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Europe bid to be involved in Ukraine negotiations ‘unnecessary’: Russia

By
IFP Media Wire
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Kremlin

“The Europeans meddling in all these affairs is, as I see it, completely unnecessary,” Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told a state TV reporter.

Russia has seen the latest copy of a US plan to end the Ukraine war and views some of it positively, but other points require discussion, the Kremlin announced Wednesday.

In comments to a Russian state TV reporter, Ushakov said the new draft required “truly serious analysis” and that Russia had not yet discussed it with anyone.

“Some aspects can be viewed positively, but many require special discussions among experts,” he added.

Washington’s latest plan has not yet been published.

US President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that it was a “fine-tuned” version of an earlier 28-point plan that would have seen Ukraine withdraw from its Donetsk region and cut the size of its army, points that Kyiv had criticised.

Ukraine announced later it had reached an “understanding” with the US and that the two sides had pared back some of the points it disagreed with following talks in Geneva.

US officials will now meet with both sides in the hope of finalising the agreement, Trump stated Tuesday.

The Kremlin confirmed earlier Wednesday that US special envoy Steve Witkoff would visit Moscow next week to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Israeli military launches new operation in West Bank

By
IFP Media Wire
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Israel Palestine West Bank

The Israeli military and internal security service said in a brief joint statement that they had begun “a broad counter-terrorism operation” in the north of the Palestinian territory.

They added they would “not allow terrorism to take root in the area and are acting proactively to thwart it”, noting further details on the operation would follow at a later stage.

The Israeli army confirmed to AFP that it was a new operation, and not part of the one launched in January 2025 dubbed “Iron Wall”, which primarily targeted Palestinian refugee camps in the northern West Bank.

The operation, which began overnight, was taking place in predominantly agricultural Tubas, the northeasternmost of the 11 governorates in the West Bank.

Ahmed al-Asaad, governor of the Tubas region, told AFP: “This is the first time that the entire governorate is included — the whole governorate is now under Israeli army operations.”

Asaad said Israeli forces raided the towns of Tammun and Tayasir, and the Al-Faraa Palestinian refugee camp.

“The army has closed the city entrances with earth mounds, so there is no movement at all,” he added.

He told AFP that “an Apache helicopter” was involved in the operation, and claimed it had fired in the direction of residential areas.

“This is a political operation, not a security one.”

Hamas and Islamic Jihad condemned the Israeli operation.

Violence in the West Bank has soared since Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel triggered the Gaza war, and has not ceased despite the fragile truce between Israel and Hamas came into effect last month.

Israeli troops or settlers have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians in the West Bank since the start of the Gaza war, according to an AFP tally based on Palestinian health ministry figures.

 

Iranian FM: Recent attacks on nuclear and chemical sites pose cross-border contamination risks

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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He was speaking on the sidelines of the annual Conference of State Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention in The Hague.

Araghchi said such strikes threaten human life and the environment and cannot be contained within national boundaries once contaminants are released.

He also criticized several Western countries for their historical role in supplying chemical agents and equipment to Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq War, saying they must be held accountable.

Araghchi noted that some Western states still claim to be “investigating” their companies’ involvement, but Iran has not received any concrete results. Tehran, he said, continues to pursue compensation for chemical-weapon victims in both Iran and Iraq and insists that responsible individuals and entities must face legal consequences.

The foreign minister also condemned US unilateral sanctions, saying the bans have deprived Iranian chemical-attack survivors of essential medicines.

He urged the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to address this issue.

Iran leader’s advisor: Hezbollah “more vital than daily bread” for Lebanon

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Hezbollah

Velayati said the group’s presence is “more vital than daily bread” for the Lebanese people.

Velayati strongly condemned the “continuous crimes and aggressions” committed by the Israeli regime against Lebanon.

He argued that, under such conditions, Hezbollah remains the primary defensive shield capable of countering Israeli military pressure and safeguarding Lebanon’s territorial integrity.

He then reiterated Iran’s long-standing policy, saying the Islamic Republic has consistently supported Hezbollah and the wider “axis of resistance,” and will continue to do so. According to him, the ongoing regional tensions highlight the strategic role of resistance movements in confronting Israeli operations and deterring further escalation.

The senior advisor to Iran’s leader stressed that the actions of Hezbollah are not only militarily significant but also politically vital for maintaining balance in Lebanon’s complex internal landscape.

He added that weakening or removing Hezbollah would leave Lebanon vulnerable to foreign intervention and instability.

Velayati noted that Iran views the strengthening of the resistance front as central to ensuring long-term stability and security across the region.

Syrian president meets US congressional delegation to discuss bilateral relations

By
IFP Media Wire
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Ahmed al-Sharaa

Talks between Sharaa and the US delegation, headed by Congressman Darin LaHood, addressed the importance of continuing constructive communication between the two sides in a way that serves mutual interests and contributes to supporting regional stability, the presidency said in a statement.

The two sides also exchanged views on a number of international issues of common interest, the statement added.

The reception of the US delegation in Damascus follows a series of recent high-level meetings between the Syrian president and American officials, including his meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Nov. 10.

 

Knesset committee approves bill allowing Israelis to own property in occupied West Bank

By
IFP Media Wire
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Israeli Knesset

The bill was submitted by MK Yuli Edelstein of the Likud Party, Likud MK Limor Son Har-Melech of the Otzma Yehudit Party, and Moshe Solon of the Religious Zionism Party.

According to the Knesset press office, four MKs supported the bill with no opposition.

It, however, did not specify the number of committee members present.

In Knesset committees, bills pass with a majority of those present regardless of attendance.

The press office also did not specify when the bill would be brought before the full plenum of the Knesset for a first reading.

Under Israeli law, every bill must pass three readings before becoming law.

