Latest News
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Russia attacks Ukraine with drones and missiles, killing two people and injuring 19 others
Officials said that Russia attacked Ukraine on Saturday with drones and missiles, killing two people and injuring 19. Kyiv is waiting for supplies of air defense munitions due to a shortage, which has left the country vulnerable to Russian attacks. A drone attack and a missile attack using ballistic, cruise, and cruise missiles in Kyiv's capital caused 11 injuries. "Civilian infrastructure had been hit before the air raid warning was issued," said President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who added that rescuers are working at the scene. "Our defenders were able to shoot down the majority of the targets, but not ballistics," he said, calling on Ukraine’s allies for a quick delivery of the air defence support packages agreed at the NATO Summit this week. Ukraine's Air Force said that Russia had launched six ballistic rockets, six cruise missiles, and 121 drones. It also added that at least two cruise weapons and 111 drones were?downed. A drone struck a civilian enterprise located in Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine, injuring seven people. UKRAINE REQUESTS SUPPLIES FROM ALLIES In the last month, Ukraine has been largely unsuccessful in destroying ballistic missiles that travel at speeds several times faster than sound. The Ukrainian government has asked allies for more munitions and urged Europe to collaborate with Kyiv in developing its anti-ballistic system. The U.S. president Donald Trump announced this week that Ukraine would be given a license to manufacture its own Patriot missiles. After the attack on Saturday, Zelenskiy demanded that "those projects" move as quickly as possible. In recent weeks, Russia has intensified its attacks against the capital. In the last month, more than 60 people have been killed in strikes against Kyiv and its surrounding area. Kyiv has, on the other hand, 'been pressing Russia's military logistic in occupied Southern Ukraine by conducting strikes against trucks and vessels deep behind front lines. Robert Brovdi, Ukraine's drone forces chief, said that his units had struck 21 fuel tanker ships in the Sea of Azov over night, along with seven other cargo and supply vessels, bringing this week's total to 76 vessels. Max Hunder, Kyiv (Reporting and Editing by William Mallard Tomaszjanowski and Barbara Lewis).
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Trump Administration rule weakens protections of threatened species
The 'Trump administration' finalized on Friday, a major change to how threatened species are considered by agencies. They removed?regulatory lingo aimed at preventing damage to wildlife habitats and drew a legal challenge. The Endangered Species Act is no longer applicable. It was passed 50 years ago and has been credited for saving the bald eagle and California condor, among many other animals and plants, from extinction. The Endangered Species Act is an important?regulatory factor for government agencies in granting permits to oil and gas, mining and?electrical transmission operations and other activities on federal lands or water. The new rule excludes "habitat destruction" from the definition of "harm" under the ESA. This means that project developers can 'damage places where wildlife lives as long as the wildlife is not directly injured or killed. Interior and Commerce departments said that the final rule would reduce costs associated with permitting and compliance for energy producers, farmers, fishing interests and others. This move is in line with President Donald Trump's desire to reduce the regulations that, according to him, limit American businesses. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum stated that "this?action restores the common sense and respects private property. It provides much-needed clarity for landowners, and it follows the statute Congress passed." The rule was proposed by the administration in April 2025. Earthjustice, an environmental?group, said that it would sue. Earthjustice attorney Kristen Boyles said that for the first time, a president's administration has claimed?that species protected under the Endangered Species Act should not be safe from habitat modifications that destroy where they live, their young or look for food. "Let's be clear: the Trump administration's regulation has no support -- scientific, legal, or public. (Reporting and editing by Nichola?Groom, Sanjeev Miglani, Chizu Nomiyama)
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Cuba's grid goes down for the second time in a week
Cuba's electrical grid went down on Friday, the second time this week and the fourth this year. Cuba's Energy Ministry said on social media that "protocols" were being activated in order to 'begin recovery'. Grid?operator UNE has begun efforts to'restore power' to the island's millions?of?residents. The collapse followed a previous nationwide outage that occurred on Monday. Although the authorities managed to reconnect the grid for most of the island by late Tuesday night, many parts of the country remained without power due to severe fuel shortages. This included Santiago de Cuba. Yailin Garcia, 26, sat outside her dimly-lit cafe and pizza place in central Havana with her 5-month old baby on her shoulders. She and her family opened La Criolla just a few short weeks ago. Friday was the second time that the electrical grid collapsed. She said, "All of the food spoils is an economic loss." She knew that it could be worse. She said that her neighborhood, located on the outskirts the capital, suffers from severe energy shortages. For the past month, her home only received electricity for an hour to two hours a day. After Washington deposed Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro in January, Donald Trump imposed a?oil-blockade on the Caribbean Island. Venezuela was Cuba's main fuel supplier, and U.S.-led pressure led Mexico to stop oil shipments. RISE IN TENSIONS After Monday's nationwide power outage, the chronic power failures exacerbated social tensions and sparked scattered protests with pot banging in Havana. The unrest reminded me of the demonstrations that took place on July 11, 2021 when thousands of Cubans marched in the streets to protest the communist government. Havana says that the U.S. embargo on Cuban trade has caused its infrastructure to fail, but Washington claims the blackouts were due to Cuba's mismanaged economy. The U.S. has openly declared its goal to overthrow Cuba's government. It demands democratic elections, and the?release? of prisoners that it claims are held on a purely political basis. In a U.N. General Assembly discussion on Tuesday, U.S. Michael Waltz, the U.N. Ambassador, blamed Havana for the situation, saying, "Change the way you do things and bring the light back on for your citizens." The majority of the countries who spoke at the debate called for Washington to reverse the sanctions and end the blockade that has crippled the island's economy. Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla is Cuba's minister of foreign affairs. He said that the U.S. economic and fuel sanctions were a collective punishment, a violation of human rights for an entire population. He called the U.S. policies towards the island, "cruel" and "ruthless." Reporting by Natalia Siniawski, Ayose Naranjo, and Laura Gottesdiener from Havana. Editing by Daina Bet Solomon and Aurora Ellis.
