israel’s military said it carried out a strike on a “Hezbollah fighter” in Tyre and was investigating reports the strike had caused damage to a Red Cross centre. The military did not further identify the individual it said that it had killed. Israel’s military separately said a Hezbollah rocket struck the northern Israeli city of Nahariyya. The country’s fire service said it hit a three-storey residential building, while the ambulance service said a woman was lightly injured by glass shattered in the blast. The Israeli military also said that it had intercepted more than 10 drones and rockets launched at Israel from Lebanon since the morning. A foreign security official based in Lebanon said seizing Bint Jbeil would give Israel better control over the entirety of Lebanon’s southeastern border strip, leaving just the western area of the border zone, which is largely forest and harder to clear. Hezbollah opened fire on Israel in support of Tehran on March 2, igniting an Israeli offensive that Lebanese authorities say has killed more than 2,000 people and displaced more than 1 mn. …
Nato allies said yesterday they would not get involved in US President Donald Trump’s plan to blockade Iranian ports, proposing to intervene only once fighting ends, in a move likely to anger Trump and increase strains in the alliance. Trump said the US military would eliminate any Iranian ships that came near the blockade that began yesterday, after weekend talks failed to reach an agreement to end the six-week conflict with Iran. Trump initially said the US would work with other countries to block ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, but the US military later specified that the blockade would only apply to ships going to or from Iranian ports.Since the war started on February 28, Iran has largely blocked the waterway for all ships but its own. It has been seeking to make its control of the strait permanent and possibly collect levies from ships that use it.“The Blockade will begin shortly. Other Countries will be involved with this Blockade,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Sunday. But Nato allies, including Britain and France, said they would not be drawn into the conflict by taking part in the blockade, saying instead they were working on an initiative to open the strait, through which a fifth of global oil supplies normally passes. Their refusal to participate is another point of friction with Trump, who has threatened to withdraw from the military alliance and is weighing pulling some US troops from Europe after several countries denied US military planes use of their airspace for attacks on Iran. “We’re not supporting the blockade,” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told the BBC. “My decision has been very clearly that whatever the pressure, and there’s been some considerable pressure, we’re not getting dragged into the war,” he said. Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte told European governments that Trump wants concrete commitments in the near future to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, diplomats told Reuters last week. Nato could play a role in the strait if its 32 members could agree on the formation of a mission, Rutte said on Thursday.Several European countries have said they are willing to help in the strait, but only once there is a durable end to hostilities and an agreement with Iran that their ships will not be attacked.France will organise a conference with Britain and other countries to create a multinational mission to restore navigation in the strait, French President Emmanuel Macron said on X yesterday. “This strictly defensive mission, distinct from the belligerents, will be deployed as soon as the situation allows,” Macron said.The initiative aims to establish rules for safe passage and the co-ordination of military vessels to escort tankers, Starmer said in parliament yesterday. “Let me be very clear, this is about safeguarding shipping and supporting freedom of navigation once the conflict ends. Our shared aim here is a co-ordinated, independent, multi-national plan,” he said. A meeting to draw up plans for the mission involving about 30 countries, including Gulf countries, India, Greece, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden, could happen as soon as Thursday in Paris or London, a French diplomatic source said. The military ships would provide reassurance without being belligerent, the source said, adding that Iran and the US would be informed of the mission but play no direct part. Another European diplomatic source questioned whether Trump would welcome a mission now that he had ordered the blockade.“Since Trump is now using the strait as his own leverage, does he even want a mission there?” the source said.The Strait of Hormuz should be reopened by diplomacy, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said yesterday, adding that creating an international force to oversee it would be complicated. He called for Nato to reset its ties with Trump at a summit in Ankara in July. Source link
China said a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz would go against the international community’s interests and urged calm and restraint by all sides. The US military said it will begin a blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas yesterday, after the failure of weekend talks in Islamabad aimed at ending the Iran war. Before the war, most Iranian oil exports were shipped to China, the top global importer of crude. The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz does not serve the common interests of the international community, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Khaldoon Khalifa al-Mubarak, special envoy of the UAE President for China, in Beijing yesterday, according to a ministry statement. Wang said China understood the legitimate security concerns of the Gulf Arab states, and that the fundamental way to resolve the crisis was a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire achieved through political and diplomatic means. “China hopes the relevant parties will abide by the temporary ceasefire arrangements, remain committed to resolving disputes through political and diplomatic means, and avoid a resumption of hostilities,” foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a regular press conference yesterday. China stood ready to “play a positive and constructive role” in resolving the crisis, Guo added, calling the weekend talks in the Pakistani capital a step in a direction conducive to easing tension. After the marathon talks failed, the US Central Command said its forces would begin a blockade of all maritime traffic with Iranian ports from 10am ET (1400 GMT) yesterday. Source link
Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward on Tuesday a four-point proposal on promoting peace and stability in West Asia, when meeting with Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Beijing.Xi called for adherence to the principle of peaceful coexistence. It is imperative to promote the building of a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security architecture for West Asia and the Gulf region, he noted.He urged adherence to the principle of national sovereignty. He said the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of countries in West Asia and the Gulf region should be fully respected, and the safety of personnel, facilities and institutions of all countries should be effectively safeguarded.On adherence to the principle of international rule of law, Xi said the authority of international rule of law should be upheld to prevent the world from falling back into the law of the jungle.He said development and security should be coordinated. All parties should work together to create a favorable environment for the development of countries in West Asia and the Gulf region.On the other hand, the Chinese President said during his meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who is on an official visit to China, that China and Spain should strengthen cooperation to oppose a return of the world to “the law of the jungle.”Noting the world today is in turmoil, confronted with the contest between the rule of law and the rule of power, Xi called on both China and Spain to jointly defend true multilateralism.For its part, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that Spain opposes a “new Cold War,” decoupling and severing of supply chains, and supports Europe and China in enhancing communication, mutual understanding and cooperation. Source link
Millions of people in Sudan are surviving on just one meal a day, as the country’s food crisis deepens and threatens to spread, according to a report published on Monday by a group of non-governmental organisations.Sudan’s war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which enters its third year on Wednesday, has caused widespread hunger and displaced millions of people amid one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises.“In the two areas worst hit by the conflict — North Darfur and South Kordofan — millions of families can only access one meal a day,” the report by Action Against Hunger, CARE International, International Rescue Committee, Mercy Corps, and the Norwegian Refugee Council found.“Often, they miss meals for entire days,” the report stated, adding that many people have resorted to eating leaves and animal feed to survive.The army-aligned Sudanese government denies the existence of famine, while the RSF denies responsibility for such conditions in areas under its control.Some 61.7% of Sudan’s population — 28.9mn people — is acutely food-insecure, according to the 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan.The UN has reported widespread atrocities and waves of ethnically charged violence. In November, the global hunger monitor confirmed, for the first time, famine conditions in Al-Fashir, as well as Kadugli. In February, the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification found that famine thresholds for acute malnutrition have been surpassed in Um Baru, where the rate of acutely malnourished children under 5 was nearly double the famine threshold, and Kernoi.The report, based on interviews with farmers, traders, and humanitarian actors in Sudan, details how the war in Sudan is driving communities towards famine conditions — due to disruptions to farming as well as the use of starvation as a weapon of war — including deliberate destruction of farms and markets. Communal kitchens are increasingly unable to meet rising needs, while major donor funding cuts are impeding aid agencies’ abilities to respond, the report said. Source link