The Knesset said the proposal “cancels the Jordanian law regarding leasing and selling property to foreigners, which is currently in force in Judea and Samaria (West Bank), and allows any person to purchase real estate.”

According to the bill’s description, the original Jordanian law was enacted in 1953 to prevent non-Arabs from acquiring property in the West Bank.

There was no immediate comment from the Palestinian Authority or Jordan on the Israeli bill.

Israel was established in May 1948 on occupied Palestinian land after Zionist armed groups carried out massacres and expelled hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homes.

Jordan announced the unification of the West and East Banks on April 24, 1950, and formally began its administration of the West Bank in June that year, before Israel occupied the territory in 1967.

On July 31, 1988, late Jordanian King Hussein announced disengagement from the West Bank while maintaining custodianship over Islamic and Christian holy sites in occupied Jerusalem.

As part of efforts aimed at de facto annexation of the West Bank, Israel has intensified its actions there—particularly the displacement of Palestinians and expansion of settlements—since launching its war on Gaza two years ago.

Such annexation would effectively end any possibility of implementing a two-state solution envisioned in multiple UN resolutions.

The Israeli anti-settlement group Peace Now estimates that around 500,000 illegal Israeli settlers currently live in the occupied West Bank.

In a landmark opinion last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

 

Iran in Pot 2 in FIFA World Cup 2026 draw

By
IFP Media Wire
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The draw will be held on December 5.

FIFA announced Tuesday the top four teams in the latest men’s rankings will, if they finish top of their respective round-robin groups, avoid each other until the semifinals of the June 11-July 19 tournament being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Pots:

Pot 1: Canada, Mexico, USA, Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany

Pot 2: Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, South Korea, Ecuador, Austria, Australia

Pot 3: Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa

Pot 4: Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curaçao, Haiti, New Zealand; European Play-Off A, B, C and D; FIFA Play-Off Tournament 1 and 2

 

Russia confirms upcoming visit by US negotiators

By
IFP Media Wire
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Ushakov, who advises President Vladimir Putin on foreign affairs, mentioned the trip in remarks on a Bloomberg report, which quoted what it claimed were leaked phone calls Ushakov held with Witkoff and senior Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev.

The Russian official told journalist Pavel Zarubin he does not comment on confidential communications, declining to either confirm or deny the authenticity of the transcripts. Whoever leaked them apparently aims to harm Russian-US relations, Ushakov added, noting: “Somebody tapped, somebody leaked, but not us.”

Bloomberg claimed the purported discussion between Ushakov and Witkoff was the “genesis” of the 28-point US proposal on ending the Ukraine conflict, which was discussed with representatives from Kiev in Geneva last weekend. Supporters of Ukraine interpreted the transcripts as evidence that the plan was “Russian” and not American.

US President Donald Trump brushed off the allegations, saying Witkoff was engaged in “standard” mediation seeking to “sell” some sort of a compromise to both sides of the hostilities.

Dmitriev dismissed the publication as “fake,” and stated that “warmongers are sad that their sad trick does not work” after Trump’s reaction.

Ukrainian officials claim that they have convinced the US to alter its proposal in a way that respects Kiev’s red lines. A member of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s administration even asserted following the talks in Geneva that the initial plan, which was also leaked to the press, “no longer exists” in its original form.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has described the “media hype” regarding the discussions as an attempt to derail Trump’s efforts and “distort the plan.” He added that Moscow refused to engage in “megaphone diplomacy” and sought calm discussions of the issue behind closed doors.

 

Iran’s top security official lays into US, Israel in meeting with Pakistani think tanks

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-

Speaking at an event hosted by the Iranian Embassy in Islamabad, he said the confrontation instead demonstrated Iran’s national resolve, while stating that Israel now faces internal turmoil and a crisis of legitimacy.

Larijani met with senior Pakistani scholars, former diplomats and security analysts.

Conveying greetings from Iran’s Leader, he thanked the Pakistani public, government, parliament and armed forces for their supportive stance during the aggression in June.

Larijani highlighted cultural and political affinities between Iran and Pakistan, saying they form a strong foundation for expanding bilateral cooperation.

He added that Iran sees “no limitations” to broadening economic and political ties with Pakistan.

Addressing Iran-US nuclear diplomacy, Larijani said Tehran supports “genuine” negotiations but rejects superficial talks.

Larijani also commented on regional issues, expressing concern over tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan and urging unity within the Muslim world.
On the Israel-Palestine conflict, he said Palestinians continue to face injustice and criticized US policy in the region.

Pakistani participants praised Iran’s response during the recent conflict and discussed prospects for enhanced cooperation between the two neighbors.

Iran records higher-than-global average air pollution deaths, expert warns

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-
Iran Air Pollution

Abbas Shahsavani cited national disease-burden data showing more than 54,000 pollution-linked deaths in one year.

He noted that globally, one death occurs every 13 minutes due to air pollution, and 86 percent of deaths from non-communicable diseases are associated with poor air quality.

The World Bank has estimated the worldwide economic cost of air pollution at $8.1 trillion.

According to Shahsavani, Zabol, Iranshahr and Bushehr are among Iran’s most polluted cities in terms of particulate concentration, largely due to natural dust storms.

Among major urban centers, Tehran, Arak, Isfahan, Mashhad and Tabriz record the highest levels of particulate pollution, mainly from human-generated mobile and stationary sources.

He urged vulnerable groups, including children, the elderly, pregnant women, heart and respiratory patients, and people with obesity, to avoid outdoor exposure during pollution episodes and to use medical-grade masks if they must go outside.

Shahsavani also advised against outdoor exercise, recommended keeping windows closed, and stressed the importance of using only standard air purifiers with certified HEPA and activated-carbon filters.

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