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Holtec Nuclear Corporation files for US IPO amid surging power demand
Holtec Nuclear Corporation, an energy company in the United States, filed for an initial public offer. Holtec Nuclear Corporation filed for an initial public offering in the United States on Friday. After a few years with muted issuances the U.S. IPO has experienced a resurgence. Larger deals and AI-linked listing have driven dollar volumes to record levels even though the number of offerings remain?far below previous boom-era peaks. The government's?drive to quadruple U.S. nucleonic capacity by 2050 in order to meet the rising demand for power from?data centres, electric vehicles, and cryptocurrency mining has also benefited energy sector IPOs. Holtec was founded in 1986 and supplies nuclear equipment and manages spent nuclear energy. It also develops small modular reactors, which are said to be more cost-effective than larger models that take years to build. The company has been tasked with restarting the Palisades Nuclear Plant, which shut down in 2022 after more than 50 years of operation. Holtec received $400 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy for the construction of?two SMRs on the site. X-energy, Deep Fission and other companies have been publicized this year in order to fund the development of small modular reactors. Holtec, based in Camden, New Jersey, posted a net income of $17.8 mln on revenues of 165.3 mln for the quarter ended March 31 2026. This compares to a net profit of $25.4 mln on revenue of 170.7 mmln a year ago. The IPO proceeds will be used to fund the SMR-300 reactor project, expand manufacturing capabilities and support other growth initiatives. J.P. Morgan and Goldman Sachs, as well as Citigroup, are the main underwriters of the offering. Holtec plans to list its shares under the symbol HNUC on Nasdaq, Nasdaq Texas and Nasdaq India. (Reporting from Pragyan in Bengaluru. Editing by Jonathan Ananda.
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US officials claim that the US demands Iran to stop its attacks on the Hormuz Strait.
Senior?U.S. officials have said that the United States demands that Iran publicly'state that it will stop attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz, and that all lanes in the Strait will be opened to shipping without any tolls. Officials from the United States said Friday that Iran has refused to give up control of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which a fifth of world oil flows. Iran has refused to relinquish control of the Strait, a strategic waterway that is used by a fifth the world's supply of oil. U.S. officials stated that recent conversations between the U.S. and Iran had been fruitful. The officials made their comments in a conference to a small number of journalists. "We're demanding that the Iranians release a public statement that acknowledges that all channels of Strait of Hormuz remain open and that they are no longer shooting at ships. "They have to make that public statement, or else we won't be able to get a positive outcome for them," said an official. Iran told Washington that recent attacks against shipping in the Strait of Hormuz were caused by "a errant component of their system", according to a senior official. An official stated that there appears to be a real-time power struggle between hardliners and pragmatics in Iran. This week, three Qatari and Saudi tankers were 'under fire.' The U.S. responded by hitting Iranian sites and Iran responded with strikes against U.S. military bases in Gulf states. Donald Trump, the U.S. president, has declared that both sides have broken their ceasefire agreement signed in June. Iran's official news service IRNA reports that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi is traveling to Oman this Saturday to discuss bilateral relations, regional developments and the situation in the Strait. "We hope to reach a point where they publicly acknowledge that they messed up and stop shooting at boats. "We are working on it now," said an official. The official stated that "the president has ordered us to speak, but as he has shown a willingness, if they continue to shoot at ships or engage in any other hostile act, we will hit them back." The U.S.'s fundamental demand is that Iran hand over its nuclear material. Tehran is thought to have more than 900 lbs. of highly enriched Uranium. Trump and other U.S. official call this "nuclear powder." Negotiations are supposed to take place over a period of 60 days based on the memorandum that was signed by both countries in June. One official stated, "I just want to make it clear that we will not have an agreement with Iran if we fail to get the dust." If Iran does not agree, the official stated that "we have many options", including military and economical options. (Reporting by Steve Holland; Editing and Sanjeev miglani, David Ljunggren)
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Iran media reports that the fire at a western Iranian mini refinery has been contained.
