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3 Israelis killed by gunman near Jordan border

The Israeli military announced that the gunman “approached the area in a truck from Jordan, exited the truck, and opened fire at the Israeli security forces operating at the bridge”.

Three Israeli civilians were pronounced dead at the scene after a military medical team had performed resuscitation efforts, the Israeli military said.

The Israeli manager of the crossing said the three customs workers were shot at close range by the driver crossing from Jordan.

The shooting took place near an Israel-controlled commercial cargo area, where Jordanian trucks offload cargo entering the West Bank from the kingdom.

Jordan has closed the Allenby Bridge crossing, also known to Palestinians as al-Karamah Bridge, until further notice as authorities investigate the incident, the interior ministry said.

The crossing, which lies north of the Dead Sea, is the only international entry point for Palestinians from the West Bank that bypasses Israel.

The attack came as Israeli violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, including military raids and settler attacks, has soared since the start of the war in Gaza on 7 October.

More than 650 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank since, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

At least 23 Israelis, including members of the security forces, have been killed in Palestinian attacks during the same period, Israeli officials say.

Yemen’s Houthis claim downing another US MQ-9 Reaper drone

The Yemeni group has carried out dozens of attacks on ships with links to Israel in a show of solidarity with Palestinians amid Israel’s 11-month-old war on the besieged enclave.

Yahya Saree, the military spokesman of the Houthi group, said in a prerecorded video message released early on Sunday that the MQ-9 Reaper was shot down by air defences over Marib as “it was carrying out hostile activities”.

This is the eighth drone of this type to be shot down since the start of the war on Gaza, he added.

The group has not so far released footage of the downed attack and surveillance aircraft that costs about $30m.

The advanced drones, which can fly at altitudes up to 15,240 metres (50,000 feet) and for up to 24 hours, have been flown by US military and intelligence forces over Yemen for years.

Houthi forces will continue to mount attacks in support of Palestinians and “are in the process of strengthening defensive capabilities” to confront continuing joint air strikes by the US and United Kingdom on Yemen, according to Saree.

The Yemeni group, which landed an explosive-laden drone in Tel Aviv in July killing one person, have said their attacks will only stop when Israel’s killings in Gaza cease.

More than 40,900 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its devastating war on October 7.

Iran says has never been part of Ukraine war, supports political solutions

Nasser Kanaani

In reply to a question regarding the claims of Iran dispatching ballistic missiles to Russia, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaaani said the Islamic Republic of Iran, while repeatedly opposing the war, has always supported political solutions to the Ukraine conflict.

Kanaaani added Iran’s approach vai-a-vis the Ukraine war has not changed, and the repeated claims of sending ballistic missiles to Russia are made with specific political objectives of some Western states and are baseless.

He stated that the cooperation between Iran and Russia goes back to the pre-war era, adding they are made within the framework of bilateral agreements based on the international norms, having nothing to do with the Ukraine conflict.

UN report predicts shocking future for aging population in Iran

Aging population in Iran

Like many developing countries, Iran’s population has undergone fundamental changes due to the persistent decrease in fertility rates and the increase in life expectancy thanks to medical advances and rising levels of health conditions.

The population of the age group from 0 to 14 years old plunged from 45.5 percent in 1986 to 24 percent in 2016. The population of the youth in the category of 15 to 29 years old has also nosedived from over 35 percent to about 25 percent.

According to the United Nations’ prediction in 2017, the Iranian population of over 60 years old will comprise 12, 32, and 40 percent of the total population in 2025, 2050 and 2080 respectively.

UN report predicts shocking future for aging population in Iran

The economic hardships have been a major barrier for the young to refrain from giving birth to children or even getting married in Iran.

Iranian officials have been emphasizing on the need to introduce initiatives to encourage the young population to get married and have children.

In a recent meeting with the cabinet, Leader of Iran’s Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei asked Health Minister Mohammad Reza Zafarghandi to come up with plans to encourage families to have more children and reverse the aging trend.

