- Donald Trump Begs War-Torn Country for Help on Iran The Daily Beast
- Pentagon eyes Ukrainian interceptor drones to counter Iran Financial Times
- US and Mideast countries seek Kyiv’s drone expertise as Russia-Ukraine talks put on ice AP News
- Ukraine sending experts to Middle East to help counter Iranian drones The Hill
- Why Trump wants Ukraine’s interceptor drones politico.eu
Lobbyists send legal threats to councils over anti-wood burner campaigns
At least eight councils receive legal threats alleging flyers criticising wood burners are in breach of advertising codes
Lobbyists for the UK wood-burning stove industry have threatened councils with legal action over public information campaigns warning of the harms of air pollution.
At least eight councils have received legal threats, according to research by the British Medical Journal (BMJ). The Stove Industry Association (SIA), which represents the UK’s expanding industry around the burning of wood in domestic settings, wrote to the councils, all London boroughs, in late 2023 complaining that flyers stating wood burners were “careless, not cosy” were in breach of UK advertising codes.
Continue reading...China sets lowest GDP growth target for decades as it braces for economic slowdown
‘High-quality growth’ target of 4.5-5% outlined at Two Sessions as Chinese premier talks of complex situations at home and abroad
China has set its target for GDP growth to a record low of 4.5-5%, the first time since 1991 that the figure has dropped below 5%, reflecting an economic strategy that is shifting away from export-led growth to a model that leaders hope will be more resilient to external shocks.
Li Qiang, China’s premier, announced the target for 2026 in the opening session of the National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s annual parliamentary gathering, which began on Thursday.
Continue reading...Video: Intense US-Israeli bombardment across Iran
Intense US-Israeli bombardment sent flames and plumes of smoke into the night sky across Iran.
Why China Won’t Help Iran – Foreign Affairs
- Why China Won’t Help Iran Foreign Affairs
- The US just took out two China-friendly leaders in two months. Why has Beijing done very little about it? CNN
- What China’s response to the US attack on Iran says about its foreign policy AP News
- Trump's China summit with Xi Jinping just got a lot more complicated NBC News
- Is the US in decline? After Iran strikes, maybe not, Chinese analysts say South China Morning Post
Canada PM Carney says unable to rule out military role in Iran war
Canadian leader also said the US-Israeli attacks on Iran appear to be 'inconsistent with international law'.
North Korea’s Kim oversees cruise missile tests from new naval destroyer
Kim Jong Un supervised the launch of sea-to-surface 'strategic cruise missiles' from country's new naval destroyer.
Global order is ‘breaking down’, Carney tells Australian parliament
The Canadian prime minister said Australia and Canada should work together as 'strategic cousins'.
Global order is ‘breaking down’, Carney tells Australian parliament
The Canadian prime minister said Australia and Canada should work together as 'strategic cousins'.
Who is choosing Iran’s next Supreme Leader?
Iran’s Assembly of Experts is now tasked with choosing the next Supreme Leader. It elected Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in 198
Iranian rockets intercepted over central Israel
Interceptors were seen lighting up the sky over central Israel as sirens blared in response to Iranian rockets.
China sets lowest economic growth target since 1991
It is also the first time the target has been lowered since it was cut to "around 5%" in 2023.
Live: Israeli military tells residents to leave Beirut’s Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs – France 24
- Live: Israeli military tells residents to leave Beirut’s Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs France 24
- Live updates: Israel urges evacuation of Beirut’s southern suburbs; Iran threatens revenge over warship The Washington Post
- Israel Orders Southern Beirut Residents to Evacuate WSJ
- Hezbollah’s risky return to the battlefield Al Jazeera
- Israel orders residents to leave southern Beirut The Detroit News
Fight over Trump’s Iran war powers comes after a long stretch of Congress yielding to presidents – AP News
- Fight over Trump's Iran war powers comes after a long stretch of Congress yielding to presidents AP News
- Trump’s Unauthorized War The Atlantic
- ‘Restoring the rule of law’: Why declaring war matters WTOP
- Trump administration waging illegal war on Iran, experts say The Guardian
- Why doesn’t Congress declare war anymore? CNN
Iran’s succession question: Rouhani’s name resurfaces amid leadership void
Rouhani's legacy of pragmatism and moderation gains renewed relevance amid Iran's sensitive leadership transition phase.
Musk tells jury ‘people read too much’ into his posts
The billionaire is accused of misleading investors in the run-up to his 2022 Twitter purchase.
Pentagon releases names of final two soldiers of six killed in Kuwait
Chief Warrant Officer Robert Marzan, 54, and Maj Jeffrey O’Brien, 45, were from California and Iowa
The Pentagon has released the names of the final two of the six soldiers who were killed during a recent drone strike in Kuwait. They were killed on Sunday, the day after the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran. Their names were released by the US Department of Defense on Wednesday.
The two soldiers were identified as Chief Warrant Officer Robert Marzan, 54, and Maj Jeffrey O’Brien, 45. They were from Sacramento, California, and Indianola, Iowa, respectively.
Continue reading...Ukraine war briefing: Russia claims LNG tanker in Mediterranean hit by drones
The Arctic Metagaz had been carrying 61,000 tonnes of liquefied natural gas when it exploded; Ukrainian drones reported to have hit southern Russia. What we know on day 1,471
Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, has accused Ukraine of carrying out a attack on one of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers, which exploded and sank into the Mediterranean Sea off Libya. Explosions were reported on the Arctic Metagaz, which had been carrying 61,000 tonnes of LNG, on Tuesday night when the ship was about 150 miles (240km) off the coast of Libya. Ukraine has not commented on the sinking on the ship, which had been under US and EU sanctions. Russia’s transport ministry had claimed that the Arctic Metagaz had been hit by Ukrainian drones launched from the Libyan coast.
Ukrainian drones damaged Russian civilian sites in the south-western region of Saratov, Roman Busgarin, the area’s governor said early on Thursday. Saratov airport and other airports in the southern and central regions were closed late on Wednesday and early on Thursday. Three injuries were reported.
A prolonged energy crisis caused by the widening war in the Middle East may offer the Russian war machine an economic lifeline just as it was beginning to show signs of strain over its war in Ukraine. Russia could receive a windfall if disruption in the Middle East pushes buyers towards its energy, while a possible slowdown in western arms supplies to Ukraine as the US military action in Iran continues could give Russia a further boost.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that trilateral talks with Washington and Moscow about ending Ukraine’s war in Russia would resume, once the situation in Iran and the Middle East permitted. The Ukrainian president also said that he spoke to the king of Bahrain and the crown prince of Kuwait about the conflict in the Middle East on Wednesday.
Ukraine has said it will boycott Friday’s opening ceremony of the Paralympics in Milan-Cortina, Italy, over the participation of Russian athletes. Athletes from Russia and Belarus had been banned from the 2022 Winter Paralympics over its war in Ukraine, but were allowed to compete as neutral athletes in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. The Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Latvia and Poland were set to join Ukraine in its boycott on Friday.
Continue reading...Demonstrators across Iran condemn US-Israeli war
Iranian media shared footage from several cities showing demonstrators condemning the US-Israeli war.
Carney Won’t Rule Out Military Action If Mideast Conflict Widens – Bloomberg
- Carney Won’t Rule Out Military Action If Mideast Conflict Widens Bloomberg
- Canada's Mark Carney under fire as ‘all over the place’ on Iran, risking wider US rift Fox News
- Canadian PM Carney says US and Israel’s strikes on Iran mark ‘failure of the international order’ The Hill
- Canada could be called on to help defend Gulf states, says top military commander CBC
- Leaders of Canada and Australia urge Iran war de-escalation, affirm Iranians can't have nuclear weapons PBS