The semi-official YJC Iranian news agency, citing a local source, reported that a fire which broke out on Friday?at 'the Oxin Palayesh'mini-refinery' in Iran's western Lorestan Province has been put out. YJC quoted the safety manager at Lorestan Industrial Estates Company as saying that the fire was contained to a 'barrel of waste oil' and 'didn’t spread to refinery facilities or storing tanks. Iranian state media reported earlier that a fire had broken out just after 5 pm local time, sending a thick smoke column over Poldokhtar. Firefighters initially struggled to contain the blaze due to its 'intensity' and presence of flammable material. The state media reported that the deputy governor of?Lorestan said no fatalities or injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire is being investigated. The deputy governor said that preliminary reports showed?that it was likely the raw materials section of the industrial unit which caused the fire. Enas Alashray, Louise Heavens, and Edmund Klamann edited the report.
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US officials claim that the US demands Iran to stop its attacks on the Hormuz Strait.
Senior U.S. officials stated on Friday that the United States?is requiring that Iran publicly?state that it will cease attacks on ships in?the Strait?of Hormuz?and?that?all lanes will be open for shipping without tolls. Officials said that recent conversations between the two countries had been fruitful. The officials made the comments in a conference call to a group of journalists. "We're demanding that the Iranians release a public declaration?that acknowledges that all channels of the Strait of Hormuz?are?open? and they aren't shooting at ships any more." "They'll either give us this statement or we won't have a good result for them," said one official. One senior official said that Iran told Washington the recent attacks against shipping in the Strait came from "an errant part of its system." An official said that there appears to be a real-time power struggle between pragmatists and hardliners in the?Iran. The attack on three ships this week prompted President Donald Trump to launch a 'U.S. Strikes on Iranian targets. He has declared the ceasefire signed by both sides in June is over.
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Wall Street rises and oil falls as investors bet more on AI growth than Middle East tensions
Investors continued to be enthused about AI and shrugged off the dispute between the U.S. The three major U.S. All three major?U.S. MSCI's global stock index rose 0.4% last week. The renewed attacks on the U.S. and Iran have further undermined the fragile three week old ceasefire. However, the markets have taken the developments in the Middle East with ease. SK HYNIX’S U.S. DEBUT South Korean semiconductor maker SK Hynix made a big splash in U.S. stock markets on Friday. Its?U.S. listed shares jumped 14 percent after raising $26.5 billion. This indicates that investors are eager to get exposure to the 'AI supply chain. The massive offering will fund new factories and equipment in order to meet the surging demand for AI chips. It is expected to be the second largest share sale worldwide after?SpaceX’s record-breaking IPO. Investors waited for clarity about the fragile?ceasefire agreement between the U.S. ?U.S. Donald Trump announced on Friday that both nations would continue to negotiate but that the June agreement to cease military action is "over." Both countries claimed that military action was taken in recent days by both nations in the Gulf. This re-ignited a conflict which disrupted global energy trade through the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude fell by 0.41% to $75.99 per barrel on Monday, despite looming fears. BMO Senior economist Carl Campus wrote in a recent note that oil prices had also remained "remarkably calm" despite the conflict spreading (once more) to some neighbouring nations. While there are many factors that may be preventing a larger?surge, perhaps the optimism surrounding ongoing talks is what's causing it. The Japanese yen was the focus of attention on currency markets. It firmed after comments by Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki katayama suggesting that repatriation might be coming for Japanese investors. The dollar was 0.4% higher at 161.71 US dollars. dollar. In recent days, the frail yen was hovering around its lowest point in 40 years as traders waited for Tokyo to intervene. Investors waited for catalysts that would help them gauge the direction of U.S. Interest rates. The dollar index (which?measures?the greenback against a basket?of currencies, including the yen?and the euro?) rose by 0.05% to reach 100.96. The yield on the benchmark 10-year U.S. notes increased by 2.22 basis points, to 4.561%. Reporting by Pete Schroeder, Washington; Additional reporting by Neil Mackenzie, London, and Ankur Banerjee, Singapore; Editing and production by Tom Hogue and Jan Harvey; Nick Zieminski; Aurora Ellis; and Deepababington.
US negotiators in Switzerland dispute Iranian claims that the Strait of Hormuz will be closed.
On Sunday, the United States and Iran will begin peace talks in Switzerland. U.S. officials have disputed Iranian claims that the Strait of Hormuz is closed.
Iran's state-run media reported that a high-level Iranian delegation had arrived in Switzerland to begin peace talks with the U.S. JD Vance, U.S. vice president, left Washington on Saturday for meetings Pakistan has said will start Sunday.
The U.S. and Iran had agreed to a ceasefire for 60 days while negotiations are taking place. However, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz closed on Saturday, despite the U.S. Military stating that commercial vessels continued to operate in the waterway. These developments could complicate negotiations between the two sides to progress an interim agreement brokered by Pakistan, and signed by U.S. president Donald Trump and Iranian president Masoud Peshkian on Wednesday to end their nearly four-month conflict.
The IRGC, citing what it termed Israeli "crimes" that had violated U.S. agreements to a ceasefire in Lebanon, warned that ships could be put at risk if approaching the Strait - a vital conduit of global oil and natural gas supplies. U.S. Central Command reported that 55 merchant ships passed through the Strait on Saturday, carrying more than 17,000,000 barrels of crude oil bound for global markets.
Central Command said that U.S. troops will continue to ensure that commercial traffic is maintained.
In a post on social media, Trump wrote on Saturday that there will be no toll for the passage of ships through the?Strait before or after the ceasefire period of 60 days -- unless the U.S. imposes a toll if peace talks fail.
Trump has left the door open to the possibility that the United States could impose a Hormuz tax "for the services rendered to the Middle East countries as the Guardian Angel" if the peace deal isn't completed. Mohammad Mokhber is an advisor to the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei. He accused the U.S.
He stated that the Middle East's energy flow would be halted as long as there was no?agreement on paper.
The truce in Lebanon appeared fragile, as Israeli forces and Hezbollah, a militant group backed by Iran, attacked each other.
ENERGY BUILDING FOR U.S.IRAN TALKS?IN SWITZERLAND According to Iranian media, the Iranian delegation included Abbas Araqchi, Foreign Minister, as well as officials from central bank, oil, and security. The U.S. team also includes Steve Witkoff, Trump's daughter-in-law, and Jared Kushner.
Esmaeil baghaei, spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, said Iran will press Switzerland to fulfill commitments. He cited past failures of the other side in honouring agreements.
In an interview with Fox News Vance said that he was confident that the ceasefire will hold and that he did not see any evidence that the Strait of Hormuz had been closed. After 4 pm, the U.S. Vice President left for Switzerland. ET (2100 GMT), Saturday. Vance, speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews before boarding his plane in Maryland, said that the negotiations would probably last "a couple of days".
He said, "I hope we will make progress?on the issue of the nuclear program and the ceasefire in Lebanon." The U.S. and Iran agreed that a halt in fighting in Lebanon would be a condition for the start of talks about Tehran's nuclear program, among other things. Lebanese Civil Defence reported that Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon killed 20 people on Saturday, just hours after the ceasefire took effect.
Israel claimed that it was responding to Hezbollah's attacks, while the Iran backed group stated that they would not allow Israel to have "freedom of movements" in Lebanon.
Israel, which was left out of the talks and has not signed the Iran-U.S. agreement, said that it will keep its troops in the Lebanese territories it occupies.
Channel 12 in Israel reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ariel Sharon had instructed their military to stop firing on Lebanon but not to withdraw from the areas they had taken.
In a poll conducted by the Israeli Hebrew University, 92% of Israelis believed that Iran gained more from the joint Israeli and U.S. military campaigns than Israel. Only 8% of Israelis thought Israel had won. Nearly 90% of Israelis believe that the goals of the conflict were not achieved and over 70% do not believe Netanyahu's claims of major accomplishments.
Lebanon's NNA state news agency reported that Israeli drones and warplanes struck Hezbollah-held areas in southern Lebanon on Saturday.
A senior Israeli military official claimed that Hezbollah had fired more than 50 projectiles overnight at Israeli forces located in southern Lebanon, and Israel responded by attacking what it called Hezbollah's targets.
Israel's military said that it was committed to a ceasefire, but that they would continue to take action against any threats to Israel or their forces.
Lebanon's Health Ministry says that 4,057 people, including women, children and medics, have died in Israeli attacks between March 2 and now, but it doesn't specify how many were combatants.
According to Israeli authorities, at least 32 soldiers as well as four civilians were killed during the fighting with Hezbollah.
(source: Reuters)