Kiev’s allies worried Ukraine could be pushed out of Russia’s Kursk in near future: Report

Russia Ukraine War

The news agency said that a month into the Ukrainian operation, US and European officials still questioned what Ukraine’s endgame was for the territory in the Kursk Region. Some allied officials fear that Ukrainian troops could be forced to give up the land in the Kursk border areas “within a few months if Moscow mounts a larger counterattack”.

As Russian forces are pressing an offensive in Donbass, some European officials expressed concern that “the cost of the Kursk operation may prove high” for Ukraine, the news agency added.

Bloomberg reported that Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said that Kiev could use the situation in the Kursk Region “as a bargaining chip in talks”.

“But with no sign from Moscow that it is ready to negotiate in earnest, some allies worry that Ukraine may not be able to hold it long enough to provide leverage in any diplomatic efforts,” the news agency noted.

On August 6, Russia’s borderline Kursk Region came under a massive attack from Ukraine. A state of federal emergency is in effect in the region. Local residents are being evacuated to safe areas. According to the Emergencies Ministry, over 11,500 people, are staying at temporary accommodation centers.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Kiev has lost over 10,700 troops and 84 tanks since fighting began in the Kursk area. The operation to destroy Ukrainian units is underway.

High casualties inflicted upon the Ukrainian military since Kiev launched its incursion in Kursk Region could render its armed forces useless, Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated.

The Russian leader shared his assessment of the frontline situation on Thursday during a panel discussion at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok. He said the Ukrainian attempt to disrupt the Russian military with the massive attack across the border last month had backfired.

”Our military has stabilized the situation and is now gradually pushing the opponent from the border territories. More importantly, there is no resistance to our advancement [in Donbass],” he explained.

“The opponent has weakened itself on the key axis by moving those relatively strong and well-trained units to the border areas.”

Ukraine warns Iran against sending ballistic missiles to Russia as Tehran denies media reports

Russia Ukraine War
The aftermath of a missile attack on July 6, in Lviv, Ukraine.

Kyiv made the statement in reaction to recent media reports that Iran has sent ballistic missiles to boost Russian forces amid their ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

“For more than two years now, Ukraine has been suffering daily Russian terror attacks with all types of deadly weapons, including Iranian-made drones,” the foreign ministry noted.

“The deepening military-technical cooperation between Russia and Iran poses a serious security threat not only to Ukraine but also to the whole of Europe, the Middle East, and the world,” it commented.

The mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations has rejected the accusation of Iran supplying ballistic missiles to Russia as baseless and misleading.

“Iran’s position vis-à-vis the Ukraine conflict remains unchanged,” the mission said on Friday.

“Iran considers the provision of military assistance to the parties engaged in the conflict—which leads to increased human casualties, destruction of infrastructure, and a distancing from ceasefire negotiations—to be inhumane,” it added.

“Thus, not only does Iran abstain from engaging in such actions itself, but it also calls upon other countries to cease the supply of weapons to the sides involved in the conflict,” the mission noted.

Tehran has repeatedly dismissed Western allegations of its involvement in the Russia-Ukraine war. Iran has called for a ceasefire, blaming the lingering conflict on Western arms supplies to Kiev.

Russia has repeatedly warned against the flow of Western weapons to Ukraine, saying it prolongs the conflict.

CIA chief fails to confirm Iran delivering missiles to Russia

Iran Drone Missile

The Guardian published a report on Saturday suggesting that Burns while meeting with British spy chief, Richard Moore, in London, did not positively respond to a question raised by the Financial Times reporter, that whether Iran is considering sending ballistic missiles to Russia.

According to the report, the CIA chief only expressed concern over Iran’s possible decision to send those missiles to Russia.

Burns added that if Iran had delivered ballistic missiles to Russia, it would be a “significant escalation in the nature of the defense cooperation between the two countries”.

He, however, acknowledged that Tehran only transferred low-impact drones to Russia, a claim Iran had already confirmed but said that drones were supplied to Russia months before the Ukraine war began in February 2022.

On Friday, Iran’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York dismissed reports alleging that Tehran had transferred ballistic missiles to Moscow.

“Iran’s position vis-à-vis the Ukraine conflict remains unchanged. Iran considers the provision of military assistance to the parties engaged in the conflict—which leads to increased human casualties, destruction of infrastructure, and a distancing from ceasefire negotiations—to be inhumane,” the mission announced in a statement.

Hundreds of thousands protest against Israeli government

Israel Protest

The demonstrations were ignited on Sunday last week after the bodies of six captives were recovered from the Gaza Strip.

In Tel Aviv, the main site of the protests, organisers reported that over 500,000 people participated. Other significant demonstrations took place in Jerusalem, Haifa, Be’er Sheva, and near Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s private residence in Caesarea.

After the main protest in Tel Aviv, demonstrators gathered near the Ayalon Highway, blocking it and setting a bonfire on nearby Begin Street. There were scuffles with police.

The momentum from these protests shows no sign of fading. After a week of demonstrations, hostage families and advocacy groups are urging the public to keep taking to the streets to demand a deal.

Last week the head of Israel’s powerful Histadrut trade union, Arnon Bar-David, called for a “complete strike” starting Monday to pressure the government to secure a deal for the release of the remaining captives.

Bar-David emphasised the urgency of reaching a deal, saying, “A deal is not progressing due to political considerations and this is unacceptable.”

Senior Hamas officials said that Israel, in its refusal to sign a ceasefire agreement, was to blame for the deaths.

“Netanyahu is responsible for the killing of Israeli prisoners,” senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters, adding, “The Israelis should choose between Netanyahu and the deal.”

Meanwhile, CIA Director William Burns said a more detailed proposal on the ceasefire would be made in the coming days.

“We will make this more detailed proposal, I hope in the next several days, and then we’ll see,” Burns, who is the chief US negotiator, stated at an event in London.

He added that whether a ceasefire deal can be achieved in the coming days was a question of political will.

Burns stressed the US and other mediators in Gaza would continue to work tirelessly as there is “no good alternative” to a deal.

Meanwhile, relatives of the Israeli captives are accusing Netanyahu of having “torpedoed the deal” with Hamas.

“Anyone who continues to sabotage the deal for the return of the abductees is leading Israel to complete disintegration,” the group wrote on X.

It also called on Israeli politicians to “not be complicit in their abandonment to death and the dismantling of Israeli society”.

Iran’s last ambassador to USSR: Tehran needs to change strategy vis-à-vis Russia

Iran and Russia Flags

In an interview with the Tehran-based Entekhab news outlet, Nematollah Izadi also said Iran has inadvertently implied that it has no choice other than Russia at times of crisis and this has caused Tehran to get stuck between Russia and the West, which tries to portray Iran as an ally of Russian president Vladimir Putin.

“If we first can create a kind of balance in relations with the West and Russia in a scientific way, then we have come up with an appropriate solution”, Izadi added.

A new strategy, he said, should be defined in foreign policy and Tehran should address the balance between the East and the West.

According to the former Iranian ambassador, this policy can send the appropriate message to the West and Russia.

Izadi also stated, “Our main problem is that Russia thinks Iran has no other solution except Russia…the key to solving this issue is to start a dialogue with Europe”.

Izadi underlined that Western governments’ claims that Iran sent missiles to Russia is aimed at proving Iran’s involvement along with the Russians in the Ukraine war and this will automatically increase the pressure on Iran.

Izadi also spoke about the Zangezur corridor in the Caucuses. He further maintained that Russia is using the threat to create the corridor along Iran’s border with Armenia, as a leverage to prevent Iran from interacting with the West.

Police: 314 people killed in road accidents in Iran over past week

Iran Roads

The police put the number of the death-causing accidents at 264, saying the road crashes also left 8,156 people injured.

The police however noted that the number of casualties during the same period was lower than last year.

The Iranian authorities registered 220 trips across roads in Iran from August 31, 2024 until this Friday.

Millions of people travelled to the holy city of Mashhad and the northern provinces of Gilan and Mazandaran during the holidays of last week.