Thursday, January 1, 2026

World

Putin says Russia could arm North Korea

Moscow reserves the right to provide weapons to allies, as the West claims it can arm Ukraine with impunity, and could send long-range weapons to North Korea and other countries, President Vladimir Putin has stated.

More than 70% of public facilities in Gaza’s Rafah destroyed by Israel: Mayor

Israeli attacks have destroyed over 70% of public facilities in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, the city’s mayor has stated.

Armenia says recognised Palestinian statehood

Yerevan has officially recognised a Palestinian state, the Armenian foreign ministry has announced, the latest country to do so despite opposition from Israel.

Presidential hopeful raps Iran’s handling of Ukraine conflict, economic sanctions

Mostafa Pourmohammadi, a candidate in Iran's upcoming presidential election, expressed strong criticism in a recent tweet regarding Iran's handling of the Ukraine conflict and economic sanctions.

Russia says Western property could be seized

Moscow has a “wide arsenal” of political and economic countermeasures to respond to the potential confiscation of its sovereign assets, including a tit-for-tat seizure of Western property in Russia, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has warned.

Russia claims West plans to sacrifice Zelensky

Russian Foreign Intelligence Service has claimed Western countries plan to write-off Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and replace him with Valery Zaluzhny.

Iran interim FM: Israel will sink in quagmire of its crimes

Iran’s acting foreign minister has warned the Israeli regime will perish in the quagmire of its own crimes if it does not stop the months-long genocidal campaign against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

UN report accuses Israel of war crimes in Gaza

The Israeli armed forces may have violated the laws of war in their campaign in the Gaza Strip, the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) has announced.

Hamas can’t be destroyed: Israeli army spokesperson

The Israeli army spokesperson Daniel Hagari has stated Hamas is “an idea” that cannot disappear, adding that the goal to wipe the group out is unachievable.

US says killed senior Daesh element in Syria strike

The United States has killed a senior Daesh official during a strike in Syria, according to the US military.

Israel should be ‘scared’ of all-out war against Lebanon: Hezbollah chief

Hezbollah chief Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah has issued a stern warning to Israel, threatening a war with “no restraint and no rules and no ceilings” in case of a major offensive against Lebanon.

Hundreds of Hajj pilgrims die of extreme heat

Hundreds of Hajj pilgrims have died during the annual Muslim pilgrimage in Mecca in Saudi Arabia amid scorching heat, according to press reports and diplomats.

Russia and North Korea sign mutual defence pact during Putin visit

Moscow and Pyongyang have pledged to assist each other against foreign aggression, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Wednesday during a visit to North Korea.

China slams NATO as Cold War relic amid warnings on Russia aid

The North Atlantic alliance is a relic of the past, and should do some soul-searching about its purpose, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lin Jian has stated at a briefing.

Israel approves plans for military operation in Lebanon

Israel's military has announced that it approved plans for an offensive in Lebanon as tensions rise with the Hezbollah group.

Biden admin. cancels meeting with Israel officials over Iran

The White House has canceled a high-level US-Israel meeting on Iran that was scheduled for Thursday after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a video claiming Washington was withholding military aid, two American officials have told Axios.

UN warns situation in West Bank ‘dramatically deteriorating’

The top United Nations human rights official has warned of the worsening situation for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and the “unconscionable death and suffering” in the Gaza Strip.

Hezbollah broadcasts drone footage of Israeli military sites in Haifa

The Lebanese movement Hezbollah has released footage purportedly taken by a surveillance drone over the northern port city of Haifa, in an apparent warning to Israel.

Risk of hunger threatens lives of thousands of children in Gaza

Local authorities in the Gaza Strip have raised the alarm of thousands of children across the besieged enclave being at risk of hunger amid Israel’s ongoing tightened siege and the closure of aid crossings.

Netanyahu claims Blinken made secret arms promise to Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed to have pressured the United States over weapons supplies that Tel Aviv needs in its war with the Palestinian group Hamas.

Russia’s Putin arrives in North Korea, and Kim welcomes him

Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived at Pyongyang International Airport, marking the start of his two-day visit to North Korea, during which he is expected to have a lengthy face-to-face meeting with the Asian country's leader Kim Jong-un.

UN report shows Israel’s war on Gaza has caused major environmental damage

Israel's war on the Gaza Strip has created unprecedented soil, water, and air pollution, destroyed sanitation systems, and left tons of debris from explosive devices, according to a United Nations report on the environmental impact of the war published on Tuesday.

Russia claims Ukraine will never join NATO

Ukraine will never become a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov has claimed, warning the US-led military bloc against repeating "past mistakes."

Israel turned Gaza Strip into “hell on earth”: UN official

United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Martin Griffiths, has stated that the Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip since October last year has turned the besieged enclave into a hell on earth.

Israel ignored warning of Hamas’ October attack: Report

Israeli security authorities ignored an intelligence document last September that predicted the Hamas attack of Oct. 7, according to a